When Li Lin’s tender gaze and gentle touch caressed Lin Zifeng’s stern face,
Li Tian standing nearby was like an ant on a hot pot.
His frog-like eyes darted left and right, utterly confused by the current situation.
Yet, he had no idea how to intervene and separate them. They seemed to treat this onlooker as if he were thin air.
A bitter smile tugged at the corners of Lin Zifeng’s handsome, resolute mouth.
In the past five years, who knows how many secrets had befallen him, secrets that perhaps only he knew too well.
Following the contours of Lin Zifeng’s face, Li Lin noticed with horror a particularly clear scar on the open chest area of his shirt.
Instantly, her eyes welled up with tears, and she stared at him in disbelief, covering her mouth with her hands.
Her delicate hand trembled as she reached out, her voice choked with emotion, "Does this scar still hurt?"
Looking at Li Lin’s moist eyes, Lin Zifeng chuckled, patted her head, and gave a sunny smile, "It doesn’t hurt."
"Big brother Lin—," Li Lin’s voice was trembling.
Suddenly, Li Tian beside them coughed into his hand conspicuously, as a reminder that there was still a breathing person present.
"Dad, I have something to discuss with Big brother Lin. Could you leave us alone for a moment?"
Seeing her father standing right there, Li Lin felt some things were inconvenient to say.
Li Tian glanced at his daughter, Li Lin, and then swept his gaze over Lin Zifeng again, lingering with a profound meaning for a few seconds.
Anyway, Lin Zifeng had decided to ignore his presence.
It wasn’t until Li Tian reluctantly left, looking back three steps at a time,
that Li Lin finally relaxed a little.
"Big brother Lin, where have you been these days? Why haven’t you come to see Linlin?" Li Lin said, looking down, her gaze drifting.
"I’ve been busy with work. Where would I find the time? Isn’t my visit today just to see you?" Lin Zifeng gave a big smile, shrugged his shoulders, and took out a cigarette from his pocket, slowly starting to smoke.
Li Lin’s father had been there earlier, so he felt it was not proper to smoke, but now that her father had been sent away, it was the perfect opportunity to have a couple of drags before he returned.
"Hmph, you’re just making up excuses again to fool Lin’er. Do you think I’d believe you?"
"You might not believe it, but there’s nothing I can do; I’ve really been busy. Not like some people who have the luxury of regular hours and a steady monthly salary. I have to work hard," Lin Zifeng said, as he reached out and playfully flicked Li Lin’s nose.
That instantly brought out Li Lin’s coquettish protest.
This nose-flicking gesture was a little ritual they had maintained since childhood; everytime Lin Zifeng flicked the little girl’s nose, she would get particularly excited.
As if recalling a scene from her childhood, Li Lin suddenly threw herself into Lin Zifeng’s embrace, her voice choking up, "Big brother Lin, can you come visit Lin’er often in the future? I feel so lonely now. Even when I go to work and have a pleasant time with my students at school, I come home to an empty house and feel so scared and lonely. I often stare blankly out the window, and at my loneliest and most helpless moments, I have no one to talk to. Now you’re back, but you didn’t come to see Lin’er. Do you know how bad it makes me feel?"
"You’re exaggerating. I am back, aren’t I? You’re so young, why do you talk like you’re so much older? You’re not like the Linlin I used to know," Lin Zifeng said teasingly with a feigned annoyance.
"Big brother Lin, all you do is make fun of me. I’m not talking to you anymore," pouted Li Lin, playfully wriggling within Lin Zifeng’s embrace.
For a moment, Lin Zifeng felt a twinge in his nose, and his rough hands didn’t know where to rest,
Feeling Li Lin’s soft, tender waist rubbing against his palm, her body exuding an intoxicating scent, Lin Zifeng felt a growing heat throughout his body.
This truly made him breathe more heavily.
"Heh heh—" Although Lin Zifeng was laughing on the outside, he felt an immense bitterness inside. If things kept going , Linlin really might develop feelings for him.
"Mmm! It smells so good! Linlin, what delicious food did you make today? It’s so fragrant," he said.
Feeling the last bit of warmth being teased out of him by the girl, Lin Zifeng quickly changed the subject to the matter of eating.
"Hehe, you must be hungry. I knew my cooking would satisfy you, Big brother Lin," Li Lin said with a grin, bowing her head in triumph.
"No need to guess, this scent is definitely braised carp, right?"
Lin Zifeng, with his eyes closed, taking in the faint aroma drifting from the kitchen, seemed utterly entranced.
Braised carp was Lin Zifeng’s favorite dish, and the attentive Li Lin had truly prepared a delicious meal for him.
"Hehe, you guessed it! I didn’t expect you, Big brother Lin, to have such an amazing sense of smell. Just by sniffing, you knew what I cooked today. I’ll consider giving you an extra portion later!"
Li Lin’s cheeks were rosy, whether from the heat or excitement, it was hard to say.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go devour them!" Lin Zifeng said with exaggerated expressions and tones, which suddenly took them both back to the beautiful days of their childhood.