Chapter 222: Overprotective
Life at home was very comfortable. Because she had become a girl, her mother tried her best to meet her needs and gave in to her little habits.
Except for her annoying sister, life at home was so much better than life at university.
An Han almost forgot that Su Peng even existed.
Until the third day of winter break…
“An Han, do you plan to go on a blind date?”
At lunchtime, this sudden question scared An Han so much she jolted. She looked up in disbelief. All the curse words stuck in her throat, and she could only let out a confused, “Ah?”
Her mom didn’t look like she was joking. The warm smile on her face faded and turned into a serious expression.
“If I let you date freely, it might be better to choose someone whose background we already know.”
“Don’t worry. They’re all people recommended by our neighbors or relatives. I’ll check them for you first. Anyone with bad character, bad reputation, or bad looks, I’ll remove them.”
An Han was still stunned. Her big eyes were full of confusion.
“Didn’t you say I shouldn’t date?”
“You will date sooner or later. Instead of letting you get fooled by someone outside, isn’t it better if I help make sure the person is safe?”
Her head shook quickly as she tried to fight back.
“This is arranged marriage!”
“And the people you choose can’t be 100% safe either!”
“Also, I just became a girl not long ago. I can’t accept dating a boy at all!”
Her mother had only been listening, but when she heard that last sentence, she asked calmly:
“Oh? Then what about Su Peng?”
You even still remember his name?!
“We’re just normal friends!”
Her mother nodded slowly with a knowing smile.
“Yes, normal friends… Normal friends live right next to you. Normal friends take the effort to drive us around for trips. You’re more relaxed in front of him than you are in front of us.”
It was rare to see her mother teasing her like this, almost sarcastic. An Han’s face turned red, and she lowered her head, unable to fight back.
“Mom! Last night Sister did a video call with a handsome guy!” her sister shouted.
“Don’t talk nonsense! I didn’t!”
An Han stuffed a piece of sweet-and-sour pork into her sister’s mouth.
She sighed. Her mother’s sudden protective nature took her by surprise, and she really didn’t know how to deal with it.
Before this, her mother had basically raised her like a free-range kid. Since second grade, she rode her bike to school by herself. In middle school, she often went to internet cafés, and her mother didn’t really control her.
Her mom didn’t even care about her grades that much. Other families told their kids not to date early, but her mom had been asking since middle school whether she liked any girls…
“Mom, I’m already twenty.” An Han tried helplessly to make her mother back off. “I’m an adult. I’m not like my sister, who gets tricked easily.”
Her sister let out a loud, annoyed “Tsk~”
“I’ve been studying outside for years and nothing ever happened to me.”
“But now you’re a girl…” Her mother put down her chopsticks, looking worried. “It’s different from before.
“A boy might get tricked out of money or learn bad habits. But no matter what, he can still work at a construction site or do heavy labor. But what about a girl?”
Her mother always believed girls needed more protection. Her sister only had to be 10–20 minutes late coming home from school, and she would get questioned. More than 30 minutes late and she would get scolded harshly.
But back when An Han was in middle school, she often stayed overnight in internet cafés, and her mother never hit her, at most she scolded her a bit.
An Han understood her mother’s protective heart, but she still resisted it deeply.
She had laughed at Su Peng for needing to go on blind dates, but she never expected that one day she would be forced to go on blind dates too.
She let out a sigh and covered her face with her hand, lowering her head.
“You like that Su Peng, right?” her mother suddenly asked.
An Han’s face turned even redder. She instinctively shook her head to deny it, but soon realized that if she kept denying it, she might really be forced to go on a blind date…
So she could only endure her embarrassment and give a small nod.
Her mother crossed her hands, resting them under her chin, and leaned forward a little as she asked, “What do you like about him?”
“I… I…”
Her mind suddenly went completely blank. An Han stared at her mother in confusion, unable to say even one reason.
Because Su Peng is handsome?
Although he really did fit her taste, she wasn’t someone who would fall for a guy just because he looked good. And since she used to be male, no matter how handsome Su Peng was, it was hard for her to feel romantic interest just from his face.
Was it because the system pushed her? Or because after becoming a woman, she had been taken care of by Su Peng?
Maybe the first reason played a part, but it also made An Han more alert around him, which had the opposite effect.
The second reason was also true, but probably not the main one.
She lowered her head and answered guiltily, “I guess… I like everything about him…”
Her mother was staring at her from the front, and her little sister was looking at her with curious big eyes from the side. Talking about her feelings in front of the people closest to her made An Han’s face turn bright red.
Maybe because she had already started talking, she paused and continued, “Because I feel very happy when I’m with him… and very safe…”
“There aren’t any special reasons.”
She lowered her head and used her chopsticks to poke the rice in her bowl over and over.
When she was with other people, it was hard to feel the same way she felt when she was with Su Peng.
Her mother stayed quiet for a moment and rubbed her temples with her fingers.
She didn’t have a very good impression of Su Peng. Part of it was because he was too handsome and might attract other women, and part of it was because there was a chance he might take advantage of the situation.
“…We’ll talk about it later.”
But seeing how firm An Han’s attitude was, she could only give in for now.
An Han finally let out a breath of relief. She quickly finished all the rice in her bowl and then ran upstairs as if escaping.
“We’re going to visit your grandpa this afternoon.”
She had only climbed a few steps when she suddenly stopped and turned her head. “Grandpa already knows?”
“He knows.”
“Oh…” An Han asked nervously, “Then what did he say after he found out?”
“Grandpa said boys are troublesome, so having another girl is also good!” her little sister suddenly interrupted. “He also said Mom should bring you over so he can take a look at you!”
It sounded like Grandpa’s reaction was pretty gentle?
An Han relaxed a little. “Will there be other people this afternoon?”
“Your eldest aunt, your younger aunt, and a few uncles…”
Her face grew paler with every word.
Why were so many relatives coming just to visit Grandpa? And they were all relatives she normally got along well with.
“They all think you shouldn’t be dating right now.”
“Mom… how many people did you tell about my situation…” An Han complained weakly, feeling her soul leaving her body.
Not only did her mother tell them she turned into a girl, she also told them about her love life.
This was the bad thing about her mother, while An Han saw her aunts as “outsiders,” her mother saw them as sisters, so she liked discussing everything with them.
Just when life had calmed down a little, all the trouble came rushing back.
She hurriedly ran upstairs, planning to enter the game world to hide for a while.