“Dad, you come here to play chess quite often in the evenings, don’t you?” Gu Wan’er asked curiously.
“How could I come every day? I only drop by on weekends to get my fix. That Old Bai is only here on weekends too, and he’s practically the chess king of this park. I can’t believe you took him down—ha, that feels good!” He said, patting his son on the shoulder as he laughed.
“What a pity, though. Now that your mom caught us, I probably won’t be able to sneak out for a while.”
Gu Wan’er couldn’t help but snicker. The look on her uncle’s face was just too hilarious.
But before she knew it, Yu Taiduo reached over and gave her a smack on the head. “You little rascal, still laughing at your old man!”
Gu Wan’er rubbed the back of her head, unconvinced. “Dad, be careful, or I’ll report you to Mom!” And with that, she bolted, just like Yu Xiaoduo would have done.
Watching his son dash off in that all-too-familiar escape pattern, Yu Taiduo immediately gave chase. “When I catch you, I’m going to spank you till your butt’s black and blue!”
Gu Wan’er sprinted ahead, laughing out loud, while Yu Taiduo huffed and puffed behind her, barely keeping up. And so, the classic scene of father chasing son unfolded right there in the open.
Gu Wan’er had never experienced such playful mischief before, and she was absolutely thrilled.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Old Bai—who had just left the park—walked into an upscale neighborhood. It was only a few blocks away from where Yu Xiaoduo lived; in fact, you could even see it from the balcony.
As Old Bai stepped through the front door, a graceful figure stood in the kitchen, wearing an apron and washing fruit.
If Yu Xiaoduo were here, he would have definitely let out a gasp—wasn’t that Sister Bai?!
He never would have guessed that Sister Bai lived just a stone’s throw away in the neighboring complex.
Bai Ji hadn’t chosen some grand villa. Her grandfather lived back in his hometown, and living alone in a massive house would have felt too empty, so she’d opted for a cozy two-hundred-square-meter apartment instead.
Bai Ji turned to look at her grandfather, a gentle smile spreading across her stunning face. “Grandpa, you’re back early today.” Every weekend, her grandfather would come over to keep her company, and Bai Ji knew perfectly well it was his way of nudging her to find a boyfriend.
“Ran into a formidable opponent. Decided to retreat for now,” Bai Jianguo said with a chuckle, settling onto the sofa and turning on the TV.
Bai Ji set down a fruit platter and asked curiously, “What kind of opponent would make even you retreat, Grandpa?”
“An interesting young man.” Bai Jianguo popped a peeled orange segment into his mouth and began pondering where he’d gone wrong in that last game.
It had to be letting that pawn go—that was what caused his entire defense to collapse. If he had a do-over, he definitely wouldn’t make the same mistake.
“A young man?”
“Mm. Quite handsome, actually. Probably about seven or eight years younger than you. I doubt he’d go for an older leftover woman like you.”
Bai Ji: “…”
That was practically a critical hit straight from Grandpa himself. Bai Ji didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“What are you laughing at? Am I wrong? In a few more years, you’ll be hitting forty.”
“Don’t worry, Grandpa. I promise I’ll bring a man to stand right in front of you this year.”
“And what if you don’t follow through?”
“Then I’ll do whatever you say, Grandpa—even if it means marrying an old man.” Bai Ji said it with a serious expression.
Seeing the sincerity on his granddaughter’s face, Bai Jianguo chose to believe her. “Alright. The Bai family doesn’t lie to the Bai family.”
Bai Ji couldn’t help but laugh. “Grandpa, you’re picking up trendy sayings too, huh?”
“Grandpa is old, not stupid.”
Bai Ji was thoroughly amused by her grandfather. Having an elder at home really was like having a treasure.
“I heard you’re planning to introduce the girls from the Gu and Ye families to some people tomorrow?” Bai Jianguo unscrewed his thermos, took a sip of water, and asked casually.
“Mm. They’re both excellent young women.”
Bai Jianguo didn’t say much more, though he secretly wished his granddaughter would spend more time around young men instead of always mingling with women.
The next morning, Yu Xiaoduo woke up with a big yawn. He’d spent the night alone in bed, mainly because he’d stayed up way too late chatting with Yun’er. That girl could really talk. But things seemed to be progressing nicely—soon enough, he’d go from being a brother to being a brother-in-law. Just you wait.
“Sis, are you feeling any better today?” Gu Yun’er walked in carrying breakfast, asking with concern.
“A bit more comfortable today.” Yu Xiaoduo tried getting out of bed for a walk. He felt much stronger than yesterday, though walking was still a bit awkward.
“Then you should rest a little longer.”
Yu Xiaoduo teased, “Yun’er, why didn’t you sleep with me last night?”
“I lay down in bed last night and just… fell asleep without realizing it.” Gu Yun’er said sheepishly.
Yeah, right. Sis Yun’er, you can tell a lie without even batting an eye.
“I’ve got a dinner meeting tonight, so don’t take the day off today. Otherwise, people might say you’re being a diva.”
“It’s fine. They can film other scenes first, and I’ll go back on Monday.” Gu Yun’er actually wanted a break too.
“Sis, do you think he’d agree if I asked that guy out?”
Yu Xiaoduo nearly choked. Are you seriously trying to ask your sister out on a date?
“Yun’er, you can’t rush these things. You’ve got to keep some restraint.”
“But yesterday, you said I should take the initiative.”
Yu Xiaoduo was caught between laughter and tears. I did say to be proactive, but not this proactive, you silly girl.
“Trust me on this. Chat with him for half a year or so, get to know his background, and then ask him out for a meal.”
“Alright. I think he’s pretty interesting, though.” Gu Yun’er covered her face and giggled shyly.
Hearing that evaluation from Yun’er, Yu Xiaoduo felt confident. At this rate, he’d have Yun’er wrapped around his finger in under six months. When you’ve watched over three hundred romance films, you’ve got the whole messy boy-girl thing down pat.
After comfortably finishing Yun’er’s lovingly prepared breakfast, Yu Xiaoduo sat on the rocking chair in the garden, mulling over tonight’s plans. This was going to be a tricky one.
Just then, Gu Wan’er called. Yu Xiaoduo picked up the phone and answered with a “Hello.”
“How are you today? Can you get out of bed yet?” Gu Wan’er asked with concern—after all, it was her body too, so of course she cared.
“Not bad. I can walk around a little now.”
“That’s good. What time should I come pick you up this afternoon?”
“Let’s say six.”
“Got it. Oh, by the way, your dad and I got an earful from your mom last night.” Gu Wan’er figured she should fill him in.
Yu Xiaoduo perked up with interest. “Oh? Really? Did my dad throw you under the bus?”
“He sure did. Just like you would.”
“Ha! I’m dying to know—what did you two do to get Mom so riled up?”
“Last night, your dad snuck out to play chess. I happened to run into him while I was out for a walk, so I helped him out with a few moves. But then your mom showed up out of nowhere to catch him, and your dad was scared out of his wits.”
Yu Xiaoduo was stunned. Are you kidding me? Of all the things to do, you pick chess? You’ve got a death wish!
“You two have some serious guts.”
“Why is your mom so against it anyway? Is it because of your grandpa?”
Gu Wan’er even knew about that—his dad must have told her.
“It’s a long story. But yeah, like you already know, Mom just doesn’t like it.”
“So what else does your mom disapprove of? I’ll make sure to avoid those things too.”
“That’s it.”
Gu Wan’er acknowledged with an “Mm.” “Then I’ll see you tonight.”
After hanging up, Yu Xiaoduo chuckled to himself. So Gu Wan’er and his dad got caught red-handed. He would’ve loved to see the looks on their faces—they must have been priceless.
By five in the afternoon, Yu Xiaoduo started picking out his outfit. Since he was meeting some big shots, he needed to dress appropriately, or else he’d come across as rude.
“Sis, what do you think of this white backless dress? It shows off your figure and looks elegant too.” Gu Yun’er pulled a gown from the wardrobe and held it up against herself.
Yu Xiaoduo had a sudden idea. “Why don’t you try it on for me? My shoulders are still a bit sore.”
“Alright. We’re about the same size anyway.”
Yu Xiaoduo silently agreed with that assessment. After all, he’d already had firsthand experience.
