Lin Yanwan sat on the steps of the residential community as Jiang Xia removed her shoe and sock, gently rotating her ankle with his hand.

"Does it hurt like this?"

"Mhm, it’s not as painful as before."

"You’re lucky. It doesn’t look like you injured the joint, and there’s no obvious soft tissue swelling. Just take it easy for the next couple of days, and don’t go jumping around."

"Oh."

Jiang Xia put her shoe and sock back on, then carefully helped her to her feet. "Give it a try. Can you walk?"

Lin Yanwan took a few limping steps, and Jiang Xia had to suppress a chuckle.

"I can walk, just not fast," she said seriously.

"This is what you get for not watching where you’re going," Jiang Xia grumbled. "Sit here for a minute. I’ll hail a taxi."

A taxi approached from ahead. He waved it down, and when he saw the car’s blinker flash, Jiang Xia turned to help his wife up.

The car window rolled down. Jiang Wende craned his neck, peering at the back of the boy outside before calling out tentatively, "Jiang Xia?"

At the sound of his name, Jiang Xia’s body went rigid. He turned his head mechanically and, through the car window, immediately saw his dad.

"Dad, it’s you." His facial muscles twitched as he forced a smile, but his heart sank.

’Oh crap. I’m screwed.’

’How could I have forgotten that my own dad is a taxi driver?’

’It would have been one thing if this were a weekend, but class was about to start, and here he was, still out and about. More importantly, he was with a girl. No matter how you looked at it, this was bad.’

Hearing their exchange, Lin Yanwan swallowed nervously. She had never, ever expected her father-in-law to suddenly show up here.

’What do I do? What do I do?!’

’Should I say hello first?’

Her breathing involuntarily quickened, and her mind went blank for a moment.

Jiang Wende glanced at the time and frowned. "It’s almost one. What are you still doing out here?"

"Ahem, Dad, your timing is perfect. I was just heading to school."

"Get in, I’ll give you..." His gaze shifted from Jiang Xia to the girl beside him. They seemed unusually close, so he quickly corrected himself, "...a ride."

"Can you get in by yourself?" Jiang Xia asked in a low voice.

In front of his own dad, he didn’t have the guts to get too close to a girl. No matter what, he was sitting in the front passenger seat.

"Mhm... Don’t worry about me."

He took a shallow breath and strode toward the front passenger seat with a nonchalant expression, not realizing that Jiang Wende had been secretly observing the girl with his son the whole time.

’She seems to be limping a little. Does she have a disability, or is her leg just injured? So that’s why Jiang Xia was about to help her up, huh?’

’This little brat. He sees me and suddenly won’t even take care of someone who needs help?’

Jiang Wende discreetly locked the car doors. Jiang Xia pulled on the handle and found it wouldn’t open.

"Dad, I can’t open the car door."

"Oh, the door’s broken. You two sit in the back."

Jiang Xia: "???"

’He was utterly bewildered. An excuse for a little kid? As if he’d believe that crap. If you’re going to lie, at least be a little more professional about it, okay?’

’He had no idea what kind of crazy scenario his dad had cooked up in his head, but come on, you’re my father! Acting like Elder Yue and forcing your son and daughter-in-law together like this... someone could get killed!’

The corner of his mouth twitched. Staying in the rearview mirror’s blind spot, he supported Lin Yanwan’s arm as they both got into the back seat.

The engine started, and the taxi sped toward the school. The atmosphere inside the car grew strangely tense.

Coincidences in this world could be so absurd. Last night, it was Jiang Xia running into her mom. Today, the roles were completely reversed, with his dad catching them both red-handed.

The common thread? Both encounters happened in the back seat of a car.

Lin Yanwan pinched Jiang Xia’s thigh through his pants. It was a habit she had developed since they’d gotten together—whenever she was excited or nervous, she always felt the urge to either give him a hard squeeze or a bite.

Jiang Xia resignedly endured the pain, knowing her "old habit" was flaring up again.

"So, why are you here right now instead of at school?"

Jiang Wende glanced at the interior rearview mirror. The young lady had her head down while his son stared out the window. They were sitting a respectable distance apart, yet their legs were close enough to brush against each other.

As a veteran driver with more than a decade of experience, he was a master at reading people. He could tell at a glance that the girl was extremely nervous.

’Even if she did just run into a classmate’s dad, she shouldn’t be *this* nervous, should she?’

’Unless...’

"We came out for lunch with a few classmates, and she accidentally twisted her ankle." Jiang Xia had his excuse ready.

"Where are the others?"

"They already went back to school," Jiang Xia said without batting an eye. "She was in too much pain to walk, so the others went back to request a leave of absence for us."

Jiang Wende nonchalantly averted his gaze. Leaving aside the truthfulness of Jiang Xia’s story, what kind of student would come all this way to the Brocade Splendor City area for lunch? Were there any good restaurants around here? As a taxi driver, how would he not know?

’Trying to lie to your old man? So obviously fake!’

"Is it serious? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"No, no, that’s not necessary!" Lin Yanwan hurriedly refused. She caught herself just as she was about to subconsciously blurt out *that word*, and the abrupt switch in her tone sounded even stranger.

"...Uncle, there’s no need to go to all that trouble. My foot is almost all better." As she spoke, she pinched Jiang Xia’s thigh harder, her ears burning.

Hearing her call his father "Uncle," Jiang Xia couldn’t help but let out a loud cough.

’Now she finally understood why he’d just called her mother "Mom" last night, right? Get the atmosphere right, and sometimes your mouth develops a mind of its own.’

Jiang Xia sucked in a sharp breath. His fists clenched and his eyes widened. ’I can’t make a sound,’ he thought. ’No matter how much it hurts, I have to endure it.’

’This woman shows no mercy. That spot on my thigh is probably turning purple by now.’

Staring at the red light ahead, Jiang Wende almost forgot to hit the brakes. ’If I heard that right, was that little girl about to call me... Dad?!’

’Good Lord, how old are these two kids?’

’They haven’t even graduated from high school yet!!’

He suddenly remembered what Xia Shanshan had told him last night: that their son had been late because he was walking a female classmate home.

’Could it be her?’

At this thought, Jiang Wende snuck another peek at the girl. She had delicate features and a refined air. Her face held a charming, rosy flush. She looked quiet and gentle, not at all like a troublemaker.

’Then again,’ he thought, ’the little brat has pretty good taste.’

After passing the traffic light, the taxi pulled over. Lin Yanwan nervously took out some money and offered it to him. "Sir..."

’A moment ago it was "Uncle," now it’s "Sir." She really wanted to call me Dad, didn’t she?’

Jiang Wende waved his hand nonchalantly. "No charge. This kid’s already paid. You two hurry along to class."

"When did I pay?" Jiang Xia was stunned.

"I’m taking it out of your allowance!"

"..."