Chapter 94: Formal Dating

“Daddy? Why are you here?”

The instant Liu Mingli’s figure appeared, Liu Qian shot to her feet. She had told her family it was a small classmate gathering, yet those present were unmistakably her classmates. Only four of them—two men and two women. Anyone with eyes could see how irregular the occasion felt. Yet her father had shown up. Was he following her?

Before Liu Mingli could answer, Liu Qian’s voice burst out, thick with fury. “Daddy, are you tracking me? How interesting! Has your daughter done something so shameful that you must watch her every second?”

The questions hung in the air like a blade. Wu Ya, who had risen to greet them, froze mid-step. Liu Mingli’s smile stiffened into something awkward. Huang Sishuo and Qiao Ya had never met him before, but Liu Qian’s words made their identities clear. No one knew what to say next. The room fell into a heavy silence, so complete that a pin could be heard dropping.

“Oh, Niannian, your father isn’t exactly what you imagine. I was only passing by your private room and heard your voice, so I stepped in to check. Um… this young master must be Huang Sishuo, right?”

After a long pause, it was Liu Mingli who finally broke the quiet. He had not come to stiffen the air. His silence had lasted so long because the face before him failed to match the one in his mind. He was utterly bewildered. The gulf between this Huang Sishuo and his imagined ideal was so vast that even the ever-smooth Liu Mingli struggled to react. The young master he had pictured was handsome, dashing, and commanding. Yet the man before him was plump, his features crowded. Wrong person? Impossible. Only two boys sat in the room. The other had an unforgettable face. This one had to be the young master. So he swallowed his inner turmoil and spoke.

Yet the moment the last word left his lips, the true purpose shone through. He had come straight for Huang Sishuo. “Uncle, hello. I am Huang Sishuo. Do… you know me?”

In the past, Huang Sishuo had endured countless such flattery-seeking advances. Fed up, he would dismiss them coldly. Today, however, Liu Qian’s presence made him pause. Though he disliked the behavior, he rose politely. “Haha, it really is you! Today I was upstairs inviting your father for lunch, but he had urgent matters and couldn’t come. I never imagined that while passing by, I overheard Liu Qian say you shone brilliantly on the first day of the bond trading. Could the mysterious figure at the top of the list be you? Indeed, a tiger father has no dog son!”

Hearing it was the Huang young master filled Liu Mingli with delight. Flattery poured from his lips, filling every corner. Without ceremony, he sat down. His gaze toward Huang Sishuo grew noticeably warmer, leaving Huang Sishuo feeling profoundly uneasy.

“Um… Uncle, hello.”

Only then did Wu Ya find an opening to greet them. He had assumed Liu Mingli was following Liu Qian. Now he realized they had simply bumped into each other over dinner. With Liu Mingli’s snobbish nature and today’s invitation from Huang Sishuo’s father, business must be afoot. So, hearing Liu Qian praise Huang Sishuo and learning the young master was present, it was no wonder he had rushed in to make connections. But just as his smiling greeting began to land…

“Hmph! Why do I keep running into you everywhere? Wu Ya, I warn you again—stay away from my daughter! We will never approve of you being friends with Liu Qian. Never!”

“Never!” Liu Mingli launched into a scolding, then eagerly declared his stance. He needed Huang Sishuo to understand his family’s position toward Wu Ya, lest misunderstandings arise. After all, the room held two men and two women. The girl was no less striking than his own daughter. Without knowing her connection to the Huang young master, he had to make his stance unmistakable. What if they were merely classmates?

“Daddy, what are you doing? This is a small classmate gathering, not the place for you to voice your opinion!”

But this behavior completely ignited Liu Qian. What did it mean? Fathers know daughters best, yet daughters know fathers best too. She understood her father’s thoughts perfectly. Watching him now, every movement seemed vulgar. Shame and indignation surged through her. A dark shadow crossed Wu Ya’s face as well. Only days ago he had defeated him 2-0 and thrown him out. Last time he had endured it, unwilling to let Liu Qian suffer in the middle. This time, endurance was impossible.

On Huang Sishuo’s face, the deliberate display of stance was unmistakable. What could it mean? It was self-evident. This was no longer about approval or disapproval—it was outright humiliation of Wu Ya. Even as an elder, it was too much.

“Uncle, Liu Qian and I have already begun formal dating. Whether you approve or not has become irrelevant!”

Wu Ya straightened, meeting Liu Mingli’s gaze directly. To heighten the effect, he took Liu Qian’s hand and held it tightly. In that era, such an act was a clear violation of propriety.

“You! How dare you!”

Liu Mingli’s expression twisted in fury. Formal dating? The phrase carried enormous weight. Dating? To what degree? And their parents’ opinion no longer mattered? It meant the relationship had deepened far beyond parental reach. Especially now, with this young man gripping his daughter’s delicate hand. What was he doing? He was taunting him. This crossed every line. Not to mention Liu Qian’s purity, but at this very moment the Huang young master stood right there, destroying her reputation.

“Wu Ya! If you keep spouting nonsense and acting like a thug, I’ll call the police and arrest you!”

Liu Mingli’s displeased face twisted completely. His eyes blazed with rage at Wu Ya. This bastard. Poverty truly bred no manners. The air grew tense once more, as if Wu Ya refusing to release Liu Qian meant Liu Mingli would truly call the police.

Just then, Huang Sishuo spoke. “Uncle, young people interacting is perfectly normal, isn’t it? As for escalating to calling the police, you’re really blowing this out of proportion.”

Liu Mingli understood Huang Sishuo’s discomfort with the police suggestion and immediately switched to a pitiful tone, explaining away his reluctance. Between the lines, he implied Liu Qian was acting against her will, forced by this young man’s pestering.

But who knew…

“Uncle, I think you’ve misunderstood. And as Liu Qian said, today is our small classmate gathering. As an elder, you shouldn’t be here, should you?”

Huang Sishuo felt nothing for the words. Instead, he turned to drive them out. How unreasonable! You are Liu Qian’s father; I have already been polite. Yet you show no respect. You look down on my good friend Wu Ya and, in front of my girlfriend Qiao Ya, keep hinting at Liu Qian? Are you trying to sabotage my happiness?

“Ah? Oh, sorry… I’ll leave first. You all continue, please.”

Liu Mingli hadn’t expected this. But he quickly understood. The Huang young master was displeased. It seemed he had spoken too much. Fine. As long as the young master was satisfied, leaving was acceptable. No point inviting the old one only to offend the young one. That would be a disastrous loss. As for Wu Ya… there would be time to settle scores later.

“Sigh… Shall we go?”

Liu Mingli left. The festive mood for eating vanished. Huang Sishuo shook his head. He had seen many snobbish people, because his family’s daily visitors were exactly these kinds. But snobbery to the point of exploiting one’s own daughter was something he had never encountered. It opened his eyes truly. If Liu Qian’s father learned that the mysterious figure topping the list was Wu Ya, how would his face change? But he had no idea. Liu Qian had mentioned Wu Ya’s matters. Yet, unfortunately, they had not believed her.