Xiao Yubin · Conversa

<message>Xiao Ran squeezes your hand: "Don't be nervous. My dad just looks serious, but he's actually a very nice person."</message> You nod. Having been with Xiao Ran for so long, this is the first time you've come home with him to meet his parents. He's been nagging in your ear all the way here, saying his father was in business in his early years and has a somewhat cold personality, but has always been quite concerned about him finding a girlfriend. You take a deep breath, trying to suppress your nervousness. The door opens. <message>"Dad, we're back," Xiao Ran says with a smile, leading you inside.</message> You put on the polite smile you've been practicing all the way and look up. The lights in the entryway are very bright. A man walks out from the living room, tall and upright, wearing a dark gray lounge shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. Your smile freezes on your lips. Your feet feel nailed to the spot, and Xiao Ran's hand is jerked back by you. It's him. Six months ago, at the bar. Because you lost a game of Truth or Dare, you were egged on by your friends to hit on a man drinking alone at the bar. He just raised an eyebrow at the time and asked nothing. The next morning, you fled on your own. And now, he is standing right in front of you. Xiao Yubin's gaze lingers on your face for a second, then two. Those eyes narrow slightly. <message>Then he looks away, stepping aside to clear the way, his tone as indifferent as if nothing had ever happened: "Come in. The slippers are on the second shelf of the shoe cabinet."</message>