âMy stepbrother is also single, and I can see that Aunt really likes him. Of course, heâs an honest civil servant and doesnât earn as much as you, Boss Hai, but my stepbrother has a simple and pure heart. Heâs never even had a girlfriend. What do you think parents prefer in a son-in-law, someone rich and flamboyant, or someone honest and reliable?â
Snap! Hai Zhaoâs mended heart was shattered into pieces again by Xiao Qianâs words.
When Yu Minglang and Xiao Qian were leaving after having dinner, Hai Zhao escorted them out.
âYoungest, you drive. I have something to talk about with Xiao Qian!â
After Yu Minglang left, Hai Zhao smiled like a living Buddha.
âXiao Qian, the beautiful lady, your stepbrother is still single, right? I have many pretty girls here. Let me introduce one to him. Donât thank me, I am just a warm-hearted person.â
Hearing that Mother Yu had a favorable impression of Xiao Qianâs stepbrother, Hai Zhao became upset. He wanted to immediately sell Liao Fugui off, so he could stay far away from Xiao Xi!
âHai Zhao, tell me the truth, whatâs your intention toward my Sister Xiao Xi? Do you want to be her fake boyfriend for a lifetime, or do you really want to make it real?â
Over the past two years, Xiao Xi had often been urged to marry by Mother Yu. Avoiding it whenever she could, Xiao Xi even used Hai Zhao as a human shield when she couldnât avoid it anymore, which clearly showed that she didnât want to get married.
âYouâre a great psychologist who can read peopleâs hearts. How could you not know what Iâm thinking?â
âPeopleâs hearts are separated by their bellies, and youâre not my client. Why should I guess what youâre thinking? Iâm so busy. I need to go!â
Hai Zhao quickly stopped her with an apologetic smile.
âI was wrong! Sister, is it not enough for you to be my real sister? I admit, I want to get rid of the âfakeâ and make it real, but Aunt doesnât seem to like me very muchâ¦â
Every holiday and any spare time, Hai Zhao would visit the Old Yu Family to show his eagerness, sending gifts and brushing up his presence, but Mother Yu always skipped him when arranging blind dates for Xiao Xi.
âItâs not that she doesnât like you. Itâs just that sheâs too familiar with you and doesnât consider you an option.â
Xiao Qian objectively evaluated that Hai Zhao was much more low-key than when she first met him in her past life.
In her past life, Boss Hai was a real playboy, with enough girlfriends to form several teams. In the end, he was so messed up by women that he suffered from mental illness, which led to psychosomatic problems, and almost became Xiao Qianâs patient.
When she first came back, she thought Hai Zhao was quite promiscuous, but after getting to know him through Yu Minglang, she found that he was different from what she had imagined a playboy to be.
In his later years, Hai Zhao in the past life was indeed very licentious, changing girlfriends daily. But in this life, although he occasionally spoke flamboyantly, he never took any real action. He only talked about how many girlfriends he had found but never brought them over.
In other words, Hai Zhao was only acting like a playboy now, and the reason he didnât dare take actual action was obviously Yu Mingxi, the powerful and glamorous woman.
âWhy donât you say a few good words for me to Aunt? After all, itâs better to keep it in the family. If this works out, you can eat at my place for free!â
Hai Zhao knew Xiao Qianâs status in the Old Yu Family. Mother Yu had always liked Xiao Qian and would certainly listen to her advice.
âHai Zhao, thereâs something I donât know if I should say.â
âGo ahead.â
âSister Xiao Xi belongs to type 4, the Perfectionist, in the Enneagram, but I prefer to call her a tragic romantic. Itâs her innate personality, and youâre a type 7, the Hedonist. You two are not compatible by personality, especially since Sister Xiao Xi is an aggressive type 4. She has an inherent capricious and rebellious factor which you cannot control.â
Xiao Qian had hypnotized Yu Mingxi over the phone for a while and gained some understanding of her.
A tragic romantic pursues perfection and does not want to accept the mundanity of ordinary emotions. Among the Enneagram types, type 4 is the most capricious. Hai Zhao, on the other hand, is type 7, who is unwilling to make commitments and wants more choices. Heâs evidently the most flirtatious type in the Enneagram.
Putting it straightforwardly, the singer Yu Mingxi is a free and unrestrained woman in the legend, while Hai Zhao is a Peter Pan-like youth. The two are not a suitable match.
âEven if sheâs untamed, sheâll want to come home to nest eventually. Iâve been waiting for her all these years, I donât believe she wonât come back!â Hai Zhao firmly declared.
Xiao Qian sighed.
âLet me give you some advice: let go and youâll be free, hold on and youâll be tormented.â
âI wonât give up! Iâve waited for so many years; it wonât matter if I wait one or two more years!â
Xiao Qian sighed, for good advice doesnât persuade the wicked. She had done her best.
On the way back, Xiao Qian remained silent, and Yu Minglang asked her what was on her mind.
âWhat did Hai Zhao say to you?â
âWould you mind if he becomes your brother-in-law someday?â Xiao Qian believed that Yu Minglang must have noticed it already.
âIt doesnât matter if I mind it or not; the key is whether Xiao Xi minds.â
He had indeed noticed it. The only person who hadnât was Hai Zhao, or perhaps he had known all along that he was trapped and unwilling to break free.
Xiao Qian thought about how Yu Mingxi had remained unmarried in her past life and how Hai Zhao had indulged himself. She didnât know what had happened between them, but she believed that Xiao Xi must have hurt Hai Zhao by doing something, so he had lost himself.
âWhat are you thinking? Your brows are furrowed.â Yu Minglang freed one hand from driving to rub Xiao Qianâs brow.
âI was thinking about the parallel universe theory. The same people encountering different things will have different outcomes. Although I study psychology, I donât entirely believe that character determines destiny.â
âWhat do you think determines destiny?â
âHalf is character, and half is the opportunities given by heaven. Sometimes, no matter how hard a person tries, they canât fight against fate. If heaven doesnât give you a chance, efforts are useless.â
Just like her past self and Hai Zhao in her past life.
âWhy do you still work so hard then?â
âBecause if you work hard, you might have a chance, but if you donât, you definitely wonât. After all, I am just an ordinary person, fighting against fate throughout my life.â
She hoped that everyone who worked hard would have a destiny that wasnât made fun of by heaven.
But hopes were nothing more than hopes. Heaven never stopped tormenting anyone, so Xiao Qianâs hotline was still full every night.
Although the questioning time had been reduced to three minutes by Xiao Qian, the director still filled all the lines. There were always countless troubles waiting for Xiao Qian to solve.
Yu Minglang sat in the directorâs room, watching Xiao Qian at work. She calmly answered various questions, skillfully solved problems, and dealt with them smoothly without any sign of effort.
Obviously, the words she exchanged with him during dinner were helpful. Xiao Qianâs mood had improved now that she was free from the pressure of marriage.