The Gaze from Her Uncle

"The bus has arrived, the bus has arrived."

After the announcement played twice and the driver called out once more, Luo Ye looked at Su Baizhou beside him.

During the two-and-a-half-hour ride, Su Baizhou had kept her head resting on Luo Ye's shoulder. He did not know whether she had truly been asleep at first or merely pretending, but she was definitely asleep now.

Because there was a glistening, translucent patch on Luo Ye's shoulder.

He had not expected Senior Sister to drool...

"Senior Sister, wake up."

Luo Ye gently touched her arm.

Her beautiful eyes fluttered slightly before opening in confusion.

The first thing she saw was a handsome, youthful face.

Su Baizhou froze, staring at him somewhat blankly.

Having just woken up, Fairy Senior Sister lacked her usual cool and distant aura. She looked like an adorably sweet girl instead, and her dazed expression left Luo Ye entranced as well.

So Fairy Senior Sister could make an expression like that too.

But at that moment, there was still a tiny bit of clear liquid at the corner of Su Baizhou's mouth.

Just as their eyes met!

Luo Ye broke the silence, hurriedly pulling a tissue from his pocket and wiping the corner of her mouth.

At last, Su Baizhou was fully awake.

She had actually fallen asleep, and slept so soundly that she had drooled.

How embarrassing.

A clear blush appeared on the Iceberg Goddess's face. She reached out, grabbed Luo Ye's hand, and snatched the tissue from him.

"Thank you..." she said softly, returning to her usual self.

The two stood up and got off the bus.

They were in a rural town, still about five or six kilometers away from Su Baizhou's mother's home.

It was already nearly ten at night. There were no more buses in town, much less any taxis.

Su Baizhou took out her phone, intending to call her uncle and ask him to drive over and pick them up.

After the call ended, Luo Ye began to feel nervous.

Her uncle?

And Fairy Senior Sister's mother too?

He swore that he had only come to Hangzhou to have fun. Although Fairy Senior Sister was the reason, he had never truly thought he would run into her.

Yet not only had he met her, he was even about to meet her family.

Things were developing in an increasingly unbelievable direction, and Luo Ye was not prepared at all.

Noticing the young man's expression, Su Baizhou said, "They're easy to get along with."

Luo Ye wore a rather miserable expression. With a bitter smile, he said, "Senior Sister, I'm a guy. Is it really okay to bring me home?"

"If I don't bring you back, where will you stay?"

As soon as she said that, Su Baizhou frowned.

Right, she had forgotten about hotels. She could have Luo Ye stay at one.

But it was already too late to send him there. There were guesthouses in town, but their conditions were not very good, and it would be inappropriate to have Luo Ye stay in one.

Besides, the vehicle coming to pick her up had already arrived.

Su Baizhou looked toward the roadside. An electric tricycle had stopped there, and an exceptionally handsome middle-aged man was looking around.

When he spotted Su Baizhou, his eyes lit up, and he waved.

"Let's go."

Su Baizhou started walking, and Luo Ye could only follow with a stiff upper lip.

The middle-aged man had originally been delighted, but when he saw a boy following behind his well-behaved, adorable niece, his face immediately darkened.

Once the two climbed into the electric tricycle, the man twisted the handle. The tricycle practically launched from the spot, speeding out of town and into a nearby village.

Su Baizhou's mother was named Fan Xinya, while her uncle's name was Fan Jian.

"Fanfan, did you eat dinner?" Fan Jian asked.

"I ate a little."

Su Baizhou spoke softly, then explained to Luo Ye, "When I was born, Uncle wanted to name me Su Baifan, but my mother objected. Later, I was named Baizhou, and Fanfan became my nickname."

Even Qin Yuwen did not know about this. Back in Jiangcheng, only her best friend from medical university knew.

Hearing that, Luo Ye smiled. "Baifan sounds nice too. Mainly because Senior Sister is so pretty—whatever you're called would sound nice."

That remark earned Fan Jian's approval.

"Kid, putting everything else aside, I approve of your taste."

Soon, the tricycle stopped in the courtyard.

This was Fan Jian's home. Su Baizhou's maternal grandparents had already passed away.

Fan Jian's son—Su Baizhou's Cousin—was working elsewhere, so only Fan Jian and his wife, along with Su Baizhou's mother, lived here.

A beautiful woman who looked to be around thirty, though half her hair was already streaked with white, came out happily. "Fanfan is back."

She was Su Baizhou's mother, Fan Xinya. She was forty-one this year, yet looked as though she were only thirty.

As expected of the woman who had given birth to Fairy Senior Sister. She was simply stunning.

Luo Ye sighed inwardly.

Fan Xinya also noticed the boy standing beside Su Baizhou. She was taken aback at first, but seeing Luo Ye's shy appearance, she revealed a pleasantly surprised expression and could not help asking, "Fanfan, who is this?"

"He's Luo Ye, a friend who came back with me from Jiangcheng," Su Baizhou said expressionlessly.

Friend!

Those two words filled Luo Ye with delight.

Senior Sister had acknowledged him. He was already her friend.

Fan Xinya smiled.

He was the first boy Fanfan had ever referred to as a friend...

It seemed Fanfan considered him special.

"Come in quickly. We saved dinner for you."

As she spoke, Fan Xinya coughed twice. Her health clearly was not very good.

After entering the house, Luo Ye stood before the table and stared at the lavish dinner spread before him, his eyes nearly turning into little stars.

So Fairy Senior Sister's cooking had been taught by her mother.

This looked far too delicious.

Fan Jian's gaze remained fixed on Luo Ye.

Their Fan family had only this one precious girl. He wanted to see just what sort of fellow could stay by Fanfan's side.

As he kept staring, Su Baizhou frowned beside him and said, "Stop staring. Eat."

Fan Jian gave an embarrassed smile.

The men of the Fan family basically had no status. When he was young, he listened to his mother and younger sister; after growing up, he listened to his wife; and now, he even had to listen to his niece.

Fortunately, he had a son, so he was not at the very bottom of the hierarchy.

However...

Looking at Luo Ye, Fan Jian suddenly revealed a mischievous smile.

Perhaps his status could rise another level?

Still, if Luo Ye wanted to become Fanfan's boyfriend, that would depend on whether this uncle approved of him.

Luo Ye began eating, his expression extremely excited, as though he were just short of bursting into tears.

Wild mountain dishes always had a different flavor, a feeling completely unlike food in the city.

Seeing Luo Ye eat with such gusto, Fan Xinya smiled as well.

It was recognition of her cooking.

Besides, the boy seemed a little simple-minded and could not hide his emotions. When he encountered delicious food, he openly showed how much he liked it.

Most importantly... after taking only a few bites of the best dishes on the table, he merely looked at them longingly a few times before moving on to other food.

Clearly, he was leaving them for the others.

But for whom?

Fan Xinya looked at Su Baizhou, then froze.

Su Baizhou was also looking at Luo Ye, and that expression on her face...

Fan Xinya could not suppress the corners of her mouth from rising.

She had thought her daughter would stay single for the rest of her life.