"That's good. Pregnancy is the most grueling experience. Back when I was pregnant with Wanwan, I was worn down to nothing by the end. I was throwing up in my first month..." As she said this, Shen Jing placed her hand over her daughter's. Smiling, she segued, "This is my daughter, Wanwan. The two of you probably haven't seen each other in a while." Shen Jing secretly pinched the back of daughter's hand.

Cheng Wan felt ashamed with how her mother was blatantly fawning her cousin. Her cheeks were flushed, and she kept her gaze lowered. She quietly greeted, "Hi Ye Zhen, Hi Ye Qing."

Ye Qing glanced at her and lighted nodded. She wasn't interested in talking to her.

In Cheng Wan's memory, Ye Zhen had always been a reticent girl and wasn't good at interacting with others. During past Lunar New Years, everyone would overlook her at family gatherings. Compared to Ye Qing, who was self-confident and relaxed in front of her relatives, Ye Zhen had been cautious. Her presence at family gatherings had been nonexistent.

Ye Zhen glanced at the thin-skinned girl and praised, "Wanwan is getting prettier and prettier. Has she graduated yet?"

"She's a senior in college and doing her internship right now. She'll be graduating next year and getting her diploma then." After getting to this topic, Shen Jing sighed. "I'm so worried for her. She's applied to so many jobs, but she didn't get a response to any of them. Right now, she's making do by being an intern at your dad's company, but you know how your dad's company hasn't been doing well lately. There's been constant talks of layoffs. Under the circumstances, I would feel embarrassed if your dad gave Wanwan a job offer after her graduation..."

As Shen Jing was saying this, she kept looking at Ye Zhen. Ye Zhen wasn't an obtuse person, she naturally knew what her mom's cousin wanted.

She wanted her to find a backdoor for her daughter.

Hearing these words, Cheng Wan felt too humiliated.

"Mom! I can find my own job!"

Shen Jing glared at her. "Can you get a good job with the diploma that you're going to get? And you still have the nerve to be pig-headed? If you were even half as outstanding as your cousin Ye Zhen, I wouldn't have to worry about you."

"I still don't want a handout!" Cheng Wan looked at Ye Zhen. "Ye Zhen, don't listen to my mom. I can find a job for myself!"

"You infuriating child!" Shen Jing was furious. She was always thinking of how to help her daughter, but her daughter didn't even appreciate it!

Ye Zhen smiled. "Little Aunt, don't be like that. Wanwan seems quite outstanding too. She'll definitely be able to find a good job by herself. You don't need to worry."

"How can I not worry? Everyone says that working at a state-owned enterprise will guarantee stability and public companies offer good salaries and benefits. But, how could a state-owned enterprise want Wanwan? It's even less likely that a public company will want her. Wanwan has submitted so many resumes, but she hasn't gotten any office interviews or even a phone call. I feel so worried that she hasn't even been given a chance."

Shen Jing continued to say, "Zhenzhen ah, don't think poorly of Wanwan because of her college. Wanwan is very capable. She won so many awards during college that there's not enough space in her room to display them all. She's wonderful!"

Ye Zhen nodded, but she didn't say anything. She looked at Cheng Wan, who was sitting there with flushed cheeks and dying of embarrassment.

"Zhenzhen ah, can you talk to your husband about my daughter... The Lu Corporation is the biggest company in this coastal city. If my daughter can enter that company, I won't have to worry about her for the rest of my life!"

Cheng Wan mumbled, "I don't even need you to worry about me right now."

Shen Jing yanked Cheng Wan's sleeve and signaled with her eyes to stop talking.

"Zhenzhen ah, what do you think..."

Before Shen Jing could finish speaking, three middle-aged women came over with their adult children in tow.

The group of people all started talking at once to introduce themselves to Ye Zhen.

"Zhenzhen ah, I'm your second aunt. Your dad's younger brother's wife. I gave you a red envelope last year!" Second aunt pulled forward her son, who was taller than her. "This is my son, Ye Lin. You guys used to love playing together when you were kids. You guys frequently placed house together. Do you remember that?"

"I'm little aunt, your dad's younger sister. Do you remember me? You used to love to cling to little aunt when you were a kid. But over ten years went by in a flash. I've been away at work until now. You probably already forgot me."

"Zhenzhen, I'm your aunt from your mom's side. Let aunty see your belly."

"She's only a month pregnant. What could you possibly see?" Second aunt sat down next to Ye Zhen and intimately held her hand. "Zhenzhen ah, second aunt has been pregnant before. Let me tell you that the first trimester of pregnancy is especially important. After all, the baby hasn't taken form yet. You have to take good care of yourself and the baby."

"With Beichuan around, ZhenZhen will be fine."

"I could tell right away that Beichuan is the doting type. Look at Zhenzhen's clothing and jewelry. He's definitely very thoughtful!"

The three women went on and on. If they weren't complimenting Ye Zhen's clothing, they were guessing the price of her necklace. In short, they envied her for marrying a good man.

"Even back then, I knew that Zhenzhen was a clever and honest child. Heaven surely wouldn't treat her badly, and I was right. She married into a good family. What good fortune."

"And she's pregnant now. Once the child is born, that's when she'll really be enjoying the good life."

"Qingqing ah, do you have a boyfriend? Your younger sister is already married and pregnant. Why isn't anything happening with you? I would have thought you would have gotten married before your younger sister. Who would have thought Zhenzhen would get there before you?

"That's what I used to think too. Qingqing ah, you have to work harder. Is there any young fellow that you like? If you don't, second aunt can introduce you to some guys."

Ye Qing, who had been ignored until now, could only put up an unnatural-looking smile. Her voice sounded bleak when she answered, "Thank you, second aunt. You don't need to worry about me. I have my own plans."

"What do you mean you have your own plans? You're not young anymore! You're at the age when you should be finding a husband. Don't delay and waste your youth. Once all the good men have been taken, it'll be too late for you and you'll be left feeling anxious."

"Yeah, Qingqing, don't have unreasonably high standards. Don't be picky. If you find a guy, just settle if he's good enough. Not everyone can have Zhenzhen's good fortune in marrying a good man."

Ye Qing looked at her relatives and fake smiled.

This time last year, these same relatives had told her to not rush in getting married. They had said with her excellent qualifications, she should take her time in choosing a partner for marriage and not be careless about it. But now, they were laying a pile of praises at Ye Zhen's feet while telling her to not be picky.

Hadn't they only changed their tune because Ye Zhen's husband is Lu Beichuan?

They were just fickle snobs.

If this had happened in the past, Ye Qing would have erupted in anger.

But now, she could only endure