It was after six in the evening when Li Julin got off work and returned home. The first thing he did when he entered was to ask Shen Mianmian about her exam, "The questions this year were a bit easier than last year’s, Mianmian, did you find any of them particularly difficult?"
Since everyone present was familiar with her academic abilities, Shen Mianmian didn’t feign modesty but instead told the truth directly, "Uncle Li, if nothing unexpected happens tomorrow, I should be able to get into Beijing University."
"Hmm," Li Julin nodded in satisfaction, "You still have exams tomorrow morning; don’t be careless just because you’re good at studying. After you finish your work, review the questions thoroughly."
He had to repeat this advice many times each year, but there were always some students who lost marks due to carelessness.
"I will," Shen Mianmian, not bothered by the repetition, nodded and took note of his advice.
Xiu Min reproached him, "Alright, you start with this the moment you get back. Mianmian has been exhausted from exams all day, she finally gets a break, and you’re still nagging. Go wash your hands and eat, everyone’s waiting for you."
"What’s the hurry to eat? If she doesn’t do well on the college entrance exam, her three years of hard work will be wasted." Although Li Julin said this, he still went to the kitchen to wash his hands and then took his seat at the dining table.
"That’s your problem, you never pick the right time to educate someone," Xiu Min murmured as she followed behind him.
Li Yue laughed, "Mom, stop complaining about Dad. At most, he’ll nag this one last time. Once Mianmian’s exams are over, she’ll be off to Beijing for her studies. It won’t be easy to see her then." Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝘯𝘦𝘵
At the mention of this, both Li Julin’s and Xiu Min’s faces revealed a trace of reluctance.
After all, this child was as if they had watched her grow up. They would truly miss her when she was gone.
Seeing through their thoughts, Shen Mianmian immediately said with a smile, "I’ll come back to visit you during vacations."
"We can also visit you in Beijing," Li Shiping said with a smile.
With the two of them saying this, the atmosphere warmed up again.
Xiu Min cheerfully called everyone to start the meal. During the dinner, He Nan served Shen Mianmian food several times. At first, Li Julin didn’t think much of it, but as it happened more frequently, he couldn’t help but fix his gaze on the two of them.
Clearly, he had noticed something unusual. Li Shiping and Xiu Min saw his look and kept silent, merely paying close attention to his expression while Shen Mianmian also felt somewhat nervous.
Only He Nan and Li Yue were different; one remained very calm while the other was completely oblivious, just continuing to eat.
Halfway through the meal, Li Julin couldn’t hold back any longer. He put down his chopsticks and looked seriously at Shen Mianmian and He Nan, "Are you hiding something from me?"
"What’s the matter?" Li Yue looked at Li Julin curiously. They were just having a meal, how did his dad change his demeanor so suddenly?
Li Shiping and Xiu Min didn’t make a sound but were ready to play the peacemakers.
Shen Mianmian also put down her chopsticks and subconsciously looked towards He Nan. It would have been better for her to speak frankly if He Nan weren’t present, but now that he was there, it wasn’t her turn to speak.
But... she wondered what Li Julin thought about her and He Nan’s secret.
Feeling somewhat uneasy, Shen Mianmian seemed to have her emotions sensed by He Nan, who quietly took her hand.
Upon seeing his action, Li Julin’s face suddenly changed, and Li Yue was surprised, staring with his mouth agape.