Song Mian hung up before Yun Zhibin had the chance to flare up.
“You’re getting ahead of yourself, Mr. Song.” Yun Xiangxiang was impressed. “Tell me, how are you planning to get through this hurdle.”
Song Mian wouldn’t provoke Yun Zhibin without any reason. He must have something to rely on when he was displaying this brazen attitude.
“Aren’t you angry?” An inexplicable feeling of satisfaction welled up within him when he saw her reaction.
Song Mian wasn’t afraid of Yun Zhibin when he said so, but he was worried Yun Xiangxiang might be disgruntled.
“You’re both important men to me. He’s my father, while you’re my future husband. I need to be fair. If everything is done within my boundaries, you can do whatever you want, and may the best man win.”
Yun Xiangxiang knew she couldn’t mediate this, and now she felt lucky about the fact she was a woman, so she didn’t need to protect him.
As a woman, she could hide somewhere when her husband and her father were fighting, but if the battlefield became the one between a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law, the man would have to protect her.
This was not gender inequality, but since the woman was married into the man’s family, she would be coming into an unfamiliar environment on her own. She came for her husband, so of course, he had to protect her.
Song Mian hugged her while chuckling happily.
Yun Xiangxiang was confused as to why he was laughing so happily, so she shrugged at him. “Why are you laughing?”
“Because I’m happy.” Song Mian was still smiling even though he had stopped laughing. “I’m happy because you’re placing me on the same level as your father. I thought I had to wait until we get married and have kids before I get this recognition.”
Yun Xiangxiang cared about family more than anyone else, and her parents held important spots within her heart.
Song Mian had never thought this was unfair, for her parents had raised and cared for an excellent lady like her for years now.
They had only known each other for a year, so it would be ambitious of him to even think of surpassing her parents’ importance toward her.
“You’re thinking too way too far ahead. I’m just neutral in small matters like this.” Yun Xiangxiang didn’t want to admit it.
Song Mian didn’t need her to admit either, for it was enough as long as he knew about her feelings. “I made a bet with your father during our chess game back then.”
“A bet?” Yun Xiangxiang raised her eyebrow.
“Yes. If I win, he will agree to one of my requests, but it must be unrelated to you.” Song Mian smiled.
“So, you’re going to make this request?” This mischievous guy must have set a trap for dad.
“If I blindly give in, with your father’s character, he will only dislike me further.” Song Mian didn’t hide the fact that he set a trap for Yun Xiangxiang’s father.
Yun Zhibin loved challenging matters. Taking chess as an example – he would only think it was meaningful when there were wins and losses.
If they went by Yun Xiangxiang’s logic, probing him on small matters would work in Song Mian’s favor.
“Maybe you’re right, but I’ll bet he’ll want to tear you apart.” Yun Xiangxiang mulled it over.
“Nah, he’ll only have a love-hate relationship with me.” Song Mian smiled mysteriously.
On the other hand, Yun Zhibin was furious after being hung up. He wanted to call them again, but he thought he would land his daughter in an awkward situation, for it was Song Mian who provoked him.
But if he called Song Mian to interrogate him over this, it would seem childish on his part, for he was an elder after all.
Yun Zhibin was sulking when Su Xiuling came to talk. “Let’s bring Little Ting to see Xiangxiang during the National Day holidays.”
“No,” Yun Zhibin replied curtly.
“Fine then. One less ticket to buy means more money for me.” Su Xiuling didn’t know what happened, but she wouldn’t spoil her husband.
“There’s nothing to do there. Xiangxiang will be filming, so she wouldn’t have time with you. Why should we move so far for this?” Yun Zhibin frowned.
He knew Yun Xiangxiang would be filming in October since she had been this way in the past two semesters. As she had always been one of the top students in the course, Yun Zhibin didn’t interfere with her time.
“I wasn’t going to see Xiangxiang. I was going to bring your mother along,” said Su Xiuling. “Your mom’s rheumatism has been affecting her for a long time, and she would suffer in winter. I have asked Song Mian about this.”
Yun Zhibin listened carefully. “Rheumatism is impossible to cure.”
“It’s hard to cure, but at least it can be alleviated, and she wouldn’t hurt so much as she goes through winter.” Su Xiuling asked, “Will you be going? Yes or no?”
Yun Zhibin’s face tensed up.
“I’m buying the tickets now. It’s hard to buy tickets that fall on gazetted holidays.” Su Xiuling was taking her phone out and going through the ticket prices.
“I will…” said Yun Zhibin vaguely.
He couldn’t have his wife going to Beijing alone with his septuagenarian mother and a two-year-old toddler, for she would be crushed by the pressure of taking care of them.
Now that his mother was going to another province to heal up, as her son, he had to go with her since he had nothing to do anyway.
Su Xiuling rolled her eyes before buying the tickets for her family and her husband’s mother. “I have no idea why you’re so adamant against him.”
“I just don’t like him,” Yun Zhibin answered tartly. “You’ll know how I feel when your son gets a girlfriend.
“I wouldn’t say that if I were you. Even if my son gets a girlfriend, I wouldn’t be so classless like you.” Su Xiuling mocked his attitude before leaving.
Yun Zhibin was more frustrated now. It was that Song brat who was provoking him, but he was still at fault in his wife’s eyes.
But his mother needed Song Mian’s help, so if he kept on being arrogant just because he was an elder, his wife would complain incessantly about him.
“Oh, that’s one cruel move.” Yun Xiangxiang was impressed after listening to the whole story.
Yun Xiangxiang’s grandmother loved her youngest son the most, so she lived at her fourth uncle’s place. The other children would provide money for their mother every year, and if there were any major expenses, the four siblings would share it equally.
Her fourth auntie had no job and loved to play mahjong, but she was a generous woman and didn’t think this was unfair. On top of that, she took care of Yun Xiangxiang’s grandmother well.
Yun Xiangxiang seldom saw her grandmother even during the festivities, so she didn’t interact with her much. Her parents wouldn’t talk about their elders, so she didn’t know her grandmother much.
Yun Zhibin was a filial son. If Song Mian could manage to get on her grandmother’s good side, some schedule could be pushed forward.
“I think you have a chance of marrying me when I’m twenty-two.”
Su Xiuling was planning to allow the marriage to happen after Yun Xiangxiang was twenty-four, but Song Mian obviously only wanted to wait until she was twenty.
Yun Zhibin would strongly object to marrying his daughter off at twenty. If Song Mian managed to get on Yun Xiangxiang’s grandmother’s good side, he would have someone giving pressure to Yun Zhibin for him. If he got on the best side of Su Xiuling, he could marry Yun Xiangxiang when she was twenty-two.
“I have to work harder; it seems.” Song Mian rubbed his face against hers.