"Ah, so it\'s you, Secretary Shi," she said. "You\'re the one who influenced my son to lower his standard to accept you."

I glanced at Meng Bao, who was speechless when his mother came. Though, I kind of guessed it already. If there was Li Daiyu who interrupted our proposal, that meant Madam Yang must\'ve also been here.

Because Mr. Yang said that Madam Yang preferred Li Daiyu a lot to be her daughter-in-law.

Meng Bao was about to open his mouth, but I hold him and stopped him from speaking any unnecessary stuff. I pushed him to stand behind me, and I politely bowed my head in front of Madam Evelynn Yang.

"Welcome to my humble house, Madam," I said.

"I can see the humbleness, indeed," Madam Evelynn Yang replied with a jab. She looked down at the tea that was prepared for her on the table. "The teacup is also quite humble. I\'m not sure what kind of tea leaves are used in this. I refuse to taste it."

"Madam, that is an organic tea leaf harvested by my parents. We have a small tea farm because this is quite high above the hills, and the temperature is cool enough. We grow our own tea leaves. Please have a taste," I said adequately, "Or maybe Madam doesn\'t like organic tea leaves?"

…

Madam Yang snorted and crossed her arms, refused to touch it. I didn\'t bother with it though, she was well known to be very picky and condescending. I had to cater to all her weird needs many times in the office whenever she came to visit her husband.

Now I met her again but in a completely different situation.

"Secretary Shi, do you know the man standing behind you?" Madam Yang asked.

"I do, Madam," I nodded.

"Then why are you still chasing after him?" Madam Evelynn Yang snorted. "If I were you, I would be embarrassed to chase the moon. It\'s a distant dream, don\'t you think?"

….

"I\'ve never chased anyone, Madam. It is not my will in the first place," I glanced at Meng Bao. I saw that his face was already red with anger. I wanted him to confront his mother, but I didn\'t want him to yell at his mother like this.

She is still the mother who raised Meng Bao, after all. And I\'m someone who believed parents\' blessing is essential to a good, long-lasting marriage.

"Hmph, it seems that my son favors you a lot. Look at him giving me that angry look. He\'s such a good son before, and after knowing you for less than a month, he\'s already brave enough to disobey his mother," Madam Yang said.

"I allowed you to be my husband\'s secretary because I thought that you won\'t be seducing him. But you seduced my son instead."

I smiled and bowed my head politely for the second time, "I believe it has nothing to do with my job, Ma\'am. I worked hard to earn my position, and Mr. Yang Menghuo and I met outside of work."

Madam Yang glared at me, and then she looked at Meng Bao. She chuckled full of contempt and then said, "Mengmeng, my son, do you know who this leftover fixed is? She is the secretary of Yang Group, your dad\'s secretary. She has worked for almost seven years, and this is what she gives to us, what an ungrateful village woman."

I glanced at Meng Bao again. He was stunned for a moment, which I was understandable, of course. I had to hide my identity with a paper bag before because I was scared that Meng Bao was still vengeful against me, who smacked his head and rejected him for a second date.

But after his proposal, I didn\'t find any reason to be scared, simply because Meng Bao and I had a long, unbreakable promise fifteen years ago.

Meng Bao took a deep breath and replied to his mother, "I knew that already. I met her as the Paper Bag secretary. I already knew it was Ying Jie, but she keeps denying and avoiding me. I have no other way but to give up…."

"And you want to marry a secretary like her?" Madam Yang asked. She raised her brows, "You\'re lowering your standard for a mere secretary?!"

"Even if she is just a simple village lady, who herd cows and such, I don\'t care. I want to be with her, Mom," Meng Bao said, full of determination. "I\'ve proposed as well."

Meng Bao grabbed my hand and showed the diamond ring to his mother. My hands trembled as he determinedly showed my hands. I didn\'t know that he could be this brave. I often thought that he was a wimp, even in front of his mother.

Now I really understood how determined Meng Bao was.

Madam Evelynn Yang\'s face turned red with rage. He screamed at Meng Bao, "YANG MENGHUO! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU\'RE SAYING RIGHT NOW?! YOU\'RE GOING TO MARRY A VILLAGE GIRL, A FARM GIRL!"

"And I don\'t care, mom," Meng Bao replied with a steadfast voice.

He looked at me with assuring gaze and continued, "There\'s no stopping me right now."

…

Madam Yang paused for a long time. She was too speechless to speak right now, and the atmosphere was even tenser.

My dad was the first one to speak, "Excuse me, Madam, but they have been in love for so long. It\'s not just a one-day or one-week love. They\'re fated together with the red string of fate—"

"SHUT UP, YOU UNEDUCATED MAN!"

My dad zipped his mouth immediately. My mom looked angry, so I glared at her, stopping her from speaking unnecessary stuff that will lead to an even worse fight.

Meng Bao wanted to fight his mother again, but I immediately took the lead and speak before he said some dangerous words to his mom.

"Madam, as you can see that Mr. Yang Menghuo had proposed to me with a ring. And I have accepted his proposal."

Madam Evelynn Yang chuckled mirthlessly, "There is no way that I will give my blessing to you. My son should have the best of everything, including his wife! I will never give a blessing to a woman like you, a fat, mediocre poor leftover woman!"

"!!"

I gritted my teeth. Somehow, her words jabbed my pride. I might be a leftover woman, not beautiful, and had fat in my waist. But I have pride in myself.

Meng Bao tightened his grip on my hand.

"Remember, Yang Menghuo, I will never give my blessing to you and this woman!" Madam Yang exclaimed.

"I don\'t need your blessing, mom. I\'m not even financially dependent on you. I\'ve told you many times that I will not marry any one of your choices!"

"Just leave now!"

Madam Evelynn Yang was enraged after Meng Bao said that. She got up from the seat and walked straight to Meng Bao.

"YANG MENGHUO, LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER AND RETURN WITH ME RIGHT NOW!"

Meng Bao shook his head, "I will never leave!"

The more I see it, the more I realized that things would go south. I loved Meng Bao, but I didn\'t want this to escalate and turned into a disaster.

I knew that it must\'ve been difficult for Madam Yang to accept because she was the epitome of a high-class lady.

Maybe we could talk with Madam Yang once she calmed down, but I have to stop Meng Bao.

Thus, I braced myself and finally speak,

"Meng Bao, you should follow your mom."

"Wha—Ying Jie?!" Meng Bao darted his eyes on me. He looked disappointed and betrayed, "But I\'m here to stand for you! I will never yield to anyone!"

"I want you to yield now," I said. "I don\'t want you to fight with your mother. And I don\'t want a marriage without your parents\' blessing."

"But—"

"Yang Menghuo, leave now," I repeated, making sure that he listened to me.

…

Meng Bao clenched his fist, then he realized my hand and said, "I yield because you want me to do it, Ying Jie. I don\'t care, even if it\'s my mother. There\'s nobody that will stop me."

…

Meng Bao glared at his mother and turned around. He walked away on his own. He stopped at the door and said, "Ying Jie, I will leave for now. Don\'t try to meet any man while I\'m dealing with this. I will not be so kind."

Meng Bao finally left. Madam Yang glared at me for the last time and gave me a warning, "I will talk to my husband about your job. There\'s no use to keep someone who doesn\'t know how to be grateful. Goodbye, Secretary Shi."

Madam Evelynn Yang left my house with all her entourage. And the situation became quiet once more.

My mom and dad stared at me in silence, and I didn\'t know how to say it to them either. It was too awkward.

"Shi Ying, are you okay?" My dad asked.

"… I\'m not okay, dad."