Chapter 179

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"Tsk."

Guben helplessly clicked his tongue: "We've been engaged for over half a year, yet your skin is still this thin, you're still this easily teased. When will my fiancé truly become official? Just a title, not a bit of actual sweetness—it's so depressing......."

"Forget it before you get the certificate."

Lin Xiyu's ears burned hot.

"So ruthless?"

Guben wanted to coax her further, but the pager at her waist rang untimely.

Lin Xiyu took the chance to break free from his embrace, her face and cheeks flushed as she ran back into the room.

"Heh......"

Seeing her slip away faster than a rabbit, Guben let out a teasing laugh from his throat.

The page was from Li Liang, telling him to gather for a meal at Minghu Building tomorrow noon.

He glanced at the time—it was already 9 PM. Considering his grandmother was old and couldn't stay up late, he didn't linger further, returned to the living room, and took his leave.

——

Lin Xiyu saw him out, then went up to the fourth floor with her female cousin after returning.

Kela was very happy to see the female cousin, raising its front paws and pouncing on her again and again.

"Kela is closer to you."

Lin Xiyu handed over the calculated dividend to her female cousin, smiling and teasing: "Seeing me, you'd at most hum a few times, too lazy to even lift your eyelids."

"I raised it for over half a year, and you've only seen it a few times?"

The female cousin picked up Kela and affectionately ruffled its fur.

"Have you and Aunt Da settled things?"

Lin Xiyu took the chance to have a heart-to-heart with her female cousin: "Really let her retire? Staying home idle, helping you walk the dog?"

"If she doesn't retire, what else can be done?"

The female cousin smiled wryly: "We're just common folk; can we really go head-to-head with officials?"

"Why not have Guben find someone?"

Seeing Aunt Da was in low spirits, Lin Xiyu felt bad too.

"Forget it."

The female cousin smiled and declined: "Always causing trouble for Guben isn't good either. If he had the ability, he would have spoken up already. Not saying means it can't be done."

"Does Aunt Da have any ideas of her own?"

Lin Xiyu tried again: "Why not have her help watch the shop first, saving you from hiring someone?"

"Can't my mom sell clothes?"

The female cousin decisively vetoed: "That person of hers is too serious and has a temper; she'd start arguing with customers at the slightest disagreement."

"Why not have her go to Ding Sheng Decoration?"

Lin Xiyu had an idea and offered another suggestion: "Guben can still manage this."

"Not appropriate."

The female cousin thought for a moment, then said: "The decoration business is too deep; the accountants are all the store manager's confidants. I have a feud with Li Xiao, so he definitely won't agree to use my people, let alone my mom......"

"Sigh."

Lin Xiyu rubbed her brow with a headache: "This won't work, that won't work—truly worrying."

"Good younger sister, don't worry along with me."

The female cousin's eyes showed gratitude: "I know you mean well for my mom. This matter can't be rushed; we have to wait until she figures it out herself and is willing to go out and show her face. She still has the old mindset, thinking she's a state-owned unit employee, forced into retirement, and can't face the loss of dignity. If you really want her to sell clothes, she definitely can't bring herself to do it, feeling it's humiliating, unable to hold her head up in front of her former colleagues......"

"What's wrong with that?"

Lin Xiyu couldn't understand: "As long as you can make money, what can't you do? Are state-owned unit employees somehow superior?"

"That's how you think, but my mom's generation doesn't think that way......"

The female cousin spoke from experience: "I worked at the Soy Sauce Factory, so I know. That pitiful wage of four hundred a month at the Soy Sauce Factory—those people in the factory earned quite a bit. As long as the factory didn't go bankrupt, few wanted to quit."

"Then let's wait a bit more."

Lin Xiyu helplessly held her forehead: "Wait until Aunt Da figures it out herself and is willing to come out to work."

"That's all we can do."

The female cousin was going home with Aunt Da, didn't stay long, and went downstairs holding the little dog.

——

The third day of the first lunar month, Minghu Building.

Wang Fan had not shown up since returning to Jinan. This time treating everyone, seeing him again, he seemed like a different person—his temperament and manner of speaking were vastly different from before, making people click their tongues in amazement.

"Is that person Wang Fan?"

Wu Meng had also come with Li Liang. She leaned close to Lin Xiyu, whispering to her, her small eyes constantly glancing at Wang Fan: "How do I look at him and feel something's so off? Wearing a black coat, with a crew cut, and bringing bodyguards—the more I look, the more he resembles a triad boss from a Hong Kong or Taiwan TV drama."

"Dumb cute, where are you saying things about me again?"

She muttered a bit too loudly, and everyone in the private room heard it.

Wang Fan laughed in amusement, waved at her, gesturing for her to come over.

"Call me for what?"

Wu Meng looked at him warily, rooted to her seat without moving.

"Don't want the five thousand anymore?"

Wang Fan smiled teasingly and tossed out the bait with an air of nonchalance.

"I do."

Wu Meng's eyes lit up as expected, and she jumped up from the chair in one go.

"Tsk tsk."

Wang Fan glanced at Li Liang and smiled teasingly: "With that IQ, you call her dumb cute and she's not even happy—I really wonder what your taste is, how you fell for her?"

"You don't need to marry someone too smart......"

Li Liang had his own reasons: "Smart ones have too many schemes, love to calculate, and I don't have that much energy to wait on them all day."

"I think you feel the same way......"

Wang Fan agreed wholeheartedly: "Marry someone a bit slower, easier to control, and she can't run away."

"What are you two saying about me?"

The two spoke quietly; although Wu Meng didn't hear clearly, judging from their expressions she could guess it probably wasn't anything good.

"Saying you're virtuous......"

Wang Fan raised an eyebrow, deliberately teasing her.

"Like I'd believe you......"

Wu Meng rolled her eyes disdainfully.

"If you don't come over, no money."

Wang Fan smirked black-belliedly, a naked threat.

"Coming, coming......"

Wu Meng immediately wilted, scurrying over with eager little steps.

Li Liang rubbed his brow with his hand, pretending not to see.

"Where's the IOU?"

Wang Fan held back a laugh, continuing to tease her: "No IOU, no money, even if Li Liang vouches for you."

"I brought it, I brought it......"

Wu Meng giggled, and sure enough pulled an IOU from the inner pocket of her coat.

"You carry it around with you?"

Wang Fan looked at her money-grubbing appearance and almost couldn't hold back, ruining the cool image he had finally managed to build.

"You said you'd give it at the gathering......"

Wu Meng retorted with a straight face: "I've remembered all along, of course I brought it."

"You remember the money pretty clearly......"

Wang Fan leaned back leisurely against the chair back and waved grandly behind him.

His personal assistant and bodyguard understood at once, walked over carrying a password case, took out two stacks of cash from inside, and placed them on the table.

"Wang Fan, I feel you've really changed a lot?"

Wu Meng didn't know about the infighting in wealthy households, and looked increasingly amazed: "Haven't seen you for this long, and you've already changed completely, even have a bodyguard."

"He's not like us anymore."

Li Liang answered for him: "His father's company has been passed to him to inherit, he won't go to school anymore, focuses entirely on business, and will be his own Big Boss."

"Ah?"

Upon hearing this, not only Wu Meng, but even Lin Xiyu was shocked enough to change color.

"Why did it suddenly become like this, not going to school anymore?"

"Weren't you going abroad to study? Not going abroad either?"

The two almost spoke in unison, voicing the doubts in their hearts.

"It is quite sudden......"

Wang Fan didn't want outsiders to know his family's petty troubles, and casually brushed it off: "My father is sick, the company needs someone to manage it; as for studying abroad, it was originally his idea, not going is just fine, and I don't want to waste that foreign flair learning English."

"So sudden......"

Wu Meng sighed with great feeling: "Before New Year we were all still students, talking about school matters, and after New Year you've dropped out, giving one a feeling of as if separated by a dream, things are the same but people are different."

"I also find it quite unexpected......"

Lin Xiyu saw Guben's expression was calm, as if nothing had happened, and resentfully glared at him.

This person's lips are truly tight, not a whisper leaked.

Is she treating her as an outsider? Surely even if she knew, she couldn't stir up trouble for them?

"It's business, you're not interested, so I didn't tell you."

Guben saw through her thoughts and smiled as he explained.

"Wang Fan is a Big Boss now, my money needs to be cashed out."

Lin Xiyu ignored him, also took out an IOU from the small bag she carried, and came before Wang Fan.

Is she angry?

The little miss has quite a temper, daring to give him the cold shoulder.

Guben laughed and huffed, not minding her little thoughts, turned his head to continue talking to Qu Peng.

"Ten thousand each, take all the money on the table, don't be polite......"

Wang Fan very much like a nouveau riche waved his hand grandly, gesturing for the two women to split the money: "Brother is happy today, let you share in the glory; although we won't be studying in the same city anymore, the bond of old classmates remains—if you need anything, just say so, one phone call and I can get it done for you......"

"Wang Fan, you really are......"

Wu Meng was both surprised and delighted, her mood very complicated; she wanted to say something exclamatory, opened her mouth, but couldn't find a suitable adjective.

"After three days apart, one should look at a person with new eyes."

Lin Xiyu said it for her.

"Hahaha......"

Wang Fan laughed out loud in high spirits.

"Wang Fan really went all out this time; I didn't expect it at all."

Qu Peng turned his head to glance at him, then continued whispering to Guben: "Giving up his studies to take over his father's business, and the key is he actually made it work. This kid usually looks carefree and unreliable, but when he acts, it's a killing blow—he does have some skill."

"His success this time has a lot to do with Li Zhi."

Guben knew the ins and outs: "Li Zhi's family is in real estate and has business dealings with their company. Without Li Zhi backing him behind the scenes, his old man would never have handed over the company so easily."

"Li Zhi?"

Qu Peng didn't know Li Zhi well, just heard his name: "The one who's all high and mighty in the Second Generation Circle, the one who drives a sports car?"

"Mm."

Guben nodded, taking it as an answer.

"So the behind-the-scenes boss is him."

Qu Peng suddenly understood: "I thought it was you helping him pull strings, so he could so easily deal with that mistress and secure his position in the company."

"I'm not that capable."

Guben smiled humbly: "At most I gave him some ideas; as for really going at it with those people, he still has to rely on himself."

"You're too humble."

Qu Peng rubbed his forehead and sighed lightly: "Compared to you two, I'm really far behind. One of you is a Big Boss, the other a top student from a prestigious school, while I, damn it, have muddled along to now and am still dirt poor."

"You're not bad either......"

Guben said with a smile: "A future star of the Public Security System. Who knows, maybe one day you'll be a high official and we'll all have to rely on you."

"Though the future is very far off......"

Qu Peng joked thick-skinnedly about himself: "But I can dream......"

"May your dream come true."

Guben gave a teasing smile and raised his wine cup.

"Thanks, Old Iron."

Qu Peng also raised his wine cup and clinked it with his.

The two shared a knowing smile, tilted their heads back, and drank the wine in their cups to the last drop.

——

"Sorry, brothers, I'm late. I'll punish myself with three cups."

Halfway through the gathering, Li Zhi suddenly pushed the door open and entered, giving everyone an unexpected surprise.

The atmosphere changed abruptly; the men all gathered around him, chatting very eagerly about business matters.

"The men are so boring......"

Wu Meng pricked up her ears and listened for a while, gradually losing interest: "It's just the same few things over and over—building construction, land, stocks, house prices. What's interesting about that?"

"Men and women are just different. Never mind them; let's just eat and drink ourselves......"

Lin Xiyu sat close to her, far from the men, and the two best friends ate and drank, amusing themselves.

"To be honest, the Spring Water Banquet at Minghu Building is really high-grade, and the flavor is fantastic......"

Mentioning food, Wu Meng perked up again. She picked up a piece of stir-fried kidney and put it in her mouth, chewing with relish: "Thanks to Wang Fan, this is my first time eating such expensive food. I have to savor it properly. What's the real difference between a two-thousand-yuan banquet table and home cooking that costs a dozen yuan?"

"Eat, eat as much as you want; I support you......"

Lin Xiyu listened happily, gently turning the table to move the dishes she liked in front of her.

"Hehe."

Wu Meng smiled contentedly, eating with oil all over her mouth, very carefree.

——

The gathering ended. After leaving Minghu Building, Wang Fan took his leave first and went with Li Zhi to the next drinking party.

The remaining few finally reunited and were reluctant to part so soon, so they all went together to Daming Lake, enjoying the cool wind of the cold winter and twelfth lunar month, and strolled around the temple fair.

Wu Meng suggested boating, but was unanimously rejected by the three men.

"You guys are really boring."

Wu Meng was unhappy. She took Lin Xiyu's arm and turned to leave: "Let's go play on the slide at Jibei Pavilion. Forget them."

"Okay."

Hearing about the slide, Lin Xiyu also got excited and agreed very readily.

——

The slide at Jibei Pavilion is a beautiful childhood memory for generations of Jinan people.

The slide didn't actually exist; it was just two slopes going from top to bottom. The children had worn them into slides with their own little bottoms, not only smoothing them until they shone, but even creating grooves.

In the 1990s, there were no railings on either side of the slide, and adults could play freely too.

Lin Xiyu and Wu Meng came to Jibei Pavilion, followed the crowd up, and joined the ranks of those sliding down.

"Ahhhhhhh......"

A sharp scream like ghosts crying and wolves howling rang out. A certain cute one slid down the slide, couldn't stand steady, and plopped down on the ground on her bottom.