My Online Friend Can't Be This Cute

Mo Xiangwen carefully packed away the letters one by one, then sat in his chair for a long time without saying a word.

"How was it? Touched?"

"I don't deserve this, Teacher. They're the ones who worked hard. What does it have to do with me?" Mo Xiangwen sighed. "And we're all grown men. What's with this kind of thing...?"

"Hahaha, morale is an important part of the battlefield too. They're just a few sheets of paper, so keep them."

He tipped his head back and said nothing.

"Just the other day, I accepted your red envelope. Now you're already asking for it back." His homeroom teacher, Xiang Ming, spoke with a helpless laugh.

That was right. At the same hotel where he had attended his homeroom teacher's wedding banquet not long ago, it was now his turn to hold a graduation banquet.

Since his homeroom teacher had had the nerve to send him a wedding invitation, what was there for him to be embarrassed about when sending his teacher an invitation to his graduation banquet?

But today, the people beside his homeroom teacher were no longer his wife, but school administrators.

When he had gone to give his homeroom teacher the invitation, the school administrators had been there too. They had even jokingly asked for invitations themselves.

Naturally, he had gone back and gotten a few extra copies, handing them over as a joke. He had never expected them to actually come.

These people had special statuses, so naturally, only he could guide them into the venue and find suitable seats for them.

When he came back, he found Cai Yibin standing outside the hotel for some reason.

"Cai Yibin? Didn't you go inside with the other classmates earlier?"

At that, Cai Yibin turned around. When he saw him, he gave a bitter smile. "Old Mo, when I was looking for the restroom just now, I suddenly saw two people who looked really familiar."

As he spoke, he pointed at the two people chatting with Mo Chenfeng and Zhou Xiuqin.

"Hey, guess who they are?"

"Your parents, obviously. It's not like I haven't seen your parents get called to school by the homeroom teacher before." Mo Xiangwen chuckled.

"Damn it, can you not bring up embarrassing stuff like that on such a happy day?" Cai Yibin complained with a long face. As if to avoid mutually exposing each other's scars, he immediately changed the subject. "Aren't you curious why they can talk with your parents for so long?"

"They know each other?"

"You know they know each other?"

"Of course I don't."

"Heh, then guess why they know each other."

"Too lazy to think. Just tell me." Mo Xiangwen shook his head.

"Ugh, you're so boring." Cai Yibin sighed, but still told him directly. "I only found out today that your mom actually works at my family's factory."

So that was it. Mo Xiangwen really had never paid attention to that before.

Seeing that he had no reaction, Cai Yibin continued, "My parents and I originally left home separately. Who knew we were all coming to the same place? If I'd known, I wouldn't have taken the bus here."

"Your parents drove here?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know what they're talking about?"

He had only asked casually, but Cai Yibin actually nodded.

"I told them before that I got these results largely thanks to my deskmate's help, so they were thinking about how to thank you properly."

"What results did you get?" Mo Xiangwen seemed distracted as he asked absentmindedly.

"Is that really the important part?" Cai Yibin was dumbfounded, but he still answered honestly. "A regular Second-Tier Undergraduate university. It's nowhere near as good as yours, but it's already pretty good for me."

"You don't need to thank me. You could've gotten in whether I was around or not." Mo Xiangwen shook his head. "Besides, didn't you write a thank-you letter?"

"Damn it, please don't mention that." Cai Yibin cursed. "Wasn't it because I got swept up in the atmosphere everyone else created? Just thinking about it now makes me cringe."

"Tell your parents there's no need. I didn't really help you much."

"I don't care what you think. I care what I think." Cai Yibin shook his head too. "It's embarrassing to say this in front of you, but everyone in class was inspired by how hard you worked back then."

At his words, Mo Xiangwen suddenly got goosebumps.

"Are you nuts? That was my own business."

"But when you were resting, you'd teach us how to solve problems too."

"Come on, classmates all do that. If someone asks a question and you know the answer, there's no reason to hide it." Mo Xiangwen sighed. "Even if you went next door and asked the top class, they'd help explain it to you."

"Whatever, don't worry about it. It's not like we're giving you anything."

"How so?"

The moment he heard they were not giving him anything, he felt much more at ease. At least he would not owe them anything.

"I just heard them say that there happens to be an open supervisor position at the factory, and they're planning to let your mom take it." Cai Yibin shrugged. "Auntie has the experience and ability for it anyway, so there won't be any issues."

"I trained in that position before. Honestly, there's barely any workload. You just need to know the factory well enough, and everyone has to be willing to listen to you."

Mo Xiangwen turned to look at Zhou Xiuqin, whose face was practically blooming with smiles as she chatted with them, and immediately understood.

He had been planning to open a small shop for his parents so they could start their retirement early, but he still needed time to prepare for that.

Besides, if even Cai Yibin said the position was easy, then it had to be genuinely easy.

"All right. Thanks."

It was easy, and it could satisfy his mother's sense of accomplishment at getting promoted. What was bad about that?

Still, this reminded him that passing the National College Entrance Examination did not mean everything was over.

He should at least work harder and find a way to set up a little retirement shop for his parents before next year.

Something like a small shop that sold lottery tickets, cigarettes, alcohol, and drinks. That should be much easier.

It was not that he wanted them to retire and do nothing right away. Anyone familiar with the older generation knew they could not sit idle for long.

If they really stayed home with nothing to do, they would only become depressed.

Once they were idle and unhappy, they would start finding trouble with him.

For example, urging him to get married, urging him to get married, and urging him to get married.

Their reasoning would be perfectly justified too. If he would not let them work and they had nothing to do after becoming idle, then shouldn't he give them a grandchild to look after?

As he pondered, he suddenly saw Cai Yibin's parents walking over together with his own parents.

"Hello, Uncle Cai. Hello, Auntie." Mo Xiangwen greeted them.

"You're Mo Xiangwen, right? Thank you for helping Little Cai with his studies."

Cai Yibin's father did not look much like a boss. He gave Mo Xiangwen more of an impression of a seasoned technical worker.

As for Cai Yibin's mother, Mo Xiangwen did not look at her too closely out of politeness, but she gave him much the same feeling as his own mother.

"No need to thank me, Uncle Cai." Mo Xiangwen gave a professional smile. "It's only natural for classmates to help each other. Cai Yibin helped me a lot too."

"Haha, hearing you say that puts me at ease." Cai Yibin's father smiled. "You're a good kid. It's just a pity Cai Yibin won't be able to attend the same university as you."

"Well, this kid only got into a Second-Tier Undergraduate university. He's still far behind someone attending a top nationally ranked First-Tier Undergraduate university." Cai Yibin's mother shook her head.

Though she said that, there was not much blame for Cai Yibin in her tone.

That made sense. They had probably expected Cai Yibin to get into a Third-Tier Undergraduate university at first. Getting into an ordinary Second-Tier Undergraduate university had already exceeded their expectations by a great deal.

"Cai Yibin has already worked very hard." Mo Xiangwen decided to say a few words for him. "With the experience he's gained during this time, he'll work hard from now on too. Uncle and Auntie, you can rest assured about him."

"Haha, that's good then." Cai Yibin's father nodded with a smile.

Mo Xiangwen looked at Cai Yibin, who had shrunk into an ostrich beside them, and could not help laughing helplessly.

The suppression of bloodline was not something he could break just yet.

Besides, Cai Yibin was not a particularly troublesome kid. He just liked having fun a little. Who hadn't been like that before?

"Uncle, Auntie, it's getting late. The dishes should be coming out soon, so please go inside and take your seats first," Mo Xiangwen urged.

Naturally, no one objected. The group entered together amid laughter and conversation, then found seats.

At the banquet, he saw for the first time what his father looked like drinking with his brothers and friends.

His father, who never touched alcohol in Mo Xiangwen's memories, was now flushed red from drinking. He had his arms around his brothers and friends' shoulders, laughing loudly with them.

Though his father did not keep telling his brothers and friends how great his son was, he was probably at least a little proud of him now, wasn't he?

Human-Dragon Unity: When are you posting the rules and setting?

A Seductress: When are you posting the rules and setting?

Flaked Out: Seriously. I'm heading out in a couple of days, and it'll be a pain to make a character sheet without a computer then.

Don't Play Holy Slash: I still haven't decided which campaign to run, but I can tell you the rules first.

Don't Play Holy Slash: We're using 5E rules this time. You can make your classes first and fill in the backgrounds later.

Baibai: But how are we supposed to choose classes without backgrounds?

Flaked Out: Exactly.

Don't Play Holy Slash: You can't choose a class without a background? Aren't you people being a little too utilitarian?

Don't Play Holy Slash: Have you forgotten why you started playing tabletop RPGs in the first place?!

Don't Play Holy Slash: You'll never find the joy of tabletop RPGs like this!

Human-Dragon Unity: Then I'll play a rogue.

Baibai: Then I'll play a rogue too.

Flaked Out: Uh... then I'll play one too?

A Seductress: ? You're all playing rogues. Wouldn't I seem out of place if I didn't?

Don't Play Holy Slash: Four rogues? I've decided. We're running Descent into Avernus this time.

Human-Dragon Unity: That name sounds perfect for Saint Slash. I've decided to play Saint Slash.

Baibai: That name sounds perfect for a Light Cleric. I've decided to play a Light Cleric.

Flaked Out: That name sounds perfect for a paladin. I've decided to play a paladin.

A Seductress: Uh... this campaign clearly looks like it needs arcane magic, so I've decided to play a wizard.

Don't Play Holy Slash: ? Hello? Look at my name before you speak.

Don't Play Holy Slash: What happened to the four rogues you promised? Why don't I see a single one?

Flaked Out: I'm playing a paladin, not Saint Slash. Take it up with Xiao Yi.

Don't Play Holy Slash: Xiao Yi? (Friendly face)

Don't Play Holy Slash: I trust that you won't pull something like making two paladins, at least?

Human-Dragon Unity: What's wrong with two paladins? Are paladins eating your rice?

Don't Play Holy Slash: Looks like after you get to H University, I'll have to properly get to know you ♂.

Human-Dragon Unity: But now that you mention it, one paladin is more than enough. Two would create far too much role overlap, so I'd better play something else.

Flaked Out: Heh, coward.

A Seductress: Heh, coward.