Mrs. Fu, please be mindful of the appropriate boundaries.

Her lower lip was cut and slightly swollen, as if it had been bitten or kissed hard by a man, a silent yet alluring sight.

Yu Shinan's eyes were deep and dark. His jawline tightened, and the beast inside him seemed to want to break through the fence.

"Is my tongue sore too? This stuff is amazing, I've eaten it before and never had any problems..."

She bit her tongue with her teeth, avoiding the tip of her uvula, which peeked out curiously.

Yu Shinan gently touched the tip of her tongue with his finger. The wet and soft tip of her tongue touched his fingertip, making people imagine many decadent scenes.

His voice was terribly low and hoarse, "It's not broken, it's red."

Fu Sichen was stunned.

Her little tongue recoiled in surprise, her face flushed uncontrollably, her lips pressed tightly together, and her jaw slipped from his fingers, so embarrassed she felt like she was about to explode.

He knew how reckless his action was, but he couldn't help it.

Yu Shinan withdrew his hand, looked at her, and said, "Go to the clinic."

His voice was steady and calm, as if he hadn't done anything, and there was no hint of romance in it.

"No, it doesn't hurt that much." She stammered, embarrassed, and annoyed that she always overthinks things.

It created an awkward atmosphere for no reason.

"Whatever you want." Yu Shinan didn't insist and turned to go into the kitchen.

Fu Sichen was left standing there.

Ding Jing saw him come in and said, "I don't need you here."

Yu Shinan insisted on taking the spatula from her hand, saying, "Let me do it."

The voice was low and deep.

A surge of anger welled up inside him; he was furious with himself. At his age, he shouldn't be flirting with young girls like this anymore.

But he...lost control.

Ding Jing glanced at him. "What's wrong?"

Yu Shinan didn't say anything, but picked up a knife and shattered the small chili pepper in his hand.

The speed is fast, the knife skills are neat, and the wrist movements show no signs of effort.

There's a reason why most chefs are men; it's physically demanding work.

Ding Jing watched for a while, then took off her apron and put it aside. "Is there something you need today?"

Over the years, his temperament has become increasingly calm and composed, and Ding Jing didn't know whether to say it was a good thing or a bad thing.

In short, she couldn't easily detect his emotional changes. She never saw him particularly happy or particularly sad. As his mother, she could only guess at his emotions.

At this moment, Ding Jing could clearly sense that something was wrong with him.

After waiting for a while and seeing no response from him, Ding Jing prepared to leave. At his age, was it really worth it for her, as his mother, to interfere with his emotional outbursts?

It's not that it's too small.

Before he even left the kitchen, he said, "Mom, Sichen didn't bring any long pants. There are too many mosquitoes. Find her a pair."

"Can a little girl wear my pants?" Ding Jing almost rolled her eyes.

She came out and saw Fu Sichen staring at the kitchen.

"What are you looking at?"

"Brother Nan, are you angry?" Fu Sichen asked. His voice was calm, but she could detect a hint of annoyance in it.

Was she overreacting?

She should act as if nothing happened?

But her tongue was both sore and numb, and she couldn't tell whether it was from the fig peel or from her fingers.

From the tip of the tongue to the depths of the heart.

Yet, I felt pain because of his suddenly somber voice.

Ding Jing glanced back at the kitchen, a hint of understanding in her eyes, and smiled, "Why would a grown man get angry with a little girl? What did you do to him?"

"I ate figs and hurt my lips. Brother Nan might be angry that I ate too many." Fu Sichen leaned closer to Ding Jing.

She wouldn't dare say it was the truth.

Her lips were swollen, but they looked cute and funny.

Ding Jing couldn't help but laugh out loud, "You really are something, you have to peel the skin off the figs you just picked."

Then he noticed the plate was almost empty. "You ate all of this?"

Seeing Fu Sichen nod, Ding Jing clicked her tongue twice, "Little foodie."

Fu Sichen smiled, his brows furrowed.

As the sun set and the light dimmed further, Ding Jing took out some pumpkin seeds she had roasted herself to eat. The two sat in the courtyard, Ding Jing fanning herself with a palm leaf fan, occasionally swatting away mosquitoes for Fu Sichen. "Your brother Nan just told me to find you a pair of pants to wear, in case you get bitten by mosquitoes."

She smiled and said, "After we eat, I'll go to the small shop at the edge of the village and buy a pair of summer pants, something that looks good but won't keep mosquitoes away."

Fu Sichen hummed in agreement. "Auntie, does your leg still hurt?"

"It's fine in normal weather, but it's a bit of a problem on cloudy or rainy days. But the medicine you bought me for treating my muscles and bones is very effective." Ding Jing smiled as she looked at the girl sitting next to her, the last ray of sunlight falling on her and illuminating her profile.

She's beautiful, gentle, and has the purity of a young girl. If you give her your heart, she'll give you hers in return, and even better.

Ding Jing is incredibly rare, extremely rare.

I feel that even if I had a daughter, I might not be able to care this much.

"Has Si Chen found a boyfriend?"

"No." Fu Sichen's face flushed slightly. Actually, at this age, it seems that adults don't shy away from such things anymore. Tao Xi even said that her parents would invite her boyfriend to play during the Chinese New Year.

However, for Fu Sichen, every time she was asked if she was in a relationship, she couldn't help but think of that night. She wasn't in a relationship, but she had done such crazy things.

I felt my cheeks burning. The secret buried deep in my heart felt like I had done something wrong, and if it were discovered, I would be mercilessly criticized and insulted.

Seeing that her face was red, Ding Jing laughed, "Still shy? You're not exactly young, but you're not that young either. There's nothing wrong with dating. It's just that girls are different from boys; they need to know how to protect themselves."

Fu Sichen tightened his grip, but remained silent.

She has a time bomb inside her, and she knows how chaotic it will be if it's discovered.

She was actually very nervous and apprehensive. She came here to see Aunt Yu, but not to experience rural life. Her main purpose was to avoid Zhong Wanxiu.

Perhaps it was her own emotions that were off. Although Fu Sichen tried her best to appear less upset, her mother's eyes were piercing, making her feel uneasy.

She was afraid that asking too many questions or saying too much would give her away, so she simply hid away first.

According to the doctor, we should have an ultrasound in a few days to see the size of the gestational sac, and then decide which method to choose.

In short, it's better to do it sooner rather than later.

This decision wasn't difficult; the baby in my belly couldn't, and certainly couldn't, stay.

She had no intention of never seeing him again in this lifetime; she couldn't be as resolute as her second sister-in-law.

Fu Sichen was somewhat distracted, so much so that he didn't hear anything Ding Jing said afterward.

Seeing that she was distracted, Ding Jing couldn't help but nudge her. "Si Chen?"

Fu Sichen suddenly snapped out of his daze, "Auntie!"

"What are you thinking about, little girl? Something's on your mind? Didn't you hear what I said just now?"

Fu Sichen scratched his head, a little embarrassed, "What did you say?"

"I wonder who's lucky enough to marry you. Their mother-in-law must have it so easy," Ding Jing said with a smile.

"You can rest easy. Brother Nan is doing very well; he'll bring your daughter-in-law home soon," Fu Sichen said softly.

Just as she said this, Yu Shinan came out and glanced at her.

Ding Jing looked at Yu Shinan and clicked her tongue, "What's so good about it? In other people's eyes, I'm just an unreasonable mother and mother-in-law. They call me 'Mom' to my face, but who knows what they're complaining about behind my back."

Ding Jing really disliked Lin Yuanqing, even though some things might also be Shi Nan's fault; perhaps she was being a bit harsh.

However, people are all about first impressions; you can tell at a glance that some people won't make it.

She was clearly saying this to Yu Shinan, expressing her dissatisfaction.

She agreed, but that doesn't mean she was happy about it.

Yu Shinan didn't respond to that, and only said, "Let's eat inside."

"Why eat inside? Let's eat in the yard." Ding Jing didn't like being indoors; it was too stuffy and required air conditioning. She was getting old, and her legs ached, especially when she caught a chill.

In the courtyard at dusk, the sunlight had already disappeared, a gentle breeze was blowing, and the daylight was still there, so there was no need to turn on the lights.

Yu Shinan looked at Fu Sichen, who was bending over and swatting mosquitoes off his legs; the mosquito repellent wasn't very effective.

"She'll be covered in mosquito bites if she eats in the yard," Yu Shinan said in a flat tone.

Ding Jing then realized what had happened and said with a smile, "I forgot about that. Si Chen's skin is delicate; even mosquitoes know which one is best. Okay, let's go inside."

The three of them prepared a table full of dishes.

It's mostly vegetarian, truly farm-style cooking. It can't compare to the fancy dishes in hotels, but it's full of warmth.

Fried mint pancakes.

Fried mountain eggs.

Stir-fried cucumber.

Tomatoes with sugar.

I stir-fried half a chicken with green peppers.

Steamed eggplant topped with red and green chili peppers and white minced garlic—the colors blend together beautifully and look delicious.

"Why did you do so much?"

"Your aunt grew them herself and wanted you to try them," Ding Jing said with a smile.

"Auntie, please don't be like that. You're so polite, I won't dare to come again."

"Is this what you call being polite? If you're really that polite, you should go to your brother Nan's hotel instead of coming to my place." Ding Jing said with a smile as she sat down at the table.

During the meal, Ding Jing placed spicy chicken, steamed eggplant, and mint pancakes in front of Fu Sichen, which were her favorite dishes.

Yu Shinan frowned slightly, but before he could speak, he did not speak.

Fu Sichen's chopsticks were already aimed at the plate of steamed eggplant.

The chili peppers were very spicy; Fu Sichen almost jumped up when they touched his tongue.

Spicy, spicy, spicy!

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.

It wasn't very spicy, and it didn't hurt that much.

But because her tongue was injured, all her sensations were amplified countless times, like rubbing salt on perfectly good skin – you feel nothing at all.

But rubbing salt into your wound...

Fu Sichen grabbed Yu Shinan's arm, his fingers digging into his flesh.

"You dare to eat spicy food even though you have an injured tongue." Yu Shinan held her wrist and handed her a glass of water.

"Is it hot?" she asked vaguely.

I really want to just let go of my image and pant like a puppy with my tongue hanging out.

"It's not hot. It's cool," he said, holding the cup to her lips.

Fu Sichen hurriedly drank a few mouthfuls from his hand; it was so spicy that tears welled up in his eyes.

"Drink a few more sips." Yu Shinan didn't take the cup away, letting her drink a couple more sips before putting it down and turning to look at her. "Are you feeling better?"

Fu Sichen nodded.

He leaned forward and pushed the egg and mint cookie in front of her. "You eat this, don't eat anything else."

Fu Sichen gave him a resentful look.

All that was done, and she just watched.

That appearance...

Yu Shinan couldn't help but laugh.

He lightly flicked her forehead with two interlaced fingers, "You never know your limits when it comes to eating. You've learned your lesson this time."

"I was fine before."

"Did you eat them right after picking them? And so many?"

He criticized her, and she retorted.

Unable to argue with him, Fu Sichen pouted and stopped talking. How annoying.

Yu Shinan's eyes crinkled with amusement. "I steamed some locust flowers for you. Try them later."

She may not particularly like any particular food, but she likes to try new things and wants to taste everything. It's frustrating to watch her eat it all.

Add something she doesn't usually encounter, and she'll like it.

Sure enough, Fu Sichen's eyes lit up.

Her beautiful, dark eyes looked at him, and as usual, she flattered him loudly, "My brother Nan is still the best."

Familiar words come out naturally.

very familiar.

He was tired of hearing it, but now, as she smiled and acted coquettishly, he had a strange feeling that he had been waiting for this moment.

She hadn't spoken to him like that for a while.

Under the bright indoor lights, the table was laden with food, and the air conditioning in the room was working, making it neither too hot nor too cold.

Ding Jing narrowed her eyes as she looked at the two of them.

Yu Shinan got up, pressed his palm on her head, and went to the kitchen. A moment later, he brought out steamed locust flowers.

She was also holding a small butterfly in her hand.

As I got closer, I could smell sesame oil.

Fu Sichen asked in confusion, "Do you eat it dipped in sesame oil?"

Yu Shinan stared at her, looking at her with a mocking expression that suggested she was an idiot.

Fu Sichen knew he was wrong.

He placed the dish in front of her, took one of her chopsticks, dipped it into the sesame oil, stirred it, and took it out. "Apply it to the sore spot on your tongue, and also to your lips."

He brought his chopsticks to her lips, smeared some on them, and said, "Tongue."

Fu Sichen wanted to stick out her tongue, but then suddenly remembered that her cheeks had felt slightly hot when she was in the yard.

"Myself."

Yu Shinan then handed her the chopsticks.

Fu Sichen raised his phone, turned on the camera, and applied sesame oil to himself.

The lipstick made my lips look oily and shiny.

The busy people didn't notice that Ding Jing was staring at Yu Shinan.

A mother's sharp gaze leaves no room for hiding.

Ding Jing had never considered putting the two of them together.

Age gap.

Differences in family background.

These two things alone are enough.

Most importantly, he's getting married, and Lin Yuanqing is pregnant.

Si Chen is a young girl, innocent and cute. She treats him like an older brother without any reservations or suspicion.

And him?!

Is she a younger sister? Or a woman I can tease and play with?

Ding Jing's forehead was throbbing with pain.

Suddenly, the meal didn't taste good anymore.

"Shi Nan, now that you've set August 18th for your marriage registration, just live your lives well from now on. Although I feel awkward, you won't be living with me after all, so as long as you're willing, that's fine." Ding Jing suddenly brought up his marriage.

August 18th.

Fu Sichen was stunned; the time had been frozen so quickly.

Yu Shinan looked up and met Ding Jing's gaze. The relationship between mother and son was not casual; some words were conveyed in their eyes.

"Lin Yuanqing is also pregnant, and she's carrying your child. You have to take responsibility for it."

The second half of the meal was inexplicably depressing.

After the meal, Yu Shinan cleared the table, and Fu Sichen, feeling embarrassed to just stand by and watch, went to help him.

He washes the dishes, and she stands beside him to help him carry them.

Seeing the marks left by his fingernails on his arm, Fu Sichen pointed to them and asked, "Did I do that?"

"Otherwise what?"

"Does it hurt?" she asked.

Yu Shinan paused, his hand holding the plate still on his wrist. He put the last plate down, washed his hands, and noticed she was still staring at him.

Watery eyes.

Yu Shinan slapped her face with his wet hand.

Water droplets splashed on his face, and Fu Sichen instinctively recoiled, closing his eyes. "Brother Nan! You!"

Behind her was a hanging cutting board. Yu Shinan grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, wrapping his arm around her slender waist and turning her halfway around to protect her.

The cutting board hanging on the wall behind her fell to the ground with a thud.

Startled by the sound, Fu Sichen looked up at him from his embrace. "What fell down?"

"chopping board."

He looked down at her; she was in his arms, startled. One arm was wrapped around his waist, her body pressed against his chest. She looked over his side at the fallen cutting board.

Yu Shinan did not move.

Until she looked away.

Look up at him.

Then, realizing the intimacy of the action, she jumped away.

"Uh...did it hit you?"

"No." Yu Shinan picked up the cutting board from the ground and hung it up again.

Ding Jing stood outside, fanning herself with a palm leaf fan. She looked away and didn't go inside.

Before going to bed that night, Fu Sichen went to take a shower.

Yu Shinan tidied up his room where he would sleep that night.

Ding Jing went inside and watched Yu Shinan tidy up the clutter to one side. "Si Chen is a good girl, I like her very much, I treat her like a daughter. You need to be discreet. She's not suitable for you."

Yu Shinan froze, straightened up, a slight smile playing on his lips, and looked at Ding Jing, suddenly wanting to ask, "What's inappropriate?"

"You're getting married and have a child. Do you think it's appropriate?" Ding Jing's expression suddenly changed. She hadn't expected Yu Shinan to ask her that question.

"If not, if you're not planning to get married, and don't have children," Yu Shinan asked, "wouldn't that still be unsuitable?"

Ding Jing's face twitched slightly. "She's young and naive. She deserves better. Don't you know what kind of person you are? Don't ruin her life."

Yu Shinan put a box on the ground, letting go too quickly, and it made a bang.

The sound of the bottom of the box hitting the ground.

He straightened up and walked out.

Ding Jing's expression turned pale. She squeezed her eyes shut and said, "Shi Nan, what Mom means is..."

The door closed behind him.

Yu Shinan strode out.