After feeding the pigeons, the two of them arrived at the aquarium. The timing worked out perfectly; just as they bought their tickets and went inside, the dolphin show began.
Liu Lanci sat in his chair, his gaze fixed entirely on the stage, while Shen Nanxian leaned back against his seat, quietly enjoying the performance.
As if knowing it was very popular, the dolphin showed off in various ways, making the audience below burst into laughter.
“Wow!” Liu Lanci suddenly cried out excitedly, “That is amazing! The dolphin can balance a ball!”
After the dolphin show ended, Liu Lanci impatiently pulled Shen Nanxian along to check out the other exhibits.
“Oh? My phone is ringing.” Liu Lanci took out his phone and saw it was a call from Mother Liu. He quickly answered it.
“Hello, Mom, what’s wrong?”
“Lanci, where are you right now?”
“I’m on a date.”
Liu Lanci still felt a bit shy, even though his mother liked Shen Nanxian very much.
“I hope you both have a great time. Tonight, Mom will cook a big meal for you and introduce a friend of mine along the way,” Mother Liu gently instructed.
“Alright, thank you, Mom.”
Liu Lanci hung up the phone. Looking at the screen as it went dark, he felt a warm glow in his heart.
“What is it?” Shen Nanxian asked softly.
“My mom called. She wants me to meet a friend of hers tonight.” Liu Lanci lowered his gaze, starting to wonder what kind of person his mother’s friend would be.
“Then let’s go out to eat tonight. I’ll arrange a restaurant, so let’s not make Mother-in-law go through the trouble. She should get a good rest right now,” Shen Nanxian suggested.
“Mm.” Liu Lanci nodded, agreeing with Shen Nanxian’s suggestion.
After selecting a restaurant, Liu Lanci didn’t finalize it right away. Instead, he called Mother Liu and shared the idea.
Mother Liu was more than happy. Since she didn’t have to cook, she could use the saved time to catch up on her favorite drama series.
As the sun set, the horizon was stained with a red glow, and golden evening light spread across the sky.
Liu Lanci and Shen Nanxian were already seated in a private dining room at the restaurant. Liu Lanci was boredly sipping his juice while looking at the scenery outside.
When the agreed-upon time had passed by nearly an hour, Mother Liu finally rushed into the private room accompanied by a middle-aged man.
“Apologies, we’re late. There was a traffic jam on the way,” Mother Liu explained awkwardly.
“It’s fine, Mom, and this uncle, please sit down!” Liu Lanci greeted them with a smile.
“Qian Sheng, this is my son Liu Lanci, and beside him is his husband, Shen Nanxian. Qian Sheng is someone I met while traveling,” Mother Liu introduced enthusiastically.
Shen Nanxian gave a polite nod toward the middle-aged man across the table, and the middle-aged man offered a faint smile in response.
With everyone present, it was time to order. Shen Nanxian handed the menu to Mother Liu, but before she could take a couple of looks, it was snatched away by that middle-aged man.
“Why are all these dishes so expensive? We might as well eat at home. Your cooking skills are so good, you can completely match a master chef!” Qian Sheng flipped through a few pages of the menu, frowning in disdain.
Hearing those words, Liu Lanci’s expression instantly changed. “Doesn’t Uncle Qian know that my mother is in poor health and sick?”
Hearing this, Qian Sheng’s expression froze, and he quickly changed his tune. “I didn’t mean that; it’s just that these dishes ordered are too expensive!”
Shen Nanxian smiled faintly. “Money is not a problem. The two of you can order whatever you like without worry!”
Seeing Shen Nanxian’s wealthy and extravagant demeanor, Qian Sheng suddenly felt that he was being too petty, and his cheeks involuntarily flushed.
Liu Lanci’s impression of Qian Sheng instantly plummeted to freezing point. As a friend, actually expecting a seriously ill friend to cook, it was simply unreasonable.
“Lanci, don’t mind it. Your Uncle Qian just has this kind of temper; he has no bad intentions. He’s also just trying to help you save some money,” Mother Liu slowly mediated, already planning in her heart not to associate with Qian Sheng after this meal.
Liu Lanci remained silent and said nothing.
Qian Sheng coughed awkwardly. In his haste, he had completely forgotten everything his son had told him. His son was truly smart and guessed accurately; the Liu family really did have money.
Mother Liu was also deeply embarrassed. She had originally wanted to show her son that she had made a friend and was living a good life outside, but it had backfired! Her judgment was nowhere near as good as Liu Lanci’s.
During this meal, everyone had their own thoughts, and the atmosphere felt exceptionally strange.
“Mom, Uncle, it’s getting late and we have some matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first. We can meet another time if there’s a chance. This meal has already been paid for.” Liu Lanci stood up calmly.
“Xiao Lan, leaving so soon? I noticed you didn’t eat much!” Qian Sheng hurried to say, his gaze darting repeatedly toward Mother Liu, trying to get her to say a few words.
“My husband is a big boss; he has plenty of matters to attend to.” Mother Liu chimed in immediately. She didn’t care about those messy connections; right now, she just wanted to make her son happy.
“Since you still have matters, let’s make plans another day! Tonight was too abrupt.” Qian Sheng smilingly saw them out the door, though inwardly he sighed with regret.
After exchanging brief pleasantries with Qian Sheng, Shen Nanxian took Liu Lanci and left. As they parted, he gave Qian Sheng a deep, lingering look.
Qian Sheng felt a chill run down his spine. He felt as though he had been seen right through, as if the other party had perceived everything he had done.
In the car, Shen Nanxian asked gently, “You should be able to understand the situation just now. That person approaching Mother-in-law definitely has impure motives. How do you view this matter?”
“I don’t know. My mind is a bit chaotic right now. Just let me have some quiet time.”
Liu Lanci leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes to rest; he needed to gather his thoughts.
After a moment, Liu Lanci opened his eyes. “I don’t want that person to contact Mom anymore. What should I say to make Mom accept this?”
The corners of Shen Nanxian’s lips curved slightly. “You can just say it directly, without needing to consider other factors.”
Mother Liu clearly saw that Qian Sheng’s intentions were not pure. As long as Liu Lanci expressed his stance, Mother Liu would be able to make up her mind.
Liu Lanci nodded thoughtfully, then shook his head a moment later. “I’m afraid Mom will be disappointed.”
“I don’t think she will. Trust me, she loves you very much.”
“Mm, I believe you.”
Shen Nanxian smiled tenderly, taking Liu Lanci’s chilly hand and sliding it into his own suit trouser pocket.
The warmth radiating from his palm seemed capable of imparting strength.
Liu Lanci turned his gaze sideways to look at Shen Nanxian. The other man’s facial features were striking and handsome, his brows and eyes carrying a gentle, faint smile. His gaze was resolute, always giving people a strong sense of security.
Upon returning to the villa, Shen Nanxian headed straight for the bathroom. Liu Lanci sneaked along behind him, wanting to catch a glimpse of a handsome man bathing.
However, his hiding skills fell short, and he was directly pulled into the bathroom by Shen Nanxian, where a wondrous workout was about to take place.