On a rainy night, the school beauty knocked on my door and asked for shelter

The morning light bathed the winding mountain path, casting long, thin shadows of the three people.

The descent was much easier than the ascent, thanks to the Taoist priest's words, which made all three of them feel more relaxed.

Chen Xi walked with light steps, her face beaming with an undisguised smile.

She kept turning back, her gaze lingering on Chen Mo and Su Yuqing walking side by side, the corners of her mouth curving into a wider smile.

The four words "a match made in heaven" seemed to have stamped her deepest expectations with gold, making her feel comfortable all over, and even the lush green mountains looked more pleasing to the eye.

After descending the mountain, the family enjoyed a good meal, and Chen Xi then escorted Chen Mo and Su Yuqing back home, wisely avoiding staying as a third wheel.

However, just before she was about to leave, Chen Mo suddenly grabbed her.

"Mom, you and Dad came back this time because of my college entrance exam. When are you planning to leave?"

"What's wrong? You're already annoyed after only seeing your mother a few times?" Chen Xi rolled her eyes at Chen Mo and laughed.

"What are you talking about? I'm not annoyed at all. I'd even like you to stay a little longer."

"But thinking about it, I'm afraid you can't stay this long whenever you want, so I'm just getting to know you beforehand. Before you leave, you should at least have a meal I cooked. We don't see each other often, and as your son, I haven't had many opportunities to show my filial piety to you two. You have to give me a chance." Chen Mo replied with a smile.

Chen Xi, who had been acting all carefree, suddenly turned her head away after hearing Chen Mo's words...

Logically speaking, Chen Mo's age should be the age when he should be most annoyed by his parents' control.

During adolescence, the most annoying thing for everyone is their parents nagging endlessly. They are happy when their parents are not around.

Chen Xi had previously thought that Chen Mo would find her and Chen Miao annoying, so even though she rarely saw her son, she still tried to control her desire to see him every day after returning home and did not want to cause him any unhappiness.

But to our surprise, our son was so reluctant to part with us, and he was also very filial, thinking of cooking something for us himself.

A surge of emotion welled up within Chen Xi, causing her eyes to instantly well up with tears.

If it were really just Chen Mo during his high school years, he might actually feel that it was a great thing that his parents weren't around.

High school is the period when personal will awakens to its peak and freedom is most needed.

During this period, any commanding or controlling attitudes from parents towards their children are tantamount to an offensive act of aggression.

It's understandable that children might feel resistant to this.

However, Chen Mo is now a time traveler from his days as a criminal police officer, and he understands the importance of friendship, family, and love better than anyone else.

Without these, there's not much difference between a person living like this and a walking corpse.

He deeply misses his parents, with whom he rarely sees them, and longs to be able to reunite with them more often.

Although long-term reunion may inevitably lead to conflicts due to different life ideologies and habits between the two generations, it is still better than being separated for a long time.

This is also why Chen Mo was reluctant to see his parents leave. Most importantly, he had already personally experienced the pain of losing his grandparents.

He values ​​the regained family ties even more than before, and naturally cherishes them even more.

"Your birthday is coming up in about two weeks, isn't it? Even if your dad and I go back this time, we'll come back in two weeks to celebrate your birthday." Chen Xi took out a handkerchief and wiped away Chen Mo's tears with her back turned before turning around and looking at her son with a loving expression.

She usually jokes around with Chen Mo and rarely treats him like a mother.

Firstly, we haven't seen each other for a long time, and I'm afraid that being too formal in our interactions might be a bit awkward.

Secondly, interacting with children in a motherly manner can easily create a sense of pressure through words.

She still hopes that her child can feel more close to her.

But this time, she rarely showed such maternal love as she reached out and cupped Chen Mo's cheeks, gently stroking them. "You're an adult now. You'll need your parents' help and care less and less in the future. Just don't complain when your parents are around and bother you."

"I never will." Chen Mo smiled gently and took her mother's hand.

The two, who usually bicker like an abstract mother and son whenever they meet, were unusually serious for a while.

Chen Xi paused, then said with a gentle yet solemn look, "Mo Mo, remember, no matter how old you get or how far you go, in your parents' hearts, you will always be our child."

We may have missed many important moments in your growth, and we may not have been able to be by your side every day like other parents do. This is our regret.

But our care and concern for you have never diminished in the slightest.

She slowly withdrew her hand, then patted Chen Mo's strong shoulder firmly, as if to pat in all her love and expectations: "You've grown up, really grown up. You know how to be considerate, how to cherish, how to... understand everyone's difficulties."

That's enough, it's better than anything else.

Mom remembers about cooking! But I'm afraid I won't have time to eat your cooking this time, as I'm going back with your dad this afternoon.

"On your birthday, Mom will come and enjoy your cooking again. After all, your birthday is also the anniversary of your mother's suffering. I'll cook you longevity noodles, and you can cook me a Thanksgiving meal. That's nice."

After saying that, Chen Xi took a deep breath, as if to suppress all her emotions. Soon, her face regained its energetic look, though there was still a trace of moisture in the corners of her eyes. Her smile, however, was exceptionally genuine and warm. "Alright, Mom really has to go now. I have an important meeting waiting for me. You two stay home and take good care of yourselves. Don't fight! Qingqing is a good girl, treat her well!"

She gave Chen Mo one last deep look, her gaze containing a thousand words—pride, relief, reluctance, blessings… before turning around, her steps lighter than when she came, carrying a sense of satisfaction and anticipation as she left home.

Chen Mo stood at the door, watching his mother's departing figure disappear at the intersection. He couldn't utter a single word, but the warm smile on his face lingered for a long time.

The warmth of her mother's palm still lingered on her cheek. This touch made Chen Mo vaguely recall the feeling of being cared for by her mother when she was a child and snuggled in her arms.

Although my mother deliberately honed my practical skills, she also doted on me when it was time to show her love.

Recalling his childhood, Chen Mo felt a surge of emotions.

Those days of carefree, unrestrained indulgence are gone forever. (End of Chapter)