Engaged to Bai Yuyou

Though unsure why Aunt Xian had asked to meet, Ye Shuang agreed without hesitation—the designated spot was a café less than ten kilometers away, not too far. Still, he took a moment to tidy himself up, donning clean, presentable clothes and slipping on the green Rolex Submariner his father had given him.

Since he wasn’t driving Bai Yuyou or Keke, Ye Shuang took his sports car and arrived at the destination in no time.

“Hmm… Man Coffee, this is the place?” After parking, Ye Shuang glanced up at the café—a perfectly ordinary one. Inside, it was fairly crowded, but the ambiance seemed pleasant enough for a conversation.

Following the location on his phone, Ye Shuang made his way to the second floor. In a quiet, secluded corner, he spotted her.

As he sat down, Zhou's Mother slowly removed her mask, revealing a face bearing a striking resemblance to Bai Yuyou’s—enough to make Ye Shuang look twice. No doubt, they were mother and daughter.

Under the dim, warm yellow lighting and the soft strains of classical music, Ye Shuang couldn’t quite decipher her intentions. He offered a faint smile. “Aunt Xian, you asked to meet just me. Is there something you’d like to discuss?”

That was the thing—if she had only wanted to see Bai Yuyou and he’d simply tagged along, Ye Shuang wouldn’t have thought much of it. But the fact that she’d summoned him alone made the situation feel different.

He also noticed that Zhou's Mother looked slightly more worn out than before. Though she’d applied makeup, it couldn’t fully conceal the exhaustion in her demeanor—she clearly hadn’t been resting well.

“How has Rou’er been lately?” Zhou's Mother asked.

“She’s doing well. She won an award in a school performance recently and has been taking on part-time work to challenge herself,” Ye Shuang replied, smiling. “She’s grown much bolder. Everything’s moving in a positive direction.”

At the mention of the performance, Zhou's Mother didn’t offer any explanation. She lifted her coffee cup, took a sip, and said,

“Today, I called you here for two reasons.”

“Go ahead,” Ye Shuang said.

“First, I want Rou’er to change her name back and re-register under my household in Hong Kong,” Zhou's Mother said slowly. “But when she does, she won’t take the Zhou surname—she’ll take the Xu surname.”

Ye Shuang narrowed his eyes slightly.

Xu…

Aunt Xian’s maiden name was Xu. Logically, Bai Yuyou should have taken the Zhou surname. Had something happened?

“Do you have questions?” Zhou's Mother asked softly, noticing his hesitation. “Feel free to ask.”

Ye Shuang studied her for a moment, then information surfaced in his mind—

[Character: Xu Huixian

Renowned actress, singer, former Miss Hong Kong. Recently, her family life seems strained…]

So something had indeed happened with the Zhou family. Was it because of Alice?

“Is this… about Alice?” Ye Shuang ventured cautiously. After all, the little girl had shown up at his apartment doorstep—there was no way that was unrelated. With BoBo accompanying her and the surveillance footage capturing it all, the Zhou family must have known Alice had come.

Zhou's Mother sighed, giving him a slightly odd look. “How much do you know?”

“Not much. Just that Alice came to my place last time, so…” Ye Shuang trailed off, deliberately avoiding mentioning that he knew Alice was Zhou's Father’s biological daughter.

Bringing that up himself would only make things awkward, so he chose his words carefully to avoid missteps.

“I see…” Zhou's Mother fell silent for a moment before continuing, “Which is why I want Rou’er to change her name first.”

“That’s perfectly reasonable. She shouldn’t keep the surname of a human trafficker,” Ye Shuang agreed, then added, “But whether Yuyou takes the Xu or Zhou surname—Aunt Xian, shouldn’t you discuss this properly with Zhou's Father first…”

A sharp scoff cut him off.

“What’s there to discuss with that bastard?!” Zhou's Mother snapped, her voice ringing loud enough in the quiet café that several distant patrons glanced their way.

Ye Shuang: “……”

That was some serious anger. Clearly, things were as complicated as he’d suspected.

Zhou's Mother seemed to realize she’d lost her composure. Apologizing briefly, she took a sip from her cup to steady herself.

After collecting her thoughts, she looked at Ye Shuang and said, “Let’s move on to the second matter.”

“Your engagement to Rou’er.”

“Huh?” Ye Shuang blinked.

“What, ‘huh’? You’ve lived with my daughter for so long, and she relies on you so much,” Zhou's Mother said. “Get engaged first, then marry after she graduates. Settling this sooner will put our minds at ease.”

“I’m very satisfied with you—you excel in every way,” she continued. “Old Chen and the others have told me about your circumstances… Once you’re married, you can just join our Xu family.”

“Join the Xu family?” Ye Shuang was caught off guard. Since when had this become about him marrying into the family?

“Yes, but don’t worry—the Xu family won’t mistreat you,” Zhou's Mother assured him. “Our family isn’t large these days, and many of our businesses are managed by outsiders. With your abilities, I’m sure our patriarch would be happy to grant you considerable resources.”

“No—correction, an abundance of resources.”

When Ye Shuang didn’t respond, she pressed, “What are your thoughts?”

“I…”

Ye Shuang fell silent for a few seconds, his mind a tangled mess.

“Are you worried about the Chen Family?” Zhou's Mother crossed her arms. “I know Qin is fond of you, but this ultimately depends on your decision. Once you’re engaged, I doubt Old Chen will object.”

“The Xu family may not be as influential as the Chens now, but we’re not far behind.”

“I can’t marry into the family,” Ye Shuang finally said.

Zhou's Mother studied him deeply before replying, “Striking out on your own now, if you want success, joining us is the best choice. Compared to status and wealth, your reservations mean little.”

“You’re not a child anymore. Think carefully.”

“That’s all for today. I have other matters to attend to on the mainland.” With that, Zhou's Mother put on her mask, picked up her bag, and left.

Ye Shuang remained seated, fingers interlaced as he mulled things over. After a moment, he pulled out his phone—

“Hey, what are you up to?”

“Serving clients, obviously. You think I’m out here cursing them?”

“Let’s grab tea tonight,” Ye Shuang said.