Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

Liu's mother's eyes immediately welled up with tears. She reached out and grasped her daughter's hand, her voice a mixture of heartache and anger:

"Silly girl! What can't you tell your parents? Chen Yu has already bullied you, and you're still thinking about our fun!"

She turned to look at Pei Yu'an, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"Xiao Pei, thanks to you for helping Yun Shu collect evidence, otherwise this girl might have been bullied terribly."

Xiao Ba: Of course! Getting her own mother to collect evidence, she's ruthless!

Pei Yu'an smiled shyly and gently scratched his cheek with his fingertips.

"Auntie, this is what I should do. Sister Yunshu doesn't want you to worry, but I can't just watch her bear it all alone."

Pei Yu'an: My mother-in-law praised me! ~~(≧▽≦)/~

He turned to look at Liu Yunshu, his eyes filled with tenderness that could melt hearts, "From now on, with me here, I won't let anyone bully her!"

Xiao Ba: Ouch! (ㅎ.ㅎ)

Upon hearing this, Liu Yunshu raised an eyebrow, reached out and tapped the tip of his nose, saying meaningfully, "Then remember what you said."

Pei Yu'an was initially taken aback by the heat of her fingertips, but after realizing what she meant, he said in a slightly coquettish tone, "Sister Liu~".

This childlike, coquettish voice made Liu's mother laugh heartily, slapping her thigh in a teasing manner.

"Look at her, she looks just like Yun Shu when she was little and wanted candy!"

Liu's father also smiled, took a sip of tea, and looked at Pei Yu'an with eyes full of indulgence.

Liu Yunshu rested her chin on her hand, her eyes full of laughter, "You said it yourself~"

Pei Yu'an leaned close to her ear and whispered ingratiatingly, "Well, the important thing people were talking about... that kind of thing doesn't count~"

The warm breath brushed past her ear, and Liu Yunshu's ear tips instantly burned.

She gently pushed his shoulder away, but couldn't hide the smile in her eyes: "You're such a smooth talker."

Xiao Ba: ૧(●´৺`●)૭ I'm not the Xiao Ba who couldn't understand anything back then!

Mr. and Mrs. Liu exchanged a glance, both seeing a knowing smile in each other's eyes.

Liu's mother was already planning to make more soup for Xiao Pei to nourish him after everything was over.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After their trip to Yunnan, the group immediately flew back to Suzhou.

Upon returning to Liu Yunshu's residence, Liu's father immediately pulled her to sit on the sofa, his expression serious yet unable to conceal his heartache.

"Tell us about Chen Yu in detail. Have you gathered all the evidence? If you need anything from your parents, just let us know."

Pei Yu'an also sat down, took out his phone, and looked conflicted, not daring to look at Liu's father.

Liu's mother looked at him strangely, "What's wrong with Xiao Pei?"

Pei Yu'an hesitated for a moment, swiping his finger across the phone screen. His Adam's apple bobbed before he finally murmured, "..."

"Uncle and Aunt, there's something I haven't told you yet, because I was afraid you'd be angry..."

"Mom and Dad," Liu Yunshu interrupted before Pei Yu'an could finish speaking.

She gently pressed her fingertips against the back of his hand, her tone frank, "It's not his fault; I told him not to speak first."

She looked up at her parents, a hint of apology in her eyes: "Actually, Chen Yu's affair was with Xiao Pei's mother."

Father Liu, Mother Liu: (๑ʘ̅ д ʘ̅๑)!!!

These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, instantly freezing Mr. and Mrs. Liu in place.

Liu's mother tightened her grip on her daughter's hand, her eyes filled with disbelief, and her lips moved for a long time before she finally managed to utter a word:

"What...did you say? Xiao Pei's mother?"

Pei Yu'an lowered his head, his fingers gripping his phone tightly, his voice tinged with difficulty:

"Yes... I found out by chance. My mother... is very close to Mr. Chen Yu. I got some of those transfer records and chat logs from her."

Mr. Liu's face was ashen, and his chest heaved violently; he was clearly furious at this outrageous relationship.

He never imagined that his daughter's betrayal would involve the family of the child in front of him; it was utterly absurd.

Remembering the melodramatic soap operas she'd watched, Liu's mother blurted out, almost as if possessed, "Yun Shu, you wouldn't have gotten together with Xiao Pei because of this..."

Xiao Ba: You're the truth-teller! (ง ˙o˙)ว

"Old woman!"

Just as Mr. Liu was recovering from his shock, he was startled by Mrs. Liu's words and interrupted her sharply, "What nonsense are you talking about! Yun Shu isn't that kind of person!"

Xiao Ba: (ಡωಡ)

He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the anger and turmoil in his heart.

His gaze fell on Pei Yu'an, and his tone turned serious, "Little Pei, does your mother know about this? What... is her attitude?"

Pei Yu'an raised his head, his eyes filled with guilt.

"Uncle, my mom doesn't know that I'm with Sister Liu, nor does she know that I have evidence against her and Chen Yu."

He then looked at Liu's father with a determined expression.

"However, I will not protect her. All this evidence will be handed over to the lawyer. I will never let her bully Sister Liu with Chen Yu."

Xiao Ba: You little rascal! No wonder you have a wife!

Liu Yunshu gently patted Pei Yu'an's hand and added:

"Dad, Mom, my relationship with Xiao Pei has nothing to do with this. It's because he's always been there for me that I gradually fell for him."

Her eyes were open and honest, without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

"Moreover, you've all seen Xiao Pei's attitude. He never protected her just because she's his mother. That sense of responsibility is far superior to Chen Yu's."

Liu's mother opened her mouth, but ultimately did not voice her doubts.

She looked at the two people sitting side by side in front of her, one calm and resolute, the other feeling guilty but not lacking in responsibility.

The mixed feelings in my heart were gradually replaced by heartache.

The child suffered a lot because of his own daughter's mistreatment; in the end, he was dragged down by the adults' absurd actions.

After a long silence, the rise and fall of Liu's father's chest gradually subsided. He looked at Pei Yu'an, his tone softening:

"It's good that you can distinguish right from wrong and don't cover up for your family."

He paused, then turned his gaze to Liu Yunshu, "Now that the evidence is complete, contact a lawyer tomorrow."

Liu's mother got up, went to the kitchen, poured four glasses of warm water, handed them to the group, and sighed.

"This whole mess is truly terrible. Xiao Pei, don't blame yourself too much. This has nothing to do with you; it's your mother and Chen Yu who made the mistake."

"Thank you, Auntie," Pei Yu'an said softly, his heart still heavy.

He knew that no matter how firm his stance was, his mother's mistakes would ultimately become an obstacle that he and Liu Yunshu needed to overcome.

This guilt was even harder to dispel, especially in front of Liu's parents.

At night, Pei Yu'an was tossing and turning on the sofa, unable to sleep, when suddenly his eyes widened and he looked down in disbelief.

Liu Yunshu peeked out from underneath, holding a jig in one hand and resting her chin on her other hand on the sofa, a smile in her eyes.

"Why aren't you asleep yet? Are you waiting for me?"

"Sister Liu..."

He stammered, his eyes darting between a burning gaze at Liu Yunshu and an uneasy glance at the room where Liu's parents slept, as if afraid they might suddenly come out.

Eyes: Oh dear~ I'm so busy~ ヽ(〃∀〃)ﾉ

Seeing his nervous yet excited expression, Liu Yunshu couldn't help but chuckle softly, gently pinching his fingertips.

"Look at you, so pathetic. My parents are fast asleep."

She leaned against his chest, her voice softening, "Still thinking about what happened during the day?"

"Sister Liu, move around more~" A hint of longing flashed in Pei Yu'an's eyes.

He then raised his hand and hugged her waist tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head, his voice muffled:

"Hmm... It's clearly their fault, yet we're being dragged into it."

He tightened his arms, a hint of unease in his grip.

"Sister Liu, will your parents disapprove of me because of this?"

Liu Yunshu looked up at him teasingly, "Hmm, looks really worried, you can't even stand up straight."

Pei Yu'an suddenly pressed his forehead against hers, his face flushed, and said in a sticky, coquettish voice, "Sister Liu~"

Liu Yunshu felt a warmth in her heart at his soft and aggrieved appearance.

He gently stroked his short hair, his voice as soft as warm water:

"Are you stupid? My parents both came to their defense today. They're looking at your character, not your family's fault."

She gently poked his flushed cheek with her fingertip, a smile in her eyes.

"Besides, my parents are more pleased than anyone else that you stood firmly on my side today."

Pei Yu'an's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

He tightened his arms around her, burying his nose in the crook of her neck, his voice soft and gentle, still soothed:

"Really? Then... then I'll try to make a good impression on your parents in the future, and they'll definitely feel completely at ease entrusting you to me."

"You'd better make a good impression on me tonight," Liu Yunshu whispered in his ear.

Warm breath brushed against his neck, and Pei Yu'an couldn't help but shrink back, lowering his voice: "Just in case, be careful someone hears us..."

Liu Yunshu's fingertips traced his burning earlobe, a mischievous glint in her eyes: "Then why don't you just keep your voice down?"

Before she could finish speaking, the boy suddenly grabbed her waist and kissed her with a burning, desperate fervor.

The moonlight filtering through the sofa was mostly blocked by the two figures, and their soft murmurs, mixed with suppressed breaths, wove a gentle net in the quiet night.

"Sister Liu, were you Bai Suzhen in your past life?"

"roll……"