The two arrived at the entrance of the cafeteria when Shang Jue received a message.
【Mom】: Arrived.
He raised one eyebrow.
Chen Xuerong hadn’t even sent him the plane ticket; had she really arrived in City A already?
【Shang Jue】: Where are you? Do you want me to pick you up from the airport?
As he replied to the message, he stopped walking.
Lu Yuxing also halted and looked down at Shang Jue, whose hair was covering his crown tightly. At that moment, he felt a gaze directed at them from the side. He looked up to see a tall woman wearing a short cashmere coat standing under the towering pine tree across from the cafeteria, her eyes fixed on the two of them.
The distance was too far to discern her age, but it was clear that she had an outstanding presence.
Lu Yuxing’s expression remained calm as he slightly turned his body, blocking Shang Jue from the woman's line of sight.
Chen Xuerong was waiting to see her son’s surprised expression but was momentarily taken aback by being blocked.
Seeing that the two were about to enter the cafeteria and blend into the crowd, she reluctantly gave up on the surprise and walked towards Shang Jue with her hands in her coat pockets, her high-heeled boots creating a rhythmic sound as she walked, exuding a supermodel aura.
Lu Yuxing's emotions became even more subdued. Then he heard the slightly surprised voice of the person he was hiding behind, “... Mom?”
At that moment, Chen Xuerong approached, and the passage of time was finally clearly visible on her face.
Lu Yuxing’s skin tightened, but fortunately, no one could read his thoughts, so he pretended as if nothing had happened and called out to Chen Xuerong, “Auntie.”
Chen Xuerong smiled and said warmly, “Hello.”
She wasn’t an overly enthusiastic parent; after greeting him, she didn’t say much, her politeness tinged with aloofness.
“Haven’t you eaten lunch yet?” she asked Shang Jue.
“Not yet,” Shang Jue replied.
Chen Xuerong hadn’t been to City A in two years, and Shang Jue was just happy to catch up, turning to look at Lu Yuxing.
Lu Yuxing understood and said, “I’ll go to the cafeteria myself; you can stay with Auntie.”
“Okay,” Shang Jue agreed.
After Lu Yuxing finished speaking, he didn’t leave smoothly, stealing a few more glances at Shang Jue before departing.
Shang Jue unintentionally met his gaze.
Under Chen Xuerong’s watchful eyes, their eye contact felt like a secret affair.
“...” Shang Jue almost blushed from this inexplicable flirtatious gaze, wishing he could find something to separate himself from Lu Yuxing.
Lu Yuxing turned and walked away.
“Is he Xiao He?” Chen Xuerong asked after Lu Yuxing had walked far enough.
She said, “He looks quite similar; I haven’t seen Xiao He in years and forgot what he looks like.”
Shang Jue thought to himself: Your memory is just as good as He Yang's.
It was Chen Xuerong who had taken him to He Yang's birthday party back then, suggesting he go make friends with the other boy. Now she had forgotten all about him.
He replied, “No, he’s my former high school classmate, Lu Yuxing.”
Chen Xuerong felt the name sounded familiar. After thinking for a moment, she said uncertainly, “Isn’t he the one who transferred to your school in sophomore year? You mentioned he was the top student in your school.”
Shang Jue softly hummed in response.
Chen Xuerong frowned, "Does he still smoke?"
"…What?"
"Smoking," Chen Xuerong said. "Didn't you say that the guy sitting in front of you smokes?"
Shang Jue was taken aback, fragmented memories flashing back. He had told Chen Xuerong that, but it was a lie. The one who smoked was him, not Lu Yuxing.
During the time when Min Hong entered the Shang family, he was juggling the trivial matters at home while also trying to keep up with his studies. He felt increasingly pressured and later sought various outlets to vent. Smoking became a habit he picked up during that time.
In the second year of high school, Chen Xuerong had not yet left A City and would occasionally visit him at Hai Zhong. By then, Shang Jue was no longer the top student. When Chen Xuerong saw him, she didn't say much, but her eyes often held a critical look. She had a pathological expectation of Shang Jue, which improved only after she left A City two years later.
Once, when she visited Hai Zhong, she surprisingly detected the smell of smoke on him. Shang Jue immediately thought of that annoying guy sitting in front of him, so he lied, "The top student in our class smokes. I can always smell it on him during class."
He was quite good at lying. Chen Xuerong looked at him, saw his smiling face and natural expression, and nodded, seemingly believing him.
Before that, Chen Xuerong would often ask Shang Jue about Lu Yuxing, considering that Lu had outperformed her son academically. It was natural for her to pay more attention to a seemingly perfect student. But after hearing Shang Jue's lie, she stopped inquiring. Just the fact that Lu smoked was enough for her to exclude him from her standards.
After that, Shang Jue spread quite a few rumors about Lu Yuxing in front of her—smoking, drinking, fighting, and supposedly even dating early… all fabricated with great detail. Looking back now, Shang Jue felt he was somewhat unhinged yet also quite talented at the time.
This kind of rumor-mongering was unnecessary, and he couldn't find a valid reason to speak ill of Lu Yuxing. But if he had to find a reason, perhaps it was that every time he tarnished Lu's reputation in front of Chen Xuerong, he felt like he was shattering another version of himself.
It was exhilarating—one hundred times more satisfying than smoking a pack of cigarettes!
…
The past was hard to look back on.
Shang Jue cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable, "Uh… I think so. I can't remember clearly. Maybe he… maybe he quit in the past two years. Actually, I'm not that close to him now; we just happened to have a meal together."
"Mm. Making friends is a good thing, but don’t pick up bad habits," Chen Xuerong lightly admonished, her tone far less wary than when she first heard about Lu Yuxing as a "tough character" years ago.
Shang Jue turned his face away, feeling slightly guilty, "Got it."
The mother and son exited the school and found a restaurant. The eateries near the school were mostly budget-friendly, so Shang Jue walked a bit further to find a quieter place with slightly higher prices, the most important aspect being that it had a wine cellar. Chen Xuerong preferred to pair wine with her meals.
Once seated, he asked, "Are you leaving tomorrow or the day after?"
Chen Xuerong replied, "Plans have changed; I’ll probably stay longer. I haven’t been back in a while, and I want to see how much this place has changed."
She had lived in A City for twenty years, feeling both love and hate for it.
Shang Jue guessed she wouldn't change her mind without reason, so he asked, "Mom, is your boyfriend coming to A City too?"
Chen Xuerong was speechless, "What boyfriend? I got married last year."
Usually sharp-witted, Shang Jue momentarily didn't know how to refer to Chen Xuerong's new husband and momentarily blanked out before saying, "Oh, so your husband is coming to A City?"
"…" Chen Xuerong exclaimed, "I've only been gone a few years, and Shang Xinrong has turned you into this?"
Shang Jue reorganized his thoughts and remembered that Chen Xuerong's husband's surname was "Qin," so he corrected himself, "Uncle Qin?"
"He’s here. Shang Xinrong is in town; he knows I'm coming to see you and followed me here, afraid I’d rekindle old feelings." Chen Xuerong smiled slightly, "I’m not like your dad; I’m not that shameless."
Shang Jue tugged at the corners of his mouth.
The two ordered their meals.
To Shang Jue's surprise, Chen Xuerong didn’t order any wine.
Jian Di ordered a glass of fresh orange juice, and Shang Jue was somewhat surprised: "You’re not drinking alcohol?"
Chen Xuerong suddenly fell silent.
Shang Jue recalled, “I remember you didn’t drive here, right?”
Chen Xuerong was originally from the south and had moved to City A after marrying Shang Xinrong. After their divorce, she returned to the south. It didn’t make sense for her to drive all the way to City A.
Chen Xuerong felt a bit awkward at his question and replied, "I can’t drink right now..."
Shang Jue looked at her, puzzled, then realized something, his gaze dropping to Chen Xuerong’s slightly bulging abdomen.
"Your sister," Chen Xuerong said.
Shang Jue blinked, took a moment to process, then sluggishly replied, "...That’s nice."
Chen Xuerong smiled. It was a warm smile that didn’t quite match her usual temperament.
Shang Jue was momentarily lost in thought. He remembered when Chen Xuerong left City A, she seemed to have been pushed to her limits, paranoid and stubborn.
It had only been a few years... and she seemed like a different person now.
He forced himself to lift his gaze, not wanting to discuss her sister. She might be very cute... but he really didn’t want to talk about her right now.
Shang Jue pointed at his own lips and said, "Mom, your lipstick isn’t applied well; it’s smudged above your cupid’s bow."
Chen Xuerong: ...
She replied, “Not all lipsticks need to be applied perfectly. There’s a technique called...” She trailed off, realizing it would probably be too complicated for her son to understand.
She had rarely worn makeup before, and when she did, it was usually a cool, understated look. Shang Jue had never seen her like that, so it was normal for him not to know.
But hearing “cupid’s bow,” Chen Xuerong was a bit taken aback by her son’s blunt wording.
She sighed, “You should hurry and get a girlfriend in college. Let her teach you.”
No girlfriend, but he did have a fake boyfriend. Should he ask Lu Yuxing to teach him?
Pfft...
Shang Jue’s lips curled slightly as he said, “My girlfriend probably wouldn’t wear lipstick.”
Chen Xuerong was surprised. “Son, are you in a relationship?”
“...”
Shang Jue didn’t know how to explain, so he chose to remain silent.
“Since I’m here, let me meet her sometime?” Chen Xuerong said with a smile. “No need for her to see me; I can go to your school, and you can bring her out. I’ll take a look from a distance.”
She was genuinely curious about what her son’s girlfriend was like.
“Meet her?” Shang Jue’s smile suddenly became a bit more sincere, almost needing to be suppressed to avoid bursting out laughing. “Let’s skip it. I...” He chuckled, taking a moment to catch his breath before continuing, “My girlfriend is a bit too strong; you might not like her.”
“... Who describes their girlfriend as ‘strong’?”
Chen Xuerong began to doubt whether the gentlemanly manners she had taught Shang Jue over the years had been forgotten.
But seeing her son’s smiling face, she momentarily lost her train of thought and swallowed her words.
“You’re too thin. A girlfriend who’s a bit plumper would be a good match. Besides, she’s your girlfriend; what I like or dislike doesn’t matter. You just have to like her.”
Shang Jue laughed and said, “I don’t like her.”
“...” Has he become this bad after two years?
Chen Xuerong felt a pang in her heart at the drastic changes in her son over the years, and she could only remind him, “Don’t bully that little girl.”
Shang Jue didn’t respond.
He didn’t bully little girls; he just bullied silly dogs.
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