Shen Wenxin rephrased her question: "I mean, would you like her?"
Jin Hanshuang understood: "Ah..."
So that's what she meant.
"What's going on, why are you suddenly asking this?"
Shen Wenxin sighed, "Lu Yunshu came to see me today. She said I should ask about your feelings, otherwise, I'll become like my dad."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Unreasonable, like him. Whoever he hates, I have to hate too."
Upon hearing this, Jin Hanshuang immediately put down the plush dog's paw and turned to hug her daughter: "No, you haven't become like that. Mom understands your recent thoughts, don't overthink it, okay?"
Shen Wenxin actually didn't like Shen Minghai treating her as an emotional carrier.
Now that she had grown up and could stand on her own, she could break free from it and naturally wouldn't want to go back to the past.
She was even more unwilling to become a second Shen Minghai in terms of emotions.
Jin Hanshuang understood this, she understood everything.
Shen Wenxin saw that her first reaction was to come over and comfort her, and she couldn't help but smile, a helpless smile.
Her stepmother really understood her.
Her stepmother also loved her very much.
But she had ignored her stepmother's feelings these past few days...
She hugged Jin Hanshuang, like a child who had done something wrong.
"Mom, I'm sorry..."
"What for?" Jin Hanshuang smiled and patted her back, "There's no need to apologize, you're not at your dad's level yet, don't overthink it. You just can't accept that your classmate likes me for now, take your time to accept it."
Shen Wenxin was silent for a while, then straightened up and looked into Jin Hanshuang's eyes: "So you really might like Lu Yunshu?"
Jin Hanshuang observed her expression: "Maybe...?"
"......"
Shen Wenxin heavily held her forehead.
She didn't want to face it.
Jin Hanshuang smiled and put her arm around her daughter's shoulder, saying, "Do you dislike Yunshu that much? Then I'll be with her and toy with her to vent your anger, okay?"
Shen Wenxin let out a light laugh, "No need for that..."
She sighed lightly, as if compromising, as if admitting a certain fact: "She just likes you, she didn't do anything wrong."
Did she hate Lu Yunshu?
Not necessarily.
She just followed her father's demands, and over time, got used to seeing Lu Yunshu as a rival.
Lu Yunshu probably felt the same way.
They competed with each other, yet understood each other.
As Jin Hanshuang said, they were arch-enemies, but in reality, they were the same kind of people.
The resistance was just due to unfamiliarity, not because the other was truly terrible.
It was so sudden, her arch-enemy suddenly telling her she liked her stepmother... Love is really absurd.
Shen Wenxin's head was gently patted twice.
Then, Jin Hanshuang leaned over.
The mother and daughter rested their heads against each other, very close.
"That's great," Jin Hanshuang said, "My Wenxin has grown up to be very kind, just like your uncle and aunt."
Shen Wenxin's biological parents were both university teachers, educating and nurturing students.
Although their daughter was adopted by Shen Minghai, they were never absent from Shen Wenxin's life.
Shen Minghai cultivated Shen Wenxin to become a business prodigy, while they taught her the principles of being a good person and the fundamentals of life. Therefore, Shen Wenxin didn't completely become like Shen Minghai; she became a better version of herself.
She and Lu Yunshu were both very good children.
"Wait, mom, haven't you struggled with this at all?"
Shen Wenxin was puzzled again.
"Lu Yunshu is my arch-enemy after all. Didn't you feel any resistance when my arch-enemy pursued you?"
Jin Hanshuang: "Yes, I did."
Shen Wenxin paused.
Jin Hanshuang: "When I first found out she liked me, I was quite resistant. I'm seven years older than her, I'm your stepmom, and you two are arch-enemies... It was hard to believe. How could such a well-behaved person fall for her arch-enemy's mom?"
"And then?"
"And then I accepted it."
"? Huh?"
"Haha, not that quickly," Jin Hanshuang laughed, "After resisting for a while, I was moved by her persistence and saw a different side of her. She's really adorable."
"Hmm???"
"Oh, you're adorable too, you're both adorable~"
"......"
Shen Wenxin fell silent again.
Jin Hanshuang observed her expression, which was quite calm, and then said, "So... are you now agreeing to Yunshu pursuing me?"
Shen Wenxin fell silent again.
After a moment: "I don't know."
"Don't know?"
"Yes, I don't know."
"I still think this is absurd, let me think about it some more."
Shen Wenxin started walking towards her room.
Then she stopped.
"If you like this plush dog, you can keep it, don't return it."
Jin Hanshuang watched as Shen Wenxin's room door closed, then turned her gaze back to the oversized dog plush in the living room.
She smiled, walked over, hugged the big dog, and lovingly petted it.
......
Shen Wenxin said she needed to think about it, but she didn't really know what to think about.
Every day, she still ate, drank, slept, and went to work as usual, as if she was waiting for things to develop naturally.
On Saturday morning, she stood in place with a cup of water, watching Jin Hanshuang come out of the dressing room.
Jin Hanshuang had changed into a beautiful outfit, her curly hair neatly styled and softly draped over her shoulders.
It was clear she was going out.
"Where are you going?"
"Yunshu asked me out for a meal."
Jin Hanshuang stopped and looked at her daughter with a smile: "So, can I go?"
Shen Wenxin laughed: "You're my mom, why are you asking me for permission?"
Jin Hanshuang: "I'm just asking for my precious daughter's opinion~"
Shen Wenxin: "You've already changed your clothes."
Jin Hanshuang: "Then I'll go change into pajamas and ask you again."
"Alright," Shen Wenxin held back her stepmom who was about to change clothes, "She's pursuing you, not me. If you want to go, just go."
She walked back to her room with a cup of warm water.
"Come back early."
Shen Wenxin stopped at the door, turned back to look at Jin Hanshuang, and said with a conflicted expression, "Mom, can you try... try not to like her, or at least not like her so quickly?"
"If you come back holding her hand and tell me you two are together, that would be quite shocking."
"?" Jin Hanshuang laughed, "Then I'll try, slower?"
"Then you try."
Shen Wenxin closed the door and didn't stop her anymore.
Jin Hanshuang looked at the door and couldn't help but laugh.
Not stopping her from seeing Lu Yunshu was already a big step forward.
She walked up and gently knocked on Shen Wenxin's door: "Let me know what you want to eat, and I'll buy it for you when I come back."
......
Lu Yunshu drove to pick up Jin Hanshuang.
When she saw Jin Hanshuang sitting in the passenger seat, she let out a sigh of relief, her expression instantly becoming tender and gentle.
She finally saw her.
Lu Yunshu held Jin Hanshuang's hand, placed her face in her palm, and gently called her name, "Hanshuang..."
So pitiful.
Like a lost puppy, after being battered by wind and rain, finally finding its way home, all wet and bedraggled.
Jin Hanshuang's heart had already melted completely.
She caressed Lu Yunshu's face, kissed her brow, kissed her lips, filled with tender love.
"Our Yunshu has waited for so long, hasn't she, poor little puppy."
Lu Yunshu kissed her palm, "Yes, waited for a very long time. Sister will have to give her little puppy lots of kisses later."
Jin Hanshuang poked her face with a smile.
"Alright, let's make up for the kisses we missed these past few days!"
Lu Yunshu's eyes curved into a smile.
Seeing Jin Hanshuang, her mood improved significantly.
Their hands were still intertwined, and they were in no hurry to start the car.
"Is Shen Wenxin not at home?"
"She is."
"Does she know you're coming out to see me?"
"She knows."
Jin Hanshuang smiled as she cupped her girlfriend's face, "She even told me to take my time falling for you."
"Why?"
Lu Yunshu frowned.
Jin Hanshuang smiled brightly, "Because she's not used to seeing us together yet. To her, it's like a horror movie."
"..."
Lu Yunshu: "Shen Wenxin has no taste. We're obviously a perfect match."
Jin Hanshuang smiled and patted her face, "Alright, be considerate. Give Wenxin a little more time. She'll come around. See, she's already okay with me meeting you now, isn't she?"
Lu Yunshu: "Alright."
She reached out, her slender fingers stopping at the back of Jin Hanshuang's neck, over the scarf.
Their distance grew closer.
Lips to lips, just a breath away.
"But we're not a horror movie, we're a sweet love story."
They kissed each other.
It was a sweet love story of mutual pursuit.
......
City A welcomed its first snowfall.
The night and the snow blended together.
Shen Wenxin had just finished a gathering with friends and was quietly walking home.
As she approached the building, she saw two familiar figures-Jin Hanshuang and Lu Yunshu.
They were standing downstairs, talking again.
Lu Yunshu said something that made Jin Hanshuang very happy, her face full of smiles.
Lu Yunshu was wrapping a scarf around Jin Hanshuang, layer after layer, as if afraid she might get cold.
Then she helped her tighten her coat and brushed the snowflakes off her hair.
The tenderness was to the extreme.
It was the first time Shen Wenxin saw Lu Yunshu being so gentle with someone.
She watched them stand under the bright light, smiling at each other, with her hands in her coat pockets, silently.
She suddenly realized that the scene of these two standing together wasn't as horrifying as she had imagined. Worse still, they actually looked quite well-matched.
After all, they were only seven years apart, not seventeen...
She didn't move, her feet seemed to have taken root, standing there quietly.
Quietly watching Jin Hanshuang and Lu Yunshu part ways.
Quietly watching Lu Yunshu stand at the door, reluctantly seeing Jin Hanshuang off.
Then, quietly meeting Lu Yunshu's gaze.
The snowy night became even quieter at that moment.
After a moment of silence, Lu Yunshu moved first.
She walked up to her.
They continued to look at each other, remaining quiet.
Clearly, they should say something, but they didn't know what to say.
An inexplicably awkward atmosphere.
Another long silence passed.
Lu Yunshu opened her mouth, "You saw me and Hanshuang."
Shen Wenxin: "Mm."
Lu Yunshu: "You saw me helping her with the scarf?"
Shen Wenxin: "I'm not blind."
Not only was she not blind, but she was also particularly calm, no longer rushing forward to separate them as she had before.
Lu Yunshu said, "Thank you."
Shen Wenxin said, "I haven't agreed to you being together yet."
Lu Yunshu said, "I know."
Then Shen Wenxin saw Lu Yunshu suddenly reach out towards her scarf and wrap it around her as well.
Shen Wenxin immediately took a step back.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to win you over, to make a good impression on my beloved's family."
"???"
"It's cold, don't catch a chill. Stay warm and drink plenty of hot water."
"..."
"That's disgusting."
Shen Wenxin threw the scarf back at her.
Lu Yunshu looked at her, her expression calm, and then said, "I think so too."
Shen Wenxin: "..."
Shen Wenxin: "Then don't do these unnecessary things!"