Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 375: Getting Along with the Mother and Daughter

Su Qing parked the car in the underground parking garage of the only shopping mall in the county. Along the way, she was relentlessly subjected to Zhou Yuwen complaining about how she still got into bumps and scrapes despite having driven for so long.Su Qing could tolerate it at first, but Zhou Yuwen kept going on and on. Eventually, Su Qing got emotional. With a cold face, she snapped, "Shut up. If you are so good, you drive."

"I will drive then."

"Say one more word and I will throw you out."

"Ouch, Mom—cough, Aunt Pan, look at her."

Zhou Yuwen had not seen Pan Min for so long that the word slipped out naturally. He turned his head and called her Mom, only suddenly realizing his mistake and letting out an awkward cough when he saw Pan Min's astonished expression.

Su Qing, who was driving, burst out laughing. Seeing Zhou Yuwen's awkward appearance, Pan Min could not help but laugh as well. The lingering grudge between her and Zhou Yuwen seemed to be slowly dissipating.

The weather was cold right now, which was the perfect time to eat hotpot. Su Qing held Pan Min's hand and walked in front, while Zhou Yuwen followed beside them.

Su Qing would occasionally make a funny face at Zhou Yuwen, while he could not be bothered to pay attention to her.

After taking their seats in the hot pot restaurant, they finished ordering their food.

While waiting for the hotpot soup base to arrive, the three of them chatted. Su Qing was still brooding over Zhou Yuwen complaining about her driving skills. She argued that everyone had a different way of driving.

"Take reversing, for example. You might reverse and turn left directly, but I can reverse all the way back, then drive straight and turn left. The result is the same."

Zhou Yuwen retorted, "Give it a rest. That is only because there is plenty of space for you to maneuver. What if there is no space? Would you not just be stuck there?"

"I..."

Su Qing was left speechless by the retort, but she refused to admit defeat. She huffed, "Whatever, I am not going to argue with you. Besides, I am not the one who usually drives anyway. Wait until we head home; I will let you witness my mom's driving skills!"

Zhou Yuwen said, "Aunt Pan definitely drives better than you."

"You!"

Beneath the table, Su Qing tried to kick Zhou Yuwen, but he easily dodged it.

This made Su Qing thoroughly upset. She immediately turned to Pan Min to complain, "Mom, Zhou Yuwen is bullying me."

Pan Min merely smiled. Truthfully, she never expected Zhou Yuwen to gift them a car. Her attitude toward him had softened considerably, but she was, after all, a woman who had received higher education. She needed to maintain some reserve. She could not just bend over backward to flatter him simply because he bought them a car, right?

Therefore, Pan Min kept her slender figure perfectly straight and said, "Yuwen, I have thought about it carefully. You should drive this car back to Jinling. Whether you drive it or let Su Qing drive it, I have no objections, but it really is not suitable for me."

Pan Min explained that her home was too close to the school, making it completely unnecessary for her to drive.

"Another reason is that you have seen where we live. We do not even have a garage. It would be a terrible shame if this brand-new car got scratched up downstairs within a couple of days."

As Pan Min spoke, a look of worry appeared in her eyes.

However, Zhou Yuwen casually replied, "That is simple. Aunt Pan, let us go look at houses tomorrow."

"Ah?" Pan Min, who had been maintaining her composed demeanor, was genuinely startled by these words.

Zhou Yuwen pointed out that the house they currently lived in was indeed getting old. Having a car would make things even more inconvenient in the future.

"The way I see it, we might as well take this opportunity to upgrade the house too. It just so happens that several nice new residential property developments have opened in the city."

Zhou Yuwen looked Pan Min straight in the eye, speaking with utmost sincerity.

Pan Min sat there in silence for a long time, not knowing what to say.

Su Qing, on the other hand, strongly agreed with Zhou Yuwen's idea, mentioning that she had seen promotional flyers at the station the day she came home.

"Right now, Country Garden is only a little over four thousand yuan per square meter. Zhou Yuwen, I think we can buy a few extra properties." Su Qing was, after all, someone from the future, so she had a good understanding of housing prices. In 2014, Country Garden began shifting its strategy to small counties, with unit prices hovering around four or five thousand yuan. At its peak in her previous life, it sold for around twelve thousand.

Zhou Yuwen noted that everything currently available at Country Garden was off-plan housing, and they were all high-rise buildings.

"There is no need for that. I think buying a multi-story duplex is best. Ideally, one that comes with a small yard."

Hearing this, Su Qing burst into laughter. "My mom lives as one person. Why would she need to live in such a big house?"

"We can treat it as an investment. We can stay there when we come back to visit. In a few years, when Aunt Pan no longer wants to be a teacher, she can resign, and we can keep the house to appreciate in value."

Zhou Yuwen had every step meticulously included in his planning. For a mother and daughter who had always had to depend on each other for survival, encountering a reliable man with the ability to plan out the future was a stroke of fortune.

Pan Min had been completely stunned the moment she heard Zhou Yuwen say he was going to buy them a house, so much so that she barely registered what Zhou Yuwen and Su Qing were discussing afterward.

That was, until she heard her daughter say they could buy a few more properties.

"If push comes to shove, you can just lend me some money. I will buy a few more as an investment!" Even though Su Qing had experienced rebirth, she actually did not know much about future investment information. The only thing she confidently knew was real estate, so when Zhou Yuwen brought up buying a house, she could not help but chime in.

Listening to her daughter's words beside her, Pan Min could not help but feel that her daughter was being a bit too insatiable and greedy.

Without warning, she pinched Su Qing under the dining table. The pinch hurt Su Qing so much that she let out a loud exclamation.

She complained, "Mom, why did you pinch me?"

Pan Min scolded, "Look at yourself. Are you and Yuwen married? Have you gotten your marriage certificate? Yuwen buying you a car is him spoiling you. How can you still be thinking about asking for a house? And one is not enough, you want two more?"

Pan Min felt that Su Qing completely lacked boundaries. If this continued, even if Zhou Yuwen did not say anything out loud, he would certainly form a negative opinion in his heart.

Furthermore, for Su Qing to act this way...

How would Zhou Yuwen's family view her? Was this how she raised her daughter?

"It is only a matter of time anyway!" Su Qing found her mother's attitude of always worrying about gains and losses somewhat amusing.

This mom of hers, pinching her at the drop of a hat.

She was not going to sit next to her anymore!

With that thought, Su Qing immediately stood up and moved to sit beside Zhou Yuwen.

She took Zhou Yuwen's hand and said nonchalantly, "Mom, you do not understand my relationship with Zhou Yuwen. Regardless, in this lifetime, Zhou Yuwen is definitely going to marry me, and I refuse to marry anyone but him. We just have not reached the legal age yet. Once we do, we will definitely get married!"

Pan Min replied that they should wait until they were actually married to discuss it.

"Yuwen, our residential area is a bit old, yes, but it is still perfectly livable for a few more years. The housing prices in the city have skyrocketed recently. If you ask me, there is no rush to buy a house," Pan Min said sincerely.

Zhou Yuwen found this amusing. He turned to Pan Min and said, "Aunt Pan, what Su Qing said might sound a bit exaggerated, but her words reflect exactly what I have in mind."

"Even though Su Qing and I have not been dating for long, I genuinely love her. The fact that my career has grown so much is partly due to Su Qing's contributions. Therefore, buying her a car and a house, and showing you filial respect, are all my truest intentions."

"When Su Qing and I are together, she often tells me how difficult it was for you to raise her completely on your own. In truth, I secretly made up my mind a long time ago: as soon as I had the ability, I would make absolutely sure that both you and Su Qing live a good life."

"Aunt Pan, although Su Qing and I are not married yet, in my heart, I have long placed you on the same level as my own mother. Therefore, I am perfectly willing to honor you. It is only as a matter of course. So, please do not feel burdened by it!"

Zhou Yuwen spoke line after line, completely moving Pan Min.

Even Su Qing beside him could not help but gaze at him with expressive eyes upon hearing these words.

Even in their previous life, Zhou Yuwen had never said such heartfelt things.

At this moment, the look Su Qing gave Zhou Yuwen was full of adoration. The only reason she held back was because there were too many people around; otherwise, she would have thrown herself into Zhou Yuwen's arms and immediately begun to demand a kiss.

As for Pan Min, in this very moment, she was genuinely deeply moved.

This Zhou Yuwen simply had too much of a silver tongue.

Pan Min had never imagined that her daughter would find a boyfriend whose first thought would be how to honor her mother. Yet, the look in Zhou Yuwen's eyes was completely serious.

It genuinely felt as if he had made this resolve a long time ago, and at this moment, it was finally coming to fruition.

It left Pan Min entirely unsure of how to respond.

Suddenly feeling a lump in her throat, Pan Min used her slender hands to pick up some tissues and dabbed at her nose.

Su Qing smiled from the side and said, "Mom, please do not cry."

Zhou Yuwen let out a light chuckle at this, while Pan Min shot a fierce glare at her daughter and said, "Let us save these words for later. You two must be hungry, right? Let us eat first."

By this time, the hotpot and ingredients had been served. It was indeed time to start to cook meat slices in hotpot and eat their vegetables.

Zhou Yuwen taking care of Su Qing was not a recent development. Now sitting next to Zhou Yuwen, Su Qing began to act like a proud little princess again, intentionally showing off in front of her mother just how much Zhou Yuwen spoiled her.

And Zhou Yuwen indeed proved to be completely meticulous. He helped Su Qing cook her meat, and while she was eating, he thoughtfully gathered her hair and tied it up, signaling for her to eat slowly since no one was going to steal her food.

Seeing with her own eyes that Zhou Yuwen truly cherished her daughter and was undeniably excellent, Pan Min finally completely let her guard down and fully accepted him.

Of course, during the meal, she still inquired about a few things regarding Zhou Yuwen. For example, since he was buying a car and planning to buy a house, she asked if he had enough money left on hand.

"Actually, it does not matter how I live. My main priority is hoping you two are well. The housing prices in Jinling are so expensive right now."

Zhou Yuwen answered these concerns one by one. Regarding the housing issue, he mentioned that he had already purchased a villa in Jinling.

"Aunt Pan, whenever you are feeling bored, you can come stay with us."

"That is right, Mom. You can help us do the cleaning," Su Qing chimed in.

Upon hearing this, Pan Min immediately pursed her lips. "Oh, so I would be going over there just to be your nanny?"

Su Qing covered her mouth, giggling without saying a word.

Zhou Yuwen also laughed and quickly added, "Of course not. We have a dedicated nanny there. Aunt Pan, you would just be going there to enjoy a life of pure luxury."

Zhou Yuwen's words were always much more pleasing to the ear. The conversation then shifted back to whether Zhou Yuwen had enough money.

Zhou Yuwen explained this issue as well, stating that through writing novels, he had currently saved up eight or nine million yuan. On top of that, he was earning an average of three to five hundred thousand yuan a month, an income stream that would last for several years.

"At the very least, lasting until I graduate from university is not a problem. This means that after graduation, I will have at least twenty million yuan in hand. So, Aunt Pan, please do not worry about my financial situation. Since I have made my decision, I will definitely take full responsibility for Su Qing and for you!"

Zhou Yuwen wrapped his arm around Su Qing as he spoke to Pan Min.

With such an excellent future son-in-law sitting right in front of her, if Pan Min managed to pick out any flaws, she would truly be worse than an "ultimate" mother-in-law.

This meal was exceptionally pleasant.

In the end, it was Pan Min who paid the bill.

Even though Zhou Yuwen rushed to pay, Pan Min insisted, saying that as an elder, there was no way she could let a younger generation member pick up the tab.

After exiting the hot pot restaurant, the three of them took the stairs down. As the Lunar New Year was approaching, the shopping mall was bustling with activity.

In a small town, the shopping mall was realistically only ever lively during these few days surrounding the New Year.

Normally desolate and empty, it became extraordinarily boisterous at this time of year. Both inside the stores and out in the corridors, the place was packed to the brim with people.

The three of them had just finished eating and were taking a stroll to aid digestion.

Women all have a habit of window shopping, especially a woman with a bit of refined taste like Pan Min, who went out shopping frequently.

She dragged Zhou Yuwen and Su Qing to a few men's clothing stores, wanting to buy Zhou Yuwen a few outfits.

Su Qing felt that the branded stores in this small town were mostly selling fakes. Not only were they overpriced, but the clothes were also incredibly ugly. However, before she could voice her opinion, Zhou Yuwen pulled her back.

Pan Min held up some menswear against Zhou Yuwen's body to measure the fit, asking him how he felt about the garment.

Zhou Yuwen replied, "Whatever Aunt Pan picks out, I like it."

Hearing this, Pan Min burst out laughing. "You little rascal, you certainly have a sweet mouth! No wonder my daughter likes you so much."

Zhou Yuwen merely smiled back at her in response.

Browsing from the fourth floor down to the first, Pan Min bought Zhou Yuwen a jacket and some outerwear. She paid for both out of her own pocket, which was more than enough proof of her total acceptance of Zhou Yuwen.

The young man was preparing to buy her daughter a car and a house. If she did not show at least a token of appreciation in return, she really would be too unsympathetic.

The first floor of the shopping mall was even more congested. Vendors who never normally showed their faces had casually found spots to set up a street stall. Some were selling spring couplets, others were selling cotton candy. There were even some old men who simply found a corner to sit in.

And from there, they began fortune-telling for marriages.

"Come one, come all, do not miss out~"

Su Qing bought some cotton candy over there and was running around wildly in front, while Zhou Yuwen trailed behind, holding her hand.

When they passed by the fortune-telling stall.

Pan Min suddenly had the idea to have Zhou Yuwen and Su Qing's birth dates matched for compatibility.

So she pulled Su Qing and Zhou Yuwen to a halt.

These old fortune-tellers were completely full of nonsense. No matter what the situation was, they would always spout out the same standard wishes of living happily together for a hundred years and hoping that everything would go as they wished. At most, it was just for a bit of entertainment.

The fortune-telling old man claimed that, compared to matching birth dates, he actually possessed a unique skill.

Su Qing's curiosity was piqued, and she smilingly asked, "What is it?"

"Physiognomy! Just by looking at your faces, I can tell how many children you will have in the future!"

"Oh?"

Su Qing grew even more intrigued. Smiling, she challenged, "Then tell me, how many children will he and I have in the future?"

With that, she pulled Zhou Yuwen's hand over.

The fortune-telling old man counted on his fingers and beamed at Su Qing, "Young miss! You are destined to have both sons and daughters, completing the character Hao! One son and one daughter for you!"

"Hehehe! Zhou Yuwen, did you hear that!? He says we will have one son and one daughter in the future!" Su Qing laughed merrily.

Zhou Yuwen laughed along with her.

However, when the fortune-telling old man looked at Zhou Yuwen, he froze for a moment.

"Eh!? That is not right?"

Seeing the fortune-telling old man suddenly say such a thing to her hubby, Su Qing frowned and asked, "What is not right?"

"This young lad here, you are even more incredible. I just calculated it: in this lifetime, you will have a total of thirteen daughters and eight sons!"

The moment his words fell, Su Qing, Zhou Yuwen, and Pan Min all froze with stunned expressions.

The look on Su Qing's face turned icy as she stared at Zhou Yuwen. She knew all too well what that meant. In a muffled, resentful voice, she ground out, "Zhou Yuwen!"

Zhou Yuwen was incredibly awkward. The biggest issue was that this was all happening right in front of his mother-in-law.

Was this not just causing trouble out of nothing?

Thus, he immediately deflected, "He is just spouting complete nonsense, and you actually believe him! Here, uncle, why do you not do a reading for this big sister and see how many children she has!"

Saying that, Zhou Yuwen directly pushed Pan Min up to the front of the stall.

Pan Min looked very youthful, so Zhou Yuwen intentionally called her big sister to confuse the situation.

The fortune-telling old man predictably fell for the trick. After asking for her name and birth date, he put on a show of counting on his fingers once more.

Then, he said with utmost seriousness, "Mhm, if my calculations are correct, this big sister is destined to have one daughter and one son! The eldest daughter has already been born. Have you and your husband been considering having another child recently?!"

Upon hearing this, Pan Min's face was instantly covered in question marks.

And Zhou Yuwen seized the opportunity to add, "See? I told you this uncle is just making things up!"