The mother and son returned to the classroom one after the other.
He Xiao remained silent the whole way, only looking at the girl beside him who seemed to be in a good mood after he sat down.
"What were you and Jiang Zhixing talking about? And what's the deal with those photos?" he asked in a deep voice.
Shen Linyue looked at the boy in confusion: "What photo? What riddle? We were clearly having a normal conversation."
He Xiao's gaze was deep and unfathomable: "Are you sure? Why do I feel like you're intentionally or unintentionally pointing him out?"
"Really? That must be your imagination." Shen Linyue shrugged after thinking for a few seconds.
He Xiao: "..."
Looking at the girl's profile, he opened his mouth but didn't know where to begin.
After holding it in for a long time, he only gave one warning: "Take care of yourself."
Shen Linyue was slightly taken aback, then smiled at him: "Of course, I don't like to act alone, don't you think, A-Xiao?"
He Xiao: "..." I feel like I've been tricked, thank you.
With Shen Linyue's counterattack, He Xiao stopped dwelling on the topic.
Instead, they discussed Jiang Yanxin's matter with her.
"Do you really think Jiang Zhixing's mother is mentally sound?" He Xiao frowned.
Thinking of how she was in a daze last time, grabbing Lin Yue and refusing to let go, she couldn't help but feel a chill.
Shen Linyue blinked: "Maybe, perhaps a little?"
She felt that Jiang Yanxin was under a lot of pressure and her nerves might be a little fragile and sensitive, but where did this pressure come from?
Thinking of this, Shen Linyue thought of Jiang Zhixing again, hoping that he wouldn't disappoint her.
Just then, Jiang Zhixing walked in through the front door, and their eyes met unintentionally. Shen Linyue smiled sweetly at him, while Jiang Zhixing's expression remained unreadable. After a second of eye contact, their gazes separated.
...
Shen Linyue felt very relaxed throughout the afternoon.
When she returned home that evening, the housekeeper told her...
"Miss Lin Yue, the gentleman is waiting for you in the study."
Shen Linyue was surprised for a moment, and the events of last night flooded her mind again. Thinking about today's decision, she forcibly suppressed her uncontrollable heartbeat and remembered the important matter.
In normal circumstances, He Liyu would avoid embarrassing her by taking the initiative to stay away from her. But now that he has taken the initiative to contact her, something must have happened.
After only a few seconds of thought, Shen Linyue came to her senses and nodded.
"I understand, thank you, Uncle Xiao."
The butler smiled kindly: "I'll go heat up some milk for you and the young master."
Shen Linyue nodded, then noticed a burning gaze beside her. Turning her head, she met He Xiao's unwavering eyes.
Shen Linyue: "..." Next time, I should remind Uncle Xiao to avoid talking about Ah Xiao when discussing this matter.
"How come you and Lao He always have so much to talk about?" the boy asked, squinting his eyes in confusion.
“How could that be? You must be mistaken,” Shen Linyue retorted with a frown. “Old He has been so busy lately. How long has it been since we last saw him? He probably has something important to discuss with me this time. I’ll go upstairs and take a look.”
He Xiao grabbed her arm: "What is it that I can't listen to?"
Shen Linyue was surprised: "Instead of wasting your time, you might as well do a few more practice problems. Besides, am I a thief? Why do I feel like you're on guard against me?"
He Xiao was taken aback, then moved his mouth before saying with dissatisfaction, "...Don't wrong people, go quickly."
Seeing that Ah Xiao didn't press the matter further, Shen Linyue breathed a sigh of relief and hurried upstairs to her study.
When she stood at the door of the study, she hesitated again. She had originally wanted to calm herself down for two days before looking at He Liyu's face.
She feared that the ideas she had just built up would collapse uncontrollably.
Just as she was hesitating, a familiar and gentle voice sounded from behind her.
"You're back?" It was He Liyu.
Shen Linyue was startled and turned around stiffly, only to see He Liyu standing in front of her with wet hair and wearing a bathrobe, clearly having just taken a shower.
Shen Linyue: "..."
Her gaze couldn't help but fall on his fair collarbone. It was rare to see He Liyu like this. Usually, he was either in a suit and tie or wearing a white shirt, with the top button fastened so that it covered his Adam's apple.
Therefore, it's no wonder that Shen Linyue looked elsewhere.
Just as Shen Linyue's cheeks were burning, a smug yet familiar voice rang out from behind them.
"What kind of appearance is this, with your clothes so disheveled?"
Shen Linyue's mind cleared instantly. Looking back, she saw He Xiao standing at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed, watching the two of them with an air of nonchalance.
The boy was tall and slender, leaning against the wall with his long legs casually crossed. His handsome face looked at He Liyu with disdain and condemnation.
His eyes were saying, "Don't lead the little girl astray."
He Liyu: "..."
Shen Linyue: "..."
"Why are you all staring at me? Didn't you say something behind my back? Are you waiting until dawn to tell me?" He Xiao sneered.
Shen Linyue paused for a moment, then suddenly realized that poisoning A-Xiao to make him mute wasn't such a bad idea. :)
The strange atmosphere dissipated completely after Ah Xiao interrupted.
He Liyu frowned and said in a deep voice, "Don't talk nonsense, A-Xiao."
He Xiao scoffed, rolled his eyes, and before leaving, gave Chen Linyue a deep look before turning back to his room.
When the two returned to the study, Shen Linyue had already calmed down, but the look in A Xiao's eyes was still in her mind.
"I'm sorry, I'll explain this to Ah Xiao." He Liyu spoke first, handing Shen Linyue a cup of hot water.
Feeling the warmth emanating from her palm, Shen Linyue's thoughts gradually returned to the main topic.
"Has something happened?"
He Liyu didn't hide anything or deliberately play cryptic, and nodded seriously: "Yes, your mother knows you've returned."
He pursed his lips and continued to explain: "When I went to Country L last time to handle your household registration, your mother was unaware of it. Your stepfather helped with everything. He promised to keep it a secret for the time being because your mother's health is not good and she can't handle any stress."
When Shen Linyue heard the word 'mother', her pupils couldn't help but shrink.
She hadn't seen her mother for a long time, and when she heard him say that her mother was unwell, she didn't know how to respond.
His throat was dry, and he opened his mouth, stammering, "Oh, how did she know about this? Did my stepfather tell her?"
He Liyu looked at her pale face, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with heartache.
“This wasn’t something Uncle Gu said. Someone is investigating you. Your mother’s neighbor told her.” He Liyu paused, watching her reaction before continuing, “Your mother’s body has been unable to withstand any stimulation since your accidental disappearance, which is why we chose to keep it from her.”
Shen Linyue's hand on her knee tightened involuntarily: "Did she say anything else?"
Even she herself didn't realize that her voice was trembling slightly.
He Liyu pursed his lips, feeling heartbroken as he looked at the fragile girl in front of him. He wanted to hug her, but reason told him he couldn't.
"Yes, she said she wanted to meet you, and Jiang Jinyu probably already knows your identity."
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