Having cried for a good while, Zhang Acai remembered Lin Yu. Flustered, she wiped her tears and called out repeatedly, "Ranran, where's Xiaoyu? Where is he? Quickly, bring him out; I want to thank the child properly..."
"He... he's gone," Zhang Xinran's face turned melancholic as she wiped away her tears and replied.
"Oh dear, how could you let him go? Fetch him back; dinner isn't even served yet. What are you standing there for? Hurry up and bring my good son-in-law back to me," Li Tieling urged anxiously, pushing Zhang Xinran outward repeatedly.
"Oh, Mom, what nonsense are you talking about? We... we're just ordinary classmates. What good son-in-law? Stop talking nonsense," Zhang Xinran's cheeks flushed suddenly. Biting her lip, she spoke with both embarrassment and anger, yet a strange feeling surged within her.
She suddenly realized that if the mischievous Lin Yu became her boyfriend, it might not be a bad thing after all. At least her parents adored and were immensely grateful to him.
"Don't pretend in front of me; both of you intentionally acting so intimate, how can I, your mom, not see through it? No need to be embarrassed; truly! Hurry and bring him back. Oh, why did this child leave? Did you upset him? Let me tell you, Ranran, such a good young man isn't easy to find nowadays. He's honest, modest, talented, has a good temper. If you marry him, you can expect a comfortable future," Li Qiuli persistently babbled by her side.
"I've told you, he's just a regular classmate. You don't believe me. Really can't make it clear to you. He had an appointment for dinner tonight, he went. If you want to find him, find him yourself," Zhang Xinran stomped her foot in anger. But recalling Lin Yu's mention of the neighbor's little sister, she felt an inexplicable twinge in her heart. She turned and went back inside, ignoring Li Qiuli's knocking on the door.
"Qiuli, let it go. Let the young ones handle their own affairs. Why are you fretting over it? If it's yours, it's yours. If it's not, forcing it won't help," Zhang Yunjie shook his head, smiling.
"I'm not worried? How could I not be worried? In the past, both of us, being burdens to our daughter, caused her to give up postgraduate studies and return to take care of us, repay our debts, and abandon her own love life. Even if she tried, due to us, she couldn't find a good young man. Now finally, she's found such a good one and even miraculously cured our illnesses. Can I easily let go? Ranran, let me tell you, such a fine young man isn't easy to come by. If you let him slip away, you'll regret it later. So, you must hold onto him tightly, don't let up for a moment. If you lose him because of your carelessness, then get ready to regret it in the future... Do you hear me?" Li Qiuli kept knocking and nagging. Her attitude toward Lin Yu had made a complete 180-degree turn.
"Mom, are you done? Just make dinner quickly. I'm tired and want to sleep," Zhang Xinran lay in bed, covering her head with the blanket. Despite closing her eyes, Lin Yu's slightly mischievous smile and his clear eyes kept floating in her mind, making her feel inexplicably restless. Tossing the blanket aside and sitting cross-legged on the bed, she made an effort to calm her agitated heart and achieve tranquility, gradually calming the restless thoughts...
Lin Yu, with his bag, hailed a taxi and headed straight home. Upon arriving, it was just about time to finish work, and as soon as he entered the house, the phone rang.
"Xiaoyu, you're back?" Liu Xiaoyan's voice came through the phone, soft and gentle, with a hint of a gasping tone, pleasantly tickling one's heart.
"Oh, you're surprisingly punctual. How did you know I just arrived home?" Lin Yu asked with a smile as he put down his bag and changed into slippers.
"I, I guessed," Liu Xiaoyan stuttered slightly, her tone sounding embarrassed. Lin Yu instantly pictured her blushing beautiful face in his mind. He shook his head inwardly. This girl couldn't even tell a lie.
In fact, she had been standing on the balcony, eagerly waiting for him. When she saw Lin Yu return, she immediately called him.
"Hey, haven't seen you for a few days, and our little Swallow can already predict things? You can predict exactly when I'd arrive home, down to the second?" Lin Yu teased deliberately, tossing himself onto the couch comfortably. Home always felt so good.
"You're annoying. You're the fortune teller. Xiaoyu, um, have you had dinner?" Liu
Xiaoyan replied with a touch of coquettishness, then, feeling a little nervous, asked. Her coquettishness was absolutely natural, a pure and unpretentious charm that tickled one's heart. No hint of pretense, just as pure as a blank sheet of paper, serene as a tranquil pond.
"I, um, have eaten. Why do you ask?" Lin Yu teased her — to tease someone who displayed all sorts of emotions, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, was truly an enriching experience in refining one's emotions.
"Oh, you've eaten. Um, then, there's nothing. I was just bored and called you. Um, Xiaoyu, rest well. I'll hang up." Liu Xiaoyan's tone couldn't hide her disappointment. She thought Lin Yu had forgotten about the dinner invitation she wanted to extend to him - the thoughts of a young girl were plainly visible on her face; her emotions were reflected in her tone - pure as a blank sheet of paper, clear as a tranquil pond.
"Never mind. I've eaten, but not enough. Oh, I suddenly remembered, my little Swallow still wants to invite me for dinner. What should I eat if I eat with you?" Lin Yu finally couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.
"Annoying, annoying, annoying! Xiaoyu, you're getting worse. Why do you have to lie?" Liu Xiaoyan sounded frustrated on the other end. But her tone of playfulness made Lin Yu itch with joy.
"Lie? I don't do that. I'd only deceive little cats and dogs." Lin Yu laughed and joked.
"You're the one acting like a little cat or dog. Hurry down if you haven't eaten; I'll wait for you at the entrance of the community. Oh, don't forget to ask your grandparents if they've eaten. If they're not in a hurry, we can bring them some food back; it can serve as a late-night snack for them too," Liu Xiaoyan said thoughtfully, touching Lin Yu's heart. Such a considerate girl was indeed hard to find these days.
"Okay, I'll ask them. I'll tell you when I go downstairs." Lin Yu hung up the phone, got up again, washed his face, changed into a fresh T-shirt and sweatpants with sports shoes, and prepared to go downstairs.