Volume One: Our Own League Chapter 161: When the Uncharacteristic Tang Qian Becomes Frightening?

Upon returning home, Xu He was instantly captivated by the sumptuous feast laid out on the dining table.

With a pleasant surprise, he exclaimed, "Wow, so many delicious dishes! Do we have guests over today?"

Indeed, such an extravagant spread was usually reserved for special visitors in the Xu household.

Xu He immediately looked around the house, but he could find no trace of any guests. Puzzled, he stared at the platters of meat and fish, wondering what was going on.

At that moment, Tang Qian emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate of steamed beef with rice flour.

Catching sight of Xu He, she broke into a sweet smile and said to him with utmost tenderness, "Xu He, you're back? Go wash your hands quickly, dinner is almost ready."

A jolt went through Xu He's heart. What on earth was happening?

The atmosphere in the house today felt entirely wrong.

Especially his mother, Tang Qian; she was acting completely out of character, like a totally different person compared to her usual self.

What could possibly be the matter?

Seeing that Xu He was still standing frozen in place, Tang Qian urged, "Go wash your hands already! Mom made a lot of delicious food today, all your absolute favorites!"

Hiss!

Xu He drew a sharp breath, his heart fluttering with apprehension.

What could this mean?

Despite his lingering worries and endless questions, Xu He's feet moved quickly, carrying him straight to the kitchen to wash his hands.

As he washed, Xu He racked his brain trying to figure out what had happened at home to put his mother in such a wonderful mood, making her so unusually gentle toward him and prompting her to cook such a grand feast.

What was Tang Qian's motive?

Anxious and bewildered, Xu He returned to the dining room. His father, Xu Tie, had already returned and was limping toward the kitchen, leaning heavily on his left leg.

Catching sight of Xu He, Xu Tie said, "You're back? Go on and eat, your mom made a whole bunch of delicious food for you today!"

With that, Xu Tie affectionately patted Xu He on the head before heading into the kitchen to wash up.

Xu He called out a soft "Dad" and stepped into the dining room.

The two rascals, Xu Yi and Xu Fei, had already claimed their seats. Their large eyes sparkled as they stared fixedly at the delicious food on the table, their mouths practically watering. One could tell at a glance that these two were incorrigible little foodies.

Even so, neither of them dared to touch the food yet. Instead, they sat obediently in their chairs, patiently waiting for the rest of the family.

Noticing Xu He's arrival, Xu Fei eagerly waved at him and chirped happily, "Big brother, come quickly! Mom made so, so, so many delicious things today!"

With a smile, Xu He asked, "Just how many delicious things are we talking about?"

Xu Fei paused for a second, her big, dark eyes rolling as she thought. Then, she flung her arms open as wide as possible and declared with great excitement, "This many, this many delicious things!"

Smiling, Xu He walked over to the dining table.

Tang Qian immediately chimed in, "Come and eat. You must be starved, right?"

Xu He drew another sharp breath. Tang Qian was being much too gentle today; it was entirely unlike her usual demeanor.

"Alright, coming right now!" Xu He replied.

He took his seat and immediately turned his head to shout toward the kitchen, "Dad, time to eat!"

Xu Tie was just drying his hands as he walked out of the kitchen.

"Alright, let's eat!" he said.

Arriving at the table, Xu Tie took one look at the lavish spread and chuckled. "We're really basking in little He's reflected glory today to get such a grand feast!"

Xu He blinked in confusion. What did that mean?

Were all these dishes really prepared for him?

Tang Qian took her seat as well and urged, "Eat up, everyone, eat as much as you like!"

With that, she picked up a piece of steamed beef and placed it in Xu He's bowl, saying, "Here, have some more. This is your absolute favorite steamed beef."

Cautiously, Xu He received it and murmured, "Thank you, Mom!"

Tang Qian continued to pile meat into Xu He's bowl, a sight that filled the two little ones, Xu Fei and Xu Yi, with intense jealousy. They pouted and glared resentfully at Xu He.

As she served the food, Tang Qian remarked, "You must have strained your brain writing that composition, right? Here, eat up and nourish your mind. Keep writing well in the future, produce more good essays, and strive to win a prize in the New Concept Writing Competition!"

Ah, so that was what it was all about!

Xu He finally understood why his mother was acting so strangely today. It turned out that his composition had earned the only full score in the entire school.

Once he figured out the reason, Xu He instantly relaxed, his lingering doubts vanishing so he could enjoy his meal with a clear conscience.

Previously, he had suspected his mother of harboring some hidden agenda. Now, it was clear she was simply rewarding him.

With the mystery solved, a wave of warmth and happiness washed over him.

It seemed his mother truly cherished and loved him deeply. As long as his academic performance was stellar, she was the best mother in the world.

Xu He flashed Tang Qian a sweet smile and said, "Thank you, Mom! I will definitely keep working hard!"

Tang Qian naturally caught the shift in Xu He's expression and knew he must have been secretly second-guessing her earlier. However, she didn't mind or call him out. Instead, she said, "Eat more then. Look how thin you've gotten lately!"

It was true; Xu He's physical appearance had undergone a significant transformation recently.

While he might look slimmer at a glance, that wasn't actually the case. He had lost a substantial amount of body fat, but his muscle mass had increased dramatically. Though his weight hadn't dropped much, his physical strength and fitness had improved by leaps and bounds.

All of this was the result of his recent dedication to playing football.

Xu He enjoyed every bite of the dinner that night, and the entire family shared a wonderful time together. The two little rascals, Xu Yi and Xu Fei, especially gorged themselves until their faces were smeared with grease, looking like two painted dolls, which prompted Tang Qian to scold them repeatedly.

Yet the thick-skinned pair paid her words no mind, focusing entirely on devouring the delicious food before them—truly living up to their titles as top-tier little foodies.

That day, Xu He was thoroughly happy.

At the same time, deep in his heart, he made a firm resolution to study diligently.

Early the next morning, Xu He arrived at school.

As soon as he got there, he sought out Zhu Ge to ask about news regarding Mu Yang. Predictably, Mu Yang still hadn't come to school.

Filled with doubt, Xu He asked, "Where on earth has Mu Yang gone?"

Zhu Ge shook his head slightly, equally in the dark. However, he felt they should visit Mu Yang's home to find out what was going on, especially since Mu Yang had missed several days of team training.

Zhu Ge was deeply worried that Mu Yang might quit the Class Ten football team altogether. Such an outcome would deal a massive blow to the team's strength, something he desperately hoped to avoid.

"How about this," Zhu Ge suggested, "after school today, let's go check on him at his house!"

Xu He nodded slightly in agreement.

The two then parted ways and returned to their respective classrooms for morning lessons.

Xu He listened with utmost concentration because he knew very well that only by maintaining his academic standing could he earn enough free time to play football and train with the school team. Thus, his current strategy was to study hard and keep his grades rock-solid.

Before long, the day's classes came to an end.

Xu He walked over to the entrance of the Class Ten classroom, waiting for Zhu Ge.

Just then, Li Liying stepped out of the classroom and, catching sight of Xu He, immediately waved to greet him.

Xu He called out, "Li Liying, it's been so hard to catch you lately. You've been extremely busy—what on earth have you been working on?"

Li Liying had indeed been rushed off her feet lately.

"Haven't I been busy with school team affairs?" she replied. "Everything from sports equipment to team uniforms—Teacher Ye and I have been handling it all. Lately, I've been spinning around like a top, unable to stop even for a second!"

Hearing this, it was obvious just how swamped Li Liying truly was.

Xu He quickly said, "You've really been working hard, Li Liying!"

"It's good that you know it!" Li Liying retorted. "You guys better train with all your heart and soul from now on, or you'll be letting down all the hard work Teacher Ye and I have put in!"

Xu He thumped his chest and promised, "Rest assured, we will definitely give it our all and make it to the national tournament!"

Only then did Li Liying nod with satisfaction. "Alright, I can't chat anymore. I still have a mountain of things to take care of, and Teacher Ye is waiting for me!"

"Go ahead then," Xu He said promptly. "Just don't work too hard—make sure you get some rest!"

Li Liying flashed an "OK" hand sign at Xu He and hurried off.

Watching her retreating figure, Xu He felt a deep sense of admiration. Despite being a gentle young woman, she was remarkably capable. He knew for a fact that he could never manage things the way Li Liying did, and he gave her retreating back a thumbs-up.

"What are you up to?" Zhu Ge asked suddenly, walking out with a puzzled look.

"Nothing much," Xu He replied. "You're finally out! Let's hurry, isn't Mu Yang's house pretty far?"

Zhu Ge nodded slightly. "It is quite a distance from the school."

Since it was rather far, Xu He knew he had to pick up the pace, otherwise he would be terribly late getting back home.

Zhu Ge stared at Xu He and said, "Maybe you guys shouldn't come. I can just go by myself and let you know what's up when I get to school tomorrow."

He glanced between Li Jie and Xu He. Obviously, this remark was directed primarily at Xu He.

They had all heard from Li Jie that Xu He's mother kept a very tight leash on him, and Zhu Ge was afraid of causing trouble for his friend.

"It's fine, we'll just move quickly!" Xu He insisted.

Li Jie nodded in silent agreement, knowing Xu He's stubborn and loyal nature.

Seeing that Xu He wouldn't budged, Zhu Ge dropped the subject. "Alright then, let's set off!"

Calling over Zhong Haokun as well, the group began their journey toward Mu Yang's home.

They soon boarded a bus, riding past a dozen stops before finally getting off. After alighting, they walked for nearly twenty more minutes until they finally reached the vicinity of Mu Yang's neighborhood. Zhu Ge told Xu He and the others to wait there while he went to fetch Mu Yang from his house.

Agreeing to the plan, Xu He and the rest waited patiently in place.

After quite a while, Zhu Ge returned—alone.

Surprised, Xu He and the others stared at him. With a disappointed expression, Zhu Ge announced, "Mu Yang isn't home, and the house is completely empty! The neighbors don't know where they went either. It looks like something might have genuinely happened to his family!"

To be honest, Xu He and his friends felt deeply disappointed, but with no other options left, they had no choice but to head back to their respective homes.