I married my best friend's dad in a whirlwind romance, only to find out he'd secretly love

The words fell.

Qiao An'an's heart skipped a beat for no reason.

How does he know what dishes he likes to eat?

Qiao An'an lowered her head, not daring to look at Lu Yanzhi.

Suddenly, Lu Yanzhi spoke up, his voice gentle, "This shop has been run by the couple since they were young, for decades now."

"Um."

"If you go any further in, there's a large garden. I'll take you there to see it in a bit."

The man's voice didn't carry much emotion, but Qiao An'an sensed that he wanted to talk to her.

After pondering for a while, Qiao An'an figured it out and mustered up the courage to chat with him.

"Uncle Lu, the proprietress seems to know you quite well. Do you come here often?"

"When Yao Yao was little, I would bring her here whenever she got sick. But as she got older, I didn't bring her here as often."

When he adopted Lu Zhiyao, he was only 21 years old. Although he was slowly taking over the Lu family business, he didn't know how to take care of children.

There were maids at home, but at first, Lu Zhiyao was shy and followed him around every day. Whenever she got sick, he would be flustered and overwhelmed.

Fortunately, over time he gained experience. He discovered this place by chance when he was in school and passed by with a friend.

After adopting Lu Zhiyao, he would bring her here to eat whenever she was sick and she would cry and fuss.

Because they came often, the proprietress and the proprietress got to know each other.

Lu Yanzhi looked at her, his deep eyes filled with tenderness. "When I came last time, this shop was still there. I wanted to bring you here to try it."

Qiao An'an lowered her head and drank the sugar water without saying a word.

Lu Zhiyao had brought her here before, but not to this particular shop.

Soon, the proprietress brought the dishes over.

"Take your time eating," the proprietress said, smiling as she walked away.

Lu Yanzhi picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork rib, and put it into her bowl. "Try it."

Qiao An'an thanked him softly, picked up her chopsticks, and the aroma of braised pork ribs filled her mouth. This taste…

Her eyes lit up, and she couldn't resist picking up another piece.

Seeing her enjoying her meal, Lu Yanzhi smiled.

He didn't eat much; he was busy putting food on Qiao An'an's plate, his gaze fixed on her, his eyes filled with a barely perceptible doting affection.

"Is it tasty?"

Qiao An'an relaxed completely after eating something delicious, and said softly, "It's so delicious."

"Then eat more."

As Lu Yanzhi spoke, he picked up another braised pork rib and put it into her bowl.

"The boss's braised pork ribs are absolutely amazing."

Qiao An'an looked at the food in her bowl, then looked up at him, somewhat surprised.

Lu Yanzhi said calmly, "Try the tofu."

Qiao An'an buried herself in her rice, eating with a satisfied expression.

"I can't eat anymore."

Lu Yanzhi looked at her. "Are you full?"

"Mm." Qiao An'an nodded.

She doesn't have a big appetite to begin with, and the food was so delicious that she ate the most she's ever eaten today.

"I'll show you around." Lu Yanzhi stood up.

As the two left the private restaurant, Lu Yanzhi naturally took her hand and walked along the path.

Qiao An'an looked up at the man and met his gaze. Their eyes met, and she quickly looked away, her face flushed.

Lu Yanzhi raised his hand and lightly touched the top of her head with his fingertips, the movement was very gentle.

Qiao An'an tensed up instantly, not daring to even breathe.

Lu Yanzhi picked up a leaf from her hair, his voice low and gentle, "There's a leaf."

The two were very close, so close that Qiao An'an could smell his faint scent mixed with the fragrance of the surrounding flowers, which made her feel at ease.

"Thanks."

Her voice softened.

Looking at her blushing face, Lu Yanzhi thought of her red lips that made him want to kiss them. His Adam's apple bobbed as he said softly, "If you like it here, I'll bring you here often in the future."

Qiao An'an looked up happily, her eyes bright. Looking at Lu Yanzhi's serious, almost promising expression, a jolt of electricity ran through her heart.

Suddenly, the man reached out and pulled her into his arms, protecting her tightly.

Qiao An'an exclaimed in surprise.

Immediately afterwards, a muffled groan was heard, followed by the sound of porcelain shards shattering on the ground, and the sounds of arguing coming from the old-fashioned building.

Many things were left behind.

Lu Yanzhi protected her and walked outside.

Qiao An'an saw the thing that had fallen to the ground; it was a vase...

She looked up at the people arguing, and was about to say that they had hit someone.

Before she could finish speaking, she heard a man's anxious voice coming from above.

"How are you? Are you hurt?"

Qiao An'an turned to look at the man and saw him frowning, looking at her with concern as he checked if she was injured.

Seeing how anxious Lu Yanzhi was, her heart was pounding.

Besides her parents and Yao Yao, this was the first time anyone had ever been so worried about her safety.

Qiao An'an shook her head. "I'm fine."

He immediately shielded her tightly; how could she possibly get hurt?

She just heard...

Did that vase hit you? Are you hurt anywhere?

Qiao An'an quickly checked his back and hands, and when she looked up, she saw blood seeping out from his shoulder, which was particularly conspicuous on his white shirt.

Qiao An'an's eyes instantly reddened, "You...you're injured..."

She felt guilty and remorseful.

Lu Yanzhi reassured her, "I'm fine."

Qiao An'an burst into tears, took the man's hand, and said, "Let's go to the hospital."

She gripped the man's hand tightly, looked up at the couple still arguing on the second-floor balcony of the old-fashioned house, and was very angry.

"What's all the noise about? You've hit someone!"

Just after they finished yelling, the man and woman upstairs exchanged a glance, looked at Qiao An'an and Lu Yanzhi, and quickly ran back inside.

Seeing how angry she was because of him, Lu Yanzhi felt incredibly soft-hearted. Afraid that she would get even angrier, he said, "Let's go to the hospital first."

Qiao An'an thought she would settle the score with them later, but Lu Yanzhi was injured and couldn't drive.

She took out her phone. "Let's call a car."

Lu Yanzhi said softly, "It's okay, there's a community hospital nearby."

Qiao An'an thought for a moment and nodded, deciding that the hospital was farther away and the community hospital was closer.

"Let's see first, and if it doesn't work, then we'll go to the hospital."

After saying that, Qiao An'an held Lu Yanzhi's hand tightly and didn't let go the whole way.

A breeze blew through the alley, making one's heart itch.

The community hospital was nearby, and the doctor was a young man. When he saw the injury on Lu Yanzhi's shoulder, he noticed Qiao An'an standing to the side, looking very nervous.

The doctor smiled and said, "Don't worry, your boyfriend's injury isn't too serious."

The words fell.

Qiao An'an didn't refute, but her face turned red, and she subconsciously wanted to take a step back, but Lu Yanzhi pulled her back.

He said in a nonchalant tone, "She's timid."

Qiao An'an's ears turned red. She didn't dare to look at the hospital, but only at the place where Lu Yanzhi was injured.

The doctor smiled, said nothing, and began to treat Lu Yanzhi's wound.

Lu Yanzhi remained silent throughout, simply holding Qiao An'an's hand in his palm.

While cleaning up, the doctor explained, "This needs stitches. You need to go to the hospital. It was hit by a heavy object, so it's best to get an X-ray to see if there are any problems with the bones."

Qiao An'an nodded seriously. "Doctor, is there anything I should be careful about?"

The doctor smiled and said, "The young lady is very careful. Eat a light diet, don't move this hand around, and don't get it wet. It will help it heal faster."

Qiao An'an listened attentively and took notes.

Lu Yanzhi sat there looking at her, his eyes overflowing with tenderness.

As soon as Qiao An'an turned around, she met his deep eyes, and an ambiguous atmosphere instantly spread, as if they were the only two people in each other's lives.