131: Chapter 131 What, is a month a long time?

She spoke faster and faster, as if she had been holding her breath for a long time and had finally found an outlet.

Hu Tian didn't interrupt her; he just leaned back against the sofa and listened, responding occasionally.

Cousin Zhang Fei spoke at length, and after realizing it herself, she stopped and gave an embarrassed smile. "Did I say too much?"

"No."

Hu Tian stood up and walked over to the bar counter. "It shows you've thought it through and know what you want to do. That's good."

Cousin Zhang Fei rested her chin on her hand. "Cousin, were you like this when you were in university?"

"No."

Hu Tian took two bottles of water from the fridge and pushed one toward her. "When I was in university, I didn't think about so much. I just focused on mastering my major."

"Then do you regret it?"

"I don't."

He thought for a moment. "Our paths are different. There's nothing to regret."

Cousin Zhang Fei took the water, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip. "Cousin, what time are we leaving tomorrow?"

"Eight o'clock."

Hu Tian stood by the bar. "From here to Shanghai Media University, it takes about an hour via the elevated highway. If we leave at eight, we'll arrive before nine. We have plenty of time."

"Alright, eight o'clock."

Cousin Zhang Fei nodded, then remembered something. "Cousin, I've finished packing my luggage. It's just two suitcases. Help me carry them then, okay?"

"Mhm."

"Thanks, Cousin."

After Cousin Zhang Fei finished speaking, she fell silent for a while. The wind occasionally blew outside, and the leaves in the courtyard rustled. A few lamps were now lit in the villa, their warm yellow glow casting a soft light over the living room.

"Cousin, is it time to eat?"

His cousin, Cousin Zhang Fei, rubbed her little belly.

Hu Tian only then realized that since entering the studio this afternoon, he hadn't eaten anything. That cup of coffee had been the only thing he'd had.

"Then I'll go cook."

Cousin Zhang Fei immediately stood up, picked up her teacup, and headed toward the kitchen. "You go rest, I'll do it."

"Let's do it together."

Hu Tian followed her. "I'm not comfortable letting you do it alone."

Cousin Zhang Fei turned back to glare at him. "Cousin, it's not like I don't know how to cook."

"I know you can, but it'll be faster with two people."

Cousin Zhang Fei thought about it and didn't argue further. "Fine, then you're responsible for chopping the vegetables."

The two entered the kitchen. Hu Tian opened the fridge and saw the pork ribs, tofu, and greens they'd bought yesterday, along with a few eggs.

"Pork rib soup takes time to simmer; there's not enough time today."

He pushed the ribs aside. "Tofu, greens, eggs, and some noodles. That'll be enough."

"Okay, I'll boil the noodles, and you cut the tofu."

The kitchen was brightly lit as the two busied themselves. The water in the pot boiled, steam rose, the sound of greens hitting the pan, eggs being beaten in a bowl, the clatter of chopsticks stirring, and the steady, rhythmic thud of the knife on the cutting board as the tofu was cubed.

There was no special conversation, just the occasional "Where's the salt?" or "Turn down the heat." Yet the atmosphere in the kitchen was steady and natural, as if they had lived there together for a long time.

Once the meal was ready, they sat at the dining table with their bowls. A bowl of Tomato and Egg Noodles, a plate of Stir-fried Greens, and a bowl of Mapo Tofu—simple, but hot and fresh.

Cousin Zhang Fei took a bite of the noodles. "Cousin, your Mapo Tofu is better than my mom's."

"Your mom would be angry if she knew."

"Then I won't tell her."

Cousin Zhang Fei smiled and lowered her head to keep eating.

After they finished eating, Hu Tian cleared the table and washed the dishes while Cousin Zhang Fei stood by to dry them. They finished cleaning the kitchen in less than twenty minutes.

"Go to bed early."

Hu Tian hung up the dishcloth. "We're leaving at eight tomorrow. If you wake up at seven-thirty, that'll be enough time."

"Mhm."

Cousin Zhang Fei took off her apron and hung it back up. "Cousin, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Cousin Zhang Fei went upstairs. Her footsteps echoed on the stairs for a while before disappearing down the hallway, followed by the soft click of her bedroom door closing.

Hu Tian stood in the living room for a moment, turned off the floor lamp by the French window, checked the doors and windows, and then went upstairs to his own bedroom on the third floor.

The bedroom was quiet. After washing up and changing, he sat on the edge of the bed and habitually checked his phone. There were no important messages, but just as he was about to put it down, the phone vibrated.

Caller ID: Mom.

He answered. "Mom, it's so late. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?"

On the other end of the line, his mother's voice sounded meaningful. "I'm asking you, do you have a girlfriend?"

Hu Tian was stunned for a second before it clicked. He quickly replayed the events of the afternoon in his head: Cousin Zhang Fei, the bedroom, their chat...

He sighed. "Did Feifei tell you?"

"That goes without saying."

His mother's tone was a mix of complaint and joy. "You didn't tell the family about your own business and let your cousin tell me instead. You child, do you even care about your mother anymore?"

"Mom, it's not like things are settled yet..."

"Not settled?"

His mother interrupted him. "Your cousin said you're already together. What's her name, Waner? Where is she from? What does she do? How old is she?"

Hu Tian leaned against the headboard and switched the phone to his other hand. "Mom, you're asking so many questions at once, how can I answer them all?"

"Then answer them one by one."

His mother's tone left no room for doubt. Helpless, Hu Tian could only say, "Her name is Waner. She's a Binhai local, two years younger than me, a graduate student at Jinling University, and she's a very nice person."

"Is she pretty?"

"She's pretty."

"What's her personality like?"

"Gentle, elegant, and smart."

Silence followed on the other end, and his mother's tone softened a bit. "That sounds quite good... How long have you been together?"

"Not long."

Hu Tian laughed it off. "We just got together; we're still in the adjustment phase."

"What adjustment? You're already together, why do you need an adjustment phase?"

His mother got excited again. "When are you bringing her back to meet us? Your father and I both want to see her. You're at the age where you should settle down."

"Mom, what's the rush? Let's take it slow."

"Take it slow? You say that, and then years go by. Can I still afford to wait?"

Listening to his mother's nagging, Hu Tian's lips curled up involuntarily. "Mom, I get it. Don't worry. During the October Holiday, I'll bring Waner back so you and Dad can have a good look at her, okay?"

There was a brief silence on the other end.

"Really?"

"Really."

"You keep your word?"

"I keep my word."

"Alright then."

His mother's tone clearly softened, filled with uncontrollable joy. "Then I'll tell your father in advance. I'll have him tidy up the house, and you can stay for a few days. I'll cook some nice meals for you..."

"Mom, there's still a month to go. There's no need to start preparing now."

"What about a month? You have to prepare a month in advance. You don't understand."

His mother, Li Meina, said as she spoke, then remembered something. "By the way, Feifei is reporting for school tomorrow. Are you taking her?"

"Yes, I'm taking her to Shanghai Media University tomorrow morning."

"Good. Take good care of her. She's out there on her own, and as her elder brother, you should look after her more."

"I know, Mom."

"Also, take care of yourself. Don't stay up late all the time, and eat your meals on time..."

"Mom, I'm already an adult."

"No matter how old you are, you're still my son."

His mother's tone was indisputable. "Alright, go to bed early. You have to take Feifei tomorrow, so I won't talk to you anymore. Remember, in July, bring Waner back. No backing out."

"I won't back out."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Mom."

The call ended. Hu Tian placed his phone on the nightstand and stared at the ceiling for a while.

One month.

He did a quick mental calculation. It was late August, and there was still a month until October.

One month—not too long, yet not too short.

Hu Tian rolled onto his side, picked up his phone from the nightstand, and checked the time. It was 9:15 PM.

After a moment's thought, he tapped on Zhou Waner's profile picture and dialed her number.

The phone rang twice before she picked up.

"What's wrong?"

Zhou Waner's voice sounded a bit lazy, like she had just finished a shower and was completely relaxed.

"Nothing much, I just wanted to call you."

Hu Tian adjusted his pillow to lean back more comfortably. "What are you doing?"

"Reading. Review materials for the exam. My head is starting to feel a bit swollen from all the reading."

"That's perfect. Put down the book and talk to me for a bit."

Zhou Waner let out a soft chuckle. "You certainly know how to pick your timing."

"What do you mean 'pick my timing'? This is called perfect timing."

The two of them chatted idly, moving from the materials Zhou Waner was reading today to Hu Tian taking his cousin to Shanghai Media University tomorrow, and from Feifei to the recent weather in Binhai. The topics jumped around without any real direction, but the conversation flowed smoothly and naturally.

After chatting for about twenty minutes, Hu Tian remembered what he had just told his mother and mentioned it casually. "By the way, my mom just called."

"Ah?"

Zhou Waner's voice clearly paused. "And then?"

"And then she asked a ton of questions about you—your name, where you're from, how old you are, what you do... she asked everything."

"..."

After a two-second silence on the other end, Zhou Waner finally spoke, her voice slightly lower than before. "So, what did you say?"

"I told her the truth, of course. What else could I say?"

Hu Tian's tone was nonchalant. "I said your name is Waner, you're a Binhai local, a graduate student at Jinling University, two years younger than me, gentle, elegant, smart, and pretty."

"Hu Tian."

"Yeah?"

"Can you be a bit more serious?"

There was an indefinable quality in Zhou Waner's tone, like she was half-scolding and half-embarrassed. "If you told your mom that, wouldn't she think you're just humoring her?"

"No, my mom was quite satisfied after hearing it."

Hu Tian paused. "Then I promised her that during the October Holiday, I'd bring you back to meet her and my dad."

This time, the silence on the other end lasted even longer.

"October..."

Zhou Waner softly repeated the words. Something in her voice changed subtly, becoming soft and airy, like a piece of candy melting in her mouth. "Then... then there's still a month to go."

"Yeah, one month."

Hu Tian noticed the change in her tone, and his lips curled up. "Why, is one month a long time?"

"No..."

Zhou Waner paused. "It's just... it feels a bit sudden."

"Sudden?"

"Mhm."

Her voice grew even softer, tinged with shyness. "It's just... meeting the parents. Even though there's still a month, I feel... I feel like I'll still be nervous."

Hearing her tone, Hu Tian found it a bit amusing, yet also quite endearing. "You're starting to get nervous already?"