Jun Xinghe had once asked Jiang Liu what his ideal partner was like. Unfortunately, the description had absolutely nothing to do with his daughter.

Jun Xinghe replied coldly, "Mm, I know."

Putting down his phone, Jun Xinghe took a bite of a dumpling.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him. ’What if I set the meeting place at Jiang Liu’s restaurant?’

But he quickly abandoned the idea.

’Boss Jiang will definitely be busy during the lunch rush. With so many people around, it’s not a suitable environment... and certainly not a suitable place to meet my daughter’s boyfriend.’

’Forget it, whatever works. I’ll just have a few bites to get by, and after I’m done dealing with my daughter’s boyfriend, I’ll go to Jiang Liu’s restaurant for a proper meal. It’d be best if I could bring my daughter... I wonder if Boss Jiang would do me the favor of saving some food for me...’

Jun Qingmeng sent him a text: "I need to tell you something. Don’t have your people pay the bill. My husband will take care of it."

Jun Xinghe: "No problem. As you wish."

He’d never given a second thought to the cost of a meal.

At the same time, Jun Xinghe’s opinion of his daughter’s boyfriend sank even lower.

’How much could one meal possibly cost? And he’s getting all worked up about rushing to pay for it.’

’The money I spend on a car for my daughter would be enough to cover his bills for ten years.’

Neither of them replied after that.

Jun Xinghe was fuming and didn’t feel like talking to his daughter.

He looked at the dumplings on his plate, which suddenly seemed completely flavorless.

’This is nothing like what that old codger Xia Changzhi described!’

He had even specifically instructed them to use the exact same ingredients.

His family’s chef was a master chef, retired from a top-tier position.

’Why does it taste so bad?’

’Forget it! I’m not eating this!’

...

Jun Qingmeng finished blow-drying her hair and gave a lovely twirl in front of the mirror, making her nightgown fly up.

She then took out a cute tanghulu-shaped hair clip to pin back the strands of hair that had fallen across her face.

Guo Jia pouted. "All you do is preen all day, and when you’re done preening, you show off your romance. Women who are all about love are so pathetic."

Though her words were dismissive, she was inwardly envious and wished her best friend a fruitful love life.

Jun Qingmeng waved and said sweetly, "I’m off! You have fun on your own. See you tomorrow."

"Mm, go on. Come visit this poor invalid again tomorrow."

Jun Qingmeng arrived at Jiang Liu’s place.

"Mama!"

Jun Qingmeng stretched out her slender arms. "Come here, give me a hug."

"Okay~"

Jiang Liu had just finished washing some fruit—apples, strawberries, mini cucumbers, and sweet pears. He divided them onto two plates, leaving one for his mom and keeping the other for the three of them.

"Should we watch in the living room, or go lie down and watch in the bedroom?"

Tongtong raised her hand. "The bedroom!"

Jun Qingmeng smiled, pursing her lips. "Let’s go to the bedroom. It’s cozier in bed. We both want you to hold us."

"Alright."

"Papa, can you let Tongtong ride on your shoulders?"

"Come on."

"Hehe, you’re the best, Papa."

Tongtong wrapped her arms around Jiang Liu’s head and waved a small hand. "To the bedroom, Papa!"

Jiang Liu: ...

He had a vague feeling that something was amiss.

The bedroom was neither cold nor hot. The temperature was perfect.

Jiang Liu closed the door and windows, drew the curtains, turned on a small, warm lamp, and finally plugged in and switched on the projector.

The three of them lay down in the soft bed, all in a neat row.

Jun Qingmeng hugged Tongtong and said to Jiang Liu, "I just spoke with my dad. He agreed. We’ll meet at Six Flavors Restaurant at 11:30 on Monday."

"Okay, that gives me plenty of time. I can make some almond crisps for your dad."

Hearing the words "almond crisps," Tongtong’s mouth started watering again. She crawled onto Jiang Liu, wrapped her arms around his neck, and asked sweetly, "Papa, what are almond crisps?"

"Almond crisps are a sweet pastry made from flour with thin almond slices in the middle. They’re fragrant, crispy, and delicious, with a lovely lingering aftertaste. If you want to try some, I’ll make them for you tomorrow."

Tongtong grew excited, her little eyes sparkling.

"Yay, Papa! Tongtong super-duper loves almond crisps!"

As long as her papa made it, Tongtong super-duper loved it. Hehe, she had to be fair to all his cooking.

"Lie still now. I’ll make them for you tomorrow."

"Mmm."

Tongtong immediately and obediently snuggled into her little nest.

Her "little nest" was the spot right between her papa and mama. She could rest her head on whoever’s arm she wanted, and what’s more, it was super warm in the winter.

They watched an episode of *Shaun the Sheep*.

Tongtong became so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open.

She preferred watching *Detective Conan*, because only Conan could get her clever little brain working.

Jun Qingmeng whispered to Jiang Liu, "Are you making a chiffon cake tomorrow?"

"Yes. Your in-laws are visiting, so since our whole family is together, I thought I’d make something special."

Jun Qingmeng’s heart ached for him. She gently caressed his cheek. "It breaks my heart to see you so tired every day. I wish I could help you, but I don’t know how to cook. You have to teach me in the future, okay?"

Jiang Liu turned onto his side to look at Jun Qingmeng.

Her long, slender eyelashes fluttered, full of life.

Her eyes were like pools of clear water, pure and limpid.

Jiang Liu smiled. "How about I teach you, bit by bit, in the future?"

"Okay!"

Jun Qingmeng suddenly threw herself into Jiang Liu’s arms, hugging him tightly.

"Do you like it when I hold you like this?"

Jun Qingmeng’s ears turned red.

Her nightgown was very thin.

She felt a little shy.

Jiang Liu could clearly hear the THUMP-THUMP of Jun Qingmeng’s heart and feel the warmth of her body.

His girlfriend was flustered.

Jiang Liu had been a little nervous himself, but when he realized his girlfriend was even more nervous than he was, he calmed down.

"As long as you like it, it’s fine by me."

"Darling, I really love you so much. I want to lie in your arms like this forever."

Jun Qingmeng closed her beautiful eyes, buried her head in his chest, and hugged his arm even tighter.

"I love you very much, too."

"Darling, can you say it a few more times?"

"I love you, I love you. Is that enough?"

"Not enough. I want to hear you say it ten thousand times."

"All tonight?"

"Yes!"

"Zzzzz..." Jiang Liu "powered down" in an instant.

Jun Qingmeng smiled silently, her lips pressed together. She pinched Jiang Liu’s nose, then closed her own eyes to "power down."

「In the middle of the night.」

As was his routine, Jiang Liu went out to prepare his freeze-dried buns.

When he returned home, he noticed a light rain falling outside. Passing cars made a SPLOOSH sound as they drove through small puddles.

Jiang Liu checked the window, then went back to the bedroom and got into bed. The moment he lay down, Jun Qingmeng and Tongtong, like kittens who had caught the scent of fish, scrambled all over him.

4:20 AM.

Jiang Liu woke up, looked down at himself, and chuckled.

A Jun Qingmeng had sprouted from his right side, and a Jiang Tongtong had grown from his left.

The two of them were clearly close; even in their sleep, they were holding hands across Jiang Liu’s body.

’You two might as well just split me in half,’ Jiang Liu thought with wry amusement. He carefully and gently moved them off him.

He did his best to get out of bed without waking them.

But the moment he moved,

Jun Qingmeng and Tongtong’s eyes shot open.

"Darling, where are you going now?"

"I’m going to make the chiffon cake."

"Huh? Can’t you stay? *Sob*, I want you to hold me."

"Papa, Tongtong doesn’t want you to go either."

Jiang Liu gave a helpless smile. "I’m not going on a long trip, just to the kitchen right next door. Go back to sleep. I’ll be back before you know it."

"Okay then... but come back quickly. We don’t have to eat the cake."

"Papa, I don’t like cake,"

....