The college entrance examination was imminent, and both Xu's father and mother rushed back home today despite being busy.
The two families gathered at Xu Musen's house to have a meal together.
Liu Rushuang and Xu's mother chatted and laughed as they busied themselves in the kitchen.
Their conversation always revolved around Xu Musen and Yao Mingyue, occasionally mentioning the changes in the two of them.
Xu's mother was all smiles.
Because during this period, her son indeed had changed dramatically.
His academic improvement had been rapid; he was no longer so dull-witted. He visited the store every Sunday, and he showed more concern for them as parents.
Especially the little game Xu Musen developed himself, and the promotion of his short videos.
Ever since he shot commercials for several nearby shops, customer flow had surged dramatically, and almost every day, small business owners would come to the store wanting Xu Musen to shoot one for them too.
Although he had not charged any money yet, his mother knew her son well—he was quite crafty now and she was certain he wouldn't suffer any losses.
Liu Rushuang was also aware of this matter.
She was very surprised by the changes in Xu Musen during this time; in many ways, he seemed like a different person.
Moreover, she had an intuition that the relationship between her daughter and Xu Musen had quietly changed.
Emotions can quickly change a boy.
But according to what she currently felt, it seemed her daughter was a bit at a disadvantage...
Her eyes shifted, observing her daughter who was behaving very obediently and helping with serving the dishes, her gaze lingering.
At this moment, Xu Musen had also taken off his jacket under the light.
He finally saw the message An Nuannuan had left for him.
"An Nuannuan, the best friend."
The handwriting exuded a kind of cuteness; Xu Musen couldn't help but smile. How could it feel so much like "humanity's best companion"? Searᴄh the novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Above the handwriting, there was a small dog and cat icon, both sketched simply. A dog and a cat snuggled up together, both looking very happy.
Very childish, but Xu Musen felt warmth in his heart. Indeed, Nuannuan was very thoughtful.
His soft murmur was just heard by Yao Mingyue, who was passing by with a plate.
Yao Mingyue glanced over and through the crack of the room's door, she also saw the school uniform Xu Musen was holding in his hands.
The cat and dog huddled together, and that phrase, the best...
You and he are the best??!!
What about me?
It was me who was with him first!
Yao Mingyue bit her teeth together in an instant; she had already guessed who the other person was.
She clenched the steaming sweet and sour ribs so tightly that her fingers turned white, and it seemed as if a layer of dark mist rose in her eyes.
Her gaze shifted to the colorful sweet and sour ribs in her hand, then back to the school uniform in his hands.
The only crazy thought in her mind right now was to splash the ribs over and smear all those words away!
But at that moment, Xu Musen lifted the school uniform, gazing at the signature Yao Mingyue had left.
"I, Yao Mingyue."
Simple, domineering.
Initially, Xu Musen pretty much liked her bossiness—the big-sister vibe. After all, what man hasn't fantasized about being swept off his feet by a dominant older woman?
But everything in moderation.
A little indulgence boosts mood, too much brings ruin.
If only she had been normal, maybe their ending would have been different...
Xu Musen looked at her handwriting, sighing for a long time.
It was also the hint of regret and complexity that flitted across his face that caused Yao Mingyue to stop in her tracks.
That's how a sickly sweetheart is—hard to fully satisfy, yet easy to appease.
She clenched her teeth tightly, the sweet and sour ribs still radiating warmth in her hand, and she slowly turned around.
Xu Musen's body would be hers in the future, and she would not allow him to be burned...
It was just an article of clothing. Yao Mingyue narrowed her eyes, for she would gain much more!
...
Dinner time.
Xu Musen kept feeling that Yao Mingyue was looking at him with a cold gaze, wondering how he had offended her again.
"We haven't eaten together in so long; Yunxia's cooking is still the best. I see Xiaoyue has put on weight staying at your place over the past month," Liu Rushuang chatted amiably, praising.
Xu's mother was also smiling happily, "Hardly, they're just some home-cooked dishes. As long as Ming Yue likes to eat them, that's good. Now, Ming Yue comes over to help me every Sunday; the child is becoming more and more endearing."
"Xiaosen is also really good. Look, he's become more handsome recently, and his studies have improved too. It seems they should spend more time together for mutual learning and quicker progress."
"Haha, after all, they've grown up together, they naturally understand each other well."
"Yes, in the future, they should always help each other out..."
The parents' conversation kept hinting at something.
Listened to this, Yao Mingyue's face grew increasingly red.
Xu Musen quietly focused on eating his meal.
It is only with financial independence that one can talk about personal freedom.
The road to escape from the easy life of a kept man is long and arduous...
After finishing the meal.
The two families chatted for a while, encouraging the kids before heading off to rest.
Yao Mingyue and her mother returned to their villa.
Yao Mingyue headed to the bathroom for a shower—the villa's bathroom naturally had a soaking tub and a steam room, and it was exceptionally spacious.
Yao Mingyue now changed out of her clothes, looking at herself in the mirror. Her body proportions were almost perfect.
Where there should be curves, she didn't skimp, and where she should be slim, there wasn't an ounce of extra fat.
She stepped into the tub, letting the warm water envelop her.
Suddenly, she remembered the scene in the car when she fell into Xu Musen's arms, that feeling of being tightly embraced... it was truly addictive.
And his instinctive action of holding her tight as if he had hugged her countless times before.
She could feel, at the very least on a physical level, that he definitely liked her.
But why did it always seem like he was avoiding something...
As she was lost in her thoughts, the bathroom door opened.
"Ming Yue, Mommy's coming in."
Liu Rushuang was now wrapped in a bath towel and slowly walked into the bathroom. Her equally tall figure appeared just as supple as a young girl's under the bathroom steam.
Moreover, she was like a blossoming flower of wealth, fully exuding the charm and elegance of a woman.
"Mom, I'm about to take a bath..."
"So am I. We haven't bathed together in so long, you wouldn't scorn your mother, would you?"
Liu Rushuang feigned an injured expression, but her steps towards the tub were light and brisk.
Yao Mingyue looked at her mother's unfairly good figure, then down at herself... Was this the difference between excellence and perfection?
Liu Rushuang also slowly entered the water, letting out a pleased sound.
"Home is still the best place, huh~
Xiaoyue, how have things been with Xiaosen lately?"
"What do you mean how? It's still the same."
Yao Mingyue turned her head away, but her gaze remained fixed on her mother.
It's floating...
"Heehee, you can't fool your mother. You did it on purpose, staying in his arms in the car, didn't you?" Liu Rushuang propped her chin, her mature and elegant voice paired with her frank words causing Yao Mingyue's face to redden significantly.
"I did not..."
"Is that so? You were as red-faced then as you are now, yet still so stubborn."
Liu Rushuang laughed heartily, poking her daughter's cheek.
Yao Mingyue snorted and turned her head away.
Then Liu Rushuang spoke again, "You've always been too cautious since you were little, especially after that incident, and your personality became too twisted. You want to obtain, yet fear losing.
But you have to understand, if you don't express yourself clearly, no one will wait for you forever."
Yao Mingyue listened, clenching her small fists, "Why should he not wait for me, when he was the one who promised me before!"
Liu Rushuang shook her head with a smile, "But you also need to know that people are like flowers. Too little water and they'll wilt, too much and they'll drown. Moderation is best."
As she spoke, she watched her daughter's furrowed brow and laughed softly.
"Actually, I feel Xiaosen still has you in his heart. The first step to getting someone is to leave a deep impression on them, whether good or bad.
It's like planting a seedling. But if you don't tend to it by watering and fertilizing, it might just get eaten up by some other little bug."
Yao Mingyue pondered this, imagining a plump little worm in her mind...
Liu Rushuang stretched her waist, leaning comfortably against the edge of the tub, her long legs causing ripples in the warm water.
"In short, while being mindful of the right measure, you also need to learn to take some initiative. Musen grew up in front of me too. You're both about to go to college, and it's normal to want to date. I'm not worried."
Liu Rushuang looked at her daughter—nowadays, the family wasn't short on money, what they lacked was someone who could provide her daughter with a sense of security.
Many thoughts flickered through Yao Mingyue's eyes.
However, Liu Rushuang couldn't imagine just how stubborn her own daughter's heart had become.
She truly wanted her daughter to be with the person she liked.
A little scheming in love is normal—who doesn't use some tricks when courting someone?
But the healthy advice Liu Rushuang served up, Yao Mingyue always managed to turn it into a weird line of thought.
Her eyes gradually became determined.
She nodded silently and then suddenly glanced at her mother's bath towel floating on the water's surface...
"Mom."
"Hmm?"
"I wanted to ask if it's always been like this for you..."
Liu Rushuang was momentarily startled.
Silly girl, I advised you to win his heart, not his body!