Under Her Uncle's Scrutiny

"We're here, we're here!"

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

For the entire two-and-a-half-hour journey, Su Baizhou had kept her head resting on his shoulder. He didn't know whether she had really been asleep at first or just pretending, but she was definitely asleep now.

Because there was a glistening patch of something on his shoulder.

I never imagined she'd drool...

"Wake up, Senior."

Luo Ye gently nudged her arm.

Her eyes stirred slightly, then opened in a daze.

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

Su Baizhou froze for a moment, staring at him in a trance.

Fresh from sleep, Fairy Senior had none of her usual cool aloofness. She was just an adorable girl, and her dazed expression left Luo Ye equally transfixed.

So Fairy Senior could make a face like this, too.

But a little clear liquid still clung to the corner of Su Baizhou's mouth.

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 woke up completely.

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

How embarrassing.

A clear blush spread across the ice queen's face. She reached out, caught Luo Ye's hand, and snatched the tissue from him.

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

They stood up and got off the bus.

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

It was nearly ten at night, and there were no other buses in town, much less taxis.

Su Baizhou took out her phone to call her uncle and ask him to pick her up.

After she hung up, Luo Ye grew nervous.

Her uncle?

And Fairy Senior's mother, too?

He swore he had only come to Hangzhou for a visit. Although Fairy Senior was the reason, he had never thought he would actually run into her.

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

Things were taking an increasingly unbelievable turn, and Luo Ye wasn't ready.

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

Luo Ye looked a little miserable at that. With a wry smile, he said, "Senior, I'm a guy. Is it really okay to bring me home?"

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

As soon as she said it, Su Baizhou frowned.

Right, I forgot about hotels. I could have had Luo Ye stay at one.

But it was too late to send him to one now. There were guesthouses in town, but their conditions weren't very good, and putting Luo Ye up in one hardly seemed appropriate.

Besides, her ride had already arrived.

Su Baizhou looked toward the roadside, where an electric three-wheeler had stopped. A very handsome middle-aged man was looking around.

His eyes lit up when he spotted Su Baizhou, and he waved.

"Let's go."

Su Baizhou started walking, and Luo Ye could only steel himself and follow.

The middle-aged man had been delighted, but when he saw a boy following his sweet, adorable niece, his expression immediately darkened.

Once they had climbed onto the electric three-wheeler, the man twisted the throttle. It shot off from a standstill and tore out of town toward a nearby village.

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

"Rice Rice, have you had dinner?" Fan Jian asked.

"A little."

Su Baizhou spoke softly, then explained to Luo Ye, "When I was born, my uncle named me Su Baifan, but my mother objected. They ended up calling me White Porridge, and Rice Rice became my nickname."

Even Qin Yuwen didn't know about this. Back in Jiangcheng, only her best friend at the medical university knew.

Hearing that, Luo Ye smiled. "Baifan sounds lovely, too. Mainly because you're so pretty, Senior. Any name would sound nice."

That remark earned Fan Jian's approval.

"Kid, whatever else I might say, I approve of your taste."

Soon, the three-wheeler stopped in a courtyard.

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

Fan Jian's son, Su Baizhou's older cousin, worked elsewhere, so only Fan Jian, his wife, and Su Baizhou's mother lived here.

A beautiful woman who looked about thirty, though half her hair had already turned gray, came out and said happily, "Rice Rice is home!"

She was Su Baizhou's mother, Fan Xinya. She was forty-one, but looked no older than thirty.

No wonder she gave birth to Fairy Senior. She's absolutely beautiful.

Luo Ye marveled inwardly.

Fan Xinya also noticed the boy standing beside Su Baizhou. She paused at first, but when she saw Luo Ye's shy manner, pleasant surprise spread across her face. She couldn't help asking, "Rice Rice, who's this?"

"This is Luo Ye, a friend who came back with me from Jiangcheng," Su Baizhou said expressionlessly.

A friend!

That one word filled Luo Ye with delight.

She had acknowledged him. He was her friend now.

Fan Xinya smiled.

He's the first boy Rice Rice has ever called a friend...

It looks like he means something special to her.

"Come on inside. We saved dinner for you."

As she spoke, Fan Xinya coughed twice. She really did seem to be in poor health.

After entering the house, Luo Ye stood by the table, gazing at the lavish dinner before him, his eyes practically sparkling with stars.

So Fairy Senior learned all her cooking skills from her mother.

This looks so delicious.

Fan Jian kept his eyes fixed on Luo Ye.

Their Fan Family had only this one precious girl. He wanted to see just what sort of fellow had managed to stay by Rice Rice's side.

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

Fan Jian gave a sheepish smile.

The men in their Fan Family had virtually no standing. As a child, he had listened to his mother and older sister. After growing up, he listened to his wife. Now he even had to listen to his niece.

Luckily, he had a son, so he wasn't at the very bottom.

But...

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

Maybe I could move up another rung?

Still, if he wants to become Rice Rice's boyfriend, he'll need her uncle's approval.

Luo Ye began eating, his expression so excited he looked ready to burst into tears.

The rustic food from the mountains always had its own distinctive flavors, completely different from anything in the city.

Watching Luo Ye tuck into the meal, Fan Xinya smiled too.

It was a testament to her cooking.

Besides, the boy seemed rather innocent and couldn't hide his feelings. When he found something delicious, he showed his enjoyment without holding back.

Most importantly... he had only taken a few bites of the best dishes on the table. After casting a few longing glances at them, he had moved on to other food.

Clearly, he was saving them for someone else.

For whom?

Fan Xinya looked at Su Baizhou, then froze.

Su Baizhou was also watching Luo Ye, and the look on her face...

Fan Xinya couldn't keep the corners of her mouth from lifting.

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