Chapter 1: Dealing with the Outside Woman  

“A plastic surgeon from some private clinic thinks she’s worthy of entering our Zhou family?”  

Zhou’s mother pulled a silk handkerchief from her Hermès Birkin bag, rushed to her son, and yanked him away from the unfamiliar woman. She then wiped his slender fingers with the handkerchief, as if they had been tainted by something filthy.  

Being dragged away and having his hands wiped in public made Zhou Xuyan’s handsome face stiffen with discomfort.  

Song Ziwan’s hands trembled as she clutched her skirt. The disdainful gazes from Zhou’s parents felt like a thorn piercing her chest.  

She and Zhou Xuyan had been secretly dating for seven years, but she never imagined their first meeting with his parents would unfold like this.  

Had she known they would run into Zhou’s family tonight, she wouldn’t have gone out to celebrate their seventh anniversary.  

After their romantic dinner, the two had walked out of the restaurant hand in hand. But before they could even leave the brightly lit hotel lobby, they collided head-on with Zhou’s parents.  

At the elevator entrance of the Ritz-Carlton lobby, the three members of the Zhou family and Song Ziwan stood frozen under the portico, drawing curious glances from passing guests.  

The looks they received made it seem as though she had been caught shamelessly clinging to the Zhou family’s most outstanding son, only to be publicly scolded by his parents.  

“Mom, don’t say things like that,” Zhou Xuyan said, his handsome face filled with embarrassment. He gritted his teeth and cautiously defended his girlfriend, “Ziwan is an exceptional woman with a career she loves.”  

“A career she loves?” Zhou’s mother suddenly laughed, her crimson-painted lips curling into a mocking smile. “You mean tricking desperate men and women into getting cheap plastic surgery at some shady clinic, making a living off turning them into cookie-cutter influencers?”  

Song Ziwan shuddered, catching Zhou’s father’s gaze behind his glasses—cold and assessing, as if she were some bargain-bin item on display.  

She loved her boyfriend deeply, so she swallowed her humiliation and tried to explain.  

“Auntie, I… My job isn’t about tricking patients into unnecessary surgeries. Some patients come to us because they’ve suffered injuries and want to repair scars or imperfections. The pay isn’t bad either—last month, I earned over twenty thousand…”  

“Twenty thousand?” Zhou’s mother shook her head, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Our housekeeper makes more than that in a month. Young women these days, living at the bottom of society yet dreaming of snagging a rich husband to climb the social ladder.”  

Song Ziwan stood there, fragile and defeated.  

No matter how she defended herself, Zhou’s mother effortlessly tore her down with just a few words.  

Song Ziwan knew a little about the Zhou family.  

They were a Red Nobility Family, and Zhou Xuyan’s uncle held a high-ranking position.  

When they first met, Zhou Xuyan had briefly mentioned his background—a Compound Descendant, raised with impeccable revolutionary credentials.  

But even so, did that give them the right to look down on others like this?  

Zhou’s mother seized the opportunity as if she had caught them red-handed, refusing to let go of her son’s “shameless fling.” Her face was full of arrogance as she sneered,  

“Our Xuyan has always been at the top of his class. Now he runs his own trading company, earning millions a year. Do you even know what kind of clients he deals with?”  

Her disdainful gaze scanned Song Ziwan like an X-ray, every word dripping with the Zhou family’s superiority.  

Song Ziwan had faced many hardships in her life, but never before had she endured such humiliation.

“Mom, stop talking. Why are you at the Ritz Hotel so late? Did you arrange to meet some friends here?” Zhou Xuyan suppressed the panic in his heart. It was truly a case of fearing what might come—after seven years of painstakingly hiding his relationship, his parents had stumbled upon it.  

He tugged at his mother’s sleeve, hastily changing the subject.  

Before Zhou’s mother could speak, Zhou’s father, standing beside her, finally lost his patience.  

“Your uncle has come to Shencheng—” Zhou’s father, who had been quietly speaking to the security guard beside him, unexpectedly ran into his son at the hotel. He slowly clasped his hands behind his back, his expression stern. “Are you seeing someone outside?”  

“What kind of girlfriend is this? The kind of women Zhou Xuyan gets involved with outside—our Zhou family will never acknowledge them.”  

Zhou’s mother exuded an air of arrogance, her face devoid of any warmth. She merely cast a fleeting glance at Song Ziwan before averting her gaze and taking her son’s arm. “Xuyan, Uncle Gu’s daughter returned from studying abroad last week. I’ve already arranged a dinner for the two of you.”  

“Your mother is right! The Zhou family has no precedent of marrying into an ordinary household. Zhou Xuyan, clean up this mess outside as soon as possible!” Zhou’s father’s voice was commanding, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.  

“Dad, let’s talk about this at home.” Zhou Xuyan had never dared to defy his parents in his life. He wished he could whisk his girlfriend away from their sight immediately.  

Zhou’s father glanced at the elevator waiting for them, his sharp eyes sweeping over the two of them, though his words were directed at his son. “Since you’re here, don’t leave yet. Come with me to see your uncle.”  

“As for her,” Zhou’s father paused for half a second, his expression darkening, “there’s no need to bring her along.”