Rebirth System: Learning makes me happy - Chapter 50

It wasn’t until the day before the National Day holiday that Su Qingqing finally finished all her freshman year courses. She even managed to audit quite a few foreign language classes in her spare time.

Looking at the dozen or so new courses added to the Consciousness Academy, Su Qingqing pulled the blanket around herself tighter, nestled into her first-class seat, and began studying with satisfaction.

Jiang Nian glanced at the “sleeping” Su Qingqing and unconsciously recalled Yu Xingye’s frighteningly gloomy face when they parted at the airport.

The rest of them stood cautiously to the side, barely daring to breathe. Luckily, Su Qingqing pulled Yu Xingye away in time.

She didn’t know how she coaxed him, but when they returned, Yu Xingye’s mood visibly improved. Even when she helped Su Qingqing with her backpack, Yu Xingye earnestly said “thank you.”

Thinking of this, Jiang Nian’s gaze towards Su Qingqing grew even more admiring.

Xu Ruyi noticed Su Qingqing was asleep and whispered to Jiang Nian, “Qingqing and he haven’t officially started dating yet?”

Jiang Nian replied, “Not yet.”

Xu Ruyi sighed, “Is this the kind of romance young couples have?”

The three of them saw their parents chatting happily as soon as they got off the plane. Before they could even drag their suitcases over, Su’s mother spotted them.

“Here! Here!”

After saying goodbye to the Xu family, Su Qingqing received a WeChat message as soon as she got into the car.

Xingxing: [Are you home yet?]

Su Qingqing instinctively unlocked her phone and started reporting her itinerary.

Qing: [Almost there. Just met up with Mom and Dad. Dad is driving us home now.]

Ever since Yu Xingye learned that Su Qingqing was going home for the National Day holiday, he would deliberately share his itinerary with her every day. Under his subtle influence, Su Qingqing developed the habit of reporting her itinerary.

However, Su Qingqing accepted this one-for-one exchange well, and even when she discovered that Yu Xingye was doing it on purpose, she just turned a blind eye.

Ms. Su noticed Su Qingqing’s constantly upturned lips and her rapidly typing fingers, and a guess formed in her mind.

“Sweetie,”

Su Qingqing said, “What’s wrong, Mom?”

Ms. Su smiled and turned to look at her. “Have you met someone you like at school?”

“Yes, I have, but not at school.” Su Qingqing hadn’t intended to hide it. “I met them when we went to Lucheng.”

Ms. Su thought for a moment, but Lucheng was all she and Mr. Su remembered. The only people she could think of were the Zheng siblings, but she also knew that Su Qingqing only considered Zheng Boqiu a friend.

Ms. Su pondered for a long time, and the car fell silent.

Su Qingqing watched her mother deep in thought with a smile. Jiang Nian suppressed a laugh, not wanting to spoil the story. Mr. Su’s face had turned ashen since learning that his darling had someone she liked, and he hadn’t said a word.

Ms. Su couldn’t think of anything else. Afraid of guessing wrong, she hesitated and asked, “Is it someone related to the Zheng family?”

Unexpectedly, Ms. Su saw Su Qingqing nod seriously.

“He’s Zheng Yinqiu’s uncle.” This time, Su Qingqing didn’t keep her in suspense. “He’s nine years older than me and he’s very good to me.”

Su’s mother’s perspective was peculiar: “Is he handsome?”

Su Qingqing and Jiang Nian both laughed.

Su Qingqing thought of how Yu Xingye had held her tightly that morning, even whispering sweet nothings to get what he wanted for himself, and laughed even louder.

“Extremely handsome.”

Su’s mother was extremely satisfied, but Su’s father scoffed, “Handsomeness doesn’t put food on the table. Can he even cook?”

Su Qingqing genuinely didn’t know, because the two weren’t officially dating yet, and Yu Xingye was afraid of upsetting her, so he rarely brought her home. Besides, Su Qingqing couldn’t cook, so the two of them would never discuss that topic.

Su’s father, however, took Su Qingqing’s silence as an admission and smiled triumphantly: “What kind of good man can’t cook?”

Su Qingqing didn’t argue and quickly coaxed, “Even if he could cook, it certainly wouldn’t taste as good as Dad’s, right?”

Su Qingqing looked pleadingly at Su’s mother and Jiang Nian, who were secretly laughing.

Mrs. Su suppressed her gloating smile and reassured Mr. Su, “My husband’s cooking is the best.”

Jiang Nian nodded repeatedly, “I’ve lost weight from not eating Dad’s food for a month.”

Mr. Su, looking at Jiang Nian’s increasingly round face, shamelessly accepted the compliment, “I’ll cook a big meal when we get back, to fatten you up!”

Finally appeasing Mr. Su, Su Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief. Jiang Nian patted her hand reassuringly, “Don’t worry.”

Su Qingqing leaned against Jiang Nian, looking at her parents in the front row, her eyes full of smiles.

“I’m not worried, Mom and Dad will definitely like him.”

Su Qingqing continued mischievously, “Mom and Dad like Zheng Boqiu too.”

Jiang Nian blushed and annoyed, “We’re just friends.”

Su Qingqing smiled, not intending to expose her self-deception, “Yes, friends.”

Jiang Nian blushed even more.

That evening.

Su Qingqing was lying on the bed, about to call Yu Xingye, when she heard a knock on the door.

“Who is it? Come in.”

Su’s mother opened the door and saw Su Qingqing lying on the bed with wet hair. While asking where the hairdryer was, she scolded her, “You know sleeping with wet hair will give you a headache?”

Su Qingqing listened to her mother’s nagging with a smile, without arguing back.

Su’s mother was at her wit’s end, only gently tapping her forehead with her finger: “You, I wonder if he can control you.”

Su’s mother tested the hairdryer’s temperature before starting to dry Su Qingqing’s hair.

The faint hum of the hairdryer awakened Su Qingqing’s sleepiness, and she yawned: “Mom, why are you looking for me so late?” Su’s mother had never disturbed Su Qingqing before she was about to go to sleep.

Su’s mother turned off the hairdryer, touched Su Qingqing’s dry hair, and hesitated.

Su Qingqing: “Mom?”

Hearing these two words, Su’s mother instantly gained courage. She smiled lovingly at Su Qingqing.

“Our darling has grown up, and there are some things I need to talk to you about.”

Su Qingqing was a little surprised, sitting up to face her mother, adopting a listening posture.

“Honey, times have changed. Just listen to what I’m saying, take it with a grain of salt.”

Su’s mother looked earnestly at her increasingly radiant daughter.

“Some things are quite common among adults. I hope you can protect yourself, but don’t take it too seriously, and certainly don’t feel ashamed.”

Su Qingqing hadn’t expected her usually conservative mother to say these things, and was about to speak when her mother interrupted her.

Su’s mother patted Su Qingqing’s hand, signaling her to listen to her finish.

“Being with someone you love is a wonderful thing, but that doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice everything for it. I hope you do everything because you want to, not because of others or external pressures.”

Su’s mother gently touched the corner of Su Qingqing’s eye, which was slightly red; Su Qingqing was fighting back tears.

“Baby, I only have two requests for you.”

“Take every relationship seriously.”

“Protect yourself.”

These were a mother’s most sincere expectations for her child.

“Promise me, okay?”

Su Qingqing threw herself into her mother’s arms, the tears she had been holding back finally flowing.

This was the first time her mother had talked to her about this; she had thought her mother was just shy about it, but she hadn’t expected her to be so much braver than she was.

Hot tears soaked her mother’s clothes. Feeling her mother’s comfort, Su Qingqing’s voice was choked with emotion but full of sincerity. ”

Okay.”