The scene was deeply awkward.

Even someone like Chen Dafu, who usually didn’t care much about appearances, felt embarrassed being stared at like that by Liu Changqing’s family.

Facing the mother and son standing in the kitchen doorway, Chen Dafu obediently let go of Liu Changqing, turned around, and said to the two of them,

“Me and Old Liu… were just messing around.”

“……”

“……”

There was a brief silence. An Yuanyao looked at Chen Dafu, then at Liu Changqing standing beside him.

After thinking for a while, she gradually composed herself. She realized that if she didn’t break the awkwardness now, it was just going to keep spiraling.

She didn’t press further, and instead asked Liu Changqing,

“Are the strawberries washed?”

“Mm… they’re in the bowl.”

Hearing his reply, An Yuanyao spotted the small bowl sitting to the side. She picked it up and said to Liu Changqing,

“Come back to the room with me…”

With that, she walked away from the kitchen. Liu Changqing quickly followed her.

Only Chen Dafu and Liu Zhiyue were left standing there.

They exchanged a glance.

Then Liu Zhiyue said, “I’m gonna go to the bathroom.”

After that, he too left.

Given the situation…

Even Chen Dafu felt it was unbearably awkward.

Now that he had calmed down and thought about it, he realized his earlier behavior was way too weird.

So… humiliating.

They’re not seriously gonna think I’m gay, right?

----------------------------------------

In the bedroom.

An Yuanyao placed the bowl of strawberries on the nightstand, then sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Liu Changqing.

“Did he come to you for help with something?”

“Yeah.”

Liu Changqing responded simply.

Just thinking back to what had happened earlier made his head ache.

That guy Chen Dafu was a unique one—you could never guess what he was going to do next.

Seriously… what kind of grown man does something like that?

Letting out a sigh, Liu Changqing felt helpless. He sat down at the edge of the bed and explained to An Yuanyao what had happened in the kitchen, and why Chen Dafu had acted that way.

She hadn’t expected it, but after hearing it, she was furious.

She slapped the mattress with her hand.

“Outrageous!”

“You think so too, right? I don’t even know what the heck he was thinking…”

“How could he hug you? That’s going too far!”

“……”

“Only I can hug you like that… how could he do that?”

“Uh…”

“So, what are you gonna do? About him and Gu Xiyu?”

Her tone shifted sharply. Just moments ago she was furious, and now she was asking about Gu Xiyu.

It caught Liu Changqing off guard.

After a moment, he said,

“What else can I do? He has to handle this himself. It’s his own family matter. No matter how close we are, it’s still his business. I can’t interfere.”

“You’re right. If you mess it up, you’ll just end up offending both sides…”

Agreeing with him, An Yuanyao casually reached into the bowl, picked up a strawberry, and held it up to Liu Changqing’s mouth.

“Ah~ here, have one.”

“This… you’re feeding me? Isn’t that a little embarrassing…”

His eyes instinctively glanced toward the doorway. Confirming that it was just the two of them in the room, even though he said that, Liu Changqing still opened his mouth and ate the strawberry she offered.

It was juicy and sweet.

Delicious.

After swallowing it, Liu Changqing said to An Yuanyao,

“You eat first, I’ll go check on Dafu and explain things.”

“Mm, go ahead.”

Liu Changqing left the bedroom.

When he saw Chen Dafu standing at the front door, looking torn…

He walked over.

“No one can help you with this. It’s your own family issue. You can’t expect someone else to solve every little problem for you…”

“……”

“Relax, it’s still your dad. What’s the worst he’s gonna do—kill you?”

“Let’s hope not… my dad’s always had a knack for beating his son.”

“Sigh…”

“And earlier was so awkward… help me explain, okay? My orientation is totally normal… Anyway, I’m gonna head out first.”

With that, Chen Dafu gave a brief goodbye, then pushed open the door and left.

Watching his slightly dejected back, Liu Changqing shook his head and closed the door that Chen Dafu hadn’t bothered to shut.

Honestly, Liu Changqing didn’t have high hopes for Chen Dafu and Gu Xiyu.

The age gap wasn’t really the issue—though they were seven years apart, Chen Dafu acted young, and he got along well with younger girls. That wasn’t a big deal.

The main issue was family background.

There was an old saying:

“A good match in family background.”

That concept had been perfectly reflected in Liu Changqing’s own past.

His marriage to Li Wanran had ultimately failed largely because of their unequal family circumstances.

If it weren’t for the fact that Li Zhengmao hadn’t cared much about such things, even if Li Wanran had agreed to marry Liu Changqing, they probably wouldn’t have successfully gotten their marriage license.

Chen Dafu might not have impressive looks or education, but his greatest strength was his solid family background.

On the other hand, that girl Gu Xiyu didn’t have high academic qualifications, and her family wasn’t particularly well-off. From what Chen Dafu described, her only real strength was her personality.

There’s a saying that goes, “a good match” doesn’t necessarily mean both families need to be equally wealthy. What it really means—at its core—is shared worldview and life experience.

Like when a rich girl marries a poor boy.

Even if they fall in love and get married, after that, disagreements are bound to arise. One’s used to a life of luxury, the other’s used to pinching pennies…

Maybe that’s why Chen Dafu’s dad didn’t approve—he was probably afraid his son would get taken advantage of by some woman.

At that age, it was normal for parents to overthink things.

Liu Changqing had looked into Chen Jianguo a bit.

He wasn’t highly educated, but what stood out about him was his boldness.

Back when everyone else was scrambling for stable jobs, he had taken a risky route and started a business of his own.

To build the success he had today…

It was clear the man had guts.

If there were ever a chance, Liu Changqing really would like to meet him.

And… have a good, long talk.

Just as these thoughts were swirling in Liu Changqing’s mind, his phone suddenly rang.

He pulled it out to check—another call from an unmarked number.

The last unmarked call had been from Chu Fang—who was it this time?

With that question in mind, Liu Changqing answered the phone.

“Hello?”

“Is this Liu Changqing? Is that little brat of mine at your place?”