“Hmm?” Shen Qiannan had been walking a bit ahead but upon hearing this, he turned back. “What did you just say? I didn’t catch that.”
Xie Dingyuan breathed a sigh of relief, his face cold. “Nothing.”
Shen Qiannan stared at him suspiciously.
Xie Dingyuan returned the gaze calmly.
“You’re pretending! Keep pretending! There’s definitely something you’re hiding from me.” Shen Qiannan persisted.
“I’m not.”
“Then why did you just voluntarily pay the bill?”
“… “
“You never act this generously!”
…
Meanwhile, Jiang Fuyue finished eating and went to pay the bill, only to be told it had already been settled.
“Who paid?” she asked.
“The gentleman over there,” the cashier replied.
Jiang Fuyue frowned. “What does he look like?”
“Very handsome and tall, wearing a suit.”
Suddenly, a face popped into her mind. Him?
“How much in total?” she asked.
“Let me check… including table charge and drinks, it’s five hundred and sixty-two.”
“Thank you.”
The four of them returned to B University.
Jiang Fuyue didn’t have a dorm nearby, so she had booked a room in a nearby hotel.
That night, she finally had time to contact her parents and Little Brother Jiang.
Her call was answered by Jiang Da. “Yueyue!”
“Dad.”
“Hey! Are you back in the country? Where are you now? When are you coming home? Your mom keeps talking about you, wanting to call you but afraid it might affect your competition, so she’s been holding back…”
“Don’t talk nonsense!” At this moment, a gentle voice intervened. Han Yunru had taken over Jiang Da’s place.
“Don’t listen to your dad’s nonsense, where did he get that idea?”
“That’s true…” Jiang Da grumbled.
Han Yunru shot him a glance and he immediately shut up, smiling sheepishly as if to say, ‘You talk, I won’t say a word.’
“Mum, how have you been lately? Are you still comfortable in the house?” Jiang Fuyue asked.
“It’s comfortable. It’s just that such a big villa, just the three of us, feels a bit empty,” Han Yunru replied.
Jiang Fuyue smiled. “It won’t be empty when I come back.”
“Yes, we’re waiting for you. When you’re back, mom will cook whatever you want.”
“I suddenly want Dad’s pancakes.”
“Oh, only your dad’s are good, mine aren’t?”
“?”
“I didn’t mean that, I…”
“Haha!” Han Yunru couldn’t help but laugh, “Silly girl, I was just teasing you, couldn’t you tell? You took it seriously.”
Jiang Fuyue’s lips twitched. It turned out even her beautiful mother had mischievous moments.
“If you have any problems, remember to contact the property management, they’ll help.”
Han Yunru sighed lightly. “I know, you’ve already told me before you left.”
“Really?”
Jiang Fuyue touched her nose.
“Sister—is it Sister?” Suddenly, Little Brother Jiang’s voice came closer and closer, accompanied by the sound of slippers on the floor.
“Oh, slow down, be careful not to fall… Your sister is right here, she won’t run away…”
Soon, the phone was in Little Brother Jiang’s hands. “Sister! Sister! Are you coming home?! Dad and I will come pick you up!”
“It’ll be a few more days.”
His voice instantly dropped, “But school is starting in a few days…”
Once school started, he wouldn’t be able to stay with his sister.
“That’s perfect, we can go to school together.”
Linan No. 1 High School’s junior and senior high school shared the same campus, and Little Brother Jiang would be starting seventh grade.
Right!
How could he forget!
Little Brother Jiang suddenly seemed energized. “Great! I can see my sister every day! So happy~”
“Happier than eating food?” Jiang Fuyue teased him.
“Yep!”
Finally, after some time, the phone returned to Han Yunru.
“Yueyue, about your award, the news has spread all over Linhuai. The pancake shop has been especially busy these days. Whenever people come, they bring a bunch of friends. The shop can’t accommodate them all, and I’m afraid of safety issues, so after discussing with your dad, we decided to close the shop.”
“But many reporters have been calling, wanting to interview us. Because you had already given instructions, your dad and I declined them all. They even came to the neighborhood, but the security didn’t let them in, so it’s been quite peaceful.”
Jiang Fuyue furrowed her brows. “They came to the neighborhood?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, I…”
“Silly girl!” Han Yunru was surprised. “What are you saying? Do you need to apologize to your parents? You’re so outstanding and competitive, is there anything to apologize for?”
Jiang Fuyue had just said it casually, but she did feel guilty.
That’s why she didn’t accept interviews, wanting to keep a low profile for as long as possible.
Becoming famous overnight, she could handle it, but Jiang Da and Han Yunru might not be mentally prepared.
They needed some time to adjust.
Just like that villa, it might be difficult to get used to at first, but over time, they might gradually accept it.
“You don’t know how jealous people around us are of your dad and me. Remember Fat Uncle from the liquor store across the street? Now not only does he eat a pancake every day, but he also packs one for his son, saying it’s what the genius sister has been eating since childhood, and eating it will make his son a genius too! Haha… can you believe it? Genius pancakes?”
Jiang Fuyue chuckled along with her.
The mother and daughter chatted a bit more before ending the call.
Jiang Fuyue put down her phone, leaned against the railing, and looked at the moon in the sky.
The night breeze brought a chill, but there was a faint warmth brewing in her heart.
…
Under the same moonlight, at the Xie family’s old house.
On the second floor bedroom.
The sound of water came from the bathroom, but there was no trace of steam escaping.
Let’s have a quiz with a prize—
Question: What is Xie 99 doing?
- Brushing teeth; B. Taking a shower; C. Doing experiments; D. Big business
Single choice, answer in the comments section.
