Lin Youyu flew back from the U.S. and headed straight to a board meeting at the group headquarters. It wasn’t until evening that he finally got a break.
His secretary asked if he was heading home. Lin Youyu replied that this business trip had been hard on everyone—especially the secretary who had served him loyally for half a lifetime, handling every detail flawlessly. Lin told him to clock out early and spend time with his wife and kids. He’d drive himself home.
“Chairman Lin…” the secretary hesitated.
Lin Youyu smiled warmly. “No need to be so touched.”
The secretary, though grateful, hadn’t been trying to say that. “It’s about the young master…”
Lin Youyu immediately straightened up. “What happened to Hehe?!”
The secretary wasn’t just a loyal aide—he was Chairman Lin’s eyes and ears. What Lin knew, he knew. What Lin didn’t know… he still knew. That’s how he’d stayed indispensable for decades.
He was going to say: Sir, your son may or may not—probably has—gotten himself a new boyfriend.
But before he could speak—
“Ugh! I’ve wasted too much time chatting. If I don’t hurry, they’ll sell out of duck necks!” Lin Youyu grabbed his coat and rushed out the door.
The secretary didn’t even get a chance to start the sentence. He just stood there, watching his boss dash off like an excited father, clumsily vaulting the little office gate, and smiled.
Lin Youyu sped to his son’s favorite deli, the one known for its iconic spicy duck neck. He also grabbed two bottles of beer, already picturing the perfect night—just him and his boy, snacking, sipping, watching the game. Perfect.
He knew how deeply Lin Hening had been invested in that last relationship.
Worried his son might be heartbroken, Lin Youyu had even considered canceling all his work to be by his side. He’d gone as far as planning an entire getaway trip, with scenic routes and Instagram-famous spots—all mapped out.
In the end, Lin Hening politely and easily turned him down, telling him to focus on his responsibilities. Like a good dad should.
At the time, their company had a billion-dollar project on the line. Abandoning that to go traveling was… yeah, not ideal. So Lin Youyu wrapped things up as quickly as possible.
Now, the contracts were signed. The two corporate giants had shaken hands. The stock prices of the Lin Group were climbing. And Lin Youyu finally had all the time in the world to spend with his son.
Heart pounding with excitement, he reached out with a trembling hand and opened the front door.
“Hehe, I’m back!”
But someone was standing in the living room—and judging by the tall, muscular frame, it definitely wasn’t Lin Hening.
Before Lin Youyu could speak, the man turned around.
His heart skipped a beat. Practically flatlined.
The guy had a buzz cut. Easily over six feet tall. Strong, sharp features—jawline like it was carved from stone. A faint scar on his forehead added a kind of dangerous edge.
And he was holding a kitchen knife.
A kitchen knife.
Oh god—was this a robbery?!
Not just any thief either. He looked like some kind of hardened criminal.
“Who are you?” Lin Youyu’s face went pale. In a split second, his brain raced through a dozen horrifying scenarios: Someone’s out for revenge! A case gone wrong! Hired hitman! He…he’s been—
The man with the knife took a step forward. “And you are…?”
Lin Youyu instinctively stepped back, but his voice remained firm, even fierce—fueled by panic, paternal love, and sheer adrenaline.
“Stop right there! I’m Lin Hening’s father! What the hell did you do to my son?!”
On his way home from work, Lin Hening stopped by the supermarket and picked up some snacks—potato chips, spicy sticks, that kind of thing.
The moment he stepped through the door, he noticed two pairs of size 43 shoes lined up neatly by the entryway.
One pair was a sleek, handcrafted set of leather shoes from a British design studio.
The other was a pair of well-worn domestic-brand sneakers.
He knew both pairs very well.
They belonged to the two most important men in his life.
Lin Hening felt this deep, peaceful sense of comfort—like all was right with the world.
Wait a sec.
These two pairs of shoes… showing up here… at the same time… in the same place… in the same dimension?!
Lin Hening hurried into the living room—only to find Lin Youyu sitting on the couch, arms crossed, looking deadly serious.
He glanced toward the kitchen. He couldn’t see Gu Fei from this angle, but he could definitely hear him banging around with the pots and pans.
First things first—he went to the kitchen.
Gu Fei was in the middle of whisking eggs. He turned as soon as Lin Hening entered, and their eyes met.
Lin Hening mouthed: “My dad.”
Just as Gu Fei was about to respond—
From the living room came an exaggerated, very deliberate cough from Chairman Lin.
Lin Hening almost burst out laughing.
He reached out to ruffle his boyfriend’s hair—like he was petting a giant, fluffy Tibetan mastiff. So soft. So satisfying.
Then he went out to face the man with the world’s most dramatic dad energy.
Chairman Lin sat stiffly, like someone doing a breathing technique, his posture unnaturally upright. He said nothing.
Lin Hening asked, “What’s going on? Practicing kung fu or something?”
Lin Youyu said, “If I hadn’t just happened to walk in—when were you planning on telling me?”
Lin Hening: “…”
Oh god. Did I just time-travel into a sitcom?
“You know what your old man did?” Lin Youyu continued, dramatic as ever. “I flew all the way back and brought your favorite Old Wang’s duck neck and two beers. I was thinking—father and son, kicking back tonight, eating, drinking, watching the game. A perfect night.”
“And guess what happened when I knocked on the door?”
“Wasn’t you. Wasn’t the cleaning lady.”
“No. The door opened, and standing there… was some hulking, menacing, thug-like stranger!”
Lin Hening: “…”
“AND he was holding a kitchen knife.”
Lin Hening pictured the scene—and couldn’t hold back a laugh.
Lin Youyu: “…”
Honestly, the image was just too funny.
It’s not his dad’s fault, though. Gu Fei does look seriously intimidating—especially when he’s not smiling. He could easily pass for a hardened criminal.
Even he had been scared the first time he met Gu Fei. And back then, he wasn’t even holding a “weapon.”
Thank god his dad’s seen enough in life not to completely lose it. Otherwise, he might’ve fainted on the spot.
But such a “dramatic and complicated” first impression gave Lin Hening a bit of a headache.
For most people, meeting the parents is a warm, everyday kind of thing — but for him, it turned straight into a horror movie.
He thought about who was ultimately responsible for this mess, then firmly laid down the verdict:
“Dad, why didn’t you call me before coming over? Otherwise, how could this mix-up have happened?”
Lin Youyu froze for two seconds, then flashed an expression of disbelief mixed with total despair.
His kid had grown up and flown off with some guy. Having a boyfriend apparently meant no more love for dad!
And that boyfriend was already biased, jumping to accuse poor old dad like some dutiful son-in-law on a mission!
Lin Hening: “…”
Lin Youyu, visibly emotional, suddenly stood up: “I—”
“Uncle, can you handle spicy food?” Gu Fei called from the kitchen.
Before Lin Youyu could answer, Lin Hening said, “Yes. My dad loves spicy.”
Gu Fei: “How about I add a dish of spicy boiled blood and tripe?”
“Spicy, my foot—I’m the one who’s fired up!” Lin Youyu shot a fierce glare at his son. He was about to walk away, but then reconsidered—he couldn’t let emotions rule the day.
This was about his son’s lifelong happiness. He’d already had one bad heartbreak from a jerk. If it happened again, how could he stand it? A father had to have his son’s back and protect him from bad choices!
Straightening his collar, Lin Youyu strode into the kitchen like a city official inspecting work, hands clasped behind his back.
Gu Fei was holding a bowl in his left hand and vigorously massaging pork tenderloin coated in starch with his right.
“Uncle, stand back a bit so you don’t get splattered by hot oil.”
Lin Youyu, still wearing his six-figure suit, stepped back cautiously but kept his eyes locked on his future son-in-law, while mental calculations buzzed like a secret inner calculator only he could hear.
Reset to zero, +5 points.
“What are you making now?” Lin Youyu asked.
“Guobaorou,” Gu Fei replied, “Hening’s favorite these days.”
+10 points
The evenly sliced pork tenderloin hit the hot oil with a satisfying sizzle. Gu Fei washed his hands, glanced at the spicy boiled blood and tripe on the other stove, then carefully scooped out the golden fried meat with a slotted spoon. Just looking at it, you could imagine how crispy on the outside and tender inside it was.
Watching Gu Fei’s skilled movements, Lin Youyu asked, “You cook really well?”
“Yes, I have a chef’s certificate,” Gu Fei said.
+5 points
Lin Youyu nodded appreciatively. He watched Gu Fei double-fry the meat, then with one hand picked up the heavy iron pan and poured the leftover oil into a large bowl.
Lin Youyu was impressed. That iron pan was heavy, especially filled with oil, yet Gu Fei handled it effortlessly with one hand. The muscles flexing on his arm and the veins on the back of his hand showed a sturdy, reliable strength—and a bit of sex appeal too.
+5 points.
Lin Youyu smiled to himself. “No wonder my son’s got good taste.”
When the food was ready, Gu Fei invited Lin Youyu to sit down. Lin Youyu raised his chin, cleared his throat in a slow, “city official” way, and sauntered back to the dining table.
Once everything was served, with half genuine appreciation and half cautious judgment, Lin Youyu half-smiled and said, “Thank you, Mr. Gu.”
Lin Hening poured three glasses of wine and handed chopsticks to his dad. “Try it—Gu Fei’s cooking is amazing. So good I can’t even find the right words to praise it.”
That was an exaggeration.
Lin Youyu thought silently, fully understanding the “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” truth. When he’d loved his ex-wife, hadn’t he thought she was perfect, a goddess? Even though she wasn’t a good cook, he’d still happily eaten her salty, oily, slightly burnt spicy boiled blood.
Lin Hening first picked up a piece of guobaorou. His bowl already had a chili-oil-drenched shrimp in it, peeled and cleaned by Gu Fei.
Seeing Lin Youyu hesitate to dig in, Lin Hening thought, He’s playing hard to get! Just as he opened his mouth to say something—
Gu Fei beat him to it: “Uncle, it’ll get cold if you don’t eat now.”
Lin Youyu noticed Gu Fei peeled another shrimp. Normally, that shrimp should go to the future father-in-law, but Lin Youyu was torn about whether to eat it or not. Then he saw the perfectly intact shrimp meat placed—naturally, without question—into Lin Hening’s bowl.
Lin Youyu’s eyes lit up.
At a first meeting, without knowing the other’s personality, randomly peeling shrimp or serving food can be risky—what if the person had cleanliness issues or other quirks?
This showed Gu Fei was cautious, considerate.
+10 points
Knowing this was the first meal meeting the parents, he didn’t rush to flatter them, wasn’t overly enthusiastic, and didn’t fawn or suck up — clearly, Gu Fei was a genuine and straightforward person.
+10 points.
He didn’t say much but felt solid and dependable.
Lin Youyu couldn’t help but recall Xia Zhile’s first visit, when she kept offering dishes and toasting, circling around with a slick smile and sweet talk.
In contrast, Gu Fei didn’t seem to care much about Lin Youyu, the father-in-law. All his attention was on Lin Hening — serving him food, pouring wine, asking if the seasoning was right, reassuring him that his recent stomach care was going well and he could indulge a bit now, eat and drink to his heart’s content. Lin Hening beamed with joy, savoring every bite.
+50 points.
That added up to 95 points.
Lin Youyu’s mind went blank. He couldn’t believe it — how did it suddenly become 95 points? Was there a mistake in the scoring? Was something fishy going on? He hurriedly replayed the scene in his head, but every point was fair, objective, and honest! It was really puzzling. Lin Youyu kept pondering as he popped a bite of tripe into his mouth.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he chewed faster. The moment he swallowed, he felt an indescribable happiness mixed with an impatient craving for more, pushing him to speak, but before he could, he quickly took a second and then a third bite. In just a few minutes, the entire bowl of rice was gone.
He had planned to leave 5 points off — after all, there’s no such thing as a perfect son-in-law, and 95 was already a generous score.
But — but —
This absolutely, truly delicious food, how could he not give the full remaining 5 points? Wouldn’t that be betraying his own conscience?
Lin Youyu was deeply troubled and confused.
He hadn’t even asked Gu Fei about his age, job, or relationship history yet — didn’t know anything about Gu Fei’s family background or parents — but Gu Fei had already earned full marks from him, with tears in his eyes!
Lin Hening said, “Dad, you’ve already had two bowls of rice. Don’t eat so much tonight; it won’t digest.”
Only then did Lin Youyu realize how stuffed his belly was.
Lin Hening and Gu Fei washed the dishes together while Lin Youyu waddled around the living room holding his belly, trying to digest.
Lin Hening cut some fruit, but unfortunately Lin Youyu had no appetite left.
Lin Hening sighed heavily, “You’re really putting me in a tough spot.”
Lin Youyu looked at him suspiciously, and Lin Hening sighed even more deeply, saying, “From now on, should Gu Fei cook more or less? If less, it’s because you’re worried about your appetite. If more, it’s because you keep overeating every day and risk high blood pressure and cholesterol.”
Lin Youyu bumped him with a sour look, “Go away! Don’t think a few dishes can sweet-talk me. I’ve eaten all kinds of delicacies, and what Xiao Fei cooks is just fine, hic! hic!”
Lin Hening couldn’t help but laugh.
They say a hungry mouth has no ears — by the end of the meal, Lin Youyu had already switched from calling Gu Fei “Mr. Gu” to “Xiao Fei” (Little Fei).
Lin Hening, being kind, didn’t tease him and took the hand-ground coffee to the study to work.
Near eleven o’clock, Lin Hening closed his laptop and suddenly remembered there was a soccer game tonight. He wasn’t interested in soccer but was just indulging his lonely father.
At that moment, his dad should have gone home. Lin Hening stepped out of the study and was about to call Gu Fei when he heard passionate cheering:
“Great shot!!”
Lin Youyu cheered with heartfelt enthusiasm, “As expected of the strongest forward, so beautiful!!!”
He hooked an arm around Gu Fei’s shoulders — they were like brothers, happily drinking beer.
“Duck neck snacks — this one’s garlic flavor, the cumin one’s good too.”
“Uncle, another cup?”
“No need to pour more. We’ll drink from the same bottle! How’s your tolerance?”
“…Not bad.”
“You said it yourself, you’ve got to drink your fill tonight.”
“Uncle, Hening…”
“It’s fine. If we get drunk, so be it. Uncle’s got your back!”
Lin Hening: “…”
The two, caught up in the moment, didn’t notice Prosecutor Lin standing silently by the door.
Lin Hening couldn’t help but smile, shaking his head helplessly as he went to the kitchen to prepare honey water and warm milk.
