0113: Which Daughter-in-Law?

After a quiet dinner, it was past 9:00 PM. Having enjoyed a little red wine that Chu Qingchan kept at home, Xu Lin found himself reluctant to leave the two beauties.

Reason, however, eventually pulled him back. After washing his face, he prepared to head home; even though he had told his parents, he didn't want them to worry if he stayed out too late.

"I'm heading back now."

"Mhm. Take the leftovers with you," Ji Yun said, packing the dishes she had prepared into take-out containers.

"I'll have Mom and Dad taste their daughter-in-law's cooking when I get home."

"Xu Lin, you're taking advantage of Ji Yun again."

"I'm taking advantage of you too. I'm off."

"Xu Lin, wait a moment." Before he could push the door open, Ji Yun called out to him.

"What is it?"

"The things we asked you earlier weren't just a joke. We want you to know that we’re letting it slide this time, but don't go provoking any other girls. We’re serious."

"I understand." Xu Lin looked at Ji Yun with a burning intensity, then turned his gaze to Chu Qingchan.

Both Chu Qingchan and Ji Yun felt the weight of his resolve and said nothing more, though they could not see the thoughts hidden behind it. In truth, from the moment Ji Yun had come out of the bedroom and linked her arm with Chu Qingchan’s, he had felt a wave of relief; the worst-case scenario had been avoided.

Yet, he deeply reflected on his own nature. He had always known that his greed would ultimately hurt the twelve girls he cared for. He would not force anyone to love him—he was no god—but as long as they loved him, he would not let go. Whether this greed stemmed from his own nature or the System, he didn't care; he had no intention of abandoning his ambition.

He knew that friction between them was inevitable. That the relationship between Ji Yun and Chu Qingchan had stabilized was, to him, a stroke of good fortune. In the future, there would certainly be those whose personalities and tempers clashed completely, and that was when he would have to step in to resolve things. He would not abandon one for the sake of another; his joke earlier about wanting them all was, in fact, the truth.

Moreover, Ji Yun had been impressive today. Not only did she fool Chu Qingchan, but she had also managed to win over Bai Xiaoxiao in a single afternoon. Perhaps he could ask Class Monitor Ji for help, though he would need a good excuse to discuss it with her first.

"I promise you both: even if I turn into a scumbag, I will never give you up!"

"Modern society is monogamous. Are you overthinking things?"

"There's always a way, isn't there? It would be best if you both just married me."

"As if anyone cares for you. But if you really manage to change that, we’ll all be equals—you’d be getting a bargain!"

Chu Qingchan said this jokingly, but Xu Lin took it to heart. Perhaps one day, the System would make it possible.

As Xu Lin opened the door and left, Chu Qingchan looked at Ji Yun. "Do you think he really understood what we meant?"

"Who knows? Regardless, as long as we keep a slight watch on him, he won't be out flirting with others."

***

"By the way, we didn't finish asking about all the suspects, did we?"

"Next time. He still has to go back and write; he’s tired enough as it is."

Although Ji Yun had joined Chu Qingchan in teaching Xu Lin a lesson today, her heart ached for him. He had truly been busy from dawn until night without a moment of rest: morning exercise, helping a classmate find Qin Yunhe, discovering his own father and helping resolve issues, surviving the ordeal with the escaped tiger, and then spending hours caring for Bai’s father. After all that, he had come here to be interrogated by them, only to return home to work late into the night, knowing he had to wake up at 5:00 AM for exercise.

"He's not that weak. He's been much healthier lately, hasn't he? Don't worry, don't worry. Anyone trained by Chu Fengyi won't have poor physical fitness."

"Then let's take a bath and get some rest."

"Alright. Ji Yun, shall I join you?"

"Sister Chu… I’d rather wash by myself. I’m not really used to having others around," Ji Yun said, waving her hands in embarrassment.

"I’ll scrub your back, and you can scrub mine."

Seeing the serious expression on Chu Qingchan’s face, Ji Yun nodded, her face flushing as she stepped into the bathroom first.

Chu Qingchan looked at her own reflection in the mirror. She hadn't realized her "cold" expression was so effective. *Sister Ji Yun, here I come! That Chu Fengyi never lets me bathe with her, but now that I’ve found a new sister, don’t you dare regret this!*

***

When Xu Lin returned home, he found his parents playing Five-in-a-Row. Just as Ms. Li caught his father cheating by trying to sneak a black piece back into his hand, she slapped his shoulder. "If you break the rules again, I’m not playing with you!"

"You've already won ten games; what's one game to let me win?"

"That won't do. Don't we have a ten-yuan bet per game?"

"I'm out of pocket money. Go ask little Xu!"

"Huh?" Xu Lin, who had planned to sneak back into his room, was caught by his father.

"I don't have any money either."

"Didn't I give you 30,000? Did you spend it all?"

"No, I invested it. Once I make money, I'll give you double back to serve as your little stash!" Xu Lin said quickly. His father was just about to nod when he saw the look his wife was giving him.

"Uh, forget about the double. Just give it to your mother before the New Year."

"You got it."

"But what kind of investment are you making? Don't tell me you've been scammed?" Although twenty thousand wasn't a huge sum, Xu Guangfeng was worried his son was falling into a trap.

"It's nothing strange. It's a spicy hot pot franchise. I’m putting up the capital, and I’m hiring the Bai family of three to run it."

"Is that the family you've been helping?"

"Yes."

"Do you think it'll work?" Ms. Li asked while sorting the chess pieces.

Ms. Li was the one who made the decisions at home, so Xu Lin trotted over to her side, sat down, set the lunch box on the table, and draped his arm around her shoulder.

"Let me tell you, it's a sure thing. I specifically looked into it; this spicy hot pot brand is already booming in the Northeast. Basically, every shop that opens becomes a success. They’re expanding their franchise now, and I think it’s a great opportunity."

This wasn't just idle boasting; he had done his research, and based on the expansion speed of this brand in his previous life, securing the franchise was a smart move. The cost was low, and with the rise of food delivery in the coming years, it would be a double win. If he had enough capital, he would have loved to secure the rights for the surrounding counties or even the entire prefecture-level city. But he didn't want to rely on Chu Qingchan and the others, so he would take it one step at a time. Once the capital grew, he would expand further.

Once he had the regional franchise, he could use the profits from the hot pot business to launch his "Blue and Orange" delivery projects.

"Fine. Since you're confident, go ahead and do it!"

Ms. Li nodded. They had both noticed their son becoming more mature lately. He was capable, had even been on TV, and was writing things—even if they didn't know if it made money, it at least showed their son was talented. If he wanted to try, let him. Even if he failed, it would be a lesson learned; if he succeeded, even better—it would pave the way for his future.

"Thanks, Mom!"

"Aren't you going to thank your dad? I'm the one who provided the money."

"Thanks, Dad!"

"Ahem. The kid should thank me. Isn't this the money I was saving for your mother's jewelry?"

"Uh..."

"Alright, you two. I brought some good food back. Want some?"

"Smells delicious. Which daughter-in-law made this?"

"Which daughter-in-law..." Xu Lin chuckled. "It was Ji Yun. Your daughter-in-law Ji."

"This mother and son... sigh." Hearing his wife and son's conversation, he sighed. *How did both my wife and son end up being such heartbreakers?*