Yang Jian had no choice but to compromise when things were put this way. He couldn't bear to give up Lu Yao. If he hadn't been injured this time, the two of them wouldn't have gotten together so easily.
"Yaoyao, I promise you, I won't take the Yu family's project. But you have to convince Mom and Dad to let me marry you."
Before Yang Jian could finish speaking, Lu Yao burst into laughter. "You're shameless. We're not even officially together yet, and you're already calling them Mom and Dad."
"What do you mean not officially together? You're my girlfriend now, and no one can take you away. I'll have to call your parents sooner or later."
"Alright, alright. Since you're being so good, I'll come clean with Mom and Dad when I get back and have them accept you as their son-in-law. I have to go now, I have class tomorrow."
"Didn't you say you took leave? Why are you leaving now?"
"I didn't want to ride in that woman's car earlier. I've already exceeded my two days of leave for the May Day holiday, and I can't take any more. You focus on recovering, and I'll come back next Friday."
As Lu Yao spoke, she moved closer to Yang Jian and kissed him.
It was just a light kiss, and as Yang Jian was lost in the sweetness, Lu Yao quickly pulled away, smiling as she started packing her things.
Feeling annoyed, Yang Jian called Afeng in and asked him to drive Lu Yao back to Xinhe. With the matter of Wu Laizi unresolved, he was worried about her taking the bus back alone.
Lu Yao didn't refuse. She was also afraid of Wu Laizi bothering her, especially after the news of Yang Jian's injury spread. That scumbag would surely stir up trouble again.
Upon returning home in Chengguan, it was almost dinnertime. After a few days apart, Lu Qian noticed his daughter had lost some weight.
"Yaoyao, how is Yang Jian now?"
"His injuries aren't too serious. He'll have his stitches removed tomorrow and should be discharged in about ten days."
Lu Yao spoke while clearing the dining table and helping her mother serve dishes.
"What exactly was he injured doing? Was it another fight with criminal elements?"
"No, he was accidentally injured during a late-night meal. If it were a fight, the police would have arrested him. I've been there for the past few days, and no police officers have approached him."
Chen Lan served them their meals and then asked seriously, "Yaoyao, tell me honestly, are you dating Yang Jian?"
Lu Yao tasted a couple of bites of food. "Yes, I am dating him. Otherwise, why would I go to take care of him?"
Chen Lan put down her chopsticks. "I don't agree. Although Yang Jian is handsome, ambitious, and has good manners, and your father and I both admire him, he doesn't have a formal job and is involved with the underworld. He can't be our son-in-law."
Lu Qian also nodded. "Yaoyao, I really like Yang Jian, but your mother is right. No matter how willful you are, you should marry someone within the system. Not only do we disagree, but your uncle and the others will also object."
"Why would they object?"
"Your brother's involvement in the underworld has already shamed our entire Lu family. If we have another son-in-law from the underworld, do you think they wouldn't object?"
Lu Yao put down her chopsticks and remained silent. Tears suddenly began to stream down her face.
Chen Lan was startled and quickly grabbed two tissues to wipe her daughter's face. "Yaoyao, why are you crying? We're doing this for your own good. Isn't it good to marry a civil servant within the system, ensuring a lifetime of security? Yang Jian is from a rural background with no guaranteed income. We're afraid you'll suffer."
Saying nothing would have been better. The more she spoke, the more upset Lu Yao became. She buried her face in the dining table and sobbed uncontrollably.
Lu Qian and his wife were at a loss, not understanding why their daughter was reacting so strongly.
After a minute, Lu Yao looked up and cried, "Mom, do you know that ever since my brother got into trouble, I've been harassed by thugs working for Old Gui? They either staged accidents or beat up male friends around me. My college senior came to propose, and they beat him up in the street, extorted tens of thousands of yuan from him, and forced him to kneel, threatening him not to contact me again."
Lu Qian and his wife were stunned, looking at their daughter in disbelief.
Chen Lan's hands trembled as she cupped her daughter's face. "Yaoyao, why didn't you tell us about something so serious?"
"Your health isn't good, and I didn't want you to worry. I was targeted three times. The first time, they extorted three thousand yuan from me. The second time, Yang Jian resolved it and beat up those people. The third time, it was my senior who came, and Yang Jian helped again. That senior also broke up with me."
"Is that why you got together with Yang Jian?"
Lu Yao shook her head. "Not at that time. After Yang Jian warned those people, they restrained themselves a bit. But they started having people watch me long-term. Anyone who came into contact with me would be beaten. Several of my colleagues and friends were assaulted, to the point where no man dared to approach me."
Lu Qian slammed the table. "These beasts are lawless! Didn't you call the police?"
"How could I call the police? They weren't directly harassing me; they specifically targeted men around me. Those people are just thugs and ruffians, skirting the law, like sticky candy that won't let go. Ordinary people can't do anything about them."
"So Yang Jian handled it?"
"No. Later, Wei Xia gave me an idea to have Yang Jian pretend to be my boyfriend and make a public appearance in Chengguan. Unexpectedly, those lunatics gathered twenty or thirty people with machetes and chased us. If Yang Jian hadn't been alert and brave enough to escape quickly, we would have been hacked to death."
Chen Lan shivered. "That's terrifying. In broad daylight, don't these people have any regard for the law?"
Lu Qian trembled with anger, but a hint of fear appeared on his face. "Yaoyao, let's leave Chengguan. I'll have your cousin help you find a job in a big city, far away from these scum."
"I'm not going. Mom isn't well, and my brother is in trouble. I won't leave you!"
"But it's not safe here. Yang Jian can't protect you even if he's injured. And since these people dared to chase you, it means they're not afraid of Yang Jian at all."
"I don't care. I believe Yang Jian can protect me. That day, when we were being chased, Yang Jian held off seven or eight attackers by himself to give me time to escape. In that moment, I decided he was the one I wanted to spend my life with. No one can change my mind. I will marry no one but him."
Lu Yao wiped away her tears, her attitude firm.
The couple exchanged glances and fell silent. They knew their daughter too well. Although she was usually obedient and well-behaved, when she became stubborn, she was terrifying. Once she made a decision, even nine bulls couldn't pull her back.
When she was choosing her university major, her family wanted her to pursue a joint bachelor's and master's degree in physics in her cousin's city, with a direct entry into a national laboratory after graduation. But she insisted on attending a normal university, determined to become a teacher. No one could persuade her, and she even threatened to end her life.
This matter couldn't be forced, as it might lead to something shocking. The only solution was to approach Yang Jian and have him voluntarily withdraw, which might then cause her to give up her current choice.