Chapter 2346

Chapter 2346: Chapter 2346

Even though Ruan Jie repeatedly assured her before coming that his family wouldn’t mind, Xia Qia’s face remained calm after she spoke, but in truth, she felt quite nervous inside.

Ruan Jie was different from the partners she dated before. Previously, she chose to compromise to ease her mother’s worries, and if the other party couldn’t accept her, she could walk away gracefully.

But Ruan Jie was her own choice, and she couldn’t bear to let him go.

Xia Qia often ran karaoke bars, mingling in complex environments, so she naturally knew how to read people. While speaking, she kept observing the Ruan family’s attitudes and expressions.

And the Ruan family, being shrewd themselves, naturally understood the implications of her words.

Shu Jiao, in a sense, was quite similar to her. After Ruan Jiaojiao graduated high school, she stopped teaching and started working at the Ruan Family hotel, so she didn’t see anything wrong with a woman running things outside.

Meanwhile, Ruan Jianguo had the look of someone whose family pig finally found a cabbage, feeling that it wasn’t easy.

In Xia Qia’s mind, the hardest previous generation to deal with might have been the Ruanlin Family, yet they shattered her perception of a grandma figure.

Because in her previous partner’s family, it was always the grandmother criticizing women, but Ruanlin Family was completely different. Instead, after hearing her out, she pulled her hand with genuine sympathy and said, "Such a sensible child; you must have had a hard time being alone all these years."

Xia Qia looked up at her, seeing the genuine compassion in her eyes, impossible to fake, and her heart, usually feeling tough, felt as if something had stung it.

Her nose tingled, and before she realized it, her eyes turned red.

She lowered her head, and tears fell onto the back of her hand.

After all these years of perseverance, she never thought of herself as suffering, but now she felt an inexplicable grievance upon hearing Ruanlin Family’s words.

"Why is the good child crying? Don’t cry, don’t cry." Ruanlin Family quickly patted the back of her hand. "In the future, if you have time, come to our house often; now we’re family, right? Whatever you like to eat, just tell Grandma, she’ll make it for you."

Xia Qia nodded and smiled.

At this moment, Shu Jiao suddenly spoke up, "Since Miss Xia has been so honest, you probably know our family’s situation well too. You should also know about Ajie’s circumstances. I just have one question for you: are you truly willing? Being with Ajie might mean a future almost like being a widow."

"Mom! I’m not dead yet, how come it’s like being a widow?" Ruan Jie didn’t like hearing that.

Shu Jiao looked up and gave him a cold glance, and Ruan Jie pressed his lips together, not saying anything further because, although harsh, Shu Jiao’s words were indeed the truth.

He had handed the decision to her precisely for this reason.

Once he goes, he would definitely have to sever ties with the family, which could be for a few years, a decade, or even several decades, possibly never being able to return.

Shu Jiao’s words were harsh, yet they also showed responsibility towards Xia Qia.

Moreover, since it was already February, he would be leaving by the end of April at the latest, giving them limited time. In these three months, they had to report their marriage, register it, and have a wedding. There were many tasks and little time, with no chance to delay, which is why Shu Jiao brought this up during an arguably inappropriate first meeting.