Chapter 561: Chapter 561

"It’s the spare key I keep here, just in case."

Despite sensing the dissatisfaction and suspicion in Mrs. Zhen’s tone, Han Mingyue still braced himself to explain. After all, he couldn’t just ignore a question from an elder...

Seeing that Mrs. Zhen stopped talking after listening, Han Mingyue could only whisper softly, "Aunt Cheng, I need to talk to Xiao Yu about something, so I’ll go in first."

"Okay." Mrs. Zhen responded lowly, her expression unreadable.

By the time the door to Zhen Yu’s bedroom had opened and closed again, Mrs. Zhen’s face had instantly fallen!

The Han Family’s pharmacy is so close; could this darn kid be coming to see her daughter every day?!

At sixteen or seventeen, they are not that young anymore! Both of them cooped up in a room every day, if they end up doing something inappropriate, the one who would suffer the consequences is Xiao Yu!

What kind of big brother is Xiao Yan! She definitely has to give him a piece of her mind when he gets back!

Sigh! Being a mother, her worries never end! And yet Xiao Yu still treats her like a stranger, Mrs. Zhen’s heart is filled with bitterness, even more bitter than coptis!

But what can she do? After all, the path she treads is of her own making...

While Mrs. Zhen was lost in her tumultuous thoughts, she managed to coax her younger son. Then immediately she carried him and pushed open the door of Zhen Yan’s bedroom, brazenly placing her younger son on her elder son’s bed.

Turning back and closing the door, Mrs. Zhen whispered, "Hurry up, stop studying for a moment! Come here, I have something to ask you!"

Zhen Yan remained seated, simply turning his head around, "What is it?"

"Who gave the keys to Han Mingyue? Was it you or your sister?" Mrs. Zhen fixed her eyes on her son as she asked this, fearful that he would join his sister in lying to her!

However, Zhen Yan had already learned to keep his composure, and without batting an eye he said, "I gave them! You know how Xiao Yu is always losing things left and right!"

Unable to detect anything from her elder son’s face, Mrs. Zhen still felt uneasy and switched the topic, "Is Han Mingyue sticking around Xiao Yu every single day?! Are you at home when he comes? They—Mingyue is already a young man!"

Considering her mother’s implied concern, Zhen Yan pondered for a moment before replying with less certainty, "I’m usually at home, but there are times when I’m not. I think, Mingyue should be quite decent!?"

Upon hearing that, Mrs. Zhen got riled up!

"What do you mean ’should be’? Decent how? What kind of big brother are you! Do you not remember what you were like in freshman and junior year? How many bedsheets have I had to wash for you!"

Zhen Yan’s face instantly turned a shade of red and black because he was reminded of certain embarrassing past events. After silently reflecting for a moment, he then said, "Mom, Xiao Yu should know what she’s doing, right?"

"What does she know!" Mrs. Zhen’s face turned ashen, "She looks sharp enough, but at such a young age, she’s already been coaxed into early romance! Now I’m afraid to control her, and can’t really do so! Otherwise, do you think I would let her be with Han Mingyue ?! Who knows if it’ll turn out well in the future!"

"You’re a grown man and you don’t understand! Girls at your sister’s age are the easiest to deceive! Plus, is dating like doing business? They are two completely different things!"

After Mrs. Zhen’s incessant chatter for several minutes, Zhen Yan finally couldn’t stand it anymore! Annoyed, he ruffled his slightly overgrown hair and suddenly interrupted, "So what do you suggest we do?!"

"What should we do? I’ll move in to keep an eye on her!" Mrs. Zhen suddenly changed her previous plan and decided to stay until the school reopens, instead of just until the end of her junior year as originally intended. "I’ve already settled things with Aunt Li, telling her she doesn’t need to stay with me after the New Year! Xiao Ci is so much better behaved now, I can take care of her at night all by myself!"

Zhen Yan’s expression contorted momentarily, "We only have two bedrooms here, are you expecting me to sleep on the sofa?"

"If you don’t like it, you can go sleep at my place!"

"It’s not about what I want, the key question is, will my sister agree to it?"

Zhen Yan blurted out his genuine thoughts in a moment of carelessness.

This made Mrs. Zhen immediately cross!

"What’s the problem? After you two start your school term, won’t I also have to move into this room to live? I can’t even move in a couple of days earlier? Is she that heartless?!"

"Er! Mom, calm down!" Realizing he had misspoken, Zhen Yan quickly stood up and approached his mother, "Wait a bit, I’ll speak to Xiao Yu, she will, she’ll definitely agree!"

Mrs. Zhen exhaled heavily through her nose, lamenting with a hint of sadness: "I’m her mother! Do you think I’m keen to cater to her whims? I’m doing this for her own good! If those two don’t know their boundaries and something happens, will she be able to continue her studies? In the future, well... let’s not talk about it anymore!"

Only then did Zhen Yan realize that he had indeed neglected ’managing’ his sister a bit! Although Han Mingyue had grown up with him and his sister, you can know someone’s face but not their heart. Who can really predict the future?!

He still needed to listen to his mother, to intervene while he could!

— New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel※fire.net

On one side, as part of the bride’s family, Mrs. Zhen and Zhen Yan were fretting over Zhen Yu’s romantic affairs.

On the other side, Mrs. Han was also discussing matters with Mr. Han behind their second son’s back.

"Old Han, it’s already New Year’s Eve, and your eldest son is still out and about. What if he ends up becoming a live-in son-in-law? Ha! I wouldn’t agree to that! I’m also looking forward to him bringing home a daughter-in-law!"

Mr. Han, with a glint of amusement in his eyes, chided her gently: "Stop daydreaming about such nonsense! Zhen Yan is quite a figure, standing tall over there! We don’t need a live-in son-in-law!"

"That’s true! Zhen Yan is a responsible young man!" Mrs. Han praised before continuing, "It’s just that he’s too honest and straightforward! I actually prefer someone like Xiao Yu! The nonsense that sworn-brother of yours gets up to, I really can’t bear to see it!"

"Alas! Every family has their own hard-to-read scripture," Mr. Han replied perfunctorily.

Anyway, he knew that nothing could save Zhen Hailong’s image in his wife’s eyes.

"Hard to read? It’s all because Zhen Hailong himself isn’t reading the scripture properly! He’s just messing up two perfectly good kids, leaving them nowhere to turn! Tch! Do you think this year... Xiao Yu and Xiao Yan will go to Cheng Yan’er’s place for the holidays?"

Mr. Han hesitated before responding: "...Not necessarily."

"Then what if we invite the two kids over to our place? Have everyone together, it’ll be lively. Jiaoyang also likes to follow Zhen Yan around! He’s been cooped up studying at home and is getting so restless."

"Alright!" Mr. Han agreed without hesitation, "Go give your eldest son a call! He’s definitely at Xiao Yu’s place."

"I’ll go right now..."