Chapter 56: I think I’ve seen you…

“Hello Aunt Zhao, Aunt Li, Aunt Zhang.”

Mo Yidong entered the living room, the first to greet the three relatives of Mo Yaofei’s family.

As soon as he spoke, the noisy chatter in the living room gradually quieted down, and the appearance of the silver-haired girl drew many eyes to the two of them.

“Hello, Aunts.”

Xia Yu timidly stood behind Mo Yidong and greeted the group.

The midday sunlight spilled onto the white wooden floor of the living room, and the huge transparent rectangular glass window perfectly framed the distant stream outside.

Near the window stood a long black and red table with several wooden chairs.

On the table were a Tea Set and some antiques, while wooden shelves around the room displayed many pieces of Porcelain and Wood Carvings.

On the other side of the house was a distinct area with a TV and sofas.

Set into a recessed wall behind the sofa was a Stone Sculpture featuring a Black Dragon clutching a White Pearl, its fierce gaze seemingly about to leap off the wall—so lifelike that it was impossible to look away.

Besides Mo Yaofei’s relatives standing there, a few guests were admiring the home’s decor and ornaments.

Seeing Mo Yidong, the middle-aged women gathered around Mo Yaofei beamed more brightly and came forward to greet him.

“So Mo Yidong has returned.”

A middle-aged woman in a purple long dress with loose reddish-brown hair and heavy makeup smiled warmly at Mo Yidong.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you bring a friend home. What should we call her?”

Another middle-aged woman in a light blue qipao, her hair pinned up with a jade-green hairpin and wearing light makeup, looked at the silver-haired girl with great interest.

“My name is Qin Yixia.”

Xia Yu looked at the woman in the qipao and politely replied.

“Let me introduce…”

Mo Yidong looked at the woman in purple.

“This is Aunt Zhao.”

Then he glanced at the woman who had greeted Xia Yu.

“This is Aunt Li.”

The last woman, wearing a black skirt with long black hair and a somber expression, stood silently without much interaction.

“This is Aunt Zhang.”

After Mo Yidong’s introductions, Xia Yu forced a polite smile toward the three aunts.

She couldn’t possibly remember all their names…

“There’s one more…”

Mo Yidong and Xia Yu both looked toward Mo Yaofei sitting quietly in his Wheelchair.

No introduction was needed; they both knew who he was.

“This is my brother, Mo Yaofei.”

“Hello.”

Xia Yu met Mo Yaofei’s gaze, noting his anger as he sat in the Wheelchair, and nodded slightly.

She deliberately toned down her usual fierce demeanor, looking nothing like the person he knew at school.

Now that she had become a girl, Mo Yaofei seemed not to recognize that Xia Yu was actually the same person.

Instead, his eyes showed suspicion, as if doubting Mo Yidong had brought a fake girlfriend to replace the real one he was supposed to find.

The more this happened, the more Xia Yu grew bold.

To show closeness, she instinctively hooked her arm around Mo Yidong’s wrist, pressing closer to him.

Unable to bear the sight, Mo Yaofei turned his gaze to the window.

“What are you standing there for? Come sit down, you must be tired from the trip.”

Aunt Zhao warmly grabbed Xia Yu’s wrist, separating her from Mo Yidong and leading her toward the sofa.

Hey, help me out here—

Xia Yu gave Mo Yidong a pleading look, but he remained indifferent, turning toward the Tea Set.

“I’ll go pour you some tea.”

And so, Xia Yu was taken away by Aunt Zhao and Aunt Li, sandwiched tightly between the two, their hands holding hers firmly so she couldn’t escape.

Xia Yu was very nervous.

It was her first time being this close to the opposite sex, especially with their hands moving over the back of her hands and between her fingers.

The sensation made her very uncomfortable.

“How old are you this year?”

“Seventeen…”

This question sounded familiar.

Xia Yu curled her lips slightly and turned to smile kindly at Aunt Zhao, who was sitting to the right.

She had managed to avoid the prying questions from her uncle’s wife at the door but couldn’t escape the relatives’ inquiries here.

Having a girlfriend meet the family was really a headache…

Xia Yu felt annoyed inside.

She just wanted to stroll around, eat, and then sneak away.

But this fake relationship was stopping her.

“Qin, your skin is so nice. Do you cook at home?”

No, Xia Yu rarely cooked at home.

She mostly ate at the cafeteria, and if there was nothing left, she’d just buy Bucket Noodles to take home.

“I don’t cook much at home,”

Xia Yu replied with a smile, then turned to Aunt Li, sitting on the left.

“Where did you and Mo Yidong meet?”

Just then, the woman sitting next to Aunt Li spoke.

Aunt Zhang, in a black dress, crossed her long, fair legs elegantly, arms folded on the sofa, her crimson eyes filled with suspicion.

“He never mentions having a girlfriend. This time, he suddenly made a request to his father to bring someone along, saying he’s here to look for someone…”

“We met at a sanatorium nearby.”

Hearing the place, Aunt Li raised her brows and pressed for more information.

“Which sanatorium?”

“It was one in the mountains, but it burned down in a fire a few years ago. Now, no one knows if it’s been rebuilt or relocated.”

Mo Yidong set the teacup before the aunts, answering on Xia Yu’s behalf first.

Aunt Li looked nervously at Mo Yidong’s calm expression.

Their eyes met for a moment, and she felt a pang of fear.

“If you’re so concerned about Xia, you can ask me anything.”

Xia Yu looked at Aunt Li’s suspicious gaze, feeling strange, as if these questions weren’t her own.

They probably rarely came to the Mo family, yet showed more interest in Xia Yu than Mo Yidong’s own relatives.

She had a bad feeling.

“I’m tired… I want to go back to rest. Big Aunt, help me up.”

Before Aunt Li could ask more, Mo Yaofei interrupted and stood up, moving toward his Wheelchair as if understanding the situation.

“Sorry, you can continue chatting.”

While the three aunts were questioning, Mo Yaofei quietly recorded their conversation on his phone and then calmly left the living room with Xia Yu.

“I want to go to the restroom. Which way is it?”

Seeing the two aunts’ faces darken as if they didn’t intend to continue questioning, Xia Yu quickly found an excuse, pulling her hands free and standing to leave.

“I’ll take you there.”

Mo Yidong had just spoken when a familiar voice came from the door.

“Is that Mo Yidong back already?!”

The sudden voice made Xia Yu tense up more than even when meeting Mo Yaofei.

Just a step forward, a well-built man in a casual yet expensive round-collared shirt smiled as he entered the living room and greeted them.

“I heard you brought your girlfriend home…”

Zhang Wenshan looked at the two, especially the silver-haired girl, narrowing his eyes as if something stirred a vague sense of familiarity.

“I think I’ve seen you before…”

Suddenly recalling who she was, Zhang Wenshan’s eyes widened as he stared at the silver-haired girl, a nervous expression crossing his face as if he too had recognized who she really was.

“You’re that…!?”