Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 352: The Former Mother-in-Law

Su Qing's home was located in a fairly nice residential area within the county town.Although Su Qing's parents had divorced a long time ago, her father had apparently left with nothing, leaving both the house and the savings to the mother and daughter.

Because of this, while their wealth was certainly not enough to live a luxurious lifestyle, it was more than enough for them to maintain an upper-middle-class standard of living.

When Zhou Yuwen brought Su Qing home, she kept pestering him to come upstairs and sit for a while.

Zhou Yuwen declined, saying his relatives were still waiting for him at home.

"Oh come on, you are already here. You should at least see your mother-in-law!" Su Qing said with a pout, her face full of affectionate pleading.

Zhou Yuwen told her to stop fooling around since he was driving.

It was not that Zhou Yuwen was afraid of his former mother-in-law, but it was getting too late, and more importantly, there was truly no need for the two of them to meet.

However, despite Zhou Yuwen's reluctance to see her, as soon as the car arrived at the entrance of the residential area, they spotted someone.

Standing at the gate was a woman with an excellent figure. She had an oval face, her hair pinned up elegantly, and she wore a white down jacket paired with black, fleece-lined tight pants.

The weather in January was rather cold.

So the woman stood under the light of the convenience store at the entrance of the residential area, her hands tucked into the pockets of her down jacket as she looked around, seemingly searching for something.

At this moment, Su Qing was still clinging to Zhou Yuwen and had not looked out the car window.

Since Zhou Yuwen had to keep his eyes on the road, he immediately noticed the woman standing off to the side.

"Stop messing around," Zhou Yuwen said. "Look, isn't that your mom?"

"Mom?"

Indeed, this highly elegant woman was Su Qing's mother, Pan Min.

Su Qing's parents had married very early. Zhou Yuwen remembered Su Qing mentioning that her mother was only nineteen when she gave birth to her, which meant that the current Pan Min was no more than thirty-eight years old.

As a teacher in a small town, Pan Min was a woman who lived a tasteful life, someone who rarely did rough household chores. Su Qing had previously complained to Zhou Yuwen that during the days she lived with her mother, they basically just ate at the school canteen. Part of the reason she had chosen to be with Zhou Yuwen was because of his excellent cooking skills.

It had to be said that women who stayed away from marriage indeed aged slower. For example, the current Pan Min did not look thirty-eight at all; instead, she appeared to be in her early thirties. While women of the same age were likely bogged down by trivial domestic matters, Zhou Yuwen noticed that Pan Min still had the time and inclination to carefully draw her eyebrows.

Pan Min did not interfere too much in her daughter's life, but the mother and daughter depended on each other. Since it was a rare occasion for her daughter to come back home, Pan Min naturally had to come out and welcome her.

She had heard that her daughter was being dropped off by a classmate.

Because of this, Pan Min stood at the entrance, paying close attention to every passing car. Whenever a vehicle stopped, she thought it was her daughter arriving, only to be disappointed as car after car passed without any sign of her.

When a tall BMW SUV drove past, Pan Min selectively ignored it.

That was until the window rolled down.

A familiar voice rang out.

Pan Min turned her head and saw Su Qing sitting in the passenger seat.

"Why are you back so late?"

Pan Min had been waiting for quite a while, so upon seeing her daughter, she asked with an unprompted tone of reproach. As she spoke, she reflexively glanced at the driver's seat and saw Zhou Yuwen.

By this time, Su Qing had already hopped out of the car. She hurriedly hugged the mother she had not seen in a long time and could not help but say, "Mom, didn't I tell you? You could have just waited for me at home."

"Why did you come outside?! Look at you, your hands are freezing!"

Showing their deep bond, the first thing Su Qing did upon getting out of the car was to grab her mother's hands to check how cold they were, then brought them to her mouth to warm them with her breath.

Pan Min had actually come down specifically to wait for her daughter, but hearing her daughter's words, she refused to admit it, claiming she had only been down there for a short while.

"I didn't come down just to pick you up. I just happened to come out to buy some things,"

Pan Min spoke softly, giving off a very gentle feeling.

After all, as a literature teacher, she possessed a certain scholarly elegance.

"Hurry and get in the car, Mom. Oh right, I haven't introduced you yet! Zhou Yuwen, my boyfriend! Zhou Yuwen, this is my mom!"

Su Qing's carefree introduction made both of the other people freeze for a moment.

Zhou Yuwen felt awkward. He knew Su Qing was definitely going to mess with him, but he had not expected her to be so direct.

Meanwhile, Pan Min had already mentally prepared herself when she saw a boy bringing her daughter home, but hearing the word "boyfriend" with her own ears still caught her somewhat by surprise.

However, she handled it well. Following her daughter's words, she simply cast another glance at Zhou Yuwen.

At this point, Zhou Yuwen had no choice but to bite the bullet and greet her, "Hello, Auntie."

"Mhm."

As they spoke, Su Qing pulled Pan Min into the car and said with absolute confidence, "Zhou Yuwen, hurry up and drive! You know where my house is!"

Zhou Yuwen replied, "I've never been to your house before, how would I know?"

Su Qing burst into giggles. The most important people in her world were currently by her side, making this perhaps the happiest moment of her life.

Sitting in the back with Pan Min, she reached out to hug her mother and suddenly whined affectionately, "Mom, I missed you so much!"

Hearing this, Pan Min was actually quite delighted inside. The corner of the mouth curved into a smile as she stroked Su Qing's head and said, "Look at you. It hasn't even been that long. I rarely see you make a phone call back home either."

"That's different, Mom. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!" Su Qing pouted, acting utterly wronged.

Pan Min simply smiled in response.

After a few minutes of driving, Zhou Yuwen parked the car at the base of their apartment building.

He then took the initiative to step out and help Su Qing with her luggage.

Su Qing was very satisfied with Zhou Yuwen being so sensible and even thanked him.

Zhou Yuwen glanced at Su Qing and told her to spend more time with her mother.

"Auntie, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Zhou Yuwen said his goodbyes to Pan Min.

"Mhm, why don't you come up for a cup of tea before you leave?"

Pan Min's offer was neither too warm nor too cold; that was just her personality. In his past life, when Zhou Yuwen and Su Qing first met her, she had been exactly the same, looking him up and down before exchanging a few brief words.

At that time, Zhou Yuwen had been extremely nervous, assuming she was dissatisfied with him.

It was only after interacting with her for a long time that he realized Auntie Pan Min actually had a rather wonderful personality.

She was not like other mothers-in-law who demanded this and that. Before marrying Su Qing, Zhou Yuwen had only met Pan Min a handful of times in total.

It was only when they were about to get married that Pan Min sought him out for a private conversation.

She had handed Zhou Yuwen a bank card, telling him there was a hundred thousand yuan inside.

Pan Min had stated that she had no other requests, only hoping that Zhou Yuwen would be more accommodating and patient with Su Qing in the future.

She had also told him not to mention the money to Su Qing, saying that as long as the two of them lived happily, that was enough.

Truly, part of the reason Zhou Yuwen had treated Su Qing so well after their marriage was because of this mother-in-law.

Pan Min did not judge people based on their wealth or poverty; she only cared that Su Qing lived a happy and joyful life. Honestly speaking, in a small county town, with Pan Min's beauty, even as a divorcée with a daughter, she still had countless suitors. If Pan Min had been a vain and greedy woman, she would have remarried long ago.

The main reason was that her marriage to Su Qing's father had left her weary of that kind of life. She felt that living alone was quite nice, and hadn't she safely raised her daughter to adulthood by herself?

"There's no need, Auntie. I also just got back home today, and my family is still waiting for me," Zhou Yuwen replied.

"Oh, then be careful on the road."

Sister Min was still not very good at making small talk.

Fortunately, Zhou Yuwen understood her personality and did not mind it at all. He smiled at Pan Min and prepared to turn around and leave.

But who would have expected that Su Qing would absolutely not let him go, immediately grabbing onto Zhou Yuwen.

Zhou Yuwen asked her what she was doing.

Su Qing pouted and quickly pulled Zhou Yuwen to the side to exchange whispers.

She told Zhou Yuwen to come hang out with her tomorrow.

Zhou Yuwen replied that it would depend on the situation.

"What do you mean, 'depend on the situation'?" These words made Su Qing very dissatisfied.

Zhou Yuwen explained to her, "I just got home, so I definitely have a bunch of things to take care of. Where would I find the time to come hang out with you?"

"I don't care! At university, you said you were busy with work. Now that we're home, what kind of work could you possibly have? Tomorrow, you have to take me shopping on the streets!"

Zhou Yuwen repeated, "I'll see how things go."

"You can't 'see how things go', it's a must! Otherwise, I'll go find you tomorrow."

"..."

Zhou Yuwen tilted his head to glance at Pan Min and whispered to Su Qing, "Your mom is still watching us."

"Are you coming tomorrow or not?" Su Qing asked in a muffled, stubborn voice.

Zhou Yuwen sighed, "I'll come, okay? I'll come. Now let me go first!"

"Hmph, that's more like it. Come here." Very satisfied, Su Qing waved her hand at Zhou Yuwen.

Assuming she had something else to say to him, Zhou Yuwen leaned in slightly.

Then, Su Qing happily planted a loud kiss directly onto Zhou Yuwen's cheek.

"Hehehe!"

Su Qing giggled, declaring with deep satisfaction, "You can go now!"

Zhou Yuwen was utterly speechless. He glanced back at his former mother-in-law again, only to see that she was also quite embarrassed, lowering her head as if she had not seen a thing.

Too lazy to bicker further with Su Qing, Zhou Yuwen simply said goodbye to her before calling out to Pan Min, "I'm leaving now, Auntie."

"Mhm."

Following that, Zhou Yuwen drove away.

Su Qing waved at Zhou Yuwen's car until it was far in the distance. Only then did she turn around. Looking at her mother who was still waiting for her, she instantly swapped her expression. "Mom! I missed you so much!"

They had not seen each other for four months. Truthfully speaking, it felt like much more than just four months, so they probably had endless things to chat about tonight. On the topic of Zhou Yuwen alone, they could likely talk for three days and three nights without finishing.

Su Qing's soul was not that of a simple eighteen-year-old young girl. Back in university, Su Qing had told Zhou Yuwen that if the conditions allowed, she hoped her mother would not have to work. In her eyes, her mother was a fairy, completely unsuited for tedious labor. Furthermore, due to Pan Min's beauty, she never lacked suitors at her workplace. While some women might revel in such attention, for Pan Min, it was a genuine distress.

Therefore, Su Qing's biggest wish at the time had been to make a vast amount of money to support her mother comfortably.

In the past, she didn't have the means to do so.

Tonight, Su Qing would undoubtedly declare with immense pride, "Mom, you should resign! Let Zhou Yuwen support you. Zhou Yuwen is rich; he has lots and lots of money!"

Of course, Zhou Yuwen remained completely unaware of all this.

By the time Zhou Yuwen returned from Su Qing's house, it was already approaching ten o'clock.

His mother sent him a message telling him there was no need to go to the teahouse.

"The relatives have all dispersed. Just drive straight home. Your dad and I have something to discuss with you."

Just that single sentence was enough to send a chill down his spine.

Alas, what had to be faced must be faced.

Zhou Yuwen drove his car into the alleyway where he had grown up.

Zhou Yuwen's house was not only large but also the very first one situated right by the road, making transportation extremely convenient.

He parked his car right along the side of the road.

Since portions of the property were rented out year-round, the main gate was generally left open.

Just as Zhou Yuwen locked his car and stepped through the door, he saw his older cousin Peng Xiaoyong fetching hot water by the entrance, which completely surprised him. "Cousin Xiaoyong?"

"Oh." Peng Xiaoyong turned around, saw Zhou Yuwen, and gave a brief nod.

Zhou Yuwen was genuinely shocked to see Peng Xiaoyong there. Before he could even ask why he was at his house...

His mother heard his voice and walked out from the main house. She marched over, grabbed Zhou Yuwen, and scolded, "Why are you only getting back now?! Your dad has been waiting for you in the study room for ages!"

With that, she dragged Zhou Yuwen into the main building. This was essentially the Zhou family's old estate, covering an area of over three hundred square meters. The main house alone had a three-bedroom, one-living-room layout, while the three-story annex added to the back was entirely rented out to tenants.

Once they entered the house, Mother Zhou lowered her voice and whispered, "Your eldest aunt's place is too small, so your cousin-in-law is temporarily staying at our house."

"Oh, is my cousin staying here too?" Zhou Yuwen asked curiously.

"Mind your own business!" Mother Zhou shot him a glaring look and murmured, "You should be worrying about yourself right now!"

Zhou Yuwen pouted slightly, remarking, "What could I possibly have to worry about?"

Although Zhou Yuwen had followed his mother indoors, she had spoken in such a flustered hurry that his cousin out in the courtyard could actually overhear some of it.

However, regarding the matter of Lu Wanting staying at Zhou Yuwen's house, Peng Xiaoyong did not feel there was anything wrong with it.

This was the ancestral home. Logically speaking, his own mother should have a share of it too.

It was his uncle who was in the wrong for monopolizing the property in the first place, so what was the big deal if his girlfriend stayed here temporarily?

Peng Xiaoyong finished gathering hot water in the courtyard, then climbed the annex stairs to the second floor, locating the single room where Lu Wanting was currently residing.

This was simply one of the rental rooms the Zhou family provided for tenants. Even though it had all the basic living amenities, for people like them who had just returned from overseas, it felt quite crude and spartan.

When Lu Wanting first arrived, she had stayed at a hotel for two days. Eventually, the eldest aunt couldn't bear the expense anymore, which was why she made Lu Wanting move here.

Even so, they had at least provided fresh bedding and a new pillow.

"Wanting, I've brought the hot water for you. Living here might be a bit inconvenient, so if you need anything, feel free to tell my uncle and aunt. You can also give me a phone call; my house isn't far from here," Peng Xiaoyong said.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Seeing Peng Xiaoyong enter, Lu Wanting stood up. Looking a bit bashful, she said, "You really didn't need to go through so much trouble, it makes me feel quite awkward. I originally just wanted to experience the atmosphere of the New Year, but I never expected your relatives to be so passionate. If you ask me, I'd rather just stay at a hotel. It always feels a bit inappropriate crashing at your uncle and aunt's house."

"It's really nothing. This is my grandfather's property after all. By all rights, my mother should have a share of it too, so just relax and stay here with peace of mind," Peng Xiaoyong reassured her.