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"Hmm? Did he tell a lot of stories about me?" Ye Tianchen couldn’t help but seriously ask Hu Xiaoqi.

"Yes, even though he’s young, he’s quite delightful to chat with!" Hu Xiaoqi said with a smile.

Hearing Hu Xiaoqi’s words, Ye Tianchen frowned. He didn’t think the Little Black Bear, that troublesome kid, could say anything good about him. Ye Tianchen was well aware of the Little Black Bear’s long-standing displeasure with him. From the moment he met the Little Black Bear on Taiyi Mountain, that troublesome little brat held a grudge but dared not express it. However, Ye Tianchen was convinced that given the chance, it would definitely try to defame him in any way possible.

"That’s true, he’s quite a mischievous little fellow!" Ye Tianchen nodded and said.

Ye Tianchen didn’t pursue the question further. Although he was somewhat curious when he first heard Hu Xiaoqi mention it, he reconsidered. Asking would only make things more serious and awkward since the Little Black Bear likely did not share any good stories with Hu Xiaoqi. If he questioned her, it would just make both of them uncomfortable.

On the other hand, Hu Xiaoqi, despite her blindness, likely knew the Little Black Bear was just a three-year-old, and she probably didn’t take his words seriously, treating them as a joke. So, it was far better for Ye Tianchen not to ask at all.

"Brother Ye, since I’m staying at your place, I can’t just freeload. I can handle the household chores!" Hu Xiaoqi said considerately.

"Haha, Xiao Qi, Brother Ye’s family is quite well-off. We’ve hired some uncles and aunts to handle everyday chores, so you don’t need to do anything yourself," Ye Tianchen said with a smile.

"Brother Ye, I don’t want to feel like a useless person, like someone who can’t do anything!" Hu Xiaoqi suddenly said seriously.

Ye Tianchen was taken aback, realizing something. Hu Xiaoqi had been blind since childhood. Her life was different from others, and with Elder Hu aging, Hu Xiaoqi, being a considerate child, learned to be independent and take care of household tasks like cooking and laundry despite her blindness. It’s hard to imagine how much she suffered to acquire these skills. But she persisted through sheer determination and strength!

However, despite her resilience, this girl also had a vulnerable side. She feared being incapable and unnoticed. Her sensitivity was understandable, and her compassion and thoughtfulness made her even more sensitive.

"Hmm, that’s true. I’m pretty lazy myself, never doing chores or cooking, so I’ll leave it all to you, Xiao Qi!" Ye Tianchen said with a smile.

"Really?" Hu Xiaoqi asked, somewhat surprised.

"Of course, in this house, you have the final say!" Ye Tianchen said happily.

"Great, Brother Ye, rest assured, I’ll keep the house neat and tidy!" Hu Xiaoqi said with a cute smile.

"Of course I trust you, otherwise, I wouldn’t decide like this. Come, eat some more, and don’t wear yourself out managing the house," Ye Tianchen said as he helped Hu Xiaoqi with some dishes.

Hu Xiaoqi smiled gently, clearly content, which eased Ye Tianchen’s mind. As he had promised Elder Hu, he would take good care of Hu Xiaoqi. She was a child who evoked sympathy, having endured so much since birth, with challenges others could hardly fathom. Ye Tianchen felt he should be more considerate of her, given her likely permanent blindness and uncertain future.

"Leaving the house to Sister Xiao Qi, I wonder what my Sister Rumei will think. This is quite amusing," the Little Black Bear said mischievously while lying on the couch.

"You little brat, shut up, or you’ll get into trouble!" Ye Tianchen said, glaring at the Little Black Bear.

"Hmm? Brother Ye, what’s this about Sister Rumei?" Hu Xiaoqi curiously asked.

Ye Tianchen glanced at Hu Xiaoqi. There was nothing to hide; he planned to introduce her to everyone anyway, so he said with a smile: "In my house, besides me, there’s my father Ye Hong, my mother Luo Yan, my sister Ye Qianwen, my fiancée Liu Rumei, and my fiancée’s brother, Liu Fei!"

"Fiancée? Brother Ye you’re getting married?" Hu Xiaoqi couldn’t help but ask.

"Yes, I’ll soon be marrying my fiancée Liu Rumei!" Ye Tianchen said with a smile.

"Oh, then Sister Rumei must be very beautiful and a good person!" Hu Xiaoqi said with a smile.

"She is indeed very beautiful!" Ye Tianchen replied with a smile.

"And you’re thinking of marriage. How’s your proposal plan coming along? Want me to give you some ideas?" Little Black Bear chimed in again.

Ye Tianchen glared hard at Little Black Bear, then smiled at Hu Xiaoqi and said, "It should just be a few days, and I’ll probably be getting married. You can even attend my wedding, Xiao Qi!"

"Am I really invited? I’ve never attended anyone’s wedding before. I don’t know what a wedding is like, but it must be very warm and romantic!" Hu Xiaoqi said with some longing.

"You’ll see when the time comes, now let’s eat!" Ye Tianchen said.

Breakfast was finished, and it was almost eleven o’clock. The servants in the Ye family’s mansion had already come by, saying that lunch was ready. Ye Hong and Luo Yan had both arrived at the Ye family’s dining room and called for Ye Tianchen to hurry over!

"Xiao Qi, have you finished washing the dishes? If so, let’s go!" Ye Tianchen said, glancing at Hu Xiaoqi, who was busy in the kitchen.

"Where... where are we going?" Hu Xiaoqi asked, a bit dazed.

"Haha, it’s noontime, and we started breakfast really late. It’s time for lunch, and we’re going to eat with my parents and the few people I introduced to you earlier!" Ye Tianchen replied with a smile.

"Huh? But... I’m not hungry!" Hu Xiaoqi said nervously.

"Actually, I’m not hungry either, but it’s a rule of our Ye family. We must eat lunch together unless there’s something urgent that takes us out, and none of us are exceptions!" Ye Tianchen said with a smile.

"I... Brother Ye, can I not go?" Hu Xiaoqi asked softly.

Ye Tianchen glanced at Hu Xiaoqi, knowing full well her feelings. She felt awkward, even a bit inferior, because she was still afraid of meeting strangers. After all, she was blind and couldn’t live like a normal person. This kind of self-doubt was understandable!

However, Ye Tianchen had no intention of letting Hu Xiaoqi skip lunch. He wanted to break the years of self-doubt she had carried, to let her know that she was amazing, outstanding, and that everyone would like her. Her blindness would not cause any different looks or remarks. She, like everyone else, could live normally without feeling inferior!

"No, you have to go. If you don’t, how will Brother Ye explain to his parents? They would think I’m not treating a guest well!" Ye Tianchen deliberately put on a difficult expression.

"Ah? Uncle and Aunt already know about me being here?" Hu Xiaoqi asked in surprise.

"Yes, I’ve already told my parents. They said guests are guests, and besides, who wouldn’t want to meet such a sweet and adorable girl like you? Come on, they’re waiting for us in the dining room!" Ye Tianchen said in a purposely serious tone.

"But... in that case, Brother Ye, wait for me a moment. I’ll freshen up and change clothes, so it wouldn’t be inappropriate to meet Uncle and Aunt like this!" Hu Xiaoqi said a bit anxiously.

Seeing Hu Xiaoqi’s adorable manner, Ye Tianchen couldn’t help but smile. Women, indeed, are fascinating creatures. No wonder people say the world would lose much of its color without women. This saying is quite true, Ye Tianchen thought with a smile, "Okay, but only half an hour, or it’ll be really too late!"

"Okay, I’ll be quick!" Hu Xiaoqi said, feeling her way back to her room.

Ye Tianchen sat down on the sofa. As soon as he did, Little Black Bear quickly scrambled up as if he had seen a porcupine, ready to slip away. How could Ye Tianchen let this troublemaker get away so easily? This mischievous bear was always interrupting with increasingly vicious comments!

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy, it hurts!" Little Black Bear yelped as Ye Tianchen grabbed his shoulder.

"Now you realize it hurts? Why couldn’t you keep your mouth shut before, always spouting nonsense? This is just a small punishment!" Ye Tianchen said, looking at Little Black Bear.