Mu Mian woke up early in the morning. She took special care with her hair and put on formal attire before going to knock on Fang Rui's door.
"Fang Rui, open up! Don't tell me you're still in bed? We have important business today, get up quickly!"
After Mu Mian knocked three times, Fang Rui opened the door with disheveled hair.
"Good morning, Fang Rui," Mu Mian greeted him excitedly.
"Good morning."
Mu Mian thought Fang Rui's messy hair might affect their persuasiveness, so she stood on her tiptoes and helped fix his hair.
"I think you should dress more formally," Mu Mian said.
"Mu Mian, it's six-thirty in the morning," Fang Rui reminded her helplessly, glancing at the clock inside. He noticed that Mu Mian had incredible drive - whenever she wanted to do something, she never seemed to feel tired.
"There's an unreliable theory that says people's minds aren't very clear before 8 AM or after 10 PM, their logical thinking is weaker, and they're more susceptible to persuasion. I think this is the perfect time for Zhang's Mother to be convinced by us."
"...Come in and sit down. Give me five minutes."
Mu Mian sat on the sofa munching on a sandwich, thinking the theory must be reliable since Fang Rui had been so easily convinced.
Fang Rui drove Mu Mian to Zhang's house. Having been there before, he knew Zhang's Mother had a habit of exercising early in the morning, so after parking at Zhang's residential complex, they went directly to the nearby square.
Fang Rui quickly spotted Zhang's Mother practicing Tai Chi.
Zhang's Mother used to practice martial arts and had even won championships, so her movements were fluid and carried the aura of a martial arts master.
"Is that Zhang's Mother?" Mu Mian asked with slightly trembling voice, eyes wide as she watched the practice.
"Yes."
"Her kung fu looks really impressive." Mu Mian was intimidated by Zhang's Mother's martial arts stance and hinted delicately to Fang Rui, "They say Tai Chi is our country's most formidable martial art."
Mu Mian worried that Fang Rui wouldn't be able to handle Zhang's Mother in a fight. She hesitated - while Officer Zhang and Chen Xue's happiness was important, she didn't want to get beaten up.
Fang Rui had already read her thoughts from her expression and said helplessly, "Mu Mian, Zhang's Mother is actually very nice. She won't hit anyone."
"But Chen Xue said she's fierce."
After checking the photo on her phone and confirming their target, Mu Mian gave herself a mental pep talk, then gathered her courage and approached with her printed documents.
Standing a few meters away, Mu Mian introduced herself, "Hello auntie, I'm Mu Mian, Zhang's colleague."
"Good morning, auntie," Fang Rui also greeted Zhang's Mother.
Zhang's Mother glanced at Mu Mian and nodded, "Hello, are you the genius forensic scientist from Zhang Qiang's department?"
"Yes. Chen Xue is also a very dedicated forensic scientist."
Zhang's Mother then greeted Fang Rui, "Fang Rui, don't you live near the City Police Bureau? What brings you here?"
"We came specifically to see you."
"To see me?"
"Auntie, why won't you let Chen Xue be a forensic scientist?" Mu Mian asked softly.
"I'm not forcing her to quit. I just asked her to choose between her job and my son." Zhang's Mother continued her graceful cloud hands movement while speaking.
Mu Mian took a few steps back, "But Chen Xue really likes Officer Zhang, and she loves her job too. Could you please not break them up?"
Zhang's Mother stopped her movements.
Mu Mian thought she was about to strike and quickly hid behind Fang Rui.
Zhang's Mother looked confused, "Little Mu, what did Chen Xue tell you? Why do you seem so afraid of me?"
"You... please look at this. After reading it, you'll surely come to like the forensic science profession." Mu Mian carefully handed the documents to Zhang's Mother.
"I don't care for such flowery writing. Just tell me directly what you want to say."
"'22 Benefits of Marrying a Female Forensic Scientist.' First point: Forensic science is a civil service position with salary well above average, includes comprehensive benefits and pension, has high social status, and is a very respectable profession. The retirement pension is also substantial, so there's no worry about elderly care. And unless unlucky, the danger level is quite low..."
Zhang's Mother stood with her mouth slightly open, staring at Mu Mian in amazement.
Mu Mian continued reciting from the paper: "Second point: Officer Zhang is a criminal investigator, and Chen Xue is a forensic scientist. They make excellent work partners, their life rhythms align perfectly, they can understand each other's work, and they can often see each other at work (without affecting their normal duties). They're very compatible..."
"Did Zhang Qiang and Chen Xue send you as their spokesperson?"
Mu Mian looked at her sincerely, "I came on my own. They're my good friends, and I don't want them to be unhappy."
"Well, you really are a good friend to them!"
"Thank you for the compliment. I didn't have many friends before, so I'm still learning how to be a good friend, but I'm trying my best."
"..."
Zhang's Mother glanced at the pages filled with text and suddenly felt a headache coming on. "They've gone too far, knowing you don't understand social niceties yet having you do something like this."
"I understand social niceties very well. And I haven't finished yet," Mu Mian protested dejectedly. "The previous points were written by Fang Rui and aren't very convincing. They don't really highlight the unique advantages of being a forensic scientist. Would you like to hear the remaining points?"
"No, no, that's not necessary!" Zhang's Mother quickly waved her hands and turned to Fang Rui, "Fang Rui, tell Zhang Qiang that as an adult, he shouldn't run away from difficulties. How does running away from home solve anything? If he can't mediate such a small conflict, how will he handle marriage in the future?"
Fang Rui was startled and asked, "Auntie, you're not really against their marriage, are you?"
"What good would my opposition do? It's not like I'm the one getting married! But I think both Zhang Qiang and Chen Xue are too immature. Of course they don't have any conflicts now while they're in the honeymoon phase. But what about later? I created just a small obstacle for them, and they're already acting like it's life or death and talking about breaking up. This shows their relationship isn't solid enough yet."
Zhang's Mother saw things clearly: Chen Xue grew up in a single-parent family, was introverted, and quite sensitive; Zhang Qiang grew up pampered by his parents, was thick-skinned, and not very sensitive to others' emotions. Their personalities were too different - fine for dating, but not suitable for marriage.
"It is solid," Mu Mian whispered in protest.
Zhang's Mother was amused by Mu Mian and asked, "How do you know?"
"When they're together, I feel very out of place, like I can't join in. That's what love is. That's what movies say."
Zhang's Mother laughed even harder.
Mu Mian couldn't read her complex expression. She asked, "Auntie, have I convinced you? Will you still oppose Officer Zhang and Chen Xue being together?"
"This isn't feudal times anymore, what good would my opposition do? If worst comes to worst, they could always steal the household registry and get married," Zhang's Mother complained unhappily. "I just wanted to test them, and now I'm being made out to be the evil mother-in-law."
On the way back, Mu Mian asked, "Fang Rui, is it illegal to steal a household registry?"
"Probably not."
"How can stealing not be illegal? Fang Rui, what if I stole your household registry? Would that be illegal?"
"...Why would you want to steal my household registry?"
Mu Mian looked at the sky, changing the subject, "Fang Rui, the sky is so blue today."
"Mu Mian, in our country, both people need to be present to get married. Even if you stole the household registry, you couldn't get married alone. Besides, stealing someone else's household registry is illegal."
"I see. I don't know how to pick locks, and I'm afraid of heights so I couldn't climb through windows. I couldn't steal it anyway."
"So you've thought about how to steal it?"
"Fang Rui, don't talk while driving."
Fang Rui couldn't understand why Mu Mian was so fixated on the idea of marrying him. He was afraid to ask why, worried that Mu Mian only wanted legal rights to his body after death.
