March 23rd.

Friday.

After nearly a month, Liu Changqing finally saw Chen Dafu again.

Compared to the past when he always came to their house empty-handed, today he clearly seemed to have grown more considerate. Liu Changqing could see it clearly—this guy brought quite a few things with him.

He was a little surprised.

If this had been the old Chen Dafu, he would never have brought anything.

Until...

Standing at the door, Chen Dafu had a slightly goofy smile on his face.

"Xiyu said it's not right to show up empty-handed, so I bought some snacks and fruit. Doesn’t your daughter really like this stuff? This is for her."

"So that’s what it is."

Hearing this, Liu Changqing suddenly looked like he had an epiphany. He seemed a bit curious and glanced at Gu Xiyu standing next to him.

It could be said that Gu Xiyu seemed like a completely different person.

She used to go makeup-free, showing her full forehead and wearing a simple ponytail. But now, she had light makeup on and looked much more mature, and her hair was let down.

This style… at least didn’t make her look underage like she did when he first met her.

Noticing Liu Changqing’s gaze, Gu Xiyu, who wasn’t too familiar with him, responded with a polite smile. Seeing her like this, Liu Changqing also smiled back.

Then he invited the two of them into the living room.

Chen Dafu casually placed the items he brought by the wall, then looked at Liu Changqing—who was neatly dressed—and asked curiously.

"Are you heading out?"

"Yeah, I was planning to take Yuanyao downstairs for a little walk. She’s been lying around too much lately and needs some light exercise."

While talking, Liu Changqing turned and took off his coat, hanging it on the nearby coat rack, then pushed up the sleeves of his sweater.

"Do you two want something to drink—tea or something else?"

"Got any booze? I feel like having a drink with you."

Seeing Chen Dafu say this with a mischievous grin, Gu Xiyu, standing beside him, first gave a slightly awkward smile, then secretly reached out and pinched him from behind.

It looked like she didn’t go easy on him.

Otherwise, Chen Dafu wouldn’t have had that twisted expression like he was cramping—but he endured it silently without making a sound.

Seeing Chen Dafu get disciplined by Gu Xiyu, Liu Changqing didn’t show much on his face, but inwardly, he gave a silent thumbs-up.

Serves him right. Good pinch!

On New Year’s Day, Chen Dafu and Feng Qian came to his house for dinner. He got drunk thanks to the two of them, while they were totally fine… So Liu Changqing knew this kid was teasing him.

The bedroom door opened.

Dressed and with her belly showing, An Yuanyao walked out slowly. When she saw Chen Dafu and Gu Xiyu—whom she’d met a few times—she froze for a moment.

Then a smile appeared on her face.

Seeing An Yuanyao, who used to often visit Lan Yixian, Gu Xiyu also clearly remembered her. When she saw her belly, she finally realized why she hadn’t seen her for so long.

As long as women don’t dislike each other, they can hit it off quickly. Even though the two had a bit of an age gap, they had no trouble finding common ground.

Liu Changqing and Chen Dafu stood by, watching. After An Yuanyao and Gu Xiyu exchanged a few words and laughs, they returned to the bedroom.

With the sound of the bedroom door closing…

Only the two men were left in the living room again.

Liu Changqing came back to his senses and walked over to the sofa. Chen Dafu followed and the two sat down together.

They weren’t sitting too far apart.

As Chen Dafu took out a cigarette from his pocket, Liu Changqing’s eyes immediately sharpened.

"No smoking."

"Uh… forgot about that."

Hearing Liu Changqing’s rebuke, Chen Dafu shoved the half-taken cigarette pack back into his pocket, then raised his hands and rubbed his face hard.

He let out a long sigh.

"Xiyu won’t let me smoke now either… I sneak a puff or two when I’m home alone. There’s nowhere left I can happily smoke."

"Just quit. Look at me—ever since I quit, I’ve been in way better shape!"

"Come on, if your wife wasn’t pregnant, would you really have quit?"

Grumbling, Chen Dafu leaned back against the sofa, eyes staring at the ceiling.

He seemed a bit lost in thought.

"I still feel like I’m dreaming. I can’t believe Xiyu actually agreed to marry me."

"Hmm…"

Liu Changqing responded, then quickly realized something was off.

He suddenly turned his head to look at Chen Dafu sprawled on the sofa, full of confusion.

"Hmm? Married? You and her? When did that get decided?"

"Beginning of the month, hehe…"

Speaking of it, Chen Dafu couldn’t help but chuckle.

"I found out later that when I was working at the breakfast shop, she already had a bit of a crush on me. She said I was clumsy but had a good heart and wasn’t a player…"

Hearing this, Liu Changqing wasn’t too surprised.

After all, when Chen Jianguo was beating his son back then, that girl named Gu Xiyu had already reacted a little too strongly.

It’s just that…

Looking at Chen Dafu’s rather plain-looking face.

Liu Changqing couldn’t help but sigh.

So there really are people in this world who don’t care about looks.

Thinking of this, Liu Changqing asked.

"Did you two set a date?"

"Not yet. She just agreed to marry me—we’re still dating… Like you used to say, dating with the goal of marriage."

"……"

"I’ve got it all planned. First kid’s a boy, second a girl, third—"

"You really plan on having that many?"

"Why not? Don’t you have four yourself?"

"That’s different."

"Well, you’ve got four, so I’ve gotta work harder too!"

Watching Chen Dafu hype himself up, Liu Changqing sighed helplessly.

Just as he was about to lecture him on the risks of women having too many kids, the doorbell suddenly rang, and Chen Dafu fell silent.

His eyes turned toward the door.

Liu Changqing got up and walked over to the door.

When he opened it…

He saw Zhou Shiyan standing there, waiting.

For a moment, he froze.

Outside, Zhou Shiyan saw that it was Liu Changqing who had opened the door. Her face was expressionless as she softly said:

"Uncle Liu, can I talk to you about something?"

"……"

Liu Changqing didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he thought it over carefully.

"Isn’t today Friday? Didn’t you have class?"

"I took the day off."