Shi Sheng informed his friends and colleagues about the plan to travel.

“Road trip?Ge, I want to go too! Can I bring my boyfriend?”

“If they’re going on a trip, what are you doing butting in?” Su Qi sneered. “I’m more qualified than you. At least I have a tour guide license and can lead the way.”

“Who’s going on a trip?” There were three elegant knocks on the door of the ward, and everyone turned their heads instinctively to see a woman in her forties entering.

“Mom? What brings you here?” Lu Yin quickly stood up and looked behind her, “Dad won’t find out, will he?”

The woman was wearing a fashionable fitted suit, well-maintained, with only slight crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes when she smiled.

“Don’t worry,” she intercepted Lu Yin’s hand and shook her head with a smile, “I’ve kept it well hidden.”

When Lu Lin was in high school, his mother died in a car accident. Later, after a few years, with the consent of his children, Lu’s father remarried his second wife, Cui Hong.

In fact, they were both grown up and didn’t often go home. It was good to have someone take care of their father. So Lu Lin and Lu Yin didn’t have much objection to this stepmother.

Cui Hong was also a good-tempered person who usually cared for the two siblings.

“Being a firefighter is good, but it’s not safe,” Cui Hong sat down by the bedside and pointed at Lu Lin with her finger, “You hardly come home all year round. Do you think your father wouldn’t worry if something happened and you didn’t tell him?”

“I’m almost recovered, I’ll be discharged soon.”

Lu Lin lowered his head, peeling an apple, and handed a piece to Shi Sheng. “Here.”

Shi Sheng wanted to reach out to take it, but suddenly remembered that his hands weren’t washed yet. He saw Lu Lin lifting his hand and bringing it to his mouth. He opened his mouth and took it, tossing his head back crisply, and the apple fell into his mouth.

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” Cui Hong patted his leg meaningfully and blinked, “I am not a conservative person. Xiao Yin has already told me.”

Shi Sheng, who was being fed, was suddenly startled by the pat, “What, what did she say?”

“About you and Xiao Lin.”

Shi Sheng stiffened immediately, shifting his gaze to Lu Yin, only to see Lu Yin hiding behind, clasping her hands together devoutly, and bowing slowly.

She swore she had only slipped up for a moment and told her stepmother that Ge already had someone, but how exactly it was inferred that the someone was Shi Sheng was beyond her. It could only be said that Cui Hong’s rhetoric was too clever.

“You, you knew?” Shi Sheng looked back at Lu Lin again, pleadingly. Lu Lin rubbed his head, indicating that it was okay, then looked over calmly.

“I’m with Shi Sheng, I like him.”

Lu Lin came out! Shi Sheng’s pupils shook.

“This kid, why are you blushing like that,” Cui Hong patted Shi Sheng again, not surprised at all, “Speaking of this, Xiao Lin, are you planning to tell your father or keep it from him?”

“Later, I’ll go home and explain it to him.” Lu Lin stuffed a piece of apple into his mouth, leaning comfortably against the headboard, “Anyway, there’s still my younger sister. She can handle the continuation of the family line.”

“It’s not just about continuing the family line, you still need a proper—”

“Hey, okay mom,” Lu Yin hurriedly came out to mediate, “Mom, didn’t you just say you wanted to go shopping? I’ll go with you!”

“When did I say that?” Cui Hong crossed her legs, turning her head to smile at Lu Yin.

“Mom—”

“Forget it, I know you guys don’t like hearing these things, and I, as a stepmother, shouldn’t worry too much,” Cui Hong finally stood up with her bag, tidied up the stray hair beside her ear, “Xiao Lin, you just take care of yourself, later when you’re free, come back and see your father more.”

Lu Yin escorted Cui Hong out, Shi Sheng rubbed his hot ears with both hands, leaning in to look at Lu Lin.

“You—”

“What’s wrong, afraid my dad won’t agree?” He tapped Shi Sheng’s head with his fingers, “Even without him, I can live a normal life. So even if he disagrees, it doesn’t matter.”

But when it comes to getting married and all, it might be nice to send an invitation. Lu Lin picked up the water on the bedside table and took a sip, his lips curved.

In the afternoon, Shi Sheng went back to the studio to prepare to finish the work that needed to be done in the recording studio before going out on a trip. The radio drama he had recorded with Junzi Yu had reached its second episode, with the final scene being a kissing scene.

Junzi Yu leaned closer to the mic, lowered his eyelashes, and said softly, “Arong, you’ve been getting closer to me lately.”

Shi Sheng touched his Adam’s apple, lowering his voice, “Is that… not good?”

“It’s good, I just want… to get closer.”

Shi Sheng raised his hand to kiss his own knuckles, from the knuckles to the back of his hand, panting as he kissed, and the kissing scene was finished.

“Yay, that’s a wrap!”

He took off his headphones and stood up. The sound card dropped, and he turned to look at Junzi Yu, who seemed to be smiling helplessly. After a moment’s thought, he patted his shoulder and brought the coffee prepared for Wu Nan er to him.

Junzi Yu looked at him in surprise.

“I’m going on a trip with Lu Lin in a few days,” Shi Sheng scratched his head. If Junzi Yu really liked him, he had to resolve this, “There are plenty of fish in the sea, why fixate on just one flower? Ge, broaden your horizons.”

Junzi Yu took the coffee, touched the temperature of the cup’s wall, remained silent for a moment, then shook his head with a smile.

“Did I cause you any trouble? Is he angry?”

“Not really, and Lu Lin isn’t that petty,” Shi Sheng swung his backpack onto his back, “It’s just… Anyway, I have to make it clear to you. If there’s anything I did that made you feel like I had feelings for you, I apologize, because I really don’t.”

Junzi Yu pulled his lips into a smile, as if trying to, but not quite succeeding.

“Is he really that good?”

With this question, Shi Sheng was already ninety percent sure of Junzi Yu’s thoughts, so he could only shake his head.

“I can’t specify what made me feel that way,” Shi Sheng shrugged, “But if it weren’t for him, I might not even like guys.”

Junzi Yu suddenly chuckled and lowered his head.

Shi Sheng hurriedly left. He still had to take care of Lu Lin. Wu Nan er came over and saw his coffee in Junzi Yu’s hand. “What, still not giving up?”

“Mm-hmm.” He leaned back with the coffee, “Liking someone adorable is just human nature.”

“Adorable he may be, but he’s already taken.”

“In the honeymoon period, everything looks good. Later on, maybe due to busy work schedules, you gradually become indifferent, maybe you realize your personalities don’t match and get into arguments,” Junzi Yu paused, “Many people only realize in the end that what they initially liked may not be suitable for a long-term relationship.”

“Then maybe he’s not suitable for you either,” Wu Nan er sat on the table, snatched the coffee from Junzi Yu’s hand, “Want coffee? You can brew it yourself or buy it outside, but what does it mean to take someone else’s?”