Chapter 219
Chapter 219
When the group arrived at the restaurant the Driver had mentioned, everyone fell silent.
“Isn’t this just a hole-in-the-wall?” Uncle Bai hooked an arm around the Driver’s neck and demanded angrily.
“Uncle, we’re lucky to have any restaurant at all! Where am I supposed to find some grand banquet hall on such short notice?” the Driver asked helplessly.
“Don’t explain it to me. Explain it to that brat. And let me warn you: he is far more powerful here than he is in reality, and his power is extremely unstable. If you make him unhappy, every Fiend and human among us will die here.”
The Driver burst into tears. Why did Liu Ye get a power boost here too?
Liu Ye frowned and stared at Xiaoshuai with a distinctly unfriendly expression.
Xiaoshuai was terrified. It would be absurd if he survived the Fiends only to die at Brother Liu’s hands over this wedding.
“Brother Liu, there is a reason for this. You know my circumstances. Money has been tight lately. I finally managed to buy some property, and even that investment lost money.”
As he spoke, Xiaoshuai gave Liu Ye an aggrieved look.
“Why are you looking at me? What does your bad property investment have to do with me?” Liu Ye demanded righteously.
Xiaoshuai fell silent.
Uncle Bai looked at the Driver apprehensively.
“Why do I get the feeling this brat has grown a little shameless? How do you normally teach him?”
“I just… taught him the usual things.”
The Driver did not quite dare meet Uncle Bai’s eyes. Back then, he had not known Liu Ye’s true background, so he had taught the man about the harsh realities of society. Now that he understood Liu Ye’s circumstances, he realized that he was the one who had never understood how harsh society could be!
“That is why we don’t have much money. But don’t worry, Brother. The place may be small, but it has everything it needs. Everything a wedding requires is inside!”
Xiaoshuai looked toward the Driver as he spoke.
The Driver said nothing.
It should have everything… probably.
Liu Ye decided not to pursue the matter. Poor people like them could not afford to be overly particular. What truly mattered was the groom’s attitude. As long as Xiaoshuai showed the proper sincerity and proved he would not bully Liu Ye’s little sister, Liu Ye had no reason to interfere with the couple’s peaceful life.
Of course, he still needed to deliver a warning.
“Fine. We’ll make do with this place. But listen to me! You must treat my little sister well in the future, understand? Look at your circumstances. She’s still willing to marry you. Where else would you find a woman like her?”
“Yes, yes…”
What else could Xiaoshuai say? He could only nod over and over.
“All right, then. Where are your parents? I should meet them.”
Liu Ye smoothed his hair. He was Xiaoqian’s only relative now, or close enough. As the elder representing her family, he had to look presentable when meeting the in-laws.
Xiaoshuai immediately looked toward the Driver and mouthed repeatedly, Where are my parents?
The Driver fell silent.
That was right. Where were his parents? Parents! Parents! Where are you?
They could claim he was an orphan, of course, but what about his other relatives? Surely not a single one of them could be absent.
Fortunately, the Driver already had an idea.
The group pushed open the restaurant door and entered.
The Driver swiftly swept his gaze around the room. His eyes lit up, and he immediately approached one table of diners.
“My dear in-laws!”
His shout left the two Fiends at the table completely bewildered.
Who was this? They did not know him. Since when did they have a child?
“My dear in-laws! Why did you start eating without waiting for us?”
The Driver seized both Fiends’ hands and shook them vigorously. Then he shouted toward the kitchen, “Hey, you can start serving the food! Everyone’s here!”
The Fiend in the kitchen fell silent.
Wait… had they even ordered anything?
“Hold on, you-”
The male Fiend was about to speak when Xiaoshuai arrived with Xiaoqian and shouted, “Dad! I brought your daughter-in-law to meet you! Dad!”
The male Fiend said nothing.
He looked at his wife in horror and found the Female Fiend glaring at him darkly.
“No, honey, let me explain! I-I’m innocent! And you-stop spouting nonsense! Who’s your father?”
At those words, Xiaoshuai immediately cried out with a grief-stricken expression.
“Dad! How could you change your mind again? We agreed on this! You already gave your approval!”
“What did I approve?” the male Fiend shouted, on the verge of collapse.
He wanted to swallow the human before him in one bite. The problem was that if he ate Xiaoshuai now, no matter how many mouths he grew, he would never be able to explain himself.
Liu Ye arrived at that moment.
“Wait, what’s going on?”
Wiping away his tears, Xiaoshuai said miserably, “My father won’t let me get married.”
“Why? In what way is my little sister unworthy of you?” Liu Ye demanded angrily.
“Brother Liu, here’s what happened. Didn’t I lose all that money in business? My parents decided they wanted me to marry the butcher’s daughter next door. That way, we wouldn’t have to pay for meat in the future!”
The Driver and the others fell silent.
They had suddenly realized that this brat was a rare talent too. No wonder he had become an actor. With skills like these, it would be a crime if he did not win several awards.
“But I can’t forget where I came from! The moment I saw Xiaoqian back in Liuxi Village, I knew she was the one. From that day onward, I decided I would marry no one but her. We even endured hardship together. I tried everything I could to persuade my father, but I never expected him to change his mind again. Brother Liu, I’m begging you. Please help me convince them. I truly have no other choice! Boohoo…”
Tears streamed down Xiaoshuai’s face. He gave a flawless performance as a devoted man fighting his family for the sake of true love.
“All right. Don’t worry. Leave this to me.”
Liu Ye walked over to the male Fiend.
“My dear in-law, I think you need to change your old-fashioned way of thinking. These two young people truly love each other. Their circumstances may be difficult right now, but as long as they work together, I believe they’ll build a wonderful future sooner or later. Don’t you agree?”
The male Fiend said nothing.
“Why am I so confused? What does their marriage have to do with me? I came out for a meal, and this lunatic ran up and started calling me Dad. What is going on? Is this some new kind of scam? Your methods are ruthless!”
“Hmph. Who knows where you picked up a son?” the Female Fiend beside him said acidly.
“Hm? What’s the story here?” Liu Ye asked, turning his head.
“She must be the stepmother!” the Driver immediately declared.
“Uh, that’s right. You know how men get when they grow older. They all want someone younger. He mentioned finding me a stepmother a while ago, so this must be her. He earns money but won’t spend any on me. He left me without a home, struggling all alone-yo!”
Xiaoshuai silently gave himself a thumbs-up. Fortunately, he had watched hundreds of melodramatic television shows for work. Otherwise, he would never have been able to handle this situation.
Liu Ye fell silent.
“Little sister, didn’t I tell you this man was no good? You’ll have endless trouble with your mother-in-law after you marry him.”
Xiaoqian had nothing to say.
Neither did Xiaoshuai.