Before dawn.

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Hearing Old Madam Zhou mention Zhou Aiping, Chuxia also fell silent. After all, she was the Zhou family’s daughter-in-law; on this matter, she really couldn’t say much.

Seeing Chuxia’s awkwardness, Old Madam Zhou smiled and patted her. "You, the day you can talk to us the same way you talk to your parents is the day you really see yourself as one of the Zhou family."

"Grandma, what you said really wrongs me..." Chuxia protested in mock displeasure. "I’ve long since seen myself as a member of the Zhou family, but I really don’t know much about Yingying’s mother. How am I supposed to respond?"

"So it’s Grandma who wronged you then..." Old Madam Zhou looked at her in amusement. "You child, you obviously still have little thoughts hidden from Grandma, yet Grandma still likes you—what should I do about that?"

"That just shows I haven’t been hiding anything from Grandma at all..." Chuxia looked at the old lady very seriously. "You know, when it comes to people or things I don’t understand, I’ve always kept a reserved attitude.

I can’t just rely on the elders’ affection for me and let my mouth run wild. Any opinion, more or less, will influence others. I don’t want my wrong words to affect other people’s thinking.

Grandma, the way you said it actually shows you still haven’t truly taken me as one of the Zhou family. If Second Sister and Xiao Si kept a reserved attitude on this, you definitely wouldn’t say that about them, right?"

"You child..." Old Madam Zhou tapped her forehead helplessly. "With this mouth of yours, you never suffer a bit of loss. Fine, Grandma was wrong, I’ll apologize to you, okay?"

"No need for that..." Chuxia shook her head with a playful grin. "How could I stand having Grandma apologize to me? If Zhou Mikang finds out, he’ll scold me for sure."

"He dares scold you?" Old Madam Zhou curled her lip. "Don’t go putting a halo on his head. He might act all tough in front of others, but when he’s with you, that dragon has to coil, that tiger has to crouch. He wouldn’t dare show even half a temper."

"Grandma, you’re exaggerating..." Chuxia felt embarrassed by what the old lady said. "And the way you put it makes me feel like I’m especially unreasonable."

"It’s a matter of one willing to hit and one willing to be hit, what’s unreasonable about that?" The old lady affectionately held her granddaughter-in-law’s hand. "Xia, seeing you two get along so well as a couple, Grandma is nothing but happy."

"I know." Chuxia nodded. "If I still had some jitters before I married in, now I really feel I’m especially lucky to have met such understanding in-laws.

Grandma, don’t be fooled by how careless I seem on the surface. Actually, I’m very clear in my heart about the tolerance you and Grandpa and Mom and Dad have shown me, and I’m really content with it.

Sometimes I really wish I could be as obedient as Eldest Sister-in-law. That way, you and Grandpa and Mom and Dad wouldn’t have to worry about me. But I just can’t talk myself into it.

After all, I’m at this age. I still hope I can learn a bit more. I know that even if I amount to nothing, the family won’t look down on me.

But I want to show some backbone. It’s not to prove anything to anyone; I just hope I can truly be a useful person, not some dodder vine clinging to Zhou Mikang.

Grandma, don’t worry. I’ll be especially, especially careful about my own safety. Don’t keep worrying about me. If it really becomes inconvenient, even if you tell me to go to school, I won’t go.

My parents have been worried this whole time that this matter would make you and Grandpa and Mom and Dad uncomfortable, so I decided to tell you face to face, and also ask Grandma to emphasize this to my parents again. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

I’m guessing that once they see how nervous Eldest Aunt is over Xiaoqiong, they’ll change their minds and want me to stay in City A again. Grandma, it’s not that I’m unwilling to stay, I just want to be someone who keeps her word.

For my sake, Elder Qi and Elder Aunt Qi specially moved house, and then there’s Elder Yuan. If I stay over there, even if I don’t go to school, I can still keep studying. That counts as a kind of spiritual support for me too. Grandma, you can understand that, right?"

"You’ve put it this way already, how could Grandma not understand?" Old Madam Zhou let out a helpless sigh. "Originally Grandma wanted to persuade you to stay, but after hearing you say all this, how could I still open my mouth?

But that said, you really are rare. Generally speaking, once a girl gets married and can live a comfortable life, she doesn’t want to put in the effort to study anymore. For you to have this determination, Grandma is really happy."