After leaving the hospital, Li Qiao and Luoyu had a simple meal before returning to the Li Family’s home.
As soon as they entered, they saw Li Guangming and Duan Shuyuan sitting in the living room, one drinking tea, the other smoking a cigarette, both simultaneously turning their gazes upon hearing footsteps.
The atmosphere was somewhat delicate.
Li Qiao slowed her steps, called out to her parents, and then turned to head upstairs.
But from behind, Li Guangming called out to her in a stern tone, "Daughter, wait a moment."
Li Qiao stopped in her tracks, turned back to look at her elders, her eyes fleetingly flickering, but still she walked over and sat down opposite them, "Mom and Dad, did you want to talk to me about something?"
Usually, Mr. and Mrs. Li were both busy with their own affairs, providing fairly lenient supervision over Li Qiao and rarely having such serious moments.
At that moment, Li Guangming was puffing on his cigar, coughed once while exhaling smoke, and then leaned forward to tap off some ash. His actions continued, but he was a long time in opening his mouth.
Duan Shuyuan sat elegantly beside him, with both hands holding a teacup, occasionally taking a sip without uttering a word.
Li Qiao sat for two or three minutes, but still no one spoke.
She lounged lazily, propping her arm on the armrest, resting her cheek in her hand while looking at her parents, patiently asking again, "Mom, Dad, is there something you wanted to say?"
"Yes!" Li Guangming, afraid that she wouldn’t wait, nodded quickly. But facing Li Qiao’s innocent expression, he fell into hesitation once again.
Deciding to pass the buck, he gestured towards Duan Shuyuan with his mouth, shifting the issue to her, "Your mom has something to tell you."
Duan Shuyuan halted her tea-drinking halfway, meeting Li Qiao’s raised eyebrows with her gaze and immediately turned to glare at Li Guangming, kicking at his leg softly, "It’s you who wants to talk to Qiaoqiao, what does it have to do with me?"
In the following time, she observed the scene of her parents pushing the responsibility back and forth, her eyes brimming with interest.
Watching them argue to no conclusion, Li Qiao took out her phone from her pocket, launched the game app, and began to play a casual game as if it didn’t concern her.
After finishing two levels, Li Qiao closed the app, looked up, and stood up on her own to head upstairs.
Seeing this, Mr. and Mrs. Li behind her spoke in unison, "Daughter, where were you last night?"
Oh, they’ve come to seek an explanation.
Li Qiao stopped in her tracks and turned around. Before she could open her mouth to explain, Duan Shuyuan stood up and came in front of her, speaking earnestly, "Honey, your mom and dad mean no harm, but lately... you’ve been out overnight rather frequently. What have you been up to? Tell mom and dad about it."
As she spoke, Duan Shuyuan took her hand and pulled her back towards the sofa.
At that moment, Li Guangming squinted, releasing smoke rings quite imposingly as he chimed in, "Daughter, we’re not trying to restrict your freedom, but as a girl, staying out all night is not safe.
If you were a boy, I wouldn’t even ask. Look at your second brother; he hasn’t been home in ages, have I ever bothered him?
But you’re different; you’re too young, inexperienced with the cruel ways of the world, the unpredictability of human nature.
No matter how good it is outside, can it be safer than home? Isn’t that right?"
Li Qiao, who supposedly hadn’t seen the cruel ways of the world, thought: "..."
The words, no matter how she heard them, just didn’t sound right.
Li Qiao toyed with her phone screen, her gaze circling her parents twice, "Mom, Dad, what exactly do you want to say?"
At her question, Duan Shuyuan and Li Guangming exchanged glances, and the next second Li Guangming cleared his throat, assuming the posture of a stern father, "Daughter, tell the truth to your dad... Have you recently started seeing a boyfriend?"
As it happened, she indeed had.
Without showing any sign, Li Qiao smiled down at her phone, then lifted her head to look at Li Guangming with a calm demeanor restored, "Dad, why would you ask that?"