Meeting parents and meeting best friends

1. Girlfriends, younger brothers, and brothers

"Tell me the truth!"

Li Yicheng waved his hand, picked up the pen on the table, and ordered all the recommended dishes on the menu in one breath.

Yao Yingmo tried to pull the pen away, but it wouldn't budge. "This... there are only five of us. Can we finish it?"

Li Yicheng glanced at her and handed the pen to Luo Jiayou, "Here."

"Thank you." Luo Jiayou quickly added several more dishes.

Yao Yingmo's eyes twitched as he watched.

Luo Jiayou finished drawing and turned to Zhou Yu, "Brother, do you want to order some food? The portions here aren't big, so you don't have to worry about not being able to finish them. As for the price... these two have caused so much trouble recently, they deserve to pay a little."

Zhou Yu thought about it and nodded.

There were five or six more pictorial notes on the menu.

Yao Yingmo stopped talking, and Shi Xuze next to him didn't even dare to breathe. He just did whatever Luo Jiayou said.

Forget it, she will compensate Shi Xuze later.

Although Shi Xuze said he would treat them, it would be bad to blame Shi Xuze for all three people's emotions.

After all, when it comes to causing trouble, she and Shi Xuze share equal responsibility.

Among the three people who came to collect the debt aggressively, two of them were the ones she needed to appease.

So when the waiter looked at the full menu and confirmed it again and again, the five heads shook up and down, watching the waiter leave with a look of suspicion on his face.

The table was barely big enough for their order.

"Can we really finish it?" Yao Yingmo was worried.

"Delicious." Li Yicheng picked up a piece of meat and put it into Yao Yingmo's bowl. "There are only two things you need to do now. One is to eat, and the other is to confess and get leniency."

"Actually, I've said everything I need to say. The live broadcast was truly our first day together, but I didn't expect it to be discovered so easily."

Luo Jiayou sneered, "I believe Teacher Zhaohe didn't expect it, but it's impossible for someone not to have thought of it, right?"

Shi Xuze's scalp tightened, "I was in such a good mood that Tang Yu found out."

Luo Jiayou: "Have you ever seriously considered hiding?"

"I've thought about it, but I can't hide it."

Yao Yingmo touched his nose and said, "It's not easy to hide."

She dared to answer that question during the live broadcast, just to play Tai Chi and pave the way for exposure one day in the future. Who would have thought that in the minds of netizens, they had been dating for a long time?

Ambiguous answers are also considered to be a disguised cover-up that only makes the matter more obvious.

She doesn't want to either.

Li Yicheng rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I'm just bothered by your sudden attack. As for your relationship, I support it. Good friends and idols being together is like a dream come true. You can see that the public online agrees with it."

Luo Jiayou nodded aside, "I think it's good too, but Mr. Zhaohe has been a little bit influenced by us Guangguang. I hope you can keep an eye on him more and stop playing with him."

Shi Xuze was unconvinced: "Am I that bad?"

Luo Jiayou: "You're not bad, you're just rather naive."

Yao Yingmo smiled silently and did not save him.

Zhou Yu ate quietly, his eyes moving around restlessly, but he didn't say a word.

Shi Xuze was quite nervous about this. He was nervous until the dinner was over and he was still uneasy when he returned home. "What does Xiaoyu think of me?"

Yao Yingmo glanced at the message from Zhou Yu and turned off the phone. "Just rest assured."

2. Shi Family Parents

"OK."

"Huh? Is that really possible?"

Shi Xuze and Yao Yingmo did a poor job of keeping secrets from the very beginning.

The relationship was discovered by people around us on the first day, so naturally we couldn't hide it from our parents for long.

On the second day of their relationship, Shi Xuze's parents noticed something was wrong from the online discussions and called him directly, guessing the truth from Shi Xuze's hesitancy.

Shi Xuze could only admit it.

Later, even though he delayed several times, after dating for a month, he finally couldn't resist his parents' urging to meet Yao Yingmo.

"How do you know they don't want to if you don't ask? If you don't ask again, we'll just go to your house and ring the doorbell next door."

For the first time, Shi Xuze felt overwhelmed by the fact that his parents were on the front line surfing the Internet for him.

Although he knew that they would not actually make such an impolite visit, Shi Xuze still spoke to Yao Yingmo.

Unexpectedly, Yao Yingmo agreed immediately without even thinking about it.

"Meeting the parents is a normal part of etiquette. I'm going to meet them one day, right? Besides, you've already met Xiaoyu and Chengzi. To me, they represent my family. Now that you've met them, it's my turn to meet them too."

"Will you be nervous?"

"Yes. So you need to tell me about your parents' preferences and personalities, and don't schedule a date too close to home. Give me some time to prepare."

Shi Xuze did as he was told and set a meeting time two weeks later.

Yao Yingmo made some snacks for herself, and then took Li Yicheng out to buy some souvenirs suitable for the elders. She gave the bags to Shi Xuze to carry, and the two appeared at the door of the Shi family together.

"Hello, uncle and aunt."

"You are Xiaohe, right?"

Xiaohe?

"Our silly son, all he does when it comes to love is laugh himself silly, he can't even speak clearly, and he even forgot to tell us your real name, so we have to call you by your internet name."

Yao Yingmo looked at Shi Xuze and raised his eyebrows.

He stuck out his tongue, trying to get away with it.

Just know how to act like a spoiled brat.

Yao Yingmo retracted his gaze. "My name is Yao Yingmo. The word Zhaohe is taken from my name. My friends also call me Hehe. You can continue to call me Xiaohe."

"Okay." Lin Man said, "Come, don't stand at the door, come in and sit down."

Shi Xuze was ordered to pack up the things they brought, while Yao Yingmo was pulled to sit in the living room.

Shi Congyan prepared the tea set in advance, and as soon as Yao Yingmo sat down, a cup of hot tea was placed in front of him.

The aroma of tea rose with the steam. Yao Yingmo picked up the teacup and blew gently, "What a nice smell."

Shi Congyan had a strange expression on his face. "This is the same tea my son stole back for you to drink."

Yao Yingmo responded quickly, "Uncle's cooking skills are better."

Shi Congyan smiled more sincerely, "He's just too impulsive. He refused to learn how to make tea from me before. I'll give him special training next time."

Yao Yingmo responded with a smile, then turned around and chatted in a low voice with Lin Man.

"You're actually younger than our Zeze." Lin Man said with emotion, "Answer me softly. You're so steady, how come you're attracted to my son?"

Yao Yingmo couldn't help laughing. Following Lin Man's instructions, he moved a little closer and responded in a low voice.

"After being so stable for so long, I'm naturally drawn to someone who's as bright and relaxed as the sun. I really like him."

Lin Man: "That's good. I thought he was being reserved in front of you and was worried that he would reveal his flaws one day."

What kind of image does Shi Xuze have in the eyes of his parents?

Given his personality, even if he tried to act pretentious, he wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

Yao Yingmo said to ease the situation, "He's very cute."

Shi Congyan suddenly choked and the tea sprayed onto his hands.

Lin Man took out a piece of paper to help him wipe it, "You said Zeze was frizzy, I think he inherited it from you."

Shi Congyan clenched his fist and blocked his mouth with a cough. "I was... frightened by what Xiaohe called your son."

Shi Xuze poked his head out from the kitchen, "Mom and Dad, please stop saying bad things about me!"

"No, I'm telling the truth."

Yao Yingmo watched their interaction with a smile.

The atmosphere in the Shi family is really good, and the family members have deep feelings for each other. No wonder they could raise a child with Shi Xuze's personality.

Until the end of the meal, Shi's parents did not mention anything about her family background.

The previous storm of public opinion had made everything semi-public, and Yao Yingmo had already prepared himself mentally.

But not only did they not ask, they also did not reveal any pity or displeasure in their words and deeds.

Yao Yingmo just felt a warmth in his heart.

Before leaving, Lin Man held her hand and whispered softly, "You can always call me mom if you want."

Shi Congyan pulled her away and said, "Don't make it sound like you're trying to get them married. They've only been dating for a short time."

Yao Yingmo understood what they meant, raised his hand, gently pressed the corner of his eyes, and smiled.

"Thank you, uncle and aunt. We will come to visit you often."

"Okay, be careful on the road."

3. Uncle Mu and Sister Chang

After the radio drama was released, Yao Yingmo asked Shi Xuze several times to visit Uncle Mu, but Uncle Mu's condition recurred and he had to go to the hospital frequently, so it was not until she finally got the chance to meet him.

Uncle Mu can no longer eat greasy food outside, so Sister Chang cooks for him herself.

Yao Yingmo wanted to go into the kitchen to help, but Sister Chang asked Shi Xuze to go in.

Before leaving, she winked at Yao Yingmo.

Yao Yingmo understood.

Uncle Mu wanted to talk to her alone.

She sat down on the small chair next to Uncle Mu's recliner.

"I'm sorry to visit you so late."

Uncle Mu slowly turned his head to look at her.

"It's okay. I know you guys were busy with so many things going on before, and we've implicated you in most of this. We should be grateful to you for putting aside the past and being willing to spend time with us."

Uncle Mu's voice was still a little hoarse and he spoke slowly, but his logic was clear and his pronunciation was still correct.

"Don't say that. I've received a lot of care from you guys," Yao Yingmo said. "How are you feeling lately?"

Uncle Mu: "The disease won't be cured, but when good things happen, people are in high spirits. I've been feeling pretty good lately."

"That's good."

Uncle Mu propped himself up with his elbows, and Yao Yingmo quickly reached out to help.

"Thank you." Uncle Mu sat up straight, his expression becoming serious, but his tone was still relaxed, as if he was just chatting. "I said let Guangguang take over the studio, so your sister Chang and I can retire and do whatever we want to do."

"That's good too." Yao Yingmo lowered his eyes, "but Xuze will be sad."

Uncle Mu lay back down again, turned his head to the other side, and looked out the window.

It is already autumn, and the withered yellow leaves hanging on the branches are trembling. After a few breaths, they lose their vitality and fall to the ground.

"I will keep in touch with you. Besides, now that I have you, I can rest assured."

The autumn wind is bleak, the fallen leaves are swaying, and the few leaves still green on the treetops are just the last struggle of summer.

Yao Yingmo responded softly, "I don't really know much about dubbing."

"You don't have to understand," Uncle Mu said. "That kid looks very sunny, but he's actually never experienced any setbacks and is very sentimental. I was always worried that if I left suddenly, he would be devastated."

"It's different now that you're here. He has you as his emotional support, so he won't fall so easily."

After a few seconds of silence, Yao Yingmo sighed, "I understand, but you still have to talk to him in person. I can only accompany him."

"That's enough."

While we were talking, the busy work in the kitchen had ended.

Sister Chang left Shi Xuze in the restaurant to set the table and came out alone to call for help.

As soon as she came out, she noticed that the atmosphere was not right. She said casually, "What are you talking about with Teacher Zhao He, you old man? You made the atmosphere so heavy. Guang Guang finally caught up with her, don't let her scare her away again."

Yao Yingmo pursed her lips and smiled, "Don't worry, Sister Chang, even if you want to drive me away now, it won't be that easy. I can smell the delicious food."

This is not just to ease the atmosphere, it really smells good.

Sister Chang was amused by her. While helping Uncle Mu up, she teased him, "I didn't realize before that you were as greedy as Guangguang."

Yao Yingmo offered a hand to help, "If I weren't greedy, I wouldn't be able to master the cooking skills to feed him well."

"Don't spoil him too much. Let him cook dumplings or noodles occasionally."

"He has been studying recently."

The boiled eggs and toast I ate before going out this morning were made by Shi Xuze. Although the eggshell was broken and the toast was burnt, the thought behind it was outstanding.

For Yao Yingmo, this is enough.

Sister Chang didn't say anything more, but the wrinkles between her brows relaxed a little.