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Chapter 083 Haven’t I Always Been Your Girlfriend?

In a brief moment, the neighbors were satisfied and full after enjoying the gossip and left.

No need to intrude on their family meeting, right?

This was a big deal for the Ling family.

Grandma was also very happy at this moment, bustling about to invite them to lunch, but most of her attention was on Xia Xinyan. The only thing she said to Ling Mo was, “Come eat.”

Though Ling Mo felt helpless, he was quite happy. If Grandma liked Xinyan, that would be just perfect.

Grandpa had been busy in the fields earlier and, upon hearing that Ling Mo brought his girlfriend home, immediately abandoned his work to return. However, he didn’t go to see Xia Xinyan right away; instead, he stood at the door and stared at the car for a while.

When Grandpa came back, Ling Mo and Xia Xinyan went out to greet him.

Seeing the elderly couple again made Xia Xinyan’s nose a bit sour.

Grandma was frail and hadn’t done farm work for a long time. Now, the several plots of land at home were all managed by Grandpa alone, earning only a few thousand dollars a year after all that hard work. She really felt it wasn’t worth it.

They were at the stage to enjoy their twilight years…

The only good news was that on the miraculous day, they helped cure the two elderly ones of many of their old ailments, but they had already gotten used to this lifestyle, and Grandpa wasn’t going to make Grandma do farm work again.

Actually, both elderly ones could stop working. Ling Mo’s parents had a store in Shen City. While they weren’t rich, providing for the grandparents wasn’t a problem, yet they were unwilling to do so.

Xia Xinyan still remembered what Grandpa had said:

“Everyone needs roots in this life. Our roots are here; it’s been decades, we can’t move them.”

This was a statement that deeply resonated with her.

However, now that she had switched identities, Grandpa was very satisfied with Xia Xinyan. Ling Mo had initially planned to stay for only two days but was persuaded by Xia Xinyan to extend it to four days. Hearing that they would stay four days, Grandpa hurriedly urged Grandma to tidy up the guest room.

Ling Mo wanted to help, but Grandpa pushed him back: “It’s rare to bring someone over to play. You should take her out to explore more.”

Explore more…

He really couldn’t think of anything interesting to show nearby.

After pondering for a bit, he invited Xia Xinyan, “How about we go for a walk? I’ll show you the scenery around our house.”

Xia Xinyan smiled and nodded, “Sure.”

It was just what she wanted—some fresh air to change her mood.

Otherwise, she feared she might really expose something.

Ling Mo chose a forest behind his house, a place where he often played with friends as a child. It was a great spot for hide and seek, and he hadn’t been there much as he grew older, only occasionally coming out for a breather.

But the scenery here was indeed beautiful.

The trees blocked the few houses in the distance, and only a small path led to the fields ahead, creating a sense of secluded tranquility.

“It’s beautiful here,” Xia Xinyan gazed up at the trees, relishing the warmth of the sunlight filtering through the leaves, and felt a bit nostalgic.

She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she last came here.

“I feel the same,” Ling Mo smiled slightly, seeming pleased that she resonated with him, “I used to come here a lot as a kid; I remember once getting in trouble at home, so I just brought my blanket here intending to hide out.”

Xia Xinyan couldn’t help but laugh.

That was also her black history…

“But, living here would be equivalent to hiding out, right?” Ling Mo continued to smile, “I often thought that when I got older and retired, I’d come back here to farm and take it easy. It’d be so comfortable.”

“Hmm…” Xia Xinyan nodded slightly.

That was also her dream once.

“If it’s with you, that would be even better,” Ling Mo added.

“…Huh?” Xia Xinyan was momentarily confused.

Was that a love confession?

Before she could sort out this question, Ling Mo turned to face her, asking earnestly, “Xinyan, do you… really want to be my girlfriend?”

Xia Xinyan: “…Huh?”

What’s wrong with this guy?

Noticing her hesitation, Ling Mo’s gaze dimmed slightly.

He had felt something strange from earlier.

Xia Xinyan seemed to be telling him from all sides that she was his girlfriend, that she liked him, not just in the past, but now too.

Why would a young lady of a wealthy family show such warmth towards a bunch of unfamiliar rural elders? Even the qualities instilled by a big family wouldn’t explain this. Politeness could be cultivated through upbringing, but feelings couldn’t; the affection Xia Xinyan had shown earlier, no one would think was fake.

So, could he think that Xia Xinyan wanted to leave a good impression in front of his family? Or did she really like him, hence liking his family too?

Though this thought seemed absurd, he could think of no other reason.

However! However.

Whenever he sought a clear answer from Xia Xinyan, she would hesitate.

That was the source of his odd feeling.

What was she hesitating about? Did she actually like him or not?

For other matters, whether it was her motives or the messy background of the “Realm of Divine Presence,” he could choose not to dig into, but for this question, he truly wanted to know the answer.

An answer straight from her lips.

Even if she was deceiving him, tricking him, he would still believe it.

Because she would have said it herself.

This was the only promise Ling Mo wanted since their first interaction.

Seeing Ling Mo’s expression, Xia Xinyan suddenly felt a pang in her stomach.

She felt like she had backed herself into a corner.

Even though Ling Mo was no longer the person she knew, people cannot change completely. She could still guess most of Ling Mo’s thoughts, so she knew he needed a clear answer.

Whether she answered yes or no, Ling Mo might close himself off afterward, maybe he’d still interact with her, but likely with a mindset of mere amusement.

That was just how he was. He clearly knew what he wanted to achieve and how to get it. If he determined it was impossible to attain, then no matter how badly he wanted it, he’d just turn and walk away without a second glance.

So she had often expressed her dislike for Ling Mo’s near-extreme rationality and self-restraint.

At first, she could use the fact they had just started dating to make Ling Mo a bit less rational, but now, once he calmed down, his strong demeanor returned.

This was also a kind of… pride unique to him.

For the N+1 time, Xia Xinyan started to regret why she chose to be his girlfriend in the first place.

But after regretting…

“Haven’t I always been your girlfriend?”