Chapter 48 If I Like a Boy

Right now, what appeared before Xu Ke was a video posted not long ago.

The setting of the video was quite lively, surrounded by young boys and girls dressed in bizarre, eccentric outfits.

They were cosplaying various anime characters, holding flashy props and waving them around like glow sticks in enthusiastic support.

And the ones surrounded by their cheers were a man and a woman on stage.

The man was tall and well-proportioned, with refined facial features and sharp, distinct jawlines, possessing a masculine charm that easily rivaled top heartthrobs.

As for the woman, she had a slender figure and a fair, delicate face. Her silver hair and spotless white dress combined to form a striking halo; even when holding an ordinary rabbit plushie, it only added to her captivating charm.

"Qin Luo and... Liunian?"

Xu Ke could not help murmuring to herself, a look of doubt and confusion flashing through her eyes.

After receiving Liunian's phone call earlier, her mind had been completely tangled up by a certain scumbag, causing her to forget to ask under what circumstances Chu Liunian had asked Qin Luo those questions.

Seeing this video now made her suddenly realize that Qin Luo and Chu Liunian had actually bumped into each other at an anime convention—no, judging by their current state, they were participating in a gaming event together, which meant they had most likely planned to go together from the very start.

"Liunian only found him to help me ask those questions, there's no need to overthink it..."

A sour sensation welled up unbidden in Xu Ke's heart. She spoke to herself as if trying to comfort her own mind, but the further she watched, the uglier her expression became.

Especially when she watched with her own eyes as Qin Luo looked at Chu Liunian with such an "affectionate" gaze and spoke those poetic words, followed by Chu Liunian responding with "I like you" and "I love you," her face had turned somewhat ashen.

In a flash, Yao Yanyan's visage surfaced in her mind.

Recalling the assertiveness Yao Yanyan had displayed earlier, a relentless sense of crisis erupted in Xu Ke's heart. After watching this video, her feeling of pressure multiplied to the point where even her breathing became slightly restricted.

"It's fine. Liunian is different from Yao Yanyan. She couldn't possibly have any interest in Qin Luo..."

Xu Ke once again used self-talk to soothe herself.

Having known Chu Liunian for so long and spending every day together, she knew a few of Chu Liunian's secrets.

This slightly eased her pressure, and when she finally saw the scene where Chu Liunian threw the note at Qin Luo and turned away, she could not help but crack a smile.

In her mind, this must have meant Chu Liunian felt those lines were offensive to her, which was why she got angry.

This reduced the pressure in her heart once more, prompting her to tap open the comment section.

"My goodness, who are these two? Are they celebrities?"

"This guy's got some serious game! So handsome he's almost catching up to me!"

"I always thought my looks were top-tier and entirely under control, until I watched this video and realized someone in this world is actually this close to matching me!"

"Quick, look at the guys, there are some daydreamers in the replies above. Someone hurry up and splash some urine to wake them up. Diabetics stay away, we don't want them tasting the sweetness!"

"My pee is yellow, I'll go first!"

"Family, who gets this? I just opened Douyin and got cried by a fairy-like Kirino."

"I mean, bam! Just like that, this level of looks went straight into my heart!"

"How can she be this ridiculously gorgeous? Did she pre-define her own face before she was born?!"

"I glanced at a framed photo of myself cosplaying Kirino from when I went to an anime convention before, and quietly smashed it."

"Sob sob sob, the young lady is genuinely drop-dead gorgeous, and the young mister is super handsome too. They are such a perfect match!"

"Totally! Especially when they were trading lines with each other—that aesthetic vibe was just unreal!"

"Mom asked me why I was twisting around in bed like a maggot while watching a video. I told her, and now she's twisting in bed right along with me."

"Does anyone know what their relationship is? This mister is so my type; I want to be his girlfriend so bad!"

"That lady made me cry with her beauty. Brothers, charge! I want her contact info within one minute!"

"Get real, you guys. Anyone can tell they're a couple at a glance. Even the host knows them, seems they're from the same school. I was right there when it happened, and the host even wished them happiness when they left."

"..."

This video, filmed by a passerby, was trending heavily. Despite having been posted not long ago, it had already amassed over one hundred thousand likes and tens of thousands of comments.

Xu Ke silently looked at the endless stream of comments, her expression growing increasingly gloomy.

Especially when she saw the comments saying they wanted to be with Qin Luo, or claiming that Qin Luo and Chu Liunian were a couple, she found herself gritting her teeth in frustration.

The pressure that had just slightly dissipated came surging back, accompanied by an intense wave of crisis that made it difficult for Xu Ke to maintain her composure.

Although she knew that Chu Liunian was different from Yao Yanyan and probably wouldn't actually fall for an ordinary guy, but... who could guarantee anything for sure?

Coupled with the aggressive attitude Yao Yanyan had displayed today and the things she had said, Xu Ke genuinely felt as though Qin Luo could be snatched away by someone at any moment now.

The mere thought that the two of them might actually compete with her for Qin Luo—and that Qin Luo might really be taken away by them—made Xu Ke's chest feel tight and congested, even making her breathing labored.

For a split second, an impulsive urge welled up inside her—an urge to proactively go find Qin Luo...

"Keke... Keke... Keke?"

The suddenly sounding voice dragged Xu Ke's consciousness back to reality from her chaotic thoughts.

She glanced blankly at her mother not far away and asked, "What is it, Mom?"

"I called your name several times, why didn't you answer? What are you doing?"

"Oh... nothing, just zoning out a bit."

Liu Hui looked at Xu Ke with suspicion and uncertainty, but did not press further, calling out instead, "Come eat, dinner is ready."

"Alright," Xu Ke put away her phone and obediently sat down at the dining table, picking up her bowl and chopsticks.

Various dishes were spread across the table, tempting enough to stimulate anyone's appetite just by looking at them.

Xu Ke usually loved her mother's cooking, but for some reason, she felt a lack of appetite today and appeared absent-minded while eating.

Sitting across from her, Liu Hui took in her out-of-the-ordinary behavior.

As a mother who had raised Xu Ke for twenty years, she could naturally tell when her daughter was harboring worries.

Therefore, she asked directly, "Keke, are you keeping something on your mind?"

Caught off guard, Xu Ke felt a prick of guilt, and her gaze instantly drifted off. "N-No, not at all."

"Lying," Liu Hui set down her bowl and chopsticks, speaking with a serious expression. "How does Mom usually educate you? I've told you since you were little to always be an honest child and never lie to Mom under any circumstances. Have you forgotten everything I told you?"

"N-No, I haven't..."

"Then why aren't you telling me? Quick, tell Mom what's going on."

Xu Ke shrank her neck slightly. Her mother had always been like this since she was a child: usually gentle and loving, but whenever Xu Ke's words or actions strayed from expectations, she would display an assertive and domineering side.

All these years, Xu Ke had lived under her control. Though she occasionally felt a bit restricted, she knew it was all out of maternal love, so she never felt any rebellious resentment toward Liu Hui.

After a moment of thought, Xu Ke tentatively asked, "Promise me you won't get mad after hearing it, and I'll tell you."

Seeing that Xu Ke was willing to cooperate, Liu Hui's expression softened as she said gently, "You are Mom's daughter. No matter what you've done, Mom will forgive you. Go ahead."

Feeling somewhat reassured, Xu Ke hesitated before speaking, "Mom, what if... I'm just speaking hypothetically, what if I liked a boy? What would you think?"

"What did you say?!"

Xu Ke's words were like piercing a wound on Liu Hui. First letting out a gasp of shock, Liu Hui abruptly stood up, her delicate face instantly shrouded in frost while anger burst from her eyes. Clearly, she had reached the pinnacle of fury.

Xu Ke flinched involuntarily, startled and panicked by her mother's rare burst of anger. She hurriedly explained, "I-I was just speaking hypothetically! Mom, you promised you wouldn't get mad..."

"You..."

Liu Hui spat out a single syllable through clenched teeth, but did not continue.

She stared at Xu Ke with eyes full of rage, then took a long, deep breath, shaking off the frost and anger from her face.

Sinking back into her chair, she fixed her burning gaze on Xu Ke and spoke in a low, deep voice.

"Keke, do you remember what you promised me before? You said you wouldn't date anyone before graduating from university. You said that to me yourself."

"I don't know what kind of people you've been interacting with lately, or if you've developed a liking for some man, but if you have, I advise you to drop it immediately."

"Ever since you were little, I've always told you that men are all liars, and there isn't a single good man in this world. Have you forgotten how miserably Mom was deceived back then?"

She uttered all these words in one breath, her overwhelming anger practically palpable in her tone.

The more she spoke, the more emotionally agitated she became, especially when bringing up the past, her words carrying a faint undertone of sorrow.

Not expecting her casual remark to trigger such a massive reaction from her mother, Xu Ke quickly explained, "Mom, don't worry, I remember everything from back then, and I haven't forgotten what you told me. I... I really was just speaking casually, honestly, just asking a random question. Please don't overthink it."

Liu Hui frowned, looking at her with lingering suspicion. "Really? You aren't lying to Mom?"

Xu Ke nodded repeatedly. "Mm-hmm, really. I promise I'm not lying to Mom."

"That's good then."

Liu Hui exhaled a long sigh of relief, as if putting down a heavy burden, and a gentle smile bloomed on her face once more. "Sorry, did I scare you just now? Actually, Mom is just worried about you, afraid you might fall for the wrong kind of man and end up with the same fate as me... Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Hurry up and eat."

Xu Ke glanced at her mother, ultimately choosing to say nothing more. She picked up her utensils to resume eating, though the impulsive drive that had initially surfaced in her heart seemed to have been thoroughly frightened back into hiding by her mother's reaction.