The tightly shut door slowly opened, revealing a grinning figure.
"Um... Mom, Dad, Sister Li Ya, would you believe me if I said I just got here?"
Behind the desk, Li Ya rolled her eyes decisively, crossed her arms, and leaned back in her chair, too lazy to respond.
However, Qin Shuren and Jiang Cuihua, the elderly couple, upon seeing their son, first glanced furtively in Li Ya's direction, then exchanged a look and a nod.
"Damn it, you little brat, you actually remember to come back!"
"I'll beat you to death!!"
Jiang Cuihua exploded first, unleashing a torrent of curses and blows on Qin Chuan as he entered.
"Mom, Mom, I was wrong! I know I was wrong!"
Qin Chuan quickly dodged.
"You dare to dodge? I'll let you dodge! I'll let you dodge!"
Jiang Cuihua grabbed Qin Chuan's clothes and unleashed a flurry of punches.
"Look at the trouble you've caused, do you have any conscience? How has Li Ya treated you? Do we need to tell you anything?"
"You think you're so capable, then stay away from this home forever! Your father and I will pretend we never had a son like you!"
However, as she acted, Jiang Cuihua got caught up in the moment, and large teardrops rolled down her cheeks.
Her youngest son, with his business growing larger, came home less and less often, and they could rarely see him when they wanted to.
"Mom! Mom, don't cry!"
"It's my fault, all my fault. Please don't cry, okay?"
Qin Chuan, who had been grinning moments before, was now genuinely flustered. He rushed to wipe his mother's tears, but her tears only flowed more profusely.
"You scoundrel, look at the mess you've made! You've made your mother cry the moment you arrived! I'll beat you to death!"
Just then, a roar echoed through the office. Qin Shuren suddenly unbuckled his belt and strode towards Qin Chuan.
The expression on his face was anything but fake; he truly seemed to have the impulse of a righteous father disowning his son, his heart filled with fury.
Qin Chuan was so scared he forgot to comfort his mother. His feet seemed to have springs, and with a whoosh, he shot out, then began circling the entire office.
He had no choice. The feeling of being whipped by a belt was a lifelong nightmare. He had endured it countless times as a child, and even now, the sight of it made him tremble.
The father chased, the son ran, and the once quiet office descended into chaos.
In the end, Qin Chuan had a slight edge. Relying on his youth and strength, Qin Shuren couldn't keep up and ended up breathless.
Qin Chuan had somehow positioned himself behind Li Ya's office chair, while Qin Shuren, gripping his belt, leaned on his knees, panting, and grumbled, "You little bastard, if you're so brave, why are you running!"
"Only a fool wouldn't run. I still remember you whipping me with your belt as a kid!"
"And the willow branches, the broom!"
Qin Chuan shouted.
Watching the father and son glaring at each other, though she knew this father-son performance might be a bit of a ploy, Li Ya couldn't help but smile.
She never imagined that someone like Qin Chuan had such memorable childhood experiences.
"Don't you know why I beat you, you little brat?"
Qin Shuren yelled.
"Apologize to Li Ya immediately! Do you hear me?"
Qin Chuan responded decisively. He walked up to Li Ya, bowed, and said, "Sister, I'm sorry! This is all my fault!"
From her boss chair, Li Ya's expression was cool. Seeing this, she said indifferently, "You already apologized this morning."
Just as Qin Chuan was about to speak, Jiang Cuihua hurried over, saying anxiously, "Qin Chuan, I'm telling you, you need to give everyone a clear answer right here and now."
"You can only choose one of the two, who do you want?"
At her words, the office fell silent. Qin Chuan froze.
On the boss chair, a hint of nervousness flickered in Li Ya's usually calm eyes, her hands unconsciously gripping the hem of her clothes.
Qin Chuan remained silent, saying nothing.
As the seconds ticked by, seeing her son's silence and Li Ya's increasingly grim expression, Jiang Cuihua urged, "You scoundrel, say something!"
"Uncle, Aunt, I just remembered I have a lot of work to do. You guys go ahead!"
Li Ya stood up and walked briskly towards the door.
As Li Ya reached for the doorknob, Qin Chuan finally shouted, "Yang Zimo and I have already broken up!"
Li Ya's hand, which was on the doorknob, froze. Qin Shuren and Jiang Cuihua stared blankly for a moment before their faces lit up with excitement.
They hurried to Li Ya's side, saying happily, "Xiao Ya, did you hear that? Qin Chuan has chosen you!"
"That's right, Xiao Ya! This brat has finally brought us some honor!"
"Let's not be angry anymore, alright?"
Li Ya slowly turned around, her exquisite face already tear-streaked.
"What you just... said, is it true?"
Qin Chuan nodded. "It's true, we've already broken up!"
In such an environment and atmosphere, no one carefully considered the true meaning of "separated" versus "broken up."
A breakup meant a true end to their relationship, while separation did not necessarily imply a breakup.
The scoundrel hadn't exactly lied; he was indeed in a state of separation from Yang Zimo at the moment.
Li Ya forcefully wiped away her tears. Just as everyone was about to relax, Li Ya opened the door and quickly left.
This turn of events left Qin Shuren and Jiang Cuihua utterly bewildered.
"Dad, Mom, you guys go back first. I'm here," Qin Chuan said.
The elderly couple looked uneasy. Jiang Cuihua asked, "Xiao Chuan, has Li Ya forgiven you or not?"
Qin Chuan chuckled. "Mom, Li Ya is also a proud person, stubborn at heart. Think about it, I made such a big mistake, how could she forgive me so easily?"
"It will take time."
Qin Shuren suddenly understood and nodded. "That's true. After you and your mom argue, she'll still put on a sour face and ignore me for days, even after I apologize."
*Slap!!*
A slap landed on his shoulder. Jiang Cuihua said indignantly, "You old fool, what are you talking about?"
"Let's go, we're leaving!"
"As our son said, let's leave it to time..."
Before leaving, Qin Shuren warned, "You brat, your mother and I swallowed our pride to come here today. Your mother almost knelt down to Li Ya."
"Since you've decided to cut ties with the other side, from now on, focus on Li Ya alone. If you dare to cause any more trouble, I'll really beat you to death!"
Qin Chuan bowed and smiled obsequiously. After seeing his parents out, he returned to the office, lit a cigarette, and quietly smoked.
On the way back, Qin Shuren was driving, and Jiang Cuihua sat in the passenger seat.
The Qin family was living better now, and Qin Shuren had gotten his license and his own car.
"Husband, why do I still feel so uneasy?" Jiang Cuihua said.
"Even though our son has made his stance clear and is prepared to choose Li Ya..."
"Heh, don't you know your own son? How could that brat so easily cut ties with Yang Zimo?" Qin Shuren scoffed.
"If their relationship were that easy to end, we wouldn't be in this mess today!"
Jiang Cuihua exclaimed in surprise, "Are you saying that rascal is still thinking of having his cake and eating it too?"
"Nonsense, what man wouldn't want that!"
Qin Shuren said, "Besides, Teacher Yang is so beautiful. Don't you want to have her as your daughter-in-law?"
"Or, don't you want to hold more grandchildren?"
Mentioning Teacher Yang, Yang Zimo, Jiang Cuihua's mind involuntarily conjured the image of that elegant, beautiful, and exceptionally attractive girl, failing to notice Qin's mistake.
Honestly, having her son choose Li Ya and give up Yang Zimo left her with a sense of emptiness.
Although they hadn't interacted much with Yang Zimo, she was a polite, considerate, and good girl, not to mention her beauty.
If her son could have the best of both worlds, she would probably be dreaming and smiling.
But was such a preposterous scenario possible? Was it realistic?!