Since he didn’t need to rely on public transportation, Shangguan Yu made it back home much earlier than expected. When he opened the door and walked in behind his sister and his brother-in-law, the smell of his mother’s home-cooked food wavered toward him. He sniffed and a bright smile blossomed on his face.

"Ah, I guess it’s good to be on break!"

His mother popped out from the kitchen and raised her brows at him. "You’re back already? That’s good. Better come in soon and sit down. I’ve almost finished the meal."

Shangguan Yu’s lips twitched when he heard that. He really felt like it would be nice if she could at least say hello before getting to the practical things. But, well, he probably shouldn’t have expected that from his mother. She had never been like that. To her, it probably was like she hadn’t missed him too much since they had only spoken yesterday. As for whether they had seen each other or not … This was a mere technicality.

Sighing to himself, he waved at her. "I’m home, mom. Don’t worry, I’ll just bring the luggage up and wash up, and then I’ll be there."

His mother tsked. "Just leave the luggage where it is. Go wash your hands and then come down to eat."

Shangguan Yu laughed and nodded, leaving everything right behind the door before he rushed up the stairs and went to do as his mother told him. When he came down, his sister and brother-in-law were already sitting at the table while his mother was filling their bowls.

He slipped into the chair next to them, eying the dishes that were already standing on the table. "I guess it’s a pity that I don’t have more breaks. If you always did this when I came home, I might even come back every single weekend."

His mother turned around, giving him a long look. "Well … If your boyfriend is from one city over, then I guess you could just do that. Have you thought about moving in with him?"

Shangguan Yu gaped at her. "Mom …"

His mother raised her brows and then continued to bring the dishes over before she sat down as well. "What? You’re old enough to have a relationship and move in with somebody. Anyway, what kind of job did you say that he has? Is he also still in college?"

"And how does he look like?" Shangguan Xin piped up.

Shangguan Yu rubbed his brow. Somehow, it sounded as if he was being interrogated here. "You, guys, … What’s the meaning of this? I’ve just returned home. Shouldn’t you ask me how life at university is first? Or how I am getting along with my roommates and if I’m studying enough? Why am I only being asked about my date? We haven’t even agreed on a day yet!"

Both his mother and sister shook their heads as if in disappointment.

"See? That’s exactly the problem! If you found somebody that you might like, then you should immediately decide on a date so he can’t just run away. Anyway, what do you know about him? If he does try to run, then at least we’ll have some information to find a way to work around it."

Shangguan Yu’s brows twitched. Why did it sound as if his sister wanted to blackmail Ao Jing if he didn’t turn up to that date? Anyway … "You don’t have to worry about that. He isn’t the type of guy who would stand me up when we’re supposed to go out with each other. I know him well enough to know that."

His sister didn’t seem too convinced. Anyway, even if that guy normally wasn’t like that, who could say for sure that he wouldn’t get cold feet when things got close? She definitely had to make sure that that couldn’t happen! "Well, even though, shouldn’t I as your sister be interested in your love life? This is a big event for the whole family! Didn’t I also introduce Ah Lan to you?"

Her husband nodded along as if this comparison made any sense at all.

Shangguan Yu really wanted to remind her of the fact that she had only introduced his brother-in-law to him after the two of them had already been dating for two years and also decided that they wanted to get married. This absolutely wasn’t comparable to him meeting up with this online husband for the first time. But, looking at the faces of the other three people at the table, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Obviously, they were just worried about him while also being happy at the same time. They wanted to make sure that he would end up with somebody good. He could hardly fault them for that, could he?

Thinking of that, he finally sighed. "He’s in his last year but not really taking courses anymore. Instead, he is currently doing an internship," he answered his mother.

She nodded happily, feeling that this didn’t sound too bad. If he was just finishing up his studies, then their ages weren’t too far apart. On the other hand, if he entered the working world before her son did, then he would be able to provide for him for the first time after Shangguan Yu finished up university in case he might have trouble finding a job. He could also refer him to a good place. This was definitely very good. A stable and mature partner was very beneficial.

Meanwhile, Shangguan Yu turned to his sister. "We’ve met online so I don’t know what he looks like. He didn’t say anything about it and I didn’t ask. I guess I can only go and see when we meet up."

While his mother had been happy with his explanation, his sister wasn’t at all. "How could that be? Even though looks aren’t the only important thing, they are also important. You should definitely ask him for a photo before you meet! In the worst case, if you’re shy, just say that you want to make sure that you find the right person. Just wanting one picture definitely isn’t too much."

Before Shangguan Yu could respond, his brother-in-law also piped up. "Actually, have the two of you only ever been interacting online?"

Shangguan Yu nodded at that, not quite sure what he meant.

"Then maybe it would be better if you texted for a while or maybe had a call before you meet up. You won’t be able to completely make sure that he’s safe to meet but it’s still better than just going in blind."

Shangguan Xin also piped up at that. "Yes, right! And when you choose a time and a place for your date, then you definitely have to make sure that it’s somewhere where you can’t be hurt. Don’t forget about that! Actually, let’s just discuss where you should go right now."

Shangguan Yu couldn’t help but smile at her anxious expression. Well, his family was just like that. He also wouldn’t want to have them any other way.