Li Xiao also felt that this was an excellent location to open a Sichuan-Chongqing restaurant, and deep down, he was very satisfied.

Of course, that's on the premise that the rent is indeed cheap. If it's too expensive, I'd be hesitant to take the lease. I just don't have the confidence. Even though I've run restaurants for many years, they were all in my hometown's county. I knew exactly how much the rent was, what the customer traffic was like, and how much money I could make each month. But here in Shenzhen, I've just arrived and I'm a stranger in a strange land. I certainly don't dare take huge risks. After all, I'm not alone. I have a family—a wife and two daughters in university to support. My eldest daughter has a good job and married a good husband, so I don't have to worry about her. But the annual expenses for my two daughters in university are substantial. What would happen if I took a big risk with the restaurant and it failed? It would have a huge impact on their education, so I can't take such a risk. If the rent was only half of the market rate, then I think I could bear it.

"Dad! Rest assured, if I were to deceive anyone, it certainly wouldn't be you! Just settle down and open your Sichuan-Chongqing restaurant here. I'm sure business will be booming," Yi Anguo said.

He had finally gotten Li Sisi's parents on board, but now another problem had arisen. Her parents were going to open a restaurant in Shenzhen and stay for the long term. He couldn't stay separated from his own daughter indefinitely! Even if he didn't live with his daughter, they couldn't avoid seeing each other during the day. Sooner or later, her parents would discover that their wonderful son-in-law already had a daughter.

That night, after battling it out with Li Sisi for three hundred rounds, Yi Anguo lay resting in bed and spoke to her.

"Now that your parents are opening a shop in Shenzhen and planning to stay long-term, when do you plan on telling them that I have a daughter?" he asked. "Also, I still owe the bank a billion yuan. Shouldn't I be honest with them about that too?"

Li Sisi was instantly filled with dread. If I tell them the truth, will my parents still give us their blessing? Will they still agree to me marrying Yi Anguo? But if I don't tell them, they'll be staying in Shenzhen for a long time. They're bound to find out sooner or later, and that will be even more troublesome.

"I'm at my wit's end. I don't even know how to bring it up with them," Li Sisi said, her voice full of despair. "How about we go get our marriage certificate first? Then, once I'm pregnant, I'll explain everything to them. What can they do when I have a big belly?"

Yi Anguo frowned, thinking for a moment before replying, "Getting pregnant isn't something that just happens on command. What if it takes you a year or a year and a half? Would my daughter and I have to sneak around just to see each other?"

"Then what do you suggest?" Li Sisi demanded. "If we tell my parents directly and they firmly oppose us being together, what do we do? Are you just going to leave me?"

"I never said I wanted to leave you, but I can't choose you over my daughter, can I?" Yi Anguo replied helplessly.

If he had to choose one over the other, he would have to part with Li Sisi, no matter how painful. His daughter was still young. Having already lost her mother's love, she could not lose her father's as well.

Yi Anguo got out of bed, rinsed off in the bathroom, and got dressed.

"Are you going out? It's so late, where could you be going?" Li Sisi couldn't help but ask as she watched him put on his clothes.

"I haven't spent any time with Xin Yi for several days. I'm going to check on her," Yi Anguo answered.

Li Sisi was left speechless.

***

After spending so much time with Li Sisi's family, Yi Anguo missed his daughter terribly. Since she was born, the two of them had never been separated for so long.

If Li Sisi can't bring herself to tell her parents, then I'll have to find a way to break the news myself. There's a saying that a short pain is better than a long one. Since we have to face it sooner or later, it's better to confront it now. Knowing the outcome early will allow us to respond and plan sooner. We aren't really married yet, and Li Sisi isn't pregnant. It would be much easier to handle her parents' strong opposition and separate now than if they were to find out later.

To be honest, I'm not keen on getting married. Having already experienced one failed relationship, I don't want to go through a failed marriage. If a relationship fails, you can always start over. But a failed marriage isn't so simple. Especially in my current situation, a divorce would inevitably involve the division of assets, which is the main reason I don't want to marry. A failed marriage is unpleasant enough; having my property divided and taken away would be even more distressing. Therefore, having a woman by my side without getting married is the best option. It's not that I don't like Li Sisi, but people's hearts are fickle. Everything is wonderful when feelings are strong, but once they change, all bets are off.

Take Yi Xinyi's mother, Wang Liping. When we first got together, she treated me very well. Back then, I was still working at the factory. Even when she was pregnant, she would get up at 6:30 in the morning to make me breakfast, constantly fussing over me with care and affection. But after she gave birth, she became a completely different person. She started gambling, refused to care for our child, loved playing mahjong, and slept in all the time, always complaining that I didn't make enough money. If I wanted her to make breakfast, it would be a cold day in hell.

People and times change. A person's heart is the most fickle thing of all. Feelings can disappear in an instant. That's why I'm not willing to gamble on marriage. I'm not penniless anymore. It's not like before, where you could get married and divorced without worrying about splitting assets because there was nothing to split. Now that I have money, I'll never be short of female companionship, even without being married. If I want children, I can have as many as I want. There are plenty of women who would be willing to have my children without a marriage certificate.

As he reached his front door, Yi Anguo reconsidered. It's late. My niece, Fu Huanhuan, has probably put Yi Xinyi to sleep already. It wouldn't be right to disturb her. Even though she's my niece, she's a young woman now, so it would be awkward.

He turned away from the doorstep and headed to Blue Coast Phase Three, where the Hu Jing sisters lived.

Yi Anguo quietly let himself in and went into the master bedroom.

On the bed, Hu Jing was sleeping soundly. Yi Anguo gently climbed into bed and held her from behind, intending to just fall asleep, but he ended up waking her.

"Anguo! You're here!" Hu Jing said with a smile.

"Mhm. I haven't seen you in a few days, and I missed you," Yi Anguo replied, holding her and smiling.

Yi Anguo found himself increasingly fond of Hu Jing. She never vied for anything, nor did she ever ask where he had been or why he hadn't come by in days. She never asked how many women he had, or who was the woman by his side each day. She just waited quietly for him. She would be overjoyed when he arrived, and if he didn't come for a few days, she held no resentment, never competed for his affection, and never showed any jealousy.

I rarely stay the night with her, so she must know there are other women in my life. She must also know there is likely an 'official' one I plan to marry someday. Yet, Hu Jing doesn't seem to care about any of this and never brings it up. That makes me feel very comfortable around her.

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