Regardless of whether Wen Ying was indirectly showing concern for him, Xie Qian was certain of one thing: Zhao Dong must have done something, or Wen Ying wouldn’t have mentioned his name.
Zhao Dong was indeed a petty man!
Taking advantage of Xie Qian’s absence from Rongcheng to trouble Wen Ying.
Xie Qian said nothing at the time, but Lin Lin took note of the matter.
Wen Ying didn’t call again, but Lin Lin, unable to hold back, asked her husband, Jiang Youjia, who remained in Rongcheng, to look into the Zhao family.
Jiang Youjia checked with some friends and learned that Zhao Xi was no longer in Rongcheng—Zhao Dong had sent her to Beijing!
When Jiang Youjia mentioned this, he sounded a bit sheepish.
Lin Lin rarely scolded anyone, but she snapped, “Jiang Youjia, these are the friends you keep!”
A few days later, Xie Qian’s grandmother visited her ailing daughter-in-law.
Granny Xie was a formidable woman.
Widowed young, raising four sons alone was undoubtedly tough. Still in her prime, the organization repeatedly tried to arrange matches for her, but she declined, fearing a new husband might not treat her sons as his own.
Working tirelessly, she raised her four boys without ever asking for help from her late husband’s comrades or burdening the state.
With such a resolute mother as their example, the Xie brothers were driven in their careers.
Xie Qian’s father, the third son, entered business in the mid-80s as reforms took shape. With savings in hand, he ventured south, leveraging his ability and the era’s opportunities. By 1995, he’d built substantial wealth.
After 1997, his business soared.
Xie Qian’s two older brothers and younger uncle also excelled in their fields.
Was the Xie family doing well?
Exceptionally so.
Outsiders envied Xie Qian’s mother.
A capable, handsome husband and a smart, good-looking son—straight out of a TV drama.
Even her relationship with her mother-in-law was smooth. Granny Xie, though strong-willed, adored Xie Qian, her favorite grandson, and by extension, favored his mother, the third daughter-in-law. As a naive teen, Lin Lin had envied this aunt. Now she realized that indulgence sometimes stemmed from guilt, not affection.
Granny Xie had just celebrated her 70th birthday the previous year. Her eyes and ears were sharp, her mind clear—she didn’t look her age. With dyed hair, she appeared a decade younger.
Such a vibrant woman held the Xie family firmly in her grip. Who’d believe she was unaware of her third son’s actions?
If Xie Qian weren’t so sharp, he might have bought it.
But with his keen mind, he didn’t trust his grandmother’s excuses.
Granny Xie worried about her grandson—and feared him.
Still, skipping a visit to her recovering daughter-in-law would raise eyebrows.
The Xie family had status in Beijing—how could they let outsiders gossip about their affairs?
Granny Xie steeled herself to visit the villa. Xie Qian’s attitude toward her was unchanged, but Lin Lin exchanged a few extra words with her.
In their current situation, most topics were risky. Talking about Xie Qian was safest. Lin Lin, a teacher by trade, was articulate. If Granny Xie mentioned anything else, Lin Lin could steer it back to her “recovering” aunt, prompting Granny Xie to shift gears quickly, asking how Xie Qian’s summer in Rongcheng went.
Lin Lin said it was great, noting how Rongcheng’s girls were enthusiastic about Xie Qian. Granny Xie relaxed, leaning back on the sofa.
“He’s always been popular with girls. In all of Beijing, no kid outshines him in looks.”
“That’s true. In Rongcheng, he met a girl named Zhao who chased him relentlessly, even roping in her brother to help. Quite a spectacle—they followed him all the way to Beijing, causing him some trouble. With that determination, they’ll probably show up at your doorstep soon.”
The speaker had intent, and the listener took note.
Granny Xie was on edge, and this caught her attention.
It was normal for Xie Qian to attract girls, but such bold pursuit displeased her.
At their age, kids should focus on the right things.
With Xie Qian’s intellect, his future was bright. As a middle schooler, he shouldn’t be tangled in messy romances. Granny Xie probed further, and Lin Lin mentioned the girl was from abroad. Granny Xie’s head spun.
The woman who’d upended their household, leading to Xie Qian’s mother’s retreat, had also returned from abroad!
Though Granny Xie’s firm intervention sent that woman back overseas, she knew she wasn’t one to stay quiet—she’d return eventually. Sitting upright, Granny Xie remarked, “These young girls today, so young, and so shameless?”
Her words carried a double meaning, and Lin Lin smirked inwardly.
Sure, the women lacked self-respect, but the men had to be willing.
Keeping the home flag steady while waving others outside—that’s some men’s rotten nature!
Lin Lin planted a seed with Granny Xie and wisely stopped there.
Zhao Dong’s hopes of latching onto the Xie family were bound to crash.
After Granny Xie left, Xie Qian came downstairs.
Lin Lin raised an eyebrow. “I handled your issue—how will you thank me?”
Xie Qian thought, then shook his head earnestly. “You’re just fixing Cousin-in-law’s mistake. Without his ‘kind’ introduction, I wouldn’t have met the Zhao siblings.”
Lin Lin was speechless.
He was right—the blame fell on Jiang Youjia’s meddling!
But Xie Qian joking meant his mood had lifted.
Lin Lin smiled. “You forgot your phone in Rongcheng. Want me to give you Wen Ying’s number?”
“No need, I remember it.”
“You remember but haven’t called her, leaving her worried?”
Lin Lin trailed him, as if seeking justice for Wen Ying.
“That girl’s got it tough—unreliable relatives, a friend who vanished without a word. If I were her, I’d be crying under the covers at night.”
Xie Qian couldn’t picture Wen Ying crying secretly.
Who could make her do that?
Anyone who crossed her would likely end up crying themselves—Xie Qian vividly recalled the music academy incident. Still, he wasn’t sure. That time he saw her by the roadside, sitting on a flower bed outside KFC, she’d looked utterly disheveled.
Only someone she cared about could hurt her.
Xie Qian asked himself: Was he that person?
The answer was clear.
He was.
Wen Ying hadn’t wished anyone else a hundred years of life.
Though their friendship was brief, Xie Qian felt her sincerity.
Sometimes, he even had an odd sense that while he’d known her for just over a month, she seemed to have known him for much, much longer.
