Although the Su family was very satisfied with Fu Zheng, and Fu's mother no longer interfered with their relationship, she was still bothered by the fact that Su Ying was two years older than Fu Zheng.
Of course, this was secondary. What she found most unacceptable was that during a visit to see her son in B City, she saw him being bossed around by Su Ying, which made her feel vaguely uncomfortable.
"Mom, outside, she's my boss, and I'm just completing the work she assigned me," Fu Zheng explained until his lips were almost worn away.
"Alright, let's not talk about work matters for now. What about in private? She still directs you to do things, doesn't she!" To assess Su Ying, Fu's mother had secretly observed her quite a bit.
Several times she saw Fu Zheng following Su Ying with large bags of things, even feeding her, making it seem as if her son was inferior, which infuriated her.
Although her relationship with her son wasn't particularly close, seeing him act so subservient and humble made her heart ache as a mother.
Fu Zheng had heard his mother nag before and didn't know how to persuade her. "Mom... these things that seem humble to you, I do them willingly. Yingying is my girlfriend. What's wrong with me carrying her bag? It's not heavy! Besides, shouldn't you pamper your own wife?"
"This is called romance, understand!"
"I don't see it!" Fu's mother said unhappily, pursing her lips. "I only see you giving, and her enjoying! Such an unequal relationship can't last long!"
"I think the gap between you two is too big, and you're not suitable. Moreover, she's so strong, and you're naturally weak, so you'll definitely be completely dominated..."
"I'm willing!" Fu Zheng retorted, annoyed by the nagging. "I just like women with ambition like her! She gives me a strong sense of security!"
"The girls you introduced were all delicate and expected others to serve them. If I had agreed, that would have been the beginning of misfortune!"
"You think flattering you and obeying your every word means being well-behaved and sensible? The lack of common ground is even more terrifying! Marriage is about mutual affection. Without an emotional foundation, it won't end well."
After Fu Zheng finished speaking, he angrily hung up the phone.
He didn't want to be like his parents, who married for convenience and lived in mutual respect for a lifetime. They seemed harmonious on the surface, but in reality, they had long drifted apart, each pursuing their own interests. Such a marriage was unhealthy.
So what if Su Ying was more capable and came from a better family than him? He loved her for who she was, and she happened to love him too.
This was fate's best arrangement!
Seeing his sulky expression, Su Ying embraced him from behind, resting her arms around his neck. "You shouldn't have gotten angry with your mother..."
After all, she was an elder.
And, first and foremost, she meant well for him.
Fu Zheng squeezed her hand, his tone conveying a hint of helplessness. "I just want to tell them not to interfere in my affairs anymore. I don't want you to be misunderstood... even if that person is my mother!"
"Your intention to fight for me is good, but it's actually unnecessary," Su Ying said, taking a more open-minded approach. She was dating Fu Zheng, not his family, and could completely disregard their feelings.
Relationships are inherently between two people. If you get along, you stay together; if you don't, you break up. That's normal.
But Fu Zheng was likely thinking about more.
He wanted to marry Su Ying, to make her truly his, with legal protection.
She was so outstanding that there were already several blocks of men lining up to pursue her. Thinking about the men who fawned over her whenever he accompanied her to social events made him feel suffocated.
Even though Su Ying didn't accept their individual invitations and didn't display any ambiguous gestures, he always felt a sense of insecurity.
What if one day a man with excellent qualities appeared, and she was attracted to him? Would she think he was too immature and that there was no future for them together?
"Don't overthink it," Su Ying always comforted him like this.
Fu Zheng, however, couldn't help but overthink.
He didn't just want the title of boyfriend; he wanted to be her husband!
"Yingying, let's get married when I save enough money to buy a house, okay? Although with my current ability, I can't give you the best, I'll do everything in my power to give you my all!" Fu Zheng said sheepishly, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Su Ying was stunned.
She hadn't expected him to think so far ahead.
She hadn't considered marriage yet. She only knew that dating felt good at the moment and that the relationship could continue. But if they were to get married, their feelings might change.
Dating is a matter between two people, but marriage is a matter between two families. Given the Su family's attitude towards her, even after marriage, they probably wouldn't get along well. Moreover, she was someone who wouldn't back down, and if things got heated, Fu Zheng would be in a difficult position caught in the middle.
"Although I'm satisfied with the current situation, marriage... isn't it a bit too soon?" Su Ying didn't want to deceive him, so she revealed her true thoughts.
Fu Zheng gave a bitter smile.
He had probably guessed her thoughts.
Su Ying was a woman with unique charm – brave, decisive, strong, and ambitious. All the virtues of a woman were fully displayed in her. Such a woman was destined not to be bound by family.
Fu Zheng felt a pang of sadness.
It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep up with her pace. She was so dazzling, like the sun in the sky, hot and bright, a presence to be admired by all. In contrast, he was just her little assistant, occasionally acting as a driver. In front of outsiders, he was always just a supporting character, easily overlooked.
The two of them, by any measure, didn't seem like a good match.
At that moment, Fu Zheng suddenly felt disheartened and began to doubt himself. Had he made a wrong decision by keeping her by his side in the name of love?
In the future, if she regretted it, would she blame him?
But to give up just like that, he was truly unwilling. "Yingying, I will strive for progress. You can't leave me..."
His sudden display of affection caused Su Ying to feel a hint of pity. "Silly boy! When did I ever say I would leave you..."
She just didn't want to step into the halls of marriage yet.
She loved freedom.
"Give me some more time," Su Ying cooed, stroking his head.
Fu Zheng didn't argue with her. Instead, he obediently hugged her.
However, in his heart, he secretly vowed that he could not continue like this. Perhaps he should make himself stronger as soon as possible. He didn't mind being her assistant, but he wanted to be her support even more.
The next day, upon returning to the company, Fu Zheng, after much deliberation, shared his thoughts with Su Ying.
"Which department do you want to transfer to?" Su Ying was slightly surprised. Fu Zheng had majored in management in college, and keeping him as a mere assistant by her side was truly wasting his talents.
After a moment of hesitation, Su Ying decided to let him go.
She had no intention of holding him back.
If he had aspirations, she would fully support him.
"I want to go to the marketing department," Fu Zheng said, taking a deep breath.