Lin Yu was contemplating how to phrase his response while glancing at Mao Ruirui.
He was worried that after he finished speaking, she might jump in to smooth things over for him again.
At that moment, Mao Ruirui sat with her hands propped on the sofa, her head lowered in a shy smile.
Upon closer inspection,
a faint blush of embarrassment was visible on her cheeks.
Lin Yu: "..."
What on earth did she mishear this time?
Her unpredictable hearing was truly impossible to decipher!
Regaining his composure, Lin Yu quickly replied:
"Perhaps it's due to my family circumstances, but I never had many friends in school."
"Quite a few classmates around me were dating, but I never really considered it."
Reluctantly,
Lin Yu brought up the topic of his "family circumstances."
He wasn’t sure whether Chang Xiaoxiao had ever asked Mao Ruirui about his background.
In his past life during his school years,
his family situation had indeed made him withdrawn,
leading female classmates to exclude him from their romantic considerations.
When it came to "selecting a partner for their daughter," parents would pay even more attention to this.
Especially in families deeply influenced by traditional values, the idea of "marrying within one’s social standing" carried significant weight.
At the mention of family circumstances, Father Chang’s expression shifted slightly with suspicion.
Clearly,
Mao Ruirui had never brought up Lin Yu’s family in casual conversations.
And upon hearing Lin Yu’s sudden admission,
Mao Ruirui, who had been bashful just moments ago, immediately composed herself.
She understood well that such matters were often personal taboos.
Father Chang simply nodded calmly and said:
"Private family matters need not be discussed today."
With that understated remark, he effortlessly moved past the topic,
earning even more respect from Lin Yu.
Despite his curiosity, Father Chang maintained his respect for Lin Yu,
ensuring he never felt intruded upon.
Yet Lin Yu had underestimated Father Chang’s wisdom and life experience.
Immediately after,
Father Chang continued:
"Though I don’t know the specifics of your family situation, young man, a man must ultimately rely on himself."
"When I was young, my family had many children, and I was the youngest."
"My parents passed away early, and I had no influential siblings or relatives to lean on."
"To put it bluntly, I received no help from my family, yet I didn’t starve—I even married, had a daughter, and built a life."
"At your age, I was still struggling to put food on the table, while you’ve already carved out a future for yourself."
"Lin Yu, I believe your future holds far greater promise than most young people!"
Lin Yu: "!!!"
This…
Why was he relating so deeply?
Now that he thought about it,
aside from not having siblings, their experiences were somewhat similar!
A seasoned man was indeed a seasoned man.
Even though Lin Yu had been mentally resisting, Father Chang’s words still stirred a surge of motivation in him.
An experienced elder truly carried the weight of weathered wisdom and profound insight.
"Thank you, Uncle. What you said really resonates with me."
Lin Yu raised his teacup and clinked it with Father Chang’s.
The freshly brewed tea somehow tasted aged, like a fine vintage.
Not forgetting Mao Ruirui, he also lightly tapped his cup against hers.
Mao Ruirui leaned in, whispering to Lin Yu with a puzzled expression:
"Where are we eating? Hot pot?"
"Lin Yu, if you’re busy, you can just tell Uncle and Auntie directly."
"Let them know we won’t be staying for dinner—don’t feel pressured."
Lin Yu: "..."
While they were discussing profound life lessons, she was stuck on dinner plans.
While they spoke of resilience and ambition, she was focused on the menu.
Her concern for him was genuine, though misplaced.
Just as Mother Chang emerged from the kitchen with a plate of peaches,
the jingling sound of keys finally echoed from the doorway.
Lin Yu perked up.
At last, she was back!
Xiaoxiao, you’ve kept me waiting!
The door swung open.
Both Lin Yu and Mao Ruirui rose from the sofa.
But the first to appear from the entryway wasn’t Chang Xiaoxiao—
It was the overly energetic dog, Changsheng!
"Changsheng, come here!"
The moment she saw the Labrador trotting in with its collar on, Mao Ruirui brightened up.
Changsheng was a typical yellow-furred Labrador,
with a sturdy, straight back and an exceptionally friendly gaze.
Food aggression was rare in this breed.
On their way over, Lin Yu had learned about Changsheng’s background from Mao Ruirui.
According to her, the dog had never displayed food-guarding behavior with its previous owner.
Initially, she thought Changsheng might feel insecure after being rehomed.
But after spending time with it,
she dismissed that theory.
Changsheng was clearly living its best life in the Chang household—
doted on by all three family members.
Based on its playful demeanor, it definitely wasn’t lacking security.
Mao Ruirui shared another theory with Lin Yu:
Perhaps excessive spoiling had blurred Changsheng’s understanding of hierarchy!
Lin Yu found this explanation quite plausible.
Especially when he saw Changsheng leap onto the sofa without hesitation,
his conviction grew stronger.
He wasn’t a pet store owner or a veterinarian.
He couldn’t decipher a dog’s emotions.
But he could make sure the dog understood his emotions!
"Woof! Woof woof!"
After bounding over to Mao Ruirui, Changsheng barked twice at Lin Yu—the unfamiliar guest.
Before Mao Ruirui could react, a stern voice called from the doorway:
"Changsheng, that’s rude!"
"We have a guest—no bad manners."
Chang Xiaoxiao stepped in, glasses perched on her nose, shopping bags in hand.
Her sundress, with its cartoon dog print and pale yellow collar, radiated youthful charm.
The frilly white socks added a touch of girlish innocence to her slender legs.
Originally, Lin Yu hadn’t viewed Xiaoxiao with any particular thoughts.
But now,
with her parents subtly vetting him as if this were some parental matchmaking session…
Well.
Xiaoxiao was undeniably pretty.
Aside from its food issues, Changsheng seemed perfectly well-behaved.
With just one reprimand from Chang Xiaoxiao,
it obediently quieted down—though its eyes remained fixed on Lin Yu,
as if worried he might steal its food bowl at any moment.
Lin Yu simply responded with a warm smile,
neither speaking nor giving any commands.
Act tough all you want—it didn’t matter.
He’d dealt with plenty of unruly animals before.
They all ended up the same way.
"Xiaoxiao, why did shopping take so long?"
"Lin Yu and Ruirui have been waiting for ages!"
Mother Chang set down the fruit plate and beckoned her daughter to join them.
The only available seat left…
was right beside Lin Yu.
Was this "Matchmaking Session: Round Two"?
Parents first, now the daughter’s turn?
Let’s just focus on the dog!
Lin Yu swiftly steered the conversation back on track:
"Xiaoxiao, where does Changsheng usually eat?"
"You came back just in time—let’s figure out what’s going on."
"Such a sweet dog should be easy to train."
...
(Second update today—more to come soon! Back to work!)
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
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with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
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