Chapter 136: Can’t Help, The Final Fantasy

Chapter 136: The Unattainable Final Fantasy

Cao Fang’s cousin, the daughter of Second Aunt Cao, had moved to Beijing to seek opportunities, but Cao Fang didn’t let her stay at her home. The cousin, now in her early thirties and divorced, was dead set on scraping by in the capital, and Cao Fang wasn’t responsible for her.

“Just one daughter is plenty,” Cao Fang said. “She can inherit her father’s business in the future.”

“How can one daughter be enough? What if—what if your man goes and has a child with another woman?” Cao Fang’s cousin, Cao Chunmei, said. “If you think you’re too old to have another child, you could always hire someone to have it for you—surrogacy, you know?”

“What?” Cao Fang frowned.

“I mean, have another woman bear the child, and then you can adopt it,” Cao Chunmei said. “No, wait—you could even use your own eggs. It’d still be your child.”

“Who put these ideas in your head?” Cao Fang’s face darkened.

“No one! I’m just looking out for you,” Cao Chunmei said. “Your husband is so wealthy—plenty of gold-diggers circling him. You don’t have a son, only a daughter. What if he has an illegitimate child out there?”

“This isn’t any of your business,” Cao Fang said.

“But what if?” Cao Chunmei pressed. “I’m just being honest. If he does have a son out there, it’ll be a sob story. Many men still want sons. Your husband’s older brother has a son—your man wouldn’t let—”

“The door’s right there. Get the hell out,” Cao Fang pointed toward the entrance. “And don’t ever come back.”

Cao Fang thought to herself that she shouldn’t have let her cousin come over for a meal. This woman couldn’t string two kind words together—just nonsense like this. Cao Fang would never let another woman bear a child for her. She and her husband had no plans for a second child; one daughter was enough. They didn’t need a son.

If they had wanted a son, they would have had one long ago—not waited until now and let someone else do it.

“Cousin—”

“Out!” Cao Fang refused to listen to another word.

“Sis, just think about what I said,” Cao Chunmei insisted. “Seriously, if you want someone to carry the child and are afraid of people finding out, you could—”

“You mean, I could ask you?” Cao Fang said coldly.

“I—”

“Out! Out! Out!” Cao Fang waved her away.

“Fine, if you don’t want to, forget it.” Cao Chunmei left, knowing full well that surrogacy was a thing these days—and that it could pay well.

She wasn’t keen on bearing someone else’s child, though. She’d rather have her own. But if she could carry a child for a wealthy man, her life would surely improve.

Not everyone wanted to earn money through hard work. Some preferred shortcuts—and Cao Chunmei was clearly one of them. When Cao Fang refused to engage, Cao Chunmei took her schemes elsewhere.

Cao Fang didn’t feel comfortable telling Second Brother Song about her cousin’s antics. Why did she have to have such relatives?

About half a year later, Cao Chunmei was arrested—caught with a big belly. It turned out she had acted as a surrogate, and the surrogacy agency she was working with had been busted. The scandal blew up huge, and Cao Chunmei blamed Cao Fang, claiming that if her cousin had given her a leg up, she wouldn’t have had to resort to surrogacy.

“The baby in my belly is my brother-in-law’s!” Cao Chunmei improvised a lie on the spot.

There was no way the child could be Second Brother Song’s. He had barely interacted with Cao Chunmei and had never sought out surrogacy agencies for a son. He was a straight arrow and never engaged in such affairs.

But since Cao Chunmei had made the claim, the police still questioned Second Brother Song. He explained the situation, and with witness statements from others, it was confirmed that the child wasn’t his.

Because of this incident, Cao Fang phoned home to her parents to explain what had happened. When their relatives learned about Cao Chunmei’s surrogacy, every last one of them was livid. Then, they discovered that several women from her ex’s village had also been surrogates. Some men even sent their wives out to earn money this way, treating them as cash cows while they themselves did little work. Some of these women were nearly forty and still acting as surrogates.

When the scandal became public, it caused a huge backlash.

Some of the surrogate mothers grew attached to the children and brought them home. But most felt no connection—just business.

Here is the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

When Song Fenglan learned about this incident, she saw it in the news. Song Fenglan was completely shocked. She looked at Mother Song sitting next to her, thinking she recognized one of Cao Fang's relatives.

"Your Second Sister-in-law's relative," Mother Song sighed. "They talk about family planning, but some people still do these things in secret. Some register their children under other families' names, while others directly have other women carry pregnancies for them. Some men even sleep with the chosen women, while others use fertility treatments."

Mother Song had known about this incident two days prior. Since it involved Second Brother Song, she couldn't possibly remain unaware. She had originally thought the Cao family was peaceful and trouble-free, never expecting Cao Chunmei to be involved.

After Cao Chunmei got caught up in this, she even tried to pass the child off as Second Brother Song's—the baby was already over seven months old. Naturally, Cao Chunmei refused to abort it; she was determined to give birth. She didn't know who the biological parents were—the agency never told her.

Now that the black-market operation had been shut down, Cao Chunmei wondered if the child's biological parents would come looking for her. But in such a situation, why would they? They'd likely want to hide and avoid being exposed.

Most of those who sought surrogates were wealthy individuals. Some, afraid of being discovered, preferred to stay hidden. The truly rich who wanted sons would simply keep a woman on the side—why would they need to use these underground operations?

With nowhere to go in her advanced pregnancy, Cao Chunmei thought of turning to Cao Fang, but Cao Fang would never take her in.

"Your second sister-in-law's cousin went through with it," Mother Song said. "That cousin even tried to persuade your second brother and sister-in-law to let her be their surrogate. If not for this incident, your sister-in-law wouldn't have mentioned it."

Mother Song never expected someone like Cao Chunmei to appear. Thankfully, Cao Fang wasn't foolish enough to go along with her plans.

"That cousin had nowhere to go, and your sister-in-law refused to take her in," Mother Song added.

"What about now?" Song Fenglan asked. "Where did she go?"

"Where else could she go? Back to her hometown for now," Mother Song replied. "She still plans to give birth to that child, hoping to use it to get money. With the child in her hands, she'll refuse to hand it over unless she's paid. Seeing that your sister-in-law wouldn't help, she slipped away quickly, afraid someone might force her to abort."

"It's been a long time since Second Sister-in-law last saw her cousin," Song Fenglan remarked.

"Exactly because it's been so long that this happened," Mother Song said. "Your sister-in-law had no idea about her cousin's situation. It wasn't until the agency was busted that she found out."

"..." Song Fenglan was at a loss for words.

"That woman even asked your sister-in-law to investigate and find out who the biological parents of her unborn child are," Mother Song said. "After all the trouble she caused your second brother and sister-in-law, she still expects them to help her dig up information."

This Cao Chunmei is out of her mind!

When Mother Song first learned of this, she was furious. How could anyone in their family do such a thing? If her second son truly wanted a son, he could simply keep a woman on the side and have her bear the child—why resort to a surrogacy agency?

In ancient times, there was the practice of "wife-lending," where men temporarily lent their wives to others for childbearing. But this is the modern era—such things shouldn't happen.

"This incident isn't your sister-in-law's fault, but I still gave her an earful," Mother Song admitted. "She knew her cousin was trouble but didn't pay enough attention. Now this whole mess has affected your second brother."

Those unaware of the truth might assume Second Brother Song was somehow involved with Cao Chunmei.

Cao Fang didn't dare argue when Mother Song reprimanded her—after all, it was her own relative causing the problem.

With Cao Chunmei so late in her pregnancy, Cao Fang didn't dare force her to abort, afraid something might go wrong. She could only wait and see how the Cao family would handle it once Cao Chunmei returned home.

"Honestly, there's all kinds in this world," Mother Song said. "Your second brother is truly wronged in all this."

"Very wronged," Song Fenglan agreed. "What does Second Sister-in-law think?"

"What can she think? It's not her doing. Her cousin is an adult—if she wanted to do these things, no one could stop her," Mother Song said. "Now we just have to see how the Cao family deals with it."

"Mhm," Song Fenglan nodded.

"A daughter is just as good as a son. Our family never insisted your sister-in-law had to bear a son," Mother Song said. "Those ignorant people assumed your second brother wanted a son, and now his reputation is dragged through the mud because of them."

"It is what it is," Song Fenglan said. "Every family has one or two troublesome relatives. It's her cousin's fault, not hers. It'll blow over."

Song Fenglan thought Cao Fang was also unlucky to have such a relative.

Cao Fang was indeed frustrated. Others assumed she was living a great life in the capital—and yes, she was. But that didn’t mean she had to spend time and money helping others. She had no time for that. As for Cao Chunmei’s situation, Cao Fang had never expected anything like this.

At first, Cao Fang thought Cao Chunmei was just talking nonsense. She never imagined Cao Chunmei would actually do such a thing. Cao Fang felt her reputation had been tarnished by Cao Chunmei. Fortunately, Cao Chunmei wasn’t part of the agency’s management—otherwise, she might have dragged Cao Fang and the Song family into it by association.

Still, anyone with common sense would know the Song family would never be involved in something like this.

Cao Fang had never imagined she’d become known in her workplace this way. Even the new hires knew about the scandal in her family. Some offered comfort, while others whispered behind her back.

No matter how Cao Fang felt, explaining wouldn’t do much good. People only knew Cao Chunmei was her relative.

Two months later, Cao Chunmei actually gave birth—but to a girl, not a boy.

In the eyes of Cao Chunmei and others, girls were seen as nothing but a financial drain. Cao Chunmei didn’t want the child—it wasn’t hers to begin with. She told her parents to abandon the baby at Cao Fang’s doorstep, assuming no one would want a daughter. Just after the baby turned one month old, Cao Chunmei had her parents do exactly that.

Cao Chunmei’s mother traveled all the way to the capital, left the baby at Cao Fang’s door, and even left a note behind.

Cao Fang was speechless. Unlike Fan Yani, she didn’t feel pity for the child. She called the police and had them take the baby away. Wherever the police took the child was fine with her.

Cao Fang specifically called her parents afterward. Her mother was furious.

“How dare your aunt’s family do this?” Cao’s mother fumed.

“I sent the child to the police station,” Cao Fang said. “That baby isn’t ours—we can’t raise it. If we did, people would assume it was your son-in-law’s.”

Cao Fang was seething. Cao Chunmei had gone too far.

“You did the right thing sending it to the police,” Cao’s mother said.

After hanging up, Cao’s mother stormed to Cao Chunmei’s house and berated her and her family. They were completely shameless—why couldn’t they have quietly abandoned the child in their hometown instead of sending it to Cao Fang?

Cao Chunmei clearly wanted the baby’s biological parents to come forward—or for Cao Fang to help track them down—so she could demand money later.

But how was that possible?

Cao Fang wasn’t about to get involved in that mess. Turning the child over to the police was the best option.

The whole ordeal left Cao Fang upset for days.

When Song Fenglan visited, Cao Fang was still in a bad mood.

“I never expected them to do this—just dump the baby at our doorstep,” Cao Fang said.

The two sat in the living room while a servant served tea.

“They have no shame,” Cao Fang said. “It’s downright despicable.”

“Maybe they saw you were in the capital and wanted to come too,” Song Fenglan suggested.

“Exactly. That’s what they’re like—they want to stay here,” Cao Fang said. “They even said we had plenty of houses and could spare one for relatives. My parents never even suggested staying long-term, yet they had the nerve to say that. No shame, treating me like a doormat.”

Cao Fang was furious. For years, her life had been peaceful—her daughter well-behaved, her husband faithful, her in-laws never giving her trouble. She had lived comfortably. Who knew Cao Chunmei would drop such a bombshell on her? Cao Chunmei was nothing but a troublemaker.

“At least this was exposed. If it hadn’t been, who knows what else might’ve happened,” Cao Fang said. “How could those people dare to do such things? I heard when they were caught, there were even seventeen- and eighteen-year-old girls involved. How could they prey on children that young?”

“Heartless people don’t care how old the girls are,” Song Fenglan said.

"Several people in Chunmei's ex-husband's village have had children for others," Cao Fang said. "They treat having children as a way to make money, and they're even proud of it, bragging about how many they've had. I never knew about the situation in that village before—I left early to join the military and rarely went back."

Cao Fang thought that if she had known about the village's activities, she would have stopped those people and exposed the illegal organizations behind it.

"It's hidden in plain sight," Cao Fang said. "Who would have thought they'd do this right in the capital?"

It wasn’t just in the capital—the capital served as a hub, with some operations even extending to neighboring provinces. Those people had a whole system, even collaborating with hospitals to make the children seem legitimate.

"It's despicable, absolutely despicable," Cao Fang said. "I told my parents, and they went to talk to my uncle and aunt, but it didn’t change anything. Who knows—maybe my uncle and aunt already knew about it but kept quiet because they saw it as a way to make money."

The thought made Cao Fang furious. "Do they think I’d stand in the way of their profits? That’s why they didn’t tell me? How could they do something like this? It’s illegal!"

"Illegal activities bring quick money," Song Fenglan said. "But don’t punish yourself for their mistakes."

"That’s easy to say, but… just thinking about them makes me sick," Cao Fang replied. "People who don’t know might even think I encouraged them to do this."

None of Cao Fang’s immediate family had ever done such things, yet her cousin had done something so disgusting.

Song Fenglan tried to cheer Cao Fang up for a while before leaving, as her schedule was tight.

Qin Yizhou didn’t say much—this was Cao Fang’s side of the family’s business.

"People will do anything for money," Song Fenglan said as she lay down on the bed.

"Things like this happen all the time," Qin Yizhou replied. "Not long ago, authorities shut down a few hair salons running prostitution rings."

Those salons were basically brothels—they weren’t just cutting hair.

Qin Yizhou knew someone in the police force who said they’d periodically conduct raids and always catch people. Some even had lookouts to warn them in advance, making arrests difficult.

"Even proper hotels have people handing out escort cards," Qin Yizhou added. "They’ve caught quite a few."

"Yeah," Song Fenglan murmured.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xiaohu had gotten a new girlfriend but didn’t dare bring her to meet Qin Zihang. Over the past year, the two had only met twice, hardly talking.

Zhang Xiaohu was busy with work after becoming a full-time employee, saving money and hoping for better opportunities. Qin Zihang, now in graduate school, was buried in lab work and papers, running around nonstop.

By the time Qin Zihang heard about Zhang Xiaohu again, it was already the Lunar New Year—Zhang Xiaohu had brought his girlfriend home to Nancheng and married her. His wife wasn’t from the capital or even a college graduate—she had only had a middle school education.

Auntie Fatty didn’t know about her daughter-in-law’s education level at first, and when she found out, she didn’t look happy. Zhang Chenghai gave her a look, reminding her that neither of them had even finished middle school, so their daughter-in-law’s education was already an improvement.

That night, Auntie Fatty and Zhang Chenghai talked in their room for a long time. She was deeply unhappy about her daughter-in-law but couldn’t do anything—what was done was done.

Zhang Xiaohu had installed a phone at home, so Auntie Fatty no longer had to make calls outside where others might overhear.

"How could he marry someone who only had a middle school education? Xiaohu is a college graduate!" Auntie Fatty said bitterly.

"They’ve already registered their marriage," Zhang Chenghai said.

"The first time he dated, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut early on. This time, he waited until it was final before saying anything," Auntie Fatty complained. "I don’t get it—why couldn’t he have told us earlier?"

"If you had known earlier, would you have stopped them from marrying?" Zhang Chenghai asked. "Maybe Xiaohu knew how you’d react, so he kept it quiet."

"This whole thing… just look at how it turned out," Auntie Fatty sighed. "It would’ve been better if he’d told us sooner."

She had been shocked—she thought her daughter-in-law had a degree, only to find out she’d barely finished middle school. Zhang Xiaohu’s previous girlfriend had been from the capital. Even if he’d been rejected, he shouldn’t have settled for just anyone.

"It’s too late to do anything about it—there’s nothing we can say to change it," Zhang Chenghai said. "It’s not like we can just tell them to split up now."

"I can't, but..."

"Alright, keep your voice down. Don’t let anyone hear," Zhang Chenghai said.

Early in the morning, Auntie Fatty still had to work on Zhang Xiaohu's wedding banquet preparations. Zhang Xiaohu skipped inviting Qin Zihang, planning to gather friends in the capital for a meal after returning.

Auntie Fatty didn’t contact Song Fenglan, as Song Fenglan wouldn’t come to Nan City anyway, nor did she expect Song Fenglan to send a lavish cash gift (red envelope).

It was Zhang Xiaohu who reached out to Qin Zihang. That’s how Qin Zihang found out about the wedding banquet and all the details.

When Qin Zihang told Song Fenglan about Zhang Xiaohu’s news, she sounded surprised, "Xiao Hu is already married?"

"Yes, he’s married," Qin Zihang said. "He called saying he’d treat us friends to a meal once he returns to the capital."

It wasn’t just Qin Zihang—he’d invite others too.

Qin Zihang thought this was fine. After the drama with Zhang Xiaohu’s ex, he didn’t want to dine alone with Zhang Xiaohu and his new partner, worried things might get awkward again.

"It’s been so long since we last met, and now he’s married," Qin Zihang mused.

"Well, he’s married now," Song Fenglan said. "At his age, he’s right on schedule. But what about you? Any thoughts?"

"What thoughts could I have? Just waiting to graduate," Qin Zihang replied.

"You don’t have to graduate to date," Song Fenglan said. "Rumor is you’re getting close to a girl at the research institute."

"Mom, you know about that?" Qin Zihang asked.

"We’re in the same workplace—how could I not know? Did you think I’d be too busy to hear about it?" Song Fenglan countered.

"She’s just a lab senior. We work on experiments together, nothing more," Qin Zihang explained. "She doesn’t like me, and I don’t like her. When we’re in the lab, we pull long shifts—no time for a home life. We’re lab-compatible, not life-compatible."

"If you both wanted to, it wouldn’t be impossible," Song Fenglan said. "We could hire a housekeeper for you."

"Even if you paid for a housekeeper, we wouldn’t be together," Qin Zihang said. "She wants a family-first guy. She says why should women be expected to manage the household while men can’t be homemakers?"

"Oh?" Song Fenglan hadn’t known the girl was like that.

"It’s true," Qin Zihang said. "She wants someone who’s great at chores and keeps everything in order—and I’m clearly not that person. I won’t change for her, and she won’t change for me."

"So you want a woman who’s good at housework?" Song Fenglan raised an eyebrow.

"No. If I just wanted someone to do chores, I’d hire a housekeeper," Qin Zihang said. "Why put that on my girlfriend? I want someone who understands me. She can go out and have fun, but no fooling around. If she wants her own career, that’s fine too."

"Then go find her yourself," Song Fenglan said.

"Mom, if anyone wants to set me up on a blind date, I’ll go," Qin Zihang said. "I’m in the lab all day—how am I supposed to find time to look for a girlfriend? Blind dates cut to the chase. Lay your cards on the table—if it clicks, cool; if not, no sweat. Oh, and my cousin’s already married. I think teachers from her school would be good too. Teachers are a solid choice."

Song Fenglan looked at her son, surprised he’d suggest blind dates. "Don’t you believe in sparks?"

"How often does that happen? Most ‘love at first sight’ is just lust," Qin Zihang said. "Mom, blind dates are better. Everyone states their terms—if it works, great; if not, no hard feelings."

"Fine," Song Fenglan said. "If you’re willing, your grandma would jump at setting you up."

Not just his grandmother—the whole Song clan would line up to play matchmaker.

Since Qin Zihang’s mother passed away, the Qin family had gone pretty quiet, no big to-dos.

Here’s the refined translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

When You Yun’s biological daughter was slapped hard by her, Xiang Qing grew up fast. In front of the Qins, Xiang Qing watched her words and kept her composure. You Yun was quite satisfied with Xiang Qing’s performance, as she worried her daughter might stir up drama.

Since her daughter didn’t bear the Qin surname, You Yun couldn’t expect her to receive the same treatment as Qin Ya. Even when Qin Ya got married, the Qins didn’t give her much—no house, just a little extra cash added to the bride price as dowry.

Back then, when Tian Keshu learned about Qin Ya’s marriage, she didn’t prepare anything for her. Instead, she even hoped Qin Ya would leave part of the bride price for her. Qin Ya would never do that, and the two ended up quarreling, with Tian Keshu coming out the loser.

To this day, there was still bad blood between Tian Keshu and Qin Ya.

Xiang Qing no longer acted rebelliously and toed the line with You Yun’s arrangements.

"Don’t push it with your daughter," Eldest Aunt Qin said.

When Eldest Aunt Qin visited the Qin family, You Yun brought up Xiang Qing’s marriage plans. Xiang Qing had a boyfriend whose family was broke—not exactly a catch, but he was a local. If Xiang Qing married him, she’d have to cram in with his folks.

Over the years, You Yun had saved some money, but not all of it was for Xiang Qing—only a portion could be given to her. Most of the money in You Yun’s hands came from Eldest Brother Qin, and that portion was set aside for their own son.

"Forcing her to marry up might not lead to a good life," Eldest Aunt Qin said. "Marrying out of her league, there might be red flags. Even when you married into the family, it was only because Tian Keshu was difficult and left behind two children—that’s how you got your chance."

Eldest Aunt Qin’s words were harsh, but she wasn’t wrong.

"From what you’ve said, your daughter’s boyfriend isn’t that bad—just a step down for our family," Eldest Aunt Qin continued. "At least he has a house, even if it means living with his parents. You can’t expect your husband to buy a house for your daughter—she’s not his biological child, and you have a son together. Isn’t it better to leave things for your own son? Do you want him to resent you?"

"If you don’t agree, then you’ll have to force them apart. But after that, who knows if your daughter can find a better man?" Eldest Aunt Qin said. "Marriage depends on fate."

"Indeed, it’s about fate," You Yun replied. "Back then, you were the one who introduced me here, and the match you arranged for Qin Ya was also good."

"Like belongs with like," Eldest Aunt Qin said. "We must know our place."

Eldest Aunt Qin wasn’t good at much, but she knew which way the wind blew—a true survivor. She lived quite comfortably, and in reality, people like her always landed on their feet.

She knew when to bow her head and when to step forward and curse, always aligning herself with the powerful.

After the Lantern Festival, Zhang Xiaohu returned to the capital with his wife. They’d gotten their place back and stopped renting it out. Zhang Xiaohu and his wife invited friends to a meal, but since it wasn’t for elders, they didn’t invite Song Fenglan and her husband, avoiding potential awkwardness.

Qin Zihang went to the restaurant, where Zhang Xiaohu had invited nearly two tables of guests, including friends from his wife’s side. Some tried to get Qin Zihang to drink, but he refused. The bride’s female friends even tried coming on too strong with him, but Qin Zihang didn’t share his contact details.

After the meal, Zhang Xiaohu’s wife remarked, "Why is your friend so aloof?"

"He’s not aloof—that’s just his personality," Zhang Xiaohu said. "Don’t try to set him up with anyone. He’s not from our circle. Today, your friends were coming on too strong."

"I just told them a distinguished young man was coming to the banquet," Zhang Xiaohu’s wife, Tan Wu, said. "That’s why they were so enthusiastic."

Tan Wu didn’t think she’d done anything wrong. What if Qin Zihang had taken a liking to one of her friends? It was a great opportunity worth trying.

"Don’t do this again," Zhang Xiaohu said. "I barely see Zihang twice a year as it is—don’t make things awkward. His family isn’t like ours—they’re old money in the capital. And your friends—you know their type. They’re not a match for Zihang."

"Are you looking down on me for only finishing middle school?" Tan Wu said unhappily. "When we visited your family, your mom complained to your dad about me. Even people on the street think I’m not good enough for you—a top student marrying someone like me."

"I don’t look down on you," Zhang Xiaohu said. "We don’t live with my mom, and I knew your education level when we got together. A high diploma isn’t everything."

Auntie Fatty despised Tan Wu, believing she lowered the family’s standards. She thought Zhang Xiaohu should have married a top student so their children wouldn’t end up dumb as rocks. Auntie Fatty didn’t want Zhang Xiaohu’s children to backslide—after all, he’d been lucky to have neighbors like Song Fenglan and her son. Without them, he wouldn’t be where he was today.

"Better remember that," Tan Wu said. "It’s not like I didn’t have other suitors. I chose you—don’t disappoint me."

Tan Wu believed Zhang Xiaohu was the real deal, unlike others who just wanted to play around. She knew how dirty some people’s intentions could be—she wanted a bright future, not one where she’d be cursed by a first wife.

When Qin Zihang returned home, he was somewhat disappointed. He’d been unhappy when those women got too close and pressured him to drink. He’d almost bailed but held back since it was Zhang Xiaohu’s wedding banquet. He’d at least spared Zhang Xiaohu the embarrassment. "Why the long face?" Song Fenglan said, sitting in the living room. "Weren’t you at Zhang Xiaohu’s wedding banquet?"

Here's the improved translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

"Yes, I went," Qin Zihang said. "It wasn't how I imagined it."

"Oh?" Song Fenglan sounded doubtful.

"Several women crowded around me," Qin Zihang said. "I refused to drink, but they still tried to pour it into my mouth."

"And then?" Song Fenglan could tell Qin Zihang hadn't been drinking.

"Xiao Hu stopped them and didn't let them get any closer," Qin Zihang said. "It was just... disappointing."

"Isn't that normal?" Song Fenglan said. "Most likely, they knew who you were."

"..." Qin Zihang only felt that he and Zhang Xiaohu were drifting further apart, their paths diverging. On the other hand, his relationships with some other friends had grown stronger and closer.

"You're both adults now," Song Fenglan said. "The adult world isn't that simple."

"I know," Qin Zihang nodded. "It's a bit of a rat race."

"That's just how it is," Song Fenglan said. "In college, things were easier for you. But now that you're in grad school, it's not as simple. You have to consider social interactions, think about many, many things. Zhang Xiaohu is the same—he's working now, dealing with work relationships. He can't just think about your feelings."

A day later, Tan Wu's friend approached her, asking her to play matchmaker between her and Qin Zihang.

"That's my husband's friend. He told you not to get ideas about him," Tan Wu said. "People like us aren't good enough for him."

"How are we not good enough?" the friend said. "He's a college graduate, and yet he married you, didn't he?"

"That man's family is wealthy, and he's in a direct PhD program," Tan Wu said. "His father is military. Just drop it—there's no way he'd be interested in you. You'd only be humiliating yourself."

But Tan Wu's friend wouldn't take no for an answer and insisted on going to Capital Aeronautical University and the research institute to find Qin Zihang. Qin Zihang didn't even know her—they'd only met once.

Qin Zihang ignored her, and eventually, she was taken away by state security.

Later, the authorities discovered that this woman often read trashy romance novels from a neighboring island, like "The Domineering CEO's Forced Love," "The Domineering CEO Falls for Me," "The Second Young Master's True Love"... She was convinced she and Qin Zihang were a perfect match, that a Cinderella could end up with a CEO.

Tan Wu was forced to try to rescue her friend, even asking Zhang Xiaohu to intervene. Zhang Xiaohu had no choice but to approach Qin Zihang, explaining that the woman was just infatuated with him and was harmless.

"I can't help you," Qin Zihang said. "Once the relevant authorities finish their investigation and find nothing wrong, they'll let her go."

"She... she just has too many fantasies," Zhang Xiaohu said.

The two sat in a café near the research institute. When Zhang Xiaohu first learned about the situation, he was stunned and furious. He had already warned his wife that Qin Zihang wasn't part of their social circle.

"If I say anything, she might think I'm interested in her. Would she expect me to chase her into some dramatic love story?" Qin Zihang said.

"You know about that kind of thing?" Zhang Xiaohu said.

"My mom reads those novels too. She even gets me to read them," Qin Zihang said.

"..." Zhang Xiaohu hadn't expected that.

Song Fenglan didn't want Qin Zihang to become overly romantic, and with the internet booming at the time, there were plenty of bootleg novels from Hong Kong and Taiwan online. Short, formulaic novels—usually ten or twelve chapters—were how she relaxed. She even had Qin Zihang read them to keep him from falling into the same traps.

At the time, such novels were all over the place, and had tons of fans.

"The relevant authorities won't punish an innocent person," Qin Zihang said.

"Alright..." Zhang Xiaohu felt conflicted. He had thought coming to Qin Zihang would solve the problem smoothly. He never expected Qin Zihang to outright refuse.

Qin Zihang paid for the coffee and returned to work without further discussion. If he had known Zhang Xiaohu was asking about that woman, he might not have even come out to meet him. Two people from different worlds would inevitably face issues over time, especially now that they were no longer students and couldn't keep reminiscing about school all the time. With fewer shared topics, their paths diverged, and their personalities changed.

As soon as Zhang Xiaohu returned home, Tan Wu immediately asked him, "How did it go?"

"Zi Hang refused. He said the relevant authorities wouldn't punish an innocent person and that we just have to wait for the investigation to wrap up," Zhang Xiaohu said.

"You didn't beg him?" Tan Wu said. "She's my good friend—you know that. She has no ulterior motives, she's just... simple. She... she really just wants to land a good husband."