First, then, love.

Upon hearing this, Lin Shufen panicked and quickly put the cat down. "What's wrong? Yao Yao, are you throwing another tantrum?"

Shu Yao was about to deny it.

He Zheng reacted a million times faster than her.

Almost the instant Shen Minghua finished speaking.

He Zheng then took a long stride.

He took two steps across the coffee table and walked directly to Shu Yao's side.

Under the scrutinizing gazes of the two mothers.

Without any hesitation, he stretched out his large hand and wrapped it around Shu Yao's waist.

With a slight pull, he drew her into his arms.

Caught off guard, Shu Yao stumbled and bumped directly into his hard, sturdy side.

He Zheng then led her to the other side of the sofa and sat down.

The two were pressed tightly together, thigh to thigh, with no gap between them.

"We didn't argue, Mom. You're overthinking it." He Zheng said calmly, his voice deep and steady.

He turned his head to look at Shu Yao, his dark eyes filled with tenderness.

"She has a cold and a sore throat these past two days, so she doesn't want to talk and is standing far away because she's afraid of infecting you."

This reason is flawless.

Shu Yao was held in his arms, her body stiff as a board.

His hand rested naturally on the back of the sofa behind her, the edge of his large palm brushing lightly against the fabric of her lower back.

Shu Yao felt the hairs on her back stand on end, and a tingling sensation shot up her spine to the back of her head.

The images from this morning once again uncontrollably exploded in my mind.

Huge silhouette... terrifying size...

She felt her face instantly burn as if it were on fire.

Shen Minghua looked at the two of them pressed tightly together, and at Shu Yao's flushed face.

The doubt in his eyes had mostly dissipated.

"Have you caught a cold? Have you taken any medicine? It's easy to catch a cold in autumn, so make sure you're covered up well at night," Shen Minghua reminded her.

"She ate it. She's physically weak, so I made sure she ate it," He Zheng replied flawlessly.

Lin Shufen felt a surge of joy seeing her son-in-law protecting her daughter so well.

"Xiao He, I've spoiled Yao Yao since she was little. She has a bad temper, so please be patient with her. If she's being unreasonable, just say what you need to say. Don't worry about us." Lin Shufen started selling her daughter.

"No, she's fine, not bad-tempered, and easy to please," He Zheng lied through his teeth.

Shu Yao rolled her eyes inwardly.

Who's easy to fool? Have you ever tried? Besides throwing your bank card at people, what else can you do?

Oh right.

They also pick roses.

But in front of her elders, she could only go along with the performance.

She forced a stiff smile. "Mom, I'm not that unreasonable."

To cover up the lingering awkwardness between the two and the aftereffects of their earlier argument.

He Zheng decided to put on a full show of this performance.

He reached out his free left hand, took a tangerine from the fruit bowl on the coffee table, quickly peeled it, and broke off a segment.

He turned slightly to face Shu Yao.

He held the orange segment between his fingers and brought it directly to her lips.

"Open your mouth," he whispered.

The voice was affectionate, but to Shu Yao it sounded threatening.

Shu Yao stared wide-eyed at the orange being offered to her lips, her heart skipping a beat.

This man's acting is so realistic.

The elder stared intently at him.

Shu Yao had no way out.

She could only open her mouth slightly.

Take a bite of that orange segment.

He Zheng did not immediately withdraw his fingers.

The moment she bit into the orange, he casually brushed her lower lip with his fingertip.

The rough texture brushed against my soft, delicate lips.

Shu Yao shuddered violently.

She quickly bit into the orange, turned her head, stared intently at the television screen, and chewed mechanically.

I couldn't even tell whether the orange was sour or sweet.

He Zheng looked at her reddened earlobes, a dark and profound meaning flashing in his eyes.

He peeled off a piece and put it in his mouth.

I chewed it twice.

so sweet.

The two mothers were completely relieved to see the young couple feeding each other so affectionately.

"Alright, alright, this sour smell is too much for my old bones to handle," Shen Minghua joked with a laugh, standing up.

Lin Shufen also stood up and pushed the thermos forward.

"The soup is in there, black-boned chicken stewed with cordyceps, it's good for replenishing qi and blood. You two drink it while it's hot, we won't stay and be third wheels."

"Mom, let's eat before you leave."

Shu Yao politely tried to persuade them to stay, but in reality, she couldn't wait for them to leave; she couldn't keep up the act any longer.

"I'm not eating anymore. Your mother-in-law and I are going to the beauty salon for a spa treatment. We have an appointment." Lin Shufen waved her hand and picked up her bag.

He Zheng stood up and picked up his car keys.

"I'll take you down."

"No need, no need, the driver is waiting downstairs," Shen Minghua stopped her.

The two walked to the entrance and changed their shoes.

He Zheng and Shu Yao stood side by side by the door, watching them leave.

"Go back, don't see me off." Shen Minghua waved his hand.

Lin Shufen added, "Yaoyao, take good care of Xiao He."

"Okay, Mom. Take care on your way."

He Zheng reached out and pushed open the security door.

The two mothers stepped out of the elevator.

"Click".

The heavy security door slammed shut.

Completely shut out the light from the corridor.

The moment the door closed.

It was as if someone had suddenly pulled the switch off the acting.

The two people who were just standing close together.

They reacted almost simultaneously.

He Zheng abruptly withdrew his hand from her waist.

As if electrocuted, Shu Yao quickly took a large step back to the side, creating distance.

The actions were too fast and too coordinated, which only made it seem like they were trying to cover something up.

The motion-sensor light in the entryway flashed twice and then went out.

The warm yellow light from the living room shone from the side, elongating the shadows of the two people.

No one spoke.

Shu Yao lowered her head, her hands tightly clasped together.

The scalding heat of his palms seemed to linger on my lower back.

The spot on my lips where his fingers had brushed against felt inexplicably hot.

He Zheng stood less than half a meter away from her, his fingers curling slightly at his side.

The sweet scent of her body still lingered in my nostrils, mixed with the fresh fragrance of the oranges I had just peeled.

Just now on the sofa, when he held her in his arms, he could clearly feel her soft, slender body stiffening and trembling due to nervousness.

The living room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The only sound was the gurgling of the slow cooker in the kitchen.