Chapter 200: Best Friends Meet

After the car entered the Yongzhou Expressway from the Hangzhou Bay Ring Expressway, Qin Yun noticed that Su Huan's expression in the passenger seat had visibly tightened.

The look of nervous uncertainty made him unable to suppress a smile.

Qin Yun couldn't help but grin—he had known Senior Su since the beginning, and she had always been confident, energetic, and upbeat in everything she did; this was the first time he'd seen her so uneasy.

"Hmph, what are you laughing at?" Su Huan shot him a glare, annoyed. "You look awfully pleased with yourself."

"No, I'm not," Qin Yun immediately dropped his smile and shook his head. "You're mistaken—I'm focused on driving."

Su Huan interlaced her fingers, pressed her lips together, and hesitated before saying, "Last time I met your mom, I came as your friend to your wedding. This time, I'm coming as your girlfriend. I just feel… weird about it."

"What girlfriend?" Qin Yun feigned confusion. "Aren't we just meeting offline as best friends? When did you become my girlfriend to meet my mom?"

"…."

If Qin Yun weren't driving, she'd have lunged at him and bitten him.

Qin Yun smiled to reassure her: "How much your mother loves you—you must have noticed from your chats."

She certainly had noticed—moreover, from the start, their goals had aligned: one took the initiative, the other plotted behind the scenes.

But matters were one thing, reality another—when it came time to actually meet, Su Huan still felt uneasy. After all, her status now wasn't ordinary—she was going as Qin Yun's girlfriend.

Yet no matter how nervous she was, the distance kept shrinking.

As the car exited the toll station and entered the East-West Expressway, less than half an hour later, they reached Donghai West Road and spotted the Zhouyu Dormitory.

Just as the car turned left into the residential compound, Qin Yun's vision and ears were suddenly filled with a system prompt.

【Task Posted: Within three days, launch a live stream and hold a vote to let your fans decide the location and content of your next live stream. Minimum participation: five million viewers. Task completed upon reaching threshold.】

Qin Yun glanced at the panel once, then dismissed it.

He knew his original plan was ruined—the system had given him ten possible live stream locations and themes, scattered across the globe, each with a different content type.

The car slowed to a stop in the parking spot. Qin Yun turned to look at Su Huan; she had already regained her gentle composure. Though her eyes still betrayed tension, her control over outward emotion impressed him deeply.

"Is my makeup okay?"

They got out of the car, and Su Huan tugged at his arm.

Qin Yun studied her carefully from head to toe, then replied: "No girl could ever be more beautiful than you. Whoever marries you is blessed by ten lifetimes of good fortune."

"Stop being silly!" She lightly punched his arm, then took a deep breath. "Grab the gifts we bought…"

Before she finished speaking, Su Huan suddenly tensed—a familiar figure appeared at the stairwell ahead.

"Little Su!"

Hu Fen waved, her smile wide and joyful.

"Auntie!"

The dread of meeting in-laws only strikes just before the meeting—once it happens, it's never as bad as imagined.

Qin Yun carried the luggage, watching the two women embrace openly in public, and fell silent. Yet on another level, he felt his mother's genuine joy.

Thinking back to his first marriage, Song Ya and his mother had never been a normal mother-in-law and daughter-in-law—and now, these two weren't normal either.

One was too distant; the other too close.

"Quick, tell me—how did this wood-headed fool suddenly wake up? Did his ancestors finally appear and bless him?"

Qin Yun had barely approached with the bags when he heard this, and his face darkened.

"Mom, enough. Do you really talk about your son like this to his face?"

Hu Fen held Su Huan's hand, glanced at him, and sneered: "Calling him wood-headed is too kind. Thank goodness Little Su didn't give up—if you'd driven her away, I'd break your legs."

Su Huan's eyes sparkled with amusement, her face relaxed and smiling—there was no trace of nervousness left.

"Auntie, let's go inside and talk."

"Yes, yes, let's go home and talk."

Back home, the two women huddled together, whispering quietly. Qin Yun felt like an outsider, as if he were surplus.

"…."

He shook his head, glanced at the kitchen—all the dishes were prepped and ready to cook.

"Mom, shall I start cooking?"

Hu Fen didn't turn around, just waved her hand. "Mm, go ahead. Keep it light."

"Ah… got a daughter-in-law, forgot your son."

Qin Yun sighed loudly, drawing different glares from the two women.

Su Huan blushed slightly; Hu Fen looked speechless.

But neither paid him any attention—they kept talking. Qin Yun could only retreat to the kitchen and get to work.

"Really? That brazen? What did you do?"

Hu Fen's expression turned angry.

"I always knew she wasn't cut out for family life. Thank goodness Xiao Yun woke up and made the right choice."

Su Huan then recounted how she had confronted Song Ya—every word struck straight to Hu Fen's heart.

"You did right," Hu Fen gently patted Su Huan's hand. "Never be kind to people like her—the more you treat them nicely, the more they take it for granted."

"Exactly," Su Huan nodded. "Last time Xiao Yun went to Beijing, those two blocked his door. Auntie, did you know?"

Hu Fen froze. "Xiao Yun never mentioned this. Tell me more."

"It went like this…"

Su Huan repeated word-for-word what Qin Yun had told her, leaving Hu Fen seething.

"I'm furious! That shameless woman—I always wondered why her calls suddenly started coming to me. Turns out she only came crawling back now that Xiao Yun's doing well. The world doesn't work like that."

Having vented together about the ex, the matter was truly closed.

They shifted to discussing Su Huan's family.

"New Year's is in a week. How about letting Xiao Yun come with you to Hebei for New Year's Eve?"

Qin Yun had just finished stir-frying a dish and opened the sliding door when he heard this—he nearly jumped.

"Mom, what are you saying?"

Hu Fen stood up as Qin Yun carried the dishes out.

"Little Su's already come to our home—you have to go to hers. Dating is mutual. Can you just let her come while you stay put?"

Qin Yun turned to Su Huan, who was watching him with a half-smile, as if to say: Now it's your turn to be nervous.

He was speechless: "Mom, going during New Year's isn't really appropriate, is it?"

Hu Fen paused—it did sound odd. But Su Huan disagreed: "It's fine. I've already told my parents about you. They really want to meet you. Of course, if you don't want to go, that's okay too."

She added, soothing Hu Fen: "Auntie, it's fine. Xiao Yun's busy with work. Let him rest at home. No need to come with me to Hebei."

Hu Fen immediately snapped: "If your parents already know, then what are we waiting for? Go. Qin Yun, you hear me?"

Good grief—she wasn't calling him "son" or "Xiao Yun" anymore. Calling him by his full name meant this was final.

"Fine, fine, I'll do as you say."

While Hu Fen went to wash her hands, Qin Yun leaned close to Su Huan's ear: "So when I meet your parents, should I start calling you 'wife'?"

Su Huan's face flushed crimson, and she swatted him.

Qin Yun found it hilarious and let her hit him—he felt nothing anyway.

Watching their affectionate exchange, Hu Fen was deeply satisfied—and grew fonder of Su Huan with every passing moment.

People always compare.

Look at one, then look at this—Su Huan had no flaw that Hu Fen could find.

Good temperament, graceful figure, stunning looks, high emotional intelligence—in every way, she was perfect.

The meal erased Su Huan's last lingering awkwardness. Even washing dishes together in the kitchen, the two women chatted warmly like old friends.

Though she knew Su Huan and her mother often talked, seeing them so harmoniously together still filled Qin Yun with genuine joy—the scene he'd once dreamed of with Song Ya had finally come true.

"Mom, Su Huan, I'm going out for a walk—I'll do a live stream."

"Live stream?" Hu Fen blinked. "What are you streaming now?"

Su Huan also looked at him with curiosity.

Just a regular stream—chatting with fans online. It's been over a month since I last properly interacted in my live room.

"I don't understand. Just come back early."

"Mm, got it."

As Qin Yun left with his phone, Hu Fen suddenly asked: "Little Su, what do you think of Xiao Yun's job?"

Su Huan thought for a moment: "If he were just a friend, I wouldn't care. But now that I'm his girlfriend, I'm afraid. His live stream content is too dangerous."

Hu Fen sighed: "Yes… ever since I watched his rock-climbing stream, I stopped watching altogether. My heart couldn't take it. But it's his job—I can't ask him to quit. So I just pretend I don't know."

Su Huan understood Hu Fen's conflicted feelings—she felt the same.

Logically, Qin Yun already earned enough. Even without those streams, with his fanbase, he could succeed at anything.

But she had been observing, learning.

She knew clearly: Qin Yun didn't do these challenges for work—he did them because he genuinely loved them.

So though she didn't want her future husband constantly risking his life, telling him to stop would mean robbing him of his joy. To take away what someone loves is cruel.

Yet on the other hand, the old saying—"If you walk by the river often, you'll get your feet wet"—constantly warned her: What if one day, something truly happened? Could she bear it?

Su Huan said: "Auntie, since it's his job, we should support him. Even if we can't help, we won't hold him back."

Hearing this, Hu Fen suddenly felt a pang of emotion. She gently hugged Su Huan, voice trembling: "Every time Xiao Yun streams, I don't watch—but I can't work. I'm terrified of receiving a call. If he really gets hurt, I wouldn't want to live."

"But as you said, if we stop him, he may never be happy. At least he's brave, kind, and lucky—he met you, a girl who never left his side."

Su Huan hugged Hu Fen. Though the words were few, the fear behind them was unmistakable.

"Auntie, don't worry. I'll always be by his side. He absolutely won't get hurt."

Hu Fen released her grip, her eyes glistening with tears as she looked at Su Huan: "Mm, then get married soon and give me a big grandson or granddaughter—it's all fine."

"Ah…!"

While her best friend and future daughter-in-law talked, Qin Yun walked along the road outside and arrived at Puxi Park.

Without any warning, he directly started streaming, leaving netizens who received the notification utterly stunned.

"WTF, what's going on with Brother Qin? Streaming again? Don't you take a break?"

"666, Brother Qin is truly dedicated."

"Where is Brother Qin? This doesn't look like some haunted place."

"What the hell is a haunted place."

"2333, haven't interacted with Brother Qin in ages—wait, why are the gifts gone? Did he cancel them?"

Qin Yun watched as the number of viewers in his stream quickly surpassed 100, 00 and smiled: "I just got to Zhoushan today to visit my mom. After dinner, I was bored, so I came online to chat casually with you guys. Since it's just a casual chat, no need for gifts or tips—I earn my keep with my own skills."

"Oh, the iron tree's blooming—for the first time ever."

"Haha, Brother Qin should stream more often instead of only going live when he's surviving in the wilderness."

"666, Brother Qin's attitude is extraordinary."

Comments in the chat refreshed rapidly; Qin Yun sometimes couldn't keep up.

He edited the real-time poll plugin while casually talking.

"Let's just chat casually today—ask anything you want. Oh, I'll put up a poll option on screen soon; if you're interested, click away."