The mother-daughter affection playing out before him made Ye Qiu wonder if their roles should be reversed.
After all, Aunt Ye was a bit too lively.
Watching Ye Qinshui still looking around, Ye Lingling bit her silver teeth, clenched her delicate fists, and could no longer hold back.
Her voice became much deeper.
"Mom! Stop messing around."
"You child, how am I messing around?"
Ye Qinshui argued illogically.
But in her heart, she was already certain that the boy who came to pick up her daughter was indeed impolite, or perhaps an idiot.
'I've been looking for him here for so long, and he doesn't even know to call out or say hello.'
'No wonder he's sent her back and forth so many times, but never bothered to come in and visit me.'
If Ye Qiu knew what Ye Qinshui was thinking.
He would definitely complain about her fiercely.
Was he the idiot, or was Ye Qinshui the idiot, who couldn't see a living person right in front of her?
Ye Qiu, who had come back to his senses, finally spoke.
"Auntie, this junior is here."
"Auntie?!"
Ye Qinshui heard this, turned around, and glared at Ye Qiu.
Upon seeing him, her eyes couldn't move away. No wonder he could charm her daughter; even she herself... in all these years, had never seen a more handsome young man.
"Mom, what are you doing now?"
Ye Lingling was almost going crazy.
"Lingling, what's wrong with you, girl? You haven't even married out yet and you're already siding with outsiders. What can Mom do?"
Ye Qinshui gave Ye Lingling an annoyed look.
Her words, both directly and indirectly, treated Ye Qiu and Ye Lingling as a couple.
"Mom, you... you!"
Ye Lingling glared at Ye Qinshui, then glanced at Ye Qiu, her eyes slowly turning red.
She didn't know what to say.
"Ye Qiu, don't misunderstand, my mom doesn't mean that."
Ye Qiu chuckled, "Lingling, I understand. Auntie probably thinks my address is inappropriate. I'll just change it."
Ye Qinshui gave Ye Qiu an annoyed glare.
'You understand? You understand nothing!'
'No wonder you haven't managed to win over my Lingling after all this time. Turns out you're a blockhead.'
"Auntie, this junior, Ye Qiu, is Lingling's classmate."
Ye Qiu bowed again.
Ye Qinshui glanced at him and said faintly, "Ye Qiu? Good. You should just call me Aunt Ye."
"Oh, oh, okay, Aunt Ye."
A hint of awkwardness flashed across Ye Qiu's face as he nodded repeatedly.
Ye Lingling, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, her mother hadn't gone crazy again.
Otherwise...
She wouldn't know how to face Ye Qiu in the future.
She immediately wanted to send Ye Qinshui away and have Ye Qiu take her.
"Mom, we should go back to the academy. You should go back and get some more sleep."
"Oh! Now you know to care about your Mom?"
Ye Qinshui rolled her eyes at her.
She gently shook her head.
"I won't!"
"What's wrong with me talking to Xiao Qiu for a bit?"
She glared at Ye Lingling in annoyance, leaving her speechless.
Then she put on a smiling face.
"Xiao Qiu, I'll just call you that... I presume that's alright?"
"Uh, Aunt Ye, no problem. You're an elder, you can call me anything you like."
Under Ye Qinshui's gaze, Ye Qiu quickly changed his address.
"Haha... Look at you, child, you're indeed much more sensible than my Lingling." Ye Qinshui chuckled charmingly, triumphantly raising an eyebrow at Ye Lingling.
"Aunt Ye, you're overstating it. Lingling is actually very sensible too."
Ye Lingling looked at Ye Qiu's gaze directed at her and couldn't help but lower her head.
"Hmph! She's sensible?"
"If she were truly sensible, she wouldn't have bothered you by having you send her back and forth for so long, and she wouldn't have known to invite you in for a cup of hot tea."
Ye Qinshui snorted coldly.
She glared at Ye Lingling as if blaming her.
Ye Lingling made to speak, but Ye Qiu was quicker.
"Aunt Ye... Lingling did invite me, it's just that I..."
Before Ye Qiu could finish.
Ye Qinshui took over the conversation.
Her voice was surprised and tinged with doubt.
"You refused?"
"Why... are you afraid we wouldn't entertain you well?"
"No, no, I was just afraid of bothering Lingling too much and disturbing Aunt Ye's peace."
Ye Qiu waved his hands repeatedly.
Ye Lingling's mother was a bit too much for him to handle.
Among the elders of the other girls, he had only met Ning Fengzhi and Dugu Bo.
He had truly never met anyone so enthusiastic and talkative.
"You're wrong about that. My Lingling wishes you would trouble her more."
"Mom, stop talking nonsense!"
Hearing Ye Qinshui speak nonsense again.
Ye Lingling was furious and shouted, glaring at her.
She explained softly to Ye Qiu, "Ye Qiu, don't mind my mom. She hasn't woken up yet, it's all just nonsense."
Ye Qinshui watched this scene.
She felt a little sour. Her daughter was harsh towards her, but gentle and soft-spoken towards Ye Qiu.
And she said there was nothing going on?! Stubborn!
Ye Lingling stepped in front of Ye Qiu.
She said to Ye Qinshui, "Mom, we don't have time to waste with you here. The others are still waiting for us."
"Alas, I worked so hard to raise you, and you don't want to see your mother this much?"
Ye Qinshui clutched her chest, her eyes reddening... and pulled out a handkerchief from somewhere, covering her face and weeping.
"..."
Ye Lingling bit her red lips, helpless against her mother.
She looked back at the bewildered Ye Qiu, forcing a smile: "Ye Qiu, don't mind my... my mom. She's not usually like this."
Ye Qiu withdrew his gaze and nodded in understanding.
Ye Lingling took a deep breath.
She compromised, "Alright, Mom, stop pretending. Just say what you want to say quickly."
Ye Qinshui quickly put away her handkerchief, and her delicate, girlish face bloomed with a smile.
Her words and actions returned to a dignified manner.
"Actually, it's nothing much. I just wanted to invite Xiao Qiu to our house for a meal to thank him for taking care of you during this time."
"Xiao Qiu, what do you think? Would you like to try Aunt Ye's cooking? It won't disappoint you."
Ye Lingling frowned, her flushed face turning red again.
She knew exactly what Ye Qinshui was thinking.
Ye Qiu pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"Then Ye Qiu won't be polite."
Hearing Ye Qiu agree, Ye Lingling, for some reason, also felt a sense of relief in her heart.
Ye Qinshui nodded happily:
"Good, then I won't delay your time. There's no time like the present, let's do it this noon."
"Mm, then I'll listen to Aunt Ye."
Ye Qiu nodded.
He figured a meal wouldn't delay anything significant.
Ye Qinshui nodded, then suddenly pulled Ye Lingling into her arms and whispered to her.
"Good daughter, quickly tell Mom, what does Xiao Qiu like to eat? We should leave a good impression on him."
"Mom, th-this kind of thing, can't you just ask him directly...?"
Ye Lingling blushed.
Under Ye Qinshui's urging, she willingly told her what Ye Qiu liked to eat.
She had heard Dugu Yan and the others mention these things so often that she knew them by heart.
A glint flashed in Ye Qinshui's eyes.
Now, she was even more certain that Ye Lingling definitely liked Ye Qiu a lot, even revealing what he liked to eat, what he liked to drink, and what his tastes were so clearly.
Under Ye Qiu's puzzled gaze.
Ye Lingling's eyes darted away as she came to his side.
"Ye Qiu, let's go."
"Mm."
Ye Qiu nodded, taking Ye Lingling's slightly warm small hand.
He didn't forget to say goodbye to Ye Qinshui.
"Goodbye, Aunt Ye."
"Mm, good boy. See you at noon."
As her words fell, Ye Qiu led Ye Lingling away from the front of the Ye Estate.
Looking at the empty doorway.
Ye Qinshui smiled and muttered to herself.
"They truly are a perfect match, a talented man and a beautiful woman! My daughter's taste is much better than mine! Ye... Qiu... is a good name. The children will be surnamed Ye either way. This child is so satisfying to meet right away."
Wishing everyone a happy life!
QQ group: 831821005
On my Patreon, I have several advance chapters available if you're interested in more than 100: For $1, you get 20 fewer chapters than the $2.50 tier. For $2.50, you get 40 fewer chapters than the $4 tier. And for $4, you get them all.
The number of chapters is updated every 7 days and increases by 3 to 5 chapters.
My Patren: paroncom/FanTranslator