"Liang, I brought you some barbecue. Eat it while it's hot."
Before the door even opened, a hearty and enthusiastic male voice rang out from the entrance.
Luo Liang, dressed in pajamas, sat upright on the sofa watching TV. At the sound of his voice, she turned her gaze toward the door and saw Gu Feng walking in with a cheerful grin, carrying a bag of barbecue that emitted an irresistible aroma.
She sniffed the air lightly, her expression unchanging as she asked, "You've been drinking?"
Hearing this, Gu Feng's smile faltered. Scratching his head like a guilty child, he hurried over, placed the barbecue on the table, and gestured with his fingers to indicate just a tiny amount. His face was plastered with an ingratiating smile.
"Just a little, really! It's just that Little Luo insisted on dragging me to drink with him. I couldn't say no."
"Sure, sure."
Luo Liang gave him a faint glance, seeing through him but choosing not to call him out. She picked up a skewer, took a small, deliberate bite, and then asked casually, "What did you and Little Luo talk about?"
"Well... it was about his love life..."
"Love life? Does Little Luo have a crush on someone?"
"Well... yeah, he does."
"Whose daughter?"
"...Ours."
Luo Liang paused for a split second but quickly regained her composure, nodding slightly. "That's nice."
"I knew you'd agree! You've been so busy with work lately, so I thought I’d wait before telling you. Let the kids spend some time together first, see if it's just a passing infatuation or something real." Gu Feng sighed in relief and grabbed a skewer for himself.
An image flashed through Luo Liang’s mind—Gu Luo and Luo Shuning holding hands during the school festival. She then said softly, "I don’t object to Little Luo and Shuning being together."
At this, it was Gu Feng’s turn to freeze mid-bite. He quickly laughed and explained, "At first, I thought it was Shuning too! But later, I found out that Little Luo and Shu He are the ones who like each other. I just told Little Luo that we’d support them."
"Shu He?"
Even someone as unflappable as Luo Liang couldn’t hide her surprise at the mention of her second daughter.
"Yeah! Shu He’s so gentle now. You should’ve seen how she was taking care of Little Luo earlier—her gaze, her gestures, so tender." Gu Feng couldn’t help but grin like a proud parent, getting lost in the memory. Without thinking, he blurted out, "Right now, they’re at a hotel, probab—"
He cut himself off abruptly.
Oh no.
"Hotel?" Luo Liang frowned, her expression turning stern. "Little Luo took Shu He to a hotel?"
"Ahem..."
Gu Feng looked extremely awkward. After a moment’s hesitation, he decided honesty was the best policy. "They did go to a hotel, but... it was Shu He who took Little Luo there."
Seeing Luo Liang’s face darken further, he hurriedly added, "Don’t worry, Liang! That brat Little Luo is completely wasted—he won’t even wake up. They can’t do anything serious. At most, it’s just... some harmless, youthful fooling around."
"Are you sure?"
Luo Liang’s expression softened slightly.
"Absolutely, one hundred percent sure."
Gu Feng forced a laugh. "Honestly, it’s kind of a funny misunderstanding. I only meant to get Little Luo a little tipsy so the two of them could go for a walk, enjoy some romance under the stars. But I misjudged the amount, and he ended up completely knocked out."
"So I didn’t stop them. Since they can’t go that far, there’s nothing to worry about. Trust me, I know my way around alcohol."
Luo Liang fell silent for a long moment, as if weighing the situation in her mind. Finally, she said calmly, "Let’s leave it at that for now."
"Yeah, let the kids figure things out on their own. No pressure from us." Gu Feng stood up, walked behind Luo Liang, and began gently massaging her shoulders.
As he worked, a memory surfaced—Gu Luo’s question from earlier at the dinner table: "Dad, how did you and Aunt Luo Liang meet?"
"Liang."
"Hmm?"
Gu Feng had been about to ask, "Do you remember the first time we met?" But the words stuck in his throat.
Instead, he said, "Is this pressure okay?"
"Yeah." Luo Liang responded softly.
"Good."
Gu Feng smiled, but his thoughts had already drifted back to that afternoon many years ago.
............
"My name is Luo Ya."
"You can call me A-Ya."
"Alright, then I’ll call you A-Ya from now on." Gu Feng grinned mischievously before adding in a hushed tone, "When I get the chance, I’ll take you to my secret hideout."
"Secret hideout?"
Luo Ya’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Just as she was about to ask where it was, she noticed Gu Feng’s expression shift into surprise as he stared at something behind her.
"...A-Ya, there’s another A-Ya behind you."
Hearing this, Luo Ya instinctively turned around. Spotting the newcomer, she immediately waved with a bright smile. "Sis, I made a new friend!"
Not far away, an adorable little girl who looked exactly like Luo Ya walked over. She smiled warmly at the slightly dazed Gu Feng and introduced herself with effortless grace:
"Hello, I’m Luo Liang, Luo Ya’s older sister."
Her voice was exceptionally gentle. Though petite, she carried an innate air of elegance, like a young lady from a distinguished family.
"I... I’m Gu Feng. You can call me A-Feng."
Gu Feng found himself instantly captivated by the girl before him. Even his voice betrayed a hint of shyness and nervousness.
"Is that so? Then, A-Feng, you can call me Liang."
............
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