“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? Weren’t you on your way when we talked on the phone just now?” As soon as Xiao Yufan stepped outside, he saw Yu Yihan standing with his father, and his heart sank. With all the traffic in Beijing, he couldn’t believe his father had arrived so quickly.
“My car was stuck halfway, so I just got out and walked the rest of the way. Might as well get some exercise. Besides, weren’t you saying you were at work earlier? How come you got back so quickly?” Xiao Yufan’s father looked from Xiao Yufan to Yu Yihan, with an expression that seemed to say, “I understand.” Xiao Yufan felt a bit speechless—his father must have 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 for me, I could just come by your place another day to pick them up!”
Xiao Yufan’s face turned slightly red, yet he still tried to act like he had just come home from work. Yu Yihan gave him a cold glance. At that moment, she suddenly felt that Xiao Yufan wasn’t so bad after all—at least he cared deeply for his family.
“This is the thick clothing your mother asked me to bring, and some other things 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 that cold yet; Mom worries too much!” Xiao Yufan felt a warmth in his heart. After struggling in Beijing for so long, the only people who truly cared for him seemed to be his parents. This only strengthened his determination to carve out a future for himself in the city.
“You don’t come home often, so your mother wanted to prepare the warm clothes 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. However, there was a secret hidden in his heart that Xiao Yufan didn’t even know—that Xiao Yufan wasn’t actually his biological child. Yet, he had poured all his love into raising him.
“A wife?” Xiao Yufan was momentarily stunned. He knew his father was referring to the woman he had already broken up with. He couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. A wife and a family had become luxuries for him. Now, he only wanted to work hard alone and build a future for himself.
Yu Yihan stood quietly aside, observing. She could see that Xiao Yufan was a man with a past. If it hadn’t been for her initial prejudice, perhaps the two of them wouldn’t have ended up in such a tense situation. But given her personality, she naturally wouldn’t say much—she preferred to let things unfold naturally.
“I won’t stay here. Here’s 3,000 yuan; take it for now. The family doesn’t really need the money anyway!” Xiao Yufan’s father took out a thick wad of cash from his pocket and placed it on the table. He knew Xiao Yufan better than anyone else in the world. Just by glancing at the room’s decor, he could tell that his son’s life wasn’t as bright 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. Xiao Yufan had never sent a penny back home. Although 3,000 yuan wasn’t a huge sum, it was still a significant amount.
“I can earn money now; I really don’t need it…” Although Xiao Yufan’s current life was very tight financially, he didn’t want to take the 3,000 yuan, especially knowing that the family might need it.
“I’m your father; I know what kind of person you are! We have money at home, so don’t worry. As long as you’re doing well, we won’t have any concerns!” Xiao Yufan’s father naturally understood his son’s thoughts. He gave a dry laugh and a single sentence made Xiao Yufan’s face turn red again. Yu Yihan couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Xiao Yufan didn’t know what to say. He shot Yu Yihan a sharp look, while his father, sensing the awkwardness, took a couple of steps back and said, “I’ll leave first. You two carry on with your business!”
“Are you really leaving already? 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 anymore, so he didn’t really 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 hesitation. After gathering his belongings, he prepared to leave. Seeing that his father had no intention of staying, Xiao Yufan couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief—this place was no longer his home.
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 a pair of still somewhat cold eyes. This time, though, there was a hint of warmth in those beautiful eyes.
“I guess everything’s settled now, right? Do you still want to stay here?” Yu Yihan gave a light snort, looked at Xiao Yufan lying comfortably on the sofa, and said with a smirk.
“It’s all 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 spare me a little space?” Xiao Yufan understood Yu Yihan’s meaning. He gave a lecherous grin, reverting once again to his usual womanizing self.
The little goodwill Yu Yihan had just begun to feel disappeared instantly at Xiao Yufan’s words. The proud curve of her lips grew slowly. She was sure that in front of elders, this guy had been pretending all along, and as soon as they left, he reverted to his usual despicable self. She couldn’t wait for him to leave.
“Are you even a man? Why do you always break your promises?” Yu Yihan tried to provoke Xiao Yufan. This guy had broken his word more than once, and now he dared to make such a shameless request. Truly worthy of being called a scoundrel. However, after saying it, she felt her words were a bit too harsh. She could sense that Xiao Yufan was a man with a very strong sense of self-respect.
“Yufan, are you in the room?” After hastily tidying up the bedroom, Xiao’s father’s voice came from outside the door. Xiao Yufan’s heart skipped a beat, and he rushed out of the bedroom, not wanting his father to meet Yu Yihan first.
“Why are you here so early? Weren’t you still on the road when we spoke on the phone?” As soon as Xiao Yufan stepped out, he saw Yu Yihan standing with his father, and his heart sank. Beijing’s traffic was notoriously bad, and he hadn’t expected his father to arrive so quickly.
“The car got stuck halfway, so I walked the rest of the way. It was good exercise. Didn’t you just say you were at work? How did you get back so fast?” Xiao’s father glanced at Xiao Yufan and then at Yu Yihan, his expression suggesting he understood something. Xiao Yufan felt a bit speechless; it seemed his father had mistaken Yu Yihan for his girlfriend. But such a woman? He wouldn’t dare.
“I left work early knowing you were coming. Why did you bother making the trip? If there’s something, I could have picked it up from you in a few days!”
Xiao Yufan’s face turned red, but he tried to maintain the appearance of having just returned from work. Yu Yihan gave him a cold glance, but at that moment, she suddenly felt that Xiao Yufan wasn’t as detestable as she had thought—at least he was very good to his family.
“Your mother asked me to bring you some warm clothes and some things from home.” Xiao’s father pulled out two sweaters and some local specialties from the bag, placing them on the table without any intention of sitting down.
“It’s not even cold yet. Mom is too anxious!” Xiao Yufan felt a warmth in his heart. After struggling in Beijing for so long, it seemed only his parents truly cared for him. This only strengthened his resolve to make a name for himself in Beijing.
“You don’t come home often, so your mother had to prepare the warm clothes early. And you don’t have a wife or anyone to take care of you!”
There was a hint of reproach in Xiao’s father’s words, but his eyes were filled with undeniable affection. Though there was a secret in Xiao’s father’s heart that even Xiao Yufan didn’t know—that Xiao Yufan wasn’t his biological child—he had poured all his love into him.
“Wife?” Xiao Yufan was momentarily stunned. He knew his father was referring to the woman he had broken up with. He couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. A wife and a home had become a distant dream for him. Now, he just wanted to focus on building a future for himself.
Yu Yihan stood quietly to the side. She could tell that Xiao Yufan had a story. If not for her preconceived notions, perhaps they wouldn’t have been so at odds. But given her nature, she wouldn’t say much. She preferred to let things take their course.
“I won’t stay long. Here’s 3,000 yuan for you. The family doesn’t need much money right now.” Xiao’s father pulled out a thick wad of cash from his pocket and placed it on the table. He knew Xiao Yufan better than anyone else. Just a glance at the room’s decor told him that Xiao Yufan’s life wasn’t as glamorous as it might seem.
Xiao Yufan was taken aback. He knew his family’s income wasn’t substantial. His father was a straightforward elementary school teacher who didn’t accept bribes or misuse public funds, relying solely on his modest salary. Xiao Yufan had never contributed financially to the family. Three thousand yuan wasn’t a lot, but it wasn’t insignificant either.
“I can earn money now. I really don’t need this…” Although Xiao Yufan’s life was tight, he didn’t want to take the 3,000 yuan, knowing his family still needed it.
“I’m your father. I know exactly how you are! The family has money, so don’t worry. As long as you’re doing well, we have nothing to worry about.” Xiao’s father understood Xiao Yufan’s thoughts and let out a dry laugh. His words made Xiao Yufan blush, and Yu Yihan couldn’t help but chuckle.
Xiao Yufan didn’t know what to say and shot a glare at Yu Yihan. Sensing the awkwardness, Xiao’s father took a step back and said, “I’ll head off now. You two carry on.”
“Are you sure you won’t stay a bit longer? How long are you planning to stay in Beijing this time?” As soon as Xiao Yufan said this, he realized it was inappropriate. The apartment wasn’t his, and he didn’t even have the right to decide who stayed.
“I’m heading back to the hotel. I have a seminar tomorrow. I’ll probably be in Beijing for about a week.” Xiao’s father didn’t notice Xiao Yufan’s unease. He gathered his things and prepared to leave. Seeing that his father had no intention of staying, Xiao Yufan breathed 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 on the sofa. But when he turned around, he met those still somewhat cold eyes, though this time, there was a hint of warmth in them.
“Everything’s settled now, right? Are you still planning to stay here?” Yu Yihan snorted lightly, looking at Xiao Yufan lounging comfortably on the sofa, her lips curling in disdain.
“It’s all settled, but it’s so late now. You’re not going to kick me out, are you? Can’t you spare a little space for me in this big place?” Xiao Yufan knew what Yu Yihan was implying and gave a sly smile, reverting to his usual lecherous self.
The slight goodwill Yu Yihan had just felt vanished upon hearing Xiao Yufan’s words. The haughty curve of her lips widened. She realized that his earlier behavior in front of his father must have been an act. As soon as the elder left, he reverted to his scoundrel self. She didn’t want him to stay a moment longer.
“Are you even a man? Why do you always go back on your word?” Yu Yihan wanted to provoke Xiao Yufan. He had broken his promises more than once, and now he was making such shameless demands. He truly lived up to his reputation as a scoundrel. But after saying it, she felt her words might have been too harsh, sensing that Xiao Yufan had a strong sense of pride.
“Am I a man? Would you like to check for yourself? I’m always ready…” Xiao Yufan teased, sensing Yu Yihan’s vulnerability. It seemed that when he acted like a rogue, she had no way to deal with him. And this tactic had worked on other women as well.
“You…” Yu Yihan was at a loss for words, glaring coldly at Xiao Yufan. But it seemed she wasn’t going to let him off the hook so easily. The two of them were at a standoff once again…
“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 the hook this time. The two of them were at an impasse again…
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