Chapter 27: A mother-in-law is still a mother, right, Sister Xixi!

“I choose senior sister,” Zhang Li said without hesitation.

“Oh, you!” Liu Yifei’s voice turned pitiful. “You’re no longer the one who held my hand the first time we met when you were ten.”

“At twelve, you said you’d choose me and go back to the country with me.”

“You told Shuchang I was your only sister.”

“You even called me ‘aunt’ while filming The Condor Heroes.”

“... those days are gone.”

Zhang Li: “...”

She always pulled this trick—wasn’t it a kind of emotional blackmail?

“Aren’t you my senior sister too?” Zhang Li retorted.

“Hmm?” Liu Yifei sat cross-legged, her bright eyes sparkling. “So you’ve been planning to ask me out for dinner all along?”

“Yeah.” Zhang Li chuckled. “We’re both back in the capital; of course, I have to see you. I booked your favorite Copper Pot Hotpot three days in advance.”

“That’s perfect.” Liu Yifei smiled brightly and got off the bed, heading to the dressing room, clearly excited. “I’ve been craving their lamb; then dinner’s settled—just us, no mom.”

“You’re really a good daughter to your mother,” a gentle voice suddenly appeared.

Liu Yifei turned sharply to see Liu Xiaoli standing at the door holding a fruit platter.

“Mom~” Liu Yifei immediately stepped forward and grasped Liu Xiaoli’s hand, beginning to act coquettish. “I didn’t mean that.”

“Don’t call me mom,” Liu Xiaoli said, pretending to wipe away tears. “I raised my daughter with endless care and hardship, and now when she goes out to eat, she tries to avoid me. I might as well be alone.”

From the other end of the phone, Zhang Li was speechless.

Such familiar lines.

It was truly a mother and daughter.

“I didn’t mean it,” Liu Yifei explained thoughtfully, knowing Liu Xiaoli was putting on an act. “Your hand is injured; you can’t eat certain foods, so it’s not suitable for you to go.”

“Besides, since Ali is inviting others, as a senior sister, it’s okay for me to go. It’d be inconvenient for you; it’s just youngsters chatting.”

From the start, Liu Yifei never intended for Zhang Li to ditch others to choose her—she wasn’t that selfish.

Her words were just a little dramatic. After all, this “little brother” had quietly partnered with Tangren, which was practically treason.

But Liu Xiaoli was right: if Zhang Li could rise to fame through Tangren’s drama, it would be a clever move—making something out of nothing.

Her reaching out today was to tell Zhang Li, “I’ve forgiven you.”

But upon hearing Zhang Li was dining with his “senior sisters,” she decided to tag along and see for herself.

After all, the younger brother she raised with her own hands could never be swayed by outsiders.

Knowing Liu Yifei’s temperament, Zhang Li understood her well after all these years, which was why he responded the way he did next.

“Mom, that’s how it is,” Zhang Li’s voice came through the phone. “I just asked Sister Qianqian to join me and a few seniors for dinner.”

A few seniors!?

Hearing this, Liu Yifei instantly bristled like a cat whose dried fish snack was stolen.

Before she could react, Liu Xiaoli snatched the phone from her, voice trembling, “Ali, what did you just call me?”

Liu Yifei: ?

Wasn’t it just “Mom”?

Suddenly, Liu Yifei froze.

Zhang Li was already ten when his stepfather adopted him; he was a mature child.

So he always called his stepfather and Liu Xiaoli “uncle” and “aunt,” never “dad” or “mom,” and no one found it odd.

But when out or chatting privately, Zhang Li would say “our dad” and “our mom.”

That’s why Liu Yifei didn’t feel anything strange at first!

Hmm... it definitely wasn’t because she cared more about the number of senior sisters.

“Mom, I just heard Sister Yifei say your hand is injured. What happened?” Zhang Li’s voice softened with concern.

Liu Xiaoli’s eyes reddened, and tears welled up immediately.

“Boo-hoo~ (so touching),” Liu Xiaoli handed the phone back to Liu Yifei and left the room.

“What’s wrong with Mom?” Zhang Li instantly asked.

“You made her cry.” Liu Yifei’s nose tingled, but being an actress, she controlled her emotions. “You caught her off guard. You know her well—she probably hid away in her room crying alone.”

“My fault. I’ll visit Mom as soon as military training ends,” Zhang Li quickly admitted.

“Since when did you become so thoughtful?” Liu Yifei was glad but surprised.

Thoughtful?

More like putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.

Before, when he was with Liu Yifei, his stepfather covered his expenses, and he lived with Liu Yifei, so it wasn’t anything special.

He took Liu Xiaoli’s care for granted—though he appreciated it, he didn’t think much of it.

But since he went alone to film The Condor Heroes late last year, Liu Xiaoli always worried about him.

She reminded him to dress warmly in cold weather, advised on medicine in the heat, and often sent smoked goose and sausages, fearing he wasn’t eating well.

Though they weren’t biologically related, no mother was more caring.

What was there to be ashamed of?

Zhang Li didn’t explain but teased Liu Yifei instead: “I was thinking, doesn’t a mother-in-law also get called ‘mom’? So calling you ‘mom’ early shouldn’t be a problem.”

Liu Yifei: ?

Her heart raced wildly: !

This childhood husband is really well trained.

“Such audacity!” Liu Yifei blushed. “How dare you make a move on me? I’m your sister!”

“Not by blood,” Zhang Li imitated Liu Yifei’s earlier tone. “I must remember—you’re my childhood husband.”

“Pah!” Liu Yifei felt a thrilling shiver all over. “I was joking! How can you take it seriously?”

“Hahaha.” Zhang Li suddenly burst out laughing. “Sister Yifei, you finally admit you were just teasing me, but you can’t stop yourself, huh?”

Liu Yifei: !!!

“Zhang Li, you’ll pay for this later.”

Liu Yifei hung up, fuming, and turned into the dressing room.

She wasn’t one to fuss over her appearance usually, but today was different.

“Tsk tsk,” Zhang Li pocketed his phone, frowning thoughtfully.

Originally, he planned to treat Liu Yifei and Liu Xiaoli to dinner tonight and formally call Liu Xiaoli “mom,” so he booked the restaurant in advance.

But Jing Tian caught him off guard; he decided to dine with her first and wait until after military training to invite Liu Yifei and Liu Xiaoli.

Jing Tian wanted to bring her best friend, so he also invited Cai Wenjing.

Now Liu Yifei wanted to join too.

It was turning into a group gathering.

With that in mind, Zhang Li glanced at Dou Xiao and the others, a spark of inspiration striking.

“If I only invite a bunch of senior sisters and female classmates, Sister Qianqian’s going to tear me apart.”

Thinking of this, Zhang Li sent a message to Jing Tian.

“Are the senior sisters around?”

Meanwhile,

Jing Tian was on a call.

“Uncle Lu, please help me check on him as thoroughly as possible.”

“All I know is his name is Zhang Li—‘Zhang’ as in bow, ‘Li’ as in leave—he’s a freshman at Beijing Film Academy, currently filming Tangren’s The Immortal Three...”

The voice on the other end soon replied with concern, “Sweetie, you’re looking him up because you like him? You want to date?”

Hearing this, Jing Tian smiled brightly.

“Uncle Lu, just help me check first.”

Dating? Maybe.