The once reunited couple (and by "reunited," I mean they’d been apart for a whopping two days) naturally had no intention of letting go of each other’s embracing hands.
But there was one thing, both Liu Xin’an and Bae Juhyun seemed to have forgotten at that moment.
That was the fact they were standing right at Li Chenglu’s front door.
The residents of these small, self-built buildings were all close neighbors, who had formed intimate bonds over many years of living near each other.
Liu Xin’an and Li Chenglu, these two mischievous scamps, also grew up in the sight of these neighborhood folks.
Plus, it wasn’t particularly late at the moment, and here was Liu Xin’an being hugged by a girl whose face couldn’t be seen clearly, which certainly counted as big news in this small town.
Fortunately, Bae Juhyun’s face was partially obscured by her disheveled hair, and her cheek was even buried in Liu Xin’an’s neck nook.
While the pair’s passionate embrace won them applause from Li Chenglu on the side, she mischievously kept her mouth shut, intentionally not reminding the love-struck duo of their audience.
If she remembered correctly, her own dad should’ve gone to invite his godfather for dinner.
It had been a while, and without any surprise...
"What are you doing?"
The slightly baffled voice of Liu Zhengjiang jolted Liu Xin’an, who was holding Bae Juhyun, back to reality.
He quickly and softly patted the woman in his arms and leaned close to Bae Juhyun’s ear, whispering a sentence that nearly made her roll her eyes back in a faint.
Bae Juhyun swiftly let go of Liu Xin’an’s neck, ducking behind him like a quail, her neck shrunk and hands frantically rubbing her face.
This was way more socially mortifying than the time when Liu Xin’an met her parents...
Speaking of, is there a crack in the floor she could just slip into?
Liu Xin’an also hurriedly turned around, shielding Bae Juhyun behind him, and presented an awkward smile to the puzzled Liu Zhengjiang.
"Dad, well... we ate... no, I mean, what’s to eat... oh no, that’s not it!"
"Hahaha, seriously, let me do this. Goddad, this is Liu Xin’an’s girlfriend."
Li Chenglu was practically doubling over with laughter, but standing at the doorway wasn’t exactly proper; with more young people returning home for the New Year, there was a chance someone might recognize Bae Juhyun, which could lead to complications.
Therefore, Li Chenglu stepped in quickly, briefly introducing Bae Juhyun’s identity.
And in order to make sure Bae Juhyun could understand, she especially used Korean to explain.
Yes, Liu Xin’an’s father, Liu Zhengjiang, also understood Korean. After he met Park Jinsuk, he began self-studying the language, so communicating in Korean wasn’t a major issue for Liu Xin’an’s family.
"Xin’an’s girlfriend?"
Bae Juhyun understood the conversation amongst them and realized that it was Li Chenglu who was introducing her.
She suppressed her nervousness and embarrassment, gathering the courage to peek from behind Liu Xin’an and look at the gentle-looking middle-aged man in front of her, who bore a resemblance to Liu Xin’an and wore glasses.
Even though she didn’t know him well, she felt as anxious as she had when she first met Teacher Lee Sooman.
Perhaps it was because the man was her boyfriend’s father? ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by N0veI.Fiɾe.net
"Hello, Uncle, I... I am Bae Juhyun, Xin’an’s girlfriend."
This beautiful woman, who even Liu Zhengjiang found stunning, stood beside his son, bowing deeply with extraordinary respect.
The excessive bending sent her lovely hair flying in the air.
But as she straightened up again, perhaps because the motion was too vigorous, her black hair traced a perfect arc in the air, landing smack on Liu Xin’an’s face beside her.
Liu Xin’an instinctively yelped in pain.
This only added to the panic of an already nervous and edgy Bae Juhyun.
"Xin’an, I’m so sorry!"
"It’s okay, it’s okay."
"I’m really, really sorry..."
Li Chenglu stood by with her arms crossed, a puzzled look on her face.
So Bae Juhyun had this clutzy side to her?
An adorably daft beauty?
It was quite an intriguing setup.
"Alright, let’s go inside first. We can talk about everything else later."
Liu Zhengjiang coughed to suppress his slightly upturned lips.
The scene before him was almost comically entertaining, making him want to laugh, but he maintained his image in front of the kids, as his dignity was not yet on the line.
However, just as he turned to enter the house, a big hand landed on his shoulder.
Li Changhe might not understand Korean, but he knew what the turning gesture meant.
"You got food at your place?"
"...Let’s go to your godfather’s house."
Liu Zhengjiang looked natural, although his feet made a definitive turn, sincerely heading towards Li Changhe’s home.
Bae Juhyun sat down close to her boyfriend, all stiff as if she had just stepped out of a freezer.
The people present, aside from Liu Xin’an and Li Chenglu—who she was familiar with—and Li Chenglu’s father Li Changhe—who she’d just about figured out—
there was one individual who genuinely made her so nervous that she felt regal: the seemingly serene middle-aged man sitting on the opposite side.
Even though his demeanor was mild, the name carried quite a reputation.
That was Liu Xin’an’s father after all!
If she and Liu Xin’an were to continue down their path together, that man could very well be her father-in-law!
Her children’s grandfather!
Well, Bae Juhyun, due to her extreme nervousness, had started to uncontrollably drift into wild fantasies.
Luckily, she was not alone in this battle.
She could feel her small hand being enveloped by a larger one, which made her subconsciously glance up at Liu Xin’an beside her.