Born in the 1980s, she was remarried and became a stepmother; a cold, rough man doted on her, pinchi

Chapter 156 Suspecting Early Romance

In the simple and warm 1990s, Shi Ning and Chen Yu's relationship gradually became closer, and all of this was observed by Jiang Man and Qin Yishen.

At first, they didn't pay much attention to it, taking it as just a pure friendship between children.

However, as time went on, some subtle signs began to cause them some unease.

That day, while Jiang Man was packing Shi Ning's schoolbag, she accidentally found a note that read: "Let's have lunch together at school today. I brought you your favorite red bean buns. —Chen Yu"

Jiang Man frowned slightly, a sense of unease rising in her heart. She didn't make a sound immediately, but quietly put the note back into her schoolbag.

That evening, when Qin Yishen got home from get off work, Jiang Man told him about it.

After listening, Qin Yishen pondered for a moment and said, "I've also noticed recently that Shi Ning always unconsciously mentions Chen Yu when she gets home, saying that he helped her a lot at school."

Jiang Man said worriedly, "This child, could it be that he's in a relationship too early? In our time, early relationships are not a good thing; they can affect his studies."

In order to find out what was going on, Jiang Man and Qin Yishen began to pay closer attention to Shi Ning and Chen Yu's every move.

They discovered that Chen Yu would often come to find Shi Ning after school, and the two would do their homework and chat together, their faces beaming with happy smiles.

Moreover, Shi Ning would carefully collect every small gift she received from Chen Yu, and the way she cherished it only confirmed Jiang Man and Qin Yishen's worries.

Finally, one weekend evening, Jiang Man and Qin Yishen called Shi Ning to the living room. Looking at her parents' serious expressions, Shi Ning felt a vague unease.

"Ning'er, your father and mother have something to say to you."

Jiang Man tried to be as gentle as possible. Shi Ning nodded obediently and sat down on the sofa.

Qin Yishen said, "We've noticed that you and Chen Yu are getting very close. Can you tell us about your relationship?"

Shi Ning's face flushed instantly. She lowered her head and whispered, "We're just good friends. We study and play together."

Jiang Man and Qin Yishen exchanged a glance, and Jiang Man continued, "Ning'er, your father and I know it's normal for people your age to have feelings for the opposite sex. However, you're still in school, and your most important task is studying. Early romance might affect your grades and distract you."

Hearing this, Shi Ning felt a little wronged. She looked up at her parents and said, "Chen Yu and I are really just good friends. We encourage each other and make progress together. Besides, we haven't done anything wrong."

Qin Yishen patiently explained, “We believe in you, Ning’er. However, people around us might not think that way. In our time, puppy love is something people gossip about, and it’s not good for your or Chen Yu’s reputation. Moreover, once you fall in love, it’s easy to lose your rationality and do things you’ll regret.”

Shi Ning fell silent. She remembered the rumors about puppy love at school and the strange looks from her classmates, and felt a little scared.

She whispered, "I understand, Mom and Dad. I'll be careful."

However, Jiang Man and Qin Yishen were still worried.

They began to intentionally or unintentionally reduce the opportunities for Shi Ning and Chen Yu to meet, for example, arranging for Shi Ning to attend various tutoring classes on weekends, or taking her to visit relatives.

Chen Yu noticed the change in Shi Ning. He found that Shi Ning was always avoiding him and her responses to him had become cold.

He didn't understand what had happened, so one day after school, he stopped Shi Ning. "Shi Ning, what's wrong? Why have you been avoiding me lately?"

Chen Yu's eyes were filled with confusion and disappointment. Shi Ning looked at Chen Yu, feeling a little sorry for him, but still said, "My parents are worried that we're dating too early and it will affect our studies. They don't want us to get too close."

Hearing this, Chen Yu felt a little sad. He said, "We're just good friends, studying together and helping each other. Is that wrong?"

Shi Ning said helplessly, "I know, but that's not what they think. Let's listen to them for now, and explain when we're older."

After saying that, Shi Ning turned and ran away, leaving Chen Yu standing there alone, his heart filled with disappointment.

When Shi Ning got home, she felt very down. She knew her parents meant well, but she didn't want to lose Chen Yu, her good friend.

She was caught in a dilemma, unsure of what to do. Jiang Man and Qin Yishen felt a pang of sympathy for Shi Ning when they saw her like this.

They realized that their approach might have been a bit too extreme. So, they decided to try a different way to communicate with Shi Ning.

One evening, Jiang Man and Qin Yishen called Shi Ning to the living room again. This time, their tone was gentler and their attitude more sincere.

“Ning’er, your father and I know that what we did before may have made you unhappy. We are not against you being friends with Chen Yu, but we are worried that your feelings will affect your future.”

Jiang Man said softly. Qin Yishen continued, "We hope you understand that at this stage, studying is the most important thing. It's not too late to think about relationships after you get into a good university and have a stable future. Besides, true feelings can stand the test of time."

Upon hearing this, Shi Ning's grievances gradually dissipated. She looked at her parents, nodded, and said, "Mom and Dad, I understand. I will focus on my studies, and I will keep my distance from Chen Yu. We can be good friends again when we grow up."

"From then on, although Shi Ning and Chen Yu still met at school, their relationship became simpler and more straightforward."

They encouraged each other, studied hard together, and strived for the future.

Jiang Man and Qin Yishen finally put their worries to rest.

Sunlight streamed across the school playground, and during recess, students laughed and played, creating a lively atmosphere.

Chen Yu had just come out of the classroom and was about to go to the playground for some fresh air.

Suddenly, a girl with a ponytail blushed and timidly blocked his way.

The girl clutched a pink envelope tightly in both hands, decorated with cute cartoon stickers, showing that she had put a lot of thought and effort into preparing it.

She lowered her head slightly, her voice barely audible, like a mosquito's hum: "Chen Yu, this...this is for you."

After saying that, she shoved the love letter into Chen Yu's hand, turned around and ran away in a hurry, leaving Chen Yu standing there blankly.

Seeing this, the surrounding classmates started to jeer, whistling and making strange noises, their eyes darting back and forth in the direction Chen Yu and the girl ran off to.

Chen Yu's face instantly turned bright red. He scratched his head awkwardly and subconsciously looked around, silently praying that he would rather not see this scene.

He haphazardly stuffed the love letter into his schoolbag, trying to act as if nothing had happened, but the gazes and teasing of his classmates lingered around him like an inescapable shadow.