"Mom, this is my boyfriend!"
Liu Shuang pointed toward Nan Surou without even glancing. Her mother stared at her in disbelief, voice trembling.
"This... is your boyfriend?" She shook a finger at Nan Surou. "My girl, is this why you refused all my blind dates?"
"Yep~"
"What a disgrace to our family!" Mom Liu rolled her eyes and slumped backward.
Liu Shuang caught her mother and looked back.
Nan Surou stood there with long flowing hair and light makeup.
Liu Shuang felt trapped. She’d hoped Surou’s hairstyle would save her at this crucial moment—but Surou had let her down.
"What a disgrace to our family!" Her mother clutched her chest and shut her eyes.
"Mom! Are you okay?" Liu Shuang gently shook her unconscious mother. "I was joking! This is my boyfriend!"
She yanked Su Shui forward and shouted.
But the moment Su Shui stepped close, her mother sprang up as if waking from a nap.
She wriggled free from Liu Shuang’s arms, smoothed her messy temple hair, and smiled warmly at Su Shui.
"Hello, my daughter must be troubling you~"
Behind her, Liu Shuang gnashed her teeth, watching her mom beam with energy.
Su Shui looked utterly bewildered at the pair, clueless.
Lin Ning and Nan Surou, standing nearby, wore identical confused expressions.
...
"Hehe, time flies," Mom Liu sipped tea on the sofa, chatting with Lin Ning. "One blink and little Ning’s all grown up~"
"Yes, Auntie! So long since we last met~"
"When we met, you were in middle school. Little Shuang followed you everywhere back then~"
"Yeah..."
The two chatted happily in the living room while Su Shui and Liu Shuang whispered in the kitchen.
"I’m begging you!"
"Hey, what’s this about?!" Su Shui stared at Liu Shuang, hands clasped pleadingly.
"Just pretend to be my boyfriend for one day—get my mom off my back!" Liu Shuang said humbly.
"Why lie to her?"
"She sets me up with blind dates daily. I won’t marry those rich playboys~"
Su Shui rubbed his chin, sighed. "I’ll help, but clear it with my wife first. Or my life’s ruined."
...
"Auntie, hello..." Su Shui sat chatting with Mom Liu in the living room.
He felt relaxed—this wasn’t a real parent meeting. Why panic?
Mom Liu secretly nodded, thinking: *Not bad, kid. Steady nerves~*
"Where are you from, Xiao Shui? Home address? Family size..."
Su Shui’s head throbbed at the endless questions. "Auntie, I—"
...
While they chatted, Lin Ning and the others fumbled with dinner in the kitchen.
"Little Ning, lend me your husband for a day!" Liu Shuang gripped Lin Ning’s hands, pleading.
"He’s not my husband! We’re divorced!" Lin Ning protested, uneasy inside.
"Thanks!" Liu Shuang hugged her, kissing her cheeks twice. "Now cook~"
...
Su Shui grew nervous under Mom Liu’s interrogation-like gaze. He hadn’t coordinated stories with Liu Shuang yet.
As he pondered replies, thick black smoke billowed from the kitchen.
"Oh crap!"
Su Shui dashed in and emerged holding a smoking pot.
He dragged the three girls out—they looked like miners fresh from a shaft.
"None of you can cook? No common sense?" Su Shui glared at their downcast faces. "Blowing up the kitchen’s minor—what if you got hurt?!"
"Alright, alright~" Lin Ning waved him off. "Nothing happened~"
"Too late if it did!" Su Shui snapped. "Clean up. I’ll cook."
"Okay~" Lin Ning pulled the others to the bathroom. Su Shui muttered, "Ruined a perfectly good kitchen."
...
In under half an hour of clattering, Su Shui set a full table.
Mom Liu watched, satisfied. *Good cook—just like my husband~*
"Done~" Su Shui wiped his hands on an apron. "Eat up!"
"Coming!"
Lin Ning and the others sat rigidly at the table.
Su Shui habitually sat beside Lin Ning, handing her bowl and chopsticks.
She reached for them—then felt a stare.
She turned. Mom Liu glared like she’d caught a thief.
Lin Ning shot Su Shui a glare. He understood, placed the bowl before her, distributed utensils around the table, and sat beside Liu Shuang.
Only then did Mom Liu nod and take the head seat.
"Xiao Shui, how’d you meet my Shuang?"
"School—"
"Company—"
They exchanged awkward glances.
"Company—"
"School—"
No chemistry. They glared, silent.
Lin Ning couldn’t watch anymore. "They met at the company’s training school!"
"Yes! Exactly!" They beamed at her like she’d saved them.
"How long have you known each other?"
They tensed again, eyes locked, mute.
"Three years~" Lin Ning answered.
"Xiao Shui’s birthday?"
"October 23rd~"
"Xiao Shui—"
Mom Liu questioned; Lin Ning answered. Liu Shuang and Su Shui ate in silence.
"Little Ning knows Xiao Shui well~" Mom Liu remarked.
"Ah, we were classmates~"
Mom Liu glanced at Lin Ning, then turned to Su Shui. "Xiao Shui, serve Shuang some food~"
"Oh. Right."
Su Shui carefully placed food in Liu Shuang’s bowl.
Under the table, Lin Ning kicked him hard.
"Mmph~" Su Shui shot her a wounded look. Her blank face made his heart sink.
Liu Shuang picked up the food, blew on it, and lifted it toward her mouth.
Su Shui snatched it with his chopsticks and stuffed it in his own mouth.
"I just wanted you to blow on it for me~"
