Chapter 189: Shy Sweetness

An attractive young couple entering the park was bound to draw a few extra glances.

After they had walked a short distance, Chen Mo ran into one of his grandparents’ neighbors.

"Well, isn’t this Momo? Is this your girlfriend?" an old woman asked, her eyes crinkling into a smile as she saw Chen Mo and immediately looked at Su Yuqing beside him.

"Hello, Grandma Wu. This is my friend," Chen Mo replied with a smile.

"Oh, that’s wonderful. You’ve found yourself a truly beautiful girlfriend," Grandma Wu said with a chuckle.

Hearing this, Chen Mo felt a bit helpless and decided not to explain any further.

’He couldn’t tell if these elderly people genuinely couldn’t hear him or if they were just pretending.’

Seeing how Grandma Wu was just like his own grandmother, Chen Mo knew it was pointless to explain any more.

"Hello, Grandma Wu," Su Yuqing added politely, following Chen Mo’s lead.

"Wonderful, just wonderful! Momo’s dad once brought home a very pretty girlfriend, but Momo hasn’t lost to his father one bit. The girlfriend he’s brought back is even more beautiful," Grandma Wu said, her eyes squinting into a face full of cheerful wrinkles.

"Please don’t let my mom hear you say that, or there’ll be trouble," Chen Mo said quickly.

"Ohoho~" Grandma Wu let out a peculiar chuckle. "So, Xiaoxi is sensitive about that, is she? I’ll be sure to remember."

After saying goodbye to Grandma Wu, Chen Mo and Su Yuqing continued their stroll through the park.

As they walked together through the beautiful scenery, they found themselves unconsciously drifting closer to one another.

Soon, their hands brushed against each other.

At first, neither of them paid it any mind.

But with the second touch, both of their minds started to race.

They found themselves too distracted to even pay attention to the surrounding scenery.

When their hands brushed for a third time—whether by accident or design—one hand hooked around the other.

With a silent, mutual understanding, they both looked away in opposite directions.

But their hands were now clasped together.

Any passerby would have seen a couple holding hands, their faces slightly flushed, one looking left and the other right.

No matter how many intimate moments they had shared before, the simple act of consciously getting closer made them feel shy.

Holding hands so openly in broad daylight, out in public, made them blush even more fiercely.

But despite their mutual shyness, as they walked on for a while, their simply held hands had somehow become intertwined fingers.

Both of them pretended not to notice the change in their hands, making idle small talk about the scenery.

’But inside, each of their hearts was filled with a sweet warmth.’

Chen Mo felt Su Yuqing’s soft, delicate hand, while Su Yuqing felt his large, firm one. Both felt the joyous rush of dopamine.

They had walked a full lap around the park by the time they returned to the entrance.

Their hands, however, remained comfortably clasped together.

Suddenly, a phone rang, and Chen Mo reluctantly let go of Su Yuqing’s hand to answer it.

"Momo, you and Yuqing should head over now. The food’s almost ready on my end."

"We’re already here, just at the park. Is there anything you need us to buy? I can pick it up on the way."

"Nothing else, really. I was so focused on picking out a pineapple earlier that I forgot to buy anything else. Could you pick up some fruit for after the meal?"

"Got it."

After hanging up, Chen Mo smiled at Su Yuqing and said, "That was my grandma. She said the food is almost ready. Let’s buy some fruit and head over."

"Okay." Su Yuqing smiled and nodded, keeping pace with Chen Mo, her gaze lingering wistfully on his hand.

To Su Yuqing, even something as simple as walking hand-in-hand with the boy she liked was an incredibly happy experience.

’When your threshold for happiness is low, you can find it everywhere in life.’

Soon, Chen Mo took Su Yuqing to a nearby fruit shop. After buying a few kinds of fruit, they headed to his grandparents’ house together.

Having heard on the phone that they were just at the park, his grandfather was waiting at the door to greet them.

"Hello, Grandpa," Su Yuqing said respectfully as soon as she saw him.

"Wonderful, wonderful! You’re so much more polite than this brat, Chen Mo," his grandfather said, praising Su Yuqing with a beaming smile. Then, in a flash, his expression shifted to a mock-angry scowl as he turned to Chen Mo. "Look at him! Sees his own grandfather and doesn’t even say hello."

"You’re quick with the mood swings, old man," Chen Mo said, smiling as he held up the bag of fruit. "I bought you your favorite Hami melon as a peace offering. How about a smile now?"

Seeing the container of pre-cut Hami melon, his grandfather’s smile immediately returned. "Alright, alright! Now *that’s* my good grandson."

Seeing his grandfather’s childish antics, Su Yuqing couldn’t help but cover her mouth to stifle a giggle.

Although she had only met Chen Mo’s grandparents a few times, Su Yuqing found them incredibly warm and approachable.

Being with them felt as comfortable as being with her own grandparents.

"Come on in, come on in! Your grandma’s cooked up a huge feast, and there are only two dishes left to go. If you’re hungry, we can sneak a few bites first," the grandfather said with a laugh, leading them into the house.

Chen Mo shot Su Yuqing a helpless look. "What can I say? My family has a few more of these ’old kids.’ You’ll get used to it once you’ve met them more."

With that, Chen Mo turned and entered the house, leaving Su Yuqing standing there, her heart pounding in her chest.

’The way he said that... it was as if he planned on introducing her to all his relatives, as if she’d be meeting them often.’

’Isn’t that the kind of treatment reserved for a future wife?’

A wave of sweetness washed over her at the thought, mixed with a touch of nervousness.

’She couldn’t tell if he was just speaking casually or if he truly meant it.’

As she entered the house, Su Yuqing was immediately greeted by a delicious aroma.

On the dining table were six beautifully presented, aromatic dishes.

Although she hadn’t tasted anything yet, she figured they couldn’t be anything but delicious.

And most importantly, among them was a plate of sweet and sour pork with pineapple, one of her absolute favorites.

Noticing her gaze, Chen Mo smiled and said, "I asked you before what your favorite dishes were. You mentioned a few, so I told my grandma. She just learned how to make this sweet and sour pork today after hearing about it last night. I’m not sure how it is, so you can give us your expert opinion in a bit."

Just then, his grandmother emerged from the kitchen carrying another dish—steamed sea bass, which was another one of Su Yuqing’s favorites.

His grandmother smiled at Su Yuqing and said, "Yuqing, please try everything in a little while. If there’s anything I didn’t make well, don’t you worry about saying so. I’ll make it even better next time, so you can eat happily."