The Chu family had always kept a regular schedule. Father Chu and Ms. Deng followed a healthy early-to-bed, early-to-rise routine. Since starting university, Chu Zhi had been going to bed later, but usually still around eleven, before midnight. So while waiting for Lu Jiaheng, Chu Zhi was already getting sleepy.
He finally arrived home around eleven.
Chu Zhi opened her door a crack like a thief, peering outside.
The house was dark, with only the small night light above the kitchen counter on. Her father and Ms. Deng’s bedroom door was closed.
With no one in the living room, Chu Zhi clutched her phone, opened her door, and tiptoed through the living room to the entrance.
Heart pounding, she carefully pressed down the door handle and quietly opened the security door.
The motion sensor lights were on in the hallway. Chu Zhi stood at the door, her soft wool slippers on the doorframe, hand on the wall as she poked her head out to look.
Lu Jiaheng was leaning against the wall nearby, hands in his pockets, upper body slightly bent, long legs crossed, head lowered.
He heard the sound and turned his head slightly.
Chu Zhi blinked, half her body hidden behind the door, only her head and neck visible as she looked at him.
Lu Jiaheng didn’t speak.
Chu Zhi didn’t speak either.
Her position was getting uncomfortable, and after a while, she stepped fully out of the security door, standing straight as she said softly: “Had enough of looking?”
Lu Jiaheng kept his eyes lowered, curving his lips: “Never enough.”
He straightened up, took a couple steps forward, took off his coat and reached out, about to put it around her shoulders.
A door opened inside the apartment.
Chu Zhi froze, with no time to react.
The sound of slippers on the floor was very light, followed by footsteps coming closer, and the soft clink of a glass being placed on the counter.
Chu Zhi’s hair stood on end as she stood frozen at the door, turning around.
Father Chu was holding a thermos, standing by the dining table, looking at her.
Chu Zhi’s heart thundered, each beat stronger than the last, her limbs going weak.
Behind her, Lu Jiaheng still held his coat up.
Father Chu: “What are you doing standing at the door?”
Chu Zhi swallowed, stammering shakily: “I-I-I-I was going downstairs to take out the trash.”
Father Chu said nothing, tilting his head slightly as his gaze fell on Lu Jiaheng behind her, looking quite curious: “Is he also taking out trash?”
“…”
Chu Zhi: “He’s… night jogging…”
Father Chu: “…”
At eleven at night, the Chu household was brightly lit. In the living room, Father Chu sat in the middle of the long sofa with Ms. Deng beside him.
In the single chair, Lu Jiaheng sat formally upright.
Chu Zhi sat far away from him with hunched shoulders.
After several minutes of silence, Father Chu glanced at Chu Zhi, looking her up and down: “Go back and put on proper clothes.”
Chu Zhi lowered her head.
She was wearing long-sleeved pajamas with buttons done up to her neck, completely covered, and really didn’t know what needed changing.
Chu Zhi didn’t dare argue, obediently said “oh” and slowly stood up.
Looking back three times with every step, she anxiously looked at Lu Jiaheng as she reluctantly shuffled to her room.
She quickly threw on a long sweater and hurried back out.
The living room was still silent. Father Chu sat sideways, expressionlessly and inscrutably staring at Lu Jiaheng, who met his gaze without avoiding it, appearing quite calm.
Chu Zhi felt so nervous she might throw up, terrified that the next second her father would flip the table and beat him up.
She stood pale-faced behind the sofa, throwing Ms. Deng a pleading look.
Ms. Deng ignored it, sitting cross-legged on the sofa at ease, picking up her water glass from the coffee table and taking a sip of room temperature water like she was savoring tea.
Just when Chu Zhi really felt she was going to be sick, Father Chu spoke.
His pace was slow, not much different from his usual way of speaking, even sounding somewhat leisurely: “Young man, do you often go night jogging?”
Lu Jiaheng: “…”
Chu Zhi: “…”
Chu Zhi: “????”
Chu Zhi was stunned.
Lu Jiaheng also seemed a bit thrown off, freezing for a moment, having never encountered such an unorthodox father-in-law, temporarily at a loss.
He quickly recovered, paused for two seconds, and calmly said: “It’s alright, occasionally.”
Father Chu tilted his head, his expression even showing a hint of kindness, though looking carefully, his eyes were full of vigilance and wariness.
He watched him like watching a thief, as if the moment he looked away, Lu Jiaheng would steal something from their home.
Father Chu asked casually: “Are you the one who came to sell bedding sets last time?”
Chu Zhi: “…”
Lu Jiaheng remained composed: “Uncle, I’m the one who picked up the comforter.”
Father Chu: “You live upstairs?”
Lu Jiaheng: “Yes.”
Father Chu: “How old are you?”
Lu Jiaheng: “Twenty-four.”
Father Chu: “I see you’re a good-looking kid, do you have a girlfriend? Should uncle introduce someone to you?”
Lu Jiaheng: “…”
Chu Zhi couldn’t take it anymore.
The two of them went back and forth, Lu Jiaheng answering whatever Father Chu asked, but the questions never getting to the point. It made Chu Zhi feel like her nerves were stretched tight, afraid the volcano would erupt any second.
She took a deep breath, deciding to just get it over with. She stepped out from behind the sofa and stood in front of Lu Jiaheng.
Arms spread wide, like a mother hen protecting her chicks in a game of eagle catching chickens.
Lu Jiaheng was startled.
She stood proudly in front of him, but after ten seconds, her shoulders suddenly slumped, deflating like a punctured balloon, her head drooping dejectedly: “Dad, this is my boyfriend…”
Father Chu looked at her with a grief-stricken expression.
His gaze was somewhat dazed, melancholic, lost.
After a long while, he let out a long sigh: “Boyfriend?”
Chu Zhi kept her head down, not speaking, feeling like she had committed an unforgivable crime under his gaze.
Ms. Deng had already started cracking sunflower seeds, and seeing Father Chu’s affected manner, couldn’t help rolling her eyes: “Chu Yunfei, can you stop acting like a little girl? Your daughter is almost graduating from university, I’d be worried if she didn’t have a boyfriend by now.”
Contrary to his usual behavior, Father Chu didn’t argue with her at all. He gazed sadly at Chu Zhi, then turned to look at Lu Jiaheng, wearing an expression like a child whose treasure had been stolen.
In all her years, this was the first time Chu Zhi had seen him like this, and she didn’t know how to react.
Her fingertips clutched tightly at her sleeve cuffs, also feeling somewhat sad as she called out softly: “Dad…”
Father Chu didn’t speak, just looked at her very dejectedly.
After a long time, he let out a long sigh: “You like him?”
Chu Zhi kept her head down without speaking.
Father Chu, not quite giving up, sulked a bit, somewhat cautiously, as if jealous: “My daughter used to say when she was little that she wouldn’t get married or date when she grew up, that she’d just stay with Dad, but the moment I wasn’t watching, she got taken away by some random man.”
As he spoke, he looked at Lu Jiaheng with vengeful light in his eyes.
When he first met him, Father Chu thought this young man was quite handsome, even reminded him a bit of himself when he was young.
Looking at him now, Father Chu felt he had really misjudged.
Those eyes, those lips, that pretty face, all screamed playboy and heartbreaker.
His innocent daughter was definitely no match for him, who knows how she might be mistreated in the future.
A hundred ways to make him unable to stay in the capital flashed through Father Chu’s mind.
Lu Jiaheng felt that if looks could materialize, he would be riddled with holes by now.
He sat with his back straight as a board, his expression serious and proper, all his usual casual frivolity completely concealed, lips pressed together, his whole demeanor transformed.
He lowered his voice, speaking solemnly: “Uncle, I truly like Chu Zhi.”
Father Chu gave a cold laugh: “What use is your liking her? I know my daughter best.” He turned to look at Chu Zhi, “Do you like him or Dad more?”
Without even thinking, Chu Zhi instantly answered: “Dad!”
Father Chu showed his first smile of the evening, looking somewhat smugly pleased.
A forty-something man showing such a childish expression, yet it didn’t seem out of place at all.
“…”
Lu Jiaheng once again confirmed exactly who Chu Zhi’s personality took after.
The conversation had gone on long enough, and it was already eleven-thirty. Chu Zhi had to get up early for work and was already struggling to keep her eyes open.
Earlier her nerves had been too tense to notice, but now seeing her father’s attitude softening, as the tension released, sleepiness took over.
Father Chu waved his hand, sending her off to bed.
Clearly intending to have a private chat with Lu Jiaheng.
Chu Zhi looked anxiously at Lu Jiaheng, saying softly: “Dad, he has to work tomorrow too…”
Father Chu became dejected again: “Dad has to work tomorrow too, why aren’t you concerned about that?”
Chu Zhi didn’t dare speak anymore, quickly retreating to her room.
She craftily left the door slightly open, pressing herself against it to listen.
The living room was silent. After about two minutes, Father Chu finally spoke: “Shall we exchange contact information?”
Chu Zhi: “…”
Lu Jiaheng also fell silent for a moment, said okay, and then no one spoke again.
In the living room, only the ping sounds of WeChat notifications could be heard going back and forth.
“…”
Chu Zhi was a bit confused.
These two men were now sitting face to face on the sofa, had added each other on WeChat, and were communicating through WeChat?
Chu Zhi felt the world of men was truly different.
She quickly dove back onto her bed, grabbed her phone, and also messaged Lu Jiaheng: Are you guys chatting on WeChat?
Lu Jiaheng replied after a while: Yes.
Why?
Don’t know, afraid you might eavesdrop?
Chu Zhi bit her lip, still feeling uneasy.
The few times she had previously brought up this topic indirectly, seeing her father’s reaction, Chu Zhi genuinely believed, without exaggeration, that if she really brought a boyfriend home, her father would break his legs.
She rolled over, lying flat on the bed, holding her phone up with both arms as she continued asking: What did my dad say to you?
After two minutes, Lu Jiaheng replied: He asked me to fight him after work tomorrow.
Chu Zhi: “…??”
Chu Zhi’s hands shook, losing grip on her phone, and with a “smack” it fell directly onto her face, hitting her squarely on the bridge of her nose.
Author’s Note: Crown Prince: My father-in-law is truly unorthodox.
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