Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 63.1

Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, Song Yingshi calmly checked the detailed requirements of the new mission while sipping on her coconut milk latte.

Apart from behaving like a puppy, none of the other requirements seemed unacceptable. She only needed to get into Huai Xu's arms, take the initiative to hug Huai Xu, and rub her face against Huai Xu's neck for at least 29.5 seconds within the mission's 30-second window…

When Song Yingshi saw the third requirement, she couldn't help but deride the system, "Are you insulting me with that 0.5 seconds? You might as well write 30 seconds."

"Are you sure?" the system asked.

Song Yingshi closed her mouth and sent a kick flying at the decorative pony nearby, treating it as if it were the tactless system.

Then, Song Yingshi continued reading.

[Fourth requirement: When rubbing against Huai Xu's neck, you must wear a smile and breathe rapidly to give off the feeling of a warm and sunny canine.]

Song Yingshi: "..."

Song Yingshi threw herself onto the sofa, took a few deep breaths, and rolled around in the sunlight streaming through the window.

It's only a 30-second hug! I've even let Huai Xu kiss me, so this much is nothing! Huai Xu has taken advantage of me multiple times, so what's wrong with me getting back at her?

After much deliberation, Song Yingshi headed to the car park, hopped into her Cullinan, and drove to the Song residence. She decided to first visit her parents, then meet up with Huai Xu and complete her mission in a secluded corner.

…

When Song Yingshi arrived home, her father, Song Cheng, wasn't home, but her mother, Xu Conghan, was home with guests.

One of the guests was Song Ming's mother.

At the previous clan gathering, Song Ming's mother promised Song Yingshi that she would not let Song Ming disturb Huai Xu again. She even removed him from his position. Based on this response, Song Yingshi could tell Song Ming's mother was a good schemer, and the woman had likely visited Xu Conghan many times during this period to alleviate tensions.

When Xu Conghan saw her daughter, the gentle lady revealed a hint of surprise, saying, "I thought you wouldn't come back today. Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I could've sent someone to pick you up."

"Mom, why would I need help coming back home? It's not like I don't know the way," Song Yingshi said, smiling.

"You say that, but didn't you go missing halfway through coming home? Where's your friend? Why didn't you bring her for a visit?" Xu Conghan asked.

Upon getting called out, Song Yingshi walked up to her mother's back and acted coquettishly, "Last night…I couldn't leave her by herself after flying back together, right?

After saying so, Song Yingshi smiled, looked at the other ladies in the living room, and nodded to them.

When the noble ladies finally saw an opportunity to speak up, they promptly interjected:

"This must be Little Shi, right? She looks much prettier in person than on TV!"

"Madam Song, you're so lucky to have such a pretty and talented daughter! I only wish my daughter could be a little more like her!"

Although these noble ladies spoke with flattering intentions, their words were also their true thoughts.

Song Cheng's side of the Song clan maintained a low profile, and Xu Conghan rarely entertained guests. Those seeking to get into the family's favor had to put in a lot of effort just to have a meeting, so they didn't know much about the family, let alone Song Yingshi, who had just returned from many years abroad.

Later, there was news that the young lady of Song Cheng's family had joined the entertainment industry and participated in a variety show of sorts. This news immediately led many to consider getting into the family's graces through Song Yingshi.

However, before anyone could take action, Xu Conghan announced at the Dong family patriarch's birthday banquet that her daughter had only joined the entertainment industry for fun and that the Song clan wouldn't interfere with the Song Yingshi's affairs. How Song Yingshi developed depended entirely on herself.

Smart people instantly understood the intentions behind Xu Conghan's announcement. As for those unintelligent or unwilling to give up, they quickly learned their lesson after the Song clan sent them a notice.

Because of this incident, these noble ladies who didn't normally watch variety shows on weekdays began to watch clips of Song Yingshi to see what the precious gem of the Song clan looked like.

When these noble ladies first saw Song Yingshi's appearance, many admired her, but some bitter gourds said this was a result of beauty filters.

However, when these noble ladies finally met Song Yingshi in person, they realized how stunning she was.

After stepping away from the camera, Song Yingshi's temperament became even more prominent. She was poised and graceful, and her appearance was no less stunning than on screen. Her eyes also looked much more spirited in person. After just one look, these noble ladies could no longer pry their eyes away from her.

Paired with Song Yingshi's family background, she really could be considered flawless.

Song Ming's mother considered herself closer to Song Yingshi and Xu Conghan than the others present. With the thought of giving the mother and daughter some bonding time, she tactfully helped send off the other guests.

After seeing off the last guest, Song Ming's mother said, "I'll be taking my leave, too. I wouldn't want to interrupt your precious bonding time."

Just as Song Ming's mother was about to leave, Song Yingshi called out to her, "Sister-in-law, how is Song Ming recently?"

"After resting at home for a while, he's now back at working in the entertainment industry. He said he wants to work with you in the future! He's still working in the same company, but I'm keeping him at the bottom to steady his temper," Song Ming's mother answered.

Song Yingshi had only asked a simple question, yet Song Ming's mother spilled the beans on everything. While giving Xu Conghan a shoulder massage, Song Yingshi looked at Song Ming's mother and said, "That's good. He's still young. As his aunt, I'd be relieved if he can settle down a little."

Xu Conghan laughed at her daughter's abuse of seniority in the family. In a doting tone, she berated, "Have you forgotten that Little Ming's several years older than you?"

"But do you think I'm wrong, Mom?" Song Yingshi asked shamelessly.

Patting the back of Song Yingshi's hand, Xu Conghan looked at Song Ming's mother and said gently, "Little Ming will be taking over your family's business in the future, so it's better to be strict with him. If he's allowed to go astray now, it'll be hard to get him back on track later."

Song Ming's mother readily accepted Xu Conghan's "advice" while hoping her son hadn't been causing trouble recently. After confining her son to their house for half a month, she allowed him back to the company out of consideration that Song Yingshi and Huai Xu were filming in N City. So long as he stayed in S City, Song Yingshi's family should turn a blind eye to his newfound freedom. But now…

The more Song Ming's mother thought about it, the more she grew worried. After bidding goodbye to Xu Conghan and Song Yingshi, she promptly returned home. She decided to keep her son locked up for the next two days lest he create more trouble for their family.

With the last outsider gone, Xu Conghan could finally talk to her daughter in private. They talked about various things, from the food, clothing, accommodation, and transportation available on the show to the fact that she had watched many of Song Yingshi's video clips. Xu Conghan also mentioned never missing any of Song Yingshi's live streams.

Song Yingshi ate grapes as she chatted with her mother. As she was popping another grape into her mouth, she suddenly heard Xu Conghan saying, "By the way, I keep hearing your fans mention 'Snow-Kissed Rose.'"

Song Yingshi nearly choked.

"Swallow before talking. What's the hurry?" Xu Conghan said while patting her daughter's back.

Song Yingshi: "..." I'm not in a hurry; I'm frightened.

Faced with the awkwardness of having her mother ask about her ship, Song Yingshi feigned calmness and replied, "Mom, you won't get it."

Xu Conghan was a humble and elegant lady. She said, "Try explaining it to me."

Seeing that her mother was unrelenting, Song Yingshi said, "Although your daughter is beautiful and talented, I still need something more to stand out on the show, so I asked Huai Xu to engage in coupling with me. What coupling means—"

"I know what it means," Xu Conghan interrupted.

Song Yingshi: "?"

Xu Conghan explained, "I searched on Baidu. It says that you two are pretending to be—"

Before Xu Conghan could finish her sentence, Song Yingshi hurriedly interrupted, "Okay, okay! I know you get it! You don't have to say it! Anyway, that's about it."

"Your studio also signed her," Xu Conghan stated.

"Yes," Song Yingshi acknowledged.

Xu Conghan smiled at this answer and said, "The friend you brought to your house yesterday is also Huai Xu."

Song Yingshi couldn't deny this statement, so she lowered her head and said, "Yes, it was her."

The chauffeur must've told her mother about Huai Xu, so there was no point in lying. What worried Song Yingshi now was whether her mother would think she and Huai Xu were lovers.

That shouldn't be possible, right? It was too far-fetched.

The more Song Yingshi thought about it, the more she grew worried that her mother might misinterpret the situation like Wan Jiao and the others did.

However, what came out of Xu Conghan's mouth next was something Song Yingshi never expected:

"Then, it'll be much more convenient for me to meet her. Her performance was really good."

Song Yingshi: ?

"Mom, who did you give your daily votes to?" Song Yingshi asked with narrowed eyes.

Xu Conghan smiled and said nothing.

However, in Song Yingshi's eyes, her mother's silence was tantamount to admitting that she had given her votes to Huai Xu rather than her daughter.

Song Yingshi: "..."

Suddenly, Song Yingshi found herself empathizing with Hu Wan, her heart filled with a mix of jealousy, anger, and amusement.

From Hu Feng to Xu Conghan, what was it with Huai Xu and noble, middle-aged ladies?

…

After spending three hours at home, Song Yingshi bid her mother goodbye and left to find Huai Xu.

After Song Yingshi left, Xu Conghan personally cleaned up the used tea cups and unfinished fruit plates. Then, she sat on the terrace surrounded by flowers and took out her mobile phone.

With great familiarity, Xu Conghan clicked into Song Yingshi's fan crowdfunding group on Weibo.

The members of this group have all been reviewed for qualifications. The group acted as the Crowdfunding Department of Song Yingshi's fan club, and one had to directly contact the group's owner, who was also the host of Song Yingshi's Super Topic, to apply. Besides a basic introduction, those interested in joining the group also had to submit a list of qualifications.

However, unlike the other group members, Xu Conghan didn't know anything about fan crowdfunding. It wasn't even her intention to join the group initially. She had simply stumbled upon the group's crowdfunding link on Weibo, donated two handbags' worth of funds, and received an invitation from the group's enthusiastic owner.

The crowdfunding group was full of Song Yingshi's devoted fans, and it was very lively inside. Xu Conghan would occasionally come to see these girls who liked her daughter, but she typically only read messages without saying anything.

Xu Conghan was in a good mood after getting to see her daughter today, so she took the initiative to send a message to the group:

"Hello, do you need funds?"

The lively group chat went silent momentarily. A moment later, messages started appearing again with even greater intensity than before:

"The wealthy big sister has reappeared!"

"*Eagerly awaiting big sister's money shower*"

"Thank you for liking Little Shi, Wealthy Big Sister!"

"Little Shi, Mommy and Wealthy Big Sister are going to pave you a path to debut!"

Xu Conghan: ?

My daughter has too many mothers, and those mothers keep calling me big sister.

Xu Conghan had seen it all this past month, so she knew about the existence of "mother fans." She also knew that many of her daughter's mother fans were actually younger than her daughter.

After showering the group's crowdfunding account with money, Xu Conghan switched to a different group chat amidst the cheering of Song Yingshi's fans.

In the group named "Sending Huai Xu to Greater Heights," Xu Conghan sent the same message:

"Hello, do you need funds?"