"Liangchen, it's time to eat."
Ye's Mother pushed open the door, only to see the dim glow of a phone screen illuminating Ye Liangchen's face in the dark room. She was startled and immediately turned on the light.
But perhaps it would have been better to leave it off.
The light flooded the room, revealing Ye Liangchen's expression.
How to describe it? Listless? Aged? Or perhaps sinister? Evil?
His bloodshot eyes were fixated on the phone screen with an unsettling intensity.
His nose was running, but he didn’t bother to wipe it. Instead, he sniffed it back, only for it to drip down again moments later...
That alone might just be a matter of poor hygiene.
But what was more concerning was the faint aura of melancholy that seemed to surround him.
"Liangchen, what's wrong?" Ye's Mother, worried about her son, quickly approached him. But Ye Liangchen remained motionless, still staring blankly at his phone.
She took the phone from his hands and frowned as she scrolled through his social media posts.
Things like:
["I feel so lonely, cold, and empty..."]
["If I can't keep her, maybe I should set her free..."]
["The knight has stepped down, and this time, it's for good..."]
As a mother, she knew exactly what was going on. After all, she had been through this stage herself.
"Mom, my heart hurts so much," Ye Liangchen said with a bitter smile, pointing to his chest. "It really hurts here."
No matter how old he got, in the eyes of Father Ye and Ye's Mother, he would always be their little boy.
This was the unbreakable bond between a child and their parents, a dependency that had nothing to do with age.
"My silly child, is this about that girl, Li Qingxue?" Ye's Mother asked.
Ye Liangchen had mentioned before that he liked a girl in his class.
In the days that followed, he would often talk about how cute she was.
But as he grew older, he stopped bringing her up. His parents understood that he was maturing and had his own secrets, so they never pressed him about it.
But now, seeing her son in such a state, talking about heartache, it wasn’t hard to figure out what had happened.
"My son is so wonderful. If Li Qingxue can't see that, it's her loss. My precious boy is the best, the handsomest in the world."
"Your father and I have always taught you that boys should be confident and bold. If there’s something you want, go after it bravely. Be strong, Liangchen. Don’t be afraid of difficulties."
Hearing his mother's words, Ye Liangchen's mood immediately brightened.
Deep down, he was a twenty-eight-year-old soul, far more resilient than his peers.
With the confidence his mother gave him, he nodded. "Yes, Mom, I understand. I’ll prove that her choice was wrong!"
"Because I’m the brave and strong Liangchen, and I’ll never back down from challenges."
Seeing her son in better spirits, Ye's Mother smiled. "Alright, let’s go eat. After dinner, get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll give you some money to go out and have fun, to relax a bit."
"Okay, thank you, Mom."
As Ye Liangchen left the room, the smile on Ye's Mother's face vanished.
She took out her phone and dialed Ye Liangchen's homeroom teacher.
"Yes, it’s me. I want to know how you’re managing your class."
"This is a critical time in their senior year, and yet there’s someone in the class dating, affecting my son’s mood. As a teacher, how could you not know about this? If my son doesn’t do well because of this, can you take responsibility?"
"What do you mean, calm down? Listen, if you don’t handle this, I’ll go to the school and make a scene."
"Best of all, have Li Qingxue sit next to my son. They’ve known each other for nine years, so they’re familiar with each other. Li Qingxue can even help my son with his studies..."
"You’re really something as a teacher, aren’t you? Tsk, tsk..."
After hanging up, Ye's Mother finally left the room.
Watching Ye Liangchen eat, she chuckled affectionately. Her son was the best in the world.
Anyone who didn’t like her son was clearly of questionable character.
She had once thought Li Qingxue was a well-behaved girl, but now? Hmph, she better not even think about entering their household. If she did, Ye's Mother would make sure to teach her a lesson.
"Who does she think she is, rejecting my precious son?"
"Other than dating my son, who else could she possibly date?"
"Mom, what are you saying? Come and eat," Ye Liangchen called out, noticing his mother lost in thought.
Whether in the past or now, Ye Liangchen had always relied on his mother, who had always been unconditionally good to him.
"Coming. My son has grown up and now knows how to care for his mother."
The family sat together, enjoying a warm and hearty dinner.
......
Meanwhile, at Li Qingxue's house, her family had just sat down for dinner.
Just then, the phone in the living room rang.
Li Qingxue's family was relatively well-off, and her parents set strict examples when it came to raising their children.
No phones were allowed at the dining table, and during meals, phones were to be left elsewhere.
Hearing the ringtone, Li's Mother got up and went to the living room to answer the call.
But as she listened, her elegant brows furrowed, and she glanced over at Li Qingxue.
Li Qingxue, who was waiting for her mother to join them at the table, was curious about who would call during dinner. Her eyes met her mother’s gaze.
"What’s wrong, Mom? Who called?"
"It was your homeroom teacher."
Hearing this, Li Qingxue looked puzzled. "Why would the teacher call?"
"She said you’ve been dating someone in class and that it’s affecting your classmates."
The words hung in the air, and the dining table fell into silence.
The table was filled with delicious dishes prepared to celebrate Li Qingxue’s recent achievement of ranking first in her grade. But now, no one touched their food.
Father Li’s face darkened. As a doting father, he couldn’t stand the thought of some "pig" trying to take his precious daughter away. The mere idea made his blood boil.
"Dating? Who’s spreading such nonsense?"
As parents, they knew their child best.
Li's Mother was more familiar with Li Qingxue’s habits than anyone.
For instance, when Li Qingxue lied, she had a tendency to lower her gaze, unable to meet the other person’s eyes—a sign of guilt.
But now, Li Qingxue showed no such signs. Instead, she looked both angry and confused.
This alone was enough for Li's Mother to feel reassured.
She gently smoothed Li Qingxue’s long, dark hair and looked at her seriously. "I believe you, sweetheart."
"So tell me, have you been dating anyone at school? Has it affected your classmates?"