A Very Pleasant Surprise

Surprised? Unexpected?

My girlfriend, whom I've been longing for, has finally arrived.

My girlfriend's dad came too.

Ou Ye, your father escorted you to America, why didn't you tell me beforehand? Has the vastness of the Pacific Ocean created a distance between us?

But upon closer reflection, Ou Ye is, after all, a girl, and her health isn't good. It's only natural that Old Ou would want to come to America with her.

Shen Qi quickly adjusted his demeanor, making himself appear calm and composed.

"Ou Ye, you're here. The plane was on time, no delays." Shen Qi didn't hug Ou Ye, he just smiled and waved.

"Hmm, Shen Qi, have you been waiting long?" Ou Ye was also suppressing her urge to hug her boyfriend.

Old Ou watched coldly and snorted.

"Uncle Ou, hello! You're still so handsome, so stylish, and incredibly manly!" Shen Qi expressed his admiration for Old Ou with enthusiasm and sincerity, and then took the suitcase from Old Ou's hands.

Qi, your survival instinct is too strong. You really didn't need to do that... Ou Ye turned her face away, trying not to laugh out loud.

Having spent over a year alone in the United States, Shen Qi had developed a strong will to survive; otherwise, how could he have survived unharmed until now?

Honestly, I didn't dare to act cool after coming to the United States. I had no choice but to comply with the complicated international situation... Shen Qi showed his most handsome, sunny, sensible, and gentle side in front of Old Ou.

As the saying goes, girlfriends are easy to win over, but fathers-in-law are the hardest to deal with.

A daughter is her father's lover from a past life. If you steal your father-in-law's lover, it's only right that he beats you up.

Suddenly, a woman appeared behind Old Ou.

The woman, with an Asian face and short, neat hair, possessed a touch of heroism in her features, yet also exuded poise and elegance. She curiously sized up Shen Qi and asked in standard Mandarin, sounding like a news anchor, "You're Shen Qi?"

"Yes, yes, hello, hello." Shen Qi glanced at the woman; she seemed to be of a middle age, neither too young nor too old. Should he call her "sister" or "auntie"?

"My surname is Ye, and I am Ou Ye's mother," the woman said with a smile, her attitude towards Shen Qi being fairly friendly.

"This... Hello, Aunt Ye!" Shen Qi was very surprised. Miss Ou had gone abroad to study, and her whole family had come with her.

Shen Qi glanced at Ou Ye, his eyes confirming.

Ou Ye nodded and said to her Mom, "Mom, this is Shen Qi, my boyfriend."

"Wow, Little Yezi, you're amazing! I didn't expect you to be so brave as to admit to your parents that I'm your boyfriend. "Shen Qi really wanted to kiss Ou Ye, but he didn't. Kissing her now would be tantamount to self-destruction. There was no need to rush; Ou Ye would be staying in the US for at least several years.

"Shen Qi, I heard you're pursuing your PhD at Princeton. Such a young man, already doing a PhD, you're incredibly talented and have a bright future." Aunt Ye had a good first impression of Shen Qi and praised him upon meeting him.

Aunt Ye is such a kind person. Her demeanor and conversation are so elegant and classy.

Ou Ye said her Mom took care of the housework at home, but Shen Qi felt that Aunt Ye didn't seem like a full-time housewife.

Shen Qi knew that Ou Ye's father's surname was Ou and her mother's surname was Ye. The name "Ou Ye" was derived from the father's surname plus the mother's surname, which is a common naming method in China.

"My name is Ou Ye. Ou is the Ou in Euler and Ye is the Ye in Fourier." This opening line was created by Ou Ye herself when she was a girl, and it made her seem quite sophisticated.

That's right, Aunt Ye is undoubtedly Ou Ye's biological mother. Such a good aunt is hard to find.

"Hmph." Old Ou snorted again, looking quite displeased.

"Well, Uncle Ou, Aunt Ye, Ou Ye, let's get in the car. Let's take Ou Ye to Columbia University to settle in first, and then I'll treat everyone to a meal to welcome you three back." Shen Qi dragged Ou Ye's suitcase and walked towards the parking lot.

The four of them then got into Shen Qi's used Malibu. Shen Qi was, of course, the driver, responsible for driving the Ou Ye family of three.

Old Ou sat in the passenger seat, scrutinizing Shen Qi up close, while Ou Ye and her mother sat in the back.

Shen Qi started the car and drove towards Columbia University.

After driving for a while, Old Ou said with dissatisfaction, "Your car has cracks in the interior, and the odometer shows over 300,000 kilometers on it. Is it safe to drive such an old car? It's almost at the end of its life cycle, isn't it?"

You're nitpicking! You're nitpicking!

My father-in-law started finding fault as soon as he got in the car!

Would I dare drive a nice car in the US?

I was robbed in New York!

Old Ou, do you think I've never driven a nice car before?

I've driven Mercedes-Benz and Audi before. Just because I'm low-key doesn't mean I'm poor or haven't seen much of the world.

"Uncle Ou, I'm just an international student, still in the early stages of my career. This is a second-hand car, just for getting around. I'm sorry to trouble you, but I hope you'll understand." Shen Qi maintained a polite attitude, trying his best not to argue with Old Ou. It was understandable that his father-in-law would make things difficult for him; it was better to appease him than to create a rift.

"Even used cars are considered new these days, your junk has probably been used five or six times." Old Ou, a car enthusiast himself, was even more blunt. "Can't you drive? Changing lanes without signaling? Stop, I'll drive!"

"Signal! Signal!" Shen Qi executed a cool overtaking maneuver, signaling before swerving back into the middle lane and leaving a brand-new BMW Z4 behind. He had been tense and sulking, and had forgotten to use his turn signal when changing lanes.

That's quite a driving skill; a five-times Malibu forcefully suppressing a brand-new BMW Z4. Old Ou is keeping quiet for now, continuing to observe.

Shen Qi had personally witnessed Old Ou driving Ford Raptor and Lincoln Navigator when picking up and dropping off Ou Ye in China. Even a blind man could guess that Ou Ye's family was not poor.

After coming to America, Old Ou stopped using physical force and switched to peaceful means.

What could Shen Qi do but endure it?

Can parents stay with their children for several years while they study abroad? They only stay for a few days before returning to their home country.

"Shen Qi, drive slowly, there's no rush," Aunt Ye said softly from behind. She added, "When studying abroad, you should save money wherever possible. A car is just a means of transportation. This car suits your current situation perfectly. With proper maintenance, it can still run another 100,000 kilometers."

"Yes, yes, I've had this car serviced more than ten times in less than a year. I pay special attention to vehicle safety and drive slowly, prioritizing safety." Shen Qi reduced his speed and drove smoothly. He loved Aunt Ye so much; Aunt Ye was helping him out of a difficult situation.

As the saying goes, a father-in-law is difficult to deal with, but a mother-in-law dotes on her son-in-law.

With such an understanding and well-educated mother, it's no wonder that Ou Ye has such an outstanding daughter.

If Ou Ye were like Old Ou, her life would be ruined.

"What!" Old Ou suddenly exploded, slamming his hand on the dashboard and yelling, "More than ten maintenance services in less than a year! Shen Qi, pull over right now! We're taking a taxi to Columbia! I haven't had a single comfortable second since I got in the car!"

"We're here! This is Columbia University!" Shen Qi pulled over; they had arrived at their destination, Columbia University right in front of them. Old Ou is being too sensitive. So what if he gets his car serviced ten times a year? Can't we even have a normal conversation now?