While everyone was making a ruckus, Liang Zhirou quietly slipped into Chen Lu's room and then carefully closed the door.

She was even too embarrassed to make a sound when closing the door, afraid of disturbing other people's enjoyment.

The girl sat down on the chair with a somewhat dejected expression and let out a deep sigh.

After a moment of solitude, she took out her phone again and opened the photo that she wouldn't normally look at, but which was deeply etched in her heart.

Since it wasn't convenient to carry the photos with her, she took them with her phone.

The yellowed photograph centers on a handsome man in his thirties with slightly dark skin, holding a young girl in his arms. The background is a makeshift backdrop from the town's photo studio at the time—just a thin plastic screen with a stream and a wooden bridge printed on it.

This man is her father.

The young man turned his head to look at her, a doting smile on his face, full of longing for their future together. Even though his clothes were quite old, he seemed unfazed by anything.

With teary eyes, Liang Zhirou bit her trembling lips, trying to hold back the tears that were about to spill out.

She needs to become stronger; crying all the time will only cause trouble for Chen Lutian.

But soon, the man's appearance gradually became as blurry as her memory, veiled by a layer of fog, and she couldn't see it clearly no matter what.

Her family was quite poor at that time, and this was the only photo of her father besides his ID photo.

There are actually quite a few photos of her when she was a child, because her father was surprisingly willing to spend money on her.

Her head gradually drooped, and her back trembled.

The office wasn't very soundproof, and the laughter outside quickly overwhelmed her sobs like a tidal wave.

As Lin Miaomiao's friend, she was genuinely happy for Lin Miaomiao.

She was just... she was just a little envious.

"Dad, I can't remember anything."

Liang Zhirou spoke slowly in a very soft voice, her tone trembling with tears.

"It's been so long... I've almost forgotten everything about you. All I remember now is how good you were to me."

But I really miss you...

Just then, there was a light knock on the office door twice.

She hurriedly wiped away her tears and quickly turned her face away.

"Silly goofball."

Chen Lu knocked on the door and waited almost ten seconds before coming in. As he spoke, he quietly closed the door. The moment the door closed, the noise from outside was immediately cut off, as if it had suddenly sunk into water.

Only when she realized it was her boyfriend did she turn her face back, and then continue to lower her head deeply.

Like a child who skipped class and got caught by the teacher.

Chen Lu was slightly taken aback when he saw this. He didn't say anything, but just silently squatted down in front of the girl and took a tissue to wipe her tears.

Just like when he stood in front of the mall and made the promise with Liang Zhirou.

"I...I'm all better now." Liang Zhirou grasped Chen Lu's hand that was resting on her cheek, savoring the reassuring touch, and forced a passable smile. "Go on with your business."

She could easily tell that Chen Lu was the key figure behind the lively atmosphere just now. No one would notice if she left, but everyone would immediately notice if Chen Lu was gone.

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'm going to ruin you."

Chen Lu threatened softly, standing up and pulling the girl into his arms. "Nothing is worth my concern except you."

Upon hearing this, Liang Zhirou didn't say anything more. She gently pressed her forehead against Chen Lu's body, letting tears fall either directly onto the smooth floor tiles or slide down her nose.

After each teardrop hits the ground and splashes into water, a few more droplets occasionally gather together.

The thought that she had just mopped the floor when she arrived that morning suddenly made her want to cry even more.

"You still have me."

After a long silence in the room, Chen Lu suddenly spoke.

"Yes, I still have you..." Liang Zhirou felt that she was already very content.

"And you have more than just me, my parents and Chen Mo also like you very much."

Chen Lu kissed the girl's wet cheek, which tasted salty. "Aunt Xiao values ​​you more than anything, and Lin Miaomiao also likes you very much. In fact, there are many people around you who are willing to do their best to take care of you."

Most importantly, I will always be by your side.

He was also nervous, unsure how to put his thoughts into words, and his speech was unusually clumsy. "Maybe you just miss your uncle, but I still hope you know that I will try my best to make you happy too. No less than anyone else."

"That...the past is the past, and there's nothing I can do to help, but I can still be a part of your future."

After he finished speaking, he scratched his head again. This was truly the most embarrassing moment he had felt since he had known Liang Zhirou.

Unexpectedly, Liang Zhirou suddenly laughed, almost blowing a snot bubble, and then quickly covered it with her hand.

"What are you laughing at?" Chen Lu asked.

"This is the first time I've seen you so nervous. You seem a little silly." Liang Zhirou tried her best to quietly blow her nose with a tissue, then looked at him with her slightly reddened eyes wide open.

Her boyfriend could give a speech in front of so many people without batting an eye, but when he tried to comfort her, he became nervous instead.

"You can't call me stupid," Chen Lu said sternly.

The girl was startled by his reaction and timidly asked, "Why?"

Chen Lu poked Liang Zhirou's forehead. "If you were in that situation, you would also be angry if someone mocked you for being bad at math because they don't even know how to add one to one."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!