After speaking, Gu Luo took another sip of the slightly bitter alcohol, his heart pounding as he struggled to meet his father’s gaze.
After all, his dad had only been with Aunt Luo for two months, and here he was, already dating her daughter. No matter how you looked at it, it just didn’t seem right.
Especially when it came to their relationship—it felt a bit... L-word adjacent.
Even though they weren’t blood-related, they were still step-siblings, part of the same family.
Gu Luo waited anxiously, but after several seconds, there was still no response from his father.
When he finally looked up, he saw Gu Feng’s face completely devoid of surprise, his expression as relaxed as if they were just chatting about everyday matters.
Biting open another bottle of beer and taking a small sip, Gu Feng smiled and said,
"I know."
Huh?!
Those two words left Gu Luo momentarily stunned. Disbelieving, he asked, "Dad... did you even hear what I just said?"
Wait... they hadn’t even started drinking yet. Was he already drunk?
Ah, right—the peanuts hadn’t even been served.
"Your old man’s been around the block. How could I not notice something like this?" Gu Feng’s mind drifted to Luo Shuhe’s sweet, gentle voice calling him "Dad," and he couldn’t help but sigh.
"That girl is beautiful, kind-hearted—you’d better treat her right."
"Don’t worry, son. You’ve got my blessing."
Wait, what?!
Now that he thought about it, the signs had been there all along—whether it was their close interactions while cooking at home or holding hands during the school festival’s performance.
His cheap old man really was a sharp-eyed dragon when it came to romance.
Most importantly, he’d agreed to it so easily.
Suppressing his excitement, Gu Luo asked again, "Dad... you’re really okay with this?"
"I am."
"But what about Aunt Luo... our situation..."
"Don’t worry, Aunt Luo won’t object." Gu Feng took another sip of beer and chuckled. "Besides, we haven’t even gotten married yet."
"Announcing it publicly was just to avoid office gossip."
"We were planning to tie the knot by the end of the year, but since you kids have hit it off, we’ll figure it out later. It’s just a piece of paper—it won’t change how I feel about your Aunt Luo."
"So legally speaking, you two aren’t siblings. Go ahead and date without worries."
Hearing this, Gu Luo was genuinely shocked. "Dad... you mean... you and Aunt Luo haven’t even registered your marriage?"
"Marriage is a big deal—it’s about merging two families. Of course, we’d want you kids to be on board first." Gu Feng paused, then added softly, "Shuhe and her sisters mean everything to your Aunt Luo."
"But... why didn’t you say something sooner?"
Gu Feng shrugged. "You never asked."
"......"
Gu Luo opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.
Now that he thought about it, it was true. Back then, his cheap old man had only asked him and Gu Ximan to meet Aunt Luo and her daughters—he’d never mentioned marriage.
But living under the same roof with the Luo sisters had subconsciously made them all assume the two families had already become one.
After a moment of silence, Gu Luo, though happy, couldn’t help but voice his concern:
"Isn’t this unfair to Aunt Luo...?"
If he and Luo Shuning got together, his dad and Aunt Luo definitely couldn’t get married.
"Don’t worry. Like I said, Shuhe and her sisters are your Aunt Luo’s whole world."
"...Alright. I’ll find time to talk to Aunt Luo privately and get her approval."
Lost in thought, Gu Luo completely missed how Gu Feng always mentioned Shuhe first when talking about the Luo sisters.
"Good. It’s the thought that counts." Gu Feng raised his bottle.
Noticing this, Gu Luo quickly picked up his own, deliberately lowering it slightly when clinking as a sign of respect.
"Drink up. Tonight, we’re testing your limits—at least a whole case." Gu Feng declared enthusiastically.
"...I have class tomorrow," Gu Luo reminded him with a wry smile.
"Just skip it. No big deal."
"...You really are my biological father."
Despite his complaints, Gu Luo obediently matched his father drink for drink.
His heart felt lighter than ever.
The biggest worry he and Luo Shuning had was the complicated family dynamics, but who knew things would turn out like this? His cheap old man and Aunt Luo weren’t even married yet.
Of course, given their status, a marriage certificate didn’t really change the nature of their relationship.
His little angel would definitely jump for joy when she heard the news.
Before long, Aunt Wang returned, smiling warmly as she and a young waitress carried over plates of food, setting them down neatly on the table.
Gu Luo took one look and couldn’t help but twitch his lips.
Garlic oysters, grilled kidneys, leeks... and an assortment of other "tonics."
"Young Gu Luo doesn’t need too much," Aunt Wang teased before turning to Gu Feng with a grin. "But Ah Feng here might want to load up."
"Hey, hey, Sister Wang," Gu Feng protested seriously. "Prejudice is a heavy burden. You know me—I just genuinely love this stuff."
"Can’t a man enjoy good food?"
"Of course, of course." Aunt Wang played along, exchanging a few more words with Gu Luo before leading the giggling waitress away.
Faintly, their conversation could still be heard:
"Boss, that guy is so handsome! How can anyone look that good?"
"Stop staring. He’s still a kid—you’re practically drooling," Aunt Wang scolded lightly.
"......"
"Dad... seriously..."
Gu Luo stared at the table full of "supplements," feeling a mix of embarrassment and sudden understanding about the source of his father’s legendary stamina.
"Try it first, then judge." Gu Feng grabbed a skewer of grilled kidneys and dug in, offering advice between bites:
"Kidneys are best eaten hot. Once they cool down, they get gamey."
"......"
Glancing around, Gu Luo finally picked up a garlic oyster, scooping some of the vermicelli on top into his mouth.
The next second, his eyes lit up.
"Delicious."
He then eagerly devoured the oyster meat.
"Hah! Tastes great, right? Now try the kidneys."
Father and son continued feasting, chatting about everything and nothing.
Gu Feng repeatedly warned Gu Luo not to mess around with other girls at school.
Gu Luo agreed without hesitation.
None of his admirers at school could hold a candle to his little angel.
And so, time slipped by unnoticed.
Three rounds of drinks later...
Gu Luo's cheeks had turned bright red, his eyes hazy and unfocused as he chewed on some leeks, mumbling incoherently, "So... so Dad..."
"How... how did you and Aunt Luo... meet..."
"...So impressive... you actually... managed to win over... Luo..."
"It's a long story, I'll tell you another time when we have more time," Gu Feng replied. Though he had also drunk quite a bit, his gaze remained sharp, his mind still clear.
"Keep drinking. Let me see where your limit is."
"O... kay... O... kay..."
Gu Luo, feeling happy, clumsily formed an imperfect "OK" gesture with his fingers before taking another swig.
And so it went.
Bottle after bottle.
Eventually, he slumped drunkenly over the table, occasionally letting out a silly giggle.
Aunt Wang, who had just finished serving another table, frowned at the sight and hurried over, scolding Gu Feng with exasperation:
"Honestly, in all my years, I’ve never seen a father like you. Getting your own son this drunk?"
Gu Feng waved her off with a laugh. "I’m just helping him figure out his limits. That’s what they teach online, isn’t it?"
"You’re out of your mind! That’s advice for girls—what’s there to fear if a boy gets drunk? This isn’t some uptight place." Aunt Wang gently shook Gu Luo, who merely giggled against the table without any dramatic outbursts. She sighed in relief.
"Drunken manners reveal character. Little Luo really is a good kid."
"I’ll go make some sobering soup. Don’t go filling him up with alcohol for no reason next time."
"No need, no need. I’ve already called someone to pick him up. We’ll have more drinks at home later. Aunt Wang, you’ve got so many customers—go take care of them."
"...Fine, suit yourself. You’re impossible."
Aunt Wang shook her head and turned to attend to the next table.
Gu Feng chuckled, then pulled out his phone and called Luo Shuhe.
She answered instantly.
A sweet voice immediately came through the phone: "Dad."
That single word, "Dad," filled Gu Feng with warmth. He grinned. "Sweetheart, Gu Luo’s drunk. Can you come pick him up in a bit?"
There was a pause on the other end before Luo Shuhe responded, clearly puzzled. "Dad... you two...?"
"Sweetheart, Gu Luo’s already promised me he won’t mess around with anyone at school. From now on, you two can date freely, without any worries."
"...Huh? Dad, can you tell me how that conversation went?"
"Sure." Gu Feng glanced at Gu Luo, who was still giggling to himself, and briefly recounted what had happened.
Then, with deliberate implication, he added, "Sweetheart, I’ve got to head back soon. Why don’t you take Gu Luo out for some fresh air to sober up? Just make sure he’s home by... say, 10:30 at the latest."
A long silence followed before Luo Shuhe’s voice came through, brimming with barely contained joy:
"Dad, I love you so much!"
............
............