Help! My hunky roommate is begging me to touch his abs!

The door was wide open, and warm yellow light spilled out from the living room.

Zhao Yuheng's old man was sitting on the sofa, holding a teacup in his hand.

His brows were furrowed into a deep frown, his square face was taut, and his complexion was so dark it looked like ink could drip from it.

Zhao Yuheng put his arm around Jin Bao'er's shoulder and led him into the house, saying, "Old man, I've brought the person."

Li Jiaxin put the fruit on the coffee table, smiled, pulled Jin Bao'er over, and winked at him.

He gestured with his chin toward the sofa again: "Baby, this is your uncle—no, call him Dad."

Jin Bao'er's ears burned from that shout.

His carefully prepared words fell apart, and he secretly glanced at the man on the sofa with a gloomy face.

She swallowed hard and called out softly, "Dad."

The man didn't say anything, but picked up his teacup, took a big sip, and the rim of the cup hit his teeth with a crisp sound.

Upon seeing this, Li Jiaxin immediately glared at him, her eyes carrying a hint of warning.

The man pursed his lips, then reluctantly forced out a single syllable: "Mmm."

The voice was so low it was like a mosquito's hum, yet it eased Jin Bao'er's anxiety.

Zhao Yuheng chuckled and pinched the back of his neck, then pushed him towards his mother.

"Call me Mom, the one you've been saying you wanted to see."

Jin Bao'er looked up at Li Jiaxin, the woman's smile so gentle it could melt anyone's heart.

His initial nervousness completely dissipated, and he called out in a clear voice, "Mom."

"Yes!" Li Jiaxin answered loudly, her eyes and eyebrows curving upwards, and she held onto his hand tightly, refusing to let go.

"Please sit down, please sit down. Dinner has been prepared for a long time, just waiting for you two to come back."

The dinner table was set out full of dishes that Jinbaoer loves.

Zhao Yuheng's old man didn't say much throughout the whole process.

He would occasionally pick up a piece of food with his chopsticks, and his expression was still not very pleasant, but he didn't say a single word of embarrassment.

Jin Bao'er was initially a little reserved, but Li Jiaxin kept putting food into her bowl, and Zhao Yuheng secretly teased her by hooking his finger under the table.

Gradually, he relaxed and even dared to banter with Zhao Yuheng occasionally.

The meal went fairly well.

As soon as he put down his chopsticks, Zhao Yuheng's old man put down his napkin and said in a deep voice, "Zhao Yuheng, come to the study with me."

Zhao Yuheng clicked his tongue, and Chong Jinbao blinked, mouthing "Wait for me."

He reluctantly got up with the old man.

Jin Bao'er watched the two enter the study, and the door was gently closed.

He figured he couldn't just sit there, so he stood up and smiled at Li Jiaxin, "Mom, let me help you tidy up."

"No, no, I can't let you do it." Li Jiaxin quickly waved her hand.

"It's okay, I do it at home all the time."

As Jin Bao'er spoke, she picked up the bowls and chopsticks on the table and walked briskly towards the kitchen.

Li Jiaxin followed behind him, watching him skillfully sort the dishes and put them into the dishwasher.

She then cleaned the table quickly and efficiently, her movements were incredibly nimble, showing no signs of being pampered.

When Jin Bao'er pressed the start button on the dishwasher and turned around, he saw Li Jiaxin looking at him with a hint of heartache in her eyes.

"Are you tired? How come you're so skilled at this? You must have done this a lot before?"

Li Jiaxin stepped forward and gently took his hand; the warmth of his palm was comforting.

Jin Bao'er was stunned.

She then smiled, her eyebrows curving into a slight arc: "Yes, I used to do most of the housework at my aunt's house, so I'm used to it and it's not tiring at all."

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a gentle pat on the back of his hand. Li Jiaxin's voice softened, tinged with a sob:

"Zhao Yuheng still doesn't know how to do housework very well, and he can only cook two dishes. You're working too hard compared to him."

"Let him learn to do things from now on, instead of having him do everything himself, that's too tiring."

Jin Bao'er's nose suddenly stung, and her heart felt filled with something warm and comforting.

He blinked, suppressing the slight dampness, and nodded vigorously: "Okay."

"And don't be angry with your father. He may look fierce, but he's not a bad person at heart."

"He was the one who bought and cooked all those groceries today."

"I don't actually wash dishes much at home, and I'm not very familiar with the dishwasher. If you don't come, I'll have to ask them to come out and operate the dishwasher."

Li Jiaxin smiled somewhat awkwardly.

"Dad can cook?"

"Of course, the men in our family cook all the meals."

Jin Bao'er was stunned.

Before, when I lived at my aunt's house and didn't know how to cook, my aunt did all the cooking.

My uncle never goes into the kitchen.

Later, my uncle injured his leg, and then Jinbao and the others grew up. My aunt and they took care of all the housework.

In his mind, it seemed that housework was something that women and children did.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but sigh.

My husband's family has a much better atmosphere.

……

The light in the study was dimmer than in the living room, and old man Zhao Yuheng sat on a mahogany chair.

The cigarette between his fingers was half-burned, but he didn't take a single puff. He just stared at his son standing opposite him, his face still very grim.

"I'm asking you," he began, his voice rough and direct, "did you sleep with him?"

Zhao Yuheng was taken aback, and then his ears turned slightly red.

He didn't avoid his father's gaze and answered stiffly, "Old man, this is between Jinbao and me, but I didn't do anything inappropriate."

"I don't care about your private affairs!" Old Zhao stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

The force was so strong that the glass tank made a soft thud. "I'm asking you, are you sure you've made up your mind?"

He leaned forward slightly, his brows furrowing even more deeply, his tone carrying an undeniable seriousness:

"You two are both men, and the road ahead will be ten or a hundred times more difficult than for others."

"Whether it's gossip from relatives or criticism from outsiders, you have to bear it all."

"I'm just asking you, did you just decide on a whim to toy with someone's feelings?"

Zhao Yuheng's Adam's apple bobbed as he recalled Jin Bao'er's eyes, which always held a hint of timidity yet would sparkle as she looked at him.

A mixture of softness and determination swirled within him, and he said in a deep voice, "I never intended to play games with you."

"Never thought about it?" Old Zhao sneered.

"Good that you didn't think about it! Let me tell you, whether you're a man or a woman, if you sleep with someone, you have to take full responsibility."

"A man's shoulders bear responsibility, not just empty words of 'like'!"

"If you dare to quit halfway and cause anyone to suffer, I'll be the first to make you pay!"

After all, given the mess his family is in, if someone is still willing to be with Zhao Yuheng, that person can't be too bad.

These words struck Zhao Yuheng's heart like hammer blows.

He recalled those past events, and the aggrieved look on Jin Bao'er's face when she was ignored.

Thinking of his regret at almost missing out on the other person because of his so-called male chauvinism, his eyes became even more determined.

He raised his head, met his father's gaze, and spoke clearly, word by word:

"Old man, I've made up my mind. In this life, I've only ever been with Jinbao'er."

"I made a mistake before and almost lost him. Now, I don't want to miss out again."

"He's with me, and I won't let him suffer any injustice. I'll take responsibility for him, and I'll take responsibility for him to the very end."