Madam, Please Behave
Chapter 411: Regret

June 24.

Today was Liu Zhiyue’s high school entrance exam.

Compared to the days when An Yuanyao was pregnant, life was clearly a lot easier for Liu Changqing now. With his mother-in-law around, he no longer had to stay by his wife’s side all day, so the job of taking his son to the test site naturally fell on him.

7:05 a.m.

Liu Changqing and his son Liu Zhiyue were getting ready for the day.

Liu Changqing had already washed his face and was drying it with a towel, while Liu Zhiyue had just finished brushing his teeth and set down his rinsing cup.

Watching his dad wipe his face, Liu Zhiyue hesitated for a moment, then spoke up reluctantly.

“Dad, I can go on my own. You don’t really have to take me.”

“The school you got assigned to is pretty far, right? It’d take over half an hour on the e-bike, but it’s just ten or fifteen minutes by car.”

Hanging the towel back on its rack, Liu Changqing responded casually.

Then he started walking out of the bathroom, tossing back a reminder as he left.

“Hurry up and get ready. Once you’re done, grab something to eat from a breakfast stall.”

“……”

Staring at his father’s retreating figure, Liu Zhiyue fell into thought for a moment, standing still before finally turning on the tap to wash his face.

They didn’t need long to get ready. By 7:15, father and son were all set and ready to head out.

Before leaving, Liu Changqing double-checked with his son—admission ticket, exam supplies, all the essentials. Once they confirmed the ticket was safely packed, the two of them stepped out the door.

When they got to the parking lot and got in the car, Liu Zhiyue, now in the passenger seat, suddenly spoke up.

“Could we… pick up Zhou Shiyan on the way? She’s in the same exam venue as me.”

Just about to start the car, Liu Changqing paused when he heard that and glanced at his son.

The boy had his head lowered, and his voice was quieter than usual.

Seeing his son acting all awkward, Liu Changqing suddenly wanted to laugh.

He teased:

“No wonder you were so insistent on going alone. So that’s what it was—you two made plans.”

“We just happened to get assigned to the same site, that’s all…”

“Sigh… my boy’s growing up.”

“……”

Liu Zhiyue said nothing. Liu Changqing turned his eyes back to the road, started the car, shifted gears, and pulled out of the parking space.

They headed to Zhou Shiyan’s neighborhood.

Maybe it was because they’d arranged it in advance, but just as Liu Changqing slowed down to turn in, he spotted Zhou Shiyan waiting at the street corner.

She looked a little surprised when she saw Liu Changqing driving, but didn’t say much. She simply thanked him and got into the back seat.

Out of courtesy, Liu Changqing asked her if she had everything she needed. Zhou Shiyan double-checked on the spot and confirmed she had all the essentials.

Only then did Liu Changqing relax.

Having gone through entrance exams himself, he naturally started giving the kids a mini lecture during the drive.

Things like…

Don’t drink too much water or you’ll need the bathroom during the test.

Don’t eat too much or your stomach might hurt if you get nervous.

He went on and on until they reached a breakfast place, where he finally stopped talking.

Inside the shop, Liu Changqing didn’t order too much.

He asked the two of them what they wanted to drink, then ordered according to their preferences—two bowls of eight-treasure porridge, two steamers of vermicelli buns, two of dumplings, three braised eggs, and some fried dough sticks.

For himself, he just got a cup of soy milk.

When all the food had arrived, Liu Changqing had just picked up a bun with his chopsticks when he noticed Zhou Shiyan get up and grab a few small sauce dishes.

She poured some vinegar into one and added a spoonful of chili from the condiment jar.

It was nothing unusual—lots of people did that during breakfast.

What caught Liu Changqing’s attention, though, was that once she was done, Zhou Shiyan placed the dish in front of his son.

And she said, in a voice barely above a whisper:

“Eat.”

“……”

Liu Zhiyue clearly didn’t know what to say.

He instinctively looked at his father—only to find Liu Changqing already staring at him.

Their eyes met.

One second, two seconds…

Liu Changqing narrowed his eyes.

He looked at his son across the table, then at Zhou Shiyan sitting beside him…

Why was she so practiced at this?

Just how many times had she prepared vinegar dishes for his son before?

Chewing a bite of the vermicelli bun, Liu Changqing watched his son spooning porridge into his mouth with his head down.

After swallowing his food, he suddenly asked:

“You two aren’t dating, are you?”

“Cough, cough, cough!”

Liu Zhiyue choked immediately, nearly spilling his porridge.

Zhou Shiyan quickly reached out and patted his back.

The more Liu Changqing watched, the more something felt off.

They acted… like an old married couple.

“Dad, we’re not!”

“Uncle Liu.”

The two of them each called out once. Zhou Shiyan then pulled her hand back, her expression still serious.

Looking straight at Liu Changqing, she said:

“We’ve agreed that until we’re adults, we’ll just be friends. We won’t take it any further.”

“So you mean… after you graduate high school, it’s fair game?”

“Mm.”

“……”

Hearing the girl’s reply, Liu Changqing fell silent.

After a few seconds, he put down his chopsticks and reached for his wallet, muttering as he dug around:

“How much should I set aside for a daughter-in-law again?”

“Dad!”

“Hahaha, just messing with you.”

Liu Changqing tucked his wallet away with a grin, looking at the two kids in front of him.

Seeing them sit so close together, he couldn’t help but feel a little emotional.

Maybe… this kind of bond, where you know each other inside and out, where a single glance or gesture says everything—maybe that was the purest kind of love.

That thought brought a flicker of stiffness to the smile on his face.

He looked at the two kids and couldn’t help but wonder:

If… he had arrived ten years earlier…

Would he and An Yuanyao have been like this?

Growing up together from a young age…

His eyes drifted to the table as a sigh slipped from his lips.

He suddenly felt a little greedy.

Life as it was now was already wonderful—so why did he still feel… a bit of regret?

After a brief silence, Liu Changqing snapped back to the moment and put on a smile for the kids.

He said:

“Eat up. Do your best on the exam.”