If Tang Yi found his hometown poor and looked down on it, Zheng Ze Min would have no recourse.
This was a situation they would eventually face.
Zheng Ze Min couldn't hide it from Tang Yi forever. Taking this opportunity to let Tang Yi see his hometown wasn't a bad idea.
With this thought, Zheng Ze Min said, "Alright, since you’ve said so, it would be too much if I didn't take you back."
On the way back, Zheng Ze Min felt a knot of anxiety in his stomach.
Although Tang Yi had told Mr. Mo that she didn't care about his wealth, his hometown was indeed very backward. Zheng Ze Min genuinely worried that if Tang Yi saw how underdeveloped his hometown was, she would despise him and break up with him.
Tang Yi sensed Zheng Ze Min's inner turmoil. She held his hand, and though she said nothing, her eyes conveyed immense encouragement.
Zheng Ze Min smiled and half-jokingly said, "Yi Yi, once you come home with me and meet my parents, it won't be so easy to break up."
"That's perfect. Then you won't be able to abandon me."
Tang Yi knew what Zheng Ze Min was worried about, so she teased him after he said this.
Soon, the car reached a very dilapidated road.
Tang Yi got out of the car with Zheng Ze Min and observed the surroundings.
Seeing Tang Yi frown, Zheng Ze Min had a bad premonition.
Tang Yi had said she didn't mind his background, but seeing her current reaction, she probably did care after all.
Zheng Ze Min said nothing, but his heart ached.
Perhaps he was destined to be unfit for relationships. He and Tang Yi had finally managed to be together openly, only to face endless difficulties because of his background.
Tang Yi's frown lasted only a moment. She then took Zheng Ze Min's hand and, as if she had seen nothing out of the ordinary, began to ask many questions.
It was clear that Tang Yi wasn't just asking to appease Zheng Ze Min; she was genuinely interested in everything around her.
Watching Tang Yi, who was like a child, Zheng Ze Min's lips curved upwards slightly.
All the way here, Zheng Ze Min had been worried about how Tang Yi would cope if she found his hometown so run-down.
But when Tang Yi excitedly took off her high heels and played barefoot in the mud, Zheng Ze Min realized his worries had been overly anxious.
Holding Tang Yi's hand, Zheng Ze Min, relieved, also worried she might fall. He kept reminding her to be careful. Tang Yi's white dress was soon splattered with mud and became quite dirty.
However, Tang Yi paid no mind to her appearance and continued her carefree ways.
Zheng Ze Min and Tang Yi played and frolicked all the way to the doorstep of his home.
But from a distance, they heard sounds of an argument.
Tang Yi and Zheng Ze Min exchanged a look. Their playful mood vanished, and they hurried back.
At the entrance of the house, they saw Mr. Mo sitting there with an aloof demeanor.
He glared at Zheng Ze Min's mother and scoffed, "I wouldn't have paid attention to your impoverished village. But your son, Zheng Ze Min, took advantage of my inattention and abducted my precious daughter. My actions against your village are a lesson. Tell your son that the woman he shouldn't covet, he shouldn't covet blindly. If he had broken up with my daughter earlier, none of this would have happened."
Although Zheng Ze Min was from this village, he was the pride of the entire community. He was the only university student to have ever come from their village. He had been admitted to a prestigious university with excellent scores as the top scholar in liberal arts. Thus, Zheng Ze Min was not only his parents' pride but also the pride of the whole village.
A few years ago, when the Fu family wanted to develop this land, Zheng Ze Min, fresh out of university, helped his hometown fight the lawsuit for free. He won the case. Subsequently, the government declared the area a protected zone, forbidding any developers from coveting it.
However, they hadn't expected Mr. Mo to return, and to do so because of Zheng Ze Min.
Tang Yi's face was extremely grim. If she hadn't come here with Zheng Ze Min herself, she wouldn't have known that her father would stoop to such actions to break them up.
Tang Yi was furious. However, she glanced at Zheng Ze Min, whose expression was also extremely grim.
Tang Yi felt uneasy and tugged gently at Zheng Ze Min's sleeve. He noticed her and looked at her, but offered no explanation.
Tang Yi was silent for a moment, then said, "I truly didn't know he would come here. His actions only represent himself and have nothing to do with me."
"I know," Zheng Ze Min's voice was faint and cold.
Tang Yi was startled by Zheng Ze Min's reaction; he had never been like this before. She wanted to explain, but the words caught in her throat.
Mr. Mo was Tang Yi's biological father; that was an unchangeable fact. Now, simply because she was dating Zheng Ze Min, her father had shamelessly bullied these simple villagers. Tang Yi could understand Zheng Ze Min's anger. However, she never imagined her father could be so cold-blooded and ruthless.
Tang Yi whispered, "A Min, can you not equate me with him? He is himself, and even if he did these things, I still love you. I don't want to be separated from you."
"We'll see."
This time, Zheng Ze Min did not give Tang Yi a definite answer. He then entered the house with a cold expression. Tang Yi followed him.
Mr. Mo seemed surprised to see Tang Yi there. He had initially planned to bypass Tang Yi and find Zheng Ze Min's parents privately, using all sorts of tactics to pressure them into forcing Zheng Ze Min to break up with Tang Yi. But now, Tang Yi was here. He thought to himself that Zheng Ze Min was a cunning man. He didn't want to separate from Tang Yi but wanted to maintain a high status. He could only use Mr. Mo to create conflict between him and Tang Yi, making Tang Yi misunderstand him. This way, Tang Yi would listen to him, and wouldn't refuse anything he said. With this thought, Mr. Mo's contempt for Zheng Ze Min deepened. A man who only knew how to scheme and use women was truly beneath him.