Two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes, plus a bowl of steamed dumplings.

  The mother and daughter each had a small bowl of rice.

  Wang Jinglu's mother, Tao Huijun, is forty-six years old this year, but she looks less than forty. Although she is not as beautiful as her two daughters, at middle age, she still looks elegant and refined, with a gentle and peaceful personality, usually quiet, and has excellent cooking skills.

  In comparison, Wang Jingxue's personality is a bit overbearing, while Wang Jinglu is more like her.

  Even the way mother and daughter ate was almost a programmed action, one small mouthful at a time, chewing slowly... nearly half of the steamed dumplings had gone into Wang Jinglu's stomach, but her lips were still spotlessly clean, without a hint of greasiness.

  During dinner, neither of them spoke.

  After finishing the meal, Tao Huijun served a bowl of soup to each of them and only took a small sip from her own bowl before smiling at her daughter as she drank the soup.

  "There are still three or four weeks until the final exams, right? Have you started reviewing?" she asked.

  "Hmm." Wang Jing nodded slightly.

  Tao Huijun just smiled and didn't say anything else, taking two sips of soup with her spoon.

  "I'm so full!" Wang Jinglu patted her little belly like a child, smiling sweetly and complaining, "Mom, don't give me steamed buns in the future. Every time I eat too much and can't control myself. I'll get fat later!"

  Tao Huijun just smiled and said: "You won't get fat, you and your sister both look like mom. Look, mom isn't fat."

  Wang Jinglu shook her head in disbelief, "Last time my sister came back and said I was going to eat myself into a little pig."

  Tao Huijun smiled and said, "Xiao Lu, your dad came back this afternoon."

  Wang Jinglu suddenly tensed up upon hearing this, "Is it her... what is she going to stir up again?"

  Tao Huijun smiled and shook her head, reaching out to hold her daughter's hand across the table, saying: "Your dad mainly told me some things about you."

  Suddenly, Wang Jinglu's heart skipped a beat.

  As expected, Tao Huijun put away her smile and said slowly: "Mom knows you must have your own thoughts, so Mom and Dad agreed that we will only provide some references and choices. We won't force you to do anything, okay?"

  Wang Jing looked at her with a timid expression.

  Tao Huijun sighed and withdrew her hand, asking: "What do you think of Zhao Yuemin?"

  I knew it!

  Wang Jinglu hesitated for a moment and said, "Mom, you won't really force me, will you?"

  Tao Huijun suddenly laughed, "What era is this? Even when your mom and dad got married, it was already a free love affair. How could your mom possibly force you now?"

  "But..." Wang Jingyu wanted to speak but hesitated.

  Tao Huijun said: "Introducing Zhao Yuemin to you and helping you two get together was agreed upon by mom."

  Wang Jinglu looked at her in surprise, "How could it be?... Why?"

  She always thought those were her father's ideas. She knew that her mother was very fond of her and also very willing to spoil her.

  Tao Huijun's eyes were smiling, but her expression was very serious as she said: "If you put aside your preconceptions, tell Mom what that young man is really like?"

  Wang Jing was left speechless.

  How is Zhao Yumin?

  Without in-depth contact, she naturally couldn't judge what kind of person he was. But from what she knew and saw so far, this person was handsome, elegant, charming, gentle, considerate, with a clear English gentleman style, excellent temperament, as a graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge University, his learning was obviously not bad, and... his family should be quite wealthy.

  If we simply look at him from the perspective of choosing a husband, there is almost nothing on him that can be criticized as an obvious shortcoming, but rather one after another bright spot, enough to make the vast majority of girls in this world dizzy and infatuated.

  Wang Jinglu wanted to speak but hesitated, lowered her head and pouted.

  Tao Huijun burst out laughing, "Nothing more to say?"

  After a pause, she said: "So, after he followed your dad to our house that day, I inquired about him through various connections and agreed with your dad's suggestion. I think he's quite suitable for you."

  Wang Jingru furrowed her brow and looked up at her.

  "Mom doesn't want to tell you that love and marriage are not the same thing, even if they're not. I don't think my daughter doesn't have the right to pursue love either. In fact, Mom thinks that a marriage with love is truly happy. However...if you're not even willing to try, how can you be sure you won't like him?"

  "Maybe, mom was just saying maybe, when you really start to get in touch with that little boy, you will soon find out that he has all sorts of shortcomings and inadequacies that you can't accept. At that time, if you say you don't like him, mom will definitely support you 100%! Right?"

  "But what if, when you get close to him, you find that he's actually the type you like? If you really start to like him, fall in love with him... wouldn't that be even better? The romance in this world has never been just about childhood sweethearts or love at first sight, right?"

  "So, trust mom's judgment and get in touch with him for a bit, okay?"

  Wang Jinglu pursed her lips and didn't speak.

  In fact, she had nothing to say.

  Although she didn't want to have anything to do with that person, she had to admit in her heart that what Mom said wasn't unreasonable.

  It's just...

  Tao Huijun started sipping the soup in small mouthfuls, and then Wang Jinglu also picked up her spoon and began to sip the soup.

  Finally, Wang Jinglu finished drinking first. Although her mouth was very clean, she still picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth before standing up and saying, "Mom, I'm full, I'll go back to my room first."

  Tao Huijun nodded, but suddenly called out to her: "Xiao Lu..."

  Wang Jinglu got off the bus and turned around to look at her.

  She hesitated for a moment and said: "You already have someone you like, right?"

  Wang Jinglu raised her head and then lowered it again, saying nothing.

  Tao Huijun asked again: "Is it Xiaojian opposite the door?"

  Wang Jinglu's face showed a slightly surprised expression, but she still lowered her head and didn't speak.

  Then, Tao Huijun thought for a moment and seemed to be muttering to herself: "In the past two years, your father's mind has been on that woman, and your sister's mind has been on music. They may not have noticed, but mom is not like them. Mom knows that you've started liking to go to the rooftop after dinner for a while... just with him?"

  Wang Jinglu hesitated for a moment and nodded silently.

  Tao Huijun also nodded, "Uh-huh, Mom doesn't have any intention of breaking you two up. Maybe your dad and sister won't agree, but I won't. I just want to tell you that you're... too young right now. Young means the world you've seen is still too small, like a little frog who hasn't had time to jump out of the well and see the bigger sky. So don't close your heart's door too early, give other excellent boys in this world a chance, okay?"

  Wang Jinglu remained silent with her head hung low.

  After Tao Huijun finished speaking, she finally lifted her head up. The mother and daughter exchanged a glance for a moment before she lowered her head again and turned to go back to her room. She took one step forward but then stopped. She turned around and looked at her mom, suddenly gathering the courage to ask: "Mom, do you also think that I and Li Qian... aren't suitable for each other?"

  Tao Huijun was taken aback for a moment, seemingly astonished by her daughter's sudden courage. But soon, she smiled and gently asked, "Do you want to hear the truth?"

  Wang Jinglu nodded very affirmatively.

  Tao Huijun thought for a moment, wiped the smile off her face, nodded and said: "He is not good enough for you."

  "Now it's not matching, in the future, even less so!"

  Wang Jinglu was indignant upon hearing this and couldn't help but ask: "Why? What doesn't match up?"

  Tao Huijun suddenly laughed again, seemingly enjoying the sight of her daughter's anger. With a slightly mischievous look, she locked eyes with her daughter and said, "So, you're trying to tell Mom that he's really handsome?"

  Wang Jinglu was shocked, but had nothing to say in response.

  This is certainly not all of Li Qian's story, but at least for now, what can she boast about or compare with others regarding the person she likes?

  "Mom knew he was very good-looking, his mom is really beautiful, especially when we just moved in that time, Mom saw her for the first time, you were only a little over one year old, Mom was holding you, she was holding Li Qian, we met in the corridor, said hello, I came back and told your dad, our neighbor Li teacher's wife is really beautiful! Mom admits can't compare to her, huh, if just talking about looks, Mom admits, Li Qian and you are a pretty well-matched couple. But... does it matter?"

  Wang Jinglu lowered her head and still didn't speak.

  She really wants to say that Li Qian is not just good-looking, he has many advantages, she even wants to talk about how Li Qian improved by a whole hundred points in just one month, but she knows in her heart that those... are useless.

  As expected, Tao Huijun continued: "There is a truth in this world that everyone has to admit, which is that people who look good indeed have an advantage. They always get more opportunities than others, including some very good ones, but that's all."

  "Now, let's just talk about now. If you don't go to Beijing and take the film academy exam, Mom thinks that with your intelligence and good looks, you can get into any university in the country, and after graduation, you'll have a great future ahead of you. What about him? Is he okay?... But if you do go to Beijing and take the film academy exam, Mom isn't sure if you'll definitely get in, but she knows you have talent in this area, and both you and your sister will achieve something in your respective fields in the future. What about him?"

  "So, can you tell Mom now, are you and he a good match?"

  Wang Jinglu raised her head.

  "But I like him!" she said firmly.

  Tao Huijun was somewhat surprised, apparently she had not expected her daughter to answer her directly.

  And this is an answer sufficient to overthrow some.

  Then she was silent for a moment, and then said: "Okay. You can like him! But at least... until you graduate from college, don't really give yourself to him, give yourself the opportunity to choose other people, and also give others the opportunity to show themselves, okay? If in the future, you have graduated from college, started working, and started your own career, and you still firmly believe that you like him, then mom will bless you, okay?"

  Wang Jinglu was silent for a moment before slowly nodding her head.

  Then she looked up and met her mother's gaze.

  "I like him! I won't change!" she said.

  Tao Huijun smiled, "If the future is really like that, being stubborn can also be a kind of happiness. However, believe me, there are many boys in this world who are not only handsome but also capable of giving you better love and a better life. When you go out, when you observe carefully, you will understand that 'a leaf blocking your view doesn't let you see Mount Tai' is not an empty phrase."

  Wang Jinglu pursed her lips, lowered her head and turned around to walk towards her own room.

  In the restaurant, looking at her daughter's stubborn back until the door was gently closed, Tao Huijun slowly let out a sigh.

  "I really hope I'm seeing things," she muttered. "I really hope that kid from the Li family can move me and your dad a bit more."

  …………

  "Hey, Xiaolu? Anything up?"

  "Sister, what should I do?"

  “……”

  "Dad has arranged a blind date for me, and just now Mom told me that she agrees too."

  "Afternoon, mom called me and said it's over."

  "What... should I do?"

  "Don't you like him?"

  "I don't like it."

  "Even holding hands is unwilling?"

  "...don't want to."

  "Mom said he's okay."

  "I know. But..."

  "Troubled? Wanting to take control of your own destiny and not let anyone else make decisions for you, even if that person is your mother?"

  "Uh-huh."

  "Then let's go with the flow! Think about what I told you before."

  "Uh-huh."

  "By the way, that kid by the door has been eyeing you all along, be careful, he's had a lot of wicked ideas since he was young, don't let him deceive you. Remember, in this world, men's sweet talk is the most untrustworthy, and boys are no exception."

  "Uh..."

  "Huh? Fine, once you're in Shun Tian, your parents won't be able to control you anymore. By the way, regarding that Min... I suggest you can still go see him and have a chat, after all, even mom thinks he's not bad, so there must be some good qualities about him. If you still don't like him after meeting, then just ignore him. Xiao Lu... Xiao Lu?"

  "Uh-huh, I'm listening."

  "Alright, I'm hanging up then. I'll come pick you up after your final exams."

  "Uh-huh. Bye-bye."

  "Goodbye."

  The phone hung up, and Wang Jinglu helplessly threw herself onto the bed.

  "They all don't like you, what to do?" she muttered to herself.

  She raised her hand and picked up her phone, opened the "text message" page, clicked on the name "Li Qian", which had accumulated hundreds of messages, thought for a moment, typed in the two words "roof top", hesitated with her finger hovering over the send button, then deleted the two words, tossed the phone aside and covered her face.

  After a moment, she let go of her hand, turned over and sat up, picked up the Walkman from the table, found Zhou Fen's "Daydreamer" on the small bookshelf on the desk and put it in, pressed the play button.

  “……

  The wind is not wind, the cloud is not cloud.

  Is it you I love?

  It doesn't matter

  It's all just passing by anyway.

  Flowers are not flowers, mud is not mud.

  You dancing in the desert

  Now near now far

  I need a little more luck."