NOVPUB"My dad is right!"
Lih Meng raised her hands in agreement.
Loo Zhen put down her chopsticks with a "clack": "Right about what? Don't you know what your daughter is like? She's so improper all the time, when will she ever find a partner. If you ask me, Shen Yuan should introduce her to a couple of suitable matches. Maybe she'll fancy one of them."
Lih Meng pouted, "I won't like them. I don't want to date anyone right now."
Loo Zhen carried on a lengthy rant, eventually forcing Lih Meng to reluctantly agree. Anyway, Shen Yuan was the one supposed to introduce her to someone, and she doubted he would.
Mom, Old Lih, you both are destined to have only one son-in-law in this life, and it's the same one.
But then, this son-in-law is worth two. Lih Meng thought to herself.
In the evening, it was natural for Shen Yuan to stay over. This 165-square-meter house had four bedrooms. After accommodating Lih Xiao, Lih Xiao's parents, and Lih Meng, there was still one room left.
However, at this point, it made perfect sense for Shen Yuan and Lih Xiao to share a room.
At 10 p.m., after finishing an extra meal prepared by Teacher Lih in the cafeteria, Shen Yuan came to the living room to drink some water.
Something furry brushed against his foot. Shen Yuan looked down and saw it was a little raccoon cat named Pancake.
When Teacher Lih first brought this chubby little guy home, it weighed at most five or six pounds. Now, it was at least a dozen pounds.
Shen Yuan bent down and picked it up, placing it on the couch and stroking its round belly.
The little guy kept rubbing against Shen Yuan's palm.
Shen Yuan chuckled, "Still quite affectionate, huh? It knows who's in charge here, so it tries to please them."
At that moment, he heard footsteps in the hallway. Shen Yuan thought it was someone else getting up for water, but to his surprise, it was Lih Meng walking over.
Her graceful figure was clad in a small tank top and home shorts.
Her long, straight legs gave off a fair glow, and the small tank top revealed a portion of her white belly, which looked exceptionally alluring in the night.
Furthermore, her pretty face under her long, dark hair still bore an expression of both resentment and grievance, making her look quite pitiful.
"What kind of humiliation did you suffer to show that expression?" Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow.
Lih Meng sat down next to Shen Yuan, pouting, "My mom said today she wants to set me up with someone. You didn't even speak up for me."
Shen Yuan smiled, "How could I help you? In front of your parents, I'm your brother-in-law. What am I supposed to do, stop you from finding a partner?"
"But you didn't have to be so cooperative!"
Lih Meng said displeased, "Do you really want me to find someone that much?"
"It's just acting."
Shen Yuan said a few sweet words, managing to appease Lih Meng, then he stood up: "Alright, I'm heading back to your sister's room."
"Brother-in-law."
At that moment, Lih Meng lightly tugged at his sleeve and said softly, "Will you come to my room later?"
Shen Yuan's eyelid twitched, "No way, your dad is home. I want to live a bit longer."
"He sleeps early; he won't find out."
Shen Yuan lowered his voice, "How do you know he won't find out? He's a seasoned detective; he could spot traces easily. Don't get me in trouble. If he snaps, it'll be me he deals with, not you."
"Brother-in-law, but I, I..." Lih Meng opened her mouth, her expression vague.
"What is it? Just say it."
Lih Meng's eyes glistened, and her cheeks turned rosy, "But, I want you."
Shen Yuan felt a headache coming on. When Lih Meng got like this, she didn't care about anything else. Old Lih wasn't easy to fool, who knew what he might notice?
After hesitating for a while, Shen Yuan still shook his head, "No, not tonight."
"Brother-in-law..."
Lih Meng stood up and wrapped her arms around Shen Yuan's waist, lifting her face filled with longing. "I saw a lot by my sister's door today. I know you left that gap for me, right? You can give it to her, why can't you give it to me? You said, whatever my sister has, I will have too."
Her chest pressed against his, and Lih Meng's mischievous little hands roved over his back, causing Shen Yuan's mind to wander.
He still thought it was inappropriate, but at that moment, Lih Meng had already taken his hand and placed it on her own rear, rising up on her toes to breathe warmly into Shen Yuan's ear, "I know you want it too, right?"
Lih Meng had a classic peach-shaped bottom; perhaps her bust wasn't as full as Lih Xiao's, but the allure of her hips was no less. Coupled with her whispers, Shen Yuan felt an urge to investigate her more closely.
"Calm down, Lih Meng."
For a man who could barely keep himself under control, Shen Yuan still maintained a shred of clarity.
"I can't calm down, brother-in-law..."
Lih Meng guided Shen Yuan's left hand to rest on her rear while leading his other hand to slide up under her tank top from the hem.
"Can you feel it, brother-in-law... They are expecting it too..."
Shen Yuan gave in, "I'll come to your room in an hour, but let's be clear, only once."
......
After letting the wind blow on the balcony for a while to disperse Lih Meng's scent, and waiting until Lih Xiao fell asleep, Shen Yuan sneaked into Lih Meng's room.
Tonight's session was particularly thrilling for him, like committing a crime amid a gust of wind, always on alert for any outside noise.
Damn it, is this lust thing even treatable?
......
Fortunately, everything went through without a hitch. When Shen Yuan emerged from Lih Meng's room in the early hours, he let out a heavy sigh of relief.
He opened the sliding door to the living room and stepped onto the balcony, allowing the wind from all directions to carry away the scent of Lih Meng from his body.
A few minutes later, footsteps sounded again in the hallway. Shen Yuan instantly became alert, turning around to see that it was Old Lih.
Shit, did he actually find out?
Old Lih walked straight to the balcony, causing Shen Yuan's heart to race and making him extremely nervous.
"Want a smoke?"
Lih Shenghua handed over a cigarette.
Shen Yuan swallowed hard. If he really found out, the cigarette in his hand would be a bullet.
"I'll join you for one."
Shen Yuan took the cigarette, fetched an ashtray from the living room, and then they started smoking together.
Old Lih was a veteran smoker, flicking his ashes rhythmically. Shen Yuan, though not a regular smoker, would occasionally join Old Shen for a smoke at home.
Whether he smoked or not was one thing, but he certainly had a stylish way of holding the cigarette.
"Dad, can't sleep?" Shen Yuan inquired.
Old Lih gazed into the distance, speaking to himself, "I usually don't come to the balcony to smoke at home. Tonight, when I lit a cigarette in the living room, I suddenly remembered that Xiaoxiao is pregnant. Yes, Xiaoxiao is pregnant. She's grown up and will become a mother."
Shen Yuan couldn't relate to the feelings of a doting father like Old Lih, but he imagined it must be quite bittersweet.
"When Xiaoxiao was born, she weighed seven pounds. Holding her felt substantial; she was chubby, but honestly, she wasn't very pretty then. I never expected her to grow up to be so beautiful."
Old Lih spoke lightly.
"In the blink of an eye, she reached school age. On her first day, I took her to school. She was hopping around happily, and I thought my daughter was finally growing up."
"The teacher praised her for being well-behaved and very diligent in her studies. I was really proud then."
"Later, when she went to college in Star City, I took her there to help her settle in. I wanted to help her make the bed, but she wouldn't let me, saying she'd grown up and could take care of herself."
"That day, I felt a bit disappointed but also realized that I couldn't help her anymore. From then on, she had to walk her path alone."
At this point, Old Lih's tone grew heavier. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
"A few more years passed, she started working. She often called home, talking about how great the school was and how her colleagues and supervisors took care of her. She always shared good news, never the bad. But having been through this ourselves, we know she must have faced hardships. How could she not?"
"Our daughter didn't want to worry us, so we had to console ourselves with the thought that she'd grown up and could handle it."
"Then, she met you and got pregnant. That's when I realized my daughter is not just my daughter anymore; she belongs to you and her future child too."
Towards the end, Shen Yuan thought he heard a sob, but he never saw Old Lih's face.
This strong old detective shed a tear.
Finally, he patted Shen Yuan's shoulder and left the balcony after saying one last thing.
"Shen Yuan, take good care of my daughter."
Shen Yuan glanced at Old Lih's slightly hunched back, feeling a pang of emotion. Old Lih, being able to raise such a gentle and kind Teacher Lih, must be a qualified father.
Don't worry, Old Lih. I'll take good care of both your daughters.
