Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

"You..." Yang Tao pointed at Lin Bufan, so angry that she didn't know what to say: "Who told you to talk nonsense? What should I do now?"

Lin Bufan shrugged innocently: "What else can I do? Just go. Haven't you invited all your friends?"

Yang Tao glared at Lin Bufan, finally sighing helplessly and telling him the address of the KTV. She remained silent and stern all the way there, determined to explain everything to her friends once she got there.

However, when Yang Tao pushed open the door of the KTV room, he was immediately shocked by the scene in front of him - not only Lan Weiwei and Jiao Yang were there, but several of Yang Tao's ordinary friends were also there. Obviously, they were all summoned temporarily by the breaking news that "Taozi brought her family."

Lin Bufan also locked onto Lan Weiwei at first sight. There was no other way, among this group of "ordinary" people, Lan Weiwei was indeed a little too "magnificent"!

"Here they come!" Sharp-eyed Lan Weiwei was the first to spot Lin Bufan and Yang Tao, and immediately joined in the commotion. Everyone looked towards the door, their eyes flicking back and forth between Yang Tao and Lin Bufan, their faces filled with gossip and curiosity.

Jiao Yang held the microphone and shouted in his usual exaggerated, slightly effeminate voice, "Hey there! Miss Yang is finally here! Why don't you introduce this handsome guy next to you?"

Lan Weiwei came over and took Yang Tao's arm, but her eyes were fixed on Lin Bufan. She lowered her voice and asked excitedly, "Tell the truth! Where did you find such a handsome guy? You're hiding it so well!"

Yang Tao was suddenly overwhelmed and quickly waved his hands to explain: "It's not what you think! He is just an ordinary friend of mine, we just happened to meet..."

"Ordinary friends?" a friend said, "How can you be invited to our girlfriends' party? Taozi, you are not being honest!"

Lin Bufan was very calm and composed, as if he didn't notice Yang Tao's embarrassment. He greeted everyone with a smile: "Hello everyone, my name is Lin Bufan, and I'm Yang Tao's friend." His tone was natural and his smile was appropriate, which instantly won everyone's favor.

"Lin Bufan? That's a nice name!" Jiao Yang came over and looked Lin Bufan up and down: "Handsome guy, what do you do for a living? How did you get our Taozi?"

Yang Tao quickly interrupted: "Jiao Yang! I already said it wasn't..."

Lin Bufan took over the conversation with a smile, but did not explain much: "I heard that you are all good friends of Yang Tao. I am very happy to meet you all today. Since it is our first meeting, I will treat you all to a drink. Just order whatever you want." As he said that, he naturally called the waiter and started to take orders generously.

His move immediately livened up the atmosphere, and everyone cheered, temporarily diverting their attention. Yang Tao took the opportunity to glare at Lin Bufan fiercely and whispered, "Why don't you explain?"

Lin Bufan tilted his head, a meaningful smile on his lips, and lowered his voice: "Explanation? Isn't this the situation I've always dreamed of? I wish the whole world would think you're my girlfriend, why should I explain?"

"You..." Yang Tao was furious. Looking at Lin Bufan's smug look, she wanted to throw her bag at his face. But her friends had already gathered around her, questioning and joking, leaving her no chance to clarify.

After a few rounds of drinking, under Jiao Yang and Lan Weiwei's persistent "interrogation" and Lin Bufan's flawless yet ambiguous response, Yang Tao found that all his excuses were pale and powerless, and instead made the situation worse, becoming "shy" and "hard-mouthed" in the eyes of his friends.

"Alright, alright, Taozi, stop pretending!"

"That's right, handsome Lin is so nice, generous and handsome. How long do you want to keep this secret from us?"

"Drink three glasses of wine if you don't tell the truth!"

……

Faced with her friends' one-sided "judgment" and Lin Bufan's occasional provocative glances, Yang Tao felt a deep sense of powerlessness. She tried to struggle several times, but found that no one believed her "truth." Instead, she was met with more ridicule and fines.

Finally, she gave up, as if all her strength had been drained away. She collapsed on the sofa and waved her hands in despair: "Okay, okay, you can say whatever you want... I'm too lazy to explain..."

"That's right!" Lan Weiwei smiled and hugged her: "Why didn't you admit it earlier? Come on, let's drink to Taozi for finally finding her partner!"

Having given up resistance, Yang Tao simply let go. She drank glass after glass, sang song after song. Later, Jiao Yang and Lan Weiwei even goaded her into singing a duet of love songs with Lin Bufan. She was a little hesitant at first, but the alcohol and the atmosphere gradually got her into it, even putting her arm around Lin Bufan's shoulders. The atmosphere in the private room reached a fever pitch.

"Cheers! I wish our Taozi...hiccup...finds true love!" Lan Weiwei raised the wine glass, his cheeks flushed, and his speech was a little lisp.

If anyone present was to say who was happiest about Yang Tao finding a boyfriend, it would undoubtedly be Lan Weiwei. This wasn't because their relationship was the deepest, but because Lan Weiwei's current boyfriend was none other than Li Wei, Yang Tao's ex-boyfriend who had abandoned her, taken away all her savings, and maxed out her four credit cards.

Lan Weiwei has always felt guilty towards Yang Tao, especially seeing that Yang Tao has been alone for so many years, the guilt is even deeper. Now that Yang Tao has found a boyfriend, Lan Weiwei can be said to have put her worries to rest, and she is naturally happy!

Jiao Yang, holding a microphone, wailed in his characteristic dramatic voice, "Wuwuwu... My Taozi was kidnapped like this... Handsome Lin, you must be good to our Taozi..."

Yang Tao was already drunken and half leaning on Lin Bufan's shoulder. Hearing this, she just smiled foolishly and waved her hands: "Nonsense... Nonsense... Who, who is his true love..." Although she said this, she did not push Lin Bufan away.

Lin Bufan looked at the staggering people and smiled helplessly. He was still sober enough to take out his phone and call a designated driver.

The designated driver arrived quickly. Lin Bufan first stuffed the nearly unconscious Lan Weiwei into the car and drove her home according to the address she had vaguely given. Once they reached the residential building, it took another round of tossing and turning before finally handing the limp Lan Weiwei over to her family.

Back in the car, Lin Bufan glanced at Yang Tao, who was curled up and asleep beside him, and whispered to the designated driver the address of Yang Tao's rented apartment - sending her back to Xue Sumei's house at this time might cause another unnecessary "earthquake".

The car stopped at the foot of the apartment building. Lin Bufan paid the fare and carefully helped Yang Tao out of the car. The evening breeze blew, and Yang Tao woke up a little, but her steps were still unsteady, and most of her weight was leaning on Lin Bufan.

"The key... is in the bag..." Yang Tao muttered vaguely.

Lin Bufan dug the key out of her bag, finally opened the door, and helped her into the living room and sat down on the sofa. As soon as Yang Tao touched the soft sofa, she immediately collapsed as if she had no bones, humming unconsciously.

Lin Bufan looked around the warm and tidy little apartment, then went to the kitchen and made a glass of honey water.

"Come, drink some honey water, you will feel better."

Lin Bufan helped Yang Tao up and held the cup to her lips. Yang Tao took a few sips from his hand, the honey water seeming to ease some of the discomfort. She opened her eyes slightly, her hazy gaze meeting Lin Bufan's face close at hand. The boisterous scenes at the KTV, the flirtatious words from her friends, and the man before her, who looked so different today at the orphanage... all these images tangled in her alcohol-soaked mind.

She suddenly laughed foolishly, stretched out her finger, and lightly tapped Lin Bufan's nose: "Lin Bufan...you...did you...make them all crazy today...why...are they all speaking for you..."

Lin Bufan grabbed Yang Tao's randomly pointing fingers and laughed, "Manager Yang, you are wrongly accusing me. The public's eyes are sharp. I just showed my true self."

“Bah… shameless…” Yang Tao wanted to pull her hand back, but she had no strength, so she let him hold it. She still looked at him with a dazed look, as if she was really looking at him for the first time: “But… you looked like a human being today… in the welfare home…”

Hearing this, Lin Bufan couldn't help but roll his eyes: "So, in Manager Yang's eyes, I wasn't even a human being before?"

"Before... before, I was a nuisance... a conceited person... with a rainbow-colored hair..." Yang Tao muttered, her voice gradually becoming weaker and her eyelids drooping. "I would just... make me angry... and even lie to my mother..."

Lin Bufan found Yang Tao's forced eyelids and mumbling to herself amusing and a little cute. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice with a coaxing tone: "So... now? What do you think of me now?"

Yang Tao tried to focus her gaze, looking at the enlarged handsome face before her. Those eyes, always smiling, now looked particularly deep under the light. Her brain was clouded by alcohol, and her thinking became unusually slow. She could only reply vaguely based on instinct, "Now... it seems... not so annoying... a little bit... just a little bit..."

Before she could finish her words, her head tilted and rested completely on Lin Bufan's shoulder, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Lin Bufan looked at Yang Tao's peaceful sleeping face and smiled helplessly. He carefully lifted her up and carried her sideways into the bedroom. He gently placed her on the soft bed and covered her with a thin blanket. After doing all this, Lin Bufan felt a wave of fatigue coming over him. He lay down on the other side of the bed with his clothes on and quickly fell asleep.

The morning sun shone gently through the slits in the curtains, casting a gentle light on Yang Tao's face. Her eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes. A hangover headache forced her to frown, and consciousness gradually returned... Fragments of last night's memories came flooding back—the clamor of the KTV, the cheers of her friends, the duet of their love songs, and Lin Bufan's smiling face...

She sat up suddenly, turned her head, and was shocked to find that Lin Bufan was sleeping next to her!

"Ah—" A short scream almost escaped her lips, and Yang Tao quickly covered her mouth. She looked down at herself. Her clothes were intact, and her body felt fine. She breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart was still pounding.

At this moment, Yang Tao saw Lin Bufan's eyelashes trembling, as if he was about to wake up. She panicked and almost instinctively rolled off the bed. She curled up with her hands and feet, hugged herself into a ball, and huddled tightly in the corner between the bed and the bedside table, holding her breath.

Lin Bufan sat up, rubbed his forehead, and turned his head to see the obvious mass on the floor beside the bed. He looked at it silently for a few seconds, feeling a little speechless. Finally, he couldn't help but speak, his voice still hoarse from waking up, "Manager Yang, let me remind you, this is your home. What are you hiding from?"

Yang Tao, curled up in a ball, froze. That's right! This is her home! She's the master! She's right! Why is she hiding?!

The next second, Yang Tao jumped up from the ground, straightening her back and trying to regain her composure. However, her messy hair and wrinkled clothes made her look unintimidating. She pointed at Lin Bufan and demanded, "Yes! This is my house! Why...why are you in my house? And sleeping in my bed!"

Lin Bufan calmly threw back the quilt and got out of bed, even straightening his slightly wrinkled clothes. His tone was full of righteousness: "Why? Manager Yang, you were so drunk last night that you almost forgot your own name. If I don't take you back, am I going to leave you on the street to fend for yourself? Aren't you a little too quick to destroy the bridge after crossing it?"

"You..." Yang Tao choked, but immediately found a new attack point: "Even if...even if you are kind enough to send me back, then just send me home! Why are you still staying here? How do you explain this?"

"Explain?" Lin Bufan seemed to have heard something incredible. He walked up to Yang Tao and leaned over her slightly. "I stayed here because a drunkard was vomiting all over the toilet and almost fell in. I was afraid that if I left, your vomit would block your trachea in the middle of the night and suffocate you to death in this beautiful apartment. I was kind enough to stay here all night to ensure the safety of a heartless person. That's why. Do you need a more detailed explanation, Manager Yang?"

As Yang Tao listened to him, a few blurry memories flashed through her mind—she seemed to have vomited while leaning against the toilet, and someone seemed to be patting her back and handing her warm water... It was him. She couldn't help but feel a subtle touch of emotion, but she refused to admit defeat. She forced herself to say, "Even if...even if that's the case, so what? I'd rather suffocate myself to death. What's it to you?"

Lin Bufan straightened up, spread his hands, and his expression was so frank that it made people's teeth itch: "Of course it's my business. You got drunk like that because you drank with me last night. If something really happened to you and the police came to my house, would I be the first person responsible? Would your mother, Aunt Xue, come after me? Paying money is a small matter, but getting into trouble is a big deal. I don't want to pay a large sum of money for no reason and have to deal with endless investigations. I'm doing this purely to avoid subsequent huge financial losses and personal harassment, understand?"

"You..." Yang Tao was so angry at Lin Bufan's "profit-driven" and "afraid of trouble" remarks that she was speechless. The touch of emotion she had just felt disappeared in an instant, leaving only anger and speechlessness.

Lin Bufan seemed not to notice Yang Tao's red face, and asked very naturally: "Um... you smell of alcohol, do you mind if I use the bathroom?"

Yang Tao was furious. He waved his hands around and said unhappily, "Use it, use it! It's up to you!"

Lin Bufan nodded and walked straight into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of water splashing could be heard from inside. Yang Tao paced around the room anxiously, his mind in a mess.