I really like your sand sculpture group friends

Mo Xiangwen turned his head and glanced at Yan Nuoya, who was tugging at his clothes and whose eyes were still a little dazed. He suddenly felt a little strange.

This scene inexplicably reminds me of Bai Shishi.

“That’s how it is in the South. You can turn on the air conditioning when you get back,” Mo Xiangwen comforted him. “Just bear with it for now.”

He shook his head, banishing these distracting thoughts, and led Yan Nuoya through the turnstile.

After all, it's just a small city, and the high-speed rail station isn't very big either.

It only takes a minute or two to get off the train and exit this high-speed rail station.

"Shall we take a taxi?" Yan Nuoya, who had been following behind him, seemed to have finally calmed down. She loosened her grip on his clothes and quickened her pace to walk to his side.

"Hmm, maybe," Mo Xiangwen said casually. "But before that, I need to call home to confirm whether we should eat out before going back."

"What is Xiang Wen's family like?"

Yan Nuoya's usually calm face showed a rare frown. Although she tried to maintain a composed demeanor, Mo Xiangwen could clearly sense a hint of unease in her tone.

However, upon further reflection, he quickly came to understand.

After all, he didn't want to go to Mengli and Mengyao's house to play, did he?

Even the best of friends will feel a little uneasy when visiting a friend's home and meeting the family.

“I am an only child,” Mo Xiangwen explained. “Besides me, there are only my parents in my family, but we have quite a few relatives.”

"As for the personalities of my family members, although my mom is the type who gets angry easily, and my dad can be quite stubborn at times..."

Mo Xiangwen frowned and sighed softly, "But I think you don't need to worry. Whatever happens, they will only come at me."

"For you, the only concern is that they might be too enthusiastic." He shook his head: "With your personality, you might not be able to handle it."

Hearing him say that, Yan Nuoya felt even more uneasy. She was about to ask him more questions when she saw that he had already raised his phone to his ear.

"Hello?" Mo Xiangwen asked after the call connected, "Mom?"

[Hey, Xiang Wen, what's up?]

Are you and your dad home?

[Yeah, what's up? Did you get the ticket?]

"Yes, I'm back in Y City. I'm at the high-speed rail station right now."

"Oh, then take the bus back. There should still be buses running at this time."

Well, it's not surprising at all. He received the same treatment when he came back from university in his previous life.

However, he didn't really care. Rather than having his family pick him up, he figured it would be faster to take a taxi home himself.

Even when comparing fuel costs and taxi fares, it's more economical.

Mo Xiangwen sighed helplessly, then said, "No, that's not it. I meant to ask, have you and Dad eaten yet?"

Not yet, I'm still cooking. But the rice's already in the pot, I'll make you some noodles when I get back.

"No need, no need. I'll get home later and have dinner with my classmates before going back."

Why go out to eat? It's a waste of money. It's just a matter of getting more chopsticks when you get back.

"So you and Dad both bought groceries..."

Oh dear, eat less...

The person on the other end of the phone suddenly realized something and fell silent.

[Classmate? Your high school classmate?]

...Sigh, it seems I still have to face it eventually.

Mo Xiangwen subconsciously glanced at the quiet and well-behaved Yan Nuoya beside him: "I came back from university, of course it's my university classmate, Mom, what are you talking about?"

[Boy or girl... never mind, Mom doesn't know what you look like. But if we have guests, Mom will go buy some more groceries so you can eat when you get back.]

Take a taxi; Mom will reimburse you when you get back.

After saying that, he hurriedly hung up the phone.

Well, as long as you bring friends back, you'll get a raise, right?

He was actually quite suspicious that if he said he was bringing a girl, his mother might just have his father drive over to pick them up, but there was no need for his father to make such a long trip.

He had just put his phone away, wanting to say something.

Yan Nuoya looked at him, blinked, and spoke first: "Although I didn't mean to eavesdrop, it seems that you don't have a very good image in your mother's eyes."

"That's alright, I don't think it's necessary to hide such a small thing from you." Mo Xiangwen said, then suddenly changed the subject.

“However, Yan,” Mo Xiangwen frowned, pretending to be very serious, “can you say that this is because of my appearance? This proves that I have very strict standards for making friends.”

Yan Nuoya was slightly taken aback, then chuckled and said, "Okay, okay, very strict." However, the perfunctory tone in her words was quite evident.

After joking around, the two hailed a taxi and set off.

Although as a local, he could negotiate prices with taxi drivers, he opted for ride-hailing services to avoid the hassle.

The driver was very skilled, and there weren't many cars on the road in the small county town at this time of day. In less than an hour, he and Yan Nuoya were safely dropped off at the entrance of the residential area.

When they finally arrived at the entrance of the residential area, he suddenly realized that Yan Nuoya beside him was not keeping up with his pace.

Mo Xiangwen stopped and looked at her with a puzzled expression: "What's wrong, Nuoya?"

"Xiang Wen... never mind." Yan Nuoya opened her mouth, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Seeing her like this, Mo Xiangwen quickly realized what she was worried about.

However, this is so unlike Noah's style.

“I don’t think you need to worry.” Mo Xiangwen shook his head: “It’s my freedom to make friends, and they are all very hospitable people.”

Yan Nuoya pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and slowly followed two steps.

Seeing this, Mo Xiangwen couldn't help but sigh.

It's not that he can't understand, it's just that if they keep dawdling like this, they won't be able to get home for half a day.

“My dear Yan, listen to me.”

Yan Nuoya was slightly taken aback, then nodded silently.

“A girl as pretty as Yan,” Mo Xiangwen complained, “they’ll only suspect that I’m threatening you, otherwise how could you become my friend?”

Yan Nuoya looked at him hesitantly and asked softly, "Will my hair...?"

This was the first time he had ever seen Yan Nuoya object to her hair color. It seemed that Miss Nuoya was not as flawless as he thought.

"I don't know." He thought for a moment, then decided to be honest and say, "To be honest, I don't know if they'll mind..."

Yan Nuoya bit her lip and said softly, "Maybe I should just go back to H City..."

"However, they're practically begging me to find them girlfriends now, so the initiative is in my hands."

"At worst, we can just treat it like a joke and say you're my girlfriend." Mo Xiangwen smiled. "If that doesn't work, I'll go back to H City with you then."

Chapter 179 I'm naturally at ease leaving it to you. (4K combined)

Under the warm yellow light, a delicate porcelain bowl holds a light yet nutritionally balanced meal.

Fu Qianping sat at the dining table, her gaze gently falling on her daughter across from her.

Bai Shishi had a pained expression on her face, but she still obediently and carefully finished the food in her bowl, taking small bites at a time.

She eats very seriously and looks adorable.

Looking at her daughter like this, Fu Qianping's heart was always filled with love.

Although Shishi was frail and sickly from childhood, like a seedling that needed careful nurturing, she and her husband never showed any dislike for her. On the contrary, they cherished and doted on her even more.

Thinking of her husband, Fu Qianping's heart sank slightly, and a barely perceptible shadow crossed her eyes, but she quickly composed herself and maintained a gentle smile on her face.

It's better not to let Shishi know about this.

"What's wrong with Shishi today?" Fu Qianping asked softly, noticing that her daughter was more silent than usual. "Is something on your mind? You can tell Mom."

Bai Shishi paused for a moment, holding her chopsticks, and gently shook her head.

"There is a little bit..." she muttered softly, her voice barely audible, "but saying it would only make Mom worry, so I still can't say it."

As Fu Qianping listened, her heart felt both tender and bittersweet.

Sometimes she even wished that Shishi could be like other girls her age, occasionally willful, coquettish, or even throw tantrums, but Shishi was always too considerate and sensible, so well-behaved that it broke her heart.

How could she not love such a daughter?

“By the way, Mom,” Bai Shishi suddenly looked up, her clear eyes filled with doubt, “Didn’t Dad say he would be home for dinner today? Why isn’t he home yet, it’s so late?”

Just what I feared most came to pass. Fu Qianping was startled, but dared not show it on her face, her smile remaining gentle: "Dad has to work overtime tonight, so let us eat first."

"Oh." Bai Shishi nodded obediently, accepting the explanation: "Dad works so hard... all for me." She said softly, then lowered her head again to eat her food in small bites.

Fu Qianping sighed silently in her heart.

Her husband already works overtime every day, and recently he also has to take care of Bai Shishi's grandmother, so he hasn't had a chance to rest for several days in a row.

Regarding her grandmother's situation, Fu Qianping and her husband decided to keep it from Shishi for the time being to avoid affecting her mood and health.

But... what reason can I use to deceive the meticulous and sensitive Shishi? I can't use the same excuse every day, or Shishi will become suspicious.

She quickly changed the subject, trying to distract her daughter: "So, what was it that made Shishi a little unhappy just now? Tell Mommy, okay?"

"Actually, I'm not that unhappy..." Bai Shishi hesitated for a moment, feeling that since her mother had asked, it wouldn't be good to keep it a secret, and finally said in a low voice, "It's just that the winter vacation is so long, and I haven't seen Xiao Yi for almost a month... I'm a little envious of Nuoya."

"Xiao Yi?" Fu Qianping was slightly taken aback, then remembered that this was what her daughter called her student named Mo Xiangwen.

His name appeared, which was not surprising, but why was Yan Nuoya mentioned at the same time? However, she had no time to delve into these details at the moment and quickly put this question out of her mind.

"Winter break is only a month or two, it'll be over quickly," Fu Qianping comforted her gently. "Can't you still play games together online?"

"I used to think that just being able to play games together was enough to make me happy and content," Bai Shishi pouted slightly, a hint of melancholy on her face. "But now I always feel that even just a few days without being able to play with Xiao Yi and everyone else makes me so bored..."

She paused, as if remembering something, her eyes brightened slightly, but quickly dimmed again: "Actually, Xiao Yi also said he wanted to take me to his house to play, but he was worried about my health, so it was not possible."

Upon hearing this, Fu Qianping understood about 70-80% of what was going on.

She was an adult after all, and she had heard too many of these polite formalities.

She didn't want to be too blunt with her daughter, but she worried that her kind and naive daughter would easily believe others' polite words in the future, leading to disappointment or hurt.

“Shishi,” Fu Qianping put down her chopsticks, her tone gentle yet earnest, “Some things we can’t just take literally. Often, these invitations are just a polite gesture, not necessarily a genuine invitation…”

However, Bai Shishi, who was usually well-behaved and obedient, shook her head, interrupting her mother, and said in an unusually firm tone: "Xiao Yi wouldn't lie to me."

From that short sentence, she could tell that Shishi trusted him completely.

Fu Qianping was slightly taken aback. What was wrong with her student? Had she completely captivated her daughter after just one semester? Couldn't she stand not seeing her for a month or two?

She suddenly felt a little worried. If she had known, she would have been better off not letting her daughter come into contact with them.

“Well… Mom has no other choice,” Fu Qianping said, half-laughing and half-jokingly probing, “We can’t really send you to stay with him for a while, can we?”

As soon as she said it, Fu Qianping was stunned.

This sudden thought was like a flash of inspiration that cleaved through her anxiety of the past few days.

If Shishi could leave home for a while, she wouldn't have to live in constant fear of her mother-in-law's affairs being exposed.

She can also free herself up to help her husband so he can get some rest.

"I was just saying that Xiao Yi wouldn't lie to me," Bai Shishi shook her head, her little face full of understanding. "If I really go, Mom will definitely be very worried about my health, so let's forget about it."

After saying that, she gently put down her chopsticks and bowl: "I'm full, thank you, Mom." Then she picked up her own bowl and plate and carefully walked to the kitchen sink, leaving Fu Qianping sitting alone at the dining table, lost in thought.

Fu Qianping silently watched her daughter's petite figure as she carefully washed her dishes.

Just as Bai Shishi finished washing the dishes, dried her hands, and was about to go back to her room, Fu Qianping suddenly called out to her, "Shishi, wait a moment."

Bai Shishi, who had already reached the end of the corridor, stopped and turned around, looking a little confused: "What's wrong, Mom?"

Looking at her daughter's puzzled eyes, Fu Qianping hesitated, unsure of how to begin.

Seeing her mother hesitate, Bai Shishi obediently walked back to the restaurant, sat down in the chair next to her mother, and waited quietly. Her sensible appearance filled Fu Qianping with mixed feelings.

She stared blankly at her daughter, who had grown into a graceful young woman, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Yes, my daughter is already that age.