A god-level beauty system? But I'm already a god-level beauty!

At 7:30 pm, the group arrived at the mall.

This barbecue restaurant is located on the fourth floor of the mall. The location is not easy to find, but it is very famous.

The ingredients are air-freighted daily, and the taste is authentic. Even though the average cost per person is equivalent to three meals at an ordinary restaurant, there are still long queues outside all year round. Regular customers are willing to wait for a table, sometimes for an hour.

Fortunately, Lin Jianye had already made a reservation.

The waiter, familiar with the place, led the four of them into a private room.

The private room was elegantly decorated, with a long wooden table in the center, inlaid with a charcoal grill, and the exhaust pipe hanging from the corner of the table to the ceiling.

The window faces the shopping mall's rooftop garden, where dusk is falling and the garden's lights are already on.

We sat down, ordered, and received the charcoal.

The grill pan sizzled as the pork belly slices were laid out; the oil heated up, releasing an instant burst of aroma.

Lin Jianye was in charge of grilling the meat, flipping it, cutting it into pieces, and controlling the heat with practiced ease. Xu Muwan divided the meat into lettuce and garlic slices on the two children's plates, and the family enjoyed their meal together happily.

Halfway through the meal, Xu Muwan wiped her mouth and casually began to speak.

"Saya."

"Hmm?" Shen Ye was holding a piece of beef tongue between his fingers.

"Now that you've graduated and finished the college entrance exam, do you have any thoughts about dating?"

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Lin Chunuan, who was engrossed in eating, stopped mid-air with her chopsticks.

The piece of pork belly she was holding hung above the baking pan, oil droplets dripping down. She remained motionless in that position, her ears quietly perking up.

Shen Ye's chewing movements also slowed down by half a beat.

coming.

He had long suspected that this meal was not simple; his aunt and uncle's eyes had been telling them something. However, he did not expect Xu Muwan to be so direct and blunt.

"I haven't thought about it yet." He swallowed the meat in his mouth, his tone normal. "I just graduated, I haven't considered this yet."

"I see..."

Xu Muwan picked up a slice of meat and placed it on the baking tray, then casually asked:

"So, do you have a crush on any girls?"

As she asked this question, her eyes subtly glanced to the side.

She glanced at Lin Chunuan, who was looking down, wrapping meat in lettuce leaves, and wishing she could bury her face in the plate.

Ugh.

My daughter is disappointing, so I, as her mother, have to step in and help her.

Now that the message has been delivered to this extent, Xiaoye is a smart child, she should be able to understand it, right?

Shen Ye could definitely tell the difference.

So, should we answer or not?

Shen Ye put down his chopsticks, looked up, and gave a sincere smile.

"Yes, Auntie."

Xu Muwan's eyes lit up, and she leaned forward slightly: "Oh? Who is it?"

"I really like Auntie," Shen Ye said with a smile.

"..."

There was a three-second silence in the private room.

"Cough cough cough cough!"

Lin Jianye, who was drinking water, suddenly choked. A mouthful of water went into his trachea, his face turned red, and he coughed violently, almost dropping the cup.

Xu Muwan was speechless for a long time after hearing this.

She thought to herself, "This child is so meticulous..."

That's a perfect example of using minimal force to achieve maximum effect.

She waved her hand helplessly.

"Alright, alright, Auntie is getting on in years."

"I'm not asking about that kind of affection, like familial love, the kind of junior-senior relationship. That doesn't count."

"I'm talking about relationships between men and women. Young people your age must all have someone they like, right?"

Lin Chunuan's head was almost touching the plate, and her ears were so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

Shen Ye was silent for a moment, then used his "urination escape" technique: "Um... Auntie, I need to pee, I'm going to the toilet."

Shen Ye chuckled, slipped away from the private room, and made a hasty exit.

The three were left with a messy table.

"We're eating, why are you asking these questions?"

After catching his breath, Lin Jianye sullenly put down his water glass and grabbed a tissue to wipe his mouth.

"It scared Xiaoye away."

Xu Muwan rolled her eyes at him.

"All you ever think about is food. I'm planning for our daughter's future."

"Isn't this forced confession...?" Lin Jianye said.

Xu Muwan fell silent.

"mom......"

A voice called out from the other side, so soft it was almost inaudible.

Lin Chunuan finally raised her head, her cheeks flushed red, and she didn't dare to look in this direction, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers.

"Don't ask...it's so embarrassing..."

Really.

Is it really that obvious that I like my brother?

She hadn't told anyone, and even Huanhuan only had a rough idea. How did her parents figure it out...?

Xu Muwan's heart melted when she saw her daughter's expression, as if she wanted to disappear into the ground, and she found it both heartwarming and amusing.

Silly girl, your thoughts are written all over your face.

......

At the end of the corridor, there is a restroom.

"Splash!"

The tap was running, and clean water rinsed through my fingers.

Shen Ye washed his hands and looked up.

He stared at the reflection of the eighteen-year-old boy in the mirror, lost in thought.

What did Auntie mean by asking those questions...?

He stared at his reflection in the mirror, lost in thought.

He wasn't stupid; he could tell from Xu Muwan's words that she was trying to get him to think about Nuannuan.

But... people always need time to adjust.

Over the years, the impression that Nuannuan had left on his heart as a "little sister" was too deep.

It's too difficult to make a sudden change...

Sigh, let's just take it one step at a time.

Shen Ye turned off the tap, took a tissue to wipe his hands, suppressed his chaotic thoughts, and returned to the private room.

The moment the door to the private room was pushed open, the aroma of heat and meat wafted out again.

Xu Muwan didn't ask about that topic again, and was happily discussing summer vacation plans with Lin Jianye.

Upon seeing Shen Ye return, she changed the subject, her tone becoming light and cheerful.

"Xiaoye, are you done eating?"

"Mmm, I'm full."

"That's perfect. Let me ask you two." Xu Muwan poured him a cup of barley tea. "This summer vacation is so long, is there anything you two want to do?"

"How about we go on a trip together, Nuannuan or something?"

Shen Ye took the barley tea and sipped it, his tense shoulders gradually relaxing.

As long as we don't talk about those things, it's fine.

The atmosphere warmed up again, and the slight awkwardness from before was overshadowed by the smoky aroma of the barbecue.

Lin Chunuan had also regained some of her energy and was eating cheese rice cakes in silence, but she didn't look at Shen Ye much, her eyes were fixed on the baking tray, and she would occasionally respond to her mother.

The meal lasted until after 8 PM.

The charcoal fire in the oven gradually dimmed, and a stack of empty plates piled up on the table.

"Click".

A crisp sound of bowls and chopsticks clattering together rang out.

Lin Chunuan is full.

She gently placed the chopsticks together on the plate, and then folded a tissue into a square and placed it next to the chopsticks.

Then, she turned her head and looked at Shen Ye.

The girl's eyes shone brightly in the warm yellow light of the private room, and a lingering blush still graced her cheeks. She pursed her lips and gave a sweet smile.

"elder brother."

"Will you come for a walk with me?"