"Oh, I see."
Wang Zhan curiously asked, "Are you going to Beihua University?"
Huang Tianxuan playfully replied, "Yes, I have an acquaintance there, just going to drop by."
...
Following the GPS directions, at precisely five o'clock, Huang Tianxuan arrived at the east gate of Beihua University, parked the car outside. The campus security glanced but did not obstruct; she walked directly into the campus.
"Let me find where you are. Hmm? School of Arts and Sciences? Go to the right!"
Huang Tianxuan felt joyful, her steps were light and brisk, following the signs until she arrived in front of a teaching building of the School of Arts and Sciences.
Her plan was simple: ideally, she could find someone to ask about Li Peifeng's whereabouts, and then suddenly appear in front of him, giving him a big surprise.
If she really couldn't find out where Li Peifeng was, she'd call him and say she was already on his campus, which would also be surprising enough.
However, just as Huang Tianxuan stepped into the teaching building and was about to stop a student to ask, she inadvertently noticed a large poster in front of the stairs.
[Beihua University Chinese Department Renowned Academic Lecture Series—The Literary Nature of Online Literature and Online Literature Creation.]
[Speaker: Renjian Yiliangfeng (our school's graduate student in modern and contemporary literature, famous online writer Platinum God at Endpoint)]
[Host: Zhao Qingge (permanent associate professor of the Chinese Department at Beihua University)]
[Date: October 20, 2121 (Friday) 19:00—21:00.]
[Location: Le Yu Building 204.]
"So you're here!"
Huang Tianxuan smiled with amusement.
...
At the same time, at the east gate of Beihua University.
The sun was setting in the west, evening twilight; teachers and students were coming and going, but one middle-aged couple stood out.
There was no other reason; even though they appeared to be in their forties, the man was handsome and the woman beautiful. Although their faces bore the traces of time, they still outshone the youthful and energetic college students around them. Their intimate gestures, leaning on each other, showed unusual affection.
"Darling, the last time we visited our kid was during the summer vacation."
The man was a tall six-foot-two, dressed in a black trench coat with military boots, and his features bore some resemblance to Li Peifeng's, but his eyes were deep, exuding a mature man's experience and an understanding calmness. His voice was also magnetic and low: "He was so hospitable to us back then, so obedient and well-behaved. Now that he's signed with Platinum, yet..."
"But now he dares to hang up on me."
The woman was five-foot-nine, also in a couple's trench coat, wearing long boots. Her figure was graceful, with large wavy purple hair, skin pale with a rosy glow, a peach blossom face, bright eyes that were clear and distinct, high yet refined eyebrows. She was a typical Oriental beauty, with a touch of melancholy akin to Lin Daiyu.
"Truly, a son is no longer bound by his mother, huh, honey? Do you think he'll chase us away the moment he sees us?"
The couple was none other than Li Peifeng's parents, Li Qiyuan and Yu Huizhi.
"I seem to recall you were the one who hung up on him..."
"Does it matter?"
"It doesn't!"
Li Qiyuan firmly said, "If it weren't for the hurtful words he said, my wife wouldn't have hung up. It's all his fault! Darling, don't be upset. When we see him, I'll educate him. I can critique him on at least five levels..."
"Don't!"
Yu Huizhi shook her head again: "Last night I thought about it a lot too, you're right. The process of a child growing up is a process of gradually leaving us. Fengfeng has grown up, and it's natural that he becomes less dependent on his parents as he begins to explore the world on his own. As he becomes more independent, we should also become happier because one day we will have to say goodbye to him... We need to learn to let go."
"Mom has finally come to understand."
Li Qiyuan held his wife's hand, touched: "For children, separation and love go hand in hand. The best love we can give Fengfeng is truly to let him go."
"But I don't want to let go of you!"
Yu Huizhi looked at Li Qiyuan with deep affection: "Darling, I want to walk with you forever, never to part, even to die together..."
"Shh!" Li Qiyuan quickly pressed a finger to her lips lovingly, "Honey! Throughout my life, I've been a staunch materialist. Only with you do I hope for another life! Lifetime after lifetime!"
"Darling~" Yu Huizhi coyly closed her eyes.
"Honey~"
"Mua~"
The two publicly displayed their affection at the campus gate!
Wu Wenyue and Xu Manning rushed to the scene, identifying the culprits...
"Um, Uncle and Aunt, is it you?"
Wu Wenyue smiled awkwardly yet politely.
"You're so annoying~" Yu Huizhi playfully complained about her husband, then turned to Wu Wenyue, her demeanor instantly changing to a kind smile, "Yueyue and Manning, right? Thank you for coming to meet us."
Li Peifeng and Xu Manning only had a six-day romantic relationship, leaving the latter without a chance to meet the parents in a girlfriend's capacity.
However, because Li Qiyuan and Yu Huizhi visited Beijing frequently, by chance, Xu Manning met the Li couple as Wu Wenyue's good friend. But there weren't many interactions, just a few meetings.
The two parties were not very familiar but not unfamiliar either.
"It's no trouble at all." Xu Manning said warmly, with a hint of nervousness, "Hello, Uncle and Aunt."
"Hello to both of you. You didn't tell him we're coming, right?"
Li Qiyuan laughed heartily, though internally puzzled by Xu Manning's presence, thinking wasn't his son separated from this girl? Yet she's here to meet the ex-boyfriend's parents, isn't it awkward?
"We didn't tell him."
Wu Wenyue didn't elaborate, just gestured politely: "Peifeng's lecture starts in over an hour. He's busy preparing, so let's have dinner at the cafeteria first. Once the lecture starts, you can sit quietly in the audience and surprise him."