Chapter 225: Let’s Keep Our Relationships Separate
Seeing Chen Mo’s strong back blocking the way in front of her, she was enveloped by an overwhelming sense of security.
However, Su Yuqing couldn’t understand why Chen Mo had suddenly become so tense.
Just as a tense Chen Mo was shielding her, about to retreat from the room...
Suddenly, the power in the room came back on, and all the lights flashed on in an instant.
"POP! POP!"
Along with the lights, a very young-looking man and woman appeared. They were holding party poppers, standing not far from the doorway.
They suddenly twisted the poppers toward the two at the door.
Instantly, a shower of colorful confetti rained down on Chen Mo and Su Yuqing like fireworks.
"My dear son, welcome home~"
After setting off her party popper, the woman tossed the tube aside and immediately lunged forward, pulling Chen Mo into a tight hug.
Chen Mo found himself in a full embrace from his mother, Chen Xi, his nose filling with the scent of a particularly elegant perfume.
His father, Chen Miao, stood to the side, watching with a smile in his eyes.
Su Yuqing only snapped out of her daze and took half a step back when the confetti landed in her hair.
Chen Mo’s parents looked far younger than Su Yuqing had expected.
They looked more like Chen Mo’s older brother and sister than his parents.
Both of them were naturally attractive and took great care of themselves. A stress-free life, a positive mindset, a healthy diet, and a good sleep schedule all contributed to their youthful appearance.
Though both were nearly forty, they looked as if they were still in their twenties.
So much so that when Su Yuqing saw them, she couldn’t bring herself to believe they were Chen Mo’s parents.
As a result, the polite greeting on the tip of her tongue got stuck in her throat.
After all, calling two people who looked like an older brother and sister "Auntie" and "Uncle" wouldn’t go over well.
"Okay, okay, I can’t breathe."
Nearly smothered by his mom’s suffocating love, Chen Mo felt like he was about to die in her embrace.
He quickly struggled out of his mother’s arms, took a step back, and gulped down several deep breaths of fresh air.
"This must be Qingqing, right?" Unconcerned by her son’s disdainful expression, Chen Xi immediately smiled and let her gaze fall upon Su Yuqing, sizing her up as if she were a precious treasure.
The young woman was wearing a school uniform that had been washed until it was faded, and bits of confetti still clung to the ends of her hair, yet none of it could conceal her delicate, pretty face.
She unconsciously fiddled with the hem of her clothes, her fingertips flushed a light red with nervousness.
"Oh my, Qingqing, you’re ten times prettier in person than you looked in the security footage photos Yuwei sent over." Chen Xi complimented Su Yuqing with a look of utter satisfaction.
Su Yuqing’s heart skipped a beat. A wave of shyness washed over her, but at the same time, she felt a natural warmth and closeness toward Chen Mo’s mother for using a nickname that only her own mother used for her.
"H-Hello, Auntie... Hello, Uncle." Su Yuqing looked completely flustered. Her hands nervously twisted the hem of her clothes as she offered a trembling greeting.
"’Auntie?’ Don’t be so formal! Just call me ’sis.’ You and Momo don’t need to be on the same page with this," Chen Xi said with a grin, stepping forward to put an arm around Su Yuqing.
She said this mainly because it was their first meeting, and she didn’t want Su Yuqing to feel the pressure that comes with a junior meeting an elder.
Sure enough, as soon as she said that, Su Yuqing’s tension immediately eased considerably.
It also gave her a better understanding of Chen Xi’s playful personality.
Chen Mo was so well-mannered that Su Yuqing had subconsciously imagined his parents would be rather strict and particular about rules.
She had worried that if she did anything wrong, they would see it as her breaking the rules.
That’s why she had been so nervous, terrified of making a bad impression on Chen Mo’s parents.
But now, they were standing right in front of her.
Su Yuqing realized that Chen Mo’s parents were actually incredibly kind, friendly, and approachable.
They didn’t put on the airs of an elder or have a short temper in the slightest.
"And here you are calling her ’Qingqing’ like you’ve known her forever," Chen Mo retorted from the side.
"What are you talking about? She’s my future daughter-in-law. Of course I’m going to get familiar with her!" Seeing her cheeky son daring to tease her, Chen Xi immediately fired back.
Just as she’d intended, Chen Mo’s face instantly flushed red, and Su Yuqing lowered her head shyly.
But amidst her embarrassment, she felt an inexplicable joy.
Although she knew Chen Xi was surely just joking, it still seemed to prove that Chen Mo’s parents held a certain degree of approval for her.
At this thought, Su Yuqing’s heart naturally soared.
Stunned speechless by his mother’s comment, Chen Mo couldn’t think of a comeback for a moment. He could only scoff and change the subject. "If you were coming back, fine, but did you really have to cut the power? Just so I wouldn’t get the security system alert, right?"
He knew in an instant that his parents must have asked Blade to do it.
"We just wanted to give you a surprise! Aren’t you happy to see your mom and dad suddenly appear before you?" Chen Xi said with a smile, gently guiding Su Yuqing into the house with an arm around her as she looked at Chen Mo.
"Oh, I’m just thrilled. Thanks for littering all over my doorway," Chen Mo said sarcastically, giving a speechless look at the confetti covering the floor.
"You cheapskate. It’s just a little bit of trash. It won’t take you any effort to clean up. Is that really a big deal compared to the thought your mom and dad put into surprising you?" Chen Xi pouted, unconcerned.
Chen Miao chimed in with a laugh. "Alright, alright, you two. You start bickering the moment you see each other. Can’t you be a little more loving? Aren’t you worried Yuqing will find you ridiculous?"
Hearing Chen Miao’s words and seeing the way Chen Mo and Chen Xi interacted, Su Yuqing couldn’t help but break into a smile.
She could almost picture Chen Mo and his mother’s affectionate bickering.
This kind of parent-child relationship, so open and friendly it was like they were best friends, was something Su Yuqing had never even dared to dream of.
Chen Mo and Chen Xi glanced at Su Yuqing, then at each other, and shared a smile.
"How long are you back for this time?" Chen Mo asked, his tone growing more serious as he looked at them.
He hadn’t seen his young-looking parents in so long. Seeing them return so suddenly, Chen Mo was actually so moved he felt like he was on the verge of tears.
That was why he’d been bickering with his mom—to forcibly suppress the urge to cry.
He didn’t know how long his parents would be staying this time, but he wanted to fulfill his duty as a son and spend time with them, taking them around town.
"We’re planning to stay for a while this time," Chen Miao said with a smile, stepping forward and gently patting Chen Mo’s back. "After all, you two have your college entrance exams coming up soon. Your mother wanted to stay and take care of you both for a bit."