“Yufan, are you inside…?” After hastily tidying up the bedroom, Xiao Yufan’s voice came from outside the door, making Xiao Yufan’s heart skip a beat. He rushed out of the bedroom immediately—he definitely didn’t want his father to meet Yu Yihan first.
“Why did you come so early? Didn’t you say you were still on your way when we talked on the phone?” As soon as Xiao Yufan stepped outside, he saw Yu Yihan standing together with his father. His heart sank immediately. Considering how congested the traffic in Beijing was, he never expected his father to arrive so quickly.
“My car got stuck halfway, so I just got out and walked here. It’s like taking exercise. Besides, weren’t you saying you were at work just now? How come you came back so fast?” Xiao Yufan’s father looked at Xiao Yufan and then at Yu Yihan, his expression clearly saying “I understand.” Xiao Yufan felt speechless—he could tell his father had mistaken Yu Yihan for his girlfriend. But such a woman, he definitely wouldn’t dare to take on.
“I knew you were coming, so I left work early. Why did you have to come all the way here? If you had things to bring, I could have picked them up at your place in a few days!”
Xiao Yufan’s face turned slightly red, yet he still tried to pretend he had just come back from work. Yu Yihan gave him a cold glance. At this moment, she suddenly felt that Xiao Yufan wasn’t that bad after all—at least he truly cared for his family.
“This is the thick clothing your mother asked me to bring, and some other stuff from home!” Xiao Yufan’s father took out two sweaters and some local specialties from the package and placed them on the nearby table. He showed no intention of sitting down.
“It’s not even cold yet; Mom worries too much!” Xiao Yufan felt a warmth in his heart. After struggling in Beijing for such a long time, it seemed like the only people who truly cared for him were his parents. This only strengthened his determination to carve out a future for himself in Beijing.
“You don’t come home often, so your mother just wants to prepare thick clothes for you in advance. Besides, there’s no one around you to take care of you!”
There was a hint of blame in Xiao Yufan’s father’s tone, but his eyes were filled with deep affection. Although Xiao Yufan’s father had a secret he had never revealed to Xiao Yufan—that Xiao Yufan wasn’t his biological son—he had poured all his love and care into Xiao Yufan.
“A wife?” Xiao Yufan was momentarily stunned. He knew his father was referring to the woman who had already broken up with him. He couldn’t help but smile bitterly. A wife and a family had become a luxury for him. Right now, he just wanted to struggle alone and build a future for himself.
Yu Yihan stood quietly aside. She could tell Xiao Yufan was a man with his own story. If not for her initial prejudice, maybe the two of them wouldn’t have ended up in such a tense situation. But with her personality, she naturally wouldn’t say much. She was used to letting things take their natural course.
“I won’t stay here any longer. Here’s 3,000 yuan; take it for now. Anyway, we don’t need money at home right now!” Xiao Yufan’s father took out a thick wad of money from his pocket and placed it on the table as well. He knew Xiao Yufan better than anyone else in the world. Just by glancing at the room’s decoration, he could tell that Xiao Yufan’s life wasn’t as glamorous as it seemed.
Xiao Yufan was taken aback. He knew the family’s income wasn’t high. His father was a primary school teacher who never accepted gifts or misused public funds, living solely on his salary. He had never sent a penny back home. Although 3,000 yuan wasn’t a huge amount, it was still a significant sum.
“I can earn money now; I really don’t need it…” Although Xiao Yufan’s current life was quite tight, he didn’t want to take the 3,000 yuan, considering the family still needed money.
“I’m your father; don’t I know what you’re like? We have money at home, so don’t worry. As long as you’re doing well, we won’t have any worries!” Xiao Yufan’s father naturally understood what his son was thinking. He chuckled slightly, and with just one sentence, he made Xiao Yufan’s face turn red. Yu Yihan couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Xiao Yufan didn’t know what to say. He shot Yu Yihan a sharp glance. Sensing the slight awkwardness in the atmosphere, Xiao Yufan’s father took a couple of steps back and said, “I’ll go first. You two carry on with your business!”
“Are you sure you won’t stay a bit longer? How long will you be staying in Beijing this time…” Xiao Yufan only realized the inappropriateness of his words after he had spoken them. This house didn’t even belong to him, and it seemed he didn’t even have the right to make decisions here.
“I need to go back to the hotel. I have a seminar tomorrow, and I’ll probably stay in Beijing for about a week!” Xiao Yufan’s father didn’t notice his son’s helplessness. After tidying up his belongings, he was ready to leave. Seeing that his father had no intention of staying, Xiao Yufan couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief—after all, this place was no longer his.
After seeing his father off, Xiao Yufan let out a long breath and plopped down onto the sofa. However, when he turned around, he met that pair of still somewhat cold eyes. This time, though, there was a bit more warmth in those beautiful eyes.
“I guess everything’s fine now, right? Do you still want to stay here?” Yu Yihan gave a slight humph, looking at Xiao Yufan who was lying on the sofa looking very relaxed, and said with a smirk.
“Yeah, everything’s fine now. But it’s already so late; you’re not going to kick me out, are you? In such a big place, can’t you leave me a corner?” Xiao Yufan understood Yu Yihan’s implication. He gave a very lewd smile, reverting once again to his usual lecherous self.
The slight goodwill Yu Yihan had just begun to feel vanished instantly upon hearing Xiao Yufan’s words. The proud curve of her lips slowly widened. She was sure that in front of elders, this guy had been pretending. As soon as the elders left, he immediately reverted to his usual scoundrel self. She couldn’t wait to get rid of Xiao Yufan.
“Are you even a man? Why do you always go back on your word?” Yu Yihan wanted to provoke Xiao Yufan. This guy had broken his promises more than once, and now he was making such a shameless request. Truly worthy of being called a scoundrel. However, after saying it, she felt her words were a bit too harsh, because she could sense that Xiao Yufan was a man with extremely strong self-esteem.
“Whether I’m a man or not, would you like to check for yourself? I’m always ready to serve…” Xiao Yufan teased. He had roughly sensed Yu Yihan’s weak spot. It seemed that whenever he acted like a ruffian, she was completely helpless against him, and this method had never failed with other women either.
“You…” Yu Yihan was momentarily speechless with anger. She gave Xiao Yufan a cold glare, but judging from her expression, she had no intention of letting him off so easily. Once again, the two were at an impasse…
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