Yu Shu and Shen Youlin left the capital city on the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, taking Dou'e and a group of bodyguards with them. Zhang Yi had not been found yet, so they could not afford to let their guard down.
They took a private jet from Shen's family manor. This jet was probably one that Shen Youlin often used, with the interior decor and furnishings in the style that he preferred. There was even a luxurious doggy bed and food bowl for Dou'e, and as soon as they boarded the plane, Dou'e expertly plopped down in her bed.
"What a life for a dog," Yu Shu marveled.
"And you're living the life of a winner too," Shen Youlin said, holding her hand and whispering, "Want to check out the bedroom? The mattress is really comfortable."
Yu Shu raised an eyebrow playfully. "A thousand miles in a day?"
"Mmhmm~"
Shen Youlin thought for a moment, then corrected himself, "No, ten thousand miles!"
Having informed the county middle school in advance, the jet landed on the school's sports field. Yu Shu no longer bothered to maintain a low profile for appearances' sake, opting instead for whatever was most convenient.
As she disembarked from the plane, the night had already fallen, and Yu Shu saw the nearly completed building next to the sports field—the one she had donated funds for at the beginning of the year. The main structure was finished, and it would be ready for use by next summer.
Upon learning that Yu Shu had donated that building, Shen Youlin said with dissatisfaction, "Just one lonely building, how pitiful. Let me donate another one!"
"Go ahead and donate," Yu Shu replied. "The dorms are quite old too."
A local contact named "Person A" brought a driver to pick them up along with the bodyguards. During the drive, Shen Youlin found everything fascinating, endeared by the thought that this was where Yu Shu grew up.
The slow-moving public buses seemed charming to him, as did the old man selling stinky tofu, the trees, the stray dogs, and even the little girl walking along the street at night, wiping away her tears...
Little girl?
"Stop the car!" Yu Shu called out, quickly getting out and calling to the girl ahead, "Wenwen!"
Hearing her voice, Wenwen turned around in surprise. Upon seeing Yu Shu, she burst into tears, rushing into her embrace. If this were a comic, her tears would have turned into ribbons trailing behind her.
"Waaah—Sister, you're finally back! My life has been miserable, losing at every game, crying over every relationship, even getting called a little piggy for having a midnight snack—"
Wenwen poured out her complaints while weeping loudly in Yu Shu's arms, almost overwhelming Yu Shu before she could find words to console her. But in the next instant, Wenwen's expression changed, her eyes sparkling like stars.
She looked at Shen Youlin beside Yu Shu and asked, "Are you my brother-in-law? You're so handsome!"
She was not the first to compliment Shen Youlin's good looks, but she was undoubtedly the most sincere.
Shen Youlin almost let out an audible "heh," but managed to swallow it down, flashing his standard eight-tooth smile instead. "You have good taste, just like your sister."
Wenwen had stormed out of her house after an argument with her paternal aunt, originally intending to go to her grandmother's place. Since Yu Shu had encountered her, she couldn't just leave her be, so she decided to bring Wenwen along.
While Yu Shu was on the phone reassuring her paternal aunt and arranging to have Wenwen sent home after the New Year's Eve reunion dinner, Wenwen and Shen Youlin had already hit it off, calling each other "Big Brother" and "Little Brother."
Yu Shu covered her face in exasperation. If they went by mental age, Wenwen would be the older brother to Shen Youlin.
Tugging at Shen Youlin's sleeve, Wenwen asked, "Big Brother, how did you and my sister-in-law meet?"
Yu Shu thought to herself, "..."
Stretching out the syllables dramatically, Shen Youlin began his tale: "Well, the story of our love is truly a heaven-shaking, ghost-crying affair. We fell in love at first sight, deeper in love at second sight, and by the third time your sister-in-law saw me, she couldn't marry anyone but me... No, wait, she couldn't marry anyone but me!"
Wenwen nodded. "Good try, but no need to make things up next time. You can't fool a kid like me!"
"You're not a kid?"
"Me?!" Wenwen pointed at herself. "At my age, I'm a blossoming beauty!"
By the time they arrived at Yu Shu's family's apartment building, Yu Shu's eyes had almost rolled back into her head from exasperation.
The bodyguards were arranged accommodations by Person A, who would also coordinate their shifts to guard the building. Dou'e was temporarily left in Person A's care as well, as Person A seemed to be an all-purpose assistant for this family trip.
Upon learning that the people in the other three vehicles were Shen Youlin's men, Wenwen clasped her hands and exclaimed a hearty "Big Brother" that was even more sincere than in the car, as if she were crying out from the depths of her soul.
"At ease, no need for formalities," Shen Youlin said with a slight bow. "Big Brother... is feeling quite nervous right now."
Wenwen looked at Yu Shu, puzzled. Yu Shu gave her an earnest reply: "Your Big Brother, this ugly bride of mine, is about to meet her in-laws, so he's tense."
Wenwen studied Shen Youlin thoughtfully, then turned to Yu Shu, bowing with her hands clasped as she addressed Yu Shu, "Big Brother!" Then she turned to Shen Youlin and called out, "Sister-in-law!"
Yu Shu patted her head approvingly. "Good girl, you've got it right this time."
Regardless of how many people Shen Youlin had brought, they all had to carry their own bags of gifts and luggage when entering the apartment.
Wenwen stood on her tiptoes and patted Shen Youlin's shoulder sympathetically. "Although my aunt has a bit of a bad temper and high standards, I'm an underage beauty here, so she won't easily resort to violence against you."
Shen Youlin twitched the corner of his mouth. "Well, thank you for that!"
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Wenwen dashed out first, knocking on the door. "Auntie, open up! I'm here to mooch food~"
The door opened quickly, with Yu Yang, Yu Feng, and Ye Ping standing inside. The living room was brightly lit, and Yu Shu could faintly smell the aroma of cooking.
After such a long time apart, the mother and daughter locked eyes, tears welling up in Ye Ping's eyes as she spoke with a quivering voice, "You're... back."
Yu Shu smiled in response. "Mother."
Just as the scene seemed to be headed towards a family melodrama, Wenwen loudly steered the mood in a different direction: "There's a big guy like your son-in-law here, and a gorgeous, radiant beauty like me, your daughter! How can you only look at your own daughter? Can we go inside first before you two start hugging and crying?"
"You little brat!" Yu Yang pulled Wenwen inside, then turned to invite Yu Shu and Shen Youlin in. "Sister... uh, Brother?"
Shen Youlin's smile faded slightly. Even Wenwen had called him brother-in-law, so why couldn't this uncle-in-law just follow suit?
Yu Shu whispered in his ear, "In our place, we call brothers-in-law 'Brother' too, and sisters-in-law can be called 'Sister.'"
Shen Youlin's smile immediately brightened again.
Everyone took their seats at the dining table. Uncharacteristically, Shen Youlin seemed awkward and ill at ease, sitting upright with his hands on his lap and a sincere, earnest—yet slightly dazed—expression on his face.
But Yu Shu's parents, Ye Ping and Yu Feng, seemed even more uncomfortable, exchanging glances to prompt the other to speak first.
Yu Feng finally mustered the courage to start. "I... remember your surname is Shen, right?"
Shen Youlin quickly responded, "Yes, my name is Shen Youlin. You can call me whatever you like, Uncle."
With Yu Feng having broken the ice, Ye Ping found it easier to continue. "Oh, you seem quite young. How old are you? What do you do for work?"
Shen Youlin answered her questions, and when he mentioned being a doctoral student without a job, Ye Ping's expression changed slightly.
Wenwen had already started eating. "Let's eat and chat at the same time, otherwise the food won't digest well. Auntie, these meatballs you fried are so delicious."
Yu Yang chimed in as well, "Let's eat. You must be hungry. Brother, try these meatballs."
Yu Shu placed a couple of meatballs on Shen Youlin's plate and whispered in his ear, "I really wanted to record that dazed look on your face just now."
"Nngh... I was nervous..."
