She hesitated. "Is this appropriate?"

Yan Xixi replied nonchalantly, "What’s inappropriate about it? We’re all friends; it’s just a meal."

The dining spot was a mid-range restaurant with a pleasant ambiance.

At noon, it wasn’t crowded. As soon as the two entered, they saw Li Zhen waving. "Hey, over here."

Li Zhen wasn’t alone. A middle-aged woman was with him. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

When Yan Xixi saw the woman clearly, she was quite surprised. Her mind quickly flashed back. She recalled the woman from the boutique, the one she’d seen cooling off by the air conditioner. Back then, her clothes had been very ordinary, even shabby, but today, she was dressed elegantly and appropriately, a stark contrast to their previous encounter.

The woman also observed the two young women, noting their fresh, neat, and composed appearances—the very picture of diligent, up-and-coming young professional women.

Before Li Zhen could speak, the woman nodded slightly at Xu Xiaoya, then turned to Yan Xixi with a very friendly smile. "You must be Xixi, right? May I call you that? I’m Li Zhen’s mother."

Yan Xixi replied politely, "Of course. Hello, Auntie."

Li Zhen looked surprised. "You two have met before?"

Li Zhen’s mother chuckled. "You often mentioned this college classmate of yours," she said. "So, once when I was passing by, I made a point to go in and see her. Xixi left a very deep impression on me. I’ve worked on a university campus for nearly thirty years, and I believe I’ve met countless excellent girls, but Xixi, she certainly tops the list."

Such high praise left Li Zhen overjoyed. "Mom, in that case, you really must treat Xixi and her friend to a good meal! Oh, right, this is Xu Xiaoya, Xixi’s good friend."

Hearing Li Zhen’s mother praise Xixi so highly, Xu Xiaoya immediately felt a surge of goodwill towards her and greeted her respectfully.

Yan Xixi said generously, "It’s settled. This meal is on me. Li Zhen, Auntie, you can treat me next time."

Li Zhen’s mother readily agreed, replying cheerfully, "I hear you’re going to Harvard to study soon. If you have time before you leave, please give me a chance to treat you."

"Thank you, Auntie."

The meal was surprisingly relaxed. This wasn’t because Li Zhen was particularly talkative. On the contrary, he rarely spoke, mostly just smiling and attending to everyone. His mother, the university teacher, however, was eloquent and exuded the strong aura of an intellectual.

There was no awkwardness or pressure. Everyone politely said their goodbyes after the meal.

After seeing the two women off, Li Zhen rubbed his hands, slightly nervous, and asked, "Mom, what do you think of Yan Xixi?"

Throughout the meal, Li Zhen’s mother had been observing her son. He thought he was being discreet, but he was visibly on edge, his words sometimes incoherent. His gaze would linger on Xixi’s face for a moment before he’d hastily look away. He was the absolute image of a green, inexperienced youth in the throes of first love.

What an unfortunate infatuation. Of all the people he could have chosen, why did he have to develop a crush on the Huang family’s cousin’s ex-girlfriend? Isn’t he just asking for trouble?

Li Zhen’s mother said faintly, "Silly boy, haven’t you realized yet? She has no interest in you. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have brought a friend along."

Li Zhen was unconvinced. "I know that. She just broke up with her ex-boyfriend, so she’s definitely not in the mood to start dating so soon. But I’m willing to wait."

His mother remained silent.

"Mom, won’t you at least tell me what you really think of her?" Li Zhen pressed. "I bet Aunt Huang and cousin’s mother-in-law must have said a lot of bad things about her to you, right?"

Yan Xixi’s fight with Mother Huang was known to all their relatives, near and far. She was, one might say, "infamous" for it. Li Zhen was afraid that this was a hurdle his mother wouldn’t be able to get over.