Lin Feng swallowed.
The call had connected, but no sound came from the other end.
"Mom?"
Nothing.
"Mum?"
Silence.
"Ma?"
Still no response.
"Are you mad at me?" he asked.
He sighed.
"You are, aren't you?"
"And what if I am?" she finally answered, her voice cold.
"Do you know what happens to people who don't keep their promises?"
"C'mon Mom, it can't possibly be THAT serious."
"What did you just say?"
"I said I'm sorry," he quickly clarified. "I was hanging out with friends and totally forgot."
"Friends?" Her tone shifted instantly.
"You have friends?"
"Umm... yeah?" he responded, confused by the sudden change.
"Oh thank heavens! I thought you would be all by yourself over there." She paused. "Wait, you're not lying to me, are you?"
"Of course not. What do you think of me?"
"Hehehe, calm down, calm down." The mother seemed to have returned to her usual cheery mood. "Do you have female friends too?"
"I guess," he said.
"Good," she said.
Then she caught herself.
"No, not good!"
What followed was a full-blown rant.
"You mustn't trust those promiscuous women from the city! In fact, you should cut them off immediately!"
"Is it that bad?" Lin Feng asked.
"Of course it is! Doesn't my son know?" Her voice rose with conviction. "They tell you to go out for a drink then order the most expensive wine and have you pay for everything! They ask you to go shopping and drain you for everything you have! Before you know it, you're broke and heartbroken!"
Lin Feng couldn't help but laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" she asked, sounding offended.
"Mom, you told me to get a girlfriend. Did you forget?" He shook his head in amusement. "How am I supposed to get a girlfriend if I don't get close to women?"
"Ah."
A pause.
"Ahem."
She seemed to calm down.
"Well... maybe they're not so bad," she admitted reluctantly. "Just bring them home and Mom will tell you if they're a good catch."
Lin Feng laughed again.
"Mom, it's not the ancient times anymore. Nowadays it's swipe left or swipe right."
"What does that even mean?"
"It's…never mind."
The two continued talking as Lin Feng walked through the streets. Topics shifted from one thing to the next - his classes, his roommates, the food on campus, whether he was dressing warmly enough.
Before he knew it, he had arrived at his office.
And still they kept talking.
It wasn't until the clock reminded him of his teaching job that he finally spoke up.
"Mom, I need to go. I have work."
"Work? What work? You have a job?"
"It's just part-time tutoring. I told you about it before."
"Oh, right, right." She let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine, go do your work. But don't forget to call next time!"
"I won't."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Good. Take care of yourself."
"You too, Mom."
He hung up.
For a moment, Lin Feng just stood there, phone in hand.
He couldn't help but smile.
He really should talk to his mom more often. While she always gave him a hard time, talking to her made him genuinely happy.
He opened his phone and set up a reminder to call home regularly.
…
Wednesday, September 30th.
"...and so, the dialectical relationship between productive forces and relations of production forms the foundation of historical materialism. Don't think of it as merely abstract theory - it explains how societal change..."
The professor droned on at the front of the classroom.
Lin Feng's attention, however, was elsewhere.
[Infinite Money System]
[Total System Balance: ¥1,840.00]
[Available System Balance: ¥1,840.00]
[Personal Balance: ¥8,836.00]
His eyes widened slightly.
Why is it so high?
Then he remembered - he had forgotten to return the money his mom had sent.
He wondered if he should send it back now.
He sighed internally.
If I do, I'll never hear the end of it.
He could already imagine her voice. "What? Is my money not good enough for you? Do you look down on your mother now?"
He decided to just keep it. He would return it in the future.
Then another thought crossed his mind.
He had planned to keep upgrading his wardrobe, but he hadn't done so since that first time.
A smile crept onto his face.
I'm sorry about your money, Mom. Well, you probably won't care, right? After all, I have to look good to bring you a wife.
"What are you grinning ear to ear for?"
Su Yue's voice came from beside him.
"Ahem." He composed himself and turned to look at her.
Then he paused.
His gaze traveled over her slowly. Up and down. Taking in her outfit, her accessories, her overall presentation.
Su Yue shifted in her seat, suddenly feeling self-conscious under his scrutiny.
What is seriously wrong with this guy?
She couldn't figure him out at all. One moment he was flirting with her. The next he seemed interested in that Yu Shen guy. Then he was back to flirting with Sun Xiao instead.
Seriously, which is it?
"Say," Lin Feng finally spoke, "your fashion sense is quite good."
Su Yue's hand moved to adjust her hair unconsciously.
"Yeah, I used to work part-time at a clothing store," she said.
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
Is he back to flirting with me now?
"Are you busy after class?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No, why?"
Could it be...
A slight blush crept onto her cheeks.
"Wanna go out together?"
Su Yue almost choked on air.
"Cough, cough cough!"
The professor paused mid-sentence, turning to look at the source of the commotion.
Other students swiveled in their seats, curious gazes landing on the pair at the back.
Su Yue's face burned red. She grabbed a textbook and held it up in front of her face, hiding behind it like a shield.
The professor stared for a moment longer, then shook his head and continued his lecture.
"As I was saying, the superstructure of society..."
Gradually, the stares drifted away from her.
Su Yue lowered the book just enough to glare at Lin Feng.
"Why would you ask that straight up with no foreplay whatsoever?" she hissed.
Lin Feng blinked.
"I'm sorry?" He tilted his head, looking genuinely confused. "Did I do something wrong?"
She looked at him.
Then she facepalmed.
"Never mind." She let out a long breath. "Where do you want to go?"
"Why don't we go shopping?" he said. "Many people are buying things for the holidays since most shops will be closed."
"Even yours?" she asked. "I was hoping to use that."
"Of course not. But it doesn't hurt to have alternatives."
"I guess."
"Great. Let's meet up at the gate at ten."
She nodded.
Lin Feng turned his attention back to the professor as if nothing had happened.
Su Yue glanced at him from the side, her brow furrowed slightly.
What is he up to now?
A few seats ahead, Sun Xiao had been watching the exchange. She observed the two of them for a moment, her expression unreadable.
Then she quietly turned back to face the teacher.