I have been cultivating the habit of getting up early since I was on the mountain.
No exception today!
Getting dressed and heading down to the living room on the first floor, the scent of delicious food wafted out from the kitchen.
I instinctively wrinkled my nose.
Walked to the kitchen door.
Lan Xin looked like a homemaker, wearing a apron and busy cooking at the stove with her back to the door.
She has a slender neck, smooth shoulders, delicate waist, rounded buttocks and long legs, forming a graceful figure curve.
Thinking back to last night's events, I felt a bit tense and restless.
"Long Long, you're up," after discovering me, Lan Xin turned around and reminded me as if nothing had happened, "Breakfast will be ready soon, go wash your face and brush your teeth first, then eat!"
The scene was somewhat similar to when my mother was alive.
Subconsciously, her silhouette began to blend with my mother's in my mind, and a warm current surged up to my heart.
I felt a bit at a loss.
Lan Xin smiled gently: "Hurry up, what are you still standing here for?"
"Oh, I'll be right there!" I replied slyly and turned to leave.
The sound of her stirring the food with a spatula came from behind.
After going to the bathroom to wash up and relieve myself, I entered the dining room.
Lan Xin had already placed the steaming hot dishes on the dining table—
A plate of stir-fried green peppers and meat, a plate of spicy tomato and egg, a dish of boiled bitter gourd, a bowl of pickled vegetables, a few sandwiches, and two bowls of cooked rice were already set on the table.
The colorful dishes on the table aroused my appetite.
I sat down heavily at the table, picked up the chopsticks, and began to scarf down the food.
The sound of Lan Xin's gentle voice came from the side:
"How is the taste? Is it good?"
Lan Xin sat across from me, and I looked up at her:
"Mmm, it's good!"
Lan Xin smiled shyly: "If it's good, eat more!"
I casually said, "Why don't you have some too? You worked so hard last night!"
"Speak without thinking, and the listener will hear it."
Thinking back to what happened last night, a blush suddenly rose on Lan Xin's face.
I instantly felt I had said something inappropriate, so I stopped talking and buried my head in eating.
Looking at me scarfing down the food she had prepared, Lan Xin's face broke into a delighted smile.
How can't one be relieved?
Being able to eat like this shows that I have accepted her as my stepmother, and it also indicates that all her efforts over the past period have not been in vain.
Soon, I finished all the food on the table.
Putting down the chopsticks, I realized Lan Xin was staring at me and couldn't help but ask, "What are you looking at me for? Is there rice stuck on my face?"
"Not at all," Lan Xin shook her head and said, "Seeing you eat like this, I'm reminded of some past memories..."
"I know you're thinking about my father again, and you want to bring up that deadbeat..." I advised her.
"How can you live in the past forever? No matter how good the past is, you can't live on memories. There are countless beautiful places ahead, and there must be somewhere you like to stop..."
Lan Xin looked at me in surprise: "Little brat, not bad, you know all this!"
I corrected her: "I'm 18 years old, an adult, not some little kid!"
Lan Xin asked: "Where did you learn all this?"
I replied casually, "Self-taught, of course!"
Actually, these words were taught to me by my teacher.
I didn't know what his reason was for shaving his head and becoming a monk, nor where his extensive knowledge came from.
But I always believed that he must have experienced many setbacks in society, seen through the world's illusions, and only then reached such a level of understanding.
Lan Xin believed what I said and praised me: "It seems that your insight is quite high, and you have the potential to become something!"
"After all, as the saying goes, lotus flowers are beautiful but still need green leaves to support them. In the future, I will still need your careful nurturing!" I offered her a backhanded compliment.
"You have a sweet tongue, I didn't realize," Lan Xin smiled with her eyebrows raised, "Don't worry, as long as you listen to your stepmom in the future, I will support you wholeheartedly!"
"You see, you're at it again," I looked at her and said, "You're only 8 years older than me? Calling you 'mom' like this, don't you think it's a bit old?"
Lan Xin curiously asked: "What do you want to call me?"
Without thinking, I said, "I'll call you sister!"
Lan Xin quickly waved her hand and said, "No, no, we can't mix up the generations!"
"What about the generations? I am who I am, my dad is my dad, each has his own name, "I said with deep implication: "Besides, my dad has died. You don't need to be so stubborn. More importantly, there's no need for you to care about what I call you..."
"Let's discuss this another time," Lan Xin reminded, "It's not early anymore. We should tidy up and take you to school!"
Due to the fact that women spend a longer time on their makeup and dress when leaving home, the burden of cleaning dishes and sweeping the kitchen naturally fell on me.
I loaded the bowls, utensils, and dishes into the kitchen, cleaned them thoroughly in no time, and then swept the kitchen before heading upstairs to change into a fresh outfit.
When Lan Xin came out of the master bedroom, she was dressed in a black uniform suit.
This suit fit her like a glove, looking very nice.
Her figure was emphasized with curves and was subtle yet attractive. Most notably, her mature face, aloof air, and decisiveness perfectly complemented the image of a powerful female CEO.
There were two cars parked in the garage:
A red Porsche 911 and a black Audi A6 were parked in the garage.
Lan Xin asked, "Do you have a driver's license?"
I shook my head and said, "I've been staying in a temple on the mountain, where did I go to get a license?"
"Have you driven a car before?"
"Driven!"
"What kind of car?"
"A tractor!"
"Chuckles," feeling amused by me, Lan Xin asked me, "I can have someone sign you up for driving school. What do you think about learning to drive and then driving this Porsche 911 after you get your license?"
Knowing the price of this Porsche isn't cheap, I replied, "I can agree to go to the driving school and get the license, but I cannot drive this Porsche."
"Why?" Lan Xin asked puzzled.
I said with self-awareness, "I'm not some rich second-generation heir; driving such an upscale car to school would be a bit too showy, wouldn't it?"
"I said you are a second-generation rich, and you are," Lan Xin said with an unyielding tone, "Get on the car with me. I'll let you experience the car's performance!"
I obeyed and pulled open the car door, settling into the co-pilot seat.
Lan Xin quickly started the car and gave it a powerful acceleration.
The high-performance Porsche 911 started immediately, leaving a red shadow behind as it drove out of the luxury neighborhood and merged into the traffic on the street, disappearing completely in no time.
When Lan Xin parked the car inside the Rongcheng University campus, the meticulously designed teaching buildings, library, stadium, and student dormitories were all visible.
A group of male and female university students, some from outside the campus, others from the student dormitories, came out with books in hand, chatting and laughing as they surged towards the teaching buildings.
The Porsche 911 came to a stop in front of an elegant teaching building.
As Lan Xin and I opened the car door and got out, the scented car, beautiful woman, and handsome man formed a picturesque line that instantly caught the attention of many college students.
A female college student, acting like she was in awe, shouted behind us:
"Hey, handsome guy, what department and major are you in? Can we go out on a date with me?"
