Zhou An Ran unexpectedly met Chen Luobai’s mother in an unanticipated setting.
Back when they first started dating in their freshman year, Chen Luobai had mentioned that his mother wanted to meet her. But the thought of meeting his parents made Zhou An Ran particularly nervous. Uncharacteristically, she procrastinated. Familiar with her personality and given that they were still in college, Chen Luobai didn’t press the issue. The matter of meeting the parents was temporarily set aside.
The unexpected encounter with Chen Luobai’s mother occurred during the winter break of their senior year.
The day before Little New Year, Zhou An Ran and Xingqian Yan made plans with a few friends to go shopping at the mall in the city center. After several rounds of browsing, the girls had bought a large amount of items.
Afterward, Xingqian Yan and the others needed to use the restroom, so Zhou An Ran sat on a long bench in the middle of the mall’s ground floor, surrounded by their many shopping bags, waiting for them.
A young woman suddenly ran past her.
Whether she was in a hurry and didn’t notice, or perhaps twisted her ankle, the girl suddenly stumbled forward.
Zhou An Ran stood up to grab her.
She wasn’t particularly strong but managed to catch the girl. Though the person didn’t fall, most of the milk tea in her hand spilled.
The girl seemed to be in a rush for something. Without turning her head, she quickly said “thank you” and hurried off, not even bothering with the spilled milk tea on the floor.
Zhou An Ran had all the shopping bags to watch over and couldn’t call a mall cleaner. She was about to sit back down and wait for Xingqian Yan and the others to return when she saw another woman walking towards her.
The woman wore a high-quality black coat and looked quite young. She walked with long strides, her coat tails fluttering, exuding both coolness and presence. However, as she walked, she kept her head down and focused on her phone.
Seeing that she was about to step into the spilled milk tea, Zhou An Ran, worried the floor might be slippery, couldn’t help but call out a warning.
“Excuse me, some milk tea was just spilled here. It might be slippery.”
The woman stopped, raising her eyes from her phone to look at Zhou An Ran’s face. “Thank you.”
For some reason, Zhou An Ran sensed a strongly imposing aura. She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
She noticed the woman’s gaze remained fixed on her face.
Zhou An Ran blinked. “Is there something else?”
The woman stared at her for another moment, then suddenly smiled.
With that smile, the cool demeanor and obvious imposing aura from earlier vanished.
“It might be a bit forward to say, but if I don’t, I’m afraid you’ll feel awkward when you see me in the future.”
Confused by this out-of-the-blue statement, Zhou An Ran was about to ask if the woman was talking to her when she heard the next words—
“I’m Chen Luobai’s mother.”
Zhou An Ran was stunned. After several seconds, she finally reacted and hurriedly greeted her, “H-hello, Auntie.”
Looking closer, Zhou An Ran noticed some similarities in the woman’s features to Chen Luobai.
She hadn’t dared stare at the stranger earlier, and the woman looked so young and beautiful that the thought hadn’t even crossed her mind.
But how did his mother recognize her?
Zhou An Ran’s mind was still in a daze, and she blurted out the question, “Auntie, how do you know who I am?”
Fang Jin smiled again. “He has a bunch of your photos on his phone and even printed two to display in his bedroom. It would be hard not to recognize you.”
Zhou An Ran caught the teasing tone in her words, and the tips of her ears grew hot.
Fang Jin seemed to notice and changed the subject with another smile. “Are you here shopping alone?”
“No,” Zhou An Ran shook her head. “I came with my friends. They’ve gone to the restroom.”
Zhou An Ran was still nervous, but somehow, perhaps because of the woman’s approachable demeanor, she didn’t feel as anxious as she had imagined. She even managed to ask in return, “What about you, Auntie?”
Fang Jin replied, “I’m not shopping. I came to get some documents from someone.”
Zhou An Ran quickly asked, “I hope I haven’t delayed you?”
“Not at all.” Fang Jin looked at her, seeming to smile again. “But I do have something to attend to today.”
Zhou An Ran said, “Then please, don’t let me keep you.”
“A minute or two won’t hurt,” Fang Jin continued. “His father and I have been wanting to arrange a meeting with your parents. Since we’ve run into each other today, and you two are about to graduate, could you ask your parents if they’d be free in the next few days? We could all have a meal together.”
Zhou An Ran obediently nodded. “Alright, I’ll ask them when I get back.”
“I’ll be going then,” Fang Jin paused, then smiled and lightly patted Zhou An Ran’s head. “I’ll give you a proper meeting gift next time.”
When Xingqian Yan and the others returned, they found Zhou An Ran sitting on the bench, lost in thought. They had nearly reached her before she even noticed.
“An Ran, what are you thinking about?” Xingqian Yan waved her hand in front of Zhou An Ran’s face.
Zhou An Ran came back to her senses, her mind still a bit dazed. After a moment, she told them what had just happened: “I just met Chen Luobai’s mother.”
Xingqian Yan was also stunned for a moment. “How did you suddenly meet Chen Luobai’s mother?”
Zhou An Ran explained, “We just happened to run into each other. She recognized me.”
“How was it?” Xiaowei Sheng examined her expression, guessing that the encounter must have gone well, and teased, “What’s your impression of your future mother-in-law?”
Zhou An Ran: “…?”
Her face heated up. “What future mother-in-law? Don’t say that.”
“What’s going on?” Shuxian Zhang also chimed in teasingly, “You’re about to graduate, and Chen Luobai hasn’t asked you to marry him yet? Is he up to the task?”
After Fang Jin left, Zhou An Ran had been replaying the encounter in her mind, wondering if she had done anything inappropriate.
Now, hearing Xiaowei Sheng mention Chen Luobai, Zhou An Ran remembered that she should tell him about meeting his mother.
Zhou An Ran ignored Shuxian Zhang’s teasing. She was experienced enough to know that the more she responded, the more Shuxian Zhang would persist.
Blushing, she pretended not to hear and lowered her head to unlock her phone.
At that moment, her phone chimed.
As if by some telepathic connection, the message was from Chen Luobai.
C: [You met my mom?]
Zhou An Ran: [nodding bunny.jpg]
Zhou An Ran: [I was just about to tell you]
C: [Still at the mall?]
Zhou An Ran: [Yeah, but we’re about to leave]
C: [Wait for me, ten minutes]
C: [I’m coming to find you]
Zhou An Ran looked up again and asked her friends, “You were planning to head back now, right?”
Xiaowei Sheng: “Yeah, why?”
Zhou An Ran touched her ear. “Chen Luobai said he’s coming to find me. He’ll be here in ten minutes. Do you want to wait a bit? I can ask him to treat you all to milk tea.”
“We’ve had enough milk tea for tonight. He can owe us,” Xiaowei Sheng waved her hand.
Shuxian Zhang agreed, “Yeah, you wait by yourself. We’ll head out first.”
Xingqian Yan, always a bit slow on these matters, hesitated and looked at Zhou An Ran. “An Ran, should I wait for you?”
“Wait for what?” Xiaowei Sheng pulled her. “An Ran just unexpectedly met his family. Chen Luobai is worried about her, that’s why he’s rushing over so late. Don’t be a third wheel.”
Xingqian Yan suddenly understood. “Oh, then I won’t wait for you. Do you want me to take your things back?”
Zhou An Ran: “He’s probably driving here. You can leave your things with me, I’ll bring them back for you.”
Xingqian Yan nodded. “Alright, that works for me.”
Shuxian Zhang and Xiaowei Sheng waved to her. “We’re off!”
Nancheng was famous for being a city that never sleeps.
Even at three or four in the morning, the city center streets were never lacking in people. Now, just past 9:30 PM, it was at its liveliest. Zhou An Ran wasn’t worried about safety issues and simply said, “Be careful on your way back.”
After Xingqian Yan and the others left, Zhou An Ran sat back down on the bench.
Worried that Chen Luobai might be driving, she didn’t send any more messages to disturb him. She lowered her head and pulled up a thesis to read.
Soon after, a shadow fell across her phone screen as someone stood in front of her.
Zhou An Ran looked up to see a tall, handsome young man standing before her. He was dressed all in black as if he had rushed up from the underground parking garage. His breathing was slightly heavier than usual, and his gaze held a worried expression.
She locked her phone and stood up.
Chen Luobai took her hand, looking her up and down. “Were you scared?”
Zhou An Ran felt a wave of tenderness in her heart and shook her head. “No, Auntie was very kind.”
Chen Luobai let out a sigh of relief, the corner of his mouth finally curling up. “It’s rare for someone to call her kind.”
After saying this, he looked her up and down again, this time with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Zhou An Ran was puzzled. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Chen Luobai continued to examine her. “Just wondering what kind of magic my girlfriend has.”
Zhou An Ran: “…?”
Chen Luobai: “It’s one thing for my sister to like you, but now it seems my mom quite likes you too.”
Zhou An Ran was taken aback by his words. “How do you know Auntie likes me?”
Chen Luobai raised his hand and gently pinched her cheek, smiling. “It’s been years since I’ve heard anyone call her kind. Even Zhi Ran doesn’t dare talk much in front of her.”
Zhou An Ran’s slightly anxious heart finally relaxed completely. Remembering his earlier words, she smiled slightly. “It’s probably because of you.”
Whether it was Yu Bingqin or Fang Jin, they were family members who cared for and loved him, so they naturally extended preferential treatment to her as well.
Chen Luobai also smiled, but as if still not entirely reassured, he asked once more: “Really not scared?”
Zhou An Ran shook her head. “No, Auntie’s attitude was truly very good.”
Chen Luobai interlaced his fingers with hers, holding her hand tightly. “However, this unexpected encounter tonight has helped me solve a problem I’ve been struggling with.”
Zhou An Ran blinked. “What problem?”
Chen Luobai smiled. “I’ve been worrying for over three years about how to introduce you to my parents. If I had made plans in advance, you would have been nervous right up until the day we met them.”
He was telling the absolute truth. Zhou An Ran touched her ear, slightly embarrassed, and said softly, “But I still haven’t met your father.”
“He’s not important,” Chen Luobai said. “In our family, my mom calls the shots.”
Zhou An Ran looked up at him. “What about you? Auntie mentioned wanting to arrange a dinner with my parents.”
“Me?” Chen Luobai’s lips curled into a smile. “I’ve been wanting to meet your parents for a long time.”
*
The dinner between the two families was eventually scheduled for the evening of the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.
Having met Chen Luobai’s mother in advance, most of Zhou An Ran’s anxiety had subsided.
Additionally, Chen Luobai, probably worried she might still be nervous, spent the first few days of the New Year telling her that his father was completely henpecked and had no status at home. This further reduced Zhou An Ran’s remaining anxiety by half.
On the evening of the sixth, when Zhou An Ran met his father, she felt his aura was also particularly strong, not at all like someone henpecked. However, his attitude towards her was kind, and he showed no air when chatting with her parents.
The dinner was exceptionally pleasant.
This was actually within Zhou An Ran’s expectations.
Given how well-mannered he was, she knew his parents must be very, very good people.
What surprised her was that someone who had brazenly claimed to have long wanted to meet her parents, and who she thought wouldn’t be nervous at all, ended up with a tense jawline throughout the evening. He obediently answered whatever her parents asked, and during dinner, he even absent-mindedly picked up a piece of ginger and put it in his bowl.
Zhou An Ran, sitting next to him, quietly reminded him, “You just picked up a piece of ginger.”
Chen Luobai glanced at her, his expression more serious than ever, showing none of the mischievous demeanor he had in private. He then calmly ate the piece of ginger and said in a matter-of-fact tone, “What’s wrong with ginger? It tastes quite good.”
Zhou An Ran: “…”
By then, dinner was nearing its end when Fang Jin suddenly said, “I heard there’s some kind of performance downstairs tonight. Chen Luobai, why don’t you take An Ran down to have a look?”
Chen Luobai nodded, then turned to Zhou Xianhong and He Jiayi: “Uncle, Auntie, I’ll take An Ran downstairs for a bit. We’ll come back up to join you later.”
Zhou Xianhong waved his hand with a smile. “Go ahead.”
Zhou An Ran guessed that the parents might have something to discuss privately, so she obediently stood up with Chen Luobai.
The young man beside her seemed to habitually reach for her hand, but the moment his fingers touched hers, he remembered something and immediately withdrew his hand.
Zhou An Ran followed him out, one behind the other.
As soon as the private room door closed, Chen Luobai reached out again to hold her hand.
Zhou An Ran’s eyes curved into a smile as she looked up at him. “Do you want me to buy you some water or a drink?”
Chen Luobai stopped walking. “Why buy a drink?”
“Didn’t you just eat a piece of ginger?” Zhou An Ran also stopped.
Chen Luobai raised his hand to pinch her cheek, his tone seemingly annoyed but with obvious amusement in his dark eyes. “You’re still talking about that? If you had asked like that earlier, what would your parents think about me being a picky eater?”
Zhou An Ran: “…”
As if he wasn’t a picky eater.
But she felt a small part of her heart melt.
Zhou An Ran swung his hand lightly. “They wouldn’t mind such a small thing. You don’t need to force yourself.”
“It’s just a piece of ginger,” Chen Luobai said, holding her hand as they continued walking. “It’s not like climbing a mountain of knives or diving into a sea of fire. How is this forcing me?”
Zhou An Ran couldn’t help but smile again.
There was indeed a performance downstairs that evening.
The stage in the nearby square had been set up in the afternoon, and they had reportedly invited a minor celebrity.
When Zhou An Ran and Chen Luobai arrived, the stage was already surrounded by layers of people, packed so tightly that not even water could pass through. From a distance, it was a sea of people.
Chen Luobai turned to look at her. “Do you still want to go?”
Zhou An Ran didn’t want to go, and she knew he didn’t like such crowded scenes. She shook her head. “Let’s not.”
“Shall we just walk around then?” Chen Luobai asked her.
Zhou An Ran nodded.
They turned and went in the opposite direction.
Nancheng had experienced a warm winter this year. Even though it was only the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, the daytime high had already exceeded 20 degrees Celsius, and there was no chill in the night air.
Perhaps because everyone had gone to join the festivities, the streets were a bit quieter than usual. Halfway along, a girl was hugging a guitar and singing. Passersby hurried by, no one stopping to listen, but she showed no disappointment, singing earnestly with her head slightly lowered.
A little girl, three or four years old, being led by her mother, passed by. Her short legs stopped, and she tilted her head to listen for a few seconds before throwing the small toy in her hand into the guitar case at the girl’s feet.
The guitar player smiled, changing her tune to sing “Daddy and Mommy go to work, I go to kindergarten.”
Zhou An Ran found it cute and was about to point it out to Chen Luobai when she turned her head and saw him looking across the street. Following his gaze, she saw a milk tea shop she often visited.
Sure enough, the next second, she heard Chen Luobai speak.
“Do you want some milk tea?”
Zhou An Ran was quite full from dinner, but she was a bit thirsty now. Her voice unconsciously took on a slightly coquettish tone. “I want some, but I can’t finish a whole cup.”
“Drink as much as you want,” Chen Luobai replied softly. “I’ll finish the rest for you.”
Zhou An Ran’s lips curled up again. “Alright, let’s go then.”
The little girl finished listening to half the song before being led away by her mother.
Zhou An Ran was led across the road by Chen Luobai.
The milk tea shop happened to be promoting a new product, and the staff poured a cup for them to try.
Zhou An Ran took a small sip and then handed the cup to Chen Luobai.
There was still a trace of her lipstick on the edge of the small paper cup. The young man took it and finished the remaining sip from where she had drunk.
“Do you want this one?” Chen Luobai asked her.
Zhou An Ran nodded. “Let’s try it.”
The milk tea shop didn’t have many customers at this time, so a cup was quickly prepared.
Zhou An Ran took a small sip and then held the cup out to the young man beside her.
Chen Luobai turned his head. “You’re full already?”
“No,” Zhou An Ran shook her head. “It’s to help wash away the ginger taste for you.”
Chen Luobai’s lips curled into a smile. He leaned down and took a sip of the milk tea from her hand.
After walking a short distance, Zhou An Ran suddenly stopped.
Chen Luobai stopped with her. “What’s wrong?”
Zhou An Ran pointed to a shop window nearby. “Doesn’t that little rabbit look like the one you gave me in your second year of high school?”
Chen Luobai looked in the direction she was pointing, then slightly raised his chin. “Come on, let’s go buy it.”
“We don’t need to,” Zhou An Ran looked at the little rabbit. “I’m about to graduate from college. Wouldn’t it seem childish to have a fluffy little rabbit hanging on my bag?”
Chen Luobai pulled her inside. “Who says you can’t like rabbit keychains after graduating from college? Don’t limit yourself.”
Zhou An Ran often found herself deeply moved by these small gestures of his.
She remembered that time at the LiveHouse when he had told her in a low voice, “There’s no law in the world that says everyone must have an outgoing personality.” Although he studied law, which had the most rules and regulations, his thinking was incredibly free and never restricted by conventional notions.
The person she loved understood the ways of the world but was never bound by them.
Her lips curved into another smile as she obediently let him lead her into the store.
After buying the little rabbit and coming out, Chen Luobai casually opened the package.
Then the tall young man stood in front of her, bending down to attach the little rabbit to her small shoulder bag. His voice sounded a bit soft, with a hint of a smile. “This time I can hang it for you myself.”
So as they walked on, Zhou An Ran’s bag now had a little rabbit swinging back and forth.
When they reached the riverside, Zhou An Ran handed him her milk tea. “I can’t drink anymore.”
Chen Luobai took it and finished it in a few gulps, then casually tossed the cup into a nearby trash can.
Zhou An Ran turned her head to look at him. “Do you have something you want to tell me?”
Chen Luobai also turned to look at her. “Why do you ask that?”
Zhou An Ran: “You’ve been looking at me with something on your mind several times tonight.”
Chen Luobai raised an eyebrow slightly. “Why does that sound familiar?”
Zhou An Ran: “You’ve said something similar to me before.”
It was when they had just started dating.
On… the night he first kissed her.
Chen Luobai made a sound of acknowledgment as if recalling the scene from that day.
“Didn’t I also say that day, ‘If you don’t say it, I’ll keep kissing you’—” The young man paused, his tone becoming meaningful again. “Zhou An Ran, if you’re going to imitate me, shouldn’t you do it completely?”
Zhou An Ran: “…”
Sure enough, away from her parents, this person couldn’t stay serious for long.
Her face grew slightly warm. “No way.”
“Zhou An Ran,” Chen Luobai reached out and pinched her cheek again, his gaze still filled with amusement. “I feel like you don’t like me as much as you used to.”
Zhou An Ran could tell he was joking, but still quietly went along with his words. “That’s not true.”
Chen Luobai: “You used to agree to whatever I said. When we first started dating, I took you to my apartment, and you obediently followed. Now, when I ask you to imitate how I used to threaten you, you won’t even do that.”
Zhou An Ran glanced at him. “Is that a threat to you?”
“You’re right,” Chen Luobai’s gaze fell on her lips for a second. Her lipstick color was particularly beautiful today. “It’s indeed not a threat.”
Zhou An Ran didn’t follow up on his words this time. If she did, who knows what strange direction he might take the conversation. She brought the topic back: “What did you want to tell me?”
Chen Luobai stopped walking, his gaze on her face seeming more serious and focused than before.
He just looked at her silently, not responding, his dark eyes bright and profound.
Zhou An Ran’s heart began to beat faster under his gaze.
After a few seconds, she finally saw him open his mouth.
Just then, a motorcycle passed by on the road.
The roar of the engine drowned out his voice, and Zhou An Ran only barely caught the last half of his sentence.
It sounded like “…need to be more formal.”
“What did you just say?” Zhou An Ran asked, puzzled.
“Nothing,” Chen Luobai held her hand as they continued walking. “I’ll tell you later.”
Zhou An Ran puffed out her cheeks. “Why do you always say you’ll tell me later?”
“Didn’t I tell you?” The young man’s voice carried a hint of amusement. “I need to keep some mystery to keep my girlfriend interested.”