A Deadly Invitation, An Epic Encounter, The Overcrowded Corridor, So Many People...

Being alone is pretty good too?

Wait a minute, why does this sound so familiar?

Tang's Mother's heart skipped a beat when she heard this. Oh no, it felt like a heart attack. She suddenly seemed to understand how her own mother felt when nagging her about getting married back in the day.

At this exact same age, she had been pressured relentlessly to marry. Eligible men from the same village, the neighboring village—as long as they were considered a good match, basically all of them had come over.

It was just a pity that not a single one succeeded.

The situation Tang Yuyao was facing now was almost exactly the same as Tang's Mother's back then. Since her mother hadn't succeeded in persuading her, now... it probably wouldn't be successful either.

Tang's Mother put away the thought of advising her daughter to find someone else and decided to stick to her original plan.

Tang's Mother hadn't been beating around the bush for so long just because she was bored; she had actually come up with two methods.

One was to tell the truth and let her daughter find another Mr. Right. The other was the solution she had discussed earlier with her chubby son... the she is your only sister approach.

After building up to it for so long, the single sentence Being alone is pretty good too instantly silenced Tang's Mother. The moment those words came out, it meant the first plan was completely scrapped.

Tang's Mother wasn't sure if her daughter had heard the rumors and gossip about Ye Cheng at school or not.

But she was very clear that even if she did know, there was a high probability that nothing would change. She would still maintain the current situation, and when the family brought it up...

Hey, guess what?

The daughter who had just come back and hadn't even warmed her seat would just run away!

Tang's Mother: ...

This wouldn't do. It seemed she still had to go with the original plan.

Tang's Mother calculated secretly in her heart. After pondering for a moment, she spoke, breaking the silence in the courtyard: Daughter, have you found that friend who helped you last time?

The friend who helped last time naturally referred to the warm-hearted Sister Lin who had reported her.

Tang Yuyao shook her head: No.

They came prepared, so she wouldn't get any results even if she kept investigating. The connection had been routed countless times, twisting and turning, bouncing back and forth between locations in the Dragon Kingdom and overseas. It would be a miracle if she could lock onto it.

Finding the person was out of the question.

But Tang Yuyao still deduced some useful information. For example... this so-called friend might actually be someone she knew in real life.

As for why they wanted to help her, that wasn't very clear, but the other party's goal was obvious: to make a phone call to get her back, back to the Tang family.

If she hadn't been taken in this time, Tang Yuyao reckoned she would have drifted outside for a few more years, and whether she would return home was still an unknown. After all, the current Tang Yuyao had perfectly blended into the outside corporate slave society and successfully become a qualified slacker.

The environment was quite comfortable. If it was comfortable, why go back?

Just like the current marriage market, if getting married was really that good, and you met someone you liked and wanted to spend your life with, would you lack enthusiasm?

If you saw money dropped on the ground, wouldn't you pick it up?

It was because she felt uncomfortable staying there that Tang Yuyao left home in a fit of pique. After staying outside for a long time, she got used to it. She had also thought about going home to take a look, but ultimately didn't go back because of her stubbornness.

Now there was actually a friend who was in such a hurry to send her home. What was their motive?

After thinking for a long time, Tang Yuyao couldn't deduce what benefit the other party could possibly get from this phone call to send her home. It couldn't just be to get her back, right?

Tang Yuyao could never have imagined that this phone call to send her home had another name... The wrath of an incompetent childhood sweetheart!

You damn leftover woman, go back and obediently go on blind dates. Don't always be thinking about an old cow eating tender grass all day long. Do you even know what you're doing?!!

If you can't find them, then forget it. I was originally going to thank them. Tang's Mother shook her head and didn't pursue the matter further.

Indeed, just as Tang's Mother said, they really should properly thank the other party. Otherwise, with their daughter's temper, it wasn't guaranteed that she wouldn't have stayed locked up for a few days before figuring things out and calling home.

The previous phone call was also very particular.

It was Second Brother Tang, Tang Jianjun, who made the call, taking the stance of a brother who cared about his sister to get Wang Fugui to do him a favor.

But if Tang Shouye had called directly, it would be a favor owed by Old Master Tang's side. The difference between the two was extraordinarily huge...

In a few days, bring Xiao Ye home for a visit, and let Mom see him in person, Tang's Mother suddenly said.

The few days Tang's Mother mentioned referred to her own birthday, which was only a few days away.

Mom, are you talking about your birthday? Tang Yuyao asked uncertainly.

Yes, buy Mom a small cake then, and it'll be a good time for the whole family to have a meal together. Tang's Mother raised her eyebrows, looking cheerfully at her daughter.

The Tang family's rules were quite strict. Even Tang Shouye, who usually liked grand scenes and showing off, wouldn't be too ostentatious. For instance, a family member's birthday just meant the family eating a meal together.

For Old Master Tang's birthday, there would be more people, including some comrades-in-arms, so they would need to be a bit busier then. For Tang's Mother, it was just the family having a meal together.

Unless there was something particularly important and they couldn't get away, the brothers in the family would all rush back. This was what she was talking about now.

For the first meeting to be on such an occasion, it showed that Tang's Mother was giving plenty of face and showing a serious attitude. Tang Yuyao couldn't quite believe it. Wouldn't this... be too formal?

Maybe we should forget about it, Mom... Tang Yuyao started to back out. Her mother's attitude was suddenly so serious; if things didn't work out, wouldn't it be incredibly awkward?

Originally, she just meant to use Ye Cheng as a shield against the blind dates and marriage pressure, but doing this... basically set it in stone.

You have to know, when her brothers brought their wives home, there wasn't such a big fuss, nor was it this formal. Now this...

Forget about it? Are you sure? Tang's Mother didn't rush to refuse, but asked in return.

I... Now it was Tang Yuyao's turn to be uncertain. Since they were going to act, naturally it would be better to do the full set, right?

This kid had been freeloading for so long, it wouldn't be too much to ask him for this little favor, right?

It was just going through the motions...

It's fine, at worst she could just say they broke up...

In just a few seconds, Tang Yuyao successfully convinced herself in her heart. She'd do it!

Alright, I'll talk to him. It's mainly because eldest brother and the others are a bit fierce. I'm afraid of scaring him; he's still young... Tang Yuyao found an excuse for her slightly hesitant attitude just now.

Tang's Mother blinked: That can't be, he looks quite energetic to me. Daughter, are you lying to me?

Tang Yuyao: ???

Tang Yuyao froze for a second before realizing that her mother was making a dirty joke, and a wild one at that. Blushing a visible red, she threw down the yarn in her hands and ran off.

I'm not talking to you anymore... I feel a bit stuffy, I'm going out for a walk.

A cowardly lizard fleeing the battle!!!

Tang Yuyao bolted, not daring to keep chatting with her mom, otherwise she would turn into a big red tomato from blushing. She disappeared in a flash, managing to run in high heels just as fast as if she were wearing sneakers.

Watching Tang Yuyao run off in a flash out of shyness, Tang's Mother sighed, "Hey, don't lose, my daughter..."

She had helped with everything she could, both what she should and shouldn't have. The rest was up to her own luck. If she still couldn't handle it after all this, then there was truly nothing more to be done...

Outside the compound.

Under a huge crooked tree, Tang Yuyao leaned against the trunk. Tap, tap, tap. Her fingers danced rapidly across her screen in a highly rhythmic manner.

"Come to my house for dinner in a few days. It is my mom's birthday, so you better behave well and put on a good show."

"If you do well, I will reward you with a chicken leg. Do not pull any weird stunts. If you mess this up, you know what I am capable of!"

"By the way, are you free tonight?"

"Where are you?"

"Damn it, did your crappy phone sort me into some weird category again?!"

"Just you wait!!!"

Tang Yuyao sent Ye Cheng a barrage of messages and even called him, but the calls could not connect and the messages remained unread. It was exactly like the time she got sorted into the Down Syndrome folder.

Ye Cheng's heavily modified ordinary citizen phone was simply too authoritative. This automatic sorting feature...

"You dead kid, just you wait!" Tang Yuyao snorted softly. Muttering curses under her breath, she put her phone away, preparing to go to the school and ambush Ye Cheng.

However, it was unlikely to happen during the day. Shen Qinghan was always glued to Ye Cheng's side, and Dongfang Zhixia and the little secretary would spawn from time to time as well. She could only wait until school ended in the evening.

Tang Yuyao stretched her back, strolled a few laps around the crooked tree, and finally headed back...

Thump, thump, thump...

...

The hospital.

Screech!

The car slammed on its brakes and came to a halt. The rear door opened, and Shen Qinghan stepped out from the back seat, walking briskly toward the hospital with an expressionless face.

"Young Master, slow down!" A short-haired woman got out of the driver's seat, shut the door, and hurriedly chased after her.

Parked nearby was the Dongfang family's exclusive car, indicating that Dongfang Zhixia had arrived one step ahead of them.

"Young Master, please slow down." The short-haired woman caught up and stood by the elevator waiting. The elevator descended floor by floor from above. Its speed was not actually slow, but to the current Shen Qinghan, it felt like a snail's pace.

She could not wait anymore.

Shen Qinghan took one look, turned her head, and walked away, heading straight for the nearby fire escape stairs.

The short-haired woman: "???"

A few extra seconds would not make a difference, right?

"Young Master, the elevator is almost here. Hey... Young Master, slow down..." The short-haired woman chased after her anyway. Their Young Master's legs had only recently healed. What if she had another accident?

Not to mention, their Young Master's body was a bit weaker than an ordinary person's, which made the possibility of such an accident even greater. She could not afford not to keep a close eye on her!

Click!

The fire escape door was pushed open. Shen Qinghan was panting, fine sweat clinging to her forehead, and a flush of red painted her delicate face. The corridor was densely packed with people: bodyguards, maids... and Dongfang Zhixia, who was pushing the little secretary in a wheelchair while holding a phone and arguing with someone.

"What do you mean you do not have the authority?"

"In a hospital this big, you, the director, do not have the authority to pull the security footage?"

"Apologize? I do not want to hear your apologies, I want the footage!"

Dongfang Zhixia's tone was agitated. On the other end of the line, the hospital director was getting scolded so badly his head was practically smoking. He really did not have the authority... the authority for the security cameras lay with the school principal.

As for the principal... he was currently on his way over, running with his big potbelly bouncing!