Chapter 16: Ran into a senior

Deng Min walked into the lounge and saw Chen Zhaoyue and Lin Yiren sitting together, reading a magazine.

But one girl’s hand hovered close to the other’s waist, both acutely aware of the risky distance between them, hearts pounding, mouths dry, making the magazine in their hands seem like a strange prop.

Their relationship is really something, Deng Min thought to herself, happy for Yiren.

“Ahem.” She broke the sticky-sweet atmosphere out loud, letting them know that they could take Xing Yao home today.

“From now on, you can just pick her up at the usual time.”

Lin Yiren immediately sprang up from her seat. Surrounded by Miss Chen’s scent all this time, her peripheral vision filled with delicate collarbones and those impressive curves—her mind was a mess.

As she honestly reflected that being a girl had so many perks, she could even hear the sound of her own swallowing ringing out clearly between the two of them, making her want to die from embarrassment!

Feigning calm, she tossed her hair and said, “Let’s go, then.”

“Mm,” Deng Min nodded, then added mysteriously, “Today Xing Yao made a friend, and her family situation is just like yours.”

Lin Yiren’s face showed a hint of confusion, but before she could think too much, she was already being pulled along.

***

In the distance, they saw Lin Xing Yao sitting side by side with a little girl, the two of them playing with toys. Xing Yao was far more energetic than she was at home, bustling about.

“I didn’t expect Xing Yao to be so outgoing,” Lin Yiren said.

“Unlike someone who gets all nervous just reading a magazine.” A voice with a teasing lilt came from beside her.

Brought up again, Lin Yiren’s face turned bright red. She tried her best to refute, “Getting nervous when interacting with the opposite sex is— is totally normal, alright? But you, as a girl, are just… too shameless.”

She deliberately emphasized the word “opposite sex,” reminding Miss Chen not to treat her like some clingy bestie.

“Looked to me like you were enjoying yourself.”

“I was not…”

“Mama!” Lin Xing Yao spotted her mother, waving her chubby little hand.

As Lin Yiren got closer, she found that next to her child and the little girl was a gentle-looking, mature woman, who was now also looking at her.

“Let me introduce you: this is Jiang Xue’s mama, and these are Xing Yao’s two mothers,” Deng Min said to both sides.

“Hello.” The woman rose from the floor and smiled gently. “My name is Su Hui. The two kids get along so well.”

Su Hui was three years older than Deng Min. With her softly contoured oval face, she exuded warmth and composure, possessing the charm of a mature big sister.

Lin Yiren felt a bit nervous, like a child in front of such a big sister.

But this was a meeting of parents. She glanced at Chen Zhaoyue, whose expression didn’t change, and felt that she ought to represent their family and show some maturity. So she straightened up and introduced herself and Chen Zhaoyue, then complimented Jiang Xue: “Your child is very cute.”

Not bad, she thought. I’m sure I come across as a young but reliable parent.

‘This kid pretending to be all mature is pretty cute,’ Su Hui thought, hiding a smile behind her hand as her gaze moved between the two. ‘But raising a child together at such a young age, that’s true love~.’

‘Yiren’s trying hard to act responsible,’ Miss Chen evaluated silently.

Not understanding what was going on, Lin Yiren crouched down to look at the two kids who were playing happily.

The girl called Jiang Xue looked quieter, often waiting until Lin Xing Yao noisily pushed a toy her way before joining in.

“Before, Jiang Xue didn’t really make friends in the days she was here. Thanks to Xing Yao.” Su Hui smiled.

“No, no, Xing Yao was only able to make a friend on her first day here thanks to Jiang Xue.” Embarrassed, Lin Yiren rubbed her hair. Praising Xing Yao felt a bit like praising herself.

Seeing the kids weren’t done playing, the adults sat down to chat.

Gradually, Chen Zhaoyue took over as the “family representative,” chatting merrily with Su Hui. Despite being five years apart, it didn’t show at all, and Lin Yiren found herself quietly sitting beside the kids.

Miss Chen’s social skills really are top-notch, Lin Yiren thought, her gaze fixed on Chen Zhaoyue, unconsciously revealing a hint of admiration.

Deng Min watched Lin Yiren staring blankly, amused, and waved a hand in front of her eyes. “Still looking?”

Lin Yiren snapped back to her senses, the tips of her ears tinged red.

She quickly changed the subject, telling Deng Min that she’d already drafted the Outline for her novel.

“What kind of story is it?”

“It’s, uh, a boy’s adventure story in another world.” She scratched her smooth cheek as she spoke.

“Oh? So you’re writing a Boy’s Adventure Story?”

“I just like reading those.” Lin Yiren felt a little embarrassed, not saying that she always imagined herself as the male lead while writing.

“If you have any questions, just ask me,” Deng Min replied with a smile.

At the other end of the table, Chen Zhaoyue and Su Hui, after some small talk, suddenly realized they were actually alumni.

“So Senior Sister’s sir didn’t come today?” Chen Zhaoyue asked.

A sly light flashed in Su Hui’s eyes as she replied, “She’ll be here soon…”

***

Before she could finish, a bright voice rang out, growing closer: “Huihui, Xue’er.”

Chen Zhaoyue’s brow twitched as she turned to see a girl in a short skirt and white stockings rushing over.

The girl immediately swept Su Hui and Jiang Xue into her arms, looking warily at the group happily chatting with her wife and child.

With her playmate gone, Xing Yao grew unhappy, babbling to Jiang Xue, until Jiang Xiaoxiao finally let go of her daughter and instead hugged Su Hui’s shoulders with both hands.

Su Hui gently knocked Jiang Xiaoxiao on the head and pulled her up, saying, “This is my ‘Sir,’ Jiang Xiaoxiao.”

That one word, “Sir,” made the previously fierce Jiang Xiaoxiao instantly go soft, her face turning completely red.

Lin Yiren and Chen Zhaoyue looked at the long-haired, somewhat disheveled girl in surprise, suddenly realizing this was the “same situation” Deng Min had mentioned.

After Jiang Xiaoxiao’s arrival, the group bid each other farewell.

The two little dumplings reluctantly let go of each other’s hands.

Jiang Xiaoxiao put her daughter in the backseat’s child seat and asked how her day went, secretly trying to find out about the two “aunties” from earlier.

Jiang Xue, unwilling to deal with her chatty mother, called out, “Mama, go away!” and with a slap, pushed Jiang Xiaoxiao aside.

Su Hui pinched Jiang Xiaoxiao’s pale cheek and said, “Still so jealous at twenty-seven.”

That’s right, “girl” Jiang Xiaoxiao was twenty-seven years old, but, true to her name, her face and figure didn’t match her age, and she was half a head shorter than Su Hui.

Su Hui and Jiang Xiaoxiao had been together since college and later adopted Jiang Xue.

Blushing, Jiang Xiaoxiao suddenly said, “Huihui, you called me ‘Sir’ just now, so tonight, can I…”

“Don’t talk about that in front of our daughter.” Su Hui squeezed her face harder, and when she let go, her hand slid down Jiang Xiaoxiao’s skirt and over the smooth white thigh above her stockings. “Nope~.”

“…” Jiang Xue silently watched her mothers’ daily antics, already starting to miss that little girl with the pretty black mole near her eye.