Chapter 161: The Edge of Fall

"Impossible?!"

Ye Xian glanced at her son with a face full of doubt. From Ning Xi's pure and clear eyes, she could only feel sincerity.

Could it be...

This little girl was telling the truth?

But thinking it over, it seemed too incredible!

She was more aware than anyone of how poor her son's grades were. As his mother, she knew it all too well.

Before coming to the capital, her son had been at the bottom of his class at Linhai High School. In just over a month after arriving in the capital, even if he made progress, he couldn't achieve first place in a school teeming with geniuses.

This was completely unscientific!!!

"Mom, everything Xiaoxi said is true."

Ye Fan was afraid his mother might reveal his past, which would be difficult to explain. After all, his current situation couldn't even be called "improvement." It was more like a complete transformation as if he were a different person.

His thoughts raced, and in a moment of desperation, he came up with a clever lie.

"Your son's grades have always been good. Back at Linhai, I just didn't want to be too conspicuous. You know, I don't like standing out, so I deliberately performed poorly in exams."

Forced by circumstances, he could only tell a well-intentioned lie.

Hearing this, Ye Xian's expression became a little strange.

It was true that her son didn't like standing out—she was well aware of that. But deliberately failing exams? That was hard for her to understand.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I wanted to transfer schools."

Ye Fan, already prepared for this line of questioning, calmly continued with his explanation. This was the advantage of his advanced intelligence.

Without giving his mother a chance to interrupt, he explained further, "If my grades had been outstanding, the principal and teachers would never have approved my transfer application."

His reasoning was logical and flawless, leaving no room for doubt.

Ye Xian froze for a few seconds, glancing again at Ning Xi as if something clicked in her mind.

"Alright, this isn't important. Xiao Fan, go buy some food. Let's have Xiaoxi stay for dinner tonight."

Ye Fan could clearly see the subtle changes in his mother's expression but didn't offer any further explanation.

A misunderstanding?

So be it.

This way, he wouldn't need to explain further.

"Auntie, I… I should head home."

Ning Xi bit her lip, summoning her courage to speak, "I still have a lot of homework to do tonight. I also have a chess game at nine. Since there's no school tomorrow, how about I invite Auntie out for lunch instead? I really can't stay today…"

As she spoke, she chose her words carefully, afraid of saying something inappropriate.

It wasn't unusual to meet a friend's parents, but for some reason, facing Ye Xian made her nervous. She was terrified of making a bad impression.

"Alright."

Ye Xian didn't insist. She could tell the little girl was nervous, finding it amusing.

"Then it's settled. Tomorrow at noon, we'll eat out together. But Auntie won't let you treat me—Auntie will treat you."

"This… okay."

Ning Xi hesitated for a moment, then nodded lightly, picked up her bag, and bowed slightly.

"Auntie, I'll take my leave now. See you tomorrow."

"Alright, be careful on the way."

The more Ye Xian looked at Ning Xi, the more she liked her. Quietly, she gave her son a meaningful look.

Ye Fan understood his mother's intention but didn't say anything. He planned to see Ning Xi off regardless. Taking her bag from her hands, he said gently, "I'll walk you out."

"…Mm."

Ning Xi lowered her head, responding softly, almost inaudibly.

When they reached the gate of the residential area, Ning Xi didn't leave immediately. Instead, she stood under a willow tree, silent for half a minute before speaking softly.

"Ye Fan, aren't you going to give me an explanation?"

"Explanation for what?"

Standing beside her, Ye Fan's face was filled with an innocent expression.

In truth, he had already expected this question. But he wasn't to blame for the situation. How could he have known his mother would pull a surprise visit?

This was all fate's doing!

Ning Xi's lips twitched slightly, a faint trace of grievance in her eyes. "Don't play dumb. You didn't tell me your mom came to the capital. Fine, I'll let that slide. But why invite me to your house?"

"I wasn't prepared at all. Do you know how awkward that was for me?"

"I'm sorry."

Ye Fan's face showed a touch of bitterness as he raised his right hand, solemnly swearing, "Xiaoxi, I absolutely didn't do it on purpose. My mom originally planned to come next month. I thought today was just the end of the month, plus no school tomorrow, so I invited you over to visit."

"How could I have known she'd already arrived secretly? If I had known, I definitely wouldn't have invited you. You're shy, and I wasn't planning for you to meet my mom so soon. I wanted to wait until we confirmed our relationship…"

His words trailed off abruptly.

Ye Fan took a sharp breath as a pale, delicate hand pinched his waist. Waves of pain surged, stopping him from continuing.

Ning Xi's fair face quickly turned crimson. She lowered her head, avoiding Ye Fan's gaze. Her eyes were flustered, but mostly, they were filled with shyness.

"Stop talking nonsense! What relationship are you talking about?!"

"Xiaoxi."

"Hmm?"

"Can I pat your head?"

"No, you can't."

Ning Xi's face grew even hotter. Without hesitation, she rejected him outright.

Hearing this, Ye Fan looked dejected. Despite having lived over forty years across two lifetimes, this was his first time pursuing a girl. Sometimes, he got nervous too, but this nervousness was a sweet one.

Perhaps this was the charm of love!

Seeing Ye Fan fall silent, Ning Xi raised her eyes slightly. Noticing the change in his expression, she looked conflicted. After hesitating for two seconds, she turned to stand directly in front of him.

At shoulder height to Ye Fan, she had to tilt her head back to look up at him. Her cheeks flushed, she asked timidly, "Are… are you upset?"

"No."

Ye Fan shook his head, smiling warmly. "Just a little disappointed, not upset."

Disappointed?

Ning Xi bit her lip lightly, speaking in a barely audible voice, "If… if you really want to, you can pat my head."

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned her face away, eyes brimming with shyness as if they were about to overflow.

Ye Fan's eyes widened, surprise written all over his face.

But he didn't stay stunned for long. In an instant, he composed himself, the affection in his gaze deepening.

The cool summer breeze rustled the willow branches, making a faint rustling sound. Paired with the girl before him, everything felt perfect.

Gently, Ye Fan patted her soft hair. Gazing at her delicate, upturned nose, he mischievously gave it a little flick.

The next moment, he regretted it. Why couldn't his hand behave?

Ning Xi lowered her gaze, feeling no resistance in her heart. On the contrary…

Illusion! It must be an illusion!!!

The girl started to deceive herself again. Self-deception had become second nature to her.

But little did she know, she was already on the brink of falling.

Of course, even if she fell, it would be a sweet surrender.

With Ye Fan's actions, the atmosphere grew warmer, tinged with a gentle sweetness.

At this moment, even the setting sun's light seemed softer, as if blessing this young pair.

The sunset was particularly tender, and all the world seemed romantic.