“Should we take a basket?” Hua’s mother pushed open the door and consulted with Hua’s father in the courtyard, lifting her eyes to see a strange young man in the yard. She was stunned for a moment before she noticed her own daughter standing behind the young man.
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
During those silent seconds, everyone’s mind was racing.
Shen Mo even began to contemplate life.
This…
Hua Jie finally realized that it was up to her to break the awkward silence, promptly shouldering the responsibility:
“Shen Mo, these are my mom and dad.”
“Hello uncle, hello auntie~” Although polite in speech, his mind was cursing her: As if I didn’t know these two were your parents! The real question is, why are they even home!!!
“…” Hua’s father remained silent, sizing up the young man with an unfriendly gaze.
“Ah…” Hua’s mother chuckled:
“Is he your classmate, Hua Jie?”
“Mom!” Hua Jie, very excitedly, formally introduced Shen Mo:
“This is Shen Mo, my deskmate!”
“He’s not just any classmate!”
Shen Mo is a male classmate with a story!
“…” Hua’s father continued to scrutinize the boy who had suddenly invaded his territory.
“…” Hua’s mother raised her eyebrows, jesting with a smile, “Oh~”
“…” Shen Mo had a bad feeling.
“Shen Mo is an excellent student!”
“Before the teacher even explains it, he already knows it all!”
“He will be the top scorer of the provincial college entrance exam!”
“He’s the best student in the whole city of Jinsong, even the whole province, knows everything, almost more than the teachers.”
“Whenever I don’t understand something in class, he explains it to me, and I can always learn it.”
“Shen Mo is a super top student, the best deskmate in the whole world at helping his classmates.”
After saying this, Hua Jie gave a thumbs up and nodded vigorously at her parents.
“…” Shen Mo twitched his lips.
Was he really that good at studying? Was he really that effective when he helped her with problems? Why did he feel like he could never really teach her anything, and often felt like hitting her?
And why did her expression, tone, and exaggerated content seem so familiar?
This was just like how she had introduced Zhao Qinglou, the top guy from their school, just a moment ago…
“That’s great! Hua Jie is not very sharp, right? You should influence her to study more,” Hua’s mother warmed up several degrees upon hearing how capable this boy was, her enthusiasm now genuinely sincere:
“Is it cold outside? Come in and sit down.”
No wonder Hua Jie has changed so much since the school year started, it turns out she has a good deskmate guiding her studies.
Indeed, one is influenced by one’s companions.
With this thought, Hua’s mother’s gaze towards Shen Mo became even more affectionate.
“No, no…”
Shen Mo nodded awkwardly towards Hua’s mother, trying to keep his tone as gentle and polite as possible.
He rarely interacted with elders, hardly even talking with his own father, so his experience was limited and he felt quite restrained, unsure how to respond.
“I accidentally brought his notebook home, and he came to pick it up,” Hua Jie said while glancing at her father with a pleasing smile on her face.
She was worried that her dad, who usually had a stern and stubborn demeanor, might be too harsh on Shen Mo.
“Bring out the freshly made blueberry juice your mom made to treat your classmate,” Hua’s father finally spoke. Although his tone wasn’t very friendly, his hospitality was evident.
Relieved, Hua Jie hurriedly welcomed Shen Mo into the house, enthusiastically fetching him slippers and pouring him some juice.
The family dog, Huan Huan, who had been overjoyed since the stranger entered, wagged its tail and followed Shen Mo around, nearly tripping him.
Originally, Shen Mo had wanted her to just retrieve his notebook so he could leave right away.
But unexpectedly, Hua Jie’s family was so warm and hospitable, and with Little Potato bustling about with a silly smile, he found it hard to refuse. Without realizing it, he was invited into the house and found himself sitting at the rather spacious dining table in the living room.
Because bungalows aren’t very valuable, Hua Jie’s home wasn’t very small.
The second-hand house was neatly maintained by Hua’s father and mother, as tidy as a new house, and they had already started heating the walls, making it warm and cozy.
Shen Mo took a sip of the blueberry juice with fruit pulp and found it sour, sweet, and rich in flavor, thick and fragrant. He couldn’t help but gulp down several mouthfuls in quick succession, emptying the glass almost instantly.
Hua’s mother, who was tidying up the stove nearby, couldn’t help but laugh when she saw this:
“It tastes good, doesn’t it? Hua Jie’s grandfather was a chef. He was skilled at making drinks, pastries, and various dishes. I learned from him and make these for Hua Jie. She loves these sweet things the most.”
After saying this, Hua’s mother went ahead and poured him another cup.
Shen Mo’s face turned slightly red, feeling somewhat embarrassed by his own greedy appearance, as if he had never experienced such treats before.
Without a mother, and living only with his father, Shen Mo was taken care of by a nanny and had never tasted such drinks before—
This kind of food, homemade and not available for purchase, was something he rarely encountered.
“It’s okay, drink up. If Hua Jie were here, she could easily down four or five glasses in one go,” Hua’s mother noticed his embarrassment and reassured him with a smile.
“Thank you, Auntie,” Shen Mo spoke for the first time in a very subdued tone.
Facing a meticulous and gentle female elder, the rebellious air typical of adolescent boys seemed to fade away.
“Don’t mention it. I’m happy to see someone enjoying it,” Hua’s mother lifted the lid to check on the soup she was simmering and added:
“It’s all made with rock sugar, and the blueberries are wild ones picked by relatives. Drink more, it’s good for your health.”
After saying this, she filled his glass again.
The little dog Huan Huan kept bouncing around at his feet, eagerly trying to jump on him.
Shen Mo reached down and rubbed its head. The dog immediately snuggled up against his face and, with a puff, jumped onto his lap and settled down against his stomach.
“…” Shen Mo sat there, drinking juice, holding an overly enthusiastic dog, and found himself unable to muster the energy to leave.
Reflecting on the situation, he realized this was his first time visiting someone else’s home and the first time he had ever been alone with the parents of a peer. The feeling was like a bride riding in a bridal sedan—new and unnerving.
It was both nerve-wracking and odd.
What should he do next?
When Hua Jie found his homework book and came out of her room, she saw Shen Mo sitting in the living room, looking as if he had been kidnapped, his face tense and body rigid.
She placed the homework book on the table and laughed:
“Huan Huan really likes you, huh? Not only does she not bite you, she even fell asleep on your lap.”
“…” Shen Mo turned his head and glared at her, signaling her to quickly take the dog away and let him leave!
Hua Jie raised her eyebrows, “What’s wrong?”
Shen Mo felt awkward about giving orders in front of her parents and worried that speaking out of turn might make him seem ill-mannered. He hesitated, unsure of what to say.
At that moment, Hua’s mother finished cooking. A dish of sweet and sour pork was placed on the table with a thud, just two fingers away from his juice glass, and the aroma suddenly filled his nostrils.
His gaze immediately locked onto the meat, and his mouth watered uncontrollably, prompting him to swallow hastily.
This action caught the attention of Hua Jie and her mother, who heard him swallowing.
Moreover, his stomach made an inopportune rumbling sound.
Shen Mo felt like he had died a social death, his embarrassment heating his ears, and he averted his gaze, wanting to flee.
Hua’s mother immediately said with a smile:
“Haven’t eaten yet, have you? Where do you live?”
Shen Mo mentioned his address.
“That far? It’ll take you over forty minutes to get back, you must be starving. Don’t leave, stay for lunch. I made plenty today.” After saying this, Hua’s mother turned to pull out another bowl from the cupboard, placing it beside the three others already on the table. Then, grabbing a handful of chopsticks from the holder, she clapped them down on the table.
“…” Shen Mo paused for a moment, then hurriedly said, “No, I’ll eat at home.”
“You rode your bike towing me up the steep hill, do you even have the energy to ride home on an empty stomach? Stay and eat, my mom’s cooking is really good.” Hua Jie arranged the chopsticks in all four directions and turned to fetch a stool, clearly indicating that it was settled that he would stay for lunch.
Shen Mo had never been invited to stay for a meal before; his dad was the kind of person who could stay holed up in his studio for half a year without leaving, always hosting others at their home instead of visiting friends.
Unsure of how to respond to parents inviting him to stay for a meal as he had never seen such situations, he was somewhat bewildered.
Then…
Shen Mo swore he only blanked out for a few seconds, but by the time he came back to his senses, chopsticks, a spoon, and a bowl of rice piled high like a small mountain were already set in front of him.
His face turned even redder.
Since entering the house, he hadn’t even lifted his butt from the seat, nor had he made a token effort to seriously refuse, which surely made him look incredibly thick-skinned.
He had just shown up at someone’s mealtime and then didn’t leave once he was inside.
Ah, ah, ah, ah, Shen Mo, a carefree and wild teenager, was experiencing a mortifying awkwardness for the first time, with no idea how to handle it.
When Hua’s father entered and saw him, Shen Mo felt like his head was about to explode.
Then, he simply gave up on saving face and stopped struggling.
He sat firmly, pretending to be a shameless freeloader.
As long as he wasn’t embarrassed, the embarrassment was on others.
But, when Shen Mo bit into the first piece of sweet and sour pork, all his embarrassment and entanglement vanished.
Hua’s mother really was an excellent cook!
The coating of the sweet and sour pork was crispy on the outside and sticky like gelatin, salty, sweet, and slightly sour, rich in flavor, and very appetizing.
After biting through the crispy outer layer, there was tender lean meat inside.
The texture was perfect!
With his appetite fully aroused, Shen Mo chewed faster, his eyes unconsciously narrowing, showing the primal expression of happiness of a small animal enjoying a delightful meal.
So much for being cool.
Hua Jie, afraid that he might feel awkward, sneakily watched his expression but managed to hold back her laughter.
She had always been confident in her mother’s cooking skills; after all, it was the taste she craved and reminisced about after trying various delicacies.
The little dog Huan Huan, who had been sleeping on Shen Mo’s lap earlier, couldn’t sit still anymore upon smelling the aroma. It tried to climb the table to beg for food but was deterred by a stern look from Hua’s father, only daring to wag its tail meekly and whimper quietly.
Shen Mo sneakily slipped some meat to the dog while Hua’s father wasn’t looking.
Instantly, Huan Huan and he became partners in crime, sharing the same piece of meat, and settled more firmly on his lap.
Initially, Hua Jie worried that he might feel constrained in an unfamiliar environment, but seeing him eat heartily, she was relieved.
It felt satisfying to feed her idol with the delicious food her own mother made.
In her previous life, she could never have imagined that one day she would share a meal with Shen Mo.
And at her home, no less.
How timid had she been in the past? So much so that she was afraid others would notice, and she dared not look at him much, let alone talk to him.