The Xu family's house was in a relatively old neighborhood, but the surrounding amenities were complete, and it looked quite lively. Xu Zifan rang the doorbell and asked Bai Xingchen, "Are you nervous?"
Bai Xingchen smiled, "You can try it yourself another day."
Xu Zifan: "Sure, I'm actually looking forward to it."
Bai Xingchen glared at him speechlessly, quickly tidied her hair and clothes, and then saw Xu Yuqin open the door. She immediately stepped forward with a smile, "Auntie, it's been a long time. I'm sorry to bother you today."
Xu Yuqin happily ushered them in, saying, "No need to disturb us, Xingchen, you two come in quickly and have a seat inside."
The Xu family's apartment was a small two-bedroom unit of 60 square meters. The layout was nice, so it didn't feel cramped at all, and it felt especially cozy because Xu Yuqin had tidied it up so well. After the three of them sat down on the sofa, Bai Xingchen presented the gift to Xu Yuqin, saying somewhat shyly, "Auntie, I didn't know you were here beforehand, so I didn't prepare a gift. I just bought this on the street; I hope you like it."
Xu Yuqin took the gift box and placed it on her lap. "I like it, I like it. Oh, it's enough that you came in person. You don't need to spend so much. It's so hot to go out shopping in this weather. Drink some water, and I'll turn on the fan."
"No need, Auntie, don't bother." Bai Xingchen hurriedly stopped her.
Xu Zifan got up and went to move the fan. "Mom, I'll do it. You talk to Xingchen. By the way, Xingchen bought you a dress. Do you want to try it on to see if it fits?"
Xu Yuqin looked at Bai Xingchen and smiled, "It's clothes? Then I'll go try them on right away. Zifan, there's fruit in the refrigerator, cut a plate for Xingchen. There's also chilled plum juice and chilled mung bean soup that I made this morning. Xingchen, you can eat whichever you like to cool off."
"Okay, Auntie, I can take it myself." Bai Xingchen stood up, watched Xu Yuqin walk into the bedroom, and immediately looked at Xu Zifan and teased, "Why don't you call me Mentor Bai anymore?"
Xu Zifan turned on the fan, rested his arm on it, looked at her and smiled, "Is it still appropriate to call us Mentor Bai now? If you have any special hobbies, I can accommodate you."
"Go away, you're the one with special hobbies!" Bai Xingchen patted his arm and walked towards the kitchen, saying, "Let's cut some fruit. What do you want to eat? What does Auntie like to eat?"
Xu Zifan followed her and picked out fruit from the refrigerator together. "I'm fine with anything. My mom loves sweets."
Bai Xingchen laughed and said, "I also love sweets, so we have the same taste, so I'll choose something sweet. If you don't like it, then don't eat it."
"Okay, I told you both to eat and drink well. Let me cut it, but the handle of this knife is a bit crooked, so don't hurt yourself." Xu Zifan took the knife from Bai Xingchen and skillfully cut the washed fruit. He wasn't very good at cooking, but he was quite adept at cutting fruit.
When Xu Yuqin came out after changing her clothes, she saw the two of them chatting and laughing in the kitchen. She couldn't help but smile, her eyes crinkling with joy. Reaching the kitchen doorway, she asked, "How does it look? Pretty, right?"
Xu Zifan and Bai Xingchen both looked up. Bai Xingchen's taste was impeccable; the dress perfectly complemented Xu Yuqin's气质 (qi zhi - inherent quality/temperament) and made her skin look even fairer. The size was perfect, and the style was beautiful. Xu Zifan laughed and said, "Mom, you should let Xingchen buy your clothes from now on. The clothes she buys suit you so well, they bring out all your best features, and you look gorgeous."
Xu Yuqin laughed, "Get out of the way, what's so beautiful about an old lady like me? It's this dress that's pretty."
Bai Xingchen dried her hands, walked over, took her arm, and smiled, "The clothes are nice, but you look even better, Auntie. Let me take the tag off for you. Is this cool and comfortable to wear, Auntie?"
"It's cool here." Xu Yuqin sat down on the sofa to make it easier for her to take the labels, and said with a satisfied smile, "Having a daughter is so thoughtful. Zifan would never think of such things."
Bai Xingchen removed the label, and Xu Yuqin pulled her hand to make her sit down. She patted her hand and liked her more and more as she looked at her. "If you were my child, I would definitely treat you like my own daughter. You wouldn't have to worry about Zifan bullying you. If he dares to treat you badly, I will teach him a lesson for you."
Bai Xingchen smiled shyly: "Auntie, it's too early to talk about this now. We've only just started dating."
"Not too early, not too early. These two are a perfect match, a perfect match no matter what. If they're not a good match, no matter how long they date, they won't be. I saw the first two episodes you filmed, and I thought they were really good. You two are a perfect couple. My son, I can't say for sure about other things, but he's absolutely devoted in relationships. That's something I've taught him since he was little." Xu Yuqin noticed Bai Xingchen's slight discomfort and changed the subject, saying, "Would you like to see some pictures of him when he was little? He was so naughty and mischievous back then, you couldn't control him at all."
"Okay, I'll go get it with you."
Although Xu Yuqin had a difficult youth, she still left her son with many memories. There were two heavy photo albums, which Bai Xingchen helped her carry to the coffee table. Xu Zifan brought the fruit platter, plum juice, and mung bean soup to the table, saying helplessly, "There are cameras here. Please don't look at my childhood photos, okay? I remember I even had a red dot between my eyebrows. Won't this affect my idol image if it's broadcast?"
Xu Yuqin waved her hand, "What impact does it have? You were so cute when you were little, maybe even more people would have liked you then. Don't worry about it."
Bai Xingchen nodded with a smile, "That's right, besides, what kind of idol image do you have? You've been different from other idols from the very beginning, you can't go down this path."
Xu Zifan raised his chin. "That's right, I don't follow the usual path. But I'm still an idol. All my strengths and weaknesses combined make up my idol image, so I still have to be a little careful."
The two women ignored him, looking through photos and reminiscing about his childhood. They chatted and laughed, occasionally eating fruit and drinking iced beverages, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings.
The initial awkwardness had dissipated. Xu Zifan took this opportunity to wash the vegetables, chopping and peeling as needed. He occasionally glanced at the two women on the sofa in the kitchen, a slight smile playing on his lips. The entire house was filled with laughter and warmth, a picture of a happy family life captured on camera, radiating a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.
That evening, Xu Yuqin cooked dishes that Bai Xingchen and Xu Zifan both liked. Bai Xingchen really wanted to help, but Xu Yuqin, having watched TV, knew she couldn't cook. She only let her assist her and chat with her, promoting her son to her.
Bai Xingchen went from being awkward and passive at first to taking the initiative to ask Xu Zifan what he was like at home. One was eager to understand, and the other was eager to play matchmaker, so they got along better and better as they talked. Their friendliness towards each other also dispelled their initial worries. From the perspective of a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, it's not so easy for them to have conflicts. Their pleasant afternoon together gave them both a wonderful expectation.
Xu Yuqin worked in the cafeteria for several years, learning a lot and becoming an exceptionally good cook. Bai Xingchen is a foodie, constantly eating at the table. During post-production, the show's crew even replayed her earlier comment, "It's not for the food," creating a hilarious comparison between her goddess-like image and her foodie persona.
Xu Yuqin kept putting food on Bai Xingchen's plate, and seeing her enjoy the meal made her happy too. She then spoke highly of Xu Zifan. After the meal, the three of them went for a walk together. Xu Yuqin and Bai Xingchen walked hand in hand, and Xu Yuqin introduced Bai Xingchen to nearby schools and shops, sharing some interesting experiences from the past. Bai Xingchen also talked about her fun times studying abroad, as well as interesting places she had seen while traveling overseas, saying she would definitely take Xu Yuqin to see them sometime.
Xu Zifan walked outside them with his hands in his pockets. The show's post-production team added the caption: "Trying to lighten the mood? No need, I'm the one who's superfluous," along with a helpless emoji of Xu Zifan.
They took a walk in the park and even danced square dancing with Xu Yuqin for a while. Xu Yuqin urged Xu Zifan to take Bai Xingchen home when it was getting dark, saying, "Xingchen, make sure to lock the door tonight and be careful. Come home for dinner when you get back to Beijing. Auntie will cook you something delicious."
Bai Xingchen nodded, "I will, Auntie. When are you going back to Beijing? Let's go back together."
"Will the production team allow it?" Xu Yuqin looked at the staff following them, then at Xu Zifan.
The staff member nodded, and Xu Zifan smiled and said, "Yes, you can. We'll book the tickets together later. Mom, you can go upstairs. I'll be back after I drop Xingchen off."
"Okay, you can go now, but be careful."
Xu Yuqin went upstairs, and Xu Zifan took Bai Xingchen out to hail a taxi. When crossing the street, he naturally took Bai Xingchen's hand and asked, "How did it go with my mom today? She was nice, right? You seemed quite relaxed and at ease."
Bai Xingchen glanced at their clasped hands, smiled, and slightly moved her fingers to interlock them tightly, saying, "That's great. I've said a lot of nice things about you, which has earned you a lot of points."
Xu Zifan chuckled and asked, "So, what's my score?"
"I won't tell you!" Bai Xingchen felt the warmth of Xu Zifan's palm and thought it felt especially good to walk hand in hand with him down the street. At this moment, she finally felt the feeling of being in love—that sweet, butterflies-in-your-chest feeling, that anticipation of seeing him again tomorrow even before they parted. She secretly raised her head to look at Xu Zifan's profile. This was her boyfriend, but they hadn't confessed yet. She hoped they would have many wonderful experiences together, hoped for a romantic confession. This time, she would create the surprise; after all, she was the one who won him back!