Shuweilai Sichuan Restaurant in City A.

The aroma of chili peppers and the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns mingled together, the red oil of boiled fish bubbled and steamed, and the fragrance of spicy blood curd wafted straight into the nose.

"Keyan," Mrs. Leng placed a piece of fish in her son's bowl and asked with a smile, "Is that Teacher Yin you mentioned last time teaching at your school now?"

"Hmm," Leng Keyan said, taking a bite of fish. "She's the youngest professor at A University's medical school, and she's very popular with students."

Mr. Leng nodded: "Orthopedics is good, and practical. I can see him if my back hurts someday."

"Dad, your back is fine, don't curse yourself," Leng Keyan muttered.

Sitting across from me was Cao Yu, dressed in a flashy pink shirt, his hair meticulously styled with hair gel. He was currently swirling a glass of red wine, wearing an expression of anticipation.

"Ke Yan," Cao Yu drawled, "I'm not trying to be mean, but you're still so young. Dating is fine, but why are you dating a teacher?"

"Is a teacher-student relationship more exciting?"

Leng Keyan rolled her eyes at him: "None of your business."

"I'm just concerned about you; one should always be wary of others."

As she spoke, she leaned closer and said, "That Teacher Yin knows your uncle is a big star and your other uncle is the president of a group. She might just be after your money. Be careful not to get swindled out of everything."

Leng Keyan slammed her chopsticks on the table.

"Shut up," Leng Keyan said angrily, "Teacher Yin is not that kind of person at all."

She paused, then suddenly pursed her lips and lowered her voice, "I almost hope... he's here for the money."

Everyone at the table was stunned.

Leng's mother blinked: "Ke Yan, what nonsense are you talking about?"

"I'm not talking nonsense."

Leng Keyan picked up her chopsticks and poked at the rice in her bowl. "The money in your account is endless. Compared to my clingy personality and my aging face, money is much more stable."

"If Yin Siyao is really after money, I'll feel more at ease. At least I don't have to worry about him running away one day because he finds me annoying."

At this point, his expression suddenly became somewhat unnatural.

Cao Yu, with his sharp eyes, immediately caught it: "Hey, with that expression, how much did they trick you out of? Tell me so I can feel sorry for you."

Leng Keyan cursed irritably, "Get lost! Teacher Yin transferred 10,000 yuan to me a few days ago."

Mother Leng put down her chopsticks and looked at her son seriously: "Didn't you say his family wasn't well-off? How come they asked for ten thousand?"

"Your parents control your allowance because they're afraid you'll go astray and that dating will cost you money. Starting this month, your allowance will triple."

"Teacher Yin insisted that I accept it, and he didn't know that my family is also very wealthy."

Leng Keyan lowered her head and used her chopsticks to poke small holes in the rice.

He said in a low voice, "I told him that his parents were genuine farmers."

"puff!"

Cao Yu spat out a mouthful of water, choking and coughing.

"Farmers?"

Cao Yu wiped his mouth while laughing so hard he could hardly breathe. "A farmer with tens of thousands of acres of land, several modern farms, and an annual income of hundreds of millions is indeed a farmer, no doubt about it."

Father Leng coughed and glared at his nephew.

Leng's mother's eyes crinkled with laughter: "We were worried about the age gap between you two before, fearing you'd hold her back, which is why we thought it wasn't a good match. But now that we see you two getting along so well, we won't object anymore."

"Besides, this also shows that he genuinely likes you, doesn't care about your family background, and only cares about you as a person. You've struck gold, why aren't you happy?"

Leng Keyan raised her head, her face contorted in a grimace, her eyebrows drooping into a V-shape.

"Mom, that's the problem."

Leng Keyan's voice was bitter, "I only said you were ordinary farmers because I was afraid that Teacher Yin would think the gap was too big."

"If he knew that the farmer parents I was talking about were actually farm owners with tens of thousands of acres of land, he would definitely feel deceived."

Arguing is the best-case scenario; what if Yin Siyao feels the gap between them is too big and says they're not suitable?

After a moment of contemplation, Leng's father put down his wine glass.

"The most important thing in a relationship is honesty. No matter the purpose, a relationship built on deception will not last."

"If you like someone, you should trust them. If they back down because your family is rich, or look down on you because your family is poor, then that person is not worth entrusting your life to."

"But if you use deception to test or maintain the relationship, that's disrespectful to him and to your feelings for each other."

Leng Keyan felt a lump in her throat.

"Dad, I know..." Leng Keyan's voice choked with emotion, "but I'm scared. Teacher Yin is so kind."

"It took me so much effort to win him over, and so much effort to get him to like me back. I'm afraid that if I tell him, all of this will be gone."

Cao Yu, unusually, didn't joke around anymore. He simply patted Leng Keyan on the shoulder and said, "He'll find out sooner or later. It's better for you to be honest than for him to find out on his own."

Leng's mother sighed: "I agree with what your father said, deception is unacceptable. Find a suitable opportunity to explain things clearly to them."

Leng Keyan found the meal utterly tasteless and unappetizing.

Boiled fish doesn't taste good anymore, spicy blood curd isn't spicy anymore, and even his favorite sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce can't taste anything.

My mind was filled with thoughts of what Yin Siyao would do if she found out she had been deceived.

Disappointment? Angry? Or... just leave?

Leng Keyan dared not even think about it.

After dinner, my parents and cousin went to meet a client.

Leng Keyan said she had something to do, so she took a taxi to Yin Siyao's house.

The room was dark, with the lights off and the curtains drawn.

Two pairs of slippers were neatly arranged in the entryway.

One pair of dark gray ones belonged to Yin Siyao; the other pair of bright yellow ones, with cartoon corgi patterns printed on them, belonged to Leng Keyan who insisted on having them placed here.

Yin Siyao is not home.

Leng Keyan took off her shoes and walked barefoot into the living room.

On the coffee table was a half-empty can of cola he had drunk; Yin Siyao didn't allow him to drink too many carbonated beverages.

Leng Keyan sat down on the sofa, took out her phone, opened Yin Siyao's chat window, and dialed the number.

Just when Leng Keyan thought Yin Siyao wouldn't answer, the call went through.

"Feed?"

Yin Siyao's voice came through the receiver; the background was a bit noisy, and the sound of a stroller could also be heard.

"Teacher Yin," Leng Keyan said softly, "Are you busy?"

"Yeah, night shift. What's up? Weren't you having dinner with your family?"

"I..." Leng Keyan's throat tightened, "I have something very important to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I..." Leng Keyan bit her lip, "If I lied to you, would you forgive me?"

Leng Keyan was having dinner with her family today, and many possibilities flashed through Yin Siyao's mind in an instant.

Leng Keyan's parents did not approve of their relationship, but they said they did in order to deceive him.

Leng Keyan was forced to break up.

Leng Keyan said that they should go back to being teacher and student.

Yin Siyao's heart sank little by little.

"I'm on the night shift today, very busy. If you need anything, we can talk when you're less busy."

"But..." Leng Keyan said anxiously, "It's just two minutes, or I can come to the hospital to find you."

"Leng Keyan, I'm on duty now."

Yin Siyao's voice was weary, "I just admitted a patient who was seriously injured in a car accident and is preparing for surgery. Could you postpone your matter?"

Leng Keyan was stunned.

He could hear the aloofness and coldness in Yin Siyao's tone, which made him panic.

"Teacher Yin, are you angry?"

Leng Keyan asked cautiously.

"No." Yin Siyao's answer was simple and straightforward. "Busy, I'll hang up now."

Leng Keyan sat blankly in the dimly lit living room.

Yin Siyao didn't even ask what he had lied about.

Is it true that once you realize you've been scammed, you don't care about anything anymore, so you don't even bother to ask?

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