We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

In the quiet living room, three pairs of eyes stared at each other.

"Mom, why are you back?" Li Mubai broke the silence first, standing up and asking.

"I came back to get something," Li's mother said, then turned her gaze to the girl next to her son.

"This is..." Li Mubai thought for a moment and then said, "My classmate."

"Hello, Auntie." Xie Shu bowed slightly to Li's mother.

Luckily, they didn't hug just now, otherwise it would be awkward now, Li Mubai thought to himself with relief.

"Oh, hello, hello." Li's mother nodded, then looked at her son, "It's almost evening, Xiaobai, don't stay out too late with your classmate, take your classmate home early."

Li Mubai understood; this was a way of getting rid of Xie Shu, and they might settle scores with him later.

He hesitated for a moment, but before he could say anything, Li's mother had already taken the things and left without saying a word.

The room returned to silence, leaving only Xie Shu with his head down and Li Mubai in silence.

Ding Dong!

Li Mubai's phone rang. He picked it up and saw it was a message from his mother. His mother wasn't very literate, so she usually sent voice messages, which Li Mubai transcribed into text.

"Send your classmate home as soon as possible, and keep your distance from them."

Li Mubai took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He put down his phone and looked at Xie Shu, who had his head down.

"If it doesn't work out... then I'll go back..." Her voice sounded very downcast.

Li Mubai had never seen her like this before; she was always number one at school.

If there were a school beauty pageant, the first place might go to some quirky character, but Xie Shu's votes would definitely not be low. She is the moon that everyone is watching, and in his heart, she seems to always be calm and composed.

But putting aside all these accolades, Xie Shu is ultimately just a girl who has just turned seventeen.

She might be happy to ride a bicycle, or delighted to eat a street snack. Naturally, she could also experience sadness and depression.

He reached out and patted her head.

"It's okay, I'll try my best. You wait for me at home."

Xie Shu hesitated for a moment, then nodded emphatically.

Li Mubai opened the door and went out. He thought, if that doesn't work, then he'll take Xie Shu to a hotel first. He's an adult now, so he should be able to get a room.

He glanced back at his old neighborhood and saw what looked like a figure standing in the second-floor window.

Li Mubai waved his hand, then turned his head and walked towards the restaurant.

"This is outrageous! Xiaobai actually brought a girl home! There's definitely something going on here! He's almost a senior in high school, how can he still be thinking about dating!"

Before even entering the restaurant, you could hear Li's mother's voice.

He pushed open the door and went in. In an instant, Li's mother stopped talking and turned her gaze to him. Li's father was also staring at him.

"Mom, Dad," Li Mubai said with a slight smile.

"Xiaobai, has your classmate gone home yet?" Li's mother asked.

"Hmm—not yet."

Upon hearing this, Li's mother frowned.

"Come sit here, I have something to ask you."

Li Mubai sat down next to his father, with his mother staring at him from across the room.

"I'm asking you, are you and that classmate together?" Li's mother asked in a serious tone, getting straight to the point.

"...We're together now." Li Mubai nodded slowly.

"No, you're almost a senior in high school, how can you still not understand which is more important? I won't object if you start dating after the college entrance exam, but senior year is the most crucial year."

Mr. Li didn't say anything, just kept scrolling through his phone.

"Hey, you too! Xiaobai's already in a relationship, and you're still staring at your phone." Li's mother turned her ire towards Li's father.

Upon hearing this, Li's father symbolically put down his phone.

"No, Mom," Li Mubai said, "I know that senior year is a crucial year, but my grades haven't been affected."

"What if you break up later? What if you break up before the college entrance exam? I've already told you, early relationships are most likely to affect your studies! It's just that the time hasn't come yet."

"Then why don't we just not break up?" Li Mubai retorted.

"The problem is, what do you do if the girl wants to dump you?"

"Impossible," he said firmly.

"Xiaobai, I still think you shouldn't fall in love too early. Break up with that girl as soon as possible and focus on your studies first," Li's mother said earnestly.

Seemingly at a stalemate, Li Mubai muttered, "Actually, we've been together for over two months."

"No, Xiaobai, what are you thinking?!" Li's mother's voice suddenly rose.

"But my grades haven't dropped," he retorted. "She's a very good student, and she's always been my teacher. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to consistently be in the top ten."

After Li Mubai finished speaking, he quickly took out his phone and opened the grade sheet.

"Look at my ranking in this final exam."

"What ranking?" Li's mother asked.

He forgot that Li's mother was illiterate.

"Twenty-ninth place, I'm ranked twenty-ninth out of the three schools."

How many students are there in total?

Li Mubai scrolled to the bottom of his phone and glanced at it: "A total of 864 people."

"What kind of school can you get into?" Li's mother pressed.

"A decent 985 university graduate should be able to get in."

After Li Mubai finished speaking, Li's mother fell silent. After a long while, she finally spoke up a little:

"Xiaobai, it would be great if you could maintain these grades, but I still don't recommend that you start dating too early."

"I know, I will study hard."

The suggestion was just that—a suggestion—but he didn't take it.

"How many years is your classmate?" Li's mother asked again.

She's third.

"So tall!" Li's mother was somewhat surprised. She pondered for a moment, then sighed, "I don't object to you two dating, but you need to be careful about your boundaries, learn from her, and don't think about other things all the time."

"I understand, Mom," Li Mubai replied perfunctorily.

Do her parents know?

"Hmm—I probably don't know." Li Mubai's tone was uncertain.

"It's getting late, you should let your classmate go home early, otherwise her parents might worry."

When this was mentioned, Li Mubai hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, "Mom, could she stay with us for a few days?"

"A few days?!" Li's mother asked in surprise, then added, "Did something happen to her parents?"

"No, that's not it. She just had a fight with her mother, and her mother told her to get out. Her father isn't home either, so she probably won't go back now. She didn't seem to have anything with her, so if she goes back, she'll just have to sleep on the streets."

Li's mother pondered for a long time, and Li Mubai subconsciously held his breath, the air becoming somewhat still.

"What are the names of your classmates?" Mr. Li suddenly asked.

"His name is Xie Shu. You should have met him at the parent-teacher conferences last semester, Dad. He was the one who signed you in and called you 'Uncle'."

"I don't remember."

……

"That's possible," Li's mother finally agreed, "but we need to let the other party's parents know we're safe."

"Okay, okay, I have her dad's contact information. I'll talk to him." Li Mubai lied, taking out his phone and fiddling with it for a moment. "Okay, it's been sent."

"Go sleep in Xiaoyong's room, let her sleep in your room. I'll go home and find you a new bed sheet and pillowcases to change in your room," Li's mother instructed again.

"It's alright, she shouldn't mind." Li Mubai suppressed the urge to smile.

"I'm afraid she'll look down on you."

Okay... then he can do it himself.