It's very hot outside; even though it's already autumn, it's still scorching.

Wenmo hailed a taxi and waited for a few minutes by the roadside near the mall before a black sedan pulled up in front of them.

"The car has arrived..." Xia Lian tugged at his sleeve.

Wen Mo, who was lost in thought, finally realized what was happening. "Oh, I was daydreaming."

He then opened the car door, let Xia Lian get in first, and sat down next to her.

Their hands were still clasped tightly. The air conditioning in the car was very cool, but Wen Mo couldn't calm down. The warmth of his palms made him truly feel the presence of the girl beside him, and his mind kept replaying what had just happened.

If Xia Lian's clinginess before was just an exaggeration, then her current state is by no means an exaggeration.

They even started talking about their own marriage.

The two of them usually get along very well. After all, their relationship is what it is, and as long as they don't go too far, it won't matter much what they say or do.

Before meeting Wen Mo, Xia Lian rarely interacted with others, so it's understandable that she was confused about interpersonal relationships.

As for marriage...

This girl probably doesn't even know what love means, let alone marriage. In her mind, marriage is simply about wanting to stay by Wenmo's side.

All the processes and their significance in between are completely unknown.

As I was pondering, a voice came from the front row.

The driver was easy to talk to. Seeing that the people who got in were a young man and a young woman who seemed to be a couple, he didn't stop talking and joked with a smile, "Young man, you brought your girlfriend out for fun?"

Wen Mo was thinking about something else when he was suddenly interrupted by this voice. He subconsciously replied, "Yes, I'm taking her to see a movie today."

He had barely said those words two seconds before realizing something was off, and quickly added, "We're not a couple, you've misunderstood."

"Not a couple?"

The driver sounded somewhat surprised. He took the opportunity while waiting at a red light to steal a glance at the two people in the rearview mirror, but their clasped hands were very conspicuous no matter how you looked at them.

Perhaps these two young people are just shy, so they're too embarrassed to admit it.

The driver thought about it and didn't ask any more questions, after all, it was someone else's private matter. But he didn't stop talking and continued to chat with Wen Mo about everyday things.

His voice was very mature, like any middle-aged man you randomly picked up on the street would have that voice. Wen Mo was also bored and chatted with him all the way, occasionally getting Xia Lian into the conversation so that she wouldn't just sit there in a daze.

The shopping mall wasn't far from home. About ten minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of the residential area. The driver, who had been chatting all the way, was a little thirsty, so he took out a thermos and took a sip of tea.

"We've arrived."

"Okay, thank you, driver." Wen Mo opened the car door and looked around to see if there were any passing vehicles.

He got out of the car first, holding onto the door frame with one hand and Xia Lian's hand with the other to prevent her from bumping her head when getting out. "We're leaving now, goodbye."

Xia Lian stood beside him and also tried to say goodbye in a crisp voice.

"goodbye……"

Seeing this, the driver forced a smile. He had already received his next order on his phone, so he didn't say anything more and reversed to leave.

"This girl is quite interesting, you should treat her well."

Xia Lian has the appearance of a well-bred young lady, coupled with a pitiful and taciturn face, and she always speaks softly. Although she seems a little dim-witted and dull, she is generally a very likable child.

After saying that, the car disappeared from their sight with the roar of its engine.

"What are you saying? I'll definitely take good care of her." Wen Mo felt a little strange, scratched his head, and then pulled Xia Lian home.

Seemingly used to holding hands, neither of them spoke on the way home. Wen Mo was calm, but suddenly noticed that Xia Lian was cautiously observing him from the side.

"What's wrong?" Wen Mo asked.

Xia Lian, who was being watched, did not look away, but the temperature in her palms rose slightly.

"Couples..."

"What?"

Her voice was too soft for Wenmo to hear clearly, so he had to move closer.

"What are couples?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Mo was stunned for a while, staring blankly into Xia Lian's eyes.

Her eyes were pure, so clean that they contained not a trace of filth, and crystal clear.

Xia Lian knew nothing about this; the only adult she had ever known since childhood was her mother.

Meanwhile, the students around me have been making risqué jokes since middle school; it seems that kids these days mature very early.

Xia Lian could only listen to their jokes in a daze, racking her brains for a long time but still not figuring out what was so funny.

Xia Lian couldn't understand.

Her mother never talked to her about this, only telling her to cherish her body and that she could only get closer to someone she liked.

Xia Lian remembered it all, because Wen Mo was the person she liked, so she could hold hands and hug him.

However, they were unaware that the feeling of "liking" also needs to be categorized.

Wen Mo was somewhat used to it and didn't show much surprise. After regaining his composure, he simply replied, "Couples are... well... you have to become a couple first before you can get married, right?"

After saying that, I felt something was off.

In today's world, fast-food relationships are all the rage; some couples get married after knowing each other for only a couple of days, which is exactly what Wenmo hates most.

Love should be a slow and steady process.

He didn't want Xia Lian, this innocent little girl beside him, to be contaminated by any trashy knowledge.

You must become a couple first, then you can get married.

This statement will never be wrong.

Xia Lian, who was initially not very energetic, suddenly became interested as soon as she heard the word "marriage," as if a key word had been triggered.

How can we... become a couple?

"You can become a couple just by dating. Once two people are sure of each other's feelings, they become a couple."

Wen Mo spoke casually, and before he knew it, he had arrived at his front door. He then took out his key, opened the door, and let Xia Lian go in first.

"Confirming your feelings...?"

After entering the room, as if she felt that Wen Mo hadn't heard her, Xia Lian pressed herself against him and repeated herself, looking at him expectantly.

Seeing her like this, Wen Mo pursed her lips and started changing her shoes. "When two people like each other and then confess their feelings, that's how they confirm their feelings."

After she finished speaking, Xia Lian stood there stunned, and without thinking, she continued, "I like Wen..."

"That's different."

Seemingly anticipating what she was about to say, Wen Mo helplessly rubbed his forehead, sat down on the sofa, and patted the spot next to him.

Once she was seated beside him, Wen Mo took a breath and said earnestly, "The 'like' you're talking about is different from the 'like' in a romantic relationship."