“You’re still thinking like a child.”
Zhang Zhijun’s tone was full of indulgence. “Nan-nan, when you grow up you’ll understand. In the adult world, right and wrong aren’t black and white. Sometimes we know something is wrong, but for the sake of real-world relationships we have no choice but to compromise and tolerate.”
Zhang Nan stared in disbelief. “How can you think like that? When Xie Qian’s dad’s scandal broke, you were the first to draw a clear line with him…”
In Zhang Nan’s eyes, that had been the very definition of black-and-white!
Zhang Zhijun let out a long sigh. “In this matter, I wasn’t black-and-white either. If Xie Jinghu and I were just childhood friends and I were Zou Weijun’s brother, the moment I learned he betrayed his family I would have urged Zou Weijun to divorce him instead of repeatedly scolding him and hoping he would change… I still tolerated my friend. Even knowing how disgusting his mistake was, I still hoped his wife and son would forgive him.”
Zhang Nan was completely stunned.
Uncle Zhang Zhijun’s refusal to side with family over reason had always been her role model and the source of her confidence in front of Xie Qian.
If Zhang Zhijun hadn’t spelled it out, she would never have considered another perspective.
Zhang Nan was furious. “That kind of compromise and tolerance is disgusting. I never want to learn it!”
With that, she refused to speak to him again, stubbornly turning her head to the window the entire ride home.
Back at the Zhang house, she unbuckled her seatbelt and leapt out the moment the car stopped.
Zhang Zhijun grabbed her arm. “I’m your uncle. You can dislike my methods, but you can’t disbelieve my words. Stay away from Xie Qian. When you got close to him he didn’t like you, and he never will. You already know exactly what kind of girl he likes!”
Zhang Nan spun around, tears already brimming.
What kind of uncle was this?
Which uncle crushed his own niece’s spirit like this?
“I don’t want to talk to you. You’re a bad person!”
Sobbing, Zhang Nan wrenched free and ran inside.
The little princess had left happy and returned in tears. The whole Zhang family was heartbroken.
When they learned the culprit was Zhang Zhijun, they naturally turned on him. Zhang Zhijun smiled bitterly. “Would I ever hurt her? She’s dead set on chasing Xie Qian, but he doesn’t like her. The more she gives, the deeper her obsession grows. What will happen to her later?”
Love cannot be forced.
If someone doesn’t like you, they just don’t.
Effort can move people, but it cannot create love.
Just like Zou Weijun and Xie Jinghu. Zou Weijun had been the perfect wife, yet Xie Jinghu never loved her. All the pretending had ended in nothing but mess.
At Zhang Zhijun’s words, the whole family grew worried.
You can’t force love to exist, and you can’t forcibly erase it either. Zhang Nan liked Xie Qian. What could they do?
Zhang Zhijun’s wife sighed softly. “Then you didn’t have to be so harsh. Wait a couple of years. Xie Qian can’t stay single forever, can he? Once he has a girlfriend, Nan-nan will slowly let him go. Give her a little more time.”
Zhang Zhijun hesitated.
Zhang Nan’s mother, distressed for her daughter, said, “If you have something to say, spit it out. Don’t make us guess!”
Zhang Zhijun steeled himself. “Actually, tonight I already met the girl Xie Qian likes. Nan-nan is in denial and even wants to be friends with her. I couldn’t get through to her any other way, so I had to be blunt.”
Xie Qian already had someone he liked?
Zhang Nan’s mother was shocked. “How do you know… Wait, could it be that bestselling author Xie Jinghu tricked Nan-nan into confronting before?”
She connected the dots.
Xie Jinghu had used a little girl as a pawn. Afterwards the Zhang family had complained bitterly to Xie Yuping.
Zhang Nan liked Xie Qian, and Xie Qian didn’t return her feelings. The Zhangs were a little unhappy.
But love couldn’t be forced. They weren’t petty enough to blame Xie Qian for being too charming or to sabotage his relationships.
On the contrary, if Xie Qian really had a girlfriend, they hoped he would announce it soon so Zhang Nan could finally give up!
Zhang Nan’s mother’s guess was confirmed by Zhang Zhijun. Old Madam Zhang mused, “That girl applied to a university in Shanghai, while Xie Qian claims he wants Huaqing. How will that convince Nan-nan they’re actually together?”
Zhang Zhijun smiled. “That’s the easy part. Xie Qian says he wants Huaqing but still hasn’t submitted his form. If he truly wanted Huaqing, why hesitate? Ordinary students are swayed by university incentives, but Xie Qian doesn’t need them. The only reason he’s delaying is that he never intended to choose Huaqing!”
If not Huaqing, then where?
Old Madam Zhang suddenly understood. “You mean Xie Qian wants to follow his girlfriend to Shanghai?”
She almost clapped in delight.
“Perfect! Once Xie Qian’s choices are final, Nan-nan won’t be able to keep fooling herself!”
…
Wen Ying, of course, had no idea about the Zhang family conversation.
Behaviors like Li Mengjiao shipping the couple had somehow infected the entire Zhang family.
Wen Ying and Xie Qian were still playing dumb, refusing to tear through that last layer of paper. The Zhangs practically wanted to announce it to the world for them.
If only the two were old enough, the Zhangs would happily carry the Civil Affairs Bureau over!
Wen Ying didn’t know the Zhangs. She was still analysing Zhang Zhijun.
“He really didn’t show a single crack. Just a friendly uncle. You said he made a fortune doing business abroad, yet he’s so modest. Driving a plain black Honda.”
Couldn’t Zhang Zhijun afford a luxury car?
Of course he could!
The custom watch he gave Xie Qian alone could buy what most people considered a “luxury” car.
For a boss like him to drive anything less than a Mercedes when meeting clients was practically embarrassing.
Wen Ying wasn’t being materialistic. Between a car worth a few hundred thousand and one worth millions, aside from brand premium, the million-yuan car really did feel better.
There were bosses who remained frugal despite wealth, but they were usually in manufacturing.
Zhang Zhijun wasn’t!
Someone who could even suppress the desire for comfort was truly terrifying as an enemy.
At Wen Ying’s words, Xie Qian also fell into thought.
Most people have hobbies. What was Zhang Zhijun’s?
Most of Xie Qian’s memories involving Zhang Zhijun were of him “giving”: handing out sweets to kids, helping Zou Weijun, gifting Xie Qian a watch… The man really was selfless.
Out of caution, Xie Qian had swapped to a new phone with Wang Jun before the gaokao.
But even that might not be safe enough.
Xie Qian truly couldn’t figure Zhang Zhijun out.
One moment he appeared at Boss Ran’s dinner, the next he showed up at the restaurant where Zhang Nan and Wen Ying met.
What exactly was Zhang Zhijun trying to do?
If he had already noticed Wen Ying, how could Xie Qian protect her, at least until the DNA results were out, Zhang Zhijun couldn’t be allowed to focus too much on her!
When Xie Qian lied to Zhang Zhijun about wanting Huaqing, it wasn’t just to mislead Zhang Nan through him. It was also to buy time.
He couldn’t read Zhang Zhijun, but he understood his scumbag father perfectly.
In a few days, when Scumbag Dad discovered he had chosen Aurora University, he would immediately suspect his relationship with Wen Ying again.
So Xie Qian couldn’t submit Aurora yet.
He had to let Scumbag Dad force him to do it!
