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Evening.
Chen Qingqing treated them, taking the two to a restaurant where the average cost per person was 299 yuan.
As the dishes were gradually served, seeing Xu Ye and Wang Yuxin eagerly eyeing the food on the table, occasionally licking their lips, Chen Qingqing smiled unusually and said, “Go ahead and eat.”
Wang Yuxin, small but clever, politely replied, “Qingqing Jiejie, this is really too much, thank you.”
By the time she spoke, Xu Ye had already begun his “plate-cleaning campaign.”
Chen Qingqing laughed in exasperation, “Look at your big brother — does he look like he’s embarrassed at all?”
Wang Yuxin glanced over, sighed with a mature air, then also picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
Although they were cousins, their eating styles were remarkably alike.
Watching the two simultaneously grab a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs with their chopsticks and start competing over it, Chen Qingqing nearly burst out laughing.
“I’m telling you, Xu Ye, can you show some dignity?”
What Chen Qingqing didn’t know was that while she was laughing and saying those words, at another table in the restaurant, a middle-aged man of about forty was taking photos of them eating together.
The woman sitting beside him frowned and asked, “What are you taking pictures of?”
The middle-aged man smiled and said, “That’s the daughter of our bank president. Last time, when his daughter was with that boy, our president had a big problem with it. Now they’re eating together—I have to report this to him.”
The woman glanced back and murmured to herself, “They actually look well matched. She’s not that young anymore, so it’s not really early romance.”
“You don’t get it. Our president has only that one precious daughter, and that boy’s family has no background at all. How could she like someone like that?”
As they spoke, the middle-aged man had already sent the photos to Chen Hansong.
At this very moment.
At the same time, Chen Hansong, who was dining with a client, heard his phone ring and glanced at it. When he saw the photos sent by the bank’s client manager, Chen Hansong was stunned.
After a full five seconds, he stood up and said, “Sorry, I need to step outside to take a call.”
Chen Hansong left and dialed Jiang Meilin’s number.
“Chen Hansong, can you stop calling me all the time? I’m busy…”
“I just sent you a photo. Did you see it?”
Jiang Meilin opened WeChat and glanced at it.
Chen Hansong quickly continued, “What’s going on? Why is Qingqing still with him?”
Jiang Meilin looked at the photo and asked, “What’s the problem?”
Chen Hansong said sternly, “They’re eating together, and you still ask me what’s wrong?”
“When she’s with you, your daughter ever smiled like that? What’s wrong with friends having a meal together? Didn’t you notice there’s a little girl sitting beside them?”
The three questions in a row left Chen Hansong speechless.
In the photo, Chen Qingqing was smiling so happily—something even Jiang Meilin had never seen at home.
She had even worried that Chen Qingqing staying at home all the time might cause psychological issues, maybe even depression.
So when Jiang Meilin saw the photo for the first time, she didn’t feel angry—in fact, she felt somewhat relieved…
She thought her daughter was gradually becoming more cheerful, and she owed it all to Xu Ye.
Jiang Meilin’s impression of Xu Ye wasn’t bad either. Their two meetings and conversations had made her feel that Xu Ye was a relatively mature young man.
Moreover, in the photo, it wasn’t just her daughter and Xu Ye eating together—there was also a much younger girl with them.
If they were really dating, how could they bring along a ‘third wheel’?
Chen Hansong was silent for a long time, then calmed down and said, “So… you agree to let them continue developing their relationship, right?”
Jiang Meilin replied, “Don’t forget your daughter is already an adult. She can make her own decisions now.”
Chen Hansong’s tone softened considerably. “Meilin, you know me—I’m just worried she might be deceived.”
“Xu Ye is much more mature than you think. Sometimes I even feel that with Xu Ye around, Qingqing attending university in Modu feels a bit more reassuring.”
“If that’s how you think, then just pretend I said nothing.” Chen Hansong hung up the phone, his expression somewhat heavy.
…
After dinner, it was almost dark.
They first took Wang Yuxin home, then Wang Ruxue drove to the entrance of the bar.
Xu Ye took out his phone and sent his number to Chen Qingqing.
Chen Qingqing looked at her phone, then raised her head to look at Xu Ye, not understanding what he meant.
“This is my number.”
Xu Ye opened the car door, and after getting out, added, “If you can’t sleep at night, you can call me.”
After saying that, Xu Ye smiled and walked away.
Chen Qingqing was stunned for a long time before she realized what had happened. Seeing Xu Ye walk far away, she could only hold her phone tightly and mutter softly, “Rogue.”
After dropping Chen Qingqing off at home, Wang Ruxue drove off herself.
She typed out everything about Chen Qingqing, Xu Ye, and Wang Yuxin shopping and eating together this afternoon and sent it to Jiang Meilin.
Close to ten o’clock, Jiang Meilin asked, “Ruxue, how do you think Qingqing has been lately?”
Wang Ruxue replied, “Pretty good. She was happy all afternoon today.”
Jiang Meilin shifted the topic and asked, “Then what do you think about Xu Ye?”
Wang Ruxue said, “I don’t quite know how to put it. So far, he seems okay. Although sometimes he acts like a hooligan, he knows his limits.”
Jiang Meilin: “Alright, got it.”
…
The following days.
Xu Ye and Chen Qingqing kept in touch through WeChat. Xu Ye would sleep in the mornings, spend the afternoons practicing driving with Qin Zhiwei, and work at a bar during the evenings for his summer job. His days were fully packed, so their chats never lasted very long.
On the seventh, Xu Ye and Qin Zhiwei went to take Driving Test Part Two. Xu Ye passed on the first try, while Qin Zhiwei failed the first attempt. On his second try, he only lost ten points on the hill start but still passed.
“How does it feel now that you’ve passed Part Two? Pretty easy, right?”
“I’ve been scolded to death these past few days by that idiot Old Liu. I’m not practicing Part Three with you anymore. Damn, even the university entrance exam wasn’t this stressful.”
“Pressure brings motivation. I’m aiming to practice Part Three for no more than a week and take the test soon, hoping to get my license by July.”
“What’s the point of getting it so fast? You don’t even have a car.”
Xu Ye shrugged. “I’ll buy one when I get to university. That way, it’ll be easier to get around. Wei Ge, what do you think I should get — a Mercedes, BMW, or Audi?”
“Still Audi? Do you even have enough to afford a Yadea?”
The two of them joked all the way home. Just as Xu Ye took out his keys to open the door, Wang Yuxin, barefoot, came running toward him. But she didn’t stop in time and bumped her little head right into Xu Ye’s stomach.
Wang Yuxin rubbed her head excitedly. “Xu Ye Gege, Qingqing Jiejie invited us to her house to play tomorrow.”
“What did you say?!!!”
…