Lin Yu didn't move too far away, just shifting a couple of body lengths to sit in a spot where he could avoid the camera's view while still easily seeing Xia Muzhu's phone screen.
On the screen, Xia Muzhu's parents were smiling, their gazes gentle.
The couple looked extremely well-preserved. Given Xia Muzhu's age, they had to be at least in their mid-forties, possibly even in their fifties.
Yet judging solely by their appearance, Lin Yu would have believed them to be in their thirties!
Xia's Mother was clearly meticulous about skincare. Her fair and delicate complexion surpassed even that of some people in their twenties. If not for the faint, unconcealable crow's feet at the corners of her eyes, no one would dare believe she was past forty-five.
Xia's Father showed no signs of aging either. He had a robust physique, clearly a regular at the gym.
Exercise is one of the best ways to slow aging. Xia's Father wasn't dressed to look younger, but he appeared like a man who had just entered middle age, not showing his age at all.
The couple really did look quite well-matched.
"Xiao Zhu, why didn't you wish Mom and Dad a happy new year today?"
Xia's Father's words sounded like a reprimand, but there was no hint of blame on his face—only a gentle, teasing smile, as if talking to a child...
No, this was teasing a child.
It's just that the child had long since expired and grown into an adult.
Before Xia Muzhu could explain, Xia's Mother beside Xia's Father glanced at him and reminded,
"It's New Year's Eve today. It's not the new year yet back home."
With this reminder, Xia's Father slapped his forehead in annoyance.
"Oh, look at me. I've been away from home for too long; I forgot all about that."
Xia's Mother paid no mind to the confused Xia's Father. She turned to her daughter, whose complexion was rosy, and with a gentle smile on her beautifully maintained face, asked,
"Where's Xiaoshan?"
"Is he with you?"
"Call him over. We haven't seen him for so long; we miss him."
"Has he grown taller?"
Xia Muzhu nodded, beckoning towards Xia Yueshan, who was slumped lazily on the nearby sofa, signaling him to come over, while answering her mother's questions.
"He's here."
"He's growing really fast now. I guess in another year, when he starts high school, he'll probably be taller than me."
Following the direction of Xia Muzhu's gesture, Lin Yu instinctively turned to look at Xia Yueshan. Seeing his expression, Lin Yu was slightly taken aback.
At some point, Xia Yueshan's face had turned sour, with 'unwelcoming' practically written all over it.
In an instant, Lin Yu understood.
Last autumn, with his help, Xia Yueshan had repaired his relationship with his sister, but the root issue wasn't resolved. He was still a child lacking his parents' companionship.
The resentment in his heart hadn't disappeared; he just wasn't taking it out on the innocent Xia Muzhu anymore.
Seeing her brother unresponsive, Xia Muzhu waved again, urging,
"Xiaoshan, come here quickly."
Xia Yueshan's young face still wore a full look of reluctance, but he stood up anyway. Holding a handful of half-eaten pistachios, he walked over to Xia Muzhu with a cold expression.
Seeing this, Lin Yu couldn't help but feel a bit amused.
Despite putting on this cold and indifferent front, deep down, Xia Yueshan still cared about his mom and dad.
If Xia Yueshan truly hated them from the bottom of his heart, given his personality, he would have just gotten up and gone back to his room, refusing to engage with them at all.
Xia Muzhu reached out and pulled Xia Yueshan, who was standing by the sofa, to stand in front of it. She bent down, propped the phone against the woven rattan fruit basket on the coffee table, aiming the camera at herself and Xia Yueshan.
Then she stood up, walked to Xia Yueshan's side, and used her hand to measure his height, moving it horizontally to her own body. Her face blossomed into a smile, her expression carrying a touch of pride, like someone who had raised their piglet well. Her tone held a hint of boasting as she said,
"Look, he's up to my cheek now. Last New Year's Eve, he was just past my shoulder."
On the phone screen, Xia's Father and Xia's Mother both had smiles in their eyes. Xia's Father nodded repeatedly in approval.
"Mhm."
"Growing so fast. At this rate, he'll probably be taller than me when he grows up."
"Did you have dumplings for New Year's Eve?"
Xia's Mother asked with concern.
Xia Muzhu nodded, sitting back down on the sofa and picking up the phone.
"We did."
Xia's Mother:
"Store-bought? Or did you make them yourself?"
Xia Muzhu:
"I made them. Pork and cabbage filling." (A little proud)
Xia's Mother:
"How many did you make?"
Xia's Mother:
"Don't forget, you need to cook some again tonight."
Xia Muzhu:
"I know. I saved some dumplings to cook tonight."
Xia's Mother:
"Mhm... No need to save too many. Just cook a few tonight for tradition's sake..."
"..."
The family of four, on opposite ends of the world, chatted endlessly about everyday life over the call. Gradually, Xia Yueshan's face softened too. When some funny topics came up, a smile even appeared on his face.
People often think that when meeting long-separated family, both sides should feel instantly familiar, with endless topics to discuss.
But reality isn't like that. After a long separation, even among the closest blood relatives, a lack of understanding about each other's lives inevitably creates a thick barrier during the initial reunion.
Lin Yu could see that despite both sides trying hard to find topics, once the readily available common subjects were exhausted, they inevitably fell into an awkward silence.
They could only force a smile, tinging it with a hint of awkwardness.
On the phone screen, Xia's Father and Xia's Mother exchanged a glance, as if reaching some silent agreement.
After a moment of silence, it was ultimately Xia's Father who forced a smile and spoke up.
"Xiao Zhu, Xiaoshan. The reason for this call... is to tell you one..."
"No, two things."
"Mom and Dad are usually busy. Now that we've finally gotten together, we wanted to take this chance to properly discuss these two matters with you."
Xia Muzhu clearly didn't sense the impending storm hidden in her parents' words. She nodded, putting on a serious expression, quietly waiting for the important things her parents were about to say.
"Xiao Zhu, Xiaoshan."
"Your mother and I..."
"..."
"...have gotten a divorce."
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
