Tong Xiaohuai thought about it carefully all the way, and it wasn't until dinner time that she tentatively asked Yan Bo.
"How have things been going with your family lately?"
Yanbo put her favorite beef brisket into her bowl, saying, "It's nothing, it's still the same."
Clearly, he didn't intend to mention his falling out with his family to her.
Tong Xiaohuai paused for a moment, then picked up a piece of beef brisket and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly.
Along the way, she had considered this possibility, but when he truly kept quiet about his relationship with his parents, her heart grew heavy.
She never wanted to be a burden to him.
Whether she wanted to or not, reality was cruel. In the end, because of her family background, she became his heaviest burden.
Yan Bo was unaware that Yan Yuan had called Tong Xiaohuai. Seeing her silence, he assumed she had failed her exam.
"What's wrong? Did you do poorly on the exam?"
Tong Xiaohuai subconsciously shook his head, but quickly nodded again.
"Hmm, the knowledge points were marked incorrectly; the test covered all the parts we hadn't reviewed."
Rather than making him worry, it's better to let him think that she's unhappy because of the exam.
"It's alright, I heard Di Xu mention it. Professors at L University are very humane in their grading. As long as your attendance is decent and your exam results aren't too disastrous, they usually give you a passing grade."
Yan Bo thought she was upset because she had failed the exam, so he comforted her and peeled a few crab legs and put them all into her bowl.
Looking at the bowl piled high with meat, Tong Xiaohuai felt even more upset. She picked up her chopsticks and put the two crab legs back into Yanbo's bowl.
"You should eat too. Don't just keep trying to fatten me up. I won't look good if I get fat."
Yan Bo put down his chopsticks, tilted his head, and carefully examined her for a few moments.
"You look good even if you're a little chubby. You don't need to diet. Eat whatever you want!"
Tong Xiaohuai was both amused and exasperated; what kind of boyfriend would indulge his girlfriend's excessive eating like this?
However, she actually has a constitution that allows her to eat whatever she wants without gaining weight, so her assumption is actually invalid.
In order not to arouse Yan Bo's suspicion, Tong Xiaohuai ate a lot that night, and almost had to hold her stomach when she left.
Yan Bo escorted her to the Tong family home. He went inside and greeted Tong's mother and eldest son, but declined everyone's suggestion that he stay overnight. After sitting for a while, he got up and took his leave.
Tong Xiaohuai didn't insist on keeping him, because everyone was busy as the year-end approached.
She herself was also swamped with tasks, but with exams piling up these past few days, she had no choice but to temporarily entrust them to Qin Ming while she focused all her energy on preparing for her first semester of university exams.
After Yan Bo left, the smile that had been on Tong Xiaohuai's face vanished.
The eldest son was busy playing with his precious toys, so he didn't notice that his daughter was in a bad mood.
Tong's mother noticed it immediately and patted her on the shoulder, "Xiao Huai, your dad and I bought some flower tea today. Come with me to try it."
Tong Xiaohuai glanced at his father, who was curled up on the sofa, intently studying his baby with a magnifying glass, and nodded.
"Oh, wait for me a moment, I'll put my backpack away and change my clothes."
"Okay, I'll drink first. You can come over after you've finished showering. It's cold outside, a shower will warm you up."
Tong Xiaohuai obediently went back to her room, took a shower, put on a thick bathrobe, and took a few books and notebooks to the tea room.
Although she was upset, she didn't neglect any of the things she was supposed to do.
As for Yanbo's situation, there's always a way to resolve it.
Although she had no clue how to solve the problem, she could only comfort herself with this thought for the time being.
Otherwise, if one were to think the worst, her and Yanbo's future would be bleak and hopeless, with no way out at all.
"Come on, have a sip of this tea. Doesn't it smell especially good?"
When Tong Ma saw her come in, she shifted her position on the tatami mat, placed a soft cushion next to her, and then put the fragrant tea in front of her.
"Thank you, Mom!"
Tong Xiaohuai picked up the cup and took a sip.
The rich aroma of tea, mingled with the delicate fragrance of flowers, instantly captivated her taste buds.
"Hmm...not bad!"
Tong's mother nodded in satisfaction. "Right? Your dad accompanied me all over the street to find such high-quality tea. I was just thinking that Xiao Yan would stay overnight so he could have a good taste too."
When Yan Bo was mentioned, a shadow of sadness crossed Tong Xiaohuai's eyes.
However, this subtle change in her expression did not escape Tong Ma's notice.
"It's alright, I bought quite a lot. I'll have the driver deliver some to him tomorrow."
Tong Xiaohuai composed herself and nodded. "Yeah, he's been busy with work lately, so he probably won't have time to come over often."
Tong's mother patted the back of her hand. "Silly girl, you don't need to explain this to us. Your father and I both know that Xiao Yan is a very career-oriented man. It's normal for him to be busy now that the year is almost over. However, you have to remind him from time to time that no matter how busy he is, he must take care of his health. Tomorrow I'll have your Uncle Guan make some soup and send it over to him to help him recover."
Tong Xiaohuai opened her arms and hugged her mother. "Yes, thank you, Mom. I'm so grateful for your help."
Tong's mother glared at her, "Why are you being so polite with your mother? He's good to you, so of course I'll be good to him. In the future, I'll need him to take care of you."
Tong Xiaohuai smiled at his mother, picked up the teacup, and drank it all in one gulp.
Tong's mother could tell that her daughter was distracted, but she wasn't in a hurry to ask.
My daughter is all grown up now; she should be able to think independently and try to handle things on her own.
Tong Xiaohuai sat quietly beside her considerate mother, drinking her tea.
The mother and daughter sipped their drinks slowly and deliberately until Tong Laoda pushed the door open and came in.
"Oh, you and your daughter are cultivating? Why is it so quiet?"
Tong's mother rolled her eyes at him. "Enjoying tea is normal when you don't talk. How does being quiet become a form of spiritual practice?"
Tong Laoda plopped down, picked up his cup, and drank the tea in one gulp.
"What's there to savor? It's just for quenching thirst, isn't it?"
Tong's mother laughed and smacked him, "You're wasting my good tea. Fine, go outside and find a bottle of beer to drink."
Tong Laoda looked at the mother and daughter. "You two have something to talk about? Can't I listen?"
Before Tong Xiaohuai could speak, his mother pushed him, signaling him to get out.
"Yes, Xiao Huai and I are discussing what methods we can use to help you quit smoking and drinking."
Tong Laoda glanced warily at the mother and daughter, while Tong Xiaohuai smiled and echoed her mother's words, "Dad, if you don't go out soon, Mom will sleep with me tonight!"
Tong Laoda suddenly stood up, "You two have no conscience! Xiao Yan is much better!"
Tong's mother laughed at him, "Yes, now that you have a son-in-law, your wife and daughter aren't as good anymore, they're disgusted with you!"
Tong Laoda didn't argue. He just bent down and, in front of Tong Xiaohuai, gave Tong's mother a quick kiss on the cheek. Then, he got up and left gracefully.
Tong Xiaohuai was caught off guard by the sudden display of affection, clutching her chest and remaining silent for a long time.
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