Chapter 449 - To Be Honest...

Shi Luo pushed open the door and walked inside her apartment. 

The moment she stepped inside, her palm flew to cover her mouth. 

The place was filled with dust since it has been around a year she moved to Beijing and she had not booked any caretakers for the place. 

''Ugh… How I wish I had a robot who would do this for me,'' she inhaled a deep breath and kept her luggage aside. 

Shi Luo tied her long hair in a messy bun before folding the sleeves of her pleated beige shirt. Adjusting her glasses, she looked at the broom lying in the corner. 

After 2 hours. 

''Hah…'' Shi Luo slumped on the couch. 

The place was so messy and it took her a long time to clean it. 

She checked the time on her wristwatch. It was past noon and she had to go to Crystal University to meet Jun Boyan. 

''He will be surprised,'' she sat up on the couch, her heart racing with anticipation. 

'Knock Knock' 

A series of knocks on the door interrupted her thoughts. She frowned. She ordered takeout just now but how did it reach so early? 

Shi Luo pushed herself to her feet and walked towards the main door. She pressed her eye closer to the peephole of the door but her jaws dropped when she saw who was standing outside. 

She opened the door quickly, ''Mom, what are you doing here?'' her eyes widened. She glanced at the woman standing in front of her, ''How did you even know that I am here?" 

''Your driver informed me,'' The woman adjusted the long sleeve of her white dress before glaring at her daughter, ''Or else the way you are going, I won't even know when I have a grandkid. Hmph!'' she pushed Shi Luo aside before walking inside. 

Shi Luo stood rooted to her spot while holding the door. Her mouth opened and closed, unable to utter a single word. 

''Mom,'' she followed the woman once she came back to her senses. You don't even have a son-in-law yet, which grandkid are you talking about?

''What is it?" Shi Luo's mother, Shi Xia flipped her hair as she tilted her head to look at her. 

The corner of her lips twitched. ''Uh… you look pretty,'' Shi Luo tried to ease the tension in the air. 

''Tell me something I don't know,'' a frown graced the woman's face. 

''Mom, are you angry?" Shi Luo walked towards the couch, intending to take a seat right next to her mother, ''Is it because you are in your 40s now? Is that why you are having mood swings?" She did not remember offending her mother lately. 

''Stand there,'' Shi Xia pointed her finger towards the coffee table in front of her. 

''W-What…'' Shi Luo was startled but she quietly did what she was told. 

Her mother was a very kind and quiet person. The people who didn't know her would say that. 

And those who know her will know that she is a stubborn and short-tempered person, understanding, mature and level-headed as well. 

When other kids used to look up to celebrities, Shi Luo and Yu Mei grew up looking up to Shi Xia as an idol. That was because she was exactly the kind of woman they show in anime. Vulnerable and delicate but with a streak of strength ingrained in bones. 

Shi Luo stood like a guilty child even though she had no idea what exactly she had done. 

''You say I am in my 40s?" Shi Xia glanced at her daughter with her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. 

''M-Mom, youth is but an illusion…'' Was she offended because I pointed out her age? Shi Luo cleared her throat, trying to console her, ''As much as you want to stay evergreen, you can't be young forever. Don't be sad,'' She extended her hand, intending to pat the woman's shoulder. 

''Touch me if you want a broken bone,'' Shi Xia said nonchalantly. 

Shi Luo froze. She awkwardly retracted her hand. 

Shi Xia crossed one leg above the other before she raised her head to look at her daughter, ''Is it me or you who looks like she is in her 40s?" 

''W-What?" 

''You don't know how to speak?" Shi Xia crossed her arms in front of her chest, ''Shall I consult a doctor for your stuttering?" 

Shi Luo wanted to cry but she lacked tears, ''Mom, what did I do?" 

''Look at yourself,'' Shi Xia scanned her from head to toe. 

Shi Luo looked at herself before looking back at her mother confusingly. 

''Creases on the shirt, messy hair, lack of basic make-up skills, unnecessary stuttering, tired face… are you sure you aren't hitting your 40s?" 

''Mom, I was cleaning the house…'' Shi Luo pouted slightly. 

''This is your getup for 365 days, not just today. And if we ignore this, I have something else to discuss with you as well.'' 

''What is it?" Who the fuck did she see when she woke up? Why was her day going so bad already?

'I saw my face after waking up,' Shi Luo closed her eyes and cursed her ancestors. Why was life so tough on her?

''I have been asking about the progress in your relationship but you kept dodging the topic. Did you think I won't notice it?" 

Shi Luo sighed helplessly. Her mother was not the kind of person who would accept a single man and a single woman living under the same roof. Especially not when they are not even dating. 

And at that when she saw Jun Boyan at her place, she had no choice but to make an excuse that they were dating. 

Noticing that her daughter did not answer, Shi Xia spoke up once again, ''Luoluo, is everything alright between you and Boyan?" 

Shi Luo noticed the worried look in her eyes and it stirred up the guilt in her heart. She bit her bottom lips before opening her mouth, ''Mom, to be honest, I…''