Between Mother and Daughter
Mount Lu had long since obscured the sun's rays, but summer days always seem to darken later, making it the perfect time for a rendezvous after dusk.
Why did the ancients write about meeting after dusk? Because the light at this time is extremely dim, concealing much shyness, yet allowing people to clearly see the beauty and charm. Both men and women become bolder, their emotions more unrestrained, making it easier for things to go smoothly.
Liu Yuewang stood on the balcony, with several swaying branches behind her. The flowers and plants she had planted on the balcony were blooming vigorously, actively emitting a charming fragrance. Today, Liu Yuewang was wearing a white puff-sleeved short top, which revealed a short section of her waist and delicate skin when she bent over and walked. She wore black chiffon trousers, giving her an elegant and leisurely style.
Women who are short or whose legs don't make up a large proportion of their overall height dare not wear loose and wide trousers. To wear them with ease and grace, one must be a tall woman like An Nuan or Liu Yuewang.
Liu Chang'an opened the balcony door and let Liu Yuewang in. After all, this was someone else's home, and Liu Chang'an couldn't just silently draw the curtains again and pretend nothing had happened.
"What are you doing in the dark?" Liu Yuewang tiptoed in, then realized that there was no need to sneak around like this. She paused, put her leg down, and tried to walk in with a more natural posture. She lowered her voice and said to Liu Chang'an.
"I'm going to watch a movie, and then I'm going to learn to dance," Liu Chang'an said frankly. He had no intention of doing anything to the girl here.
"That's it?" Liu Yuewang didn't believe it.
"That's settled." Liu Chang'an nodded.
Liu Yuewang glanced at Liu Chang'an suspiciously, feeling somewhat uncertain. She didn't really understand men, after all, she wasn't the kind of woman who had seen it all and experienced all the ups and downs of relationships.
Feeling a bit annoyed, Liu Yuewang gripped her phone, though it wasn't convenient right now. She wanted to ask someone, but...
Seeing her subtle movements, Liu Chang'an tacitly turned off his phone.
"Mom, aren't you going to a graduation ball tonight?" The tradition of dances at Xiangtan University has not been abandoned despite the changing entertainment trends of modern society; social events are still held from time to time.
"Old Ling had to dance with her husband, and I didn't have a dance partner, so I came back." Liu Yuewang waved her hand irritably. "Every year around graduation time, a bunch of brats come to ask me out like they're on steroids. They're shameless."
Actually, it's impossible to get an appointment with Professor Liu. The senior students from the previous year always tell the current students. But Professor Liu is Professor Liu after all. When many freshmen of Xiangtan University inquire about various news about Xiangtan University, they can't avoid hearing about her famous name. Liu Yuewang is always featured in Xiangtan University's recruitment promotional videos and image videos.
Although Liu Yuewang is young, she is very experienced... This experience is not academic, but rather because, like An Nuan, she graduated from Xiangtan University Affiliated High School and Xiangtan University. During her student days, she was the object of affection for some of the students who stayed on Xiangtan University, as well as young counselors and teachers. These people are now scattered throughout various positions at Xiangtan University. When they see the woman who once stirred up all sorts of feelings in their hearts, who is like their own youthful feelings, and see her face as it has always been, they always feel that no matter what, they should give her some leeway, take care of her, and support her.
Men are sometimes complex, sometimes simple, and they find it hardest to let go of their inner feelings. So if a movie can successfully evoke these feelings in men, it will definitely not be a box office flop.
A woman like Liu Yuewang is like a movie where every frame could be used as wallpaper; it's beautiful and full of sentiment.
"Have you eaten? There's food in the fridge, right? I'll cook." Liu Chang'an said.
"Go ahead, they probably haven't eaten yet." An Nuan was feeling awkward.
It wasn't awkward to talk about this matter alone with Liu Chang'an, nor was it awkward to settle accounts with her mother alone. It was only awkward when the three of them were together. An Nuan quickly sent Liu Chang'an away, and she became even more certain that this was a tacit understanding between her and Liu Chang'an.
"No way, I'll go." Liu Yuewang quickly adopted the demeanor of a housewife, "I'll go pick some scallions!"
"Pick some more scallions!" An Nuan said irritably.
Liu Yuewang then sat down, Liu Chang'an went out.
"He's so informal. I hope he doesn't cut up my cucumbers and carrots later," Liu Yuewang said with some concern.
Cucumbers are used for face masks. Every time Liu Yuewang uses that cucumber slicer to slice them thinner and thinner, she feels a sense of accomplishment.
Carrots are, of course, used for juicing.
"Didn't I send you an article on WeChat Moments last time, saying that cucumber face masks are completely useless?"
"Who said that? Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth, and it's proven useful." Liu Yuewang has the right to choose whether to believe what she wants to believe or not.
"I don't want to talk to you anymore," An Nuan said, puffing out her cheeks.
"Hmph, you have the nerve to say that. Luckily I got back in time." Liu Yuewang maintained a motherly demeanor and said earnestly, "Tell me, when a mother finds her daughter and her boyfriend in their bedroom with the door closed and the curtains drawn, and wants to save face for her children, isn't it perfectly reasonable to secretly use a screwdriver to pry open the window? You should understand a mother's good intentions."
"Isn't this just common sense?" An Nuan often heard Liu Chang'an say this, which made her even more annoyed. "You said you trusted me to know my limits, who said that? And you tried my QQ password and WeChat password, which resulted in my account being locked fewer times?"
"It was only two or three times, I learned it from Old Ling, it's all her fault." Liu Yuewang put her arm around An Nuan's shoulder, "Don't be angry, be good."
"Only two or three times?" An Nuan she didn't want to talk.
"You've done the same thing to me before," Liu Yuewang scoffed. "Same to you."
"I... I..." An Nuan couldn't explain the reason, so she stomped her foot and sulked.
"Alright, alright, you're back to normal... Tell Mom what you were doing just now?" Liu Yuewang asked with concern. How could she rely solely on Liu Chang'an's side of the story? She needed to interrogate him while Liu Chang'an was away to see if there were any clues. If all else failed, she would personally suggest that Liu Chang'an have the surgery. After all, she had already tacitly acknowledged his relationship with An Nuan; he should at least give her some face, right?
Old Ling next door has already booked a minor surgery for Han Zhizhi at the plastic surgery hospital, so that Han Zhizhi can stay at home quietly and willingly for two months, away from those young roosters who have just graduated from high school and are already driven by hormones like roosters.
"We were just watching a movie, just watching it on a projector with the curtains closed. We were planning to learn a couple of dances after the movie. Bai Hui from our class danced and uploaded it to the website, it went viral." Of course, An Nuan wouldn't mention learning tango. Her mother naturally knew about tango. Liu Chang'an explained the various ambiguous aspects of tango, An Nuan felt a little guilty. It was best not to let her mother know.
"I'm not trying to be mean, but you should eat the snow frog stew I made for you with care. Bai Hui is that girl who always thinks she's amazing because she has big breasts, right?" Liu Yuewang had heard An Nuan gossip about the girls in her class quite often, so she knew them very well.
"It tastes awful." An Nuan's eyes darted around. "I'll ask Liu Chang'an to stew it for me; his cooking is sure to be delicious."
Liu Yuewang slapped An Nuan on the forehead, angrily saying, "You heartless wretch! How is my stew not as good as his!"
"You'll know once you taste his cooking," An Nuan said confidently.
Liu Yuewang didn't take it seriously. How well could a little kid do...? This thought had barely formed in her mind when Liu Yuewang became uncertain. She suddenly remembered that this child outside possessed sewing skills comparable to Weng Simei's. Such a genius—perhaps he was also an expert in cooking?
"Such a capable guy, can you handle him?" Liu Yuewang was worried about her daughter again. The more talented a man is, the more likely he is to be a womanizer. Sometimes he doesn't even need to take the initiative; all sorts of seductive women will naturally flock to him. For example, Bai Hui, whom her daughter often talked about, even tried to seduce Liu Chang'an into confessing his feelings. Fortunately, Liu Chang'an was quick-witted at the time... Although that video made Liu Yuewang discover the signs, she was also somewhat relieved. The one pursuing her daughter was not a stupid fool who would forget himself just because someone beckoned to him.
An Nuan turned her head, glanced at Liu Yuewang, and said nothing.
"You see, you're not entirely sure yourself, are you?" Liu Yuewang keenly caught a certain implication, but not the whole story.
An Nuan was actually overthinking things. Girls can be incredibly attached to the people they like, especially when it's Liu Chang'an. An Nuan didn't know when she started to feel that it was impossible for her to have any ambiguous feelings with anyone other than Liu Chang'an.
The more you care, the more anxious you become; isn't it only natural to overreact to the slightest disturbance?
"Liu Chang'an may have had someone he liked before we got together, and I'm a little bothered by that." An Nuan frowned slightly, then relaxed and sighed, "I just hope that if he ever changes his mind, he won't hide it from me, won't give me the silent treatment, and will just tell me he wants to break up."
Liu Yuewang looked at An Nuan and hugged her daughter with heartache. From the moment a girl starts dating, her heart is no longer clear and transparent. It is covered with dense threads of emotion, which tighten and tighten. If you pull the other end of the thread even slightly, it may draw blood. The harder you pull, the more it will be broken into pieces.
"Is this what he told you, or is it your own feeling?"
"I can sense it, but it's strange. He's like someone who's been in countless relationships, but that's clearly impossible." An Nuan sometimes felt that her feelings were absurd.
"Ask him!" Liu Yuewang said anxiously.
An Nuan rolled her eyes at her mother. "Why ask? If he wants to talk, he will. I won't ask. It's not a long time yet, there's no rush, or maybe he feels it's not the right time."
"You pressure him, or we'll break up," Liu Yuewang said impatiently.
"You're really making things worse. Don't give me any advice on dating; you don't know anything yourself... Have you read that article about parents interfering in their children's relationships leading to tragedy?" An Nuan stood up and stretched. "I'm going to the kitchen to help him."
Liu Yuewang crossed her arms angrily. It was all Liu Chang'an's fault that she had no authority over her daughter. Who told her to be experiencing a life she wasn't good at?
Liu Yuewang didn't just randomly pick a character and start writing; the reasons for her personality will be explained later. Besides, people like her aren't uncommon; they exist in real life. Many elders act silly in front of family, but switch to a different mode when facing outsiders. Although there have been long chapters these past few days, updates haven't been frequent. I'll have a big update tomorrow.