113 There Is Always Something That Comes Up

Liu Xiaomei opened the door and stood in the doorway. Seeing the young man still pestering Zhang Pa, she spoke loudly, "Stop it, or I'm calling the police."

Zhang Pa said, "You go first; I’ll catch up with you."

Liu Xiaomei didn't leave; she took out her phone and started dialing.

Zhang Pa sighed, wound up his fist, and unleashed it. There was a dull thud, followed by a loud crash as the young man collapsed onto the floor like a felled log.

Zhang Pa walked out and said, "Let's go."

Liu Xiaomei looked at Zhang Pa, then at the man lying on the ground. After a moment, she asked, "Is he alright?"

"Me? Or him?" Zhang Pa asked.

"Him, obviously," Liu Xiaomei replied.

Zhang Pa chuckled, "Let's get going. He’ll wake up in five minutes at most."

"Five minutes? Are you that sure?" Liu Xiaomei asked, sounding uneasy.

"He's not going to die," Zhang Pa said. "He might be out for two hours, or if he's unlucky, maybe the whole night, but he'll definitely be fine."

Liu Xiaomei glared at him. "You’re always looking for trouble." She moved as if to go back in and check on the young man.

Zhang Pa stopped her. "How about this? We’ll stay here and watch until he wakes up. How does that sound?"

Liu Xiaomei looked at the young man on the floor. "Is he breathing?"

"Should be. Let me check." Zhang Pa went back inside, gave the man a quick inspection, and returned. "He's fine."

"Are you always this ruthless in a fight?" Liu Xiaomei asked.

"I just find it annoying," Zhang Pa replied. "This isn't a movie; why waste time dragging it out?"

Liu Xiaomei smiled slightly. "You really are a handful."

Zhang Pa curled his lip. "What about you? Will he bother you again?"

Liu Xiaomei rolled her eyes. "I was going to tell you over dinner, but since this happened, I'll just say it now. I’ve made up my mind. You big jerk, you never take the initiative to contact me, and I’m a bit reserved..."

Zhang Pa interrupted, "Wait a minute. You? Reserved? I've known you this long—when have you ever been reserved?"

Liu Xiaomei stepped on his foot. "How am I not reserved? I’ve always been very reserved, alright?"

"Fine, you're very reserved," Zhang Pa said. "Oh reserved leader, please continue with your instructions."

Liu Xiaomei nodded. "Well put. It is indeed an instruction. I don't want to live apart anymore, so, you know."

Zhang Pa asked, "How do you define living apart?"

"Us, right now. That counts," Liu Xiaomei said.

Zhang Pa nodded. "Fair point."

"Since you agree, isn't it time to make a choice?" Liu Xiaomei asked with a smile.

Zhang Pa glanced at the guy in the room, then back at Liu Xiaomei. "I think you’re one of a kind. There’s someone lying unconscious in there, and this is what we’re talking about?"

"What’s wrong with that?" Liu Xiaomei said. "He’s not going to die anyway."

Watching these two, one had to marvel at their nonchalance. They had just knocked someone unconscious, yet they treated it as if nothing had happened, focusing entirely on their own conversation. Zhang Pa praised her, "You really are a woman of great substance. So, what’s the plan?"

"According to my mother's suggestion, you move in. If you want to drive, get a license. If not, you can pedal a bike to pick me up every day. I have a feeling you’ll end up moving in," Liu Xiaomei said. "First, it saves on rent. Second, it saves on food. Third, the house has everything we need for a comfortable life. And finally, we get to be together every day to rub off each other’s rough edges and resolve any issues early."

Zhang Pa praised her again, "Your whole family is extraordinary."

In this world, where else would you find a son-in-law who moves into his mother-in-law's house after only a few dates without even being officially engaged? And the mother-in-law is even doing her best to provide him with support and convenience... Unless that son-in-law is Takeshi Kaneshiro, Professor Do, or perhaps Song Joong-ki? Wait, why are there so many handsome celebrities?

Liu Xiaomei laughed. "Stop changing the subject. Are you agreeing or not? If not, I’ll just buy a house."

Zhang Pa thought it over. "I agree to move in, but it’ll have to be in a while." See that? Mr. Zhang is truly a remarkable man—he doesn't care about being a live-in son-in-law or being labeled as "soft-rice" material. He just agreed.

"How long is 'a while'?" Liu Xiaomei asked.

"Xingfuli is getting demolished, and I have a mountain of junk at home to deal with," Zhang Pa said. "Mostly books—a lot of them."

"Move them to my place. Let's say tomorrow. I'll be home tomorrow night, and you can bring the books over," Liu Xiaomei said.

Zhang Pa replied, "Moving to your place is fine, but the timing is TBD."

"That works too. We'll just call each other," Liu Xiaomei said, looking at the guy in the room. "Why hasn't he woken up yet?"

Zhang Pa said there was no rush. "If you're in a hurry, I can go wake him up."

"Why wake him up? It's fine like this. We can keep chatting," Liu Xiaomei said.

Zhang Pa replied, "You have a point."

And so, a heartless handsome man and a heartless beautiful woman stood outside, having a lively conversation while looking at an unconscious handsome man.

Interestingly, Zhang Pa never asked who the guy in the room was; he just kept talking about his own affairs. After discussing the books, he added, "I have something to report to my leader."

"Granted."

"Someone is hosting a dinner this Saturday night. Does the leader want to go?" Zhang Pa asked.

"Are you looking to bring a beauty along to hold the fort?" Liu Xiaomei teased.

Zhang Pa said, "Not exactly. The host told me to get there early, and I was thinking if I wait to go after your class, it might be a bit late."

"Are you asking for time off?" Liu Xiaomei asked.

Zhang Pa confirmed, then added, "Xingfuli is being torn down, and everyone is going their separate ways. Once we scatter, that's it. Xingfuli will become a legend, and the Xingfuli Locust Brigade will become a legend too. Some people are moving early, so this is basically a farewell dinner."

"I see," Liu Xiaomei mused. "Granted."

Zhang Pa shook his head. "Normally, your approval would put me at ease, but now that *he's* here, what should we do?" He gestured toward the room.

Liu Xiaomei smiled. "That's why we need Hero Zhang to protect a helpless damsel."

Zhang Pa pondered this. "No, I'm really worried now. Since he could find his way here, he probably knows where you live. I'm not comfortable with that."

Liu Xiaomei thought for a moment. "Then I'll go home today."

Zhang Pa said, "You can go home today, but what about class tomorrow?"

Liu Xiaomei asked with a smile, "What do you suggest?"

Zhang Pa asked, "That guy seems pretty arrogant. He wouldn't try anything in broad daylight, would he?"

Liu Xiaomei laughed. "Hard to say."

"You shouldn't joke about this! This is a major issue regarding your personal safety. You have to take it seriously." Zhang Pa looked at the guy in the room again. "Do you think I hit him too hard? What if he doesn't wake up?"

Liu Xiaomei added, "And thus, a brand new vegetable is born."

Zhang Pa looked helpless. "I’m certain that if we stay together, we’ll never go hungry. Even if we have no work, we can always perform crosstalk."

"Great! We should practice. We can register with the provincial comedy troupe and enter the competition next year. We'd definitely be a sight to behold. When the audience sees a handsome man and a beautiful woman, they'll think beauty pageant winners have come to crash the show—they’ll love us!" Liu Xiaomei sounded as if she were planning a real career.

Zhang Pa coughed. "Comrade, you're exaggerating. How can you call us a handsome man and a beautiful woman? Of course, while part of that is a fact—I am indeed a handsome man—you shouldn't boast about yourself. It's not modest."

Liu Xiaomei tilted her head, her eyes full of mirth. "Hurry up and move into my place. Let my mother grill you properly, and let's see if you dare to be this cheeky then."

"Comrade, let's not resort to lethal force when joking," Zhang Pa said. "A mother-in-law is a heavy-duty weapon of mass destruction. Don't scare me." He looked at the guy in the room one last time. "I think it’s about time. Let’s change our shoes."

Liu Xiaomei agreed. They put on their coats, changed their shoes, grabbed their bags, and continued chatting outside the classroom.

Happy times fly by—well, leaving someone unconscious is also a kind of fun. The two of them chatted heartlessly for over half an hour before the guy in the room finally started to stir.

That was the signal. Liu Xiaomei grabbed Zhang Pa, and they turned and ran.

Look at that unspoken chemistry—not a single word needed to be said.

They slipped quietly down the hallway, exited the teaching building, picked up their pace, and were out of the school grounds in no time.

"That was fun," Liu Xiaomei said.

"Let's do it again sometime," Zhang Pa replied.

"Come over to my place for dinner," Liu Xiaomei suggested.

Zhang Pa agreed; he had to walk her home anyway, and it would save him the cost of a meal. So, they went.

Liu Xiaomei’s mother was pleased that Zhang Pa came over. Truly pleased, though perhaps for a slightly different reason. Her joy wasn't just a warm welcome; it was an opportunity for closer scrutiny, a chance to vet her daughter's choice.

Zhang Pa was prepared for the interrogation. If he wanted to be with her, this process was inevitable; no matter how tough a man was, he couldn't escape it.

Liu’s mother started with character and interests. To her, social standing and background weren't the most important things. In a relationship, the most vital elements were mutual tolerance and the ability to stay happy together for a lifetime.

That was the prerequisite. Then there were things like Zhang Pa having a difficult mother, which might cause mother-in-law/daughter-in-law conflicts. To some women, that might be a problem, but for Liu Xiaomei, it would absolutely never be one.

Liu Xiaomei never compromised on her own happiness. She might endure some of Zhang Pa’s bad habits because she intended to spend her life with him, but if she had to deal with a mother-in-law who only knew how to bully others, she would never stay.

Life is short; she wanted to be happy and joyful. She had no time or inclination to deal with endless family disputes, especially the unreasonable kind.

Compared to a lifetime of happiness, "romance" wasn't actually that important. If you don't believe it, ask any man or woman over forty—how many of them would say romance is the most important thing?

Why does the concept of "matching social status" exist? Because many people treat marriage like a business deal.

The cool-headed Liu Xiaomei wouldn't treat love as a business, nor marriage. The entire Liu family shared this attitude. Therefore, the mother-in-law conflicts that seemed so insurmountable to others were truly a non-issue for them. No one was worth sacrificing one's own life for.

The soap opera tropes of a daughter-in-law suffering endless grievances just to please her in-laws for the sake of "love" and "family"—all while the husband stands in the middle like a piece of bread in a sandwich—are they really necessary? Between working and earning a living, life is already taxing enough. Why should the woman have to endure misery at home, and the man have to spend his time mediating and listening to endless complaints from both his mother and his wife?

Regardless of what others think, Liu Xiaomei would certainly never put herself in that situation.