The next morning, Han Feng accompanied Liu Mengran back to the apartment to move. Nothing excessive had happened the night before, and the two seemed to be in a very good mood.
Cardboard boxes filled most of the living room. Han Feng squatted on the floor, carefully stacking Liu Mengran's books into the boxes.
"Where should I put these?" Han Feng asked, holding up a stack of notebooks tied with rubber bands.
Liu Mengran was tidying up clothes in the bedroom when her voice came through the half-open door: "Those are some notes; just put them in the box in the study."
Han Feng nodded and got up to walk towards the study. As he passed the bedroom, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of Liu Mengran with her back to the door, putting folded sweaters into a suitcase. She had changed into a light pink loungewear outfit, her hair casually tied up, revealing the back of her fair neck. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a soft glow on her features.
(Focus, Han Feng.)
He looked away and pushed open the study door. The room was tidier than he had imagined. The bookshelves were filled with various professional books categorized by subject, while the bottom shelf held several photo albums and novels. Han Feng put the notebook into a cardboard box labeled "Study Items," but his gaze was drawn to a corner of fabric peeking out from the desk drawer.
"I should be taking it with me too..." he muttered to himself, pulling open the drawer and reaching for it.
The soft lace fabric slid through his fingertips, and Han Feng froze on the spot when he picked up the black bra. The delicate openwork design and thin shoulder straps swayed in his hand, like a small flag announcing social death.
"Han Feng, you saw my..." Liu Mengran's voice stopped abruptly at the door.
Time seemed to freeze. Han Feng mechanically turned his head and saw Liu Mengran's wide eyes and her face flushed instantly. The clothes hanger in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud".
"I...I just..." Han Feng's tongue seemed to be tied in knots, and he didn't know whether to throw away the hot potato in his hand or keep it.
Liu Mengran rushed forward, snatched the bra, and stuffed it into her pocket, her ears burning red: "This... I can take care of this myself!"
"I'm sorry! I thought it was going to be taken away..." Han Feng scratched the back of his head, feeling his face burning.
An awkward and subtle silence fell between them. Liu Mengran lowered her head, her eyelashes casting small shadows on her face.
"Ahem... Is there anything else I can help with?" Han Feng finally broke the silence.
Liu Mengran shook her head, her voice barely audible: "No need, I... I'll go tidy up the bedroom." With that, she fled the study as if escaping.
Han Feng let out a long sigh of relief, only then realizing that his palms were covered in sweat. He smiled wryly and continued tidying the books, but he couldn't shake the image of the black lace from his mind.
The doorbell rang just in time to save him. Han Feng strode to the door and saw Liu Xiaoran's perpetually icy face through the peephole.
"Here you are." Han Feng opened the door and was surprised to find that Liu Xiaoran was dressed casually today and looked much younger.
Liu Xiaoran nodded, his gaze sweeping over Han Feng and across the room: "Where's Mengran?"
"I'm packing in the bedroom." Han Feng stepped aside to let him in. "There's not much stuff; two cars should be enough."
Liu Xiaoran grunted in acknowledgment and walked straight to the living room to inspect the already packed cardboard boxes. His movements were clean and efficient; he gently shook each box to test its weight, then arranged them according to the order of transport.
Han Feng poured him a glass of water and handed it to him: "Thank you for your hard work."
Liu Xiaoran took the water glass but didn't drink; he just stared blankly at the water. After a moment, he spoke: "I'm entrusting my sister to you."
The weight of those words startled Han Feng. He looked at Liu Xiaoran and noticed a barely perceptible worry hidden in the other's eyes, in addition to his usual calmness.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of her."
"She's been independent since she was little," Liu Xiaoran said, his voice low. "She wasn't born into the Liu family; she's used to being alone." He paused, then continued, "So when she started relying on you, I knew it."
Han Feng didn't know how to respond. Liu Xiaoran's words were like a blunt knife, cutting open the unspoken feelings between him and Liu Mengran.
"The Liu family's affairs..." Han Feng tentatively began, recalling the reclusive family Lin Zhengguo had mentioned.
Liu Xiaoran's gaze suddenly sharpened. He put down his water glass, the glass clinking against the coffee table: "She knows nothing. It's best she never knows."
The sound of the bedroom door opening interrupted their conversation. Liu Mengran came out dragging a small suitcase, her eyes lighting up when she saw her brother: "Brother! You're just in time! Help me carry this suitcase downstairs."
Liu Xiaoran's expression softened instantly. He stood up, took the suitcase, and gently patted his sister's head: "That's all?"
"Most of them have already been packed up." Liu Mengran said, her gaze inadvertently meeting Han Feng's. The two of them simultaneously recalled the little incident in the study and looked away at each other without prior arrangement.
Liu Xiaoran keenly sensed the subtle atmosphere between the two, raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
Three hours later, all the items were loaded onto the vehicles. Liu Xiaoran's SUV led the way, followed closely by Han Feng's SUV, as they headed towards the villa on the outskirts of the city.
Su Wanwan was already waiting at the villa entrance, waving excitedly as the convoy arrived. She wore a bright yellow dress, looking like a blooming sunflower in the sunlight.
"Liu, you blockhead!" she called out to Liu Xiaoran as he got out of the car, "Want to come inside and have a meal before you leave?"
Liu Xiaoran shook his head and turned to Liu Mengran, who was unbuckling her seatbelt: "Call me anytime if you need anything."
Liu Mengran smiled and nodded: "Okay, brother. Don't worry."
Liu Xiaoran then looked at Han Feng, and the two exchanged a knowing glance. Without a word, Han Feng understood the message. He nodded solemnly.
Watching Liu Xiaoran's car drive away, Su Wanwan immediately took Liu Mengran's arm: "Come on, let me help you tidy up the room! Han Feng, that straight man, definitely doesn't know how to arrange cosmetics."
Han Feng shook his head with a wry smile, about to retort, when his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. The caller ID showed "Mom".
"Hello, Mom?"
"Xiaofeng~" Her mother's cheerful voice came through the receiver, "Your dad and I have hired a lot of employees recently, and our supermarket is finally running smoothly. We were just thinking of taking a break, so we're flying to Kyoto tomorrow for a few days!"
Han Feng nearly dropped his phone: "Huh? Tomorrow?"
His gaze unconsciously drifted to Liu Mengran, who was chatting and laughing with Su Wanwan, and then looked at the large pile of luggage that had just been moved into the villa. Suddenly, he felt a throbbing pain in his temples.
"What's wrong? Is it inconvenient?" The mother's voice was filled with doubt. "Your dad said he wanted to see where you live..."
"No, it's very convenient!" Han Feng chuckled twice. "It's just... a bit sudden. What time is your flight tomorrow? I'll pick you up."
After hanging up the phone, Han Feng stood there, his mind already rehearsing various scenarios of his parents meeting Liu Mengran tomorrow. His father's probing gaze, his mother's enthusiastic questioning, and Liu Mengran's possible reactions...
"Han Feng?" Liu Mengran's voice pulled him back to reality. "What happened? You look strange."
Han Feng opened his mouth, but suddenly didn't know where to begin. Looking into her clear eyes, Han Feng inexplicably felt that perhaps... this wasn't entirely a bad thing?
"It's nothing," he finally said, a helpless yet expectant smile playing on his lips. "It's just that my parents are coming tomorrow."
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