Chicago.
MacArthur Genius Grant awards gala.
At the venue.
"Is Dr. Beverly Hofstadter your mother?"
The moment Sheldon heard that surname, he immediately asked.
"Yes."
Leonard's sister, Lecher, nodded. "You know my mother?"
"I've read The Hopeless A'Dou, which she wrote."
Sheldon smiled sincerely. "I have to say, she truly is the ideal mother.
I simply can't imagine how the Leonard in the book could have lived such a failed life despite having such an ideal mother."
"Are you saying that based on social convention, do you genuinely think so, or are you flirting with me?"
Lecher gave Sheldon a look.
"I genuinely think so."
Sheldon said that first, then asked in bafflement, "I can understand why you'd interpret it as me speaking based on social convention, but why would you say I'm flirting with you?"
"You think my mother is an ideal mother."
Lecher analyzed, "With DNA already established, you can't become her son.
The only way would be to become her legal son—that is, her son-in-law.
And among the three children in our family, I'm the only girl.
So is it wrong for me to think you might be flirting with me?"
"Not wrong."
Sheldon nodded. "Perfectly logical, but you forgot there are three other possibilities."
"Let's hear them."
Lecher raised a brow.
"First, after DNA has been established, aside from becoming her son-in-law, I could become her adopted son."
Sheldon held up one finger.
"No possibility."
Lecher cut him off directly. "My mother has absolutely no interest in adopting children."
"Are you sure?"
Sheldon slightly drew back his head, his big eyes looking at Lecher as if he half believed her and half did not. "I think your mother would be very interested in adopting a super genius like me.
I also highly approve of her child-rearing