[CONTENTID1]Chapter 41[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Mother and Daughter[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

They stepped inside the house and Mei Li closed the door behind her. Taking off her shoes, she attempted to quietly sneak upstairs unnoticed, but that didn't work out so well.

"Where do you think you're going?" her mom asked, arms folded across her chest.

"Uhm...hehe,” Mei Li smiled sheepishly as her shoulders deflated, "No where."

Her mom gestured for her to follow her to the kitchen and they sat down at the small dining table across from each other. Tension filled the air, and Mei Li braced herself for the lecture she'd be getting.

"Want to explain to me who that was?" her mom asked, though it sounded more like a command rather than a suggestion or question.

Mei Li sighed as she placed the cookies Ayi gave her on the counter. "It's nothing, mom. He's just a friend."

"What? Just a friend?" she exclaimed. "But...he's so handsome!"

What. on. earth. Mei Li gaped, her jaw open. “Mom!” she hissed.

"Where did he take you? Awww, were you guys on a date?" she asked excitedly, her hands clasped together.

"No! I told you it's not like that!"

"Then where were you?"

"At his house," Mei Li replied nonchalantly.

"Ahhhh!" her mom exclaimed again. "So you already met his parents? Don't you think this is kind of fast?"

"UMMA!" Mei Li shouted. I can't believe her!

"Now don't get mad just because I discovered the two of you. You know, I would've approved! You didn't have to hide it. He's quite the catch," she giggled.

Mei Li rolled her eyes. After all this time, her mom was still such a preschooler.

"What's his name?" she asked.

Mei Li sighed. "Kris."

"Does he have a Chinese name?"

"Wu Fan."

"WHAT?" a voice screeched.

Mei Li whipped her head aro