Chapter 879: Two Little Sweethearts, No Puppy Love Allowed

It's over.

I've really caused trouble this time.

Mother-in-law loves these flowers the most, and now they've been pruned into such a miserable sight; there's no doubt I'll be hearing about it.

Shi Youxuan negotiated with the gardener: "Lao Zhang, how about this? I'll give you a raise if you take the blame for this."

Lao Zhang pulled a long face: "Madam, your pruning skills are just too poor. I can't take the blame; anyone can see this isn't my handiwork."

Shi Youxuan:...

Just then, Shi Ran returned from school.

"Mom, by what right did you unilaterally give my exchange student spot to someone else?"

She had just found her escape.

"Come, let's go to the Study to talk."

The gardener Lao Zhang pointed at the ruined flowers and leaves all over the ground: "Madam, what should I do about these?"

"You figure it out; can't you see I'm busy?"

The mother and daughter had just entered the Villa when Wang Yinghao returned from outside.

"Heavens! Lao Zhang, what is going on here?"

Lao Zhang squeezed a smile onto his face, a smile that looked worse than crying: "Old Madam, if I said I was the one who pruned these, would you believe me?"

"I know now, don't you worry about it."

The Study.

Closing the door, Shi Ran couldn't wait to repeat the question from earlier: "Why did you give my exchange student spot to someone else?"

Shi Youxuan asked with a smile: "Tell me first, why do you want to go to L Country?"

Shi Ran:...

She didn't answer, but instead pressed the issue: "Don't avoid the question. I asked you first, so you must give me a reasonable explanation. Isn't changing your mind constantly the thing you hate most? Why would you do this? Are you being a hypocrite?"

Shi Youxuan: "I'm doing this for your own good. Of course, if you strongly object, I can change it back."

"It's not that I object, but you need to keep your word. This is the most basic standard for a parent..."

She found it amusing in her heart; did she really think she couldn't see through the little girl's hidden agenda?

If she wouldn't tell the truth, she would force her to.

"Fine, you've convinced me. I'll call the Principal right now and let you continue as an exchange student, as long as you don't regret it."

She took out her phone, and her daughter grabbed her hand just in time: "Mom, what do you mean by that?"

"It doesn't mean anything. Oh, I think I forgot to tell you, Qi Heng is also among this batch of exchange students, preparing to come to Jiangzhou..."

"Mom, Mom!"

Shi Ran's little face suddenly turned bright red: "As the Chairman, it's not good to keep changing your mind. Why don't we just leave it as it is?"

"You're not going to L Country anymore?"

The mother and daughter knew exactly what was going on, but Shi Youxuan insisted on teasing her daughter, who blushed with embarrassment: "You're bullying me!"

"Hahahaha..."

The door was pushed open, and mother-in-law entered.

"Xuanxuan, how many times have I told you not to touch the flowers in my yard..."

"Mom, Mom! Ranran and I have serious business to discuss. Can we talk about the flowers later?"

Wang Yinghao believed her and was just about to leave.

Her granddaughter called her back: "Grandma, we've just finished our business, you can come in."

After saying that, she stuck her tongue out at Shi Youxuan and ran away.

"You brat, you stand right there!"

Shi Youxuan was about to chase after her when her arm was grabbed by her mother-in-law: "Don't you go anywhere. Last time you promised me you wouldn't touch the flowers in the yard again, why are your hands itching again?"

"Hehe, Mom..."

The exchange students from L Country arrived.

Each student was arranged to stay with a family, and Qi Heng was assigned to the Sheng Family.

When the children arrived, the whole family stood at the door to welcome them.

"A Heng, you've grown so tall?"

Although they could see each other on video calls, they were always sitting down, so they couldn't tell how tall he really was.

Qi Heng was only thirteen, yet he was already more than half a head taller than Shi Youxuan.

"Hello, Auntie. Are you doing well? This is a gift my mother sent you. I'm going to be a bother to you again."

"What bother? You were just like my own son when you were little. Now that you're grown, you're being polite. Staying in this house isn't a bother, and no one will treat you like a guest. You are family; coming back isn't visiting, it's coming home, understand?"

"Yes, thank you, Auntie."

Qi Heng was very well-mannered, and he brought gifts for everyone in the family.

Even Sheng Aifei was not left out.

"Thank you, Brother A Heng." Xiao Fei mimicked Zichen's manner, taking the gift with both hands and thanking him politely.

Qi Heng's visit this time was different from a few years ago.

A few years ago, the only children in the Sheng Family were Shi Ran and Sheng Zichen; now there were the twins and Sheng Aifei.

With more children, it was naturally livelier. The boys preferred to be with the older brother, and whenever Qi Heng was at home, he would be surrounded by a group of little ones, constantly asking this and that.

"Brother A Heng, does your country have an ocean?"

"Brother A Heng, why do you speak Jiangzhou dialect so well?"

"Brother A Heng, what is an exchange student?"

"Brother A Heng, what does L Country look like?"

Qi Heng answered the little ones' questions absent-mindedly while his anxious gaze kept darting toward the door.

Just a moment ago, Shi Ran's figure had flashed by, and then she had disappeared.

The thing he wanted to do most right now was to talk to Shi Ran, not answer all the various questions from these curious children.

But he was a very well-mannered big brother; although he was anxious inside, he still patiently satisfied all the requests of his younger brothers, answering every question with patience.

Consequently, he harvested even more questions!

At their current age, the twins were curious about everything and wanted to ask about everything.

Shi Ran stood outside the door for quite a while, but seeing that Qi Heng did not come out, she returned to her room.

She sat by the desk, absent-minded, unable to calm her heart at all.

Although they hadn't seen each other for several years, the two of them had never broken contact.

They often video chatted online, and also followed each other on Twitter and WeChat.

But meeting in person was still different; it felt different from when they were children!

She couldn't put it into specific words—joy, a racing heart, worry... a mix of several feelings.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Who is it?"

She hurriedly opened all her workbooks and books, pretending to be studying diligently.

"It's me, A Heng!"

"Clatter!"

The Hallucinogenic Pen fell to the floor, and she scrambled to pick it up, and so—"crash," the books fell all over the floor in the panic.

"Ranran, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

She replied while picking up the books, and just as she looked up—"Ouch!" She hit her head on the corner of the desk.

The books she had just picked up fell all over the floor again.

Forget it, she wouldn't pick them up; let it be like this, whatever happens, happens.

Shi Ran pulled the door open, and the first thing that met Qi Heng's eyes was the mess all over the floor.

"What is this?"

Her little face was flushed, and she stared at him and asked, "Do you have something to see me about?"

"Yes, I have a gift for you."

"Didn't you already give me a gift?"

"It's different; the gift this afternoon was about the same as everyone else's, it was prepared by my mother, but this—this one I prepared myself."

His voice grew quieter and quieter.

Qi Heng handed a tightly wrapped box into Shi Ran's hands: "Don't look at it yet, wait until I leave to look."

"Mm."

But he did not leave.