I raised stunning young ladies, but they all wanted to possess me.

"Gu Yan, try these ribs. They were stewed by my foster mother using a secret recipe with more than a dozen medicinal herbs."

"It's even better than the braised pork from yesterday. You'll see once you try it."

As she spoke, she picked up another piece of pork rib and stuffed it into Gu Yan's bowl. The pork rib was still steaming hot.

His amber eyes were full of anticipation, shining like two stars just pulled from the water.

Gu Yan took a bite and the meat was indeed very tender. She nodded and said it was delicious.

Fu Wanqing then smiled with satisfaction, her lips curving upwards.

After finishing the meal, Gu Yan took the initiative to help clean up the dishes, and this time he didn't wait for his adoptive mother to stop him.

As he carried the plate into the kitchen, he finally saw that corner up close.

The black plastic bags are gone, and the trash cans are empty.

Even the puddle of water that had previously seeped onto the floor was wiped away.

The kitchen floor had clearly just been mopped and was still slightly damp.

He glanced at the kitchen; it wasn't large, but it was very tidy.

The pots and pans were neatly arranged, and there were no oil stains on the bottles of oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.

There was a small door in the corner, with a worn blue curtain hanging on it.

It looks like a storage room or a door leading to a balcony; it's very inconspicuous.

But he noticed that the door was in the wrong place.

Judging from the overall structure of the house from the outside, there should be space behind the kitchen.

But the area behind that door was too deep, so deep that it didn't seem like a storage room.

Normally, storage rooms on the first floor do not extend underground.

Gu Yan withdrew her gaze and calmly placed the bowl and chopsticks into the sink.

He went to the living room and pretended to lean against the window to look at the scenery outside.

The exterior structure of the building can be seen through the windows, and the windows on the first floor are very high off the ground.

There is a row of small ventilation openings at the bottom of the exterior wall, half of which are covered by weeds.

The ventilation opening is located significantly below the indoor floor, and there is no space underneath it.

He had seen this kind of old-style neighborhood design in a book before.

Some ground-floor residents convert their basement space into storage rooms.

But if it's just for storing odds and ends, the kitchen door doesn't need to be covered up so completely.

He sat back down on the sofa and slowly circled his finger along the rim of the teacup.

I already have a preliminary judgment in mind.

I can't leave today; I have to stay for the night.

Once everyone was asleep, he would quietly come out to see what was behind that door.

"Uncle and Aunt, may I stay here tonight?"

Gu Yan put down her teacup and spoke naturally with a polite smile on her face.

"I was in a rush yesterday, so I'd like to spend more time chatting with you all today."

"And Wanqing said that you two have many stories from your youth, and I'd like to hear them."

The adoptive parents exchanged a glance, and there was something in that glance that Gu Yan couldn't understand.

Then both of them smiled at the same time, their smiles even more enthusiastic than before.

The foster mother slapped her thigh, laughing so hard she couldn't stop, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes crinkling up.

"Of course, of course, we couldn't be happier!"

"Wanqing's room was large, and the bedding was already provided."

"Why don't you two get together tonight? We all know how young people are."

"Young people these days don't have as many rules about dating as we did back then."

Gu Yan almost spat out the tea in her mouth, coughing several times as she choked.

He quickly put down his teacup and waved his hand to explain, making a gesture like a fan.

"No, no, Auntie, you've misunderstood."

"Wanqing and I don't have that kind of relationship. I'll just sleep on the sofa."

The adoptive father chimed in with a smile, his face displaying the loving kindness and knowing look typical of an elder.

"Mr. Gu, please don't be so polite. We're not those old-fashioned people."

"Wanqing has never liked being close to people since she was little."

"We knew exactly what we were doing by letting you come to our home."

Fu Wanqing sat beside her, her face flushed red.

Her cheeks turned red all the way to her ears, then her neck, and finally her collarbone.

She suddenly stood up and stomped her foot, her sandals making a loud thud on the tiled floor.

"What are you talking about? Who said I was going to share a room with him?"

But as soon as she finished speaking, an indescribable feeling welled up inside her.

My chest was pounding, my heart was beating so fast it felt like someone was drumming inside it.

She secretly glanced at Gu Yan and saw his profile with a slight frown.

She quickly looked away, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes tightly.

What's wrong with me? I should be very angry.

He should have slammed the door and left; he should have been called shameless.

But as she stood there, her legs felt like lead and she couldn't move.

Gu Yan felt a slight stirring in her heart upon seeing her reaction, but she didn't show it on her face.

He originally wanted to insist on sleeping on the sofa, which was a bit narrow but would be enough for one night.

But then I thought, what if my adoptive parents were really ordinary people?

If Fu Wanqing is awake in the living room when he sneaks out to investigate at night, it will be very troublesome.

Her senses are quite sharp; she might just notice his movements.

If she asks, he can't very well say that he searched her adoptive parents' kitchen.

It's best to use Emotional Eyes to put her into a deep sleep first; that's the safest approach.

"Alright, one room it is then."

Gu Yan changed her words, speaking in a very calm tone, as if she were saying that the weather was nice today.

"But I'll still sleep on the floor; I don't want to trouble you too much."

Fu Wanqing suddenly turned her head to look at him, her amber eyes wide and round.

Her long pink hair swung in a beautiful arc with her movements.

"What did you say? What do you mean by 'okay'?"

"I...I haven't agreed yet, how could you decide for me?"

Her voice was trembling, and the last syllable of her voice rose very high.

Her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and her nails almost dug into the fabric.

The foster mother was laughing so hard her eyes were almost closed, and she even winked at the foster father.

"Alright, alright, stop fooling around. We'll have the room ready this afternoon."

"The bedding has all been changed, and an extra pillow has been provided."

"You two, don't just stand in the living room, go inside and see if it's suitable."

Fu Wanqing opened her mouth to refute, but met her adoptive parents' smiling eyes.

She swallowed her words again, her face turning so red it could fry an egg.

"I'm ignoring you all. You've ganged up on me."

She left those words behind and ran to her room.

Her long pink hair swung behind her in a beautiful arc.

The sandals made a slapping sound as they ran down the hallway.

I stumbled halfway down the corridor and almost crashed into the wall.

Gu Yan looked at her retreating figure, feeling a mix of helplessness and amusement.

He turned to his adoptive parents, wanting to explain a few more words.

The adoptive father simply smiled and waved his hand, telling him not to say anything more.

"Mr. Gu, Wanqing has been like this since she was little."

"She says no, but she's actually very happy inside."

"We can tell that she treats you completely differently from others."

Gu Yan nodded and didn't say anything more.

But he remained vigilant, as the elderly couple spoke very carefully.

Every word was perfectly chosen, and every expression was flawless.

It's so perfect, as perfect as a meticulously rehearsed play.