I'm a senior in high school, and the system says I'm going on a blind date with my childho

Chapter 253 Old Shen: Damn it, they're coming for me!
He was just relieved that Aunt Xu had pulled him away protectively, thinking he could catch his breath and avoid being seen by Old Li.

Who would have thought that with a wave of his hand, Lao Shen would send him straight and accurately into the bullseye of Lao Li's scrutiny!
This was an incredibly precise strike of fatherly love!
"Uh...oh..."

Shen Yuan's throat felt like it was stuck with invisible sandpaper, and he could only give an extremely dry response.

He looked into Lao Li's calm yet penetrating eyes, his calves involuntarily tensed, and the hairs on the back of his head stood on end.

A chilling tension crept up his spine, sending shivers down his spine.

This is probably the pressure from the father-in-law!
Oh no... Is this the prelude to a private "chat"? Is the assessment about to begin?

The warm air in the living room seemed to freeze instantly, becoming so heavy it was suffocating.

He felt like a target, enduring Lao Li's judgmental gaze.

Shen Yuan stiffly moved toward Old Shen... or rather, toward the "eye of the storm" where Old Shen and Old Li were.

With each step closer, the oppressive feeling emanating from Lao Li's silence increased exponentially.

I'm going to die!!!

Shen Yuan screamed wildly in his heart again, feeling his soul already trembling in advance.

After stepping onto the sofa, Shen Yuan shrank his neck, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty, and managed to squeeze out a dry, almost hoarse address.

"...Hello, Uncle Li."

Old Li's gaze lingered on his tense body for half a second, but his hand holding the teacup remained motionless.

There was no emotion in those deep eyes.

After a moment, Lao Li nodded slightly, the movement of his chin so slight it seemed like an illusion, yet it felt as if a thousand pounds of pressure were crashing down on Shen Yuan's heart.

"Ah."

Li Zhi sat close to Xu Chan, his fingers unconsciously twisting together.

She watched as Shen Yuan was "escorted" away, his stiff back making her heart leap into her throat. The panic she had just felt in the study, which Shen Yuan had managed to suppress with his kiss, surged back again.

She could clearly feel the immense pressure Shen Yuan was under at that moment.

Just then, Xu Chan beside him suddenly moved.

She gently patted Li Zhi's hand, her smile gentle yet undeniably authoritative.

"Zhizhi, you've been sitting for so long. Come with Mom to the kitchen and see if Aunt Zhang needs any help. Don't make her do all the work."

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for Shen Yuan and Lao Li to faintly hear, her tone so natural as if she were just chatting casually.

Li Zhi: "!!!"

When her mother suddenly pulled her up from the "shelter," Li Zhi shuddered, like a startled little rabbit.

She instinctively wanted to seek Shen Yuan's support, her gaze turning in alarm to the boy who was being oppressed by his father.

Their eyes met in mid-air for a split second—

Li Zhi's beautiful almond-shaped eyes were filled with panic, and a strong sense of helplessness, as if she had just escaped one tiger's den only to fall into another!

That look in his eyes seemed to be a silent cry.

"I'm doomed!!! Help me!!!"

The plea for help was clearly, directly, and without reservation conveyed to Shen Yuan, who was standing frozen in front of Lao Li.

Shen Yuan: "!!!"

Shen Yuan's heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by that gaze and then violently slammed to the ground.

The pressure from Lao Li hadn't been digested yet, and the situation of Li Zhi being taken away made his already blank mind even more blank.

He even forgot to control his expression; the momentary astonishment was clearly visible on his face.

However, Xu Chan did not stop. She gently but firmly took Li Zhi's small hand and easily lifted her up from the sofa.

Li Zhi's body was as stiff as a wooden doll as her mother pulled her toward the kitchen.

The beautiful girl kept turning back to look at Shen Yuan, her gaze fixed on his face, filled with a tragic sense of "Good luck to you, I'm probably doomed too."

Zhang Yuyan was busy in the kitchen, her spatula flying and the aroma filling the air.

When she saw Xu Chan pulling Li Zhi in, she was stunned for a moment, then her face immediately broke into an even brighter smile.

"Oh my, look who's here? Is Little Zhizhi here to help? Perfect, she and your mom can keep me company for a while! I'm so bored."

The bright lights and aromas of food in the kitchen felt to Li Zhi like the spotlight of an interrogation room.

Faced with Zhang Yuyan's enthusiastic words and the inescapable aura of her mother beside her, Li Zhi completely gave up struggling.

With his father watching him intently from the front, his mother personally escorting him from behind, and Shen Yuan's mother's fiery enthusiasm on the side...

This isn't a place for dinner!

This is clearly a joint public denunciation and trial of parents!
The key point is that they were interrogated separately.

To die!

In the kitchen, the sound of spatulas stirring mingled with the rich aroma of food. The light shone on the gleaming stainless steel cookware, casting slightly blurry and flickering shadows.

With a perfectly natural smile on her face, Zhang Yuyan deftly flipped the vegetables in the pot while chatting with Li Zhi, who was standing in the kitchen.

"Hey, Zhizhi, come and taste how salty Auntie's dish is," she said, picking up a small slice of meat and handing it to her.

The topic was as light as a feather, perfectly avoiding any names containing the character "Shen".

Li Zhi subconsciously opened his mouth to take it. The slices of meat, mixed with the slightly spicy sauce, melted on his tongue. The taste was excellent.

But this "goodness" felt like something stuck in my throat; swallowing it wasn't good, and spitting it out wasn't good either.

She wanted to say it was delicious, to agree, but her tongue felt stiff.

She quickly looked at her mother, Xu Chan.

Xu Chan was standing by the sink, slowly and gracefully washing vegetables.

She seemed completely oblivious to her daughter's pleading look, and made no attempt to bring up any topics that might embarrass her daughter further.

She simply picked up where Zhang Yuyan left off, smiling gently as she said, "Eat something lighter. You've had enough salt these past few days. Use less salt and MSG when you cook at home."

So the conversation took a strange turn to food, visiting relatives, and gossip about which relative's child was being discussed.

The two mothers chatted animatedly, as if trying to fill the kitchen with their trivial, everyday chatter.

Li Zhi stood at the door, like a superfluous ornament.

She unconsciously tugged at the hem of her sweater, wanting to interject several times, but felt that anything she said would be abrupt, and that she might be subtly pulled back to her original position.

They could only passively endure this deliberately evasive and trivial chatter.

Every second felt like an eternity to the young girl, with invisible pressure coming from all directions, making her even have to be careful when she breathed.

This gentle "non-interrogation" made her even more terrified than direct interrogation.

What exactly do Mom and Aunt Zhang mean by this?
In stark contrast to the deliberately warm and inviting atmosphere in the kitchen, the air in the living room felt like a frozen glacier.

Shen Yuan stiffly sat down on the edge of the sofa next to Lao Shen, cautiously only daring to sit on half of his bottom.

The soft indentation of the sofa did nothing to relieve his taut muscles.

Old Li sat on the sofa to the side, with Old Shen between him.

From the moment Shen Yuan sat down, Lao Li never looked at him directly again.

Old Li didn't say anything.

His deep gaze was cast out onto the deep twilight beyond the balcony, as if there was some scenery there worth pondering.

That silence was not calm, but an invisible oppression.

Old Shen and Old Li chatted casually.

But Shen Yuan didn't hear a single word.

All his senses seemed to be firmly attached to Lao Li by invisible suction cups.

When Lao Li put down his teacup, the ceramic cup made a soft "tap" sound against the glass coffee table.

The soft sound was no less than a thunderclap, making Shen Yuan's heart skip a beat.

He straightened his back almost instantly.

However, Lao Li still didn't look at him and continued chatting with Lao Shen.

Shen Yuan felt that his nerves had been stretched to the limit.

My father-in-law's presence weighed on my heart like a mountain.

No questions are needed, not even a glance; that cold silence is the cruelest form of "tyranny."

Every subtle sound of movement, every shift in his gaze, even the slight trembling of his own fingers due to tension, was magnified infinitely in this suffocating silence.

This "cold violence" unique to him made him feel colder and more uneasy than the warmth he deliberately avoided in the kitchen.

He could even clearly feel the cold sweat on his back gradually soaking through the fabric.

Xu Chan stood by the pool, slowly rinsing the strawberries in her hands, the water gurgling loudly.

She smiled and said, "Yan, you've got the timing right. Shen Yuan should learn from you in the future."

Upon hearing Shen Yuan's name, Li Zhi suddenly shuddered, like a startled fawn.

She was pressed against the sliding door of the kitchen, trying to shrink herself into the shadows.

The girl's fingertips twisted the hem of her loungewear tightly, the fabric gripped so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Under the bright kitchen lights, her small nostrils twitched slightly with nervousness, and fine beads of sweat on her forehead were clearly visible.

Aunt Zhang's enthusiasm and the occasional probing questions in her mother's gentle words were like slowly boiling a frog, tormenting every cell in her body.

Those bold words of "going all out" now seem like a distant joke.

She could clearly feel her calf muscles trembling slightly uncontrollably; her legs were truly weak.

In the living room, Shen Yuan sat upright on the edge of the sofa.

Old Shen smacked his lips: "Speaking of which, Zhizhi did very well on her final exams this time!"

"Yeah, 700 points. If she can maintain that, she can get into Tsinghua or Peking University. But from what I can tell, she doesn't really want to go abroad."

As Lao Li spoke, he glanced at Shen Yuan indifferently.

Shen Yuan immediately shrank back.

Time seemed to stretch out and freeze at that moment.

Just as Shen Yuan was being pushed to the brink by the suffocating silence, a slight noise came from the kitchen doorway.

Li Zhi was gently nudged on the shoulder by Xu Chan.

"Go and call them over for dinner."

Li Zhi stood stiffly at the junction of the kitchen and the living room.

Having just endured a gentle but invisible "interrogation" in the kitchen, she is now being led to the center of the "judgment."

The living room, especially where the father was, required immense courage to take each step.

The beautiful girl took a deep breath.

In the kitchen, Xu Chan's gaze, filled with encouragement and teasing, fell on her back, and she softly urged, "Go on."

Zhang Yuyan's smiling eyes also drifted over.

This invisible force compelled her to take that first step.

Her small feet, clad in soft slippers, pattered on the clean floor.

The light in the living room seemed warmer and dimmer than in the kitchen, bringing a suffocating sense of oppression to Li Zhi.

The beautiful girl walked into the living room with her eyes lowered.

She almost instinctively looked up to search for Shen Yuan's figure.

Two gazes suddenly met in the middle of the space!

Li Zhi's eyes widened instantly, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes clearly reflecting Shen Yuan's face, which was filled with torment.

That fleeting eye contact, as brief as a flash of lightning, stirred up a storm in both of their hearts.

It's not about having the courage to "go all out," but rather about the resonance of sharing the same plight.

Li Zhi: "I'm kind of dead, how about you?"

Shen Yuan: "I am already dead."

Li Zhi's throat felt like it was blocked by something, dry and tight.

She used all her strength to make her voice sound less trembling.

"Um, Dad, Uncle Shen..." She didn't dare to call Shen Yuan, her voice was so low it was like a mosquito's buzz, and her eyes were still fixed on the ground.

The girl's ears were already bright red, and she paused for a moment.

"...Time to eat."

This short sentence seemed to have exhausted her strength.

After she finished speaking, her gaze swept over the three men in the living room one last time.

Especially when she met her father's calm gaze, the girl seemed to be burned and suddenly lowered her head.

Then, under the watchful eyes of the three, Li Zhifei quickly turned around and ran back to the restaurant.

Shen Yuan's gaze followed that slender figure.

His heart was still hanging in mid-air; the heavy pressure brought by Lao Li and the feeling of sharing the same fate were still churning in his chest.

Just then, a sharp, almost tangible gaze fixed on him from the side!

Shen Yuan's heart clenched.

He stiffly rolled his eyes, his gaze finally meeting Old Li's.

Old Li remained seated there, his posture as steady as a mountain.

His gaze pierced straight through me without flinching.

There was no raging anger in his eyes, only a calm that understood everything, clearly reflecting Shen Yuan's helplessness.

The air seemed to thin under Lao Li's gaze, making it difficult for Shen Yuan to breathe.

Shen Yuan felt as if he were standing naked in the freezing snow, with the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

He was like a clumsy thief caught red-handed, with nowhere to hide before the dignified judge.

Just when Shen Yuan felt he was about to be crushed by that gaze.

A large, kind hand, with a familiar strength, gently patted Shen Yuan's shoulder.

"Snapped."

That blow, neither too light nor too heavy, seemed to carry a calming force, instantly pulling Shen Yuan back from the brink of losing his soul.

Shen Yuan suddenly jolted, his body jerking slightly.

He hurriedly looked in the direction of the hand and met his father, Old Shen's, smiling face.

Old Shen's gaze lingered on Shen Yuan's stiff face for a moment, then he quickly glanced at Old Li beside him before looking away, raising his chin slightly and gesturing towards the restaurant where the aroma of food was wafting from.

"What are you staring at? Dinner's ready!"

Old Shen's voice wasn't loud.

The word "Dinner's ready" was like a pardon, instantly rescuing Shen Yuan.

"...Oh, oh! Okay!"

Shen Yuan jumped up almost reflexively.

He dared not look at Lao Li again, nodded hastily, and then quickly walked towards the dining table.

The figure behind him exuded a deep tension and lingering fear; every step he took was unusually heavy, as if he were heading not to a dining table, but to an execution ground.

Old Shen turned his head to the side, casting a subtle, ingratiating glance at Old Li with a hint of a fawning smile.

Their eyes clearly conveyed a tacit understanding: "That's enough, that's enough."

However, it seemed that Lao Li did not receive the signal at all, or rather, he received it but completely ignored it.

He strode directly toward the restaurant, the hem of his coat creating a slight breeze that brushed against Lao Shen's trouser leg as he walked briskly, like brushing away an insignificant fallen leaf.

The slight smile on Old Shen's face froze instantly. He then pursed his lips helplessly and had no choice but to hurry up and catch up.

Think about it too.

For Lao Shen, this means his son has won over his good friend's precious daughter.

But to Lao Li, this meant his precious daughter had been taken advantage of by the pig raised by the idiot Shen Guohao.

Can this really be just a feeling?!
Huh?! Is it possible?! Answer me!

Under the warm lights of the restaurant, both families had already taken their seats.

The large round table was spacious enough, and the dishes were delicious and visually appealing. The rising steam created a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

Shen Yuan had just settled down and hadn't even had time to catch his breath from his racing heartbeat when he felt the back of the chair next to him being gently pulled open.

Li Zhi hurriedly sat down close to him, the two of them almost touching arm to arm.

As soon as the girl sat down, her body unconsciously leaned slightly towards Shen Yuan by an inch.

Shen Yuan's heart skipped a beat, not because of the romance, but because in addition to the warmth of this embrace, there was a clearer sense of exposure.

He then suddenly looked up and saw the seating arrangement.

Opposite him and Li Zhi sat the male heads of the two households.

Old Shen and Old Li.

On Lao Shen's other side was Zhang Yuyan, while Xu Chan sat next to Lao Li.

And herself and Li Zhi...

The two of them were almost touching, and were unconsciously placed on the side of the round table closest to the kitchen, right in the center of the four parents' gazes!
Old Shen was next to Zhang Yuyan, facing Shen Yuan.

Old Li sat next to Xu Chan, facing Li Zhi.

The two heads of the family, Lao Li and Lao Shen, immediately focused their attention on the young couple.

Old Li's expression seemed to soften under the warm light of the dining table, but his silence still carried immense weight.

His gaze occasionally fell on the two heads hanging side by side opposite him. The weight of his calm gaze made the young couple shrink like quails.

Sitting opposite her, Zhang Yuyan keenly noticed the tension and unease on Li Zhixiao's face. The girl lowered her head, her hand holding the chopsticks stiff, and her usually bright and beautiful almond-shaped eyes only dared to stare at the patterns on the edge of the bowl and plate in front of her.

Zhang Yuyan's heart softened, and she broke the subtle silence on the table.

"Zhizhi, don't be so nervous."

She smiled gently and said, "It's not like it's the first time I've come here to eat."

She paused, and seeing Li Zhi finally raise his head, Zhang Yuyan's tone softened even more: "Make yourself at home, okay? Don't be shy, help yourself to whatever you want to eat!"

At this moment, Xu Chan, who was sitting next to Lao Li, also gently put down her chopsticks. Her gentle gaze fell on her daughter's still tense face, and the corners of her lips curved into a knowing yet comforting smile.

"Yeah, what's there to be nervous about?"

Xu Chan's voice was gentle and soft, like spring water caressing Li Zhi's heart, before she casually dropped a bombshell statement.

"Just let Shen Yuan serve you whatever you want to eat."

She paused slightly, her gaze sweeping lightly over Shen Yuan, who was looking down, before returning to her daughter's ears, which were burning with excitement. With a smile, she added the crucial second half of the sentence.

"Anyway, he's your boyfriend, so who else should you ask for help at a time like this? Right, Shen Yuan?"

Xu Chan's gentle, smiling voice was like an invisible needle, piercing the stagnant air on the table with a "plop".

"—Cough cough cough!!!"

Shen Yuan, who was holding a water glass and trying to relieve stress by drinking some beverage, was startled by being called out by name!
Li Zhi, standing to the side, felt as if he had been struck by an invisible arrow.

Looking at her useless teammate beside her, she instinctively pinched Shen Yuan's thigh with one hand, while frantically grabbing her own tissues with the other and stuffing them into Shen Yuan's hand.

Looking at the flustered young couple in front of him, Lao Li turned his gaze to his wife.

His eyes held a silent helplessness, as if to say, "Why did you have to tease him at this time? See, Zhizhi is even more panicked now."

Xu Chan looked at Lao Li, and her leg under the table naturally bumped lightly against Lao Li's leg.

Immediately, Lao Li saw his wife roll her eyes at him.

"Where did you go? Look how scared you've made the child."

In the eyes of the two mothers, Shen Yuan's clumsy appearance at this moment was exactly the same as when their husbands first came to their home.

If the father-in-law is easygoing, the prospective son-in-law will have an easier time.

But anyone would be nervous if Lao Li had such a cold face!

but……

Actually, you can't blame Lao Li for having such a sullen face.

After all, who told Shen Yuan to trick someone's precious daughter into staying out overnight?

Although, as Li Zhi said, nothing happened, they simply slept together for one night.

But who knows what you two will do next!

Although Lao Li had prepared himself mentally long ago, when the situation actually came to him, he found that he couldn't calm down at all.

"Cough! Cough!"

As the couple looked at each other, Shen Yuan's cough subsided.

"Uncle, Auntie... I'm sorry, I accidentally choked."

Shen Yuan apologized quickly and urgently, his voice dry and trembling, conveying utter embarrassment.

That humble posture, that hurried tone, that air of wanting to shrink into the ground—it perfectly illustrated what it means to have an "explosive will to survive" and "a severe case of father-in-law phobia."

Old Li watched his actions expressionlessly.

Just as Shen Yuan stiffly picked up his chopsticks, preparing to eat some food to relieve the pressure, Lao Li suddenly spoke up.

"Shen Yuan, I heard you did pretty well on your final exams this time."

Old Li looked at Shen Yuan and said, "I've seen your report card. You've made great progress. Keep it up."

"!!!"

These words were like gentle rain falling on parched land.

With a "boom," the mountain that had been pressing down on Shen Yuan's heart, known as "the father-in-law's scrutiny," collapsed!

An indescribable sense of ease washed over Shen Yuan's tense limbs and bones like a tidal wave.

The immense pressure that almost crushed his spine seemed to be miraculously dissolved by Lao Li's seemingly ordinary words at this moment.

Shen Yuan clearly felt the breath he had been holding finally escape from the depths of his chest with a long sigh of relief, disappearing silently into the warm steam of the restaurant.

He nodded slightly, then nodded again very solemnly in the direction of Lao Li.

"I know, Uncle Li. I will try my best!"

When he uttered those words, his voice was still slightly dry and hoarse from the aftermath, but it no longer trembled.

When Li Zhi heard his father's calm words, his heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled back down.

She sensed the tacit approval almost the instant her father finished speaking.

Her head, which had been hanging low, suddenly lifted up, and her beautiful almond-shaped eyes instantly sparkled with light. Gone was her previous unease; only a relieved joy remained.

The girl was filled with excitement at surviving a disaster, mixed with a touch of coquettish pride that her father had finally let her off the hook.

Her bright eyes met Lao Li's, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up, blossoming into a radiant smile.

That smile was full of affection and playful coquetry after being embraced, as if it were a silent cheer: "Dad, you're so good to me!"

This sudden, bright smile pierced directly into Lao Li's eyes.

When Lao Li was caught off guard by his daughter's radiant smile, as bright as sunshine breaking through the clouds, the slight sense of relaxation he had been trying to maintain vanished instantly.

A complex mix of emotions welled up inside her—that her precious daughter had indeed been swayed by this boy and her heart had turned away from him—intertwined with a sense of helplessness at being unable to truly be angry with her daughter.

He could only give the girl with the cotton-padded jacket a disgruntled glare.

That look clearly conveyed silently: "Silly girl, you've been sold out and you're still helping them count the money! Look at how pathetic you are!"

Upon receiving this familiar expression from her father, Li Zhi smiled even more sweetly, her round almond-shaped eyes curving into beautiful little crescents.

Sitting to the side, Shen Yuan noticed the quiet interaction between the father and daughter, and the tension he felt subsided like a receding tide.

What followed was a sense of peace and warmth, as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining.

He quietly and gently took Li Zhi's hand under the table.

Just then, seeing the atmosphere ease, Old Shen, who was standing to the side, immediately put on a big smile.

He cheerfully picked up his wine glass and raised it towards Old Li across from him, his tone warm with just the right amount of flattery and a desire to defuse the situation.

"Hehe, Shicheng! That's more like it! Come on, let's have a drink!"

Old Shen's wine glass hovered in the air, eagerly awaiting his old friend's response, his eyes filled with the expectation of "give me some face" and "let's put this matter behind us."

However, Lao Li didn't even lift his eyelids when the wine glass was handed to him.

He seemed not to hear what Lao Shen said, or perhaps he did hear it but simply didn't want to respond.

His eyes, still brimming with a sliver of life, were now fixed intently on the glistening braised pork ribs on the table.

Old Li picked up a large piece of meat and put it steadily into his mouth, the movement was so smooth and natural that it seemed as if no one was offering him a drink.

After Lao Li spat out the bone, he slowly spoke.

"Shen Guohao, I'm doing this for Zhizhi's sake, and also because I've seen that Shen Yuan's grades are indeed improving step by step."

Old Li looked at Old Shen, his calm gaze filled with intense disdain.

"But you, you'd better shut your mouth."

"you……"

Old Shen instinctively wanted to retort, feeling that his childhood friend's words were too disrespectful, especially in front of a younger generation.

But as soon as he uttered the word "you," before the rest of the sentence was even formed in his throat, Lao Shen's gaze met Lao Li's calm and unwavering eyes.

His gaze was as calm as a deep lake, clearly reflecting his overestimation of his own abilities.

Almost instantly, a powerful will to survive swept over him, making Lao Shen realize clearly that now was not the time to make amends for himself!
That bastard Li Shicheng might actually beat him up.

He was so choked up that he couldn't catch his breath. The words he wanted to say were stuck at the back of his tongue and turned into a short, abrupt breath.

Old Shen's mouth wasn't even completely closed; it just stood there frozen, and the muscles on his face twitched slightly.

He quickly lowered his gaze, then resignedly raised his wine glass, which had been hanging in the air for a long time, and gulped it down in one go.

His actions revealed a subtle sense of cowardice, as if he thought, "If I can't afford to mess with them, I'll just avoid them."

On the other side of the table, the two mothers quietly observed everything.

Seeing her husband Shen's frustrated expression, unable to vent his anger in front of Lao Li, Zhang Yuyan couldn't help but smile, making no attempt to hide her amusement.

She glanced at Xu Chan with a smile, her eyes full of schadenfreude.

Xu Chan also withdrew her gaze at this moment, picked up the warm water cup beside her and took a small sip to cover the gentle ripples that silently spread across her lips.

She looked at Lao Li's expression, which carried a hint of childishness and competitiveness.

She knew that her husband's deep love for his daughter was something he could silently pressure Shen Yuan with, but when it came to his best friend, Old Shen, it simply manifested as this merciless ridicule.

No matter what happens, Old Shen can only endure it.

The childish standoff between the two men eventually turned into a silent sigh and an increasingly deep smile.

Shen Yuan felt a sudden pang of sympathy when he saw his father's angry but speechless expression.

A strong, comical laugh surged from his chest like a spring, almost breaking through his defenses.

He quickly lowered his head, pretending to shovel large mouthfuls of rice into his mouth, desperately trying to hide the twitching at the corner of his mouth that he couldn't suppress, his whole face almost buried in the rice bowl.

Li Zhi, who was standing to the side, took in all of Shen Yuan's subtle movements that he was trying so hard to conceal.

She naturally understood why he laughed, and she couldn't help but chuckle herself, but at the same time, her heart suddenly tightened.

This idiot!

Dad and Uncle Shen were both furious, and he still dared to chuckle!

Li Zhi's slender legs moved slightly under the table, her toes gently and playfully bumping into Shen Yuan's calf with a hint of reproach and reminder.

The girl's gaze drifted to him, carrying a silent warning: Hold it in! Stop laughing!
Old Shen tilted his head back and gulped down the wine. As the wine slid down his throat, the feeling of frustration intensified. His cheeks visibly tightened, and it felt as if a thousand alpacas were stampeding through his mind.

The dishes on the round table were steaming hot, with the aroma of soy sauce, meat, and fresh vegetables mingling together.

The meal proceeded slowly in this strange atmosphere.

Li Zhi's tense nerves, like the first thaw of spring ice, gradually relaxed under Xu Chan's silent comfort and Old Li's warning yet no longer sharp gaze.

Warmth began to spread from the bottom of my heart, seeping into my stiff limbs.

Shen Yuan keenly noticed the subtle change in the air, his tense shoulder line quietly relaxed, and he finally tried to pick up a piece of rib.

The meat is tender and melts in your mouth, with an exceptionally good flavor.

But every slight clinking of chopsticks, or the crisp sound of cutlery hitting the table, seemed to pluck at the strings of his still-unsettled heart, causing his breath to catch in his throat for a brief moment.

Sitting opposite him, Lao Li's expression was no longer as somber as it had been at the beginning.

He didn't say much at the dinner table, but he would always respond with a few casual remarks after Xu Chan's gentle, smiling chatter.

The content consisted mostly of trivial pleasantries or words of affirmation about Zhang Yuyan's cooking skills, spoken in a low and steady tone.

However, when his gaze inadvertently swept over the young boy and girl sitting side by side, a very complex light would flash across his calm demeanor.

He could see clearly that the children were trying their best to maintain a facade of respect and obedience.

But in the intervals between them, in the soft glow of the light, their young elbows touched lightly several times, the subtle movements revealing an intimacy that could not be completely concealed.

Old Shen, on the other hand, filled in every possible gap perfectly.

However, whenever Lao Li's gaze fell upon him, his brows would instinctively furrow with dissatisfaction with his childhood friend's previous actions.

Zhang Yuyan looked at her husband with a half-smile.

The six people sitting around the table maintained a delicate balance and harmony.

The aroma of the food, combined with the unspoken understanding among the group, gradually eased the previous awkwardness and tension.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the clinking of glasses and chopsticks.

As the dishes were nearly empty and the lingering aroma of the food still filled the air, Old Shen was the first to stand up.

He moved with exceptional speed, grabbing the empty plate in front of him with one hand and reaching for the stack of bowls and chopsticks next to him with the other.

"I'm done eating! Put everything down, I'll clean up!"

As he spoke, his eyes darted rapidly toward Lao Li, his meaning quite clear.

You bastard, come and deal with this!

Old Li simply couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to Old Shen.

As he was collecting the items, Old Shen's gaze naturally fell on Shen Yuan, and he habitually raised an eyebrow.

"Shen Yuan, don't just sit there in a daze! Come on, lend me a hand and help me move these dishes to the kitchen!"

"okay!"

Upon being called by his father, Shen Yuan instinctively tried to get up.

"cough."

Just then, a clear cough was heard.

Old Li put down the tissue he was wiping his mouth with. He didn't look at Old Shen, who was busy working, but instead turned his gaze to Shen Yuan, who was about to get up.

Shen Yuan's movement of lifting his buttocks froze in mid-air, and a familiar sense of pressure "whooshed" back up his spine.

He remained in a comical, bent-over posture, his eyes blankly meeting Lao Li's gaze.

Zhang Yuyan and Xu Chan exchanged a knowing, knowing glance.

Li Zhi also forgot to drink the soup, her little mouth slightly open, looking nervously at her father.

Old Li's gaze lingered on Shen Yuan's face for two seconds before he slowly spoke, posing a seemingly unrelated question about household chores, yet one that elders were most concerned about and frequently asked to test their judgment.

"Shen Yuan, have you finished all your homework for this winter break?"

"——!!!"

This question was like a bolt from the blue!
"me……"

Shen Yuan's mouth opened and closed, his tongue seemed to be tied in knots, and his throat was so dry that he couldn't squeeze out a single decent syllable.

He could almost hear his own heart pounding like a drum, unusually clear in the deathly silent restaurant.

Who would have thought that the end of a meal could lead to such a soul-searching question?
Oh no, is Uncle Li going to start a second round of trials?
Zhang Yuyan and Xu Chan's eyes met briefly in the air. Xu Chan's gentle smile remained unchanged, but her eyes held a hint of mischievous amusement.

Li Zhi's mouth was slightly open as she looked at her father in confusion, wondering what her father was up to.

Why are you suddenly asking about homework?
Just when Shen Yuan thought he was about to be tortured.

"Humph."

A barely audible hum escaped from Lao Li's nose.

He didn't look at Shen Yuan's eyes, which were filled with "it's all over," but instead glanced lightly at Old Shen beside him before delivering his final verdict in a completely flat tone.

"Since you haven't finished, then go do your homework first."

You could hear a pin drop in the restaurant.

What do you mean?
We just finished eating... why are you making me do my homework already?

Old Li raised his eyes, casually tilted his chin toward the kitchen, and spoke with an air of self-righteousness.

"Your dad can do the tidying up of the table himself."

"——?!!"

The smile that had just appeared on Lao Shen's face froze instantly, then cracked open!

Old Shen stared at his brother, whom he had grown up with, with a look of surprise fixed on Old Li's calm and collected face.

What kind of punishment is this?
This is a complete double standard!

It's discrimination!
This is the ultimate humiliation for Comrade Lao Shen!

Good, good, good! You, Li Shicheng, are something else!

Old Shen took a deep breath.

Damn it! Fine! I'll put up with it!
Li Shicheng! Your grandson and granddaughter have taken my surname!
Shen Yuan blinked, glanced at his father, then at his father-in-law, and nodded in deep agreement.

"Well... Uncle Li, Li Zhi and I are going to do our homework!"

Shen Yuan's gaze quickly swept over Li Zhi, who was standing right next to him, carrying a tacit hint that they couldn't miss this opportunity.

There were no words, but the moment their eyes met felt like a chord being plucked in their hearts.

Li Zhixin understood immediately. In an atmosphere where her father's influence still lingered but no longer posed a threat, she acted without hesitation.

The girl's fingertips almost simultaneously touched the boy's wrist, using the leverage to quickly stand up.

"Well... Dad, Mom, Uncle, Aunt," she said, her voice trembling slightly despite her attempt to remain calm, "we're going... to do our homework!"

Although she was reporting to everyone, her gaze only lingered briefly on her parents' faces before she quickly lowered her eyes and pulled Shen Yuan toward the study.

Her slender figure exuded an obvious sense of "escape." Shen Yuan obediently followed her, striding after her.

As they passed by Lao Shen, Shen Yuan patted Lao Shen on the shoulder.

"Dad! Keep it up!"

Shen Yuan gave Old Shen an affirming look, and then followed Li Zhi to the room.

Zhang Yuyan and Xu Chan exchanged a knowing, smiling glance.

Old Li's gaze swept over Old Shen, his eyes conveying a silent message.

Get to work, stop looking.

Old Shen sighed dejectedly, picked up the bowls and plates in his hands, and walked slowly towards the kitchen.

Fine! I'll endure it!

Li Shicheng! Your grandson and granddaughter have taken my surname!
Old Li calmly stood up and gently dusted off his clothes.

Zhang Yuyan pulled Xu Chan up and said with a smile, "Come on, let's go sit on the sofa. Let's ignore them."

(End of this chapter)