Chapter 202: Photo, Meow?

The mother and daughter stayed in the room for a long time before coming out.

This time, Ye Li Lou was shrewd enough to use the opportunity to tidy up the dining table.

When Su Yuening and Xiaoxi came out of the room with their phones, it was already afternoon.

“Aiya, our Xiaoxi is getting cuter and cuter. Too bad her resistance seems higher than before. I’ll have to think of a different punishment next time~”

Xiaoxi replied earnestly, “No need to think, Mama. I really know I was wrong this time. I promise I won’t do it again.”

Su Yuening still wore that smiling, squinting expression full of wifely charm, looking nothing like someone who’d just been angry or lost her temper.

In contrast, Xiaoxi, trailing behind her, looked absolutely listless, as if her soul had left her body after a disaster.

“Are you alright, Xiaoxi… Eh? See, you’re fine! I just heard you apologizing to ‘Private Marseille Mama-chan’ the whole time and thought Mama had really done a number on you.”

Ye Li Lou seized a chance to pull Xiaoxi aside, lifted her shirt, and checked. Xiaoxi’s skin was still pale and smooth, without a single mark.

“Don’t worry. My Mama isn’t the type to discipline kids by hitting them. Ever since we were young, whenever we made a mistake, her punishments always forced us to do the things we least wanted to do.”

“That torturous?”

Ye Li Lou stared curiously at Xiaoxi’s dead-inside look, and Xiaoxi nodded without hesitation.

“So what did Mama make you do this time?”

Xiaoxi blushed. “Ahem… Just don’t ask.”

That only made Ye Xinglan even more curious. If they were in bed, she could probably come up with a hundred and eight ways to torture Xiaoxi, but off the bed, she was at a loss.

Xiaoxi was the type to be earnest about everything she did, so honestly, Ye Xinglan couldn’t imagine what could be so torturous and unwanted for her.

Unless… it was emptying her bank account right in front of her?

Uh… actually, that might not be impossible.

“Aiya, I can’t believe Xinglan and our Xiaoxi have known each other so long. I don’t even remember arranging such a beautiful blind date for Xiaoxi back then. She insisted the other girl wasn’t interested in her~”

Earlier, Xiaoxi had already obediently explained everything in the room.

That afternoon, she helped Xiao Keke tidy up their room while Su Yuening pulled Ye Xinglan to the living room for a casual chat.

“Ahaha… Maybe it’s because neither of us was really aiming for a proper blind date when we met.”

Ye Xinglan suddenly grew nervous.

She mentally ran through all the conversational tactics she’d prepared these past couple days, but to her surprise, Su Yuening truly just wanted to chit-chat about anything and everything.

That awkward scene where a girlfriend’s mother grilled her about job, savings, or personal info never happened at all.

“As a Mama, I support her choices—even when it comes to finding a partner,” Su Yuening looked toward the girls’ room. “I only hope they can be happy.”

Ye Xinglan was taken aback. Su Yuening cared so much about Xiaoxi’s love life, she thought the future mother-in-law would have sky-high standards.

She never expected to pass inspection so easily.

As they chatted, Ye Xinglan gradually relaxed.

Leaning against the sofa cushion, her gaze just happened to pass over Su Yuening and catch a glimpse of some clothes draped over a chair in the half-open room.

Huh? Is that…

Hesitating a moment, Ye Xinglan couldn’t resist her curiosity and secretly extended a thin little tentacle toward the door gap.

Su Yuening seemed none the wiser, still smiling with squinting eyes.

The tentacle darted in and quickly withdrew. Now she saw clearly—several cute little dresses and lolita-style outfits were draped over the chair.

The styles were varied and adorable; it was hard to imagine such clothes appearing in a mature, steady wife’s room.

Those clearly weren’t for Su Yuening. Ye Xinglan remembered how, when mother and daughter came out earlier, Su Yuening had her phone in hand.

Suddenly, Ye Xinglan’s eyes brightened—she realized something.

That’s right. Thinking carefully, Xiaoxi had always been averse to wearing girly clothes; most of the clothes in her wardrobe were androgynous.

The few little dresses she had were ones Ye Xinglan had bought for her. Which meant…

“…Mama, there’s something I need to apologize for. That day at the mall, I didn’t recognize you,” Ye Xinglan suddenly switched to calling her “Mama.”

“Mainly because you look so young! I thought you were Xiaoxi’s older sister.”

“I actually wanted to visit you long ago, but Xiaoxi never brought it up, so I didn’t dare to mention it myself.”

Su Yuening covered her mouth and laughed. “Aiya, you sweet-talker. If only you were my daughter~”

“I totally could be! Um, Mama, your daughter has a favor to ask… those photos you just took…”

Ye Xinglan pointed toward Su Yuening’s room.

“Ohhh—” Su Yuening suddenly understood. “No problem! Let’s add each other as friends and I’ll send them to you. I also have some pictures of Xiaoxi from when she was little. I’ll send those too.”

“Dearest Mama!” Ye Xinglan solemnly took Su Yuening’s hand. “You know, the first time I saw you, I really felt a special connection! Truly!”

When Xiaoxi finished helping Xiao Keke tidy up and came out, she found the two chatting happily over their phones.

She hadn’t expected them to get along so well so quickly, but since Xinglan and Mama were hitting it off, that could only be a good thing, right?

After a while, the two prepared to head home. Just before they left, Su Yuening called out to Xiaoxi at the door, making Xiaoxi shrink her neck in fear.

“Mama, I really know I was wrong about this. I won’t hide anything from you again…”

But Su Yuening didn’t seem interested in lecturing Xiaoxi further. Standing in the doorway, she held Xiaoxi’s face and scrutinized her closely.

“Working as a waitress outside must be tough, Xiaoxi.” Su Yuening bent to straighten Xiaoxi’s collar.

“You’re a girl—wear more cute clothes sometimes! These formal outfits don’t suit you at all.”

Xiaoxi was stunned. So Mama actually understood that whole string of complicated sentences she’d blurted out earlier?

“A girl needs to learn to take care of herself when she’s out. Be a little happier, don’t put so much pressure on yourself. And if anything ever happens, remember to tell Mama. Don’t always keep things to yourself, okay?”

Su Yuening finally stroked Xiaoxi’s cheek.

“Mm, I understand, Mama.”

Xiaoxi lifted her head, nose stinging a little. If she’d known, she wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to act like she was doing fine outside. She’d been completely seen through after all.

“Oh right, which Platform do you use to write your Novels? Next time, let Mama read what you’ve written! Our Xiaoxi is a real literary star now~”

“…Let’s not, Mama.”