It was 11:30 a.m., half an hour before the time they'd agreed to meet.

Outside the window, cicadas shrieked noisily, as if announcing the arrival of the sweltering heat.

The upscale restaurant already had the air conditioning on. To give every customer the best possible experience, the third floor was divided into a series of small private rooms, each equipped with its own AC. The temperature was set to 23 degrees Celsius. Li Xinghe had dressed up a little to meet the stepmother who'd soon be arriving.

The thought of having a new mom from now on made Li Xinghe's heart race.

His dad had only just told him that they'd already gotten their marriage certificate. As for a wedding, they weren't going to have one. After all, both of them had been married before, and neither was keen on the awkwardness of holding a wedding like this.

“Don't be nervous. Relax a little. Aunt Bai Qingxue is a really nice person.”

Her name was Bai Qingxue. It sounded lovely, but you couldn't judge what someone was like just from their name. He'd have to see for himself before drawing any conclusions.

The minutes ticked by. A waiter brought out some appetizers, but Li Xinghe was too nervous to eat. At last, the agreed-upon time was almost here.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

A woman with an irresistible feminine charm entered the private room. She wore a pure white short dress, and her long black hair was pinned up with a hairpin, the loose strands tucked behind her ears. She radiated the allure of a mature woman. Her bright, big eyes seemed to smile, captivating anyone who looked into them. Maybe she'd put on makeup especially for today; her features were elegant and refined. And her figure was nothing short of stunning. A lazy little five-pointed-star pendant rested against her ample chest, and her perfect proportions would have made her more than qualified to be a model. If a mature woman like her had really fallen for Dad, Li Xinghe would sooner believe a sow had climbed a tree and given birth to a litter of piglets.

She carried a small black handbag. As soon as Li Ming saw Bai Qingxue arrive, he stood up and pulled out a chair for her. Then he took her bag with an easy, familiar gesture and exchanged a few warm greetings with her.

“Don't just sit there. Hurry up and say hello.”

His dad's urging made it hard for Li Xinghe to speak. Calling her Mom right away didn't feel quite right, so in the end, he just said softly, “Hello, Aunt Bai.”

Hearing him call her, Bai Qingxue smiled and replied to Li Xinghe.

“Oh, Xinghe really is just as you said—a handsome, well-behaved boy.”

Bai Qingxue's compliment made Li Xinghe blush a little. Being praised by a beauty like her, he couldn't help thinking to himself, Dad really does have good taste.

“My daughter was planning to come today too, but her agency suddenly gave her an assignment, so she'll have to come next time.”

Oh, right. She had an adorable daughter too. Li Xinghe had heard a little about her from his dad. Since she was an idol about to debut, all her information had to be kept secret. She was several years younger than him, and in a couple of days, she'd be moving in with them.

Dish after dish was brought to the table. For most of the meal, Dad and Bai Qingxue talked about work. From their conversation, Li Xinghe learned that they were being sent out of town to open up a new market, which meant starting everything from scratch. Exactly how long they'd be there depended on the progress of the work and the state of the market.

If they didn't manage to break into the new market within three years, they might be transferred back to their original location. Of course, if things went well, they'd stay out of town.

Li Xinghe couldn't get a word in while Dad and Aunt Bai chatted away. But from the way Bai Qingxue spoke, he could tell she really was a gentle person. She listened quietly until Dad finished speaking, then smoothly picked up the conversation and started a new topic whenever things were about to go quiet.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt she was completely out of his dad's league. All his doubts showed plainly on his face, and Li Xinghe decided to ask Dad what was really going on once they got home after dinner.

When dinner was over, Li Xinghe had planned to head home with just his dad. But Aunt Bai Qingxue had arrived in a luxury car. His dad's car wasn't bad, but next to hers, it looked a little lacking.

“Qingxue, you've packed your things, right?”

From the passenger seat, Li Xinghe heard his dad lean out the window and ask Bai Qingxue, who was standing beside them.

What did he mean? Was she moving into their house now???

His first impression of his new stepmother had been great, but wasn't this happening way too fast? They hadn't even asked him, their son, what he thought.

Still, when he thought about this refined beauty living with his dad, he felt genuinely happy for him.

Who would've thought, after all these years, you'd finally made something of yourself, Dad? No more mooching off your son. Now you're an independent, self-reliant middle-aged man with a rich woman's arm to lean on.

“Mm. I don't feel comfortable leaving Xiaoxiao home alone, and it'll give her and Xinghe a chance to get to know each other. That way, when we leave in a couple of days, they can look out for each other.”

Oh, so it was her daughter's things.

Come to think of it, that made sense. His stepmother hadn't had much of a chance to get to know him before she and Dad were transferred out of town by their company. So she wouldn't have much chance to spend time with him. But she didn't feel comfortable leaving her daughter alone, so she was moving her in with him instead.

A future where he lived with a beautiful girl sounded like something straight out of a light novel. Oh no. Just thinking about sharing meals and a home with an idol-in-training was already making Li Xinghe feel giddy.

He slapped his cheeks, trying to clear his head.

Wake up! She's going to be your stepsister. Have you played so many games at home over the years that you've lost your mind?!

“All right. Then let's have dinner at our place too. I can show off my cooking skills.”

Bai Qingxue seemed to have something to take care of that afternoon, so she didn't come along. Dad had gone ahead and invited her over for dinner, leaving Li Xinghe with a splitting headache. What did he mean, “show off my cooking skills”? Hadn't the homebody been the one making their meals all these years?

There was no need to guess. His image-conscious dad wanted Li Xinghe to cook, then pretend he'd made the food himself to win some points. Come on, I'm your son! Do you really have to throw me under the bus like this?

What if she found out later that his cooking was terrible?

There was no point worrying about it now. They drove home, and his dad, beaming with pride, looked at Li Xinghe as if showing off how impressive he was.

“Sigh, Dad. Aunt Bai's great in every way, so how come her eyesight's so bad that she picked you?”

Li Xinghe finally couldn't hold back and teased his dad. But instead of getting embarrassed, Li Ming ran a hand through his hair. A few loose strands fell softly to the floor, but he didn't care. He took off his shoes and strode over to Li Xinghe, who was sprawled on the couch.

“You idiot. Do you really think your old man has no good qualities? Tell me, what do you think of her?”

As for his impression of her, there was nothing to criticize. She spoke with grace and confidence, was considerate, and had a gentle, pleasant voice.

A beauty with a presence like hers seemed like someone you wouldn't even find in heaven. At least, Li Xinghe thought his dad was nowhere near good enough for her.

“My first impression? Something like... a beautiful, mature woman?”

Hearing his son's assessment, Li Ming patted him on the shoulder and burst out laughing.

“Good! You're definitely my son—your taste is excellent. I'll be straight with you. It all started by chance, a little over three months ago. I helped her get away from a few creeps, and then we started talking. We just clicked more and more. Everyone at work thought we were dating—and, well, we actually were.”

Oh? He hadn't expected that.

After helping her get away from those annoying creeps, the two of them had started seeing each other. Over three months, they'd gone from strangers to being ready to get married.

If that was how it happened, why hadn't he just explained things from the start?

Looking at his dad, who cared so much about saving face, Li Xinghe could only wonder why he had to put on a show in front of his own son. It wasn't like Li Xinghe was an outsider.

“All right. Later, clean up the spare room next to yours. Xiaoxiao should be moving in in a couple of days. And let me make this clear: just because she's pretty, you can't get any funny ideas.”

“Who would do that?! She's my sister, for crying out loud. Making a move on your own sister would be beyond messed up.”

Li Xinghe shook off his dad's hand from his shoulder and turned toward the kitchen.