331: It seems I've been misunderstood.

The air seemed to solidify at that instant.

Fang Yuan's mother, Ms. Wang Xiulan, stood frozen at the entrance, holding a basket of fresh vegetables she had just rushed to buy from the supermarket downstairs.

Her gaze passed over her son's equally stiff face and landed squarely on the blonde, blue-eyed girl on the living room sofa, who looked as if she had stepped out of a painting.

Time seemed to have been paused.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Wang Xiulan's eyes first widened into perfect circles, and then slowly blinked, as if confirming whether she was hallucinating because she hadn't put on her reading glasses.

Fang Yuan's heart hammered wildly in his chest, his mind blank.

He was finished.

This was the only thought in his head.

How could he explain this?

Should he say this was a European friend crashing for the warmth?

Or should he claim she was an exchange student sent by the academy for cultural exchange, conveniently experiencing the Chinese New Year atmosphere in an ordinary Dragon Country family?

Which one sounded more ridiculous?

Just as Fang Yuan's thoughts dissolved into a chaotic mess, Frieren stood up.

Although she did not understand what caused the sudden frozen atmosphere, seeing the middle-aged woman holding the vegetable basket, she could guess her identity.

She bowed slightly and politely greeted the woman using her standard Dragon Country language, which carried a slight foreign accent.

"Hello, Auntie."

That single "Hello, Auntie" was like an incantation that broke a Seal.

Wang Xiulan instantly "came alive."

The vegetable basket in her hand clattered onto the floor, and several round tomatoes rolled out, unwilling to be left behind.

But she completely ignored them.

An incredibly brilliant, even slightly fawning smile instantly blossomed on her face. She quickly walked up to Frieren and grabbed her hand.

"Oh my! Hello, hello! Young lady, you must be Xiaoyuan's... classmate, right?"

As Wang Xiulan spoke, she scrutinized Frieren from head to toe, her gaze like that of someone admiring a peerless treasure.

High nose bridge, large eyes, skin as white as milk, and tall—this... this was even better looking than those foreign celebrities on TV!

When did her quiet, reserved son develop such great capability?

"Yes, Auntie. My name is Frieren. I am Fang's classmate." Frieren was slightly overwhelmed by the sudden enthusiasm but maintained a polite smile.

"Classmate! Yes, yes, yes, hello classmate, hello classmate!" Wang Xiulan beamed, refusing to let go of Frieren's hand. "Sit down, sit down quickly, don't stand! Treat this place like your own home, don't be shy!"

She enthusiastically pressed Frieren back onto the sofa, then turned around and fiercely glared at Fang Yuan, who was still standing dumbfounded.

"You child! Your classmate is here, and you don't even know to pour a glass of water? Are you just going to let the guest sit there thirsty?"

"I..." Fang Yuan opened his mouth, feeling that his status at home had been downgraded from "son" to "a breathing ornament" in just one minute.

"Mom, she really is my classmate, she came from Europe and had nowhere to spend the New Year, so I brought her—"

"I know, I know!" Wang Xiulan waved her hand impatiently, interrupting him. She then turned back to Frieren, showing a spring-like warm smile, and winked at Fang Yuan, the meaning in her eyes clear: "I understand your little intentions!"

Fang Yuan felt dizzy.

He understood.

His mother understood nothing!

The more Wang Xiulan looked at Frieren, the more satisfied she became. She rubbed her hands, deciding that just sitting and chatting wouldn't do; she needed to take some concrete action.

She suddenly slapped her thigh and pulled out her phone.

"No way! I must tell your father! Tell him to hurry back! That old fool, I told him to pick up some ribs on the way, and he definitely forgot again! We must add more dishes today! Must!"

The call connected quickly.

Wang Xiulan didn't avoid anyone. She put the phone on speaker, and her booming voice echoed through the living room.

"Hello? Old Fang! You! Now! Immediately! Go to the vegetable market!"

From the other end of the line came the slightly puzzled voice of Fang Yuan's father, Fang Jianguo: "Why go to the market? Didn't I just get off work and prepare to come home? I bought the ribs already."

"What ribs! Ribs aren't enough! Go buy an old hen, a freshly slaughtered one! And weigh out a lively sea bass! Oh, and big shrimp, buy two catties!" Wang Xiulan's speaking speed was like a machine gun.

"Wait... what day is it today? Did some distinguished guest come home?" Fang Jianguo was confused by the sudden demand.

Wang Xiulan cleared her throat and lowered her voice, but in the quiet living room, the volume was no different from a broadcast.

She said mysteriously: "Your daughter-in-law is here!"

Fang Yuan's vision swam, and he nearly died on the spot.

There was silence on the other end of the line for a full five seconds.

"What did you say?!" Fang Jianguo's voice suddenly rose by eight octaves, filled with shock and ecstasy. "Xiaoyuan brought a girlfriend home?! Is this true?! Why didn't I know!"

"Aiya, not a girlfriend, a girl classmate!" Wang Xiulan corrected him, but the triumph in her tone was impossible to hide. "However, I think it's close enough! Stop wasting time! Go buy the groceries immediately! If you don't have enough money, I'll WeChat you! Goodbye!"

With a "snap," the phone hung up.

Wang Xiulan put away her phone contentedly, looked at her son's despairing face, and scoffed.

"Look at how useless you look! Bringing a classmate home and trying to hide it! Don't worry, your mother knows what she's doing!"

After speaking, she smiled and sat back down next to Frieren, starting to fuss over her, chatting about everything from the weather in Europe to the cuisine of Dragon Country. Her enthusiasm was so overwhelming that Frieren could barely cope, only managing to repeatedly say, "Thank you, Auntie."

Fang Yuan leaned against the wall, feeling that his Soul had already drifted out the window.

He gave up trying to explain.

Because he knew that any explanation was pale and powerless in the face of his mother's "I understand."

He only hoped that when his father returned with the groceries, he would be slightly more rational... Just as Fang Yuan was caught in this domestic comedy where he couldn't defend himself, thousands of miles away in Gusu City, a taxi slowly stopped at the entrance of a high-end residential complex.

Li Ziyuan, wearing a beige trench coat, paid the fare and walked into the complex, pulling a suitcase that wasn't particularly large.

Unlike the majestic and vast Spiritual Qi of Kunlun Immortal Mountain, the air in her hometown was filled with the gentle warmth of the local dialect and the tranquility of ordinary life.

She hadn't notified her parents in advance, wanting to give them a surprise.

When she used the key to open the door, Li Jun and Sun Hui, who were watching TV in the living room, turned their heads simultaneously.

Seeing their daughter standing at the doorway, both of them froze.

The next second, Sun Hui's eyes welled up. She threw down the remote control and rushed over, embracing her daughter tightly.

"Yuan Yuan! My good girl! Why didn't you tell us you were coming home!"

"Mom, I wanted to give you a surprise." Li Ziyuan smiled, patting her mother's back.

"A surprise? It was almost a shock!" Li Jun walked over. Although he grumbled, the smile on his face was impossible to hide. He took the suitcase from his daughter's hand and weighed it. "Why is there so little stuff? Have you been suffering at school? Look at you, you've lost weight!"

"No, school is great. I eat well and sleep well; I've just been busy with my studies." Li Ziyuan explained with a smile.

Looking at the new strands of white hair at her parents' temples and the deeper wrinkles around their eyes, a wave of warmth mixed with an unspeakable complex emotion surged in her heart.

She couldn't tell them what kind of magnificent world she had spent the last few months in.

She could only say that school was good, and everything was fine.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!" Sun Hui pulled her daughter onto the sofa, examining her face as if she couldn't get enough of her. "How long can you stay this break?"

"A whole month."

"That's wonderful!" Li Jun said happily. "Perfect, your dad here recently learned a few new dishes. I'll cook them for you every day! We'll make up for everything you missed these past few months!"

The family chatted happily. Li Ziyuan talked about some interesting things at school, while her parents talked about domestic trivialities.

As they chatted, Sun Hui suddenly slapped her forehead.

"That's right, Yuan Yuan, you came back at the perfect time! Tonight, your Uncle Zhang is hosting a dinner at Taihe Tower for some of his business friends. Get ready, and come with us tonight."

Li Ziyuan paused, a hint of helplessness rising in her heart.

"Mom, I just got back and I'm a little tired. Maybe I shouldn't go?"

"Tired of what? You're young and full of energy!" Sun Hui gave her a reproachful look. "Your Uncle Zhang specifically requested that you must go. He always praises you in front of his friends, saying you got into the best university in the country and are successful now. It's the perfect chance to take you so his friends can meet you and let him save face."

In her parents' eyes, she was still the little girl who needed to be taken out to "see the world."

Li Ziyuan looked at her parents' expectant gazes, and the words of refusal caught in her throat.

Forget it, she decided. She would just go to spend time with them.

"Alright then." She nodded.

Seeing their daughter agree, Sun Hui and Li Jun both smiled happily.

Sun Hui seemed to recall something else. She leaned closer mysteriously and lowered her voice:

"Yuan Yuan, let me tell you, one of the guests your Uncle Zhang invited today is extraordinary. I heard he is an enlightened Master, and even a Great Master! He can tell fortunes, perform calculations, and draw talismans to ward off evil—he's very effective! It's a good chance for you to go and broaden your horizons. Don't stay cooped up studying at school all the time; you'll turn into a bookworm."

The smile on Li Ziyuan's face stiffened slightly.

Great Master?

Drawing talismans?

Her fingertips moved slightly, almost imperceptibly.