"Ah Ming, are you two dating?"

Wang Ming felt a little embarrassed. After his mother exposed his biggest secret, he was so embarrassed that his whole body started to itch.

"Mom, you... already know?"

"With your acting skills, all your thoughts are written on your face. You think you can fool your mother?" Li Weiya said jokingly.

She chuckled softly and casually asked, "Did you start dating around the Chinese New Year?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Ming's eyes widened. He hadn't expected his mother to know even this. He had thought he had been very careful in hiding it for so long, but his mother had seen through all his little tricks.

Since that's the case, there's no need to keep being stubborn.

"Hmm..." Wang Ming lowered his head and took a sip of water, his ears already turning bright red.

Li Weiya glanced at him: "You're such a grown man, why are you still embarrassed to date? Look at Xia and Yanwan, they date openly and honestly, they met each other's parents in high school, and now they're engaged. Besides, it's not like Mom forbids you from dating. Life is short, you should hold on tight when you meet a good girl, don't miss out and regret it later."

Wang Ming blinked.

“That Shen Ying…”

"Don't you know whether she's a good girl or not?"

Wang Ming nodded vigorously: "Top-notch!"

“That settles it then.” Li Weiya said lightly. “Yingying, she… is indeed very good.”

Hearing his mother's approval, Wang Ming's face beamed with joy.

"So, where did you put Yingying?"

"The hotel you stayed at when you first arrived in the capital."

"Oh, that's not too far." Li Weiya walked to the window and looked towards the hotel, but her view was blocked by several buildings.

"So how do you plan to spend time with her these next few days?"

She had already learned from Jiang Xia that the boy had taken five days off, apparently intending to make up for the time they were forced to be apart due to their long-distance relationship.

"Actually, I didn't have any particular ideas. I just accompanied her to eat and shop." Wang Ming said honestly.

"Um……"

Li Weiya nodded slightly. A romantic setting isn't always necessary for a couple to be together. What matters is the little moments spent with your loved one: sharing a candied hawthorn skewer, watching the same movie, strolling hand-in-hand through the alleyways of old Beijing, and taking joyful photos together at tourist attractions…

"My camera is in the drawer inside the house. Take it if you need it. If you don't have enough money, just let me know."

"Mom, no need. I have a phone to take pictures, and my salary is more than enough for daily expenses," Wang Ming said.

"By the way, last summer, you were feeling down for a while. Was the girl who rejected you Yingying?" Li Weiya suddenly asked.

Wang Ming looked puzzled. How did his mother even know about this? Had he made it too obvious at the time?

"Don't look at me like that, and it wasn't Xia who told me. Under normal circumstances, people don't experience much emotional fluctuation except when they suffer setbacks in their relationships."

Li Weiya looked at him and asked, "What exactly happened?"

To be honest, Li Weiya has always wanted to understand this matter, to find out who hurt her son so deeply.

"Actually, it's nothing, just..."

Wang Ming pursed his lips. Now that he was with Shen Ying, those unspeakable past experiences had become like a bittersweet coffee with a rich and mellow aroma.

"I had a crush on her in high school, but I got into the Central Academy of Fine Arts, while she had to stay in Chongqing. She felt that there was no future for us, so she decisively nipped the budding romance in the bud."

Hearing this, Li Weiya nodded with satisfaction: "It's clear that Yingying is very rational."

Unlike other young girls who get blinded by love and fall in love without thinking, resulting in a breakup in a long-distance relationship.

"Alright, that's all. I'm going to sleep now. You should go to sleep early too."

Having resolved her previous doubts, Li Weiya yawned softly and walked towards her bedroom.

Back in his room, Wang Ming lay on the bed and took out his phone to continue chatting with Shen Ying.

"Ying, my mom already knows."

"Huh? Auntie knows I'm in the capital?" Shen Ying replied quickly.

"No, she knows that we're dating."

"!!!!"

Shen Ying was taken aback: "When did she find out?"

"It was probably around the New Year. She seemed to have known all along, but she just didn't say anything." Wang Ming sighed with emotion. He had to admit that his mother was indeed wise and experienced.

The thought of how carefully I've kept it a secret for so long makes me feel stupid.

Shen Ying held her breath and typed nervously, key by key: "Did Auntie say anything?"

"Hehe, guess?"

"Don't be ridiculous, just tell me already!!!"

Shen Ying was anxious; if Wang Ming were in front of her right now, she would definitely hit him on the head.

"My mom said..."

Wang Ming paused slightly, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense.

"What did you say!?"

"I think I've suddenly forgotten something, let me think..."

Shen Ying: "? You could forget something so important? How could you forget?"

She could tell at a glance that Wang Ming was deliberately teasing her, but she was still really annoyed!

"Idiot! Want to get beaten up? Speak up!"

"Hehehe, okay, okay, I'm just teasing you. My mom said you're a good girl and that I should spend the next few days with you. She also doesn't object to us dating."

Shen Ying was stunned for a moment: "Auntie...did she really say that?"

"Otherwise what?" Wang Ming chuckled foolishly. If he had known his mother was so open-minded, he wouldn't have kept it a secret.

"She even said you're practically her apprentice, that you're excellent in every way, and that she's basically accepted you as her daughter-in-law!"

Upon seeing the words "daughter-in-law," Shen Ying blushed reflexively.

"Pah, I haven't agreed yet~" Her voice inadvertently carried a hint of coquettishness.

"I don't care. If you disagree, go talk to my mom." Wang Ming decided to take his shamelessness to the extreme.

"snort!"

Shen Ying sent a right snort emoji; this guy actually dared to threaten her.

"Ying, how about having dinner with my mom tomorrow night? Of course, Lao Jiang and his wife too."

"Um……"

The thought of meeting Li Weiya as her girlfriend made Shen Ying feel unconsciously nervous.

"Hehehe, you're not shy already, are you?" Wang Ming chuckled to himself.

Shen Ying stubbornly retorted, "What are you thinking? You yourself said that Auntie is half my teacher. How could I be shy when I meet my teacher?"

"The past is the past, the present is the present, and the status is different now. In other words, the new bride is about to meet her mother-in-law!"

Shen Ying was extremely shy: "Hey, say that again! Believe me or not, I'll bite you tomorrow!"

"Hmm, it can bite the neck, bite the mouth, bite the hand."

"Pah! I'm ignoring you."

Wang Ming chuckled and let out a soft sigh: "Ying, get some rest. See you tomorrow."

"Idiot, see you tomorrow." (End of Chapter)