An hour passed as Xiang Ri lounged comfortably on the sofa, watching television.
During that time, he received a call from Miss Chu. Naturally, Xiang Ri wasn't foolish enough to reveal he was currently playing the role of a "bodyguard," so he managed to brush off the slightly jealous girl with some deft words. But his interest in watching TV faded somewhat.
Two hours slipped by, and Xiang Ri shifted from lounging to lying down, drifting into a sleepy haze.
Three hours passed, and boredom set in. He began rifling through the cabinet under the TV, hoping to find something… unsuitable for younger audiences.
Disappointingly, the collection contained only crime dramas and comedies—none of the "18 and over" variety. He even maliciously suspected that this lady cop's serious demeanor was all an act, hiding some altogether different content within.
Testing a few discs, he felt defeated. They were all impossibly "decent."
Three and a half hours in, his patience frayed. Fighting the urge to barge into her bedroom, he dismissed her warning to "stay in the living room," and strode into the kitchen—a room clearly rarely used—to raid her fridge and drink all her beverages in petty revenge.
Four hours passed, and he was at his limit. Just as he braced himself to barge into her bedroom, the doorbell rang.
Outside stood a woman in her forties, still graceful despite her age, her features subtly echoing Miss Tie's. Stunned, Xiang Ri quickly collected himself and welcomed her inside politely. "You must be Auntie?"
"And you are…?" Hu Yue was surprised to see someone other than her daughter opening the door, though a faint, pleased smile crept onto her face: her daughter had finally matured enough to find someone to take care of her.
"I'm…" For a moment, Xiang Ri was at a loss—he couldn't very well tell her he was her daughter's "invited protector." That would be humiliating.
Hu Yue, seeing the young man scratching his head awkwardly, assumed he was simply shy and graciously replied for him, "You must be Lulu's friend. No need to be so formal—I'm her mother."
"Lulu?" Xiang Ri's mouth fell open. Could that really be Miss Tie's nickname? Terrifying…
Sure enough, Hu Yue confirmed his suspicion. "Oh, that's my Tie Wan's nickname. We all call her that at home. By the way, where is she? I don't see her around."
"Uh… she's still sleeping in the bedroom!" Feeling that was insufficient, Xiang Ri added, "She's been working really hard these days."
Hu Yue nodded knowingly, a subtle hint of satisfaction in her gaze. "I'm so grateful to you for looking after Lulu. She's such a workaholic—she even neglects her own home when she gets absorbed in her job."
Not entirely sure what Tie's mother meant, Xiang Ri instinctively followed her lead with ease. "It's no trouble; it's the least I can do." He threw in a compliment for good measure. "And a woman at work is the most beautiful sight!"
Hu Yue beamed, clearly satisfied with his response, especially touched by his sentiments.
Glancing at the coffee table, she spotted a thick book lying open. Picking it up, she saw it was covered in dense English text and looked a bit surprised. "You were reading this just now?"
It was an English copy of *Resurrection*. Although it wasn't filled with particularly difficult vocabulary, it was rare for young people these days to fully understand such a book.
This volume was something Hu Yue had left for her daughter—not to expose her to the brutal injustices of Russian courts and the jailing of innocents, but rather to help her understand what genuine love was.
Although there was one rather intense passage, it didn't detract from her direct educational purpose—in fact, it subtly served to reinforce it.
Oblivious to Hu Yue's intentions, Xiang Ri modestly replied, "Well, if there's time, it's always good to read more." He had actually found *Resurrection* under the coffee table. The cover had a few faint marks, suggesting someone had once used it as a coaster for something like a cup of freshly warmed milk.
Hu Yue's admiration for his dedication grew, her gaze full of praise. With a hint of concern, she asked, "Are you able to understand everything in it?"
"It's alright!" Xiang Ri modestly replied, though his grasp of *Resurrection* was undeniable. Back in school, due to a rather "unspeakable" wager, he had pored over this book hundreds of times, to the point that he could almost recite it.
Once, he even held a "critic's session" to fervently condemn Nekhlyudov's heartless abandonment of Katusha. Later, however, his opinion softened when the protagonist sold everything he owned to reduce her sentence. Today, he had picked up *Resurrection* merely to stave off boredom and test his memory.
Hu Yue, wary of youthful arrogance, decided to question him in English, asking some obscure and challenging questions. Fortunately, Xiang Ri's dual master's degrees weren't for show, and he responded fluently, even offering his own insights.
Now, Hu Yue was not merely pleased—she was thoroughly impressed. To keep him grounded, she continued questioning him. As a university professor of foreign languages, she knew more than just one language. Yet, the more they conversed, the more astonished she became; this young man's "talent" was far beyond her expectations.
At one point, she inadvertently switched to French, only for the young man to answer her smoothly in fluent French. Intrigued, she "accidentally" let a few other languages slip into the conversation, all of which he answered—even if a bit imperfectly, it was more than enough to astonish her. Eager to know more, she finally asked, "By the way, what line of work are you in?"
"Heh... I'm still just a university student," Xiang Ri replied, relieved. Luckily, his eclectic reading had paid off, or he'd never have been able to answer Tie's mother's questions. Still, he was beginning to sweat inside, fearing she might press further and expose him.
"A student?" Hu Yue frowned but then softened, thinking. Though he was younger than her daughter, how many young people possessed knowledge like his nowadays? Besides, her daughter had always been exceptionally picky—perhaps it was this young man's intellect that had captivated her. Reassuring herself, she said, "No need to worry. Just work hard, and you can marry after graduation. There's no rush."
"Marry?" Xiang Ri was stunned. What was this turn of events?
"What? Are you unwilling?" Hu Yue's voice now carried a note of indignation.
Xiari realized that Tie's mother had mistaken him for her future son-in-law. It made sense—him, a man, lounging freely in a single woman's apartment; it was easy to misunderstand. But maybe this wasn't a bad thing. This could be the perfect chance to get back at Tie. Stifling a mischievous grin, he sighed, "It's not that I'm unwilling; it's just that Xiao Wan…"
"She doesn't want to?" Hu Yue knew her daughter's temperament well, and this response fit her perfectly. She herself had arranged several introductions for her daughter, all rejected without exception—a constant headache for her.
But here was a rare find, and a man as exceptional as this one no less. She patted her chest and declared, "Don't worry, she has no choice. Once she graduates, you'll marry right away. If you're concerned, you can even marry now! Many university students already have children, so marriage is no big deal!"
"Huh?" Xiang Ri's heart pounded as Tie's mother, a force of nature, seemed determined and decisive.
"What do you mean, huh? Leave this matter to me," she said, assuming that her "son-in-law" was simply thrilled. "I'll go wake her up right now!"
"No!" Xiang Ri quickly held her back. Now was his moment to shine; though he'd love to wake Tie up, appearances had to be kept. "Xiao Wan's still asleep. Auntie, let her rest a bit longer—she's been working so hard lately. I could hardly bear to watch."
Hu Yue was pleased by her "son-in-law's" thoughtfulness. With a man both learned and attentive to her daughter, she was more than content. "Alright, we'll wait until she wakes. But I'll tell you this: you shouldn't spoil her too much."
"Heh…" Xiang Ri chuckled shyly, winning even more of Tie's mother's favor. "In that case, I'll let you handle things between us." Then, she suddenly turned serious, saying, "But if Xiao Wan refuses, come to me. I'll make the final decision!" She might have thought that such firmness would intimidate her "shy" son-in-law, so she changed the subject, "By the way, you haven't had dinner yet, have you? How about going out to eat?"
From her expression, Xiang Ri could tell she wasn't keen on eating out, so he offered, "No need, we usually eat at home. You haven't eaten either, Auntie? I'll cook something up right now."
"You cook?" Hu Yue's mouth fell open, shocked for the second time.
"Of course, since Xiao Wan has to work."
"...Well, maybe I should cook," Hu Yue said, heading toward the kitchen.
"No need. Auntie, watch some TV while I get things ready," Xiang Ri insisted, having noticed some vegetables and meat in the fridge earlier. He decided to go all out and win over his "future mother-in-law" through her stomach.
Naturally, Hu Yue didn't sit idly by; she followed her "son-in-law" into the kitchen. Watching his skillful knife work, she marveled at his expertise, her impression of him rising significantly.
While cooking, Xiang Ri shared some nutritional knowledge he'd picked up: which vegetables helped prevent high blood pressure, which seasonings could increase cancer risks if overused, which meats were high in cholesterol, and their impacts on health. Hu Yue couldn't stop smiling, her joy evident.
When he finished cooking, the dishes were not only visually appealing but also tasted so good that Tie's mother could hardly believe her taste buds.
Even though she was never superstitious, she now felt her daughter's fortune in finding such a man must be the blessing of several lifetimes. She firmly resolved to make this young man her son-in-law, already planning to introduce him to her husband, certain he would be equally delighted.
After dinner, the sky had darkened, and Hu Yue grew increasingly displeased seeing her daughter still asleep, preparing to wake her. "When did Xiao Wan go to bed?"
Feigning nonchalance, Xiang Ri replied, "Around noon... actually, just before you arrived." His "explanation" only fueled Tie's mother's irritation. "This girl! She's been sleeping this long… I really have spoiled her!" With that, she stormed toward her daughter's bedroom.