The moment their eyes met, time seemed to stand still, and everything around them fell silent.

Lu Qingzhou stood frozen in place, his heart clenching as if gripped by an invisible hand. His mind replayed the words Qingyao and the others had told him, and seeing the scene before him now, he felt it was indeed possible.

'Damn, this old man Chen wants to be my adoptive father?'

Once you understand these things,

A complex mix of emotions welled up inside Lu Qingzhou: surprise, a hint of indescribable panic, and a subtle sense of resistance.

He subconsciously turned his head to look at Chen Xiaoxi beside him, only to meet her equally astonished gaze.

In that instant, their eyes met, and a thousand thoughts flowed between them—shock, doubt, and a subtle, indescribable feeling—as if they were silently asking each other: Yuanfang, what do you think of this?

Chen Xiaoxi felt her mind go blank. After looking away, she stared intently at Zhang Ruoshui and Old Man Chen, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as if it were about to break free.

During this period, Old Man Chen had been appearing and disappearing mysteriously, and at this moment all the questions converged into a terrifying guess.

'Could it really be that he's with Aunt Zhang...?'

As soon as the thought popped into her head, she felt dizzy and her vision began to blur.

If Father and Lu Qingzhou's mother really get together, how complicated will their relationship become?

How should they conduct themselves?

She dared not think any further; her temples throbbed. 'No, I must interrogate them carefully later; I must find out if it's really true.'

Leng Yue, who was standing to the side, grabbed Lu Qingzhou's arm tightly, her eyes lighting up instantly. Her gossip-loving spirit burned brightly as she excitedly looked the group of people up and down.

The smile on his lips was impossible to hide; his heart was filled with the excitement of about to discover a great secret.

'Now we've got some juicy gossip to look forward to!'

Old Chen frowned, looking at Chen Xiaoxi standing beside Lu Qingzhou, his heart filled with mixed emotions. 'Damn it, why is this kid coming back with Xiaoxi? Could he really be my son-in-law? Then what about Ruoshui and me...? Holy crap.'

He felt his breathing become rapid, so he took a deep breath and quickly suppressed the surge of blood and qi.

He stole a glance at Zhang Ruoshui beside him, trying to calm himself down, but his mind was already in complete turmoil, with all sorts of thoughts flashing through his mind, completely losing his usual composure.

Zhang Ruoshui never expected that the group of people would meet here so late at night.

Seeing the strange looks from Lu Qingzhou and the others, she had lived half her life and always handled things with composure, but being seen by these young people every now and then made her blush and her cheeks feel slightly hot.

But she was experienced after all, and quickly regained her composure, taking the initiative to break the deadlock with a deliberately relaxed tone: "Son, Yueyue, Xiaoxi, did you just come back from outside?"

Although this question was somewhat rhetorical, Zhang Ruoshui knew the importance of speaking first. Whoever spoke first often gained the upper hand, turning the tables and shifting the awkward situation away from them.

Leng Yue smiled slyly and answered first, deliberately drawing out her words and darting her eyes around: "I had dinner with Miss Chen today. We had a very pleasant conversation and drank a little too much, so I asked Brother Qingzhou to take Miss Chen back with me."

Zhang Ruoshui forced a calm smile and said, "Hehe, is that so? I just came tonight to pick up some medicine."

Leng Yue blinked mischievously, covered her mouth and chuckled, "Mom, I didn't ask you what you came here for, why are you explaining to me!"

Before the words were even finished, the awkwardness in the air intensified, and the atmosphere became increasingly subtle.

Zhang Ruoshui blushed and gave Leng Yue a coquettish glare. She turned to Old Man Chen and said, "Old Chen, you don't need to see me off. I've already asked Xiao Lu and the others to give me a ride."

Old Chen glanced at Chen Xiaoxi; he actually had something he wanted to talk to her about. "Take care then, I'll look for you again another day..."

"Ahem..." Zhang Ruoshui coughed lightly, interrupting him.

Old Chen hurriedly swallowed the rest of his words, a hint of unease flashing across his face.

Leng Yue and the others immediately revealed a half-smile, their eyes full of profound meaning.

The group said their goodbyes and got into the car.

With a deep hum from the engine, the car doors closed one by one, and the air pressure inside the car seemed to be tightened by an invisible hand.

Zhang Ruoshui sat by the window, secretly glancing at Leng Yue, who was chatting and laughing in the front row, and Lu Qingzhou, who was focused on driving.

She thought to herself, 'No, I can't let them take me home. What am I going to say if they ask me about Old Chen and me? I'm getting on in years, it'll be so embarrassing.'

The confidence that once made him a force to be reckoned with in the business world now made him somewhat flustered in front of his son and daughter-in-law.

Having made up her mind, she craned her neck and said to Lu Qingzhou:

"Son, just drop me off at the intersection ahead. I'll take a taxi home myself. I won't bother you young people to go back and rest."

She tried to sound nonchalant, but the way she twisted the silk scarf with her fingers betrayed her inner panic.

Lu Qingzhou glanced at her in the rearview mirror, his gaze sharp as a scalpel, precisely dissecting her feigned composure.

He pursed his lips, his jawline taut, and said sternly, "We're family, don't talk about bothering us. I'll just take you home."

He gripped the steering wheel so tightly it turned white, but in his mind he was thinking: I should take this opportunity to find out the truth, otherwise I'll always feel uneasy.

Zhang Ruoshui's heart leaped into her throat, and even her waving gesture carried a hint of urgency: "Really, there's no need. I'm not senile yet; I can go back by myself."

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