Chapter 130: Atonement, Lend a Hand

**Chapter 130: Making Amends and Helping Out**

"I'm just afraid Xiao Hu might regret it later," said Auntie Fatty. "It's also because we're not accomplished or educated. I could only ask Feng Lan for advice. After calling her today, I went to Ya Ni’s place, and she told me not to compare Xiao Hu with Zi Hang—it’s pointless. She said if I keep this up, people will think I’m being unreasonable—always leaning on Feng Lan."

"Fan Yani said that for your own good," Zhang Chenghai replied.

It wasn’t just Fan Yani who felt that way. Even Zhang Chenghai thought Auntie Fatty’s comments were a little much. Whenever their family faced major decisions, Auntie Fatty liked calling Song Fenglan for advice. But Song Fenglan has her own work—she can’t spend all her time making decisions for Auntie Fatty.

"I know," Auntie Fatty sighed. "I... I sometimes feel bad about it too, but... I just can't stop myself from saying those things."

"Ask less in the future. She’s not Xiao Hu’s mother—she can’t take care of everything," Zhang Chenghai said. "Thanks to them, Xiao Hu is where he is now. We’ve already gotten enough. Fan Yani didn’t say anything wrong."

"Yeah," Auntie Fatty nodded. "Feng Lan is just too good. I... I really should restrain myself."

Just because someone’s kind doesn’t mean you should take advantage.

"If Xiao Hu doesn’t want to pursue graduate studies, then so be it," Auntie Fatty said. "I was wrong before, fixating on how Zi Hang’s getting his master’s and Ph.D., moving up and up. Xiao Hu and Zi Hang are friends..."

"Friends are still different," Zhang Chenghai said. "They come from different backgrounds. If we really want to compare, Song Fenglan and her husband can give Zi Hang plenty of money and property. But us? We don’t have nearly as much to give Xiao Hu. When Xiao Hu goes to the capital, he’ll probably notice how well-off some of his classmates are. Back in Nan City, we were doing okay. But in a place like the capital, there are bound to be many powerful and wealthy people."

Zhang Chenghai didn’t have high expectations for Xiao Hu. As long as Xiao Hu graduated smoothly, that was what mattered most. He just worried Xiao Hu wouldn’t study hard. No matter how hard Xiao Hu tries, he’ll never match those with natural talent.

A day later, Xiao Hu called Auntie Fatty and explained his situation at school.

"You failed some courses?" Auntie Fatty widened her eyes.

"Yeah, two subjects," Xiao Hu admitted.

"And you’re admitting that just like that?" Auntie Fatty said. "Wait—why didn’t you tell us earlier?"

"I didn’t want to worry you. I retook the exams and passed," Xiao Hu said. "As long as I don’t fail too many, I can still graduate and get my degree. But if I fail too much, that’s it. Mom, this is also why I don’t want to pursue graduate studies—I’m just not academic material. I worked really hard just to get into this school. If I tried for a master’s, I might not even graduate. And if I don’t, it’d all be for nothing. Better not to even start."

"You dummy, why didn’t you tell me sooner?" Auntie Fatty said. "You’re in the capital—it’s not like I can rush over and hit you! Were you too busy with part-time jobs to study?"

"No, I did work hard. But sometimes effort alone isn’t enough," Xiao Hu said. "I tried, but so did others. Mom, do you know? Some of my classmates have family working in the judicial system—they have that background. They know tons about cases and analyze like pros. When I debate with them, it’s hard to keep up. Even if I don’t go to grad school, I can still work."

"Alright, alright, I get it," Auntie Fatty said. "No matter how many you failed, you’ve got to buckle down now. No more failing."

"When I first started college, I really wanted to work hard and do well," Xiao Hu said. "But later, I saw it wasn’t that easy."

Xiao Hu knew his mother had high expectations, but this was just how he was. No matter what they said, he couldn’t just magically become outstanding.

"Since you’ve decided against grad school, are you still planning to work in the capital?" Auntie Fatty asked.

"Yeah, in the capital," Xiao Hu said. "It’s way ahead of Nan City. I want to stay here. My brother’s in Nan City—we’ll settle in different cities."

Xiao Hu had thought it through. In this life, neither he nor his brother could ever measure up to someone like Qin Zihang. So, it'd be up to the next generation. Xiao Hu knew the gap between people like them and those like Qin Zihang, who came from scholarly families, was huge. Song Fenglan’s uncle was a scientist, she herself was a scientist, Qin Zihang was now in research, and the Song family had even produced pilots, national entrepreneurs, and more.

The Song family was just that powerful. The Qin family was a bit weaker, but Qin Yizhou still held a respectable position—higher than Zhang Chenghai’s. In every aspect, Xiao Hu could never surpass Qin Zihang in this lifetime. Qin Zihang was a natural—he picked things up effortlessly, while Xiao Hu struggled.

Xiao Hu could chase all he wanted, but he’d never catch up—maybe not even his kids would.

"Fine, since you’ve made up your mind, I won’t say more," Auntie Fatty had long prepared herself for Xiao Hu staying in the capital.

"Mom, don’t worry. I’ll always manage to get by in the capital," Xiao Hu said.

"I’m not afraid you’ll starve. Even if you did, Zi Hang would make sure you got a meal," Auntie Fatty said. "You’re grown now. In the future, you’ll have to rely more on yourself—don’t always expect others to help you."

Auntie Fatty worried Xiao Hu might start depending too much on Song Fenglan’s family. After Fan Yani’s warning, she realized she shouldn’t keep bothering Song Fenglan anymore.

"I get it." Zhang Xiaohu knew the score. Sure, he and Qin Zihang were friends, but he wasn’t tied to the Song family. When job-hunting later, he couldn’t count on landing a position at the Song family’s company—he’d have to find work on his own.

A lot of companies needed people who understood the law—legal staff to review contracts and such.

Zhang Xiaohu figured there were plenty of places he could go. He shouldn’t laser-focus on the best companies—landing one would be great, but if not, mid-level was fine. He’d already mapped it out: during senior year when it came time to look for work, he’d give it his all. But for now, he’d just have to wait.

Song Fenglan tuned out whatever Zhang Xiaohu and Auntie Fatty were chatting about. For New Year’s, they all hung out in the courtyard making tea, barbecuing meat and sweet potatoes, and watching fireworks light up the sky.

On the second day of Lunar New Year, the Songs headed over to their relatives’ house, and Qin Zihang invited Zhang Xiaohu along. Zhang Xiaohu hesitated but tagged along. When he tried to bring something with him, Song Fenglan stopped him.

The Songs weren’t short on that stuff. Besides, since Qin Zihang had asked him to come, Zhang Xiaohu—who was tight on cash—didn’t need to bring anything.

Qin Zihang gave the family a quick explanation: “I told him not to bring anything. Grandma, Grandpa, you’re already swimming in stuff here—you won’t even finish it all. You’ll just wind up handing it out to us anyway or giving it away.”

“That’s true,” Song’s mom nodded. “No gifts needed. Showing up is plenty.”

Song Fenglan’s eldest nephew wasn’t home—he was out with his girlfriend. Since they weren’t engaged yet, Song Heng didn’t bring her around so many relatives. The family wasn’t hurting for one red envelope, but they worried she might feel awkward. Better to wait.

This time, Jiang Yufei showed up again.

Now that she’d made peace with her family, Jiang Yufei came to the Songs to wish them a Happy New Year. Even if the Songs wouldn’t help her, so what? She had to play it cool.

When Song’s mother saw Jiang Yufei, she barely said a word. Her attitude depended entirely on Auntie Yu—if Auntie Yu got along with Jiang Yufei, then fine, she could stay for dinner. If not, then Jiang Yufei could hit the road.

Song Fenglan had nothing to say to Jiang Yufei, but Jiang Yufei approached her anyway.

“My husband’s going into renovation,” Jiang Yufei said. “Housework. If you ever need your place done up, you can hire him—but, well, even family should keep things clear. Payment required.”

“Better to keep clear—no money mess,” Song Fenglan replied. “Renovation’s a shady racket.”

She didn’t want to end up arguing with Jiang Yufei later. Keeping their distance was smarter—no financial ties.

“Other crews might half-ass it,” Jiang Yufei said.

“No sweat. No effort, no pay,” Song Fenglan shot back.

Jiang Yufei suspected Song Fenglan was doing this on purpose—was she mocking her?

“So you can’t accuse us of freeloading,” Song Fenglan added. “Our relationship’s bad—it can get worse—but I’m not dumb enough to start trouble.”

No way was she letting Jiang Yufei’s husband touch her place. Who knows what problems might pop up later? Jiang Yufei wasn’t exactly looking out for her. Cutting corners and playing the ‘family’ card would be a joke. Better to steer clear from the start.

Whatever Jiang Yufei’s husband did for work had nothing to do with Song Fenglan or the Song family.

Lu Ping heard the conversation between his wife and Song Fenglan and sighed. He knew how his wife operated—she was hustling for him, but this wasn’t it.

He’d teamed up with several laid-off workers to start a renovation business. With the capital booming and new buildings popping up everywhere, they figured there’d be plenty of demand for renovations—and more opportunities to make some extra cash.

“You’re still the same,” Jiang Yufei said. “Still got that mouth on you.”

“And you’re still begging for humiliation,” Song Fenglan snapped.

Song Fenglan didn’t give her any face, but Jiang Yufei couldn’t throw a fit or badmouth her. All she could do was walk away and talk to someone else instead.

Watching this unfold, Zhang Xiaohu rubbed his eyes.

“Is that your mom?” He nudged Qin Zihang.

“Yep, that’s her,” Qin Zihang said. “She’s always been like this. ‘Nice horses get ridden; nice people get stepped on.’ She says if someone doesn’t care about face, help them tear it off. Even with close ones, don’t give them too much rope—they’ll climb right up it.”

"Yes..." Zhang Xiaohu nodded.

When Zhang Xiaohu saw Song Fenglan, she was usually very gentle and kind. He rarely saw her being so confrontational, which surprised him—but at the same time, it felt normal. People are complicated creatures after all; no one can be mild-mannered all the time.

"Don’t worry. As long as you don’t step out of line, my mom won’t go off on you like that," Qin Zihang said. "Food’s almost ready."

"Okay," Zhang Xiaohu replied.

Qin Lian and his wife had gone back for New Year’s Eve dinner but returned home after the midnight celebration, without staying longer with the Qins. Their house was nearby—very close. Zhu Meng knew well that Qin Lian had once messed up badly and that her mother-in-law's family background was problematic. To the Qins, he was already a lost cause.

Regardless of what Qin’s father or older brother thought, Zhu Meng knew that Qin Lian was her husband, and they at least had to maintain appearances. She regarded You Yun as someone formidable, and her own mother had warned her not to provoke You Yun.

Back when Qin Lian hadn’t abandoned You Yun’s child, You Yun had never interfered in his affairs, nor had she spoken ill of him or encouraged others to control him. It wasn’t until he left his younger brother at the train station that You Yun became furious.

Zhu Meng’s mother believed You Yun had deliberately ignored Qin Lian from the beginning, allowing him to go down the wrong path. Later, when those incidents occurred, no one could blame You Yun for treating him harshly. She told Zhu Meng to be cautious—You Yun’s child would ultimately benefit more.

Zhu Meng naturally complied and kept her distance from You Yun. Seeing that Zhu Meng didn’t cause trouble, You Yun left her alone in return.

In the second lunar month, Zhu Meng gave birth to a baby girl.

When Qin’s mother heard it was a girl, she made no effort to hide her disappointment. She wanted a great-grandson, not a great-granddaughter. At home, she complained to Qin’s eldest aunt about how Zhu Meng had failed to give her a boy.

"Back then, that girl—Gu Qian—was carrying a boy, but you threw a fit," remarked Qin’s eldest aunt. "You scared her into losing a fully developed male fetus. Now having a daughter is actually a blessing. Stop obsessing over boys—Qin Lian just isn’t destined to have sons."

"How can you say that? They can still try again," argued Qin’s mother. "They’re not government employees—they can have another child if they want."

What truly concerned her was whether she would live long enough to see it. This great-granddaughter was practically an eyesore.

"Shouldn’t you be thinking about your granddaughter’s marriage instead?" Qin’s eldest aunt asked. "You’re so focused on Qin Lian—what about Qin Ya?"

"Her..." Qin’s mother hadn’t even considered Qin Ya.

"Exactly," Qin’s eldest aunt pressed. "She’s older than Qin Lian and way past marrying age. Yet she’s still single, and none of you seem to care?"

"Who would want her?" Qin’s mother scoffed. "With a mother like hers..."

"She shares the same mother as Qin Lian. He ended up in prison and still found someone. Why not Qin Ya?" countered Qin’s eldest aunt.

"It’s different. Qin Lian is a man," replied Qin’s mother. "Qin Ya is a woman. Men care more about these things—women just take what they can get. We didn’t stop her from dating either. She never showed interest, so it’s not our fault."

You Yun did not interfere in Qin Ya’s marriage, nor did Qin’s mother. Qin’s father and older brother certainly wouldn’t either. As a result, Qin Ya remained unmarried far beyond her prime.

"She’s a woman—she can’t expect the family to buy her a house," Qin’s mother said. "Women simply wait to marry and then move into their husband’s home."

After Zhu Meng gave birth, Tian Keshu wanted to visit and even offered to help during her postpartum month, but Qin Lian refused. Zhu Meng’s family also prevented Tian Keshu from approaching the house.

This led to a loud argument between Zhu Meng’s mother and Tian Keshu, right at the front door.

Tian Keshu was furious. She was Qin Lian’s birth mother and Zhu Meng’s mother-in-law—how could they treat her this way?

"They’ve got plenty of rooms here. I could move in and help Zhu Meng recover," Tian Keshu insisted.

"We don’t need you," snapped Zhu Meng’s mother. "Don’t even think about taking anything back to your parents’ home."

"I wouldn’t! Qin Lian is my own son—"

"But my daughter isn’t your blood relative," Zhu Meng’s mother shot back. "You ruined him—you didn’t raise him properly. The least you can do now is stay out of their lives."

"Ruined him? This is just your scheme to turn him against me—cut me out completely!" Tian Keshu raged.

"Disowning is too harsh a term. It's just better if you have less contact. You've already harmed your son—don't harm your granddaughter too," said Zhu Meng’s mother.

"A girl is just a waste of money," Tian Keshu retorted.

"That’s your own granddaughter, and you still say such things?" Zhu Meng’s mother thought Tian Keshu was out of her mind.

Tian Keshu wanted to live with Qin Lian, yet she couldn’t even say something nice—she just had to call her granddaughter a waste of money.

"That's just the truth," Tian Keshu insisted. "She had a girl and still dares to shut me out."

"That was my decision not to let you in," Zhu Meng’s mother snapped. "My daughter is recovering from childbirth. What would it look like if you went in? You never say anything nice—just nasty words."

"Why can't I live with my own son? Why not?" Tian Keshu demanded.

"No way!" Zhu Meng’s mother shot back. "The Qins gave this house, not you. If you paid for a house yourself, then you could live there."

"You didn’t contribute any money either, yet you can go in," Tian Keshu argued.

"Of course I can—I’m not staying long. But you want to live here permanently? Over my dead body!"

Tian Keshu’s eyes bulged, furious.

"You wanna step to me?" Zhu Meng’s mother taunted.

Tian Keshu didn’t dare step forward, afraid she might lose control. In the past, she had gotten too close to others and ended up acting impulsively. Her feud with Jiang Yufei got her divorced from Eldest Brother Qin. She clashed with Qin Lian’s grandmother outside the prison, shoved her down, and had to pay up. That led to her divorce from Weng Guoqiang.

With those two lessons in mind, Tian Keshu knew better than to pick a fight with Zhu Meng’s mother. Cursing under her breath, she stomped away.

Tian Keshu had assumed that since Qin Lian and his wife lived separately, she could easily manipulate them.

But that was impossible!

Not only would the Qins never allow it, but the Zhu family wouldn’t stand for it either.

The Zhus doted on Zhu Meng—otherwise, they wouldn’t have opposed her relationship with Qin Lian in the first place.

Song Fenglan didn’t visit Zhu Meng in person, just sending over gifts like always. Zhu Meng naturally didn’t complain—she knew her family’s relationship with Song Fenglan was strained. Qin Lian was downright hostile to Song Fenglan’s crowd, so there was no chance they’d come in person.

Qin Zihang himself steered clear of Qin Lian, let alone anyone else.

As for Zhu Meng giving birth to a daughter, Song Fenglan had no strong opinion—a baby’s a baby, boy or girl.

Someone mentioned to Song Fenglan that a bunch of schoolgirls had crushes on Qin Zihang, something she hadn’t paid attention to before.

At lunch, she asked Ding Wenbo about it, since he often visited the campus and might know more.

"Quite a few girls are very fond of our junior brother," Ding Wenbo confirmed. "He’s a catch—so many want to be with him. But he hasn’t accepted anyone—maybe he feels they’re not the right fit. He’s still young anyway. He’s in no hurry—he can afford to wait."

"He can wait, indeed," Song Fenglan agreed.

"Professor, you're still pretty popular too," Ding Wenbo remarked.

"Hm?" Song Fenglan was puzzled—why was he bringing her up?

"You don’t age at all. Folks mistake you for a new hire—some even hit on you. Didn’t someone shoot their shot?"

"..." Song Fenglan hadn’t paid much attention. She’d figured they were just asking for help.

"He was betrayed before—back then by a male classmate—and he's been very cautious ever since," Ding Wenbo said. "If he had a girlfriend, he'd definitely tell you."

"That's true," Song Fenglan nodded.

Song Fenglan didn’t press further—it wouldn’t help. After finishing her meal, she left first.

As soon as Song Fenglan left, Duan Yue walked up with his tray.

"It’s great having a good teacher," Duan Yue remarked.

"Yeah, you can always ask the teacher whenever you have questions," Ding Wenbo agreed. "You and your teacher also work at the same institution."

Duan Yue wasn't a teacher at Capital Aeronautical University; he was a researcher at an institute. He no longer compared himself to Ding Wenbo. Once, they had started on equal footing, but he’d fallen behind, making it hard to catch up later.

On the day of Zhu Meng’s child’s full-moon banquet, Qin Yizhou attended, while Song Fenglan and Qin Zihang still didn’t go.

Old Mrs. Qin didn’t see Song Fenglan and her son, so she asked Qin Yizhou, "Why won’t your wife and son come?"

"They’re busy," Qin Yizhou replied.

"Always with the ‘too busy’ excuse," Old Mrs. Qin grumbled. "This is a hotel, not our house, and they still won’t come."

She was annoyed but couldn’t do anything. No matter what she said, Qin Yizhou wouldn’t force Song Fenglan and Qin Zihang to come. The Qins and their family were already on bad terms—it wouldn’t improve just because Qin Li’an had a child.

When Qin Li’an heard his mother’s words, he almost stormed over to snap, “Enough—just drop it.”

But he didn’t. If he intervened, it would only make things worse.

After marrying Qin Li’an, Zhu Meng saw more and more how much Old Mrs. Qin doted on him. She didn’t care what the rest of the family thought—she wanted Qin Li’an to have everything and keep everyone else down. But the others weren’t going to listen to her.

Old Mrs. Qin was old—who wanted to listen to her anymore? Qin’s father barely spoke, but when he did, his words carried some weight. If he acted like Old Mrs. Qin, even his words would be useless.

"They're busy," Qin Yizhou repeated.

"When will they ever be free?" Old Mrs. Qin snapped. "Never. Not for a meal at home, not for a banquet at a hotel. I think they just don’t want anything to do with this side of the family. They’re downright cold."

"Maybe take a look in the mirror first," Qin Yizhou retorted.

"You—" Old Mrs. Qin fumed. "Go away!"

Qin Yizhou wasn’t even standing in front of her—her aide had wheeled her over.

They say the wicked never die, and Old Mrs. Qin was proof. Before, her health had been poor, and she had been hospitalized multiple times, yet she stubbornly pulled through. When she learned Zhu Meng was pregnant, she hung on, and now she was still here.

Qin Yizhou didn’t wish for his mother to die soon, but she clearly didn’t want him to live well either. Every time he saw her, she gave him a hard time. She didn’t care how successful he was outside—as long as he was her biological son, she thought she could boss him around.

Qin’s aunt saw this and thought Old Mrs. Qin was too fortunate. With a son as good as Qin Yizhou, she still acted so unreasonably. If it were her, she would treat Song Fenglan and her son with utmost kindness—even grovel if she had to. At the very least, she wouldn’t say such harsh things.

Tsk tsk tsk, no wonder Song Fenglan and her son snubbed Old Mrs. Qin—she didn’t deserve any respect.

Qin’s aunt had advised Old Mrs. Qin many times, but she never took it seriously.

After the full-moon banquet, Qin Yizhou returned home. He wasn’t particularly upset, nor did he blame his wife and son for not attending. Their reluctance to engage with the Qins was the Qins’ own doing. Qin Yizhou could interact with them as much as he wanted, but he had no right to demand the same from his wife and son.

"Did she yell at you?" Song Fenglan asked when she saw Qin Yizhou slump wearily onto the sofa. She knew he must have had a rough time with the Qins today.

"Yeah," Qin Yizhou sighed. "Mom’s temper… She still spoils Li’an. She thinks we didn’t give him enough face—that the whole family should’ve gone. I told her you were busy, and she blew up. Does she really not understand why you’re busy?"

"Angry?" Song Fenglan asked.

"She's my own mother, what right do I have to be angry?" Qin Yizhou said. "Being angry won’t change anything anyway."

"It’s nothing serious," Song Fenglan replied. "Just a few words—what do you expect? You’re her flesh and blood."

"Blood this, blood that—that’s all she ever harps on," Qin Yizhou muttered. "When she says it, I tell myself the same thing—just endure it. What’s the alternative?"

"Exactly," Song Fenglan shrugged. Qin Yizhou could only grit his teeth and take it.

Among their family of three, Qin Yizhou was the one who spent the most time with the Qins, meaning he had to visit more often. At least he’s the more easygoing one—if it were Qin Zihang, he’d be even less accommodating.

Back at home, Zhu Meng complained to Qin Lian, "Is your grandma out to make people hate you?"

"Grandma… she’s set in her ways," Qin Lian sighed. "Our words go in one ear and out the other. If I say anything, she asks if someone else forced me to say it."

He had tried before and realized his mistake—he never meant to offend anyone, but his grandmother didn’t care what he thought. Qin Lian had come to understand that she wasn’t just doing this for him, but for her own pride.

"Auntie has cut ties with the family—she refuses to come, and my cousin won’t either," Qin Lian said. "Grandma feels her authority as a mother-in-law is being challenged. There’s no fixing it."

"Your grandmother is just… getting what she deserves." Zhu Meng, being a junior, couldn’t outright tell Qin’s mother to stop, but at least Qin Yizhou hadn’t lost his temper.

Zhu Meng had known for a while that Qin Yizhou’s family didn’t get along with the Qins. Seeing how Qin’s mother treated Qin Yizhou at the full-moon banquet made her eye twitch in irritation.

"Your grandmother is old and stubborn—she’ll never admit she’s wrong," Zhu Meng said. "Let’s avoid saying too much in the future and not provoke anyone."

"Mm," Qin Lian nodded. "I don’t want to offend Uncle either—his influence is still strong."

"In your family, your father’s side had all the advantages early on," Zhu Meng remarked. "He stayed in the capital, worked within the system, but then…"

Tian Keshu was a huge mistake. The ones who messed up raising Qin Lian caused problems, forcing Qin’s father to leave the system.

You could say all those connections and benefits landed on Eldest Brother Qin’s head, but he fumbled them—it wasn’t anyone else’s fault. If Tian Keshu hadn’t done those things and they had raised Qin Lian better, Eldest Brother Qin might still be doing well now.

Sometimes, having all the advantages doesn’t guarantee the best life—it still depends on the individual. With all that dead weight holding him back, Eldest Brother Qin couldn’t soar.

"Right," Qin Lian agreed, looking at his daughter. Reflecting on the past, he felt he hadn’t done well enough—he vowed to protect his daughter better in the future.

When Qin Lian was in prison, Gu Qian had a miscarriage, and he felt nothing at the idea of becoming a dad. But with Zhu Meng, he took care of her throughout her pregnancy, and now he had deep affection for his daughter.

Sometime in May, Gu Qian and her boyfriend returned to the capital from the south. The Gu family hadn’t canceled her hukou, hoping they might still benefit from her. Gu Qian’s boyfriend and future mother-in-law came along—they planned to buy a house in the capital and transfer her household registration there.

Gu Qian’s father, of course, wouldn’t let her transfer it without compensation. But her future mother-in-law was no pushover—she wouldn’t let him succeed. She got the local authorities involved and contacted others to pressure him, ensuring the police station processed Gu Qian’s household transfer separately.

The police station, aware of Gu Qian’s situation and with higher-ups giving the nod, quickly helped transfer her registration to a separate household booklet.

It was Qin Yizhou who called in a favor—after all, Gu Qian had left the capital because of Qin Lian. When Qin Lian heard about her return and her household transfer, he reached out to Eldest Brother Qin, who then asked Qin Yizhou for help.

Qin Yizhou agreed—it wasn’t a bad deed but a good one. Even without his intervention, Gu Qian’s matter would’ve been resolved quickly.

When Song Fenglan learned about Gu Qian, it shocked her that Qin Lian would still lift a finger for her.

"Isn’t he afraid his wife would be upset?" Song Fenglan asked.

"He screwed up with her, but Gu Qian has a boyfriend now," Qin Yizhou said. "Better to wrap things up neatly."

"True," Song Fenglan nodded. "I’ve met Qin Lian’s wife—she seems pretty down-to-earth."

At first, Song Fenglan thought Zhu Meng was head over heels, but after a few meetings, she realized Zhu Meng actually had her head screwed on straight.

"Gu Qian's parents are absolutely heartless," Song Fenglan said. "Even at this point, they're still thinking about money."

"They asked for a dowry from Gu Qian's future mother-in-law, who agreed to pay it and also offered money to buy a house. Then they directly purchased the property under Gu Qian's name," Qin Yizhou explained. "They only transferred it into her name after she moved her hukou out."

Everyone was on guard against the Gu family, making sure they couldn't take advantage.

Gu Qian's future mother-in-law kept the house hidden from the Gu family. As soon as they rented it out, they quickly left the capital. The Gu family tried to find Gu Qian's house, but no one knew where it was, and the police refused to tell them where Gu Qian had registered her hukou.

"Gu Qian's future mother-in-law is tough as nails," Qin Yizhou remarked. "Even if I hadn't gotten involved, they would have figured it out eventually—it just might have taken a little longer."

"Gu Qian really got dealt a bad hand," Song Fenglan sighed. "With parents like that... So many girls are ruined by their families of birth. It's good if they can break free, but the fear is that they never will."

"That future mother-in-law probably values the capital's hukou, which is why she wanted to move it out. With a house, the hukou registration here won't be an issue," Qin Yizhou said. "Without a house, moving the hukou would mean putting it under a collective registration. They're just being cautious."

A hukou in southern cities isn't worthless, but the capital's is way more valuable. Since Gu Qian already has it, why give it up?

"Their reasoning makes sense," Song Fenglan agreed. "Since they're here, they might as well settle everything now to avoid problems later. If they don’t act now, the Gu family might cancel Gu Qian’s hukou someday. Anything could happen—they don’t care about their daughter or sister; they only care about what benefits them."

"True," Qin Yizhou nodded. "Li An has done a complete 180."

"After everything that happened, if he still hadn’t changed, he’d be beyond saving," Song Fenglan said. "Now that he has a daughter, he should understand how sickening it is when someone forces themselves on your child."

Before, Song Fenglan had seen movies and TV shows where fathers, devastated over their daughters' deaths, took extreme revenge—killing teachers, students, anyone who hurt their daughters. She'd even watched live streams online where men talked about how their daughters were bullied at school, and how they divorced their wives and walked away from everything just to confront those who hurt their children. When others saw this kind of determination, they backed off in fear.

That’s just how the world works—some people only respect those who play rougher than they do. Others aren’t afraid until it’s too late and then they realize too late that they should have been scared all along.

"Change and live well," Song Fenglan said. "Life gives you plenty of chances. Correct your mistakes, and you can still keep going."

"Yeah," Qin Yizhou agreed. "That’s why my brother came to me. Li An owes Gu Qian—the money went to her family, not to her."

"It’s good that Li An realizes this," Song Fenglan noted. "Facing his past wrongs—he truly owes her. Now they both have good lives; there's no need to dwell on the past. Just because Gu Qian is doing well doesn’t mean Li An doesn’t owe her anything."

Song Fenglan hadn’t expected Li An to go to Qin Yizhou. "He’s still somewhat afraid of you, not daring to come himself—only sending his father."

"Whether he comes or not doesn't matter," Qin Yizhou said. "This isn’t some huge production—I wouldn’t wait around for him to show up before taking action."

As soon as Qin Yizhou heard about Gu Qian’s situation from his brother, he handled it right away. It wasn’t against any rules—just doing the decent thing.

"Exactly, no need to wait for him," Song Fenglan said. "You did the right thing acting quickly, saving her more grief. Gu Qian finding a good partner isn’t because heaven favors Li An or the Qin family—it’s because of her own grit."

The Qin family still owes Gu Qian. Her current happiness doesn’t erase that debt.

Song Fenglan thought if someone asked her to help Gu Qian, she would—this wasn’t against her principles.

Zhu Meng found out about Li An’s actions. He didn’t talk to her first—he went straight to Qin Yizhou, and told her afterward. Zhu Meng wasn’t angry. To her, it was simply him trying to make amends.

People started spreading rumors, saying Li An was still stuck on Gu Qian—especially since she had been pregnant with his child, and it was a boy. These words reached Zhu Meng’s family, so her mom came by the supermarket.

"I heard Li An helped that woman—the one he forced himself on… What’s his deal? Is he still—" Zhu’s mom started.

"He’s just atoning," Zhu Meng replied. "Mom, don’t listen to gossip. Li An isn’t hung up on Gu Qian. Even if he remembers her, it’s guilt—not love."