Wen Kai’s mother, Zhu Meiqun, had a very high emotional intelligence and almost immediately understood Wen Kai’s well-intentioned motives.
Would Leng Jun change his mind because of this?
Of course not!
On the contrary, Leng Jun felt that his judgement was quite good.
Even if Wen Kai could not ultimately become his cousin’s husband, a personality like his would make an excellent brother for life. Leng Jun cheerfully munched on the pear Zhu Meiqun had given him. “Auntie, this pear is really good, so sweet and crisp!”
Zhu Meiqun smiled. “Sweet, is it? Eat more then. When you leave, I will give you a box… no, I will give you two boxes to take with you!”
Gan Tao wished she could crawl into a crack in the ground. Out of sight of Zhu Meiqun and her husband, she glared fiercely at her cousin Leng Jun: Eat, eat, eat, that’s all you know how to do. Have you never eaten a pear in eight lifetimes?
Gan Tao had not noticed Wen Kai’s thoughtful intentions at all.
What two different worlds? Rich or poor, everyone has two eyes and one mouth. Everyone can taste whether a pear is sweet or sour.
Gan Tao did not feel any gap between the two worlds. She simply thought Zhu Meiqun and her husband were so busy.
The girl genuinely wanted to help. Having grown up spoiled and pampered, she had never done any housework and had no idea where to start.
The fruit baskets were too heavy for her to move, so in the end Gan Tao stood at the shop entrance helping customers pull plastic bags, looking full of enthusiasm like a little fool.
Wen Kai was stunned too.
Leng Jun gave a humph and muttered under his breath, “She’s really turning her elbow outward…”
Since his cousin was helping, Leng Jun felt embarrassed to just stand there watching. He rolled up his sleeves and joined in.
From the capital to Chengdu, the brother and sister had flown more than a thousand kilometres to come and help Wen Kai’s parents sell fruit.
Zhu Meiqun and her husband tried to stop them again and again, but the siblings were too enthusiastic and could not be held back.
In the evening when they were closing up the stall, Zhu Meiqun quietly pulled her son Wen Kai aside. “Tell me what is going on. Should I give her a red envelope or not?”
This was the first time her son had brought a girlfriend home. According to local custom, Zhu Meiqun should give the girl a red envelope.
If she did not give one, it meant she did not approve.
Wen Kai had a splitting headache. “Mum, it is not what you think. Please do not make things worse!”
She was not his girlfriend at all, so what red envelope was there to give?
Zhu Meiqun looked thoughtful. “What do I think it is? I am not blind…”
Zhu Meiqun really liked Gan Tao.
Gan Tao had a lovable personality, warm and generous. No one could dislike a girl like her.
And Wen Kai had indeed reached the age to fall in love!
In her heart, Zhu Meiqun had a faint worry: Gan Tao clearly came from a wealthy family. In terms of material conditions alone, their family definitely could not match hers.
But Zhu Meiqun would not tell her son Wen Kai about this worry.
Instead, she encouraged Wen Kai. “Do not overthink it. The girl is a good girl. You two get along well. As for other things, we can talk about them later.”
The family did not have much money, but Zhu Meiqun and her husband were still working hard to earn. By the time their son Wen Kai got married, they would do their best to provide everything a daughter-in-law should have.
A few more years of hard work, grit their teeth and buy a flat in the capital!
If they could not pay in full, then at least a down payment!
No matter how Wen Kai tried to explain, Zhu Meiqun simply would not believe him.
Wen Kai could tell Leng Jun that his family’s conditions were not good and ask Leng Jun to remind his cousin Gan Tao to stay away from him, but he could not say the same thing in front of his mother Zhu Meiqun.
Just as Zhu Meiqun would never voice her own concerns out loud.
Both mother and son chose to bear the pressure themselves!
So Wen Kai simply stopped explaining.
Anyway, Leng Jun and Gan Tao would not come a second time. Today had truly been a miscalculation!
Wen Kai turned his head and saw Gan Tao still earnestly arranging the fruit.
To be honest, Gan Tao really was very likeable.
Noticing Wen Kai’s gaze, Gan Tao looked up. Their eyes met. Gan Tao smiled at Wen Kai, and Wen Kai’s face immediately turned bright red.
Leng Jun crunched loudly on the big apple Zhu Meiqun had given him, slanting his eyes and raising an eyebrow.
Little brat, you have never even been in a relationship before. How could you withstand such enthusiastic pursuit? Falling for her is only a matter of time!
…
At Wen Ying’s house, Chen Ru was also talking about Leng Jun and his sister.
When Wen Dongrong heard that Leng Jun and his sister had saved Chen Ru’s contact information, he secretly felt uneasy, afraid that the matter of him selling that copy of “Xun Yong” for fifty thousand yuan would be exposed. On second thought, his holiday was almost over anyway. He might as well return to Jinling early to avoid this wealthy brother and sister pair. Hmm, before leaving, he would have another word with Old Li, and the matter of selling the book would remain a secret forever.
Wen Ying listened as if hearing a heavenly book. “Is she really Brother Kai’s girlfriend? Mum, what did you say her name was again?”
In his previous life, Wen Kai had never brought a girlfriend home during university.
Could it be that changing universities had altered everything?
“Her name is Gan Tao. She is not his girlfriend yet, but she will be sooner or later.”
Chen Ru’s judgement was similar to Leng Jun’s.
It did not matter that they had not officially confirmed the relationship yet. With Gan Tao’s level of enthusiasm, how could Wen Kai possibly hold out?
Wen Ying was dazed. “Gan Tao? This name sounds a bit familiar…”
“How could it not be familiar? She is said to be your loyal reader.”
Chen Ru reminded her, “Wen Kai does not want Gan Tao to know about your existence. No matter how curious you are, you have to hold it in for now.”
“Oh!”
Gan Tao’s name sounded familiar because Wen Ying had signed books for her more than once!
When she learned that Gan Tao had chased all the way from the capital to Chengdu, Wen Ying admired the young girl’s courage. “Brother Kai really has charm.”
Wen Dongrong puffed out his chest. “Little Gan has good taste. Wen Kai is a potential stock.”
Chen Ru chuckled. “The Wen family still has two potential stocks working in the back kitchen of ‘King Prawn’. Do you want to go take a look?”
Wen Dongrong pretended not to understand.
“I do not have time to look at some inexplicable people. I am going to the study to check tomorrow’s flight tickets!”
Chen Ru pursed her lips at Wen Dongrong’s retreating back. “Your dad really has some nerve.”
Sigh, once family status is set, it is hard to turn things around.
Wen Ying was not sure whether Wen Kai’s official match from his previous life was about to be broken up. For now, she could only let things take their natural course.
Repeating a year to get into Shouhang was Wen Kai’s choice in this life. It was only after going to Shouhang that he met Leng Jun, and then met Leng Jun’s cousin Gan Tao. Whether or not the latter was Wen Ying’s loyal reader did not matter. She did not know about the relationship between Wen Kai and Wen Ying anyway. She genuinely liked Wen Kai as a person.
Thinking of the relationship between that sister-in-law from her previous life and Zhu Meiqun and her husband, Wen Ying felt that breaking up the so-called official match was no big deal.
After all, Wen Kai was not the only one whose official match had been disrupted. Zheng Zhihe’s choice in this life was different from the previous one too.
When Wen Ying called Xie Qian that evening and casually mentioned a couple of things, she spoke without thinking, but the listener took it to heart. Xie Qian felt as though he had been dragged into the Leng siblings’ whirlwind.
The relationship was not even official yet, and the brother and sister were already so eager to visit the sick?
“Actually, I could also…”
“You could what?”
“Nothing.”
Xie Qian took two deep breaths. Compared to the Leng siblings, what was he? He needed to make a proper formal visit.
A phone call came in midway and hung up before Xie Qian could answer. When Xie Qian called back, a man’s voice came through the receiver:
“The matter you asked me to investigate has some progress. That small truck driver, his family’s consumption level is indeed abnormal.”
