se, they started to run and play, then plunged into the playground. Although the children had lived with their mothers in a small rental apartment since they were young, they weren't unfamiliar with t...In Zhou Ming's car, for some reason, he suddenly thought of Zhuo Yu'an's words.
"Don't fall in love, Zhou Ming isn't right for you...."
This person is so self-righteous.
"Tinglan, have you been very tired lately For the Tingjing Financial investment projects, just do your best, there's no need to put too much pressure on yourself." Zhou Ming noticed that she had visibly lost weight recently, and her complexion was paler than before.
Shu Tinglan patted her own face and replied, "I haven't been sleeping well recently."
She didn't know what was wrong, but she had been having trouble sleeping lately. She would sleep fitfully every night, waking up almost every two hours. This left her feeling very tired and sluggish during the day.
"You, my dear, are just under too much pressure. What you need to learn most is how to relax."
"Maybe." She knew it wasn't stress, but a sudden fear of the dark. She didn't dare to turn off the lights and go to sleep. As soon as the lights went out, darkness would engulf her, and she always felt like there was someone hiding in some corner of the house, watching her with malicious intent.
Of course, she knew it was an illusion.
She sat in the car for a while, feeling comforted by the presence of someone beside her. She fell asleep on the passenger seat without realizing it, sleeping soundly until Zhou Ming woke her up at his home.
Zhou Ma came downstairs to pick her up, she was very enthusiastic. As soon as they met, she took her arm and went home, leaving Zhou Ming behind.
“Xiaoshu, you’re even prettier than in the pictures.” Zhou Ma genuinely liked Shu Tinglan. She liked her at first glance. She was truly beautiful and had a tranquil temperament without any pretension. She was also polite when greeting people, which made her more than qualified to be her son’s wife.
Shu Tinglan had never been received with such warmth and directness before, which made her a little uncomfortable. Fortunately, after arriving at their home, Zhou Ma went to the kitchen, leaving her with Zhou Ming in the living room.
"Don't mind her, that's just my mom."
"Auntie is great." I truly think so.
After a while, Zhou Ma and Zhou Baba came out of the kitchen, setting up a table full of dishes. At a glance, it looked like a grand banquet, treating her as a distinguished guest.
Zhou Dad is also a nice person, he doesn't talk much. Whatever Zhou Mom says, he just smiles and says "good", "good".
The family gave off a feeling of warmth and approachability, and Shu Tinglan gradually relaxed. She was really enjoying this family atmosphere. Thinking back, since graduating high school and after her father passed away, she rarely had the chance to eat with her elders again. It was a long-lost feeling.
"Xiao Shu, if Zhou Ming bullies you at work, just tell Auntie, and Auntie will teach him a lesson."
"No, Teacher Zhou has always taken good care of us newcomers."
He may seem like a perfect gentleman at work, but the problem lies in his mouth. He doesn't speak kindly in life and always makes jokes to hide himself. Xiaoshu, you should scold him if you need to, don't hold back.
Shu Tinglan is just laughing, her mom's complaint about her son is very accurate.
Zhou Ming smiled, and gave his mother a chopstick of vegetables. He said,
"Mom, give me some face."
"What face do you want to keep"
After chatting for a while, the conversation naturally turned to Shu Tinglan. Zhou Ma also inquired about her family background indirectly.
Shu Tinglan is no longer shy about her past, especially in front of Zhou's mother. Ideally, she wants to dissuade her from any lingering thoughts.
So she told the truth.
My father passed away when I graduated from high school. My mother used to be an accountant for a company in our town. After my father's death, she suffered some emotional distress and now lives in the hospital permanently.
She thought that with her family background, few normal families could accept her. To outsiders, her mother must be a burden, and they might even suspect if her mother's mental illness would be hereditary.
After she finished speaking, there was an awkward silence at the dinner table. She glanced at Zhou Mama and froze.
I saw Zhou Ma's eyes were red, she came over and sat beside her, holding her hand and said:
“Good child, how have you been getting through these years It must have been tough.”
Zhou Ma's sincerity struck Shu Tinglan's heart at its most vulnerable point.
She originally thought that Zhou Ma would stay away from her after hearing about her background. Over the years, no one seemed to have ever asked her if she was tired or not.
"From now on, consider this your home. Come back whenever you want. As for your mother, ask Zhou Ming to visit her more often and find a good caregiver to look after her."
Shu Tinglan's nose ached, she felt so lucky to always meet kind people. Instinctively, she liked Zhou Ma very much.
Originally, coming over for meals was a bit of an obligation due to social pressure. Now, it's suddenly become sincere and something I genuinely look forward to.
After the meal, she rushed to help wash the dishes, but Zhou Ma refused to let her out of the kitchen.
"You don't need to do these things. The kitchen is now full of Zhuoyuan Technology smart products, it's very convenient. Go and watch TV with Zhou Ming."
Shu Tinglan was pushed out of the kitchen by her strength.
Zhou Ming had anticipated this: "There's no way around it, I'm taking a girl home for dinner for the first time, and she's still feeling pretty excited."
Zhou Ming's words are veiled, a different way of expressing his affections.
Since she was already here, Shu Tinglan decided to remain silent.
When it came time to leave, Zhou Ma walked her all the way to her car and repeatedly invited her to come back for dinner. Shu Tinglan was touched by her warmth and nodded without thinking.
From then on, Shu Tinglan's relationship with Zhou Ming became different. She started to have the thought of, maybe they should try dating
Of course, that is limited to ideas.
To be honest, Zhou Ming was perfect in every way. Plus, with Zhou's mother's support, she enjoyed being close to her. However, she also knew that love wasn't just about compatibility; it also required a spark.
I was always just a little bit short of Zhou Ming.
Zhou Ming understood very well and didn't pressure her. He treated her as a superior and a friend, guiding her at work and helping her in life, making her feel secure and comfortable.
Even someone as serious as Director Lian has been subtly trying to bring them together. It's probably because Zhou Ming is now openly pursuing Shu Tinglan, and everyone at the law firm thinks they are a good match. In fact, many people assume that they will end up together sooner or later.
And friend Lin Zhixuan was even more direct: "I told you earlier this week that the teacher has feelings for you. How would you know if he's your true love unless you try"
“Honey, let go of yourself and take a bold step forward. Go for a sweet romance.” Lin Zhihao took a break amidst her busy schedule and earnestly advised, “My life motto is always to be bold, to try, to make mistakes, and only then will you know what you want. Otherwise, thinking about it out of thin air is futile.”
"Wouldn't the cost of trial and error be too high" Shu Tinglan was very cautious.
"You're letting me tell you to try dating You're calculating the costs for me Calculate it yourself! If you're going to calculate, let Mr. Zhou do it. He not only helps you in your career but also provides the warmth of his parents' service. Isn't he the one who's losing out"
"......" Shu Tinglan closed her mouth and said nothing.
After a long silence, Lin Zhifan suddenly asked:
"You still have improper thoughts about Zhu Yuyan, don't you"
If Mr. Zhu doesn't come back soon, our Shushu will really be taken away.thwhile opportunity, especially since Lu Kuo, true to his name, was very generous. He had taken them to a high-end restaurant where each meal cost thousands. They usually only frequented such establis...