Millions
The elevator went up and came to a steady stop at the number twenty-eight.
Chi Nuo went out first and led the way, while Ji Shu and Bai Yuzhou walked in the middle, hands in their pockets, looking relaxed and carefree.
The rest was to come later. Wen Zhuyao held her phone, ready to explain at any time.
Mo Wen walked along the spot they had left for him until he reached the door. The few steps he took gave him a sense of solemnity.
The gift was temporarily placed on the ground, leaving the hand free to knock on the door.
He stared at the door in front of him, the sound of his own breathing echoing in his ears. He couldn't help but feel flustered, and his palms were sweating involuntarily. He didn't know how to describe the moment.
My hand floated with the rhythm of my breathing, rising when I inhaled and lowering when I exhaled, but it never landed on the door.
"Bang!"
Mo Wen was startled by the sudden darkness and sound, as well as the flash of light. His eyes were immediately fixed on the door, which remained tightly closed with no sign of opening.
He breathed a sigh of relief and turned to say, "Don't make any big movements, it's scary."
"The hallway lights are off. Are you sure you can manage? Or should I come?" Chi Nuo asked cautiously, afraid that she wouldn't be able to get in within ten minutes.
He looked at Wen Zhuyao with pleading eyes, clasped his hands together, and began to wave them rapidly.
Mo Wen was still struggling with the door, but shook his head and refused, saying, "I'm fine, I'm not that nervous, it'll be over soon."
“She’s not worried about you, she’s worried about what will happen if the food gets cold.” Wen Zhuyao received the signal and leaned out from behind to speak for Chi Nuo.
Mo Wen: "..."
Good intentions were ultimately misplaced...
“You’re a bit like Yu Zhou from before, it’s quite amusing.” Ji Shu looked at him and saw the equally naive Bai Yu Zhou in her memory.
Mo Wen relaxed a little, stopped struggling with the door, and tilted his head to ask, "So how did he relieve it?"
“It hasn’t improved; he’s just become less talkative, unlike you.” Ji Shu’s words at this moment only served to mock him.
Wen Zhuyao wanted to laugh, but dared not. Behind their backs, she secretly typed a message to her mother.
"We'll be there soon. Do you need us to slow down a bit?"
The message was sent a second ago, and the next second, Wen's mother's message popped up.
Mother Wen: "Everything is ready. Come and start eating. Don't say anything, just have a meal first."
Wen's mother: "Picture."
Wen's mother: "Picture."
Two photos of dishes laid out before Wen Zhuyao appeared in front of her, but what she was more concerned about was what would happen after eating them for a while.
Wen Zhuyao tentatively asked, "What happens after we have a meal?"
"Afterwards?" Mrs. Wen lowered her hands slightly; she hadn't really thought about this. "Isn't it a bit inappropriate to let you leave right after you finish eating?"
Wen's mother felt it wasn't quite right and changed her mind: "How about we have a chat?"
She still felt it wouldn't work; this way of getting along was too nagging and too goal-oriented. In the beginning, it was all about eating, nothing more.
"After you finish eating, your dad and I will go out and get busy. You two have a good time at home."
Looking at the three different comments, and then at the people outside the door, Wen Zhuyao said, "It's not impossible for us to chat for a bit."
"Aren't you at all reserved?" Mo Wen was very curious about this question, as it didn't seem like the reaction of a normal person.
Chi Nuo kept checking the time, looking utterly dejected: "I mean, this isn't even meeting the parents yet! What happened to your initial persona???"
"Where did your persona of maturity, coolness, control over the situation, and ease of handling things go?"
Mo Wen: "If I lose it, I won't have a girlfriend."
Chi Nuo: "Alright, congratulations."
Bai Yuzhou, caught in the crossfire, put his arm around Ji Shu's waist and said, "My wife is here..."
Before he could finish speaking, Ji Shu pressed his head down and patted his face, saying, "Behave yourself, how childish."
Bai Yuzhou: "Oh."
"Knock knock knock..."
Mo Wen withdrew his gaze and, without any hesitation, reached out and knocked on the door; he couldn't bear to listen to the conversation any longer.
Having prepared everything, Wen's mother, who was waiting on the sofa, immediately sat up upon hearing the sound, ran to the door, and then stopped.
She adjusted her facial expression, put on a smile, and opened the door.
Mo Wen greeted her with a slightly awkward but polite demeanor: "Hello, Auntie. It's been so long since the New Year that I'm visiting. I didn't know what you liked, so I just bought some things that Zhu Yao thought she might need."
“Okay…” Mrs. Wen was stunned for a moment, and her expression changed when she looked at the handsome young man in front of her. “Okay, everything is fine. Oh, it’s Auntie who wanted you to come and have a meal. There’s no need to buy anything.”
"Aunt Wen, did you make a lot of delicious food? I can smell the aroma!" Chi Nuo squeezed through the gap and appeared in front of Wen's mother.
When Wen's mother saw her, she smiled and teased, "Nothing can escape your little nose. Come on, come in."
"Just put your things next to the sofa. You can come with me to wash your hands," Wen Zhuyao whispered quietly into Mo Wen's ear.
Mo Wen went in first, placed the item in the designated spot, and then waited for Wen Zhuyao to come over, seemingly calm but actually flustered.
"Hello, Auntie." Ji Shu greeted her from behind.
Wen's mother stared at her for a while, and suddenly a name popped into her mind: "Xiao Shu, right? Your handwriting is just like you, so spirited."
Bai Yuzhou also greeted, "Hello, Auntie."
“Okay, all good, come on, come on,” Mrs. Wen glanced at Ji Shu and Bai Yuzhou a few more times, then called to Mr. Wen, “Old Wen, come here for a moment, go and turn up the floor heating a bit, don’t let the children get cold.”
"I know, I know, don't be shy." After cleaning up the kitchen, Mr. Wen went out to the hallway to adjust the underfloor heating pipes.
Wen Zhuyao was the last to come in and greeted them, "Let's go, just hang up your coats, let's go wash our hands."
"Why would Aunt Wen know Sister Ji?" Mo Wen couldn't see the connection for a moment. How could they know each other?
Ji Shu rolled up her sleeves and answered personally: "I do send gifts during holidays, along with handwritten letters. I receive a lot of gifts, but I have no one to give them to. I originally wanted to give them to Xiao Zhu."
“But I didn’t lack food over there, so I asked Sister Ji to send it here. Who knew…” Wen Zhuyao added the rest.
When Ji Shu learned that the money was to be sent home to Wen's parents, she changed the method.
"As expected, we still can't compete with you guys in terms of thoroughness," Mo Wen rolled up his sleeves and waited in line to wash his hands. "Can I ask you for your advice?"
Bai Yuzhou: "Paid version or free version?"
Mo asked, "I don't want any of it."
Chi Nuo washed her hands early and sat down at the table to wait for dinner. Outside, she chatted idly with Wen's mother: "Aunt Wen, how long are you staying at home this time?"
"I'll be busy again in a couple of days. Would you like Aunt Wen to make you some late-night snacks so you can eat if you get hungry tonight?" Mother Wen's affection was evident. "Have you lost weight recently?"
Chi Nuo readily agreed, but then felt it wasn't quite right: "Okay... no, I haven't lost weight. It's too much trouble for you, Aunt Wen. You cook delicious food and are beautiful. Even though you're already very gentle, you can't spoil me like this."
The highest level of praise is when it is subtly integrated into language and imperceptible.
"I don't spoil you, I just love your sweet talk. I'd be even happier if Xiaozhu was like you."
After finishing the underfloor heating, Mr. Wen returned and closed the door.
Just then, all four of them finished washing their hands and came out. Ji Shu and Bai Yuzhou naturally sat down next to Chi Nuo.
Wen Zhuyao led Mo Wen around to the other side and sat down.
Seeing that everyone was present, Mr. and Mrs. Wen didn't stand on ceremony and said, "Let's eat, children, have a taste."
No one felt uncomfortable, except for Mo Wen.
There were no extra questions at the dinner table, only the sound of chopsticks, which made him feel a little uncomfortable for a moment.
It seems different from what I imagined.
Wen Zhuyao noticed that he was eating slowly, so she took the initiative to put some food on his plate.
Then, she leaned close to his ear and said, "Eat more, and don't let your guard down easily."
Mo Wen tilted her head slightly, wanting to ask why, but since they were at the dinner table, she didn't say anything.
He quickly realized it.
"Where do you live? How are your parents? You seem very mature, so they must be just as well-off as your parents, right?" Wen's mother placed the drinks on the coffee table.
Mo Wen blinked, as if he wanted to say something, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Chi Nuo mouthing something to him.
Chi Nuo: "Mature and composed!"
Mo Wen kept these thoughts in mind, silently adjusted his demeanor, and a smile appeared on his lips.
...
"I'm sorry to have bothered you today. Goodbye, Uncle and Aunt." Mo Wen stood up and said this before turning and walking towards the door.
Ji Shu and Bai Yuzhou also said, "We'll come to see you again next time. Please take care."
"See you tonight, Aunt Wen~" Chi Nuo playfully clung to the door frame, reluctant to leave, and waved goodbye before finally departing.
Wen Zhuyao was still the last one. She turned around and said, "Then I'll go out."
"Okay, go have fun." Mr. and Mrs. Wen seemed reassured and no longer worried about anything.
Once outside, everything seemed calm on the surface, until the elevator descended and we stepped out of the building.
"Hahahaha..."
Chi Nuo's expression changed instantly, and she couldn't help but clutch her stomach and laugh: "I... I haven't seen him like this in so long, hahahahaha..."
"It's alright, she has a very gentle and sunny personality." Chi Nuo said in a high-pitched voice, deliberately mimicking Mo Wen's speech.
Luckily, I chose one that wasn't too outstanding; if I had copied another one, I probably would have been taught a lesson.
"Are you happy to laugh at me? Then remember to bring us 'good friends' to meet you when you date in the future." Mo Wen emphasized the words "good friends".
It's commonly said that when trouble falls on someone else, let's see if she can still laugh.
Chi Nuo's smile vanished instantly. Unless specifically reminded, she knew that if she were in a relationship, she would definitely meet everyone, but not now or later.
The situation doesn't seem quite right; what if the same conversation comes out of Mo Wen's mouth?
Chi Nuo shook her head rapidly, resisting, "No, no, I won't smile. Good friends don't need such good memories, it's all in the past."
"What's the plan next?" Wen Zhuyao looked at them, wondering whether to continue their journey or part ways downstairs.
Upon hearing this, Bai Yuzhou took out his phone and scrolled through his schedule: "Today's original plan was to go to the indoor ice rink to experience ice skating, and there's an exhibition hall in the afternoon."
"But the mall was booked in the morning, so it will operate as usual in the afternoon."
Bai Yuzhou added, "If you want to continue..."
"No, I need to find a place to recall it first."
Chi Nuo still refused to let it go.
"There's a nice drink shop next to the exhibition hall, let's go there." Bai Yuzhou made up his mind and started calling a car. They could never leave a place where they could sit and chat.
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