A Mother’s Reckless Matchmaking

Jiang Zilin, it seemed, could never be serious whenever strangers weren’t present.

Witnessing this, Jiang Lengleng, who stood nearby, rolled her eyes so vigorously it was clear she wished to disown her own sister.

Chen Ran, however, had long grown accustomed to such antics.

Yet, seeing Jiang Lengleng glance his way again, her expression tinged with worry and a hesitant, unspoken plea, he understood the young girl’s apprehension.

As a diligent student, the notion of brawling was undoubtedly far beyond Jiang Lengleng’s realm of experience.

For Chen Ran, however, when street punks dared to confront him so brazenly, failing to deal with them would only embolden them to press their advantage further.

Moreover, he possessed the capability to put them in their place.

As Chen Ran pondered this, his life’s creed remained remarkably simple: to never seek trouble, but never to shy away from it either.

Before heading home, he made a detour to the old street’s market, purchasing fresh groceries for the evening.

Jiang Zilin, having expressed a craving for braised pork, had also acquired a sizable pig’s trotters, declaring it would serve as tomorrow’s dinner.

Soon after completing their purchases, they returned home.

While Chen Ran assisted Jiang Zilin with dinner preparations in the kitchen, Jiang Lengleng diligently worked on practice exams in the living room.

Under the soft, scattered glow of the orange-yellow lamps, only the distinctly off-key humming of a certain young woman could be heard.

Resourceful as ever, Jiang Lengleng swiftly silenced her sister with a piece of osmanthus cake, then switched on the television to a news program.

During dinner, the two sisters initiated a video call with their “mother,” Jiang Ruohua, a ritual they observed daily.

A strikingly beautiful woman, bearing a five or six-tenths resemblance to both Jiang Zilin and Jiang Lengleng yet possessing a far more mature and alluring charm, suddenly materialized on the phone screen.

Her golden, voluminous waves cascaded over her shoulders, framing eyes of a pale blue that sparkled like ice crystals.

The woman appeared to be dining alone on bread in a hotel room, explaining that she had reached the remote Shikoku region in the southern part of the country.

“I was on a boat for a very, very long time before arriving,” she chirped. “And now, it’s nothing but mountains and forests here! The air is incredibly fresh, perfect for cycling~”

“Mommy is staying in a mountain lodge, and looking out now, it’s a vast, dark expanse.

But every now and then, I can spot the warm lights rising from tiny villages nestled in the mountains, accompanied by the stars and the moon—it’s truly beautiful~”

Jiang Ruohua continued to prattle on without pause.

One couldn’t help but feel that Jiang Zilin’s own garrulous nature was inextricably linked to her mother.

As the mother and daughters chatted, Chen Ran quietly ate his meal, refraining from speaking unless Jiang Ruohua directly addressed him.

With a shared understanding, all three had tacitly agreed not to disclose the day’s events to her, wishing to spare the beautiful woman any undue worry.

The decision for Jiang Ruohua to embark on a journey and enjoy a period of rest had been made collectively by Chen Ran and the two sisters.

Both Jiang Zilin and Jiang Lengleng believed that their “mother” had devoted herself to their care for far too long, having been virtually indispensable since their childhood.

With Chen Ran now a part of their household, capable of assisting with the shop, and the sisters themselves having matured enough to look after their own needs, they felt it was time.

Their hope was for Jiang Ruohua to finally relax and unwind, freed from the constant burden of household worries.

The sophisticated beauty appeared to be simultaneously enjoying her bread and sipping on some alcohol.

She rambled on, lamenting that red bean bread couldn’t compare to the delicious meals Xiaolin prepared, expressing how much she yearned to return home, and even playfully instructed Chen Ran to remove his clothes so she could inspect his collarbones, assess his development, and ascertain if he was indeed a fair-skinned, pure young man.

‘…’

Chen Ran was now utterly convinced that Jiang Zilin’s impudence and incessant chatter were largely inherited traits from her mother.

Yet, Chen Ran would never dare to treat Jiang Ruohua with the same playful irreverence he reserved for Jiang Zilin.

For instance, if Sister Xiaolin were to make such a remark, he would merely have to respond with a casual “Alright,” and feign the motion of undressing.

She would then shriek, cover her eyes, brand him a “big pervert,” and promptly flee.

Jiang Ruohua, on the other hand, would undoubtedly watch with keen interest, urging him to reveal even more.

Indeed, were she not confined to the phone screen, he suspected she might very well try to reach out and touch him herself.

Chen Ran, after all, had ample experience in such matters.

While Jiang Zilin possessed high offense and low defense, the beautiful woman was a formidable opponent with both high offense and high defense.

She was, in essence, a “warrior” with no blind spots, a perfect hexagon of power.

Therefore, Chen Ran could only feign deafness to Jiang Ruohua’s words, continuing to quietly savor his braised pork.

‘Mmm…’

‘Sister Xiaolin’s braised pork truly is delicious.’

After finishing their meal, Jiang Lengleng dutifully rose to wash the dishes, leaving Jiang Zilin and Jiang Ruohua to their usual mother-daughter conversation.

Both sisters gently coaxed their somewhat inebriated mother to bed, for the beautiful woman insisted she planned to hike a mountain to witness the sunrise the following morning.

“Mommy will be back in about a month; are things alright at home?”

“No,” Chen Ran and the Jiang sisters replied in unison, their voices firm and reassuring.

“Mhm, mhm, and you too, Xiaoran, keep up the good work! Try to win over either Lengleng or Xiaolin before Mommy gets back~”

‘…’

“What are you talking about, Mommy?!”

For once, Jiang Zilin and Jiang Lengleng exclaimed in perfect, rare unison.

“Xiaoran is such a catch! He’s handsome, has a wonderful personality, does housework, helps run the shop, and won’t even require a dowry in the future—he can just move in as a live-in son-in-law! How perfect is that?”

“Well, if Lengleng and Xiaolin aren’t interested, then Mommy won’t hold back~”

‘???’

Jiang Ruohua’s words left both sisters and Chen Ran on the verge of a complete mental shutdown.

‘What in the world was she talking about?’

What was particularly unsettling was that the beautiful woman, her face flushed crimson, leaned in conspiratorially, lowering her voice to a suggestive whisper.

“And Xiaoran is quite impressive in *that* department too,” she confided, her voice dropping further. “He’s… exceptionally capable. You’ll definitely be very happy after marriage!”

‘???’

Chen Ran pressed his lips together, his expression a silent, incredulous ‘How do you even know that?’

Silently, he rose and made his way to the bathroom, deciding to take a shower.

If he were to endure any more of Jiang Ruohua’s pronouncements, he knew he would surely lose his composure.

‘Perhaps this was the true “power” of a mature beauty.’

In the living room, only Jiang Ruohua’s boisterous laughter echoed, a clear indication that the beautiful woman had become a little overly jovial after a few drinks.

Closing the bathroom door behind him, Chen Ran rubbed his temples, evidently at a loss for how to handle Jiang Ruohua.

‘A shower it is,’ he thought. ‘Then back to my room for sleep.’

With that thought, Chen Ran quickly began to rinse himself.

Yet, barely two minutes into his shower, a sudden commotion emanated from the bathroom door.

“Xiaoran~”

Jiang Zilin’s voice drifted in, wavering playfully.

“Have you decided, then? Tonight, do you want your sister to shower with you, or sleep with you, hmm~”

With a soft ‘thud,’ the bathroom door clicked shut.

Through the translucent shower curtain, Chen Ran could discern Jiang Zilin’s clear silhouette, indicating she had indeed entered.

The modest bathroom, though not large, was neatly divided down the middle by a curtain.

On one side stood the washing machine and the general wash area, while the other housed the shower and a charming, teacup-shaped bathtub.

Chen Ran could only respond with a sigh of resignation.

“Sister Xiaolin, what exactly do you want?”

“Nothing at all!” Jiang Zilin hummed playfully.

Then, with an abrupt shift to utter impropriety, she added,

“Mommy said Xiaoran is really amazing, so just how amazing is he? Let your big sister conduct a thorough inspection!!!”

‘…’

“Alright, alright, I was just teasing you.”

By this point, the young woman had moved behind the curtain, her movements betraying a shy hesitation.

Then, her voice softening with genuine concern, she spoke.

“Your sister was just worried, Xiaoran.

You got into a fight today, didn’t you? Are you hurt anywhere? Come, let your sister take a look…”