“No deception at all!”
Leng Jun jumped in fright. “Mum, why do you walk without making any sound?”
Mother Leng was not easy to fool. “Don’t change the subject. Your aunt has already told me Taotao has been acting strange lately. So she has been quarrelling with her boyfriend. Tell me what they are quarrelling about. Did that Wen boy deceive Taotao and get found out?”
Leng Jun grinned cheekily and refused to admit anything. “Every couple bickers sometimes. Mum, you are meddling too much. I think Dad quite likes Wen Kai and never picks faults with him. The rest of you, every single one, are examining him with a magnifying glass. You won’t rest until you have tormented Taotao and him into breaking up, will you?”
Leng Jun had not yet forgiven Wen Kai, but that was a matter between him and Wen Kai. How could he let the elders get involved?
Mother Leng was so annoyed by her son that her head ached. “Which side are you on exactly? I think you have lost your mind!”
Wen Kai could deceive Taotao only because Taotao was innocent.
Mother Leng used to think her son was quite clever. Now he looked more and more like a fool.
Leng Jun had intended to reveal that Wen Kai and “Reverse Flow Fish” were cousins, so the elders would not underestimate Wen Kai. After all, Wen Kai’s family was only not well-off, not without any helpful connections.
But the words reached his lips and he swallowed them back.
Leng Jun knew some people were badmouthing behind his back, calling Wen Kai his lackey.
Those people understood nothing.
If Wen Kai really were a lackey, clinging to “Reverse Flow Fish”‘s powerful connections with actual blood ties would be twice the result with half the effort.
Wen Kai had not done so.
“Reverse Flow Fish” earned tens of millions in royalties a year and could donate five million to the “Dream Building Fund” in one go, yet Wen Kai had not benefited much financially from her.
“Reverse Flow Fish” was immensely famous and successful, but Wen Kai remained a struggling poor student. When he first entered university, his monthly living allowance was only a few hundred yuan. Now he was better off, not because of relatives’ help, but from part-time work off campus.
Clearly, Wen Kai had some pride in him.
Or perhaps “Reverse Flow Fish” was only a cousin, not a full sister, so she might not be willing to help wholeheartedly.
Leng Jun could not help worrying for Wen Kai.
Are you an idiot? You have such a good connection and do not maintain it.
If your cousin is willing to help, a poor student like you could save many years of struggle!
That said, Wen Kai’s ability to resist showing off his relative “Reverse Flow Fish” at school was not something ordinary people could manage. It suggested he might achieve great things.
Leng Jun was proud of his eye for people and swallowed the unspoken words. What relatives one has is not important. A real man would not live off his cousin’s soft rice. If Wen Kai himself did not mention it, there was no need for him to bring it up to the elders.
“Mum, my mind is perfectly clear! You would not understand even if I explained now. Later… later you will all see how good my judgement is.”
Leng Jun brushed off his mother. Though he was still at home, his thoughts had already flown elsewhere.
Ah, last time he said he would contact Second Aunt Chen but never did. Now it seemed he really needed to build a closer relationship with Second Aunt Chen.
Wen Kai did not want to eat soft rice. Leng Jun did not mind helping him eat a couple of extra mouthfuls.
And so, as soon as Gan Tao and Wen Kai reconciled, Leng Jun talked himself into reconciliation too.
With the cousins resuming close contact with Wen Kai, Mother Leng’s attempts to catch Wen Kai’s faults were doomed to fail. The dorm mates who had previously worried Wen Kai might be heartbroken now thought he was impressive.
The dorm mates begged on their knees for Wen Kai to share his dating expertise and help them, eternal single dogs, escape singledom.
Listening to their eager questions about secrets for coaxing girls, Wen Kai scratched his head. “I do not know any secrets that work universally. Every girl has a different personality. What suits my girlfriend might not suit others.”
In Wen Kai’s heart, little Taotao was unique, one of a kind.
After finals, the semester would end.
After the summer break came senior year. Job hunting or postgraduate entrance exams? The dorm mates had different plans.
“Leng Jun has it easy. No need for exams or worrying about jobs.”
“Yes, he has family to fall back on. We do not.”
“I want to work straight away.”
“I think I will take the postgraduate exams…”
When they asked Wen Kai his plans, he said he would look for work after graduation and pursue further study if the opportunity arose later.
A dorm mate teased, “You definitely do not need to worry either. Leng Jun will not forget you when he has a position.”
Wen Kai smiled and said nothing.
In fact, he had secured his job himself without Leng Jun’s help.
But the opportunity had come thanks to three years of relevant part-time work during university. The job was not found by Leng Jun, but the part-time opportunities had been. Wen Kai always remembered that favour.
The dorm mate from the poor mountainous area wanted to say something but changed it at the last moment. “You are not going home this summer either?”
Wen Kai nodded. “No, I plan to do an internship over the summer.”
Like Wen Kai, the mountainous dorm mate would not go home.
A trip home was troublesome and costly in travel expenses. Their remote, impoverished area had no summer job opportunities. This year, the mate had already lined up tutoring work. Next semester’s living expenses depended on earnings from this summer.
Wen Kai’s internship was different from tutoring.
Several times the mate wanted to ask about Wen Kai’s off-campus internship pay but never did.
Wen Kai, unaware of his sensitive dorm mate’s thoughts, had not even started the internship when he received news that Wen Ying was coming to Beijing.
“When you arrive, I will treat you to dinner… Wait, what did you just say you are coming to Beijing for?”
Wen Ying’s voice came through the phone, masking her emotions. “To see you! Ahem, and incidentally to visit the Xie family.”
It was to visit the Xie family, and incidentally to see him?
Wen Kai sucked in a breath. “…So soon?!”
Wen Ying laughed over the phone. “Still not as fast as you, Brother Kai!”
Wen Kai was both annoyed and amused.
He was a boy, Xiao Ying was a girl. How could they be the same?
Wen Kai suddenly admired Leng Jun’s broad-mindedness.
Leng Jun had feared his cousin Gan Tao would be left on the shelf and did everything to promote her relationship with Wen Kai.
Wen Kai did not have that broad-mindedness. He felt his little sister Wen Ying was still young. Was going back to the Xie family with Xie Qian too soon?
The Xie family was far more powerful than the Gan or Leng families. Might someone give Xiao Ying a hard time?
Wen Kai was deeply worried. “Xiao Ying, think about itin more.”
…
Reactions to Wen Ying going to the Xie family varied.
Li Mengjiao, Wang Shuang, and others had not directly experienced Xie Jinghu’s difficult nature. CP fans like Li Mengjiao were delighted with this progress. If her status allowed, Li Mengjiao would love to be there as a witness.
As for whether the Xie family would like Wen Ying, Li Mengjiao never considered it.
As long as Wen Ying was willing, everyone would like her.
Not to mention anything else, Wen Ying had even won over a love rival… Well, one who could be won over by Wen Ying was at least a normal love rival. Someone abnormal like Ran Keqing was not worthy of Wen Ying’s attention.
Peng Guoqing had no particular thoughts.
Ever since stumbling upon Xie Tang and Jiang Wei, Peng Guoqing had unilaterally declared himself “heartbroken”.
The heartbroken Peng Guoqing poured all his spare energy into the sister-brother romance adaptation of Water Bright Moon. Until filming wrapped, he had no energy for anything else.
Upon hearing Wen Ying was going to the Xie family, Peng Guoqing simply said “Oh”.
“Do not worry. The Xie elders all have good tempers and are easy to talk to!”
Peng Guoqing felt melancholic and very envious of Wen Ying.
He had already been to the Xie family long ago.
But every time, it was as a Peng family member.
Peng Guoqing used to fantasise about one day being taken back by Xie Tang. When the Xie family learned he was with Xie Tang, their jaws would surely drop.
Unfortunately… Ah, no more thinking about it. Focusing on work was the way to forget troubles.
When Chen Ru and Wen Dongrong learned Wen Ying was going to the Xie family, Wen Dongrong had strong objections. “What is the rush!”
Indeed, there was no real rush.
But if she was really going, Chen Ru had no objection.
Meeting the Xie family first would give Wen Ying a clear idea.
Xie Qian was a man of action. He had said he would install the dishwasher for the house Chen Ru lived in, and within days he had it done.
On the day the dishwasher was installed, Chen Ru had Wen Dongrong try it personally.
Wen Dongrong wanted to find faults with the dishwasher, but discovered it cleaned dishes even better than he did. This was very awkward.
Old Wen could neither stop the dishwasher invading his kitchen territory nor prevent Black-Hearted Cotton from going to Beijing. All day he wore a sour face, as if someone owed him millions and refused to repay.
…
Beijing.
Tai Wu cautiously probed Zhang Nan. “I heard Xie Qian is bringing Wen Ying to meet the Xie family.”
Grandfather’s death had made Zhang Nan much steadier.
Yet some things were ingrained in the bone and could not be changed, like that pride.
“It has been quite a while since they confirmed their relationship. It is normal for Xie Qian to bring her to meet the family.”
Zhang Nan’s gaze was sharp as a knife. “Tai, I am not that petty. When I say I let go, I let go… Even if I cannot, I would not act like those low-class clowns!”
