A delicious aroma of braised pork and stir-fried vegetables wafted from the Liu household's kitchen. Liu Sheng and Zhao Xian took turns at the stove, using the clatter of dishes and sizzling meat as cover for secretive whispers.

"I don't know, Xian'er... I've never seen our Xiao Yan with such a tense expression before," Liu Sheng's voice was tight with concern. "You don't think that friend of his is... a hooligan, do you?"

"He looks like a decent young man," his wife responded kindly. "But still... a friend met online? You hear stories..."

The kitchen door swung open, and they emerged carrying plates. Liu Sheng placed braised pork belly noodle soup on the table while his wife brought rice and greens. They avoided looking directly at their son, focusing instead on his guest.

A strange atmosphere lingered. Liu Yanming felt like he might combust from panic and anger, sitting opposite his boyfriend with hands clasped under his chin. He kept his gaze lowered but periodically shot sharp glances at the other man, mentally cursing him for this situation.

It happened suddenly. Zhao Xian, laden with groceries, had met her son and his boyfriend near their building. To cover up, Liu Yanming blurted that this was an internet friend he was meeting for the first time. His mother, in a poorly timed display of politeness, immediately invited the guest for lunch.

Now the literary genius endured the most dreadful family lunch of his life. His parents tried to look kind but couldn't hide their careful smiles and underlying doubts.

Liu Sheng cleared his throat. "You two met online?" he asked the guest. "Young people nowadays all make friends online, that's quite nice. By the way, what do you do for work?"

Liu Yanming stiffened, his fox eyes sharp as he stared at his boyfriend. Under the table, his foot hovered near the other man's leg, ready to kick if he said anything revealing about their relationship or the catfishing scheme that started it all.