Lin Xiawan was listening to Lin Tingyue's inner thoughts when Xiang Yuan, beside them, excitedly told her, "She's here."
Everyone turned to look at the entrance, eagerly waiting.
Not long after, a woman with a curvaceous figure, long permed waves, and a red dress appeared at the door.
The moment Xiang Yuan saw her, he hurried over to greet her. "Xixi, you're here."
He took the opportunity to get a good look at the woman's face, which was partly hidden by her curls. Her makeup was a little heavy, but it was clear she had good features underneath.
This in-person meeting had gone quite well, and Xiang Yuan was very satisfied. He took Xixi's hand, and as they passed Lin Xiawan and Lin Tingyue's table, he introduced her. "These are my classmate and her younger sister."
Xixi nodded and replied somewhat stiffly, "Hello."
Lin Xiawan answered, "Hello."
Lin Tingyue hurriedly added, "Hello."
But unlike Lin Xiawan, who met Xixi's gaze openly, Lin Tingyue kept her head down.
[I don't dare open my eyes. I hope this is just my imagination.]
[Whenever I think about how this person's original appearance was that of a burly man with a full beard, I feel like my eyes are being scorched!]
A burly man with a full beard?
Damn it, they couldn't go back to how things were either!
While they were suffering the pain of having their eyes scorched, Xiang Yuan and his precious Xixi had already started ordering.
"Xixi, how about steak? It's this restaurant's signature dish."
Xixi ran a hand through her hair. "I don't really like steak."
At this point, a normal person might have switched to something else, but Xiang Yuan didn't!
He earnestly advised her, "Xixi, you can give it a try. Besides, what's the point of coming to this restaurant if you don't eat steak?"
Xixi seemed to be persuaded. "All right."
"She" slowly reached out to take Xiang Yuan's hand, then looked at him with a sweet smile. "I'll eat whatever you order."
Those words, along with Xixi's smile, sent Xiang Yuan's heart soaring. Wasn't this what it meant to be a successful man?
"Xixi, you're a girl. Girls should eat more vegetables and fruit. They're good for your skin."
"Xixi, how can you not want carrots? I'm only doing this for your own good."
"Xixi, why are you wearing such heavy makeup? You don't look like a girl at all. I like a simple, natural look. Do you understand, Xixi?"
Lin Tingyue's fists were clenched tight as she listened.
[What's going on? Where's the showdown at the peak that I was looking forward to?]
The people in the restaurant seemed to be eating, but they were all straining their ears to listen to the gossip. The restaurant was playing soothing music, but it couldn't drown out Xiang Yuan's voice at all.
The gossip was juicy, but the way he acted like her dad was almost more than they could take!
[Fight back! I want to see her fight back!]
They wanted to see it too!
"I understand." Xixi smiled and quietly ate her steak, adding plenty of the vegetables Xiang Yuan wanted "her" to eat.
A notification popped up on the phone Xixi had placed on the table. Xiang Yuan happened to see it and exclaimed in surprise, "Xixi, I didn't know you were into this too!"
"I only know a little."
"Then let me quiz you." Xiang Yuan stopped eating and propped his chin on his hand. "Do you know who the most interesting character in it is?"
["Then let me quiz you~" That's such a classic. Those are all dad-style catchphrases!]
[Seems like the fake dad lost to a real dad after all.]
Just as Lin Tingyue was starting to find it boring, Xixi began teaching Xiang Yuan how to download the game and register an account.
Xixi even moved over to sit beside Xiang Yuan. "She" picked up the phone and explained seriously, "Just like this. Have you got it?"
"I've got it."
But when Xiang Yuan reached for the phone, he watched in shock as Xixi deleted the account that had already been registered. "She" handed the phone to Xiang Yuan. "Baby, give it a try. I want to see if you learned."
Xiang Yuan was dumbfounded.
[Hahahahaha.]
[There's always a higher mountain, and there's always a bigger dad.]
Xixi stood up. "She" said, "I'm going to the restroom."
At this point, even Xiang Yuan caught on. He asked, "Xixi, are you angry with me?"
[Huh? They're both the same type, and she can still get angry?]
[Ah, she's not angry at all. Xixi needs to go touch up her makeup in the restroom. If she doesn't fix it soon, she's probably going to get exposed.]
"How could I be angry with you?"
"Xixi-"
Xiang Yuan got up to grab Xixi. He had meant to grab Xixi's arm, but Xixi's long hair had fallen loose, with some of it draped over "her" arm, and he caught the hair too.
Xixi walked forward while Xiang Yuan pulled back. The result was-
Xixi's wig came off, revealing a bald head snugly wrapped in a hair net.
[I really didn't expect this kind of unmasking.]
The onlookers let out a collective "Whoa!"
Xiang Yuan was even more at a loss. "Xixi, what's wrong? Are you sick?"
Xixi seized the opportunity to make "her" eyes well up with tears. "She" choked out, "Yes, I'm sick. I didn't want to tell you about it. I didn't come here to meet you in person this time, either. I came to end things with you."
After saying that, Xixi was already crying uncontrollably.
[Such a masterful falsetto, such exquisite acting.]
[Is that makeup waterproof? Stop crying and go touch it up! Otherwise, it'll all come off in a minute!]
"Xixi..."
Xiang Yuan hadn't expected things to turn out this way, much less that Xixi liked him so much.
He quickly took Xixi's hand and declared his devotion. "Xixi, no matter what, I won't leave you. You have to believe me."
"Really?"
Xiang Yuan nodded firmly. "Really."
Xixi was deeply moved. "All right, then I'll go to the restroom... Ah, are you sick or something? Why don't you watch where you're going? You stepped on me, you know! Get your manager over here!"
The coarse voice startled Xiang Yuan, who had been in the middle of sharing a tender moment with Xixi.
[Hahahahaha, what a sudden change in tone.]
The waiter who had stepped on Xixi immediately apologized. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."
Xiang Yuan stared blankly. "Xixi, why did your voice change? You sound just like a man..."
[What do you mean, "just like a man"? He is a man.]
A man?
Xiang Yuan seized on the key piece of information. Xixi had worn a wig to meet him, and Xixi's voice had sounded so...
Could it be? Xiang Yuan let go of Xixi's hand, his face turning ashen. "You're a man, aren't you?"
Seeing that "she" had been exposed, Xixi stopped hiding it. "Even if I am a man, does that mean you can't keep loving me? You just said that no matter what, you wouldn't leave me."
As he spoke, Xixi tried to snuggle into Xiang Yuan's arms like a little bird, but Xiang Yuan shoved him away in disgust.
Only then did Xiang Yuan realize that Xixi wasn't short at all. He was almost as tall as Xiang Yuan.
"I was blinded by love just now!"
"I really do love you, Xiang Yuan." Xixi gazed at him tenderly.
Xiang Yuan only felt like he was about to throw up!
[Let me see whether your true feelings are really true!]
[It turns out that after he drove his son's third girlfriend away, his son fell out with him completely. He's now looking for a lawyer to cut off their father-son relationship. After this, he'd been searching online for a suitable companion for his later years. There weren't many people like Xiang Yuan, who were young, rich, and not very clever.]
[As for why he set his sights on Xiang Yuan? Because he had no preference for men or women...]
Xiang Yuan stammered, "My mom is still counting on me to give her a grandchild."
[Why are you stuttering here? Did you really fall for him?]
Xixi's eyes lit up. "A grandchild."
Lin Tingyue: "?"
[Oh no, that sister's ex-ex-boyfriend became the son of her ex-boyfriend.]
Even after they left, Lin Tingyue was still holding her forehead and sighing. She looked at Lin Xiawan's profile, and when Lin Xiawan noticed, Lin Tingyue cleared her throat again and said tactfully, "Sister Xiawan, your class really is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers."
[No, I have to protect Sister Xiawan. I can't let those people corrupt her.]
Lin Xiawan's eyes curved.
Not long afterward, Lin Xiawan sent an invitation to every member of the Lin Family.
Lin Tingyue looked it over again and again. "An art exhibition?"
"Mm. My work isn't in this exhibition yet, but I've been working on it with the team all this time. I hope everyone will come see it."
"Sister Xiawan, I'll definitely go."
Lin Xiawan looked at Bai Yaxin and Lin Rusong. Bai Yaxin choked up. "Your mom and dad will definitely come support you... I don't know why, but when I see how wonderful Xiawan is, I want to cry."
"Mom..."
"Mom knows. Mom knows."
The day of the art exhibition arrived, and of course the whole family came along.
As a staff member, Lin Xiawan had a lot to do. After bringing the Lin Family into the exhibition hall, she went off to get busy.
Lin Tingyue looked at the paintings and let out admiring exclamations.
Lin Shengyan stood behind her. "If you like anything, second brother will buy it for you."
But what Lin Tingyue was actually thinking was-
No way, no way. Why does this have to cost several million?
Damn it, isn't this highway robbery?
Hearing Lin Shengyan's words, Lin Tingyue turned around and said with a distant look, "Second brother, why don't you just transfer the money to me instead?"
Lin Shengyan: "..."
"Lin Tingyue, you really never drop that money-grubber persona, do you?"
"Second brother, come here. I have a golden piece of advice for you."
"What golden piece of advice could you possibly have?"