Gu Liancheng first went to his eldest sister’s house to report on the blind date to her and her husband.  

Gu Jiaoxia was pleasantly surprised—at last, she could settle her younger brother’s marriage before her husband’s transfer.  

She nudged her husband. “Tell Old Li to approve Liancheng’s marriage application tomorrow.”  

While Gu Liancheng had been present earlier, Xiao Jianzhou hadn’t voiced his thoughts. “The conditions Liancheng set for those girls during the blind date made it clear he just wants a salaried nanny. And for the sake of fairness, he insists the woman must also bring two kids. My opinion is that we should take Gu Pan and Gu Hui with us and let Liancheng seriously look for a like-minded partner. Marriage is a serious matter—it can’t be treated as a joke.”  

But Gu Jiaoxia disagreed. “Back then, we couldn’t stand each other either. I still remember you saying you’d never lay a finger on me. And yet, who was it who crawled into my bed within three months?”  

Xiao Jianzhou’s face flushed red, and he hurriedly covered his wife’s mouth in alarm. “I was wrong! I’ll go find Old Li right now.”  

“I’ll come with you. The sooner we get this settled, the better. Oh, and there’s something I want to tell you.”  

“You rarely take pleasure in other people’s misfortunes. What’s going on?”  

Gu Jiaoxia couldn’t suppress her smirk. “I was worried that if Liancheng went on blind dates, the An family might gossip about how desperate our family is. But An Xiuqing is bold—she went and arranged her own marriage.”  

“Which family?” Xiao Jianzhou was shocked.  

Gu Jiaoxia let out a scornful laugh. “The youngest son of Ji Fengmei’s family—Dr. Qi, of course.”  

“How is that possible?” Xiao Jianzhou couldn’t believe it. “You and Ji Fengmei have been rivals for over a decade. How could she possibly let her most beloved youngest son marry the girl your brother broke off an engagement with?”  

Gu Jiaoxia didn’t believe it either. She knew Ji Fengmei too well—that woman was capable of anything. “Do you really think Ji Fengmei is arranging a marriage for her youngest son? No. She’s using her youngest son to find a wife for her eldest son—the one with one eye.”  

Xiao Jianzhou felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. “That won’t do. We have to warn them!”  

Gu Jiaoxia abruptly yanked her husband back, furious. “Why must you meddle? Besides, it’s just my speculation. If the An family could call off the wedding with my brother on the day of the ceremony, they can do it a second time. If the groom who comes to fetch the bride isn’t Dr. Qi, they can just cancel the wedding again. But what if I’m wrong? Who would believe us if we went and said this?”  

……  

After Dr. Qi returned home from the blind date, Ji Fengmei, upon learning that it hadn’t gone well, comforted her son. “What a coincidence! An Qihui’s younger sister—the one who broke off her engagement—came and said she’s liked you for a long time. She wanted to ask for my approval before confessing to you. Neither your elder brother nor I mind that she was previously engaged, so we’ve already agreed to your marriage. If you had hit it off with Jiang Zhen, it would’ve been awkward.”  

Qi Junhai was stunned. “Mom, how could you decide without even asking me first?”  

Ji Fengmei chuckled. “I knew you liked Nurse An, so I agreed for you. She’s willing to break off an engagement just to marry you—we can’t let down her devotion.”  

Qi Junhai did like An Xiuqing, but because she had been Gu Liancheng’s fiancée, he had buried those feelings deep in his heart.  

Now, against all odds, he was overjoyed.  

A smirk tugged at Ji Fengmei’s lips. Did that little tramp who broke off an engagement to seduce her son really think she’d get her way? Either she would become her eldest son’s wife—Ji Fengmei wouldn’t lose out—or she’d never dare show her face to her youngest son again!  

……  

“What? You’ve already arranged with the Qi family to marry Qi Junhai? His mother agreed to this?”  

An Qihui couldn’t believe it either. Even if it were true, Ji Fengmei was difficult to get along with—having such a formidable mother-in-law would make life miserable.  

An Qihui pleaded earnestly. “Gu Liancheng has no parents—after marriage, you wouldn’t have to deal with mother-in-law conflicts. His stipend is twice Dr. Qi’s salary. Once you’re running your own household, you’ll realize how important money is!”  

“Elder Sister, what’s the use of money in a marriage without love?”  

Besides, the Qi family had plenty of money. Qi Junhai’s elder brother was likely involved in some unspeakable business—the family had plenty of hidden wealth.  

An Xiuqing still remembered her past life, when Gu Liancheng had died in the line of duty, Dr. Qi had pitied her as a single woman raising Gu Pan and Gu Hui and had helped her in many ways. But later, Dr. Qi had ended up marrying his widowed sister-in-law. He was a man of passion and loyalty. She and Dr. Qi had simply missed their chance back then.

This time, after being reborn, she called off the engagement with Gu Liancheng and regained her single status. With a tentative attitude, she mustered the courage to visit Dr. Qi’s mother, bared her heart, and moved her future mother-in-law, who accepted her.  

An Xiuqing was filled with anticipation for the future and refused to listen to any advice.  

“Elder Sister, I’ve already found a good match. I also hope Gu Liancheng finds happiness—only then will he stop bothering me. Let him be with Jiang Zhen. Just after getting married, she’ll have four children to raise. How could her life ever compare to mine? In the future, she’ll be the one envying me.”  

Since things had come to this, what more was there to say?  

An Qihui said resentfully, “You just refuse to listen. I originally wanted Gu Liancheng to spend his whole life repaying our family’s debt.”  

An Xiuqing was annoyed by her elder sister’s nagging. There were many things her sister didn’t know—like in their past life, their aunt had hired bandits to ambush and kill Jiang Zhen, allowing her elder sister and brother-in-law to live happily ever after.  

These were things her sister would never know.  

This time, Jiang Zhen hadn’t died and was even set up with Gu Liancheng on a blind date. These two were rebuilding a family without any emotional foundation, with four children in tow. One could easily imagine the chaotic, tumultuous life that awaited them.  

She even felt a little pity. “Gu Liancheng’s elder sister is giving him the old family home in Fancheng for the wedding. That house is right next to Dr. Qi’s. After marriage, I really don’t want to be their neighbor. What if Jiang Zhen sees how loving Dr. Qi and I are and regrets her choice, setting her sights on him instead?”  

“Then let her be jealous!”  

An Qihui began making plans for her sister. “Your wedding with Dr. Qi must be grander and more impressive than Jiang Zhen and Gu Liancheng’s.”  

Thinking of the Qi family’s eldest brother and his shadowy business dealings, she knew they had the means to host a lavish wedding. Blushing, she said, “Then Elder Sister, you negotiate for me. I’d be too embarrassed to handle it myself.”  

……