Shocking! A three-year-old brings his aloof mother to their door.

He simply shoved the phone into He Wanqing's hand and gestured with his eyes: You two chat.

He Wanqing hurriedly took the phone, which felt like a hot potato, her body stiffening even more, like a primary school student facing her homeroom teacher, her face flushed.

"Ah, Auntie is very beautiful and has a great presence!"

I almost bit my tongue after I finished speaking; that compliment was so awkward!

Jiang Hui was overjoyed to be called "Auntie," and the smile on her face was impossible to suppress.

"Oh dear, sweetie~ When we come home for the Dragon Boat Festival, Auntie will cook you her best dishes to help you recover! Look how hard you've been taking care of Mo Ye."

"Thank you, Auntie..." He Wanqing replied softly, her heart still beating a little fast.

Jiang Hui noticed her awkwardness and considerately changed the subject, speaking gently:

"Wanqing, how is Moye, that brat, usually treating you? Has he bullied you?"

He Wanqing immediately shook her head, her tone serious: "No, Mo Ye is very good to me and takes good care of me."

"That's good!" Jiang Hui was relieved, then immediately adopted a "strict mother" demeanor and waved her hand:

"If he dares to treat you badly, tell Auntie, and Auntie will give him a good beating with a feather duster! Don't hold back!"

Mo Ye, left standing to the side: "..." Well, family status -1.

He Wanqing was touched by her mother-in-law's undisguised protection, and her earlier tension dissipated considerably. She smiled, her lips pursed.

"Thank you, Auntie."

The two chatted for another ten minutes or so, mostly with Jiang Hui trying to find topics to talk about.

From asking about the weather in S City to Tongtong's preferences, He Wanqing obediently answered each question, occasionally adding a few words of agreement, and the atmosphere gradually became harmonious.

Although Jiang Hui wanted to chat longer, seeing that He Wanqing still seemed a little reserved, she considerately prepared to end the call.

"Wanqing, that's all for now. Take good care of Moye and yourself too."

"You must bring Tongtong back with Moye for the Dragon Boat Festival! Mom is waiting for you!"

"Yes, Auntie, we will definitely go back." He Wanqing nodded solemnly in promise.

"Okay, okay. Let's video chat often when we have time! I'll have that brat Mo Ye send you my Fetion account, and we can chat on our own!" Jiang Hui waved with a smile.

"Okay, Auntie, goodbye."

The video call ended.

He Wanqing held her phone and let out a long sigh of relief, only then belatedly feeling a wave of exhaustion and relaxation.

Once I relaxed, that "questioning" spirit returned.

She shoved the phone back into Mo Ye's hand, put her hands on her hips, and glared at him angrily.

"You! Why didn't you tell me you were on the phone with Mom?!"

Mo Ye looked at her adorable "settling scores" expression and, suppressing a laugh, explained:

"I just answered the phone, I haven't had a chance to say anything yet..."

"I don't care!" He Wanqing raised her chin, a hint of spoiled arrogance in her voice.

"Remember this from now on: don't try to reason with girls, especially in situations like this. You need to inform them beforehand, understand?"

"I understand, I understand." Mo Ye readily complied, his eyes full of smiles.

Sure enough, women are all big pigs (~￣△￣)~.

His gaze shifted to the lone red apple in the trash can, and he deliberately dragged out his words:

"Sigh, someone said they'd wash an apple for me, but it ended up in the trash... Why is it so hard for patients to eat fruit..."

He Wanqing followed his gaze, and her cheeks flushed again.

My jealousy just now was... way too obvious and childish.

"Eat, eat, all you ever do is eat!" She complained, but her body betrayed her words as she pulled another apple from the bag. "Wait!"

After washing herself clean again, He Wanqing sat back on the edge of the bed, took out a fruit knife, and prepared to peel the fruit.

Mo Ye looked at her and suddenly whispered a request: "I want it peeled."

He Wanqing paused, looked up at him, and said, "Why are you like Tongtong, picking on someone?"

"I'm a patient." Mo Ye said matter-of-factly, with a hint of coquetry in her eyes.

"...Fine, you're the patient, so you're the boss." He Wanqing had no choice but to lower her head and carefully peel the apple.

Her fingers were long and nimble, and the apple peel quickly drooped into a long strip, of uniform thickness.

After peeling it, she cut it into small pieces, picked one up with a toothpick, and held it to his lips: "Ah—"

Mo Ye obediently opened his mouth and ate it. The sweet and crisp fruit melted in his mouth, making him squint his eyes in satisfaction.

After eating several pieces, he looked at He Wanqing's focused profile and suddenly said, "This is a reward for you."

"Huh?" He Wanqing didn't understand and turned to look at him.

Mo Ye pointed to his cheek, his eyes gleaming with a subtle light:

"Thank you for taking such good care of the patients, Mr. He. Here's a kiss as a reward."

He Wanqing was taken aback, then realized what he meant, and glared at him reproachfully: "Aren't you rewarding yourself?"

Even so, she leaned forward slightly and quickly pecked him on the cheek.

Having succeeded, Mo Ye leaned back on the pillow and chuckled contentedly.

He Wanqing clutched the hem of her dress, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the soft fabric. The jealousy from before had dissipated, leaving only a little bit of embarrassment.

She glanced at Mo Ye furtively, her voice lower than usual, tinged with a hint of probing:

"Was I... a little unreasonable just now? Are you... annoyed?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Ye paused slightly, then a clear smile spread across his eyes, like sunlight piercing through the clouds:

"You mean you seemed jealous just now?"

"Who, who's jealous!" He Wanqing immediately denied it like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, but her eyes were somewhat unfocused.

Mo Ye's heart melted at her adorable, contradictory expression.

He gently took her hand, which was resting on the edge of the bed. His fingertips were slightly cool from her illness, but his tone was unusually earnest and gentle:

"Wanqing, I'm only worried when you're not being unreasonable."

"Huh?" He Wanqing looked up at him, somewhat puzzled.

(๑•̌.•̑๑)ˀ̣ˀ̣

"Because that would mean you don't care about me anymore." Mo Ye looked at her, each word clear and firm.

"No matter what you're like—calm, shy, or a little temperamental like before—I like you all the time."

He Wanqing's heart felt as if it were wrapped in warm honey, and it skipped a beat, followed by layers of sweetness.

She felt the tips of her ears burning, but she still tried to be brave and muttered under her breath:

"Hmph... You call me cheesy? You're even more cheesy than me..."

But... why do I like hearing him say that so much? (ﾉ∇︎〃 )

Mo Ye looked at her, clearly happy but stubbornly insisting on being nice, and couldn't help but chuckle softly, nodding obediently:

"Yes, yes, yes, I'm so cheesy."

He Wanqing wanted to say something more, such as refuting it or pointing out his "shortcomings".

But when the words came out, they felt that anything said would sound pretentious.

She just pouted slightly, an unconscious little gesture.

Mo Ye seemed to see through her thoughts and, before she could speak, said, "Don't complain."

"I didn't mean to complain..." He Wanqing subconsciously defended herself.

"Hold me." Mo Ye said immediately afterward, his voice soft but carrying an undeniable tenderness.

..........