In that moment, beneath the rush of excitement, Mo Yachen finally understood the meaning behind those expressions.
"I… uh, my surname is Mo, given name Yachen. Auntie, Jie, you can just call me Yachen."
"Mo Yachen? …The new face of Yuyang University?"
Ji Yu's sister, Ji Yu, stretched lazily against the chair, her lips curling into a knowing smile. "Well, well… didn't think my little girl would land someone in just a few months."
Hearing her sister's laughter, Ji Yu peeked out nervously—only to shrink back the moment she saw Ji Yu's sharp, unspoken seriousness.
Noticing, Ji Yu (the sister) softened, shaking her head with a helpless smile. She stood, came to Ji Yu's side, and took her hand.
"Why are you so scared of me today, little one?"
What else could she do? She was the only little sister in the family—of course she was pampered.
Ji Yu flinched at first, but when she felt no malice from her sister, she nestled into her arms, pouting in mock-complaint. The sight made her sister smile wistfully as she turned to glance at Mo Yachen.
"Alright, Mom, don't be so serious! Ji Yu finally brought a friend home, let's treat him well. Breakfast isn't done yet, right? Come on, let's get cooking."
The sternness melted away. Once Ji Yu's sister and mother left the living room, Mo Yachen's mood lightened considerably. He quickly slid closer to Ji Yu, taking her hand.
"Why haven't you told your mom and sister the truth yet?"
He rubbed her palm against his chest, half reproachful, half tender.
"And why did you show up at my house so soon?" she muttered.
"Because I missed you."
Ji Yu froze, lifting her gaze. The first thing she saw was his gentle eyes, and she quickly panicked, stepping back before her family noticed. But her retreat was clumsy—she knocked over a cup of water and tumbled onto the sofa.
"What are you doing?"
Kneeling awkwardly on the carpet, her face flushed even redder as her leg was splashed with hot water—the first warmth of the new year.
Mo Yachen's eyes softened with affection. He laughed, slipped an arm around her waist, and helped her up. Wiping the damp spot from her clothes, he teased, "So clumsy… What, did your legs go weak just from seeing me?"
"Ugh—you've never been this narcissistic before!"
But despite her complaint, Ji Yu smiled again. She took his hand and proudly showed him the furniture she had arranged herself.
After the living room tour, her mother emerged with two plates of dumplings. Excited, Ji Yu was about to show Mo Yachen her bedroom, tugging him eagerly along—
"Ahem…"
Her mother's cough cut through the air, eyes fixed squarely on her. Ji Yu's sister came out of the kitchen carrying chili sauce, and when she saw Ji Yu holding Mo Yachen's hand, she too paused, watching silently.
The atmosphere turned… strange.
"Why are you all staring at me like that…"
Her cheeks reddened under their gazes, her pale skin around her neck and collarbone glowing even fairer.
Her sister chuckled, setting the sauce down. "So, you two don't plan on hiding it anymore?"
Her eyes stayed fixed on their clasped hands. From Mo Yachen's suppressed smile, it was clear enough—Ji Yu had taken the initiative.
Ji Yu followed their gaze, realized what they were looking at, and quickly dropped his hand. Snatching the dumplings from her mother, she stuffed one into her mouth to cover her embarrassment.
"You child—there's a guest here. What kind of behavior is that?"
Her mother gave Mo Yachen an apologetic smile. He only returned it gently. "It's fine, Auntie. Ji Yu is cute like this."
Golden sunlight spilled into the room, plants on the windowsill already sprouting fresh green shoots. In the warm, spacious living room, Ji Yu, cheeks flushed as she ate dumplings, was undoubtedly the brightest scenery.
"Yachen, may I just call you Yachen?" her mother asked.
"Of course, Auntie. Honestly, I'm honored you'd call me that."
Her mother chuckled knowingly and drew him closer to the table.
"Ji Yu doesn't like sweet rice balls, so we made dumplings for New Year's breakfast instead. Do you mind? If you're not used to them, Auntie can make something else for you."
"Oh, no, no, Auntie—dumplings are perfect. I love them too."
Her sister tapped Ji Yu's head with mock annoyance. "Really? He's your boyfriend, yet you've got no sense of hosting at all, huh?"
Ji Yu stammered through clumsy attempts at hosting, while Mo Yachen's smile only grew brighter the more flustered she became.
After the meal, her sister dragged Ji Yu into the kitchen to wash dishes, leaving their mother to quietly test Mo Yachen.
"Ji Yu," her sister whispered, "no matter how much you like him, you need to have boundaries. A girl must respect herself, always. Understand?"
"…Mm, I know. I'm not that thoughtless."
"Thoughtless? You almost dragged him straight into your bedroom! Do you have any idea what that means? Even if you don't—what if he does? What if he misunderstands?"
"It… it's not that serious…"
"Tsk!"
"You two haven't done anything yet, right?"
"No! Just… just kissed once."
"Kissed? When? Where? How long?"
Was that worry in her tone—or curiosity? Ji Yu couldn't tell. She just stammered out an answer:
"On… on the night he confessed. The mood just… sort of happened. On the lips."
The sound of dishes clinking filled the room as silence settled for a moment.
Meanwhile, in the living room, their mother chatted gently with Mo Yachen—her questions sounding kind on the surface, though Ji Yu thought they felt suspiciously like a mother-in-law testing her daughter's suitor.
Later, when Ji Yu finally closed the door, Mo Yachen pulled her straight into his arms, burying his face in her hair and breathing deeply.
"Even during the student council election, I wasn't this nervous. Auntie's presence is something else… Guess the only time I'll feel this tense again will be my thesis defense."
"Of course—she's my mom. You think you wouldn't be nervous?"
Hearing his sincere sigh, Ji Yu couldn't help smiling. A strange pride welled up inside her—after all, if she couldn't handle him, her family certainly could.
"Come on then," she said brightly, "first day of the new year—it's your turn to plan."