Chapter 4

As she spoke, Yu Qing’er rushed toward the living room window—clearly intending to jump and commit suicide.

Her acting was incredibly over-the-top, leaving Bai Xiang (her aunt) completely dumbfounded!

Couldn’t she at least try to make the performance believable?

But Bai Yu, who was heartbroken for her daughter, couldn’t tell that Qing’er was putting on an act. She hurried to grab her daughter—who was dramatically moving at a snail’s pace—and cried out, “Baby, don’t do anything silly! It’s just one man—if not this one, there will be another! You’re such a great catch. Why wouldn’t someone want you? You’re a university graduate—a real university graduate! Do you remember how many people praised you when you got into college?”

“You have to believe in yourself. You’re amazing, and you’ll always be your mom and dad’s pride and joy. As long as we’re alive, we’ll never let you suffer. Think about Dad, think about Mom. If you’re gone, how will we go on? Calm down. This is all your aunt’s fault! She’s the one who introduced that kind of man to you—it has nothing to do with you!”

Bai Yu hugged her daughter tightly and glared fiercely at Bai Xiang, who was still frozen in place. “What kind of men are you introducing to your niece?! Bringing in someone who’s only after our family’s wealth? Can’t you find someone reliable? She’s your niece, for goodness’ sake!”

Bai Xiang was stunned. Her sister, who was just about to take her side a moment ago, suddenly flipped?

She explained, “Sis, it’s not like I didn’t want to find someone good for Qing’er. But all the good ones have already been picked! I’m just trying to choose the best from what’s left. Honestly, today’s guy wasn’t that bad.”

Sniffling dramatically, Yu Qing’er said, “Wuwuwu, Mom, don’t blame Auntie. I know someone like me is already hard to match with. I think it’s better if I just stay single.”

“Think about it—my face looks like this now. It’s fine when I’m at home, but if I got married, everyone at the wedding would stare at my face. In the future, my in-laws would stare too. I might even scare the kids in their family.”

“I’d rather just stay home. I’m not mentally ready to be stared at like that all the time.”

Bai Yu held her daughter tightly, heart aching. Her daughter had once had such a beautiful face—being disfigured was a deep wound, even after six months.

“There, there. It’s okay. You’re still young. Your dad and I can afford to support you. Just stay home and focus on your designs. That sketch you did the other day was so pretty! I’ll take it to the garment factory and have the clothes made for the shop. Even if you don’t leave the house, you can still make money. My daughter is amazing—it’s those people who are blind!”

“Mm-hmm,” Yu Qing’er nodded as she wiped her tears.

Bai Xiang: “…” Is my sister truly blind, or just pretending to be? How did that awful acting manage to fool her?

Bai Xiang said, “But Sis, Qing’er can’t stay single forever. Right now, you and your husband are healthy, so it doesn’t matter much. But what about later when you’re older? If she doesn’t know how to take care of you, then what?”

“Even if you’re not thinking about yourselves, think about her future. What happens when you’re both gone? Will she be all alone in the world?”

Bai Yu hesitated. She wasn’t too worried about being taken care of in old age—they had money, and hiring help would be easy.

But after they passed… her daughter would be alone. That was a real concern.

Plus, her daughter was so naïve. What if she got tricked by some bad man?

Yu Qing’er spoke up, “Mom, you and Dad are still young. I’m not in a rush. I’ll take care of you both. If you’re really worried about me being lonely later in life, I can find a companion when I’m older.”

“Look at Auntie Li next door—she lost her husband when she was fifty and still found love again. So Auntie, you can help me slowly look for someone. Just pick the best from the bunch. But don’t lower the standards too much. If the guy doesn’t meet them, I won’t even go meet him. As long as you can marry me off before I turn sixty, that’s fine.”

Before sixty?!

Bai Xiang was shocked. “Qing’er, what kind of standards do you even have? You’re saying ‘before sixty’ like it’s normal?”

Yu Qing’er began listing calmly, “He has to be at least 180 cm tall. I like muscular guys, not skinny and weak. He should look big next to me so I feel petite—even when I wear heels, he shouldn’t feel pressured. He must be very handsome and have a respectable job. The salary doesn’t need to be super high, but his family shouldn’t be poor either. It’s okay if the parents can’t help out, but they shouldn’t be a burden.”

“Oh, and it’d be best if he’s busy with work—hardly comes home—and he can’t have children either, so he won’t mind that I can’t have any.”

Both Bai Yu and Bai Xiang were stunned.

Where on earth are you going to find a man like that?!

At this rate, she wouldn’t get married even after she was dead, let alone before sixty.

Yu Qing’er didn’t care at all. She wasn’t worried about getting married. She looked at Bai Xiang with a pitiful expression. “Auntie, why are you looking at me like that? Are my standards too high? Is it my fault? Should I just lower them and marry some random guy? After all, I’m disfigured and can’t have kids. How dare I have such high expectations… I’m shameless… wuwuwu…”

Bai Xiang: “…” She’s still acting?!

“Baby, don’t cry! Your standards are not high at all!” Bai Yu quickly wiped her daughter’s tears and shot another glare at her sister. “What are you looking at her like that for? Seriously! What’s wrong with those standards? I’m sure someone like that exists. Go back and start searching for a man like that for your niece. She’s only in her twenties—you’ve got 30–40 years to look. Go on, get started!”

Bai Xiang: “…” I’m not even sure I’ll live that long!

After her aunt finally left, Yu Qing’er dropped the act and said pitifully, “Mom, I’ll go rest in my room. My eyes hurt from all the crying—I need to lie down for a bit.”

“Okay, okay, go rest. Don’t do any sketching today—it’ll strain your eyes.”

Back in her room, Yu Qing’er locked the door and entered her space. She grabbed ingredients from the fridge in the villa and quickly cooked herself a bowl of egg noodles.

After eating, she went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror.

Her eyes were red from all the crying. She rubbed her thigh where she had pinched herself—it was sore, and when she lifted her skirt, she saw a red mark.

Still, it was worth it. Her melodramatic outburst had worked—her mom was now completely on her side.

With her mom dealt with, her dad wouldn’t be a problem either.

Now she could enjoy some peace and quiet for a while.

Yu Qing’er thought that would be the end of the matchmaking attempts. But to her surprise, just one week later, her aunt was back again.

This time, she arrived while the family was still eating. Bai Xiang sat down, sipped her drink, and began excitedly, “This time the match is amazing! He’s 190 cm tall, super handsome, a soldier—and he’s already a deputy battalion commander at such a young age! Plus, his job is really busy, so he basically never comes home. Totally fits Qing’er’s requirements!”