In the morning, Qin Nanshan called Wen Yi to ask her about her mother’s preferences so he could prepare a gift. Wen Yi was surprised that someone as intelligent as him also understood social etiquette. She told him to simply buy some donkey-hide gelatin, American ginseng, and fruit. 

After hanging up, she realized that during their conversations over the past few days, he had never mentioned “Dad” or “Father.” With this in mind, she waited for him to arrive and even went out to the alley entrance to meet him.

He followed her instructions exactly, buying everything she had suggested, without a single gift for a man. She asked, “Did I ever tell you that I come from a single-parent family?”

Carrying several bags and closing the trunk, Qin Nanshan replied, “No.”

“Then how did you know?”

He said, “Back in our first year of high school, when we submitted our student information forms, I accidentally saw yours.”

Wen Yi raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got a really good memory.”

“I do.”

“…”

Narcissist!

Curious, she asked, “What else do you remember?”

“A lot.” Qin Nanshan pointed to the small alley ahead, confirming, “This way?”

“Mm.” From the alley entrance to the house was about 200 meters. His hands were full with the bags, but Wen Yi had no intention of helping—after all, she was now a delicate pregnant woman. “You remember I was the class president, right?”

“I remember.”

“Then what did you think of me?”

Qin Nanshan didn’t want to answer her roundabout questions. “What are you trying to say?”

“Nothing, just wondering if we should add more details to our story. Like, you secretly had a crush on me for years but couldn’t get me, and then we reunited and fell madly in love. That would make it more believable.”

Qin Nanshan stopped walking, his gaze focused as he seriously asked, “Why couldn’t it be you who had a crush on me?”

“…”

Wen Yi was speechless for a moment before raising her eyebrows. “We weren’t even close. How could I possibly have a crush on you? And besides, it’s just a story! A story to make my mom happy. Obviously, it should be you who had the crush.”

He continued walking without saying anything, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

After a few steps, their neighbor Aunt Wang came out to take out the trash. Wen Yi forgot all about adding more story details and affectionately hooked her arm through Qin Nanshan’s, speaking in a sweet, soft Suzhou dialect, “Aunt Wang, this is my boyfriend.”

Aunt Wang curiously looked him up and down, nodding in approval. “So handsome. What’s your name?”

Wen Yi smiled, but out of her aunt’s view, she gave Qin Nanshan a small pinch. He looked down at her, met her eyes, and then glanced toward Aunt Wang as she subtly gestured. Understanding, he politely said, “Hello, Auntie. My surname is Qin.”

Aunt Wang asked, “What do you do for a living?”

Wen Yi answered with a bright smile, “He’s a university professor.”

An associate professor is still a professor, after all.

“Wow, impressive!” Aunt Wang chuckled. “What about your family? What do they do?”

“They’re all teachers too,” Wen Yi replied, glancing down the alley before saying, “Aunt Wang, my mom’s waiting for us. We’ll chat next time.”

“Go on, go on.”

After another 50 meters, Aunt Li, carrying her bag, looked like she was heading out, and they repeated the conversation. Just before reaching home, another neighbor, Aunt Wu, came out to take out the trash, and they exchanged a few more words.

This short walk, filled with stops and chats, took over ten minutes. When they finally reached the front door, Wen Yi let go of his arm, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Sorry about that. The neighbors here are pretty nosy.”

“It’s fine, I understand. Let’s go in,” Qin Nanshan said as he knocked on the half-open door and stepped into the small courtyard.

Wen Yi watched his back, quietly sighing. She didn’t really care about the neighbors’ opinions, especially since she didn’t live here often, but with Ms. Wen around, she had to keep up appearances.

Even though she had a thick skin, using Qin Nanshan’s looks, job, and family background to flaunt a bit left her feeling somewhat guilty. Now she really felt like a scheming woman who was plotting to take advantage of him.

Ms. Wen clearly didn’t have much experience entertaining potential sons-in-law. After accepting the gifts, she kept winking at Wen Yi, leaving her no choice but to step in as a mediator.

After a few awkward exchanges, Ms. Wen finally got into the rhythm, adopting the posture of a mother-in-law as she began questioning him. “Little Qin, is your work busy?”

Qin Nanshan sat straighter than someone attending a UN meeting, his expression calm from start to finish, showing no sign of nervousness. “Not too bad. My schedule is pretty flexible.”

“What are your plans when Wen Yi goes on maternity leave and during the postpartum period?”

“The due date is around the end of July, which will be during the summer break. If needed at other times, I can take time off anytime.”

Ms. Wen nodded repeatedly. “What do your parents do?”

“They’re retired and have been traveling around the country these past two years.”

“Where will you two live after getting married?”

Qin Nanshan glanced at Wen Yi, who had been silent all this time, before turning back to Ms. Wen. “I have an apartment in the city center, but it hasn’t been furnished yet. Since new furniture tends to have strong formaldehyde fumes, it’ll take two or three months before it’s livable. If she doesn’t mind, we could stay at my place near A University for now.”

Ms. Wen nudged her daughter, “Answer the question.”

Wen Yi had been listening and replied, “I’m fine with either.”

His place near the university might be old and small, but it was in a prime location. With kindergartens, schools, hospitals, and shopping malls all nearby, even if you had the money, it would be hard to buy a place like that.

With the little tenant in her belly for now, they could figure out future living arrangements later. After all, what’s his is hers—it’s not going anywhere.

Qin Nanshan nodded. “Then we’ll go look at furniture in a few days.”

“No rush, no rush.” His gentle demeanor and warm tone thoroughly pleased Ms. Wen. She smiled and waved it off. “Let’s eat, the dishes are getting cold.”

For the three of them, Ms. Wen had made a full six dishes.

At the dinner table, the “mother-in-law admiring the son-in-law” routine played out in full force, with Ms. Wen growing more satisfied by the minute. Wen Yi quietly ate her meal, occasionally chiming in when prompted.

After 8 p.m., the mother and daughter saw him off. Wen Yi thought the day had gone smoothly until the door closed and Ms. Wen’s smile vanished. “Come with me!”

Wen Yi’s right eye twitched violently, a sure sign that something bad was about to happen.

Upon entering the house, Wen Hongyu sat on the sofa, her face stern. “Wen Yi, be honest with me, what’s the deal between you two?”

Wen Yi hesitated, “I’ve already told you, we were high school classmates, and we’ve been together for six months…”

Wen Hongyu narrowed her eyes. “Six months? That’s not a short time. How come he doesn’t know you dislike tomatoes?”

Wen Yi’s heart skipped a beat. Is her mom Sherlock Holmes reincarnated?