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◎Are you impressed by my beauty?◎
When Xu Yingxi returned home from the mall, she saw Xu Xingluo with a bitter face and Xu Zhaoxue with a frown on her face.
Xu Yingxi raised her eyebrows: "What's going on?"
Xu Zhaoxue: "I just checked Xu Xingluo's academic performance and think he needs to be enrolled in some tutoring classes."
Xu Xingluo's eyebrows were almost twisted into a crescent shape, and he gave Xu Yingxi a look for help.
Xu Yingxi: “…”
She admitted that she wanted to laugh but held it back.
Xu Yingxi: "How did you conduct the random check?"
Xu Zhaoxue: "I asked him a few random formulas, but he didn't know any of them."
Xu Yingxi: "He's only in his first year of high school, so it's normal that he doesn't know a lot of formulas."
Xu Zhaoxue had a deadpan expression: "I thought so at first, too. Later, I asked him about junior high school formulas, and he got several of them wrong too."
Xu Xingluo felt very aggrieved.
He was happily chatting with his aunt when his aunt suddenly said she wanted to check on his academic performance.
Right at the start, he asked some questions about formulas he had never heard of, such as Lagrange and Menelaos.
Xu Xingluo was completely confused: What is going on?
Later, when Xu Zhaoxue asked him about the formulas he had learned in junior high school, he got nervous and even gave the wrong answer.
Xu Zhaoxue sighed: "I have a video conference to attend, so I'll go to the study first."
After a few seconds of pausing, she said, "But I'm serious about the suggestion of enrolling in tutoring classes."
In the living room, Xu Yingxi and Xu Xingluo stared at each other for a few seconds.
Xu Yingxi laughed out loud, and tried to comfort Xu Xingluo: "My sister is just like that. She has high standards. She's a genius."
When she was a child, she had also suffered from Xu Zhaoxue's abuse. To some extent, she and Xu Xingluo felt the same way.
"But I'm curious," Xu Yingxi asked, "Did your aunt ever express any concern about your academic performance in the future?"
Xu Xingluo said truthfully, "I can't quite remember... but it seems like, in first grade, after my aunt saw that I didn't get a perfect score on both tests, she stopped asking about my grades."
Xu Yingxi blinked and finally couldn't help laughing out loud.
She could hear that the future Xu Zhaoxue must have been completely disappointed with her nephew's grades at that time, and would no longer be bothered by him.
After Xu Yingxi finished laughing, Xu Xingluo cautiously called out "Mom".
Xu Yingxi: "What's wrong?"
Xu Xingluo: "Then... do I really need to attend tutoring classes?"
Xu Yingxi: "Not for now, but——"
Xu Xingluo held his breath.
Xu Yingxi: "If you do really badly on your monthly exam, I might actually consider enrolling you in a class, or... have your dad tutor you?"
Xu Xingluo's expression froze visibly.
"Then..." he said, "Then I'd better go to tutoring class."
Xu Yingxi said seriously, "I think it's better to let your dad tutor you. He's a one-on-one tutor for the top scorer in the college entrance examination, and it's free."
Xu Xingluo's facial features were almost tangled together.
Xu Yingxi patted the boy's head and said, "Alright, I was just kidding. We'll talk about this later. I have a question for you."
Xu Xingluo: "What?"
Xu Yingxi: "Do you want to go to the park tomorrow?"
Xu Xingluo's eyes lit up little by little: "Okay!"
…
The first time Xu Xingluo went to the park with his mother, he went back to the dormitory and found the pink hooded sweatshirt that his mother had praised as "beautiful" and put it on.
The park is very lively, with children running and playing, young people camping and relaxing, and people walking and exercising.
Xu Xingluo was in high spirits, and a smile had been on his face since he entered the park.
Xu Yingxi laughed: "Why do you seem to have never been to the park? My future self probably didn't abuse you, did I?"
Xu Xingluo was a little embarrassed: "I've been here before, but this is my first time since I traveled through time."
There was another reason, which he didn't mention.
Today is his birthday.
The information he gave his mother had his date of birth on it, but neither Mom nor Dad seemed to notice that today was his sixteenth birthday.
Xu Xingluo thought about whether he should remind Xu Yingxi, but then he felt that it would be like asking his mother for a birthday present.
His mother bought him so many clothes last time, and he didn't want to let her spend money again.
Moreover, he was very content to be able to hang out with his mother on his birthday.
Xu Xingluo grinned and breathed in the fresh air in the park.
The phone in Xu Yingxi's pocket vibrated.
She opened the text message and saw Song Siyao asking them where they were.
Xu Yingxi thought for a moment and said, "Let's meet at Pier 1."
She originally just wanted to stroll around, but when she passed by the lake, she saw a lot of people rowing, so she also wanted to go to the lake to feel the breeze.
Song Siyao: [Okay.]
Xu Yingxi asked Xu Xingluo, "Do you want to go boating?"
Xu Xingluo: "Okay!"
The pier is nearby, about a three-minute walk away.
After arriving, Xu Yingxi saw the back of a man wearing a gray windbreaker.
Xu Yingxi thought she was not that familiar with Song Siyao, but now she recognized his back at a glance.
Such a long trench coat is actually not easy to wear well, but it looks particularly suitable for Song Siyao, making his figure look particularly upright and his temperament outstanding.
Sure enough, men still have to be tall.
Xu Yingxi thought silently and felt that her previous standard of "boyfriend must be 180cm tall" was not only very good, but could also be raised a little bit.
Song Siyao's height is perfect.
Xu Xingluo was studying the types of boats in the lake and didn't notice anything unusual.
Xu Yingxi was hesitating whether to call Song Siyao when the man seemed to sense something and turned around to look at her.
Their eyes met.
After looking at each other for two seconds, Xu Yingxi stood there without moving, and Song Siyao walked towards her.
Song Siyao took two steps closer, and Xu Xingluo finally reacted.
At first the boy couldn't believe it and blinked slowly, thinking he had seen it wrong.
Could it be that he dreamed yesterday that his parents helped him celebrate his birthday, and he was so obsessed with it that he became dizzy and had hallucinations?
Until I heard my mother's voice in my ear: "Brother Song, what a coincidence."
Xu Xingluo pursed his lips: It turns out that it wasn’t his hallucination.
Song Siyao replied calmly: "Yeah, it's a coincidence."
Xu Yingxi said "tsk" in her heart. Just as she expected, this man was really good at pretending.
Looking at the man with a calm face, she suddenly felt a little evil.
Xu Yingxi deliberately embarrassed him: "I didn't expect that. I thought someone like my senior brother must be very busy, and even on vacation he would be busy with school. He wouldn't appear in a place like the park."
Song Siyao looked at her and said calmly, "There are people and things that are more important than studies."
Xu Yingxi's heart moved.
The way he looked at her made her subconsciously think that he was talking about herself.
Then I realized that he was probably referring to Xu Xingluo.
Xu Yingxi glanced at the young man next to her.
Xu Xingluo had not yet fully recovered from his surprise, and he only heard that the words his mother said seemed a bit sarcastic.
His mother doesn't seem to want to see his father?
Xu Xingluo was at a loss when he heard his mother say, "Well, what a coincidence, would you like to go boating with us, brother?"
Song Siyao: "Okay."
Xu Xingluo: “…”
Who can tell him if he is hallucinating?
Or is it that the God of Luck finally decided to favor him because it was his birthday today?
He was just about to believe it when Xu Yingxi patted him on the shoulder: "Why don't you go buy a ticket?"
Xu Xingluo came back to his senses: "Okay!"
He was full of energy: "Sister, which boat do you want to ride?"
There were quite a few tourists around, so Xu Xingluo automatically changed the way he addressed them.
Xu Yingxi looked at the boats on the lake and chose the most colorful one: "Flamingo."
Xu Xingluo readily agreed: "No problem!"
Then he realized that he seemed to have forgotten his father again, just like last time in the restaurant.
"Um..." He looked at his father, "Senior Song, what about you?"
Song Siyao: "I listen to your sister."
Xu Xingluo breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay!"
Xu Yingxi was about to give money to Xu Xingluo when someone got there first.
Song Siyao: "Let me do it."
Xu Yingxi looked at him.
Song Siyao: "Since it was me who proposed it, I will pay for it."
Xu Xingluo was a little confused listening to this. Didn’t his mother invite his father to go boating together?
But Xu Yingxi immediately understood what Song Siyao meant: this time it was he who suggested preparing a birthday surprise for Xu Xingluo.
Xu Yingxi: "Okay."
It would be great if someone was willing to pay, it's not like she has so much money that she doesn't know where to spend it.
Xu Xingluo went to the ticket office and bought a ticket for a four-person flamingo-shaped pedal boat with a two-hour limit.
The three put on life jackets and came to the dock.
After checking the ticket, the staff used a boat hook to hook a flamingo boat.
Song Siyao got on the boat first and extended his hand to Xu Yingxi.
Xu Yingxi: “…”
She stuffed the handbag into Song Siyao's hand, and after seeing a moment of surprise in the man's eyes, she raised the corners of her mouth in satisfaction.
She didn't need his help.
Xu Yingxi held onto the awning pole and stepped onto the boat.
Seeing his father trying to help his mother, Xu Xingluo's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, but he dared not breathe, for fear of destroying the atmosphere between the two of them: "..."
Trying to bring his mother and father together is indeed a long and arduous journey.
The three of them got on the boat, Xu Yingxi and Xu Xingluo sat on one side, and Song Siyao sat alone on the other side.
Xu Yingxi came to rowing on a whim. She was wearing a long skirt today, which was not suitable for pedaling.
But she didn't feel disappointed. It was good for her to control the direction and the other two to provide the physical support.
Xu Yingxi gripped the steering wheel and asked the two men on the boat, "Who of you will step on it? Or both?"
There are two pairs of pedals on the boat, which can be stepped on by two people at the same time.
Xu Xingluo volunteered: "Let me do it!"
He wouldn't dare say that he was good at anything else, but he had no problem exerting strength.
His future mother said that he has endless energy!
It just so happens that he is in charge of pedaling, so mom and dad can chat and build their relationship.
After Xu Xingluo finished speaking, he saw that his parents had no objection, so he started pedaling with full enthusiasm.
"Set off!"
Xu Yingxi: “…”
She couldn't help but burst out laughing.
How stupid.
Xu Yingxi thought so, raised her eyes, and inadvertently met Song Siyao's eyes.
She was slightly stunned.
The man was also smiling. Not only was the curve of his mouth more obvious than usual, but there was also a faint smile between his eyebrows.
A sentence suddenly popped up in Xu Yingxi's mind: Otherwise, it is said that the silly and sweet little sun can melt the cold iceberg?
Then she realized something was wrong and frowned: whether it was the little sun or the iceberg, it seemed that they had nothing to do with her.
Perhaps noticing the change in her expression, Song Siyao looked at her with a hint of doubt in his eyes.
Xu Yingxi noticed it and rolled her eyes at him rudely.
Song Siyao raised his eyebrows slightly, and after a moment, the curve of his lips deepened.
Xu Yingxi: “?”
Is this man sick?
Is he happy to see her unhappy?
Xu Yingxi glared back fiercely.
Xu Xingluo was so focused on pedaling that he didn't notice the exchange of glances between his parents.
At the beginning, his legs were as strong as the wind.
It was rare for Mom and Dad to be together, and even though it wasn't a real "date", Xu Xingluo was still happy and excited.
He looked up accidentally and saw that his father seemed to have a smile on his face with a gentle expression, which gave him more strength.
I continued to accelerate, my legs moving as fast as I could, wishing I could catch up with flying the plane.
However, excessive joy leads to sorrow.
Xu Xingluo suddenly cried out in pain.
Xu Yingxi looked in the direction of the sound and saw the grinning boy. She immediately understood what had happened.
She asked, "Are you having a cramp?"
Xu Xingluo: “…Yeah.”
I really don't want to admit that I got cramps after pedaling for less than a minute.
It's so embarrassing.
But it hurts so much that I can't hide it.
Xu Yingxi sighed.
If you pedal so hard, you'd probably get cramps.
"Don't panic." Xu Yingxi said, "Just stretch slowly."
Another steady voice came from the front: "Relax your legs, don't tense your feet, and do as I say."
Xu Xingluo nodded despite the pain.
Seeing this, Xu Yingxi stopped interrupting.
She remembered that she seemed to have heard that Song Siyao had the habit of exercising regularly, and should be more experienced in dealing with this situation than her.
Xu Xingluo followed his father's instructions and massaged his calves to relieve the pain.
The severe pain finally disappeared.
Xu Xingluo exhaled and said weakly, "Thank you, Dad..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the boy's body suddenly tensed up again.
Xu Xingluo: “…”
He was about to add something when he heard the person on the other side say, "It's okay."
Xu Xingluo's heart skipped a beat.
…
Things like cramps come on violently, but after they heal, it's like you don't feel anything at all.
After resting for two minutes, Xu Xingluo stretched his legs and felt that he was able to do it again.
He looked at his father who had taken over the pedals across from him and opened his mouth: "How about... let's do it together."
Xu Yingxi glanced at him.
Feeling his mother's gaze, Xu Xingluo suddenly felt guilty.
He looked at his father.
Song Siyao: "It doesn't hurt anymore?"
Xu Xingluo: "It doesn't hurt anymore."
Song Siyao: "Do you know what happened just now?"
Xu Xingluo answered honestly, "I pedaled too fast, exerted too much force, and suddenly accelerated, so I got cramps."
Song Siyao hummed, "Remember to exert force evenly and maintain a constant speed."
Xu Xingluo's eyes lit up: "Okay, got it!"
Xu Yingxi watched the interaction between the father and son silently.
She is not as experienced as Song Siyao in sports, but since Song Siyao has determined that it is okay to continue, there should be no problem.
Xu Xingluo joined the pedaling group again.
The breeze blew past my ears. Next to me was my mother holding the steering wheel, and opposite me was my father pedaling in unison.
An idea popped up in Xu Xingluo's mind——
Even though there were no gifts, no cakes, and no "Happy Birthday", this was the most satisfying birthday he had ever had in the sixteen years since he was a child.
…
Two hours sounds like a long time, but it actually went by very quickly.
At least that's what Xu Xingluo thinks.
When Xu Yingxi reminded him that there were only twenty minutes left, the boy said "Oh" reluctantly.
In one hour and forty minutes, the boat circled the lake and returned to the original dock.
There was not enough time left to row anywhere else, so we could only wander around the pier.
Xu Yingxi took out her phone and pointed it at Xu Xingluo: "Let me take a picture of you."
After all, it is this silly boy’s sixteenth birthday, so it is worth commemorating.
Xu Xingluo was stunned for a moment, then he grinned cooperatively, showing his teeth.
Xu Yingxi pressed the shutter button.
She took several photos and opened the album to appreciate them.
Xu Xingluo also came over to take a look.
"My photography skills are really good." Xu Yingxi murmured to herself, "I can shoot such a good picture with just a few seconds."
Xu Xingluo hesitated to speak.
Feeling the intense gaze from the side, Xu Yingxi curled her lips and said, "Of course, being a model is not bad either."
Xu Xingluo replied happily: "Hey, you always said I looked handsome when I smiled!"
Xu Yingxi remembered that she had never said this, so this must be what her future self said.
But she agreed in her heart.
Not everyone is suitable for making big expressions. Even among celebrities in the entertainment industry, there are some who are only suitable for taking still photos and their faces will collapse when they make expressions in TV dramas.
Xu Xingluo is different. Not only does he have delicate features in normal times, but his face does not collapse when he laughs. It can be said that his appearance can stand the test of time.
Xu Yingxi nodded: "Yeah, just like me, I look good when I'm not smiling, but I look good in a different way when I smile."
Xu Xingluo: “Yes!”
He has become accustomed to the contrast between his mother and his future. Even if she is a little "narcissistic", so what? It's the truth anyway!
Xu Xingluo suggested: "How about I take a few pictures of you too, Mom!"
Xu Yingxi looked at him doubtfully: "Can you do it?"
Xu Xingluo patted his chest and said, "Of course I can do it! I've practiced it!"
He is not bragging. Whenever he went out to play with his mother, he would take the initiative to volunteer to take pictures of her.
Because Xu Xingluo felt that his mother was so beautiful, it would be a shame not to record her.
Of course, he didn't know how to take pictures at the beginning. He had no idea about composition or angles, and was scolded by his mother several times.
But he devoted himself to studying, searched for various tutorials on the Internet, and soon mastered the skills.
After that, his mother never scolded him again, and sometimes she would even post photos he took on her WeChat Moments.
Xu Yingxi still had some doubts in her heart. She had no confidence in men's photography skills because of her ex-boyfriends.
Especially Qi Wangzhou. Although this guy has a very decent attitude and always helps her take photos diligently, he never gets angry or talks back when she scolds him.
But my understanding is really not that good, and the photos I took are just passable. I can barely pick out one out of dozens of photos to post on WeChat Moments.
Seeing Xu Xingluo's confident look, Xu Yingxi handed over the phone: "Okay, then take the photo."
Xu Xingluo took the phone happily.
Xu Yingxi didn't hold out much hope, she curled up the corners of her mouth lazily and looked at the camera.
Xu Xingluo leaned over and pointed the camera at Xu Yingxi, adjusting the angle in a very professional manner.
After a few clicks, the boy handed the phone back to Xu Yingxi: "Mom, what do you think?"
Xu Yingxi took it and raised her eyebrows slightly.
There wasn't much room for creativity when taking photos on a boat, and given her previous experience, she lowered her expectations very low.
It turns out that Xu Xingluo's photos are actually quite good. He has a good grasp of light and shadow and angles, and the composition is also quite standard and flawless.
Especially those photos where the sunlight shines through her hair, which are quite atmospheric.
Xu Yingxi glanced at the nervous boy next to her and said, "Not bad, it barely restored 80% of my beauty."
Xu Xingluo: “Isn’t it?”
"I'll take a few more pictures for you!" Xu Xingluo became even more excited after being praised. "I'll try to get it 100% accurate!"
Xu Yingxi handed him the phone and said, "That's impossible. A naturally beautiful woman like me will always look better in real life."
Xu Xingluo was convinced: "That's right... then it's 90%, no, 95%!"
After discovering that Xu Xingluo's photography skills were indeed quite good, Xu Yingxi became more motivated to cooperate.
She worked part-time as a model for a few months during her freshman year. At that time, a photographer praised her for her expressiveness and asked her if she would consider becoming a professional model.
Later, Xu Yingxi felt that this line of work was not suitable for her and stopped pursuing it.
As Xu Xingluo kept saying "good looking", Xu Yingxi changed several moves.
Feeling a pair of eyes falling on her face from the side, Xu Yingxi glanced over.
His eyes were careless and his eyebrows were slightly raised.
It's like asking: What's wrong? What can I do for you?
Song Siyao's heart moved slightly, and then he lowered his eyes.
Xu Yingxi: “…”
She snorted softly.
How about it, are you impressed by my beauty?
Even if Xu Xingluo was careless, he could still notice such obvious interaction between his parents.
His hand that was pressing the shutter button stopped.
He and his mother were taking pictures of each other all the time, and it seemed like... he had somewhat neglected his father.
Xu Xingluo swallowed his saliva: "Dad...why don't you take a few pictures for my mom too?"
After I accidentally called out "Dad" for the first time, it didn't seem so difficult to call out again.
Despite this, Xu Xingluo still felt a little awkward. After he screamed, his face immediately became hot and his earlobes also became hot.
He quickly continued speaking to hide his discomfort: "You're facing my mom, and the distance is right, so it should be easier to take a good photo."
After saying this, Xu Xingluo was extremely nervous, fearing that his father would reject him, or that his mother beside him would express opposition.
Fortunately, Xu Yingxi didn't say anything, and Song Siyao's face only briefly showed a look of surprise.
"Okay." Song Siyao said.
Xu Xingluo let out a long sigh: "Then I'll give my phone to—"
Song Siyao: "Use my phone to take a picture."
Xu Xingluo: "Oh...that's fine too!"
He was so nervous that he almost forgot that his dad also had a mobile phone, but his own phone had too low a pixel to be suitable for taking pictures.
Under normal circumstances, Xu Yingxi would definitely refuse Song Siyao to take a photo of her.
But she had just received some beautiful photos taken by Xu Xingluo, and she was in a good mood.
In addition, today was the boy's birthday, so she had decided to try not to spoil his fun before she left.
Xu Yingxi held her chin and faced Song Siyao's camera.
Ten seconds later, Xu Yingxi asked, "Is it done?"
Song Siyao: “…”
The man pursed his lips and said nothing.
It is rare to see such an expression on Song Siyao.
Xu Yingxi suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Let me see it." She held out her hand.
Xu Yingxi's face darkened as she snatched the phone from the man's hand without saying a word.
"Senior Brother Song." She glared at him, "Are you trying to take ugly photos of me on purpose so you can use it against me?"
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