As Tang Yuanyuan didn’t think much about it, she answered swiftly, “Mom, is something the matter?”
“It’s nothing; I was just asking since it’s getting quite late. Have you had your dinner? I’m worried about you.”
Drinking a mouthful of soup, she listened to her mother. After swallowing the soup in her mouth, she suddenly noticed that something wasn’t quite right about the mother-daughter conversation they were having right now. Why did Mom ask whether or not I’ll be coming home tonight? Is there a need to ask such a question? Then, she considered the reason why her mother had asked such a question from a different angle. Soon, she figured it out and her ears turned red in an instant. “Mom, how could you?!”
The young lady’s voice became flustered and exasperated with a hint of questioning. Thus, Mrs. Tang knew that her daughter finally understood what she meant previously. She couldn’t help smiling as she said, “What’s wrong with that? You’re of age now. You’re no longer a child, but an adult. Can’t I ask you what you think about it?”
“But…”
The topic had suddenly turned strange and ambiguous. Thus, Tang Yuanyuan’s attitude couldn’t remain as candid as before. Turning her head and glancing at the tightly-shut door guiltily, she saw that Yushi had yet to return. She hurriedly placed the spoon in her hand down, wiped her hands with a napkin, then picked up her phone to turn off the speakerphone.
“Mom, I’m having dinner right now. I’ll return home after dinner.”
“Okay, sure. Take your time to eat. Even if you don’t return home tonight, I won’t fault you for it.”
“Mom!” she angrily and anxiously exclaimed. “Yishu isn’t that kind of person!”
Besides, she had not confirmed what Yuchi Yishu thought of her although he treated her extremely well. Not only did he prepare a coming-of-age present for her, but he also prepared a birthday gift for her. Moreover, it was a necklace of the moon accompanied by seven stars! There was no need to even mention just how much she liked the present.
Mrs. Tang sighed. “I know. I watched you both grow up together. How can I not know what kind of person Yishu is? I’m not worried about him.”
“If that’s the case, then why did you say that…”
“Silly girl; did you think I was worried about him? I’m worried about you!”
Tang Yuanyuan said nothing. What? Mom is worried about me? Don’t tell me she means that I will jump at him?! Instantly, her face flushed redder than before. “Mom!”
“Alright, alright; I won’t tease you anymore. Quickly eat your food like a good girl.” After that, Mrs. Tang ended the call and did not disturb the youngsters again.
Tang Yuanyuan sat there holding her phone. Her face and her ears felt hot. I wonder when Yishu will return from his phone call. If he sees me with my face and ears blushing red when he returns, will he be suspicious of me? She was the type of person where the moment she had something on her mind, her guilty conscience would dial up to the max. Take her current state for example; due to the conversation she had with her mother before, her mind was prone to wild thoughts. At the present moment, a single glance was enough to make her imagination run wild.
Thus, she got up, deciding to go to the restroom to rinse her face and calm down before Yishu returned. Placing her phone down on the table, Tang Yuanyuan got up swiftly and pulled open the door of the private room. The moment she opened the door, she ran into Yuchi Yishu, who was returning. As she was moving at a fast speed, she couldn’t stop in time and knocked right into his chest.
Yuchi Yishu subconsciously reached out and grabbed her shoulders. Then, he said helplessly, “Where are you going in such a reckless state?”
Tang Yuanyuan was wearing a spaghetti-strap dress. When his hands landed on her shoulders, it was direct skin-to-skin contact. His palm was very warm against her skin. “Ah! Yishu, are you done with your phone call?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. Once the young lady was steady on her feet, he withdrew his hand without a trace. “It’s done.”
“Who called you, Yishu?”
He heard the conversation between the young lady and her mother, so he had no intention of replying to her question. However, she had lowered her head as she spoke, and her face and ears were burning red. Looking at her lovely and innocent appearance, he unexpectedly blurted out without thinking, “It was a call from home.”
“From home? Was it Aunty Han?” She lifted her head.
“Yeah.” He gazed directly into the young lady’s eyes and said softly, “She asked us to return home soon.”
She did not say anything in reply and the silence dragged out for a long while. In that time, he managed to catch a glimpse of the young lady’s face turning from pink to a deep red. Then, she lowered her head. Thus, he asked amusedly, “What’s wrong? You don’t want to go home so soon?”
Tang Yuanyuan wasn’t sure whether it was her imagination or not. Why does it feel like Yishu is doing this on purpose? At that thought, she huffily exclaimed, “Yishu, you’re terrible!”
“I’m terrible?” Yuchi Yishu pretended not to know what she was talking about. “How am I terrible? Today is your coming-of-age ceremony. If we stayed out late, I can even bring you out for supper. Why am I terrible?”
She glanced at his eyes and found that his gaze was pure. Moreover, he had on his usual expression, which did not carry a trace of ill will.
Could it be that I’m overthinking it? Am I measuring his corn by my own bushel? What he said seems true anyway. After considering it, she decided that it was true. If not for the phone call she received from her mother, she would not have put so much thought into it. Then, she said nothing more and turned back to return to her seat at the table.
“Weren’t you about to go out just now?” He circled until he stood before her, then pulled out a chair and sat down. “Why aren’t you going anymore?”
“I wasn’t about to go out. I just wanted to see if you were done with your phone call.” After saying that, she realized that she could lie without blushing or even batting an eye now, in front of Yishu no less!
That’s awesome! She praised herself in her heart, then continued eating.
He placed the plate of fish, that he had removed all the bones from, in front of her as he asked, “Are there any other places you want to go to tonight?”
Places I want to go to? She shook her head. “Nope.”
She was rather tired. Although happy, there were still some upsetting things piling up in her heart. So, she wanted to go home and rest after finishing dinner.
He could tell that she wasn’t that enthusiastic about it. Besides, he didn’t even need to guess to know what was making her upset. So, he did not suggest anything else and indifferently said, “Then I’ll send you home after dinner.”
“Okay. Thanks, Yishu.”
Afterward, silence fell upon the private room as they ate their dinner quietly. Then, a sudden clap of thunder boomed across the sky, frightening her.
“It’s thundering.”
She glanced out the window. Coincidentally, lightning flashed across the sky at that moment, which was followed by a burst of heavy rain.
Yuchi Yishu got up and opened the window and the cold wind made its way inside. “The wind is strong, and it’s raining too.”
Tang Yuanyuan made a soft sound of realization. Then, she got up and walked over to the window to look at the heavy rain pouring down outside. The wind was so strong that her hair was flying all over the place. At the same time, the pedestrians on the road were hurrying to find shelter from the rain. “Why did it start raining so suddenly?”
“The weather is unpredictable. It will rain when it wants to. It’s not a big deal.”
