Xie Qian returned from Qingcheng Mountain to Chengdu and noticed Wen Ying’s sprained ankle.
It hadn’t been serious when it happened last night, but after sleeping, her ankle was red, swollen, and shiny. By the time Xie Qian saw it, it was already bandaged.
Xie Qian knew exactly where Wen Ying had been the day before.
So, did she twist it cheering for Li Mengjiao at the audition, or at the KTV later?
Still, a sprained ankle wasn’t all bad.
Even without her stall, Wen Ying couldn’t sit still. Now, with limited mobility, she’d finally rest for a couple of days. Xie Qian’s concern showed through giving her extra practice tests.
Wen Ying was stuck at the Jiangs’ doing papers. The nanny, Aunt Wang, brought sliced fruit, then fresh-baked cookies.
The crisp, fragrant cookies tempted her diet plans. With her sprained ankle halting runs for days, Wen Ying stuck to fruit, avoiding the cookies.
Lin Lin’s husband, Jiang Youjia, was home today. After playing badminton with Lin Lin on the shaded path, they returned to the living room. From there, Jiang Youjia faintly heard voices upstairs.
Teacher Liang had taken the morning off, so Xie Qian was the one keeping Wen Ying there for tests and tutoring her.
Jiang Youjia listened and chuckled, “Xie Qian’s pretty patient.”
He recalled last winter break when Xie Qian visited Chengdu. Lin Lin, worried he’d be bored, asked Jiang Youjia to take him out.
Jiang Youjia took him out twice, but on the third try, Xie Qian refused.
Jiang Youjia knew why. A friend’s sister had fallen for Xie Qian at first sight, boldly declaring she wanted to be his friend, no restraint.
Jiang Youjia, an adult, knew what “friend” meant. Teens catching feelings was normal, he’d been there, and since Xie Qian was a guy, early romance wouldn’t harm him, so he didn’t step in.
The girl was sweet and smart, using study questions to get close.
Yet Xie Qian wouldn’t bite. Curious, Jiang Youjia passed a message for her, asking why he wouldn’t agree.
What had Xie Qian said?
Oh, right!
“She doesn’t need a friend, she needs a tutor.”
Jiang Youjia had laughed hard.
Xie Qian was playing dumb on purpose.
The girl Jiang Youjia found sweet was, to Xie Qian, just acting cute. Though unsaid, Jiang Youjia knew Xie Qian disliked slow minds, finding them draining to deal with.
So what was this now?
Xie Qian was willingly tutoring a dull girl!
To Jiang Youjia, Wen Ying upstairs wasn’t even as pretty as his friend’s sister.
He told Lin Lin the old story. She was baffled, “You mean Zhao Dong’s sister? Zhao Dong’s all about profit, not worth close ties. His sister’s so young, chasing Xie Qian like that? She’s got motives. The Zhao family’s upbringing is poor, no comparison to Wen Ying!”
Lin Lin defended Wen Ying, trashing Zhao’s sister, labeling her “scheming.”
Zhao Dong was indeed profit-driven, Jiang Youjia didn’t argue.
Adult relationships weren’t pure. Jiang Youjia valued profit too, why judge Zhao Dong?
But a teen girl shouldn’t be that calculating.
Her chasing Xie Qian was likely more about his looks than his background.
Jiang Youjia countered, “If it’s about upbringing, I’ve heard the neighborhood gossip. With that family, you’re okay with her around Xie Qian? If the Xie family finds out, you might get flak.”
Lin Lin bristled.
Even if the rumors were true, Chen Li was a victim. Wen Ying lived with her, what Deng Shangwei did wasn’t her fault.
Xie Qian treating Zhao’s sister differently from Wen Ying made sense. He had judgment, knew good from bad. Young people picked friends by feel, not gain.
Lin Lin liked Wen Ying’s vibe. Xie Qian, her cousin, felt the same and was happy to tutor her, what was strange?
She stressed Wen Ying was likable, “Even Aunt Wang, quiet after over a decade here, likes her. Your thinking’s off, assuming the worst.”
Jiang Youjia had meant it as a tease, joking with Lin Lin.
Who Xie Qian tutored didn’t concern him.
But Lin Lin’s fierce defense, plus Aunt Wang liking Wen Ying, sparked caution.
How did a slow girl win over Lin Lin, Xie Qian, and the nanny?
Maybe Wen Ying’s flaws were so obvious Lin Lin missed the deeper picture.
Xie Qian was in Chengdu with an elder at the sanatorium, so the Jiangs hosted him. If a small-town girl latched onto him under their watch, the Xie family wouldn’t be happy.
Jiang Youjia married Lin Lin for love.
But learning of her prominent relatives didn’t make him resist.
He dropped trying to sway Lin Lin, deciding to watch. If Wen Ying was a scheming kid, he’d block her from Xie Qian.
Tutoring? Xie Qian’s grades didn’t need it.
As he mused, footsteps sounded.
Wen Ying limped down, gripping the railing. Xie Qian followed, cutting her off as she turned to speak, “Want to sprain the other foot too?”
Aunt Wang came from the kitchen to help.
Lin Lin smiled, “Your aunt’s house is empty at noon. Eat lunch here while tutoring. Stairs are tough with that foot.”
Fearing Yu Wenhao’s schemes against her sons, especially after Pan Li’s miscarriage, Chen Li enrolled Deng Jie and Deng Hao in a high-end summer camp for a month. Unable to go, she sent Deng Yaomei to chaperone. Deng Shangwei moved to a hotel, and Chen Li started work at the seafood company, leaving Wen Ying to handle lunch alone.
With her foot today, stairs were a hassle. Wen Ying planned to grab noodles by the gate, but Lin Lin’s insistence won out. She stayed for lunch at the Jiangs’ for the first time.
