I slept with my sister's classmate, and she turned out to be my boss.

After dinner, Chen Yang called.

He Ying was sitting on the living room sofa watching TV when she saw the caller ID and quickly answered, "Chen Yang?"

"I just came from your house."

Chen Yang's voice was slightly cheerful.

"Uncle He was in good spirits today, and I chatted with him for a while. I didn't mention Da Peng's name directly, but just said that you were in contact with a young man. He didn't object, but just asked, 'Is he reliable?' I said he was."

He Ying gripped her phone tightly: "That's all he said?"

That's about it. He said as long as you keep it in mind, he didn't say "no".

Chen Yang paused for a moment:

"Yingying, for Uncle He, the fact that he didn't reject it on the spot is already a big concession. When are you going to bring Dapeng back to meet him?"

He Ying paused for two seconds, then said, "How about this weekend? It's better to meet sooner rather than later."

After hanging up the phone, He Ying sat on the sofa for a while, then picked up her phone and found her father's number.

She hesitated for a moment, but still pressed the call button.

The phone rang three times before being answered.

"Yingying?"

"Dad, there's something I want to tell you." He Ying's voice was softer than usual. "I have a boyfriend. I'd like to bring him home to meet you this weekend."

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the phone.

He Yi did not answer immediately, as if he was processing the news.

He spoke after a while:

"Who is it?"

"He's Chen Dapeng, the younger brother of my college classmate Chen Yang. He works in the Qingshun County government office and is currently on secondment to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection to participate in case handling."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

He Yi's voice came again, this time a little lower:

"Younger than you?"

He Ying did not evade the question: "Yes, six years younger."

This time the silence lasted even longer.

He Ying heard her father's breathing on the other end of the phone; it was steady but tinged with a hint of heaviness.

She knew what her father was thinking—his age, his job, his family background, and whether he could be relied upon.

She waited without urging him.

After a long while, He Yi finally spoke, his tone neither agreeing nor disagreeing: "Bring it back and take a look."

He Ying gripped her phone tightly: "Okay."

After hanging up the phone, she sat on the sofa, lost in thought.

The father neither objected nor agreed.

She knew her father's personality; he wouldn't easily express his opinion before meeting the person in question.

She put down her phone and said to Chen Dapeng, who was reading a book next to her, "Come home with me this weekend to meet my dad."

Chen Dapeng put down his book and sat up straighter: "Okay."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "What kind of person is your father?"

He Ying thought for a moment: "He doesn't talk much, but he's very good at judging people. Don't be nervous when you go, and don't try to stand out. Just answer whatever he asks. If he invites you to stay for dinner, then you've passed the test."

Chen Dapeng nodded: "Okay."

……

On a weekend morning, He Ying drove Chen Dapeng home.

When the car was parked in the community's parking space, Chen Dapeng sat in the passenger seat and did not get out of the car immediately.

He glanced at the residential building through the windshield; the exterior walls were off-white, clothes were drying on the balconies, and the grass growing along the steps on the first floor was lush and green.

He unbuckled his seatbelt, took a deep breath, and then got out of the car.

He Ying walked in front, and he followed behind.

He walked at a moderate pace as he went upstairs, and stood up straighter when he stopped at the door.

He Ying rang the doorbell, footsteps came from inside, and the door opened.

He Yi stood at the door, wearing a light gray casual coat, his back very straight.

His gaze passed over He Ying and landed on Chen Dapeng, looking him up and down.

There was no smile, no frown, as if he could see right through you at first glance.

A few seconds later, he looked away and stepped aside to clear the doorway.

"Come in."

Chen Dapeng followed He Ying inside and stood in the living room.

He Yi had already sat down on the sofa and pointed to the seat opposite him:

"sit."

Chen Dapeng sat down opposite He Yi, his back straight and his hands on his knees.

He Ying sat next to him, not leaning casually against the sofa back as usual, but sitting more properly than usual, with her hands clasped together on her lap.

He Yi poured Chen Dapeng a cup of tea, pushed it in front of him, and slowly scanned his face before speaking:

"Your name is Chen Dapeng?"

"Yes, Uncle."

How old are you?

"Twenty-five."

"Where are you from?"

"A person from the provincial capital."

"Who else is in the family?"

"My father is a high school teacher, my mother is also a teacher, and I have an older sister who works in a state-owned enterprise."

After asking for the basic information, He Yi picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, and glanced at Chen Dapeng again:

What is your job at the Qingshun County Government Office?

Chen Dapeng answered truthfully: "In the General Affairs Section, I mainly write reports."

What kind of material should we write?

"Speech drafts, research reports, meeting minutes, and the like."

He Yi nodded, offering no comment.

He paused for a moment, then asked, "What are your plans for your work?"

Chen Dapeng replied, "I want to learn more at the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection so that I can take the selection exam and officially join the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection."

He Yi nodded again, but still offered no comment.

He took another sip of his tea, put it down, and asked his next question: "When you got together with my daughter, was it you who initiated it, or her?"

Chen Dapeng didn't hesitate: "It was my initiative. I've liked Sister Ying for a long time."

He Yi glanced at him: "What do you like about her?"

"She is outstanding, strong, and upright; she is the best person I have ever met."

His tone was neither deliberately elevated nor evasive; he was simply stating a fact in a very ordinary way.

He Yi listened without nodding or shaking his head, and sat on the sofa in silence for a while, as if he was thinking about something.

He Ying sat beside her without saying a word.

Her gaze darted back and forth between her father and Chen Dapeng two or three times, her hands remaining firmly on her knees.

He Yi spoke up again: "You're six years younger than her, don't you think that's a problem?"

Chen Dapeng looked into He Yi's eyes and said, "Age isn't a problem; what's important is whether the two of you get along."

He Yi neither pressed for details nor responded to that statement.

He picked up his teacup, took another sip, put it down, and then stood up and said:

"Let's eat."

He Ying breathed a sigh of relief.

She understood what He Yi meant—not letting them stay for dinner meant they hadn't passed the test, while letting them stay for dinner meant they were willing to continue watching.

She stood up and followed him to the restaurant. As she passed Chen Dapeng, she glanced at him. Chen Dapeng was also looking at her. Their eyes met, but neither of them spoke.

He Ying's eyes held a hint of a smile and encouragement.

There were four dishes on the table, all home-style dishes.

He Yi sat in the main seat, He Ying sat next to him, and Chen Dapeng sat opposite He Ying.

He Yi picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of food, and ate very slowly.

He didn't ask Chen Dapeng about work anymore, and only chatted about everyday things.

He asked Chen Dapeng where his father taught and what subjects he taught.

Chen Dapeng said he has been teaching Chinese at the No. 1 High School in the provincial capital for thirty years.

He Yi nodded and said that being a teacher is good, because children from families that teach are unlikely to be bad.

After the meal, He Yi put the bowls and chopsticks away in the kitchen.

He Ying wanted to help but was stopped and told that she didn't need to wash, and that she should just sit with him for a while.

He Yi washed the dishes, dried his hands, stood in the living room for a moment, glanced at Chen Dapeng, and didn't say anything else.

"Please sit for a while, I'm going to rest."

He turned and went into the bedroom, leaving the door slightly ajar.

He Ying and Chen Dapeng sat on the living room sofa, neither of them speaking first.

After a while, He Ying lowered her voice and said, "My dad didn't object, but he didn't agree either."

Chen Dapeng smiled knowingly: "This is an opportunity."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Even if your dad disagrees, I will insist on being with you."

He Ying felt a surge of emotion.

She glanced at Chen Dapeng but didn't reply.

But the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on his face...