After the school beauty rejected me, I became her mom's number one fan!

The words "Aunt Qiao" made Qiao Feiyu pause slightly in her chopsticks.

At this dining table, he is his daughter's boyfriend, and he calls her "Auntie."

In that secluded room, in those shameful text messages, she called him master.

This profound sense of identity rupture felt like two forces tearing at her nerves, causing her temples to throb twice.

Just then, under the table, a foot silently touched the instep of her bare foot.

Qiao Feiyu's body tensed up instantly.

Following previous instructions, she did not wear shoes, and her well-maintained feet were left on the cold floor.

At this moment, the foot that belonged to its owner was gently and playfully drawing circles on the instep of her foot with the tip of the shoe.

Her expression remained unchanged, and she even calmly placed a piece of broccoli on Qiao Jinlin's plate, saying gently, "Eat more vegetables."

Qiao Jinlin was completely unaware of this, and while eating, he talked about going back to Beijing for the winter vacation.

"Mom, I told my senior that I'll take him back to see Grandpa during the Chinese New Year."

Qiao Feiyu forced himself to keep his voice steady, not letting a single tremor slip out.

"Yes, of course. Your grandfather has been saying for a long time that he wants to meet Xiao Ning."

After she finished speaking, Ning Xiuyang nodded very respectfully and replied, "We should pay a visit to Elder Qiao."

He spoke with humility and politeness, but his actions under the table did not stop at all; on the contrary, they intensified. His foot slowly moved up from the instep of her foot, and gently stepped on her instep with the sole of his shoe.

A tingling, shameful itch shot from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head.

Qiao Feiyu's hand, which was holding the soup bowl, trembled violently under the table, and the spoon made a slight sound as it collided with the bowl.

But the moment the bowl was brought to her lips, her hand became as steady as a rock.

Qiao Jinlin looked at Ning Xiuyang curiously and asked, "Senior, are you nervous about meeting my grandfather? He's such a serious person."

Ning Xiuyang smiled and said, "It would be a lie to say I'm not nervous; I am a little."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qiao Jinlin reached out and grasped his idle right hand on the table. His palm was warm, and his tone was full of encouragement.

"It's okay, I'm here!"

Ning Xiuyang's right hand was held tightly by Qiao Jinlin, feeling the girl's trust and love.

Under the table, unseen by anyone, his left foot was firmly planted on his mother's foot, feeling the humble submission from the pinnacle of power.

This absurd yet thrilling scene deepened the smile on his lips.

Qiao Feiyu felt like she was suffocating.

She suddenly stood up.

"I'll go to the kitchen to serve you some rice."

She practically fled into the kitchen, her back to the living room, her hands braced against the cold stove, gasping for breath.

Thirty seconds passed before she turned on the tap and splashed cold water on her burning cheeks.

In the mirror, her cheeks were flushed an unnatural red, and her eyes were unfocused.

She took out her lipstick from her pocket and carefully touched up her makeup in front of the mirror.

When she returned to the restaurant with two bowls of rice, she transformed back into the composed and elegant Secretary Qiao, as if her earlier lapse in composure had never occurred.

After dinner, Qiao Jinlin volunteered to wash the dishes, "chasing" Ning Xiuyang and Qiao Feiyu to the sofa in the living room.

The evening news was playing on the television, and the female anchor's clear and articulate voice echoed in the quiet living room.

The two sat side by side, with a fist's width between them.

Qiao Fei stared intently at the television screen, his body stiff, not daring to utter a single word.

Ning Xiuyang suddenly turned his head, leaned close to her ear, and whispered four words in a volume that only the two of them could hear.

"Tonight was good."

That's the owner praising their pet.

Qiao Feiyu's eyes suddenly reddened for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

The crisp sound of bowls and plates clattering came from the kitchen.

After a while, Qiao Jinlin came out of the kitchen wiping her hands. She looked at her mother and boyfriend sitting together on the sofa, a warm and harmonious scene.

With a satisfied smile on her face, she suddenly spoke, saying something that made both of their hearts skip a beat.

"Mom, what do you think of my senior? Is he someone I can marry?"

The question of "whether or not I can get married" was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in Qiao Feiyu's heart.

Her pupils contracted almost imperceptibly for a moment.

But almost at the same moment, she managed a gentle, perfectly timed smile, patted the sofa next to her, and gestured for her daughter to sit down.

Qiao Jinlin sat down next to her.

Qiao Feiyu took her daughter's hand, gently patted the back of her hand, and spoke with a loving tone.

"Silly child, your mother isn't you. Whether you marry him or not is your decision."

She cleverly threw the question back at her.

But Qiao Jinlin was clearly not satisfied with this answer, and she started to act coquettishly, clinging to her mother's arm.

"Oh, I don't care, I just want your evaluation! You're Secretary Qiao, who has seen countless people, your opinion is very important!"

Unable to resist her daughter's persistent pestering, Qiao Feiyu had no choice but to turn her head and look at Ning Xiuyang again.

That single glance contained too many complex emotions that could not be expressed.

There was the scrutiny of a mother, the awe of a subordinate, and a hint of jealousy that she herself was unwilling to admit.

Ultimately, all the emotions boiled down to a serious and fair assessment.

She spoke slowly to both Qiao Jinlin and Ning Xiuyang, saying, "This child, I think... he's reliable."

After listening, Ning Xiuyang raised an eyebrow triumphantly at Qiao Jinlin.

"Did you hear that? Your mother has spoken up, so I can't let her down."

Qiao Jinlin leaned back on the sofa with satisfaction, finally letting go of his mother, and began to chat enthusiastically about the itinerary for their return to Beijing.

"Should we take the high-speed train or a plane back? Should we prepare some gifts for Grandpa in advance? He's the most picky person."

Taking the opportunity, Qiao Feiyu got to the point, his tone returning to its usual calm and composed manner.

"I'll take care of the gift. But Xiaoning, there's something I need to tell you in advance. My father is a bit stubborn and has a sharp eye for people. He might ask you some questions, so be prepared."

Ning Xiuyang nodded, his expression serious.

"Of course. Does Mr. Qiao have any particular taboos?"

Qiao Feiyu thought for a moment, her eyes wandering.

"He...hates men with ulterior motives the most."

After saying that, she paused for a moment, then, as if burned, quickly lowered her eyes, picked up her teacup, and took a sip of water.

Ning Xiuyang didn't respond to that question, but simply said casually, "Don't worry, Aunt Qiao, I'll bring two bottles of good wine over, I guarantee Old Master Qiao will be satisfied."

Time flies, and it's already nine o'clock in the evening.

Qiao Jinlin yawned widely and rubbed his eyes.

"I'm sleepy, I'm going upstairs to sleep."

She stood up, and before leaving, she gave Ning Xiuyang a big hug and then kissed her mother on the cheek.

"Mom, don't stay up too late."

The girl's light footsteps disappeared at the end of the stairs, and the entire living room instantly fell silent.

The news anchor's voice on the television sounded exceptionally clear in the silence.

Ning Xiuyang also stood up.

"Then I'll be going too, Aunt Qiao."

Qiao Feiyu stood up and saw him to the door.