Chapter 732 To tell the truth, when Zhao Rui pushed open the door, his palms were full of cold sweat.

It should have been a warm weekend afternoon, but Zhao Rui knew that he was about to break this peace with his own hands.

"Dad, Mom, there's something... I want to have a serious talk with you." Zhao Rui's voice was hoarse, as if it was squeezed out from deep in his throat.

Father Zhao raised his eyes from above the newspaper and glanced at her silently.

Zhao Rui took a deep breath: "It's about Liu Hua. I lied last time. She is our classmate in the Chemistry Department... She works as a waitress at the Xinweiju Hotel."

"What did you say? Zhao Rui, how dare you lie to us?"

"Mom, please listen to me first!" It was the first time that Zhao Rui interrupted his mother so loudly. His voice echoed in the empty living room, and even he was startled.

Trembling, he pulled a neatly folded report card from his pocket and carefully placed it on the coffee table. "This is my recent report card. I'm 12th in the department, an improvement of eight places from last semester. I admit that lying was wrong, and I sincerely apologize to you all. But I was serious about Liu Xiaohua."

Mother Zhao grabbed the report card, her eyes swept across the paper like a knife, and then slammed it on the table:

"Well, for someone like this, you've not only learned to lie, but you've also learned to use your grades to blackmail your parents? Waiting tables in a restaurant? What future does she offer you? How can she help you in your future? I think you've been bewitched by that vixen!"

Zhao Rui's voice suddenly rose, bloodshot eyes. "She is a vixen, she earns her living with her own hands."

Mother Zhao sneered, her voice piercingly sharp. "Life? You call that life? Rui, you've disappointed me so much. We worked so hard to raise you and send you to school, and now we're letting you have a romantic relationship with a waiter!"

"Enough!" Father Zhao, who had been silent all the time, suddenly shouted, put down the newspaper and stood up.

"Do you know what it would mean to you if a record of lifestyle issues appeared on your file? Do you know how many people have ruined their entire careers because of a moment of confusion?"

Zhao Rui met his father's stern gaze, his Adam's apple rolling. "Dad, I haven't done anything shameful. Hua is a good girl. She's hardworking, kind, and motivated. This is a character certificate written by her colleagues at the hotel."

He took out another piece of paper from his pocket. The paper had become soft from being touched and crumpled.

Mother Zhao snatched the paper and tore it in half without even looking at it: "How dare you take home something as deceptive as this?"

The pieces of paper fell like snowflakes. Zhao Rui looked at the fragments and felt that his heart was being torn into pieces bit by bit.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, tears welled up in his eyes: "Mom, are you even willing to take a look? In your heart, is your son so trustworthy? My love for you is worth nothing?"

His voice choked with sobs. This usually proud young man seemed so vulnerable at this moment:

"I know you're doing this for my own good, afraid I might go astray, but...but can you please just try to trust me for once? Trust that I have the ability to judge right from wrong, and that I can tell what's true?"

Mother Zhao was stunned. She had never seen her son look like this before.

At that moment, she seemed to see again the boy who had been wronged but was stubborn enough to cry out.

"Next weekend, I want to invite you to have a meal at Xinweiju. I don't ask you to accept anything immediately. I just want you to go and see it with your own eyes.

See where she works, see what kind of person she is. If, after seeing her with your own eyes, you still think she's worthy of me, or that I'll be dragged down by her... then I promise you, I'll never associate with her again."

Father Zhao stared at his son for a long time, as if he was truly getting to know this young man who was already taller than himself for the first time.

The clock in the living room ticked, and every second seemed to last.

"Do you know what this means?" Father Zhao finally spoke in a low voice.

"I know." Zhao Rui straightened his spine, "This means I have to be responsible for my own choices."

Mother Zhao wanted to say something, but Father Zhao raised his hand to stop her.

He slowly walked to the window, looked at the old locust tree outside the window, and said for a long time: "Saturday night, your mother and I will go."

At that moment, Zhao Rui felt that all the strength in his body had been drained away.

…

On Saturday evening, the Xinweiju Restaurant was bustling with people.

Zhao Rui led his parents and deliberately chose a corner seat against the wall.

From here you can overlook most of the lobby and easily attract the attention of the busy staff.

Father Zhao looked calm as he scanned the surroundings, while Mother Zhao frowned slightly as she carefully wiped the already clean table with a tissue.

"This place... is cleaner than I thought." Mother Zhao commented in a low voice.

Zhao Rui's heart was in his throat. He responded randomly, but his eyes searched the crowd uncontrollably.

He was looking forward to seeing that familiar figure, but also afraid that she would really appear.

This contradictory psychology made him feel very uncomfortable.

"Would you like to order now?" A clear female voice sounded beside him.

Zhao Rui turned around suddenly, it was her.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a little lost.

After ordering, the atmosphere fell into a subtle silence.

At this moment, the figure that made Zhao Rui's heart stop appeared.

Liu Xiaohua was coming out from the back kitchen, holding a large wooden tray with five layers of steaming stir-fried dishes on it.

Fine beads of sweat were on her forehead, and a few strands of hair stuck to her cheeks, but her back was straight and her steps were steady and fast.

"Excuse me, my heart is burning, the dishes for table number ꆅ are ready!"

Seeing her son's gaze, Zhao's mother immediately followed his gaze.

She watched Liu Xiaohua neatly place the dishes one by one in front of the guests at table number 1, her fingers deftly avoiding the scalding rim of the plate, a perfectly placed smile on her face. A guest seemed to ask something, and she leaned forward slightly to listen, then pointed neatly at the menu and quickly explained.

"Is that her?"

Zhao Rui's throat was dry, and he just nodded.

The next moment seemed to turn into a silent comedy.

Zhao Rui's family ate in silence, but Zhao's mother's eyes followed Liu Xiaohua's busy figure from time to time.

They saw her patiently comfort an old lady who complained about the slow service and offered her a cup of hot tea;

Seeing her running around, she forgot to pick up the chopsticks that had fallen on the floor from the table next to her.

Mother Zhao picked up a piece of braised pork, put it in her mouth and chewed it slowly with a complicated look in her eyes.

The "fox spirit" she imagined should be frivolous and flattering, or cowardly and presentable.

But the girl in front of me had a simple and plain air about her.

"This girl... is really nimble." Father Zhao suddenly commented in a low voice. Zhao Rui's heart skipped a beat when he could tell from his emotion.

Just then, something unexpected happened.