"Don't interrupt, today the son-in-law is visiting, listen to me finish," Mrs. Xia glared at Xia Zhu and snorted.

"When I was too sick to get up, I thought, if anyone can wake me up, let me see my Zhu Girl again, I definitely want to marry her to him. Of course! What I meant was, if the person who wakes me up is between twenty and forty years old, then marry her to him. If he's over forty, then we'll think of another way to thank him."

"Now Ye Hao satisfies these conditions. Besides, Ye Hao is a handsome and talented man with extraordinary manners, and he has a stable job, proving he's not lazy. I don't know how long I can live, so I want to make it clear while I'm healthy enough to remember Zhu Girl." As Mrs. Xia mentioned life and death, tears welled up in Xia Zhu's eyes again.

One could imagine how she endured each day and night when her mother was gravely ill.

"Xia Dong, you are Zhu Girl's older brother. Now I'd like to ask you, if I marry Zhu Girl to Ye Hao, do you have any objections? Of course! Your opinion won't be effective; I just want to see what you think." Mrs. Xia was clearly blocking Xia Dong from saying anything against it.

What could Xia Dong do? He could only nod and say, "Mom, you're in charge, I'll listen to you no matter what."

What Xia Dong said was also a way to remind his mother to remember to leave a share for him when it's time to divide the family inheritance.

"Alright, then I'll take it as your agreement." Mrs. Xia nodded…

Ye Hao felt like he was sitting on needles and pins! This was so damn tormenting, even though Xia Zhu is a beauty, it's really inconvenient for him to date! You want to marry her to me, but how can I be affectionate with your daughter during working hours?

"Late Xia, you're Zhu Girl's second sister. As a woman yourself, how would you assess Ye Hao's character?" Mrs. Xia asked her second daughter, Late Xia.

"Mom, I agree, as long as my sister is happy." At this point, Late Xia showed a compliant girl image, sweeping away the previous acerbic demeanor…

"Old Three…"

"Damn! Do you think it would work if I disagreed? I don't want to be beaten up." Old Three, Xia Xia, hadn't forgotten how Ye Hao knocked them all down effortlessly the other day.

"What are you saying, aren't you just hoping that the brat will die so you can split the inheritance early?" Mrs. Xia glared at Xia Xia harshly.

Xia Xia's neck shrank, his wife's eyes rolled at him, thinking her husband was just too gutless. Just an old, outdated lady, is it really worth it!

"Little Liu, speak…"

"Brother-in-law." Xia Liu was the most straightforward, admiring Ye Hao fervently to the point where if Ye Hao said he could jump from the fourth floor without a scratch, he would believe it without hesitation.

Ye Hao awkwardly froze for a moment, and at this time everyone in Xia Zhu's family turned their gaze towards him.

Xia Zhu also shyly glanced at Ye Hao, internally shouting: Ye Hao, if you don't temporarily agree, then you're not a man. Even if it's an act, play it to the end! Otherwise, what if my mom can't handle the shock? With this in mind, her eyes took on a pleading, melancholy look.

Ye Hao helplessly let out a cheerful "hmm."

That "hmm" made Mrs. Xia smile joyfully, though she was initially a bit anxious that Ye Hao might be at a loss or say, like a woman, that he wasn't ready yet. But unexpectedly, Ye Hao nodded so straightforwardly.

As for Xia Dong and the others, their expressions naturally didn't look good, secretly thinking about how capable this brother-in-law is. If he wants to compete with them for the family inheritance, can they even win against him?

Thinking of this, they all left in a hurry after having a meal, but the three families gathered again downstairs, naturally discussing how to secure more of their mother's inheritance.

Xia Liu, feeling a bit bored after the meal, watched TV. At this time, Ye Hao put down his bowl and walked over, smiling at him: "Little Liu, are you still in school or what?"

"Brother-in-law, I'm already in my twenties, not studying anymore, just worried that I can't find a job recently!" Xia Liu said with some frustration, as all his classmates have found jobs, and some have even earned quite a bit of money, except when he goes anywhere, no one hires him.

The reason for not hiring him is always that he's too short.

"Hehe, what kind of job are you thinking of looking for?" Ye Hao laughed.

"If I could find a more relaxed job, that would be best, but the field I studied isn't in high demand. Big companies need people, but they don't hire outsiders; it's all through recommendations by familiar people," Xia Liu said gloomily.

"Oh? What field did you study?"

"Science."

"Really?" Ye Hao asked again upon hearing this.

"Yes! Does brother-in-law know of any such companies?" Xia Liu thought, given how capable Ye Hao is, he must know a lot of people, so he pinned his hopes on Ye Hao.

"Hehe, I don't mind telling you, I started a research lab myself, and we happen to need talent like yours," Ye Hao said without hiding it.

Anyway, no one can see the significance of his lab right now, and by the time they do, his lab would have already become established.

"What! Brother-in-law, you started a research lab? What do you generally research?" Xia Liu widened his eyes, not knowing how big Ye Hao's lab is, but knowing that Ye Hao had the courage to create his own lab with his ideals surely beyond Xia Liu's comprehension.

"Researching some chemicals, fusion, decomposition, new elements, new materials, lithium alloys—anything worth researching, we research it all."

"Wow! Brother-in-law, I want to follow you. Do you need people for science? I know a bit about lithium alloy, but my specialty is chemistry." Xia Liu looked at Ye Hao with anticipation.

He also has aspirations. He wants to become the new generation of Edison, and although this dream is very distant, if he's given a chance, he'll work diligently.

"I need people, but I don't need lazy ones. Moreover, my laboratory is just starting out, so everything requires hands-on effort." Ye Hao gave Xia Liu a wake-up call first, to prevent him from forgetting himself in the future.

"Brother-in-law, please believe me. I will definitely not be lazy. Besides, since the lab is just starting, I'm one of the pioneers and I must work diligently." Xia Liu's eyes sparkled with excitement as he spoke.

He was determined to make a name for himself in Ye Hao's lab.

"Alright, but my lab is on an island, and it's quite dull and boring there. Are you sure you can handle it?"

"I can! As long as it's research-related, I won't get tired even if I work day and night."

"Alright, then tell Mom!" Ye Hao felt helpless when mentioning Xia Zhu's mother, having unexpectedly gained a wife and a whole family.

If he didn't call her Mom, Mrs. Xia would think Ye Hao disliked her family. If he did call her Mom, he felt rather awkward.

After all, Xia Zhu was his class teacher, and based on their act, there wasn't any real affection involved. It was indeed a bit awkward to call her mom.

The conversation lasted until eleven o'clock. This was when Ye Hao planned to leave, and Xia Zhu escorted him downstairs.

"Ye Hao, thank you." Xia Zhu said, blushing. She abandoned her dignity just to put on a show with Ye Hao so her mother wouldn't be hurt.

She was secretly blaming herself for saying Ye Hao was her boyfriend at the hospital.

"Not much of a real thank you, no sincerity." Ye Hao glanced at Xia Zhu indifferently.

"Hmph! You've taken advantage of me. What more sincerity do you want?" Xia Zhu, brushing off her earlier shyness, glared at Ye Hao and huffed.

"Why don't you say you're taking advantage of me? Your mother gained another son-in-law, who's really taking advantage here..."

"But didn't your mother gain me as a daughter-in-law?"

Ye Hao fell silent at her words.

After a long period, Ye Hao forced a smile and said, "Fine, we're even. Tell your brother to pack his bags tomorrow; I'll arrange for him to work."

Having said this, Ye Hao was ready to leave.

Sensitive Xia Zhu certainly felt a hint of melancholy in Ye Hao's eyes when she mentioned his mother.

She looked at Ye Hao's departing back and chased after him, grabbing his hand. At this moment, she didn't even know why she was making such a move.

Even Ye Hao looked at Xia Zhu, somewhat astonished...

Meanwhile, Mrs. Xia, up on the fourth floor, watched Xia Zhu catch up to Ye Hao and hold his hand. She kept silently urging: "Kiss him, kiss him..."

Such a rare quirky mother.

"Ye Hao, what was that earlier?" Xia Zhu asked, somewhat worriedly.

"Haha, nothing! Didn't you see how tall, mighty, and strong I am?" Ye Hao brushed off his previous melancholy with a smile, though deep down he always had a knot about why his parents abandoned him, and where they are now...

"No, I clearly felt your mood drop when I mentioned your mother." Xia Zhu puckered her lips and insisted that Ye Hao give her an explanation.

"It's my first time realizing you, the class teacher, are so gossipy..." Ye Hao gave her an exasperated look.

"Hmph, didn't you know all women are gossipy? Even if I'm your class teacher now and you don't want to tell me, we're pretending to be a couple, so can't you play along and tell me?" Xia Zhu wanted to hear about the knot in Ye Hao's heart, hoping to help him clear it.

"Other fake couples at least hold hands, hug, and kiss, but you..." Ye Hao wanted to say that she hadn't done anything yet wanted information from him, but before he could finish, Xia Zhu summoned some courage...

"Smooch!"

Ye Hao's face was pecked by Xia Zhu, who stood on tiptoe. Xia Zhu blushed, glared at Ye Hao, and huffed, "Is that enough now?"

Ye Hao's heart raced as he looked at this charming and naive class teacher. He felt an urge to wrap his arms around her, but his reason suppressed the desire, and he shook his head, still not revealing the knot in his heart.

"Let's talk next time. Good night, fake girlfriend." Ye Hao smiled and turned to leave...(To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for recommendations and monthly votes on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

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