On a Stormy Night, the Campus Belle Knocked on My Door Seeking Shelter
Chapter 33: So That’s How Fated You Are

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: So That’s How Fated You Are

Immersed in this warm family atmosphere, Su Yuqing’s nervousness about meeting Chen Mo’s grandparents for the first time had long since vanished without her realizing it.

They treated her with the same kindness they would their own family. As she gazed at their wrinkled but smiling faces, she was suddenly reminded of her childhood, when her maternal grandmother would simmer sweet soup by the stove. The memory made her eyes well up.

She realized that true affection never required deliberate ingratiation; like spring water dripping from the eaves, it silently melted the thin layer of ice around her heart.

Once inside, Grandma cheerfully pulled out a photo album.

"This is full of Momo’s childhood photos. Oh, he was so cute back then, all chubby and round."

Hearing this, Su Yuqing was instantly intrigued, her eyes fixed on the album in Grandma’s hands with a look of eager anticipation.

Grandma opened the album to the first page. The corners of the photo under the plastic film were already slightly curled.

"This is when Momo was just born." She pointed to a baby in the delivery room, wrapped in a pink blanket, its wrinkled little face red from crying. "The nurses all said they’d never seen a baby with such a strong set of lungs. They said he was full of life."

Su Yuqing’s fingertips hovered over the photo, as if she could almost touch the milky scent clinging to the newborn’s hair.

The next picture showed a chubby baby at his first-birthday banquet, wearing a traditional red bodice and sitting in a traditional grand master’s chair. In front of him were an abacus, a fountain pen, and a toy stethoscope.

"Can we please have some respect for the subject’s privacy?" Chen Mo immediately protested when his grandma flipped to a photo of him bare-bottomed.

Grandma laughed and said, "Don’t worry, the photos showing your little birdie are in another album. That one’s for your wife to see after you get married."

At these words, Chen Mo couldn’t help but blush, and Su Yuqing covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

As the album pages turned with a soft rustle of yellowed paper, Su Yuqing’s finger suddenly landed on a particular photo.

She had never imagined this. She’d thought today was the first time she and Chen Mo had taken a photo together, but she never would have guessed that they already had one.

"Oh, this one. Momo was about six or seven here. His mom took it at a nearby park." Grandma glanced at Su Yuqing, curious why she was reacting to this particular picture. "Is there something wrong with this photo?"

Su Yuqing smiled and pointed to a little girl on a bench somewhere behind Chen Mo. "Grandma, that’s me as a child."

Hearing this, Grandma immediately snatched her reading glasses from the table and leaned in for a closer look, then laughed. "Oh my, Yuqing, you were so adorable as a little girl."

"So you two were fated to meet." Grandma said with a chuckle. "Then when you two get married, we’ll have this photo printed out for you as a keepsake."

"I already told you, we’re just good friends," Chen Mo said, exasperated.

"Can’t good friends get married? Isn’t that how it always starts? Grandma is just thinking ahead for you," she said with a warm laugh.

Su Yuqing’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn’t say anything.

As they went through the photos one by one, Su Yuqing watched Chen Mo grow from a cute little boy into the handsome young man he was now, and she felt like she could look at these pictures forever.

If Chen Mo hadn’t been sitting right next to her, she would have wanted to secretly take pictures of the photos with her phone so she could admire them later.

Su Yuqing spent the entire afternoon at his grandparents’ house, but she didn’t find being with the elderly couple boring or feel that time was dragging on.

On the contrary, she felt that time had flown by. It seemed like they had hardly spent any time together before the sky began to turn red.

With Chen Mo’s grandparents, she finally experienced again the feeling of being cherished by her elders—a feeling she had only ever known with her own maternal grandparents.

It made her want to stay and never leave.

"Grandpa, Grandma, it’s getting late. We have school tomorrow, so we should get going. We’ll come visit again when we have time," Chen Mo said, glancing at the sky outside. He had also promised Su Yuqing he’d treat her to all the snacks she could eat, and if they headed back to the new district now, they should be just in time for the night market.

"You’re not staying for dinner? It’s not often Yuqing comes to visit, and you haven’t even had a meal..." Grandma wanted to cook them something nice.

"I promised Yuqing I’d treat her to some street food. Next time, I’ll let you know in advance so you can get some nice ingredients and cook then," Chen Mo said with a smile.

"That’s true. You came in such a hurry, and we don’t really have any special dishes to serve Yuqing. Well then, next time you visit, Yuqing, I’ll let you taste Grandma’s cooking," she said with a smile, taking Su Yuqing’s hand and patting it, reluctant to let go.

"I look forward to it," Su Yuqing replied with a sweet smile.

Leaving the grandparents’ house, the two walked out side by side, feeling that the evening sunset was exceptionally beautiful today.

Reaching the park, Su Yuqing stopped on the bluestone path and looked up at the fiery clouds blanketing the sky, her eyes reflecting their brilliant light.

The wind brushed through her loose hair, and her skirt fluttered like the wings of a butterfly. "It’s so beautiful..."

She murmured softly, her fingers unconsciously tugging at the corner of Chen Mo’s shirt.

Chen Mo turned his head to look at her profile, outlined by the sunset’s glow. Her eyelashes cast delicate shadows, and the line from the tip of her nose to her chin was as soft as a fine-brush painting.

He held up Su Yuqing’s phone and smiled. "With a view this beautiful, shouldn’t we take a picture?"

Su Yuqing nervously straightened her bangs, but the moment the camera was pointed at her, she froze like a wooden doll.

Chen Mo suddenly realized that Su Yuqing had been the same way that morning—unnatural whenever her picture was being taken.

It was as if she rarely had her photo taken, or as if every time she did, she was in an awkward state of mind.

Chen Mo suddenly recalled that in the previous timeline, when he had investigated her, he had rarely found any existing photos of Su Yuqing.

The only photo that included Su Yuqing at her mother’s house was a family portrait with her stepfather, her mother, and her younger half-brother. In that picture, Su Yuqing was clearly very tense. All four of them appeared to be smiling, but her smile was forced.

Perhaps in Su Yuqing’s mind, photographs were vessels for beautiful memories, and she had very few beautiful memories worth preserving—aside from the one taken with her maternal grandparents.

That was the only picture where she was smiling genuinely, and she had it sealed away in her most treasured drawer.

Ever since her maternal grandparents passed away, she had rarely taken photos, and she had rarely smiled sincerely in any of them.

Chen Mo watched her awkward, stiff posture on the screen, then walked closer with a gentle smile. "Relax. There’s nothing awkward about taking pictures. Especially for a girl as pretty as you—you’re the perfect model."

Hearing Chen Mo’s smooth-tongued praise, much of Su Yuqing’s nervousness melted away.

Just then, Chen Mo’s warm palm suddenly covered her clasped hands. "Put your left hand on the railing, and tilt your head a little toward me—"

A citrus scent drifted over as he leaned in. Su Yuqing’s ears burned as she let him arrange her into a seemingly casual pose.