Chapter 149 Family Gathering 4 Good Mother

Dinner finally came to an end, but judging from everyone's expressions, you guessed that this gathering would have another round.

Apart from Kevin, everyone else slowly cleared the plates with Susan. Just as you were about to go over and help, Susan patted you on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Honey, you've had enough today. Leave the rest to us."

You didn't feel anything was wrong, so you sat back down in your chair, leaned back comfortably, and quietly watched people come and go.

Just then, a somewhat arrogant voice sounded from behind you: "Hey, you've got a sharp tongue, haven't you?"

You turn your head and see Margaret's nephew—you still can't remember his name—leaning against the balcony door frame leading to the living room with his arms crossed.

He had a frizzy, curly hairstyle, and you then noticed that he was wearing a college baseball uniform with his hat pulled down low, as if he thought it would make him look cooler.

You smiled slightly at him, not intending to evade his provocation: "I thought only native English speakers could speak it fluently."

The other person raised an eyebrow, a hint of unconvinced amusement flashing in their eyes: "I don't have that many tricks up my sleeve, and I've never seen many foreigners like you. Is it because you always encounter these kinds of situations that you react so quickly?"

Look him straight in the eye and say, "What is it?"

“It’s just…” he winked.

"Phew." You couldn't be bothered with him. You already knew the quickest way to shut up this little brat: "Shut up, you white-skinned golden-haired pig." Simple and brutal.

As you speak, you cover your nose and fan yourself in front of him.

The man's blue eyes widened instantly, and his pale face, which had been tanned but only left with freckles, blushed. He was speechless.

After a moment, he took out his phone: "Want to add each other as social media friends?"

You scoffed.

However, since he's come to you, use him as a test again.

You deliberately feigned hesitation, looked him up and down for a few seconds, and slowly asked, "Are all Americans this direct in their social interactions?"

He got a surge of smugness from somewhere, walked over to the chair opposite you, and plopped down: "What else would it be called socializing?"

"Okay, adding me won't hurt. But before we become friends, could you do me a favor?"

He immediately became alert, staring at you suspiciously: "What kind of help?"

You smiled and pointed to the kitchen: "Could you get me something to eat from the fridge? You know, I didn't eat enough apple pie earlier, and I'm still a little hungry."

His eyes hardened with hesitation, and he deliberately lowered his voice: "The kitchen? Now? These old folks are cleaning up... I don't want to be the one getting in the way."

You smiled, a hint of amusement in your voice: "What? You're the kind of person who claims to be rebellious and individualistic, yet you're afraid to even touch a refrigerator?"

His pale face flushed red again, and the boys who had been watching from a distance started to jeer: "Hey! Giving up now? What's so special about the fridge? Kevin always takes beer from the fridge to drink too, doesn't he?"

Provoked by you and his friends, the man gritted his teeth, stood up abruptly, and said, "Fine, I'll get it for you! You guys, come with me if you dare!"

A group of young men in their early twenties suddenly got excited and, half-seriously and half-jokingly, lined up and walked towards the kitchen in the same style of shoes.

You lean back leisurely in your chair, watching their backs as a chill creeps into your eyes.

"Hey!" you suddenly raised your voice so everyone could hear, "Remember to get me some cheesecake!"

The group of boys turned around, smiled smugly, and gave a thumbs-up: "Got it!"

You glanced up at Susan, who was standing in the center of the living room. She smiled and nodded gently at you, as if encouraging you to do the right thing.

You felt half relieved, but your heart started racing – you didn't know exactly what would happen next, but you knew that you had already set the rules.

Soon, the sound of the refrigerator being opened came from the kitchen, accompanied by the laughter of young people:

"There's so much food in here!"

"Get the cake first, and the ice cream too!"

"Hey, this pie looks amazing!"

However, the laughter quickly turned sharp and then stopped abruptly, replaced by an eerie silence.

You kept smiling, silently counting your heartbeats: "1, 2, 3..."

A moment later, a damp and strange sound came from the kitchen, like the sound of ripe fruit being crushed and mashed, accompanied by a more unsettling "smack, smack" sound.

Chewing. Then sucking.

You don't know what happened there, but Susan certainly does.

She acted as if nothing had happened, calmly continuing to clear the table with the others, occasionally touching your hair and asking if you needed anything to eat or drink.

After finishing his work, Allen picked up his guitar, casually pulled out a chair, and began strumming it under the starry sky and a white tarpaulin, as if nothing was amiss.

Betty and Margaret sat around Allen, continuing their casual conversation, neither of them glancing more than once at the open-plan kitchen that stretched from the living room.

Slowly, the balcony door was pushed open, and a sweet, savory aroma of food wafted out. You remained calm and gently turned your head to look.

Susan appeared, with a kind smile on her face, carrying a large plate of freshly cut cheesecake and a plate of exquisitely presented meat jelly.

With a little bit of blood-red jam on her finger, she stuck out her tongue and gently licked it off, then smiled and greeted everyone, "Let's have some more dessert. We just had some freshly baked pastries and meat jelly in the kitchen."

Allen put down his guitar, smiled, and stood up to take the food from Susan's hand. Kevin, still half-reclined in his chair, reached out and grabbed a piece, stuffing it into his mouth without hesitation: "Great! Susan, your family's cooking is absolutely superb!"

While eating the meat jelly, Betty mumbled a compliment: "Your family's cooking never disappoints."

Margaret, more like a pure gourmet, elegantly picked up her plate, smiled and nodded to Susan, then gently cut a small piece with her fork and put it in her mouth.

“It’s delicious,” she said.

You're used to this kind of scene, but when you pick up the plate and look at the trembling piece of meat jelly in front of you, you realize that its color is so mottled.

Susan stands behind you, leans down and whispers in your ear, "Darling, this dish is specially prepared for you. They went to get food for you in the first place."

You look up at Susan, and the tenderness and love on her face have not diminished at all; in fact, they have become even more intense, like an artist looking at his masterpiece.

You slowly lift your fork and insert it into the delicately prepared meat jelly.

It has a soft texture, and a thick, jam-like juice oozes out from the cut surface.

You put the piece of meat jelly into Susan's mouth and said with a smile, "Dear Susan, this is for you. I think you need to enjoy this more than I do, because I appreciate everything you've done for me."

Susan's gaze fell into yours. She lowered her eyes, closed them, and put the food in her mouth. "The taste is indeed very good," she said.

Under the pitch-black sky, the hosts and guests continued their relaxed and cheerful conversation, and no one mentioned the young people again, as if they had never existed.

Only Susan knew.

Oh no, and you too, you know that too.

That's enough. You think. You've tested them enough.

You're preparing your words to Susan later, figuring out how to gently end this scene.

At this moment, Kevin sat alone on a chair in the yard, holding a bottle of beer in his hand, with a frustrated and unwilling expression on his face.

He rubbed his hair and kept trying to talk to Josh on the other side of the yard: "Josh, buddy, that's not what I meant. You know me, sometimes when we talk about things from when we were young, it really can't be nice to hear."

Josh ignored him, looking down at his phone, seemingly uninterested.

Kevin awkwardly turned to Margaret again, trying to strike up a casual conversation: "Maggie! Peggy! Hi, honey, what I said earlier wasn't directed at you. I've always been a supporter of feminism!"

Margaret gave him a cold glance, raised her glass to Betty in the distance, and completely ignored Kevin.

These things are none of your business; you just randomly picked someone to watch and then turned to your own affairs.

Kevin was completely isolated for a few minutes. His face turned deep red, and he glared at you angrily. Finally, he decided to unleash his trump card.

He said mysteriously to everyone, "Listen, folks, I have some really relaxing stuff in my car. You know what I'm talking about, right?"

Betty paused for a moment, then let out an excited laugh: "Oh, Kevin, you're...you're such a rascal!"

"So this is what you meant? Why didn't you bring it out sooner?" Margaret couldn't help but laugh.

"Hmph, finally something interesting is happening." Even Josh is involved?

Even Susan and Ellen showed unexpected excitement, as if the suggestion took them back to their younger, more carefree days.

Kevin was immediately emboldened. He grinned triumphantly, as if he had regained his home turf: "Guys! This is the guy I know! Wait, I'll go get it!"

He immediately jogged off to retrieve his "treasure." A short while later, Kevin returned, holding aloft several beautifully packaged cigarettes, looking every bit the victor.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he proclaimed loudly, "let us relive the good old days of our youth!"

Everyone present began to gather around excitedly, including Susan and Ellen. You noticed that their eyes were gradually filled with a fanatical look, a look that seemed both comical and somewhat frightening.

"Wait a minute," you couldn't sit still any longer, and you didn't even want to say anything anymore. You said to Susan in a very strong voice, "I don't think this is right. I should go back inside?"

Susan smiled and shook her head, her eyes shining: "Honey, don't spoil the fun. Tonight is the happiest moment for our whole family."

Susan was serious. You, who thought victory was assured, never expected this to happen.

You quickly look around: everyone in the courtyard is surrounded by this inexplicable frenzy, everyone except Susan, their eyes shining like those of hungry beasts.

A sense of tension quickly rose in my heart; I knew that if things continued like this, I would definitely not be able to leave.

What rules can you take advantage of? Looking at the scene before you, the first word that pops into your mind is: ignorance.

Ignorance of the harm caused by certain things, and ignorance of certain rules and bottom lines that one should abide by as a human being.

A rule flashes quickly through your mind: "Don't go to the library; knowledge isn't a good thing."

That's it!

So, in full view of everyone, you took out your phone.

Thank goodness, Ambo in Fopo was very kind and gave you one of her SIM cards to use—of course, you know, this also makes it easier for her to locate you and even monitor your network usage.

However, unlike in the past, the ironclad rule that signals would be distorted in certain scenarios no longer exists, because Americans can use 6G at any time!

You start searching for everything you know about this thing they're obsessed with.

No, just enter the keywords you want. Regardless of whether the search results are true or false, as long as they work, use them!

You put what you've learned to use right away, one eye on the screen and the other smiling at Kevin, and you read aloud: "Kevin, are you sure you want to do this? A recent psychological study from an Ivy League school pointed out that people who frequently rely on cigarettes to relieve social anxiety are likely experiencing identity disorder and severe inner turmoil."

Kevin stopped what he was doing, holding up the cigarette he had just lit, his smile freezing for a moment: "What?"

Not only him, but all the restless guests stopped in their tracks.

You continued, "Yes, haven't you heard? This research was published in the latest issue of *Science*. They even proposed a theory called 'hidden inferiority complex'—"

The word "inferiority complex" seemed to hit Kevin's sore spot. He forced a smile and retorted with feigned composure, "Hey, what does that have to do with me? I'm not anxious, and I'm not insecure!"

You're planning to make a point based on this, and you've already started searching for "whether the essence of a 'plain man' is related to his deep-seated inferiority complex and low cognitive level" when you hear Josh, who was already in a daze, sneer.

"Really, Kevin? Are you sure all your fraternity stories, muscle-flaunting, and endless self-aggrandizement aren't just a cover for some deep-seated psychological flaw?"

You look at Josh in surprise, Margaret who is also awake and looking around in confusion, and Betty who is completely unaware. You understand the underlying logic of this rule.

I told you so! Even if there are a lot of idiots in the US, they wouldn't deny knowledge to this extent.

It seems that the essence of this rule is to divide people into two camps: those who respect science and knowledge, and savages who completely deny science.

Whether using this rule will provoke attacks from anti-intellectuals or awaken those like you depends on the circumstances.

Now look at Kevin. His face gradually turned pale, and he finally lost his grip on the cigarette in his hand, which fell to the ground, its flame becoming weak and dim.

He opened his mouth, but his voice unconsciously lowered: "Josh, what do you mean?"

Josh stood up, his eyes cold and sharp: "What I mean is, you've been pretending all along, Kevin. You've been using your muscles and noise to mask your true weakness. You've fabricated a fake Alpha identity, and in reality, you're no different from any other loser in society."

Kevin tried to burst out laughing, but instead his voice came out harsh and trembling: "Josh, you're really joking!"

Margaret chimed in quietly, even more bluntly than Josh: "He wasn't joking. In fact, everyone knows deep down that you're just a lonely, insecure, and even completely unsafe kid. You keep repeating those old stories and showing off in groups just to prevent others from seeing through your emptiness."

"No!"

Josh's tone was unfriendly: "Yeah, Kevin, you always act like it's your own show at every party. Don't you realize how annoying that is?"

Now that things had come to this point, Betty nervously rubbed her fingers: "Hey, Kevin! I also think you should sometimes be quiet for a while and listen to what other people think."

Kevin's eyes, which he always kept narrowed to appear deep, widened as he looked around and was startled to find that every familiar face around him exuded an unprecedented indifference and rejection.

He looked at Susan with a pleading gaze: "Susan, do you also think I'm annoying?"

Susan avoided his gaze and sighed softly, "Kevin, maybe you should listen to other people's advice more and stop trying to control everything."

Kevin seemed utterly devastated; the cigarette in his hand fell to the ground, and the embers slowly died out.

"No!" he suddenly puffed out his chest and shouted proudly, "You bunch of weaklings! You know nothing! From today onwards, you will never be invited to do things with me again!"

Margaret just added insult to injury: "Oh, come on Kevin, you've never been one of us. You're just a social burden we need to deal with. We put up with you only because your antics are occasionally hilarious. You're a great topic of conversation for us, you know?"

"It's because you weren't invited!"

Kevin's body swelled up like an inflating balloon, and his skin was quickly stretched until it became translucent like jade.

But everyone's gazes had become empty and indifferent; each person took a step back, as if avoiding something about to happen. You also hid behind Susan.

When Kevin's skin reached a critical point, it began to flush unnaturally, and a strange, sticky fluid slowly seeped out from under his skin.

Finally, everything that had bulged up deflated in a bizarre way.

Looking at this scene, you might think of a funny joke: If you consider the trapezius muscles of every muscular bodybuilder as shoulders, and the actual shoulders as the outer shell, then they're like little guys piloting a fleshy Gundam.

You're desperately trying to hold back your laughter, while Kevin's cheeks are slowly collapsing, his hair is falling out, and his eyes are bulging out, becoming dull and empty.

Kevin knelt on the ground, struggling with his last strength to reach out his hand: "Help me...please..."

But everyone just stood there silently, as if watching a perfectly ordinary social tragedy. It seemed that Kevin's ridiculous fate in this social scene was not worthy of sympathy.

If Susan speaks up, can Kevin still save his life?

Susan's eyes tell you that, yes, as the hostess of this party, if she chooses to accept and embrace Kevin, he can still live a good life.

But she's unwilling now.

Or rather, she wants to set a "role model" for you.

At this point, Kevin's original appearance was completely unrecognizable on the ground. His body had shrunk into a grotesque mass of flesh, gradually transforming into something indescribable, like a blurry shadow that had never existed.

Susan calmly turned around, a chillingly indifferent smile appearing on her face: "Alright, it's getting late. Our party's male king has already left, so let's all go our separate ways."

Everyone silently accepted the statement, and for a moment, only Susan, you, and the other person remained in the lively courtyard.

In fact, it should just be a confrontation between you and Susan. Ever since the dinner party, Allen's personality has almost completely disappeared, leaving him only in a state of passive companionship with little free will.

The night breeze gently stirred the huge white tarpaulin overhead, and moonlight seeped in from the top, casting some blurry, disordered shadows.

Susan slowly walked to your side, her gaze gentle as water, her tone filled with undisguised expectation: "Darling, now you see, this world is complicated, but as long as you understand the rules and use them well, you can live well here. Stay and become my daughter."

You didn't answer immediately, but looked up at the huge white tarpaulin in front of you.

Splash, splash.

Your habit is to go to the Little Green Book or local forums every time you see a new rule to search for words you don't understand.

But you can't find that subtle explanation of "white canopy" in the rules. Perhaps it wasn't a white canopy in the literal sense, but rather an abstract symbol.

Anything with a white canopy that can be disassembled and moved is a white canopy vehicle; it can conceal people's true faces, making everyone hide in the shadow of rules and masks, putting on standard and fake smiles, exaggerating themselves, smiling at each other, but deep down they all have their own thoughts, judging, comparing, punishing and devouring each other, that is its effect.

“Susan,” you finally spoke, taking her hand, “you may be right, but the problem is that no matter how much power you display or how much you manipulate the rules, you can’t change your true desires.”

Susan's smile froze. She asked, "What do you mean?"

“Eve,” you whispered the name, noticing Susan’s body visibly tremble when she heard it, “she is your daughter, your real daughter. No matter how many people you try to find to replace her, you can’t solve the problem in your heart.”

“I just want us all to be happy,” Susan forced a smile. “If you stay, we’ll be fine. You see, tonight—as long as we follow the rules, we can continue to be this happy. Whoever you want to punish, I’ll let you punish them. You can date anyone, without worrying about the consequences, because I can always help you deal with her.”

…She still remembers this? You can't help but choke, but you also feel a bit amused and exasperated.

“No,” you gently interrupted her, “I never doubt that you are a truly kind and good mother at heart, but when you punish others, you also get yourself into the mire. I don’t know if you will remember how you feel now—I guess you can at least vaguely feel it, otherwise you wouldn’t have shown it to me like this—but this has nothing to do with you.”

You reach out and touch the white tarpaulin, your fingertips feeling its cold texture. It looks indestructible, but in reality, you only need to gently lift it from underneath to move it completely away.

"Everyone says that American parents don't have a strong desire to control their children, but are you like that too, since you only have one child? Do you treat Eve like your precious darling, to the point that you can't help but transfer your affection onto me?"

Yes, she is, you know.

“I came here as a child and was practically raised by my family. Now you and my mother have a good, long-term relationship. So what do you take me for? A replacement for Eve? And what do you take Eve for?” you said, each word piercing Susan’s heart. “Even during summer vacation, Eve doesn’t want to go home, not because she doesn’t want to be your child anymore, but because she has really grown up. She is no longer a child who needs your protection all the time.”

Susan's eyes began to redden, and her lips trembled slightly. She shook her head: "No, you don't understand. When I love her—when I love you, my heart is so tender, yet my strength is so great..."

“That’s because you’re someone who’s always been good at loving,” you tell her. “Your heart won’t become empty because of love, but if you just keep creating illusions, you’ll go crazy.”

You gripped the corner of the tarpaulin tightly, your resolve hardening: "So, let's take it down."

"No!" Susan rushed forward, trying to stop you. "Don't take it down! You haven't agreed yet..."

“I will not agree.” You interrupted her, calmly looking into the fear and sadness in her eyes. “What truly frightens you is the loneliness deep within your heart. But your life should not be entrusted to anyone in the name of love.”

Susan slowly lowered her hands, her expression gradually changing from resistance to helplessness. This time, you gently held her trembling hands: "Don't worry, I will stay with you, for a very long time."

Of course, it's not you yourself, but the "you" of this world. Susan has such deep feelings for "you," so "you" naturally have a deep bond with her as well.

You know, even when you leave here, the "you" in this world will still need someone like Susan.

Susan nodded silently, a long-lost sense of truth and relief gradually emerging in her eyes.

You gently released her hand, then forcefully pulled on a corner of the tarpaulin. The pristine white fabric slowly cascaded down in the moonlight, revealing a clear starry sky and a bright moon.

Tonight is clear and cloudless.

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Author's Note: I wrote this chapter on my phone while eating dinner. It seems you really need a good meal to have motivation T. To be honest, writing this section was incredibly painful; I couldn't write a thing for two weeks straight. Partly because I had a tooth pulled and couldn't eat anything good for two whole weeks, which made me feel utterly hopeless. Partly because I wanted to deviate from the outline again and write something different. Regarding the American spirit, aside from the more everyday stories I haven't written yet, I've already finished the cult classics and the reckless pursuit of freedom. What I initially wanted to write was just some very American drama. However, after developing the characters, I habitually felt that the initial ideas were too ordinary and I wanted to write something more fantastical, or even something more serious and orthodox Cthulhu (after all, Cthulhu originated in the United States), such as eating people around a house, or the entire Starry Night family melting together, or a sudden guest who is actually an evil god, etc. But I couldn't find a starting point from the content that had already been published, and if I wanted to change it, I would have to make a major overhaul. After much thought, I suddenly realized during lunch that my initial idea was actually quite good. So, I excitedly started writing what I had initially planned: a beautiful party, simple yet complex drama, a few inexplicable Cthulhu elements, and, like me, a bit of moralistic cliché at the end ^^ I haven't been reading comments lately. Every time I take a short break like this, I'm afraid the readers I often see in the comments section will disappear, and I'm also afraid of something even worse—that no one cares. So I choose to bury my head in the sand… But I still have to say: please comment, please QAQ! Don't… leave me… all alone… And about that free collection of horror short stories I was planning to update daily, guess what! I actually have over thirty chapters saved up! In just the last two months, I've had so many interesting nightmares, hehehe! I hope I really did write something really scary, hehehehehehe! I can't wait to see readers comment that I scared them, hehehe~ I haven't posted yet because I have so many unfinished projects right now. I want to finish that short diary entry about Nata first, so my homepage won't be filled with a row of unfinished projects, which is scary to read QWQ