Oh no! I've only been a freshman and I've already been targeted by a mean upperclassman.

The message was sent successfully.

Yan Xi stared at the short but domineering line of text on the screen, imagining the panicked expression on Li Chen's face when he saw the message on the other end of the phone.

She was almost certain that the guy would call within ten seconds.

as predicted.

The phone screen had just gone dark when it immediately lit up again.

Caller ID: You little rascal.

A triumphant smile curved Yan Xi's lips.

She deliberately didn't answer immediately, letting the urgent ringing echo through the quiet dormitory.

Leng Qingge, standing to the side, watched in awe.

"Tsk tsk, Queen Yan, your skills in manipulating people's hearts are becoming more and more refined."

What does "manipulation" mean?

Yan Xi slowly dried her hair. "This is called a little romance between couples."

She waited until the ringing was about to automatically disconnect before slowly pressing the answer button.

"Feed".

Her voice was languid, with a slight nasal tone, as if she had just taken a shower.

"Learn from... Xixi!"

On the other end of the phone, Li Chen's voice was indeed filled with shock and a hint of barely perceptible panic, "You...your mother..."

"What's wrong with my mom?"

Yan Xi asked the question knowing the answer already.

"She...she called me!"

Li Chen's voice even trembled slightly, "Let me come to your house for dinner this weekend!"

"Oh, I know."

Yan Xi's tone was nonchalant.

"You know that?!"

Li Chen's voice rose a few decibels, "So, that message you just sent..."

"Just letting you know."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

Li Chen seemed to be processing this earth-shattering news.

"No...this...this is too sudden!"

He finally found his voice, but it still sounded a bit stammering, "I...I haven't prepared anything yet!"

"What are you preparing?"

Yan Xi asked.

"Prepare...prepare a gift! It's our first visit, we can't go empty-handed, can we?"

What does your mother like? What are your father's hobbies? Do you have any other relatives?

"What should I wear? Would a suit be too formal? Would casual clothes be too sloppy?"

A barrage of questions came crashing down on me over the phone.

Yan Xi could even imagine that Li Chen was probably running around the dormitory like a headless fly.

Leng Qingge, who was beside her, was already rolling around on the bed laughing.

"puff……"

Yan Xi finally couldn't help but chuckle.

Her laughter instantly silenced Li Chen on the other end of the phone.

"What...what are you laughing at?"

He asked with a hint of helplessness.

"It's nothing."

Yan Xi cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound more serious. "I just feel that even our fearless Li Shen, who can send a 200-pound strongman flying with one punch, has moments of fear."

"I'm not scared!"

Li Chen immediately retorted, but his confidence was clearly lacking.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Yan Xi raised an eyebrow. "So what were you doing just now? Reciting the menu?"

"I……"

Li Chen was speechless.

He was indeed panicked.

An unprecedented panic.

This feeling was a hundred times more nerve-wracking than when Yan Zhen invited him to "Tingtaoxuan" for tea.

When facing Yan Zhen, he could be neither humble nor arrogant, and could even argue his case based on reason.

He knew that Yan Zhen represented power and authority, and that as long as he demonstrated sufficient strength and backbone, he could earn the other party's respect.

But Yanxi's mother is different.

That was a mother.

A mother's scrutiny of her daughter's boyfriend is one of the most illogical and logical problems in the world.

She won't fight you with her fists, nor will she talk to you about code.

She might just smile and ask you, "What do your parents do?" or "What are your plans for the future?"

Each question, seemingly trivial, actually harbors deadly intent.

If you don't answer well, you lose everything.

Why aren't you saying anything?

Yan Xi's voice pulled him back from his reverie.

"I...I'm thinking about what gift I should buy for your mother."

Li Chen chuckled awkwardly.

"Need not."

Yan Xi's answer was crisp and decisive: "Just come in person."

"That won't do! It's my first time visiting, so we can't be rude," Li Chen insisted.

"I said no, and that means no."

Yan Xi's tone became somewhat impatient, "The best gift you can give me is to tidy yourself up and not embarrass me."

Although his tone was harsh, Li Chen could still detect a hint of protectiveness in it.

His heart calmed down a little.

"Then... what should I wear?" he asked again, posing the age-old question.

Yan Xi remained silent on the other end of the phone.

They seem to be seriously considering this issue.

She spoke after a few seconds.

"I don't have class on Friday afternoon, I'll take you shopping."

"Oh? Isn't that a bit too much trouble?"

"Shut up." Yan Xi interrupted him without room for argument. "It's settled then. Bye."

The call was abruptly ended.

Li Chen stood there, holding his phone, stunned.

Wang Qiang, who was standing nearby, leaned closer and asked cautiously, "Godfather, how is it?"

"Are we going to come knocking on their door with a knife?"

Li Chen glanced at his three roommates, who all looked worried, and sighed deeply.

"The situation is... even more complicated than if they came knocking with a knife."

He plopped back into the chair, feeling as if all his strength had been drained away.

"I'm doomed, I think I'm going to fail this time."

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Zhao Zixuan comforted him. "You even got past Uncle Yan, how scary can an auntie be?"

"You don't understand."

Li Chen shook his head, looking utterly hopeless. "My father-in-law's test is a physical attack. Just withstand it."

"My mother-in-law's test is a magical attack; it's impossible to defend against!"

That makes sense.

Chen Mo adjusted his glasses, indicating his agreement: "According to sociological statistics, more than 70% of men believe that winning over their mother-in-law is much more difficult than winning over their father-in-law."

"What should we do then?!"

Wang Qiang also grew anxious, "How about we go to the temple to pray right now?"

"What are you praying for?"

"Goddess of Mercy who grants children! Bah! Old Man of the Moon! God of Wealth!"

Just as dormitory 302 was engulfed in chaos during a "pre-battle mobilization".

Li Chen's phone vibrated again.

It was a WeChat message from Yan Xi.

Yan Xi: Don't be nervous.

Just three simple words.

Following that was an emoji.

It was a kitten that stretched out its paw and gently patted the head of another kitten whose fur had stood on end.

It was as if they were trying to comfort him.

Looking at the meme, Li Chen's anxiety and unease miraculously subsided.

He picked up his phone and replied.

[Li Chen: I'm not nervous, I'm just conducting a tactical simulation.]

[Yan Xi: Oh? What result did you deduce?]

[Li Chen: The result is that I've decided to give up the fight.]

[Yan Xi: ?]

[Li Chen: Anyway, with you here, even if the sky falls, you'll hold it up for me, right?]

He tossed his tension and dependence over to them in a half-joking manner.

Yan Xi remained silent for a long time.

It was only when Li Chen thought she was angry that a new message finally popped up.

Yan Xi: Mm.

There is only one word.

But this one word is more powerful than any lengthy words of comfort.

It acted like a reassuring pill, finally putting Li Chen's anxious heart back down.

He took a deep breath, and a smile returned to his face.

It's just meeting the parents, right?

What's there to be afraid of!

there is always a solution to a problem.

At worst... just treat it as going to fight a dungeon on the highest difficulty.

And standing next to him was the strongest top player in the entire server.

Thinking about it that way, it doesn't seem so scary after all.

He stood up and patted his roommates on the shoulder as they were still passionately discussing the "gift list".

"Alright, stop what you're doing."

"What's wrong? Have you given up?" Wang Qiang asked.

"It's not about giving up."

A confident smile returned to Li Chen's lips. "It's the overall commander of the battle; he has issued the latest instructions."

"What instructions?"

"She told me... just to lie down."