「Mommy I’m home.」
現在10點多了，該是Ariel上床躺平的時候。「Young lady, you finally remember your curfew—now you owe Your Mother an explanation—sit down, right now.」
可蓉卸下書包，拉出椅子，坐在媽媽面前，邊撥弄沒時間解開的三股辮。
「Now, be really honest. Tell Your Mother, ‘Where have you been?’」
媽媽的語氣透露的潛台詞是：
”Don’t give Me ‘with the girls’—that won’t work.”【別來「跟女孩們練習」這套──這不管用。】
況且，這套「約會服，」跟家倫哈得要死的髮型，無法用爛藉口來糊弄。
總不能說「剛剛送到樓下的時候，家倫還依依不捨看我上樓，遲遲不肯去公車站牌搭車。」
面對媽媽的審問，她不能打馬虎眼。
「I was doing my homework with Mr. Wu’s help—」
「Poor pretense.」【「爛藉口。」】
可蓉背脊一陣涼意。
「You don’t put on that ‘dress’ while doing your homework with your homeroom teacher—」
「Mother, you have taught me all the manners.
「If I am seeking Mr. Wu’s help, I have to show my gratitude.
「If I am to show my sincerest gratitude, I am to wear a formal dress, with a ‘basket containing a cake and a bottle of wine,’ on behalf of My Mother, for helping Her daughter to get good grades—these are the rules you taught me, Mommy.」
【我如果代表馬麻，跟吳老師致謝，必須帶上束脩──「一竹籃的蛋糕，配一瓶紅酒。」】
她馬麻顯然沒聽出，可蓉剛剛偷渡《小紅帽》的情節，來支持自己的藉口。
眼看謊言沒被拆穿，可蓉更大膽地扯謊：
「I know You are always busy, You couldn’t make it by visiting him in person, so I took the liberty to thank him, representing You.
「He was the humblest teacher I have ever had.
「He said he was only doing his part; helping students to get better grades is his duty, he said.
「He refused the gifts but took my, Your, gratitude.
「We had dinner together. That is the story.」
【補完習，我們吃頓完餐，就這樣。】
「以母之矛，攻母之盾」──Ariel just cast Her Mother’s own spell against Herself.
畢竟衣服、配件、髮型……等，都是母親她親自替可蓉張羅過的：這整套衣著也是之前，為了股東聚會，帶可蓉出席時，幫她設計的裝扮。
這下，她媽媽也無法多說什麼。
「I see.」
她媽媽收拾了桌面──看來審問結束了。
「Go take a shower and go to bed early. You have been late for one hour of your bedtime.」
……
但是，這齣「感謝餐會」的劇本並未完全說服多疑的母親。
她母親越想越不對勁，便在她還在跟家倫討論功課（這次真的是討論功課，沒有做見不得人的事情）的時候，電話一打來，就開始一頓質疑：
「Ariel, Mother want you to be completely honest: Are you hanging out with anyone ‘Mother forbid you to mingle with?’—is it a “he?” Mommy told you the millionth time, ‘Don’t hang out with boys’—DO YOU NOT REMEMBER WHAT MOMMY HAVE TOLD YOU—」
【媽咪禁止妳跟男生見面，記得規矩嗎？】
……
國中的時候，有一個「可能」喜歡自己的男生跟她相處得很好，也經常私下約出去寫功課、去圖書館念書之類的。
結束後，她們兩人並不會去其他會惹八卦的地方，就只是中規中矩說再見，而後分頭、各自回家。
終於，在其中一個來得及跟對方告白之前，Mommy出手干預了：
「Ariel，那個男生是誰？」
「只是同班同學。」
「Ariel，Mommy不是跟妳說過不要讓男生接近妳嗎？──以後不准妳跟男生接觸，知道嗎？」
Ariel低頭瞪大眼睛，深吸口氣，同時渾身劇烈顫抖。
「You hear me? Do not let any boys get close to you, understand?」
「I understand, Mommy.」
「Don’t just ‘Understand, Mommy.’ Try to do something right—don’t give Mommy that perfunctory reply. Is it the thousand-first time Mommy told you—Have Mommy told you a thousand times?—GET AWAY from BOYS—they are serpents—VENOMOUS—serpents—DO YOU UNDERSTAND?」
【媽咪有沒有說一千次──這是第一千零一次說：離男生遠一點！他們跟毒蛇一樣惡毒，毒蛇！妳明白嗎？】
