Xie Qian was mainly eager to receive the “official stamp” from Wen Ying’s parents. He was not in such a hurry to take Wen Ying back for her own official stamp.
“After exam week, then.”
Once exam week was over, their first year of university would end. Xie Qian wanted Wen Ying to focus on her exams first. “Didn’t your dorm all agree to aim for scholarships? If everyone else gets one and you don’t, wouldn’t that be embarrassing?”
Wen Ying herself felt that her reputation, ahem, no, the final exams were the more important thing.
“Then it’s settled!”
With Wen Ying’s agreement, Xie Qian reported back to Xie Yuping.
Xie Yuping was delighted that his nephew had won the approval of his girlfriend’s parents. Smiling, he offered advice. “Whatever standard you set on your first formal visit, you have to maintain the same enthusiasm in future, understand? Let me know before you bring little Wen back to Beijing, and I’ll rearrange my work schedule.”
There was no rule that Xie Yuping, as the uncle, had to be present for Wen Ying’s first visit to the Xie family.
Xie Yuping was so busy with work that it would be perfectly normal if he could not find the time. After all, he had already met Wen Ying.
But Xie Yuping felt he ought to be there.
Xie Jinghu was so unreliable. If Xie Yuping were absent, Xie Jinghu would certainly put on some inexplicable airs.
Xie Yuping had no intention of giving Xie Jinghu that opportunity. With the uncle present, Xie Jinghu might not even need to appear.
“Little Wen is a very good girl. She deserves that respect.”
“…Thank you.”
Xie Qian had a thousand things he wanted to say but did not know how to express them. In the end, all that came out was “thank you”.
Xie Yuping chuckled. “What are you thanking me for? We’re family!”
Yes, this was family.
Xie Qian thought of his mother Zou Weijun, of his uncle’s household, of Old Lady Xie. His thoughts spread further to Wen Ying’s parents.
Chen Ru was strict yet open-minded. Wen Dongrong was arrogant but with a touch of caution.
Compared to Xie Jinghu, Chen Ru and Wen Dongrong were both very, very good people.
In the future, once he and hamster were married, hamster’s family would become his family. The circle of “family” would grow larger.
Just thinking the word “marriage” made Xie Qian’s ears feel a little warm.
Xie Qian had never doubted for a moment that he and hamster would definitely marry one day in the future. Whatever kind of wedding hamster wanted, or even no wedding at all, as long as hamster was happy, he would be happy.
His mind wandering, Xie Qian could not resist showing off to his uncle. “I think Aunt Chen quite likes me. If I want to marry Wen Ying in the future, Aunt Chen won’t make things difficult for me.”
Xie Yuping detected the smug note in Xie Qian’s voice and was rather surprised. Xie Qian rarely revealed his feelings like this. He sounded like any young lad.
Then he thought it was funny. Xie Qian was, after all, still at that young-lad age.
Holding back the urge to tease, Xie Yuping smiled and encouraged him. “Then perform well. Try to keep ‘Aunt Chen’ liking you. Once the future mother-in-law gives her approval, the future father-in-law won’t make things too hard for you.”
Xie Qian’s expression grew serious. “Aunt Chen has high expectations of Wen Ying and always hopes her studies will be even better. I need to put effort into that area.”
Xie Yuping suspected his nephew had misunderstood.
Pleasing a mother-in-law did not necessarily mean pushing her daughter harder with studies, but Xie Yuping did not know Chen Ru and could not be sure of her temperament.
Perhaps little Wen’s mother really was that kind of person?
To raise a girl as perceptive as little Wen, they were certainly no ordinary parents.
For the moment, Xie Yuping affirmed his nephew’s thinking. “You’re absolutely right. There’s no rush about returning to Beijing. You and little Wen must both prioritise your studies!”
With a plan in mind and his uncle’s blessing, Xie Qian turned into a cold, merciless warden whenever he helped Wen Ying revise. He surrounded her with all kinds of revision outlines. For several days, Wen Ying felt fear at the sight of Xie Qian and wanted to turn and run.
On a couple of occasions, Wen Ying really did run.
Unfortunately, she was shorter than Xie Qian and her legs were not as long. She had not gone far before he caught her.
Then Xie Qian shamelessly deployed the handsome-man tactic.
Someone already very good-looking smiling at Wen Ying was enough to make her mind go blank. It did not take long for her to shift from resistance to compliance.
By the time Wen Ying came to her senses, she was already sitting beside Xie Qian in the classroom, a pile of open revision outlines on the desk.
Wen Ying wanted to slap herself. How could she have so little willpower?
…
Xie Qian had come from behind and finally overtaken Wen Kai’s relationship progress.
In Beijing, Wen Kai’s relationship progress seemed frozen.
Big brother-in-law Leng Jun had still not forgiven Wen Kai.
His girlfriend Gan Tao was still avoiding Wen Kai.
Wen Kai wanted to talk things through with Gan Tao, but she said she had to prepare for final exams. Wen Kai patiently waited until she had finished.
At last, Gan Tao completed her final paper, and Wen Kai was waiting outside the classroom.
The moment she saw Wen Kai, Gan Tao wanted to turn and run.
“Taotao, let’s talk.”
Wen Kai called to her. Gan Tao dawdled over.
In the blazing summer heat, Wen Kai had been waiting outside for who knew how long. Sweat beaded on his forehead, the tips of his hair were damp, and there were water stains on his short-sleeved shirt.
Though Wen Kai had little money, he was a very clean person.
Unlike some boys who could wear the same socks for a week or turn their underwear inside out when it was dirty, Wen Kai was always spotless.
Only after they started dating did Gan Tao discover that in summer Wen Kai showered at least twice a day. He would not leave in the morning without showering, and no matter how late he returned to the dorm at night, he showered before getting into bed. His clothes and socks were washed as soon as they were dirty. He never left a pile of laundry in the dorm to fester.
Wen Kai was already good-looking, and with his cleanliness, Gan Tao felt even more that she had found a treasure.
Seeing her clean boyfriend drenched in sweat from the sun, Gan Tao’s heart ached. “Why didn’t you wait in the shade?”
Wen Kai felt a little wronged and helpless. “Only this spot meant you would see me the moment you came out of the classroom.”
Uh…
Thinking of her recent avoidance, Gan Tao felt quite guilty facing Wen Kai.
“Actually, it’s not… Oh, I don’t know how to say it! You suddenly told me Little Fish is your sister. I wasn’t prepared at all!”
Fandom was fandom, reality was reality. How could the two intersect?
And intersect so closely!
Gan Tao felt that if things continued this way, either she would suppress her true self to avoid being looked down on by Little Fish, swallowing every grievance and losing herself, or familiarity would breed contempt, Little Fish’s image would collapse completely in front of her, and she would lose her idol.
Gan Tao believed Little Fish’s image would not collapse, so in the end the greater likelihood was the former.
“How could I ever be Little Fish’s sister-in-law?”
Just thinking about it made Gan Tao want to cry. “Little Fish is so outstanding. She’s good at her studies, beautiful, and so talented. And me? I have no ambition. I drift along doing nothing. I’m nothing!”
She only needed to admire Little Fish from afar. She could not be close to Little Fish. She would feel inferior!
Wen Kai was truly stunned by his girlfriend’s train of thought.
He had imagined many possible reasons, but none matched what Gan Tao was saying.
Gan Tao had not been angry for so long because of his concealment. She was afraid of becoming relatives with Wen Ying?
Wen Kai was utterly depressed. “Taotao, if you don’t want to be ‘Little Fish’s’ sister-in-law, do you still want to be my girlfriend? I can’t choose my relatives, and I can’t abandon my sister just because I have a girlfriend. But if you’re breaking up with me for this reason, I’d feel wronged too!”
