We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

The senior high school students finished their exams and went home on Saturday.

Xie Shu arrived at the school's back gate alone as usual. She found the black Mercedes by the roadside, put her suitcase down, glanced at the passenger seat, and finally opened the back door and got in.

"Xiao Shu, why aren't you sitting in the passenger seat today?" Xie Zhiqiang turned around and asked with a smile.

Xie Shu turned his head away without saying a word, and Xie Zhiqiang's smile froze instantly.

After a few seconds of silence, he turned around, released the handbrake, and the car slowly drove away from the school gate, merging into the afternoon traffic.

The train carriage was unusually stuffy and oppressive throughout the journey, and Xie Zhiqiang could roughly guess why Xie Shu was unwilling to communicate with him.

He glanced at the rearview mirror. Xie Shu tilted his head slightly, looking at the scenery outside the window, his lips always downturned, like a quiet statue, without even changing his posture.

All I know is... Xie Shu smiles every day now, she's happy every day...

These words came back to Xie Zhiqiang's mind, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

As his memories slowly drifted back, his daughter's smile seemed to appear in the distant past. On that Children's Day, he suggested that the family go to the amusement park, and he still kept the printed photos at home.

He just didn't know when it started, but it seemed like he hadn't seen Xiao Shu smile for many years.

Beep—!

The urgent honking shattered his memory. He snapped back to reality and realized the Mercedes had already crossed the line. He quickly straightened the steering wheel.

A truck sped past Xie Zhiqiang, almost touching his rear end. Xie Zhiqiang gripped the steering wheel tightly, still shaken. If he had been a second later, the truck might have rear-ended him.

He steadied himself and quickly glanced in the rearview mirror; Xie Shu's expression remained unchanged...

"You're back? Wash your hands and get ready for dinner. I've asked Aunt Wang to prepare it."

Xu Ting sat on the sofa, heard the door open, put down her book and said something indifferently.

Xie Shu did not respond. He went back to his room, put away his schoolbag and suitcase, and then went downstairs to sit down at the dining table.

"This is fish maw and dendrobium soup. Have a bowl before dinner. After that, have this organic snow crab leg salad and fresh lily bulbs with pecans. Finally, have the main course. Today's main dish is this tricolor rice with truffle."

Xie Shu didn't offer any opinion. He picked up the soup spoon, lowered his head, and slowly took a sip.

Xu Ting seems to have developed a strong interest in food lately. She has not only bought some books and reads them in her spare time, but also puts them into practice.

But these dishes just feel like something's missing...

"Next time, let Aunt Wang cook some simple home-style dishes, don't make it so complicated," Xie Zhiqiang said, picking up his chopsticks.

"Home-cooked dishes are high in oil, salt, and sugar, which is not good for your health," Xu Ting retorted calmly without even raising her eyelids.

"Eating it occasionally won't have any effect." Xie Zhiqiang frowned slightly.

"A thousand-mile dike can be breached by an ant hole. It is because there are too many people who lack self-discipline that they develop diseases such as diabetes and fatty liver at an early age."

"That's just alarmist talk. Ordinary people eat and drink all day without getting sick."

"Do I need to tell you if I'm sick?" Xu Ting put down her soup bowl and looked at him. "Some illnesses are insidious, they don't show up until the body ages and they slowly manifest."

Xie Zhiqiang was about to reply when he heard a "ding" sound, and he and Xu Ting stopped what they were doing at the same time.

Xie Shu had already put down his chopsticks, pulled out his chair, stood up, and without saying a word, prepared to go back upstairs.

"Xiao Shu, have you finished eating?" Xie Zhiqiang asked hurriedly.

"I'm done eating."

This was the first thing Xie Shu said to her parents today. Her tone was indifferent, showing neither dissatisfaction nor joy.

Xie Zhiqiang glanced at Xie Shu's empty bowl, where a few grains of rice remained.

While he was arguing with Xu Ting, Xie Shu had already finished a bowl of food without saying a word.

He thought of what Li Mubai had said, and looking down at the dishes that Xu Ting had carefully prepared, he suddenly felt he had no appetite.

"You eat, I'm going to look at my little book." He put down his bowl.

"There are two new books on the sofa. Remember to give them to Xiao Shu." Xu Ting held the soup spoon, took a sip of soup, and didn't look up at him.

Xie Zhiqiang didn't respond. He walked to the sofa, picked up the two books Xu Ting had mentioned, both of which were related to business studies.

He took the book, went upstairs, and gently knocked on the closed door.

The tightly closed door mirrored Xie Shu's gloomy heart; she always kept the door closed at home.

With a soft click, the door opened a crack, and Xie Shu stood behind it, his face expressionless.

"Little book, this is a book Mom bought for you."

Xie Shu reached out and took the two books from the crack in the door, then prepared to close it.

"Xiao Shu, wait a minute, is it convenient for Dad to come in? It's been a long time since my daughter and I had a proper chat at home." Xie Zhiqiang smiled kindly.

Xie Shu was silent for two seconds, then opened the door.

Xie Zhiqiang went inside. He hadn't been to his daughter's room since she started junior high school.

He quickly glanced around the room, then his gaze suddenly fixed on a group photo on the bedside table.

It wasn't with him, nor with Xu Ting, but with some other boy. His lips twitched as he forcefully suppressed the surging blood in his chest.

He walked to the bay window and sat down, while Xie Shu sat on the edge of his bed with his head down.

"Xiao Shu, I remember you were very cheerful when you were little, you were only this big back then." Xie Zhiqiang gestured a height, his smile still on his face.

"You've grown so much in the blink of an eye. Next year, you'll be an eighteen-year-old adult."

"Hmm." Xie Shuping nodded calmly.

Xie Zhiqiang paused for a moment, as if he was considering something.

"Xiao Shu, you..." He paused for a long while, "What do you think of that boy, Li Mubai?"

The room remained quiet for a long time.

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent. After a long while, Xie Shu finally spoke:

"Dad, I know you went to see him."

Xie Zhiqiang did not deny it: "Yes, Dad went to him on Monday night to ask about your situation."

"His attitude is my attitude."

Xie Zhiqiang raised one hand and held onto the windowsill of the bay window, his blood pressure rising little by little.

"Xiao Shu, you're only seventeen. You must be careful when it comes to relationships." His tone became a little urgent.

"Weren't you and your mother around this age when you got together?"

"Because your mother and I made many mistakes along the way, your father doesn't want you to repeat them!"

"But you two got married in the end, didn't you?"

"Xiao Shu!" Xie Zhiqiang sat up straight. "Everyone's path is different. You can't copy my and your mother's experiences onto others. Apart from parents, no one can guarantee that they will always love someone else."

"He said he would." Xie Shu's tone remained calm, as if stating something that was already certain.

"Those were all sweet words from him!" Xie Zhiqiang's voice rose a few decibels.

"If you go abroad, eight years later, after seeing so many people and things in university and society, his thoughts will change. Saying that he will wait for someone forever is just a childish and naive idea."

"So what? At least I'm happy when I'm with him."

Happy... happy again... Xie Zhiqiang's originally serious and worried expression immediately deflated like a punctured balloon. He sat on the bay window for a while without saying a word.

After a long silence, he spoke again:

"Xiaoshu, is he really worth trading your freedom for the next eight years? You didn't want to go abroad in the first place, did you? As long as you promise your father to stay away from him, then your father can persuade your mother to give up the plan for you to go abroad."