Don't underestimate the poor and elderly; I was thrilled to refuse the class beauty's adva

Night fell.

The noise from the riverbank night fishing spot gradually thinned out.

Shen Chuan deliberately chose the most remote corner of the entire riverbank.

No one was crowding around, no one was chatting, it was unusually quiet.

Skilled at unpacking, pulling the rod, and assembling the line.

The actions of preparing the bait and setting up the feeding area were fluid and graceful.

These are all muscle memories developed from years of fishing.

The fishing rod is set up firmly, and the luminous float drifts into the water.

The water was calm and still, with no sign of fish biting.

Shen Chuan sat back on the small stool, placing his hands on his knees.

His eyes were fixed on the float, but his mind wasn't on fishing at all.

The only thing playing on repeat in my mind is that viral TikTok interview video.

In the video, Zhang Yifan appeared calm and composed, speaking with ease.

Standing next to his own daughter, they were an eyesore of being a perfect match.

The entire internet is praising it as a masterpiece.

But he, as the father, felt increasingly awkward the more he looked at it.

The more I thought about it, the less confident I felt.

Shen Zhiyi was well-behaved and sensible from a young age, and had a simple mind.

I've never been this close to any boy before.

Suddenly, Zhang Yifan appeared and completely monopolized all of my daughter's free time.

The key is that this kid is hiding his true intentions very well.

Their background, family wealth, and connections are all completely unknown.

The less you can see clearly, the more defensive you become.

The father's protective instincts towards his daughter have reached their absolute peak.

In his eyes, no matter how outstanding the other person is.

Anyone who abducted his daughter was categorized as a young, unknown scoundrel.

I went night fishing tonight, supposedly to relax.

Actually, my mind is too chaotic, and I can't sit still at home.

If you don't find a quiet place to calm down, you'll eventually suffer internal injuries from holding it in.

A cool evening breeze blew across the riverbank.

The float remained firmly planted on the water's surface, completely still.

Shen Chuan was not in a hurry at all.

Compared to Yu Kou, he now wants to figure out Zhang Yifan's background more.

About twenty minutes later.

A low thud of wheels hitting the ground came from afar.

A car was parked steadily on the side of the riverbank.

Zhang Rongshan, carrying a full set of fishing gear, walked towards him on foot.

Zhang Rongshan walked straight to the empty space and stopped.

"Hey bro, is anyone here?"

Shen Chuan snapped out of his daze and turned to look.

The other person was also in their forties, dressed neatly, and had a calm demeanor.

"No one's here, please sit down."

Shen Chuan casually replied.

After speaking, he turned his gaze back to the water's surface.

Zhang Rongshan thanked him and quickly put down the equipment.

Prepare the bait, adjust the float, and set up the rod—all done in one smooth motion.

There were no unnecessary movements; he was clearly a seasoned angler.

Two middle-aged men sat side by side in a corner of the riverbank.

They didn't disturb each other, each guarding their own fishing rod.

The atmosphere of being alone is relaxed and peaceful.

There is a natural sense of propriety between unfamiliar anglers.

They won't deliberately strike up a conversation, nor will they be overly indifferent.

Another few minutes passed.

Zhang Rongshan was the first to break the silence.

"Hey bro, was the fish not so good tonight?"

Shen Chuan spoke calmly.

"It's been closed for an hour, and there's been no movement."

"I knew it, this section of the riverbank has been hyped up too much lately."

Zhang Rongshan chuckled casually.

Shen Chuan nodded.

"Most of the popular fishing spots are just gimmicks; they look lively, but they're actually difficult to catch fish at."

The two chatted for a while about the fishing rod, the fish's mouth, and the bait.

Polite yet relaxed, the perfect social dynamic for strangers on the street.

As the conversation went on, the topic naturally veered off course.

The conversation gradually shifted from fishing market trends to everyday trivialities.

Zhang Rongshan spoke in a light tone, with an undisguised smile.

"I'm in a good mood today, so I made a special trip to come here for night fishing to relax."

Shen Chuan casually chimed in.

"Is there good news?"

"It's not a huge joy, but the younger generation in the family has done a great job."

Zhang Rongshan waved his hand with a smile, his tone full of pride.

"My son is studying at a university in Beijing, and he's been making quite a splash lately."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chuan became somewhat interested.

We've found common ground.

"What a coincidence, my daughter is also studying in Beijing."

His previously relaxed tone instantly turned serious.

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Chuan couldn't help but sigh.

His brows furrowed unconsciously.

"But mine is a real headache."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Rongshan immediately turned his head to look.

"How so?"

Shen Chuan didn't hide anything; they were all strangers, so there was no burden in confiding in them.

"The little girl is young and innocent."

I was tricked into dating by a blond-haired kid at school.

I'm thousands of miles away, and I'm constantly worried and anxious, feeling utterly uneasy.

These words resonated deeply with middle-aged parents.

Zhang Rongshan immediately chimed in and took sides.

"I totally understand! Families with daughters will never have enough to worry about in their lifetime."

This is the worst-case scenario: a perfectly healthy young girl being easily abducted.

He smiled and sighed, his tone full of relief.

"Raising a son is much less stressful. I have a boy, so I don't have this problem at all."

He was dating at school, and our whole family was secretly delighted.

Anyway, I won't lose out. Whether the deal goes through or not, it's all experience.

Shen Chuan broke down on the spot and let out another long sigh.

"If I could have a son, I wouldn't have to worry about this so much."

My daughter is too soft-hearted and too sensible; she's easily manipulated.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Rongshan immediately offered words of comfort and warmth.

"Brother, you're wrong about that."

Daughters are the true comforts of family, always caring and attentive.

When I was trying to conceive, all I wanted was a daughter.

I ended up having a boy, and I was depressed for several days.

Boys are mischievous, stubborn, and not considerate; they're basically impossible to keep once they grow up!

"Nothing beats a clingy and reliable daughter."

This sentence directly and accurately hit Shen Chuan's weak spot.

His tense emotions, which had been running all night, instantly relaxed completely.

Most of the accumulated worries and anxieties have dissipated.

Finally, I've met someone who can empathize with me.

Shen Chuan rarely opened up like this.

You really know your stuff!

My daughter has always been well-behaved and has never caused trouble.

They were always by my side when I was little, and they've grown up to be sensible and filial.

My biggest wish in this life is for her mother and me to live a peaceful and happy life.

And then, to our dismay, she went to the capital to have a romance, and completely slipped out of our control.

Zhang Rongshan nodded repeatedly, his eyes filled with envy.

"I'm so envious, so incredibly envious!"

My son has never been kind to me; all he's done since he was little has been infuriating me.

Not clingy, not considerate, and has a very wild mind.

These days, when it comes to raising children, to be honest, daughters are still the sweetest.

The two middle-aged men started talking non-stop.

They talked about parenting tips and family education, and about children's growth and parents' mindset.

The more they talked, the more compatible they became; the more they talked, the more they clicked.

No one looked at the fishing rod again the entire time.

Nobody cares whether the float moves or not, nobody cares whether they can catch any fish.

Whether or not you catch any fish is no longer important.

For middle-aged people, stress relief sometimes comes from an empathetic chat with a stranger.

The two hit it off immediately and were eager to pour out all their parenting complaints from the past half-life.

Time slips away silently.

Before I knew it, it was 2 a.m.

The entire riverbank fell completely silent.

Almost all the anglers in the vicinity packed up and left.

Only the two of them remained, sitting in the corner.

The fish basket was empty; there was zero catch throughout the entire trip.

A standard, pure Air Force.

Zhang Rongshan rubbed his eyes first and then got up to stretch his waist.

They're incredibly stubborn.

"I'm getting old, I can't stay up all night anymore."

It's not that the fish won't bite, it's that I couldn't resist the urge to sleep.

After saying that, he lowered his head and began to silently pack his fishing gear.

Fishing rods, fishing lines, and bait boxes were all put back in their places.

Shen Chuan watched his actions but didn't expose him.

We're all adults, so let's give each other face.

Halfway through tidying up, Zhang Rongshan suddenly stopped.

He turned to look at Shen Chuan, his tone warm and sincere.

"By the way, bro, I have a question that's off-topic."

Which school in Beijing does your daughter attend?

Shen Chuan casually gave the name of the school.

After listening, Zhang Rongshan's eyes became even more amiable.

"That's such a coincidence."

My son is also studying at Tsinghua University.

Since we're from the same city and the same school, it's quite a coincidence.

If you're worried about your daughter's boyfriend.

I'll ask my son to keep an eye on things a bit more later.

Please help screen potential partners based on their character. If they seem reliable, great; if not, just avoid them.

These words were spoken with genuine good intentions.

We just happened to hit it off and I was happy to help out.

But when it reached Shen Chuan's ears, it instantly evoked a mix of emotions.

He coughed awkwardly, looking slightly guilty.

"No need to trouble yourself."

Zhang Rongshan was stunned for a moment.

"What's wrong?"

Shen Chuan sighed helplessly and confessed.

"That blond-haired kid who's always giving me trouble."

She goes to the same school as my daughter, and her character isn't that bad...

The words fell.

Zhang Rongshan understood instantly.

Two seconds later, he burst out laughing.

"I think I understand now."

Brother, you're not just worried about your daughter getting hurt.

"You're just a jealous old man; you simply don't like that young man!"

His little scheme was exposed on the spot.

Shen Chuan didn't refute it, he could only smile helplessly.

This is roughly what adult awkwardness is like.

It's hard to explain, so I can only keep it to myself.

Zhang Rongshan smiled and shook his head, continuing to pack his things.

"Alright, I'm done staying up, I'm leaving now."

Although we didn't have any fish tonight, we had a really enjoyable chat.

Shen Chuan nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, I had a very pleasant chat tonight."

He was actually so sleepy that his eyelids were drooping.

I was so engrossed in our conversation that I didn't realize I was tired.

As I relaxed, drowsiness immediately washed over me.

"I'm closing up shop too."

As Shen Chuan got up to tidy up, he casually made a comment.

"The fishing spots that are hyped up online."

It's definitely not living up to its name; I won't be joining in the fun next time.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Rongshan smiled and waved goodbye.

"Haha, fishing is all about going with the flow."

Let's go fishing together again sometime.

After saying that, he picked up his equipment and turned to walk towards the vehicles parked on the side of the road.

The movements were crisp and the steps were light.

He quickly walked to the car, opened the door, and got in.

Shen Chuan stayed where he was, slowly cleaning up the mess.

Fishing rods, fish baskets, and small stools were all neatly put away.

I'm still replaying our conversation from tonight in my mind.

It's rare to meet a fishing buddy who shares your values ​​and can empathize with you.

We got so engrossed in the conversation that we forgot the most basic things.

Shen Chuan suddenly remembered.

We chatted for hours straight, but we didn't even add each other on WeChat!

We didn't arrange a fishing spot for the next time, nor did we exchange contact information.

They really got carried away with the conversation.

He subconsciously looked up, ready to call out to the other person.

The night was deep, and it was pitch black all around.

In the distance, a beam of car headlights suddenly lit up on the roadside.

The light is not glaring, yet it is highly recognizable.

A boxy, rugged off-road vehicle slowly started moving.

Land Rover Defender.

Shen Chuan's gaze suddenly froze.

The pupils contracted instantly.

The more I look at it, the more familiar it seems.

He had seen this car not long ago.

The memory is so vivid that I can't forget it at all.

It's the car that Zhang Yifan usually drives!

His throat was dry and his heart was pounding.

An incredibly absurd, yet incredibly true, conclusion.

It was firmly nailed into his mind.

I just had a long talk with him all night.

Share his parenting struggles.

I envy him for having such a sweet and caring daughter.

She was even thinking of helping him to put pressure on her daughter's boyfriend.

High probability... 100%...

It's that brat Zhang Yifan's biological father!

I'm so chovy!!!