At the dining table.

Lin Baor's face was flush with anger, and it was unclear whether she was embarrassed or furious. She glared at Xia Liang, but he calmly ate his breakfast, seemingly oblivious to her gaze.

He glanced at Gan Mengzhu beside him and saw a faint blush on her pretty face. Obviously, her little secret has been discovered by her daughter, and now she feels a bit shy, he thought.

After finishing his breakfast, Xia Liang was planning to go out for his food delivery shift.

Just then, Lin Baor suddenly clung to her mother, whining playfully, "Mom, give me some money. I want to buy lipstick."

Hearing this, Gan Mengzhu shot her an irritated look. "All you ever do is waste money."

Despite her words, she still took out her phone and transferred the money to her.

"Hooray! Love you!" After receiving the money, Lin Baor happily gave her mom a kiss and danced with joy.

Watching this touching scene, Xia Liang couldn't help but smile. This girl, apart from her penchant for wasteful spending, is actually quite adorable.

As she got ready to leave, Xia Liang stood up and, after a moment's thought, decided to speak. "Bao'er, where are you headed? How about I give you a ride?"

Upon hearing his offer, an image popped into Lin Baor's head of a cute girl sitting on a little electric scooter. She shivered. It might look romantic on TV, but I'd rather not in real life.

She promptly shook her head. "No, thanks. I'd rather take a taxi than ride that delivery scooter of yours."

So much for a kind offer, Xia Liang thought. He snorted and didn't bother to explain, simply letting her have her way.

Beside them, Gan Mengzhu watched him get snubbed, covering her mouth to stifle a giggle.

When Xia Liang got to the elevator a moment later, it was already gone. He didn't have to guess why. It was definitely Bao'er. She must have pressed the button early so she wouldn't have to ride with me.

Downstairs at Tranquil Apartments, Lin Baor was hopping around happily when she suddenly spotted a cool sports car parked at the curb. She immediately stopped in her tracks, her eyes shining. Pulling out her phone, she launched into a selfie frenzy.

She immediately posted to her social media:

Lemon 36°

Whoa! Just found an ultra-cool sports car parked downstairs today! So cool! Wonder whose it is! Love it, love it!

[Selfie_with_cool_sports_car.jpg]

Soon, she had received many likes from her friends.

「Jiacheng Mall.」

A handsome delivery guy was strolling casually through the mall. Teacher Xia had just finished a delivery on the second floor. With nothing else to do, I might as well shop for a little gift for the girl, he mused.

Just then, his eyes widened as he looked toward the Prada Store. More specifically, he was looking at two girls inside, one of whom was his newfound stepdaughter, Lin Baor.

Man, what a coincidence! Xia Liang thought, a smile playing on his lips as he walked over.

"Oh? Darling daughter, after buying lipstick, are you here for a bag?"

When Lin Baor heard his voice, she whirled around. Her smile vanished the instant she saw Xia Liang. Damn it, why do I run into this jerk everywhere! The most outrageous thing is that he dared to call me his daughter in front of my best friend—unforgivable!

Before Lin Baor could speak, the girl beside her, Jin Na, spoke up. She eyed the handsome delivery guy, but his poor manners made her angry. "Who do you think you are?" she snapped. "Who's your daughter, you psycho!"

The salespeople in the Prada Store cast curious glances their way. What's going on? they wondered. They might as well have grabbed some popcorn, the fires of gossip roaring to life within them.

Before Xia Liang could respond, Lin Baor chimed in, fuming, "You jerk, who's your daughter? You're disgusting! Are you stalking me?"

Xia Liang seemed unfazed by her tirade and glanced at the two angry young women. For once, he offered an explanation. "First, I'm not stalking you; I was just delivering an order. Second, your mom is my woman, which makes me your stepfather. So naturally, that makes you my daughter!"

Hearing this, Lin Baor's face darkened. She couldn't believe he would say it so publicly. "Who knows what tricks you used to deceive my mom!" she shot back, her voice shaking with anger. "You're just a delivery guy! You want me to call you Dad? In your dreams!"

What?! Jin Na thought, completely stunned. Is this man really Lin Baor's stepfather?

The salespeople were collectively dumbfounded. This is some seriously juicy gossip!

The moment the words left her mouth, Lin Baor regretted them. I just admitted this scoundrel is my stepdad by arguing with him! Admitting such an embarrassing thing in front of my best friend... Oh, Lin Baor, you're so stupid! This deadbeat, this scumbag, it's all his fault! He made me look like a fool!

Thinking this, Lin Baor felt both humiliated and indignant, her eyes blazing with rage as she glared at Teacher Xia.

After a few seconds of shock, Jin Na grabbed Lin Baor's arm. "Bao'er, what's going on? Is this delivery guy really your mom's boyfriend?"

At her friend's question, Lin Baor's eyes reddened. She bit her lip pitifully, and though she desperately wanted to deny it, it was the truth. She could only nod.

When Jin Na received confirmation, she was incredulous. "Are you serious? This is insane! What on earth was your mom thinking, dating a delivery guy?"

She had met Lin Baor's mother before—a charming woman who was a director at a company and also owned her own nail salon. She was a self-made, successful woman. How could she fall for a pretty boy like this? Besides, what does he have going for him other than his looks? I can't believe such an exceptional woman would be interested in a delivery guy. This is crazy!

"Don't ask," Lin Baor said irritably, her voice thick with frustration. "I get annoyed just thinking about it." She glared at Xia Liang, fighting back tears. "Can you please leave? I don't want to see you!"

Seeing Lin Baor's distraught expression, Xia Liang realized he had taken his teasing too far. After all, I'm the adult here. I shouldn't bully her like this. I have to find a way to make it up to her, or I'll never hear the end of it from her mom!

Xia Liang's mind raced, searching for a way to appease her. His gaze then landed on the Prada bag in Lin Baor's hands, and he glanced at the tag. It was a Spring 2020 limited edition model, with a price tag of 18,000.

Well, as the saying goes, "a new bag cures all ills," right?

Xia Liang nodded. He recalled her reason for going out and watched her lovingly caress the bag. Obviously, after buying lipstick, she came to the Prada Store with her best friend just to window-shop. What young girl doesn't love to show off or want a designer bag? This is a perfect opening.

Although Gan Mengzhu was well-off, it was just that—well-off. She certainly wasn't wealthy enough to buy her daughter a Prada bag.

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