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

If a man were to pester a woman like that, he'd be publicly shamed and condemned, right? This double standard is disgusting.

Mo Ye rubbed his temples, feeling a deep sense of exhaustion and helplessness wash over him.

He asked himself, if his attitude was clear enough and his refusal thorough enough, why do some people always interpret others' clear refusal as "playing hard to get" or "testing their sincerity"?

This kind of immersive self-pity is more troublesome than any complex code bug.

Disrupted by this, the three lost interest in continuing their conversation, and a faint awkwardness and murmurs filled the classroom.

When the bell finally rang, the three of them grabbed their bags almost simultaneously and fled the classroom as if they were escaping.

Head straight to the stir-fry window on the second floor of the cafeteria—there they have their favorite stir-fried beef with chili peppers, full of wok hei (wok aroma), tender beef, and fragrant but not overpowering chili peppers, a perfect remedy for all worries.

Of course, it must be paired with chilled domestic classic liquor, commonly known as "chilled Guojiao".

This meal was naturally paid for by Mo Ye, to celebrate (or rather, to appease) his two brothers for their "righteous words."

Mo Ye ordered without hesitation, ordering a large portion of stir-fried beef with chili peppers, along with several refreshing side dishes, and several large two-liter bottles of Guojiao liquor.

"Boss, add lots of chili! Make sure the meat is tender!" Shen Qing shouted, trying to use the heat of the food to dispel her earlier unpleasantness.

........

Meanwhile, Li Chuxue and Wu Bing returned to their dormitory.

The cup of milk tea left on Mo Ye's table stood forlornly at the corner of Li Chuxue's table, like a silent mockery.

Li Chuxue stared at it, her eyes still red, tears welling up but not falling—a truly heartbreaking sight for anyone unaware of the situation.

Wu Bing looked at her phone, and suddenly her eyes lit up:

"Xiaoxue, look! Young Master Jin sent a message asking if we want to go out for dinner together tonight?"

"The 'Nightfall' restaurant is newly opened; I've heard it's incredibly upscale!"

The excitement in her voice was almost impossible to hide.

Li Chuxue glanced at her phone screen. Jin Xiong, a well-known local rich second-generation, had been pursuing her for a long time and was very generous.

She frowned, hesitating slightly, "I...I still want to..."

"What are you thinking about, my little Xue!"

Wu Bing immediately interrupted her, affectionately putting his arm around her shoulder, his tone seductive:

"Look at Mo Ye's attitude today, he's clearly made up his mind."

We girls only have a few years of youth, which are the most precious!

Why put all your eggs in one basket?

Jin Shao treats you so well!

The world I showed you, the gifts I gave you—everything was top-notch.

As long as we have money and live a refined and beautiful life, why would we be afraid of not having better options?

Who knows... maybe Mo Ye will look at you differently then?

Li Chuxue was persuaded.

Mo Ye's resolute gaze and words today truly chilled her to the bone.

Perhaps... we should try a different approach?

She glanced at the simple, elegant dresses she had bought in her wardrobe to match Mo Ye's preference for "simple and clean" styles, and then thought about the outfits Jin Xiong had taken her to for those occasions...

"Then... I'll change my clothes," she said softly.

"That's right!"

Wu Bing beamed with joy, immediately opened her wardrobe, and took out a black spaghetti strap mini dress. The fabric was soft and form-fitting, and the design was daring.

Wear this!

We must shine tonight!

Girls should be pampered and cherished by men; a truly good man is one who is willing to spend money on you!

Wu Bing had her own little scheme in mind.

It's true that Jin Xiong only has eyes for Li Chuxue, but as long as Li Chuxue is willing to keep their appointments often, she, as her "best friend," will have countless opportunities to get closer to her.

Li Chuxue always has inconvenient times, such as those few days each month... and that's when her opportunity comes.

If Mo Ye knew that the suitor he had sternly rejected was now planning to "improve himself" in an even more despicable way in order to "be worthy" of him.

They might actually feel that the stir-fried beef with chili peppers they just ate tastes different, and they'd need to find a place to vomit to feel better.

.......

At this moment, Mo Ye was having a great time with Shen Qing and Wang Jie in the cafeteria.

The intense flavors of chili peppers and beef, along with the refreshing kick of ice-cold beer, temporarily washed away the unpleasantness.

The three of them ate until their noses were sweating, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

After a satisfying meal, Shen Qing let out a burp and gestured towards Mo Ye with her chopsticks. Suddenly, she remembered something, and her eyes lit up:

"Oh, right, son!"

Let's get down to business. What does my granddaughter... cough, my precious Tongtong actually like?

We, as his uncles, should at least show some appreciation!

Mo Ye sighed helplessly:

"She's only three years old, and her interests are quite simple: cats and dogs, fluffy toys, sparkly hair clips, and delicious food."

"Cats and dogs...furry..."

Shen Qing stroked his chin and exchanged a glance with Wang Jie.

Two straight men who spend years immersed in code, circuit boards, and military models have almost no knowledge of dolls or princess dresses.

They've made remote-controlled tanks, model airplanes, and even miniature aircraft carriers together, but choosing a gift for a three-year-old girl? That touches on a blind spot in their knowledge.

Suddenly, Shen Qing slapped his thigh, his eyes lighting up like a light bulb that had been switched on:

"Old Wang! I have an idea!"

He leaned close to Wang Jie's ear and whispered something to him.

Wang Jie froze at first, then his eyes behind his glasses slowly widened, and the corners of his mouth began to involuntarily turn up. Finally, he patted Shen Qing's shoulder heavily.

"Wonderful!"

Brother Shen!

This plan is brilliant!

It fits the theme of "furry cats and dogs" while also embodying the romance and hardcore spirit of us STEM guys!

Tongtong will definitely love it!

The Mexicans would definitely have nothing to say!

Mo Ye watched as the two suddenly whispered excitedly to each other, their faces showing the kind of excitement one would show when a major invention was about to be completed.

A bad feeling suddenly rose in my heart.

"...What kind of tricks are you two up to?"

Shen Qing and Wang Jie turned their heads at the same time, flashing Mo Ye perfect, bright smiles that revealed eight teeth, and said in unison:

"secret!"

"A surprise for Tongtong!"

Mo Ye: "..." He looked at the empty beer bottles on the table and began to seriously consider whether these two had drunk a bit too much.

Or was it an impulsive decision for me to agree to let them see Tongtong?

As dawn broke, the Alice International Kindergarten was filled with the clear voices of children and the sweet aroma of breakfast.

With her little bear backpack on her back, Tongtong, like a happy little lark, hopped and skipped into the kindergarten classroom.

The lingering shadows left by yesterday's incident have long been dispelled by the child's pure heart and her father's warm embrace. At this moment, her heart is filled with the pride of "Tongtong is a brave and good baby."

Just as she put down her schoolbag, her best friend Lin Simei sidled up to her. The little girl's eyes were still slightly red, her small hands nervously twisting the hem of her clothes, and her voice was soft:

"Tongtong... I'm sorry, it was all my fault yesterday... I dragged you and Lu Hao into this..."

Upon hearing this, Tongtong immediately frowned, and her "little bandit" sense of righteousness resurfaced.

She stretched out her chubby little arm, trying her best to act like an adult, and patted Lin Simei's shoulder, her little voice surprisingly strong:

"What are you saying!"

Comrade Lin Simei!

We are good friends!

Good friends should help each other and fight bad guys together!

Where is there any question of implicating or not implicating?

Next time someone criticizes you, I'll still help you!

She looked exactly like a miniature version of a female knight-errant.

Lin Simei was amused by her "heroic and spirited" demeanor, which made her burst into laughter through her tears. She was also moved to tears and couldn't help but feel like a kitten seeking comfort.

She gently nuzzled her head against Tongtong's neck, her voice muffled, "Thank you, Tongtong..."

Tongtong felt a little ticklish from being rubbed, giggled, and reached out her chubby little hand to haphazardly wipe Lin Simei's seemingly wet eyes, then solemnly "lectured" her:

"Okay, okay, stop crying, you're so girly..."