After checking the exit and not seeing Yu Xiao Di or Chen Mingying, my attention returned to the silent Qiao Huanxuan. I suddenly noticed she was somewhat dazed, seemingly more so than my own recent sentiments.

"Are you okay?" Li Yan grasped her hand and squeezed it.

Qiao Huanxuan came to her senses and forced a smile: "I’m fine."

Actually, at this moment, after sighing and feeling sentimental, her mood had become overwhelmed with emotion. She was pondering several questions in her mind, one of which was that after waiting for twelve years, she finally saw him again, but it was no longer her heart’s desire or attachment. Should she learn to cherish more? How to cherish? He already has a girlfriend and their relationship is great; should she break them up? Or quietly become the secret lover?

Yu Xiao Di actively pursued him, so he hadn’t cherished her that much before. A period of no contact made him value and cherish more. What about her? He is not unaware of her situation, shouldn’t it be considered proactive on her part? Is it just a form of male vanity for him? Should she also disappear for a while to see if he would cherish her?

Li Yan’s mind was on Yu Xiao Di’s side, only sensing that something was off about Qiao Huanxuan, without time for deeper analysis. "A bit tired, right? Sorry about that. I’ll take you to the hotel once we see her."

"Hmm."

Qiao Huanxuan softly said, "I’ll go squat over there for a while; you don’t need to worry about me. If she inadvertently sees me with you when she comes out, it might be bad for you both."

After speaking, she pulled her suitcase and went over to squat beside a pillar, maintaining a few meters’ distance from Li Yan.

Li Yan originally wanted to ask if she was feeling really unwell, thinking if it was serious, he’d take her to the hospital first. But seeing her expression wasn’t that severe, and considering her last sentence, he agreed, figuring he’d only have to wait a bit longer.

...

On the day of Yu Xiao Di’s birthday, when she returned home, she had a vague sense of foreboding, so when separating from Li Yan, she was already shedding some tears. At the time, she didn’t think much of it, only assuming that it was because seeing her mother’s harsh words on QQ saddened her, interrupting a day that had taken considerable courage to bring happiness, making it all the more upsetting.

However, once she returned home, she realized she was wrong. Her mother had no intention of having a proper discussion and instead confined her, taking it upon herself to call the school to request leave. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The advancements in modern technology have made it easier and more convenient for people to connect and communicate. But it also makes people lazy and dull; once technological means are restricted, they become at a loss of what to do. In the days when communication wasn’t advanced, people from all over maintained connections for decades. Ancient people always managed to send letters during war times, valuing missives like a piece of gold. Yet now, the convenience of mobile phones means many can’t even memorize phone numbers, let alone deliver letters.

When Yu Xiao Di discovered the home’s phone dialing was restricted, her mobile phone confiscated, and the internet cut off, she who had grown up smoothly, found herself almost completely cut off from the outside world and Li Yan, not knowing any other method. She believed once Monday came for school, she’d escape her mother’s ’clutch.’ But unexpectedly, Chen Mingying had already arranged leave for her and planned everything, directly taking her abroad.

This time, Chen Mingying needed a work-related investigation, as well as invested significant thought and time to care—or rather monitor Yu Xiao Di, taking her on an overseas trip yet also felt like confinement, providing no opportunity or resources for her to call Li Yan.

Originally intending to endure for a while, after all, she and Li Yan weren’t cohabiting, and not seeing him for a few days or a week is normal; things should be fine once she returned. However, what drove Xiao Di crazy was that her mom seemed intent on taking her to roam the entire Celestial Continent, following her through tedious work, touring museums, fashion weeks, and many universities. Apart from buying clothes and gifts, there seemed to be a subtle hint of choosing a university and arranging her to study abroad.

This thought suddenly alarmed Yu Xiao Di; with her parents’ capabilities, she had no doubts they could do it. Moreover, this was a prevalent practice; many wealthy families domestically send their children abroad for studies, not just university but even middle school level as well. If she actually gets arranged to study abroad, seeing Li Yan would be challenging, indicating her parents’ intention to separate them through time and space!

After discovering this, she expressed extreme disdain towards every prestigious school they visited. To avoid her mother feeling frustrated and taking a hard stance, every situation observed in a university was exaggeratedly portrayed as a presence of lesbians. A smiling, chatting pair were lesbians, strolling side by side were lesbians, descending from the same vehicle were lesbians, and hand-holding confirmed them undoubtedly as lesbians!

Through Xiao Di’s extreme exaggerations of foreign men and women’s flaws, Chen Mingying grew skeptical, unsure if things were truly that prevalent with lesbians in the Celestial Continent. Truly sending her daughter to a Celestial Continent university meant she and Yu Hong couldn’t provide direct supervision or close monitoring. Even with intentions to isolate her from Li Yan and build her independence, how could she not worry for her precious daughter!