Chapter 121: Su Yan's Invitation

Heijin now teaches physical education at Jinhua and leads the school team in the Challenge Cup. His wife runs a milk tea shop behind the school, and they have a lovely daughter. He leads a simple, ordinary, yet happy life.

Back in his prime, Heijin certainly never would have imagined that he would one day live like this; nor would he have ever guessed that such a lifestyle could be so fulfilling.

When Ming Han and the team returned to Jinhua with their top-four finish, the students warmly hung a banner at the school gate: "Welcome home, school team heroes."

At that moment, Lin Shan, a grown man, could no longer control his emotions. As he secretly wiped away tears, he sighed, "Is this the warmth that only one’s own school can provide? Ah... my alma mater!"

Lin Shan drew out that "Ah" for a long time, clearly brewing with deep emotion and eyes brimming with tears.

Da Xu gave a disdainful "Pah" and muttered, "How disgusting!"

...

Many students had come straight to the school after the match ended to prepare this welcome ceremony for them. The so-called ceremony was actually quite simple. Everyone lined the path to welcome them back, offering their most enthusiastic applause. Then, Heijin stood up and used a megaphone to give a brief summary and express his gratitude.

Da Xu kept staring at Heijin’s megaphone with complicated emotions, murmuring to himself, "Such a familiar megaphone; I once owned one, too."

Heijin spoke with great feeling. Lin Shan, whose sentimental mood had been stirred once again, was on the verge of tears when he heard Da Xu’s remark and nearly fell over.

Once Heijin finished speaking, it was time for a player representative to take the stage. Originally, the plan was for Ming Han to go up, but seeing how emotional Lin Shan was today, they felt he should be allowed to speak his mind and leave behind a beautiful memory.

So, Lin Shan went up to the stage, half-pushed and half-willing. He grinned at everyone with a simple, honest smile, shyly touching his hair. "Hello, fellow students..."

As soon as he finished that sentence, he covered his mouth, looking as if he were about to cry; he clearly couldn't control his emotions.

The host awkwardly patted him on the shoulder from the side. "Senior Lin Shan is too moved. Let's give him a moment to compose himself."

The entire school team was dumbfounded.

Da Xu remarked to Lin Wei, "Your brother’s state of mind has already transcended the human realm..."

Lin Wei kept his head down, wearing an expression that said, "I don't know that idiot on stage."

Lin Shan fumbled on stage for nearly five minutes but couldn't even squeeze out fifty words. Every time he tried to start, he would cover his mouth, looking as if he were about to weep.

Eventually, he was ruthlessly pulled down by Lin Wei. "Brother, please stop bringing shame to our family!"

After the ceremony, many cute and lively junior schoolgirls flocked over, chattering away.

"Senior Ming Han, do you have a girlfriend?"
"Senior Ming Han, can we add each other as friends?"

Ming Han had been standing with the school team, but in an instant, he was pushed to the other side by the crowd of girls. He recited his QQ number, and the girls added him immediately. Ming Han was left flustered, frantically accepting them one by one.

"Ming Han, weren't you going to treat me to a meal?" A sweet, crisp voice came through. It was Chen Li.

Her appearance in the crowd immediately drew many gazes—the adoration and fervor in the eyes of the boys, and the envy in the eyes of the girls.

"Such a beautiful senior! Are you and Senior Ming Han a couple?" someone asked.

Ming Han and Chen Li both blushed almost simultaneously, neither admitting nor denying it. They looked at each other with smiles, automatically ignoring everything else moving around them.

Many girls felt heartbroken; Ming Han's behavior had already given them the answer.

"Chen Li, you've been gone for so long. You appear automatically as soon as it's time to eat—I'm worried about your figure in the future!"

Chen Li didn't mind Ming Han's teasing at all. She said to him, "Let's go eat at your mother's place."

Ming Han was startled. He thought to himself that Chen Li had truly changed after being influenced by the United States. Her thinking was indeed more open—was she really going to meet her future mother-in-law so soon?

Seeing the wicked grin on Ming Han's face, Chen Li said calmly, "Your mother invited me!"

"What?" Ming Han was astonished.

It turned out that two days ago, Su Yan had used Ming Han’s QQ to send a message to Chen Li: "Beautiful, come to my restaurant on Sunday night for dinner!"

Ming Han understood. His QQ was always logged in on his computer, and Su Yan must have contacted Chen Li while using his account to play games.

Why did Su Yan only invite Chen Li out of the hundreds of friends on Ming Han's QQ?

The answer was something only Ming Han knew: because in his contact list, there was only one person in a group all by herself, and her name was Chen Li.

"Why would your mother invite me to dinner today?" Chen Li asked, puzzled.

"Maybe because it's a dark and windy night with bright sunshine, and my mom hopes we can just get the whole thing over with!" Ming Han raised an eyebrow.

Chen Li pouted, pretending to ignore him.

"Actually, today is my mother's birthday. Every year at this time, she closes up shop early to eat with me; that's how she celebrates her birthday."

Su Yan worked three hundred and sixty-five days a year, and the only holiday she granted herself was the night of her birthday. Two people, a simple table of food, yet it was enough to sustain her with warmth for the entire year.

Chen Li understood the significance of this evening. "But I didn't prepare anything!"

Ming Han waved his hand. "No need to prepare anything. If you did, my mom would be the one feeling awkward! She just thinks you're pretty and cute, and it gives her face when her son takes you out to eat. My mom is a bit of a character, really. Who invites a female classmate of her son's to her own birthday dinner? Is it a ceremony to witness a happy life?"

Although Ming Han was mercilessly roasting his mother, Chen Li could feel that there was no distance between the mother and son. They were not only connected by the deepest blood ties but were also the best of friends.

"I see! Can I invite Chen Nuo? She said she really admires your mother’s flair."

Ming Han curled his lip. Flair, indeed—it was just gossip!

"Whatever! I bet if Chen Nuo comes along, my mom will stare at me with those big eyes and say, 'Son, you’re trying to trick two girls at once—that’s just too exciting...'"

In truth, Chen Li was simply too embarrassed to meet Ming Han's mother alone, which is why she wanted to bring Chen Nuo.

"Ming Han, should I buy a cake?"

Ming Han nodded, agreeing with Chen Li's idea.

"If you can write 'Happy 18th Birthday to Auntie' on the cake, my mom will surely be happy to the point of madness, then grab your hands and excitedly insist on becoming sworn sisters with you..."

Chen Li imagined the scene in her head: becoming sworn sisters with Su Yan? And then having Ming Han sweetly call her 'Auntie'? That was too terrifying!

"Chen Li, if it really reaches that point, I won't be able to write 'May our friendship last forever' in your yearbook next year. Instead, I'll have to write, 'Wishing Auntie a long and healthy life!'"

Chen Li put her hand to her forehead, speechless.