Actually, for most people, hearing that their daughter has someone else with her wouldn’t arouse much curiosity. After all, at school, who doesn’t have a few friends? And outside, there are always passersby, it could be anyone.

But Ruan Nianxi isn’t like most people. She doesn’t like making friends and doesn’t enjoy interacting with others.

When they were talking just now, Jian Qing noticed it was very quiet on Ruan Nianxi’s side, with no background noise at all. It didn’t sound like she was outside. Jian Qing guessed she must be indoors or in a particularly quiet outdoor spot alone.

However, she then heard another phone ringing… which meant someone else must be with Ruan Nianxi.

Jian Qing was very curious. Given Ruan Nianxi’s personality, who could she be with so late?

Could she be in the dormitory with her roommate?

But that didn’t seem likely either.

It was too quiet.

In the three years Ruan Nianxi had been in college, Jian Qing had called her many times at night during the week. There were always other sounds in the background—either the TV, games, or conversations with her roommates.

It wasn’t particularly noisy, but it was never as quiet as it was this time.

If it were a Friday and most people had left the dorm, it might be this quiet. But she had clearly heard someone else near Ruan Nianxi, so why was it so quiet?

Even if the other person didn’t like talking, why would Ruan Nianxi stay in the dorm on a weekend?

Jian Qing remembered that Ruan Nianxi used to go home every weekend because she didn’t like staying in the dorm and interacting with “strangers” for too long.

So today… could she be in the dorm?

If not at school, where could she be?

Jian Qing frowned and asked Ruan Nianxi about her whereabouts again.

She was overly worried. Their past negligence had caused irreparable mistakes. Now, even the smallest difference would make her think a lot.

This time, she was indeed onto something.

But how could Ruan Nianxi honestly tell her? She just coldly said, “Don’t meddle in my business,” and Jian Qing stopped asking.

If she pushed too much, it would only make Ruan Nianxi more wary of them…

It had taken years for Ruan Nianxi to slowly start listening to them again. They couldn’t afford to ruin it now. If she ignored them again, it would be troublesome.

Since Ruan Nianxi didn’t want to say, Jian Qing didn’t ask further.

But that didn’t mean Jian Qing wouldn’t speculate on her own.

It was too unusual.

Something was off.

Why had her daughter, who used to come home every weekend, suddenly stopped wanting to come home since last week?

Last weekend, she had spent the days studying at the company and still ran back to the school dorm at night.

And this weekend, she wasn’t coming home again?

Moreover, she might not even be at school now.

If not at school, who was she with so late at night?

Xie Shu?

Xie Shu’s name suddenly flashed through her mind, and Jian Qing felt a headache coming on.

Could it be?

But apart from Xie Shu, who else could convince Ruan Nianxi to leave the campus and not want to come home?

The more Jian Qing thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. So she quickly ended the call.

After ending the call, she immediately dialed Xie Shu’s number to ask about the situation.

On the other end, Xie Shu had gone out because he had received a call from the delivery guy.

Actually, the delivery could have been brought to his room door, but the delivery guy seemed new and couldn’t find the hotel’s entrance, so he called Xie Shu.

When Xie Shu went out to take the second call, the delivery guy had found the entrance. He wanted to bring it up, but Xie Shu saw an elevator coming down and decided to go down himself. He had nothing else to do and it would save the delivery guy some time.

So he went down.

After picking up the delivery, he decided not to go back immediately. Instead, he went into a nearby convenience store to buy two bottles of cold water.

Before he could pay, he received a message from Ruan Nianxi: “Don’t mention we’re together.”

He was puzzled, but the next second, his phone screen showed an incoming call: Aunt Jian.

Xie Shu: “…”

Ruan Nianxi was really cautious, even predicting this?

Helpless, he answered the call.

“Aunt Jian? What’s up?”

“Nothing important, just wanted to ask where you are and who you’re with?”

“…I’m at the supermarket, alone. Why?”

Well, technically he was alone now.

“Nothing, just asking. Why are you out so late?”

“I…” Xie Shu looked at the items in his hand and continued, “I came out to buy some food.”

“Alright, go back and rest early. Don’t stay out too late.”

“Got it.”

As Jian Qing spoke with Xie Shu, she listened to the sounds on his end. There were cars, people talking, and the sound of a payment being made. It was indeed noisy, indicating he was outside.

“Do you know where Little Xi is?” Jian Qing asked again.

“…She should be out having fun. It’s the weekend, lots of people are out. Why don’t you call her?”

Didn’t they just talk?

Jian Qing suddenly sighed, “She won’t tell me.”

“…”

With Ruan Nianxi’s request, he couldn’t tell her either.

After getting the information she needed from Xie Shu, Jian Qing exchanged a few more polite words and quickly ended the call.

Xie Shu hung up and reported the call to Ruan Nianxi before paying and heading back upstairs.

When he reached the room and knocked, he found Ruan Nianxi busy chatting on her phone, her brows furrowed. She seemed preoccupied, so Xie Shu didn’t disturb her.

After setting up their dinner on the table, he called Ruan Nianxi over to eat.

But she was still engrossed in her phone conversation.

Every time she was about to put down her phone and get up, it would buzz again, and she would impatiently pick it up to reply.

Seeing this, Xie Shu immediately got up and walked over.

He leaned close to her, half-wrapping his arm around her waist, and without even looking at her phone screen, he said, “Who are you chatting with? Let me handle it, I type fast.”