It was rare for Wen Mo to say something sweet, and he blushed deeply at his own words, reaching out to release Xia Lian from his embrace.

Xia Lian was a little confused. She nodded and tugged at her clothes, occasionally glancing cautiously at Wen Mo, who was not yet fully awake.

After waiting for a while, Wen Mo regained his composure and waved to her, "You can go out for a bit."

"Wen Mo, do you hate me?" Xia Lian immediately lowered her head, as if a dark cloud was hanging over her, thinking she had said something wrong.

"That's not what I meant! I need to change my clothes!"

Helpless, Wen Mo held her shoulders and pushed Xia Lian out step by step.

"Change clothes?"

Xia Lian tilted her head, and her gloomy mood instantly returned.

"Yes, you don't want to see it, do you?"

"Wenmo, if you're willing..."

"Want my ass, I'm not showing it to you." Wen Mo curled his lip and tossed her outside. "Wait for me outside for a bit."

Then, the door clicked shut.

"It seems like they're out." Su Juan nudged Wen Yiquan's arm.

Wen Yiquan, who was still struggling with his tea, finally put down his teacup and called out with a kind smile, "Xiao Lian, don't just stand there, come and have breakfast."

After saying that, he led her to the dining table.

This was Xia Lian's first time spending time with her uncle and aunt without Wen Mo's company, and her breathing was slow, clearly indicating her nervousness.

"Thank you, Uncle and Aunt."

Even after thanking her, Xia Lian didn't dare to start eating immediately. She waited for Su Juan to force a bun into her hand before she started eating like a chick pecking at rice.

"Eat slowly, and eat more if you're not full. You're still growing, so you need to eat more to stay healthy." Su Juan smiled at her and reached out to touch Xia Lian's wrist.

Although he looks better than he did back then, he has not yet fully recovered.

"Xiao Lian, how tall are you now?"

Xia Lian put down the steamed bun, looked up at her aunt, and timidly replied, "It seems to be... 159..."

After speaking, she dared not look up. She had always been very self-conscious about her physical appearance because, unlike other girls on the street, she was short and not very fleshy. Compared to other girls, she had no charm whatsoever.

However, Su Juan didn't mean anything by it and smiled gently, "It's about the same as when I was young. I was even shorter than you back then! But I've grown a bit taller since then."

These words sounded like self-deprecation, but in reality, they were meant to comfort Xia Lian and clearly tell her that she would definitely grow taller in the future.

Su Juan is about half a head taller than Xia Lian. When the two sit together, they look more like sisters than mother and daughter, especially when they hold hands.

"Will you grow taller...?" Xia Lian raised her head curiously, her eyes revealing a hint of eagerness.

"Of course he'll grow taller. Let me tell you, Wenmo was as short as a potato when he was little, but he's grown so much taller now." Su Juan smiled and didn't mince words when talking about her son's embarrassing past.

Just as Wen Yiquan was about to say something in agreement, he suddenly heard a "click" from the door of the room.

"I think I heard someone talking about my embarrassing past." Wen Mo had just changed his clothes and opened the door when he heard what had just been said. He shrugged helplessly and said with a self-deprecating laugh, "Yeah, I was really short back then... although I'm not that tall now either."

He pulled out a chair and plopped down next to Wen Yiquan. He skillfully grabbed a steamed bun and stuffed it into his mouth. The hot meat filling was a little too hot for his mouth. As Wen Mo spoke, he gestured with his hand above his head.

"I didn't grow much in the first and second years of junior high school. I was one of the shortest in the class. I only grew a little taller later."

Indeed, he only grew a little taller, and several years passed before he was about to graduate without surpassing his father's height.

"Everyone told me not to be a picky eater when I was little, but now that I'm not tall, who can I blame?" Wen Yiquan said with a hint of schadenfreude, as if having a son was just a way to tease him.

"You're about the same height as me and you still have the nerve to say that?"

Wen Mo ignored him and grabbed another bun, stuffing it into Wen Yiquan's mouth.

I glanced at the clock on the wall; it was almost nine o'clock since I got up.

Wen Yiquan seemed to read his mind and casually asked, "No classes today?"

Yes, I want it.

"Then why don't you go?"

"I overslept, I might as well ask for leave." Wen Mo took out his phone, found his homeroom teacher's WeChat, and explained the reason very skillfully. The other party didn't waste any words and agreed immediately.

Putting his phone away, Wen Mo finished the rest of his bun in one bite, clapped his hands, and said, "Dad, I'll let you ask for leave from Xiao Lian."

"...It feels a bit strange, but I can't quite put my finger on it. By the way, do you do this all the time?" Wen Yiquan couldn't help but complain, but still honestly helped him ask for leave.

Su Juan, standing to the side, kept whispering to Xia Lian, occasionally glancing up at the father and son on the other side.

"Mom, what are you two talking about? You've been whispering to each other." Wen Mo asked.

"I'm teaching Xiaolian not to be so reserved. You don't have to be so careful even when eating a meal." Su Juan rubbed Xia Lian's head, turned to look at her helplessly, and said, "This is your own home. You don't have to be so cautious. You can do and say whatever you want."

Xia Lian was clearly still a little reserved, and just kept nodding, taking small bites of the bun in her hand, "I understand, Auntie."

"Oh, you're so cute!"

Su Juan really wanted to hug her and give her a big kiss, but that would be too unladylike, so she gave up on the idea.

Wen Yiquan put down the steamed bun in his hand, took out a tissue to wipe his hands, coughed twice, and said loudly, "Alright, now that our family is all here, let's talk about something serious."

"It's surprising that you can talk about serious matters." Wen Mo rolled his eyes.

The important thing he mentioned last time was the news that Xia Lianxin had moved in.

"Don't interrupt."

"Alright, alright, I'll listen to you."

Seeing that everyone's attention was focused, Wen Yiquan slowly said, "You're about to graduate, right? You'll be taking the college entrance exam in half a year."

Wen Mo was surprised to be called on. After a few seconds of hesitation, he replied, "Yes, I'll be graduating soon."

"Hmm." Wen Yiquan nodded, crossing his hands on the table. "I plan to terminate the lease on that apartment after graduation."

"What?!"

Wen Mo stared wide-eyed and slammed his hand heavily on the table.

Seemingly surprised by his strong reaction, even Wen Yiquan was taken aback. He pushed up his glasses and continued, "You'll be going to university after graduation, so why are you still renting that place?"

"Where does Xiaolian live?"

“Come live with us. Your mother and I have already discussed it.” Wen Yiquan pointed to the room inside.

"..."

Wen Mo didn't say anything; only now did he understand what his parents meant.

Furthermore, they didn't seem to have mentioned preparing to take the entrance exam for a local university.

"Dad, Mom, I have something I want to tell you. Don't be too surprised later."