Early in the morning, Xie Shu took on the responsibility of being a father. He woke up his three rebellious sons one by one, made them send him their breakfast orders, and then left the house with his phone.

Ruan Nianxi had already replied to his message while he was washing up. She explained that she hadn’t woken up yet and was worried Xie Shu had been waiting for a long time, apologizing repeatedly. Xie Shu reassured her that he hadn’t waited long, and she finally felt relieved.

Ruan Nianxi regretted staying up late out of excitement the previous night. But whenever she thought about meeting Xie Shu’s parents, she just couldn’t sleep!

This time, it wasn’t just a simple visit to his house like when they were kids. She had to make a good impression on his parents!

Xie Shu told Ruan Nianxi to take her time getting ready while he went to wait for her downstairs at her dorm.

There was some distance between the male and female dorms, but it wasn’t too far. When Xie Shu leisurely arrived at Ruan Nianxi’s dorm, he saw her rushing out.

Perhaps it was a sign of their connection, as they both spotted each other at almost the same time.

Ruan Nianxi’s eyes lit up with joy when she saw Xie Shu. She dashed down the dorm steps and ran to his side in a few strides.

But once she reached him, she immediately stood properly, blushing and too shy to even hold his hand.

Xie Shu noticed and moved closer to her, then gave her a hug.

After letting go, he gently tidied her slightly messy hair. “I told you to take your time. We don’t have any classes this morning, so why rush?”

“I was afraid you’d wait too long,” Ruan Nianxi mumbled, her cheeks red.

“I wouldn’t.”

Xie Shu took Ruan Nianxi’s hand and held it tightly. “No matter how long, it wouldn’t be too long.”

That simple sentence, filled with magic, warmed Ruan Nianxi’s heart. She felt an indescribable joy and, not knowing how to express it, she simply held his hand tightly in return.

They walked hand in hand in silence for a while.

Passersby heading to their early classes: Seeing this so early in the morning? What bad luck!

Since they had no classes, they were in no hurry, unlike the others rushing to the cafeteria and then to their early classes. They were much more relaxed.

On their way to the cafeteria, Xie Shu noticed a large event poster by the roadside.

The poster was huge, so he could see what the event was even from a distance.

[One-Week Couple Date]

A canopy had already been set up, with a banner hanging above it. There were tables and chairs inside, but no staff yet. It must have been set up the previous night and would probably be promoted by noon.

Xie Shu chuckled as he looked at it. He figured he should find a chance to sign up his three rebellious sons for it!

Ruan Nianxi followed Xie Shu’s gaze to the poster. After reading the event name, she turned to ask him, “Should we participate?”

Xie Shu: “?”

After a brief pause, Xie Shu leaned in close to Ruan Nianxi’s face and explained, “This event is for single people. After signing up, the organizers will randomly pair up men and women to be couples for a week. They have to complete tasks in a group chat every day. If both parties like each other by the end, they can become a real couple. Otherwise, they part ways. Why, are you already tired of me after just a few days together?”

Xie Shu’s detailed explanation followed by a sudden question flustered Ruan Nianxi.

“I didn’t… I didn’t know! I thought…”

Ruan Nianxi used to participate in events for extra credits, but she had never joined this kind of event and didn’t know much about it.

She remembered this event happening every year but always thought it was for couples. Who knew it was like this!

Worried that Xie Shu might misunderstand, she nervously explained.

Xie Shu, with a serious expression, leaned in closer to her pretty face and asked sternly, “Ruan Nianxi, do you like me?”

Ruan Nianxi immediately nodded, “I do!”

Hearing this, Xie Shu straightened up a bit, cleared his throat, and said seriously, “Me too. I especially like his ‘Dao De Jing.’”

“……”

It took Ruan Nianxi a few seconds to realize she had been teased by Xie Shu.

Ahhh!

He’s so bad!

No, no!

Xie Shu is the best person in the world!

Ruan Nianxi pouted, her cheeks puffed up, unable to say a word.

Seeing her adorable expression, Xie Shu really wanted to kiss her, but there were too many people around. He held back and instead kissed her hand lightly. Only then did Ruan Nianxi’s puffed-up cheeks relax.

The two then went into the cafeteria, got their meals, and found a place to sit. Xie Shu leaned in, insisting that she feed him a bite of her food before he was satisfied…

Throughout the meal, Xie Shu had many little thoughts, and they didn’t know how long they had been eating. After finishing, Xie Shu checked his phone for train and plane tickets.

He planned to take Ruan Nianxi home for Labor Day. The sooner they could go, the better. But since there were no tickets available, he had to keep checking online for any cancellations.

He had seen a few canceled tickets, but since he needed two, one ticket wouldn’t do.

So he kept checking online, hoping to get lucky and find two tickets before Labor Day.

After checking, Xie Shu put away his phone and went to buy breakfast for his rebellious sons. As a father, he was kind enough to bring it back for them!

Is there any other foster father as good as him in the world?

Those rebellious sons were lucky to have him!

Since Xie Shu had to go back first, Ruan Nianxi waited for him downstairs at her dorm.

The whole process took only a few minutes. When Xie Shu returned, Ruan Nianxi frowned and asked, “Why don’t your roommates come down themselves? You don’t have to bring it up for them.”

Those people wasted a few minutes of her time with Xie Shu!

Xie Shu didn’t know what Ruan Nianxi was focused on, but he answered her seriously, “Nianxi, they’re my friends. Whenever I needed help, they were always there for me. Bringing them breakfast is no big deal. They used to do it for me often too.”

“You… When you make good friends, you’ll realize that they not only play with you but also help you without hesitation when you’re in trouble.”

Xie Shu spoke earnestly, hoping Ruan Nianxi would make friends. Always refusing to make friends wasn’t good. Even one or two would be fine.

Ruan Nianxi listened, but her thoughts remained unchanged.

She didn’t need friends.

As long as she had Xie Shu, that was enough.