Chapter 132: “How about I bring Haozi back?”

The spring in Haicheng seemed to come a bit earlier than in Jingbei. Just now, the trees by the roadside had already quietly sprouted green buds, just waiting for the weather to warm up enough to bloom.

While working, Shen Subai focused completely, organizing the materials in his hands, then quickly left the office to attend a meeting. The upper management was pushing hard on the work schedule; as construction accelerated, problems were more likely to occur. Since he was responsible for safety, he couldn’t let anything slip here. After two back-to-back meetings, it was already getting dark outside.

Tian Hao leisurely walked over and slung his arm over Shen Subai’s shoulder: “Brother Shen, Aunt Lian has been calling my office nonstop. If you don’t go home and answer her, I guess she’s not going to calm down anytime soon.”

Shen Subai replied with a hum: “I know.”

“Tsk, don’t tell me you’re avoiding the blind date? I heard Linlin from our courtyard just got back from America…”

Tian Hao rubbed his chin, a mischievous glint appearing on his handsome face: “If you don’t bring a girl home soon, Aunt Su is definitely going to try to match you with that Miss ‘Big Missy’.”

Shen Subai strode forward, stopping at the door of Tian Hao’s office, then turned with a strange look, staring at Tian Hao: “Bring a girl home?”

Tian Hao felt a little creeped out under that gaze: “What else? You can’t bring a guy home, can you?”

Shen Subai gave him a once-over, then slowly smiled in a way that made Tian Hao’s spine tingle: “Haozi, you’re practically a brother who grew up with me.”

The hair on Tian Hao’s neck almost stood on end. Last time he said that Brother Shen was cold and tough, but if one day Brother Shen looked at you with a gentle smile, then bad luck wasn’t far behind.

So, what exactly was Brother Shen going to do to him?

“Bro, just tell me what you need help with, stop smiling,” Tian Hao rubbed his neck and opened the office door: “I get it. You want me to help keep Aunt Lian off your back, right? Don’t worry, I don’t like that Linlin either. She always holds her head high like a goose raised by my grandpa. If you want to find someone, you gotta find me a gentle and kind sister-in-law…”

Shen Subai looked at him kindly: “You really are the brother I grew up with, understanding me so well.”

Tian Hao felt something was off but pointed at the phone: “Aunt Lian sounded really mad. You better call home first.”

Shen Subai sat down: “You go out first. I’ll call home.”

He didn’t want Tian Hao to eavesdrop and get scolded! Tian Hao scratched his nose and left, politely closing the office door behind him.

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Jingbei.

Su Qinglian sat under her building sulking. Who else in the whole courtyard had a son 27 years old with no girlfriend? Her standards for girls weren’t that high — even if the family background was humble, as long as the girl was pure and had good character.

So what was going on? She only mentioned that Linlin was back and suggested they catch up sometime, and the kid immediately stopped coming home! That’s just wrong! Other guys might have a wife and forget their mother, but her youngest son had no wife yet and was already forgetting his mother!

After waiting for a while, she finally got a call from Shen Subai. Su Qinglian immediately exploded: “Shen Subai, let me make it clear—if you don’t bring a girl home in three months, don’t come back at all!”

Shen Subai was very calm: “Mom, I did come home but didn’t stay.”

This brat! Su Qinglian felt like her heart disease was about to act up, slamming the table loudly: “How dare you say that! Do you know how long Linlin has waited for you? She came to visit you over and over, almost took the train all the way to Haicheng to see you! Her face was full of disappointment, I felt so sorry for her! And you’re still not satisfied with a girl like that? What kind of girl do you want?”

Shen Subai sighed slightly: “Mom, didn’t I say I’m not interested in girls?”

“Not interested?” Su Qinglian’s voice rose again, “Not interested in girls, does that mean you’re interested in men? Don’t try to dodge the question!”

Unexpectedly, the other side of the call went silent…

Su Qinglian frowned: “Say something! Don’t play dumb! Give me a definite answer tomorrow — when exactly will you come home? Linlin’s still waiting for you! If you don’t like her, find someone else. But you have to bring someone home!”

Shen Subai held the phone with his left hand, pen in his right, writing in his notebook, then calmly said: “How about I bring Tian Hao back?”

Su Qinglian almost threw the phone down: “Shen Subai!”

Shen Subai pinched the bridge of his nose, sounding a bit helpless: “Mom, you’re the one who told me to bring someone home…”

Su Qinglian was about to lose it. She told him to bring a girl, and he brought Haozi back instead? What, did he think Haozi was a woman? At 27, most kids are just running errands; her eldest brother got married at 20!

“Stop talking nonsense. You hang out with Tian Hao every day but can’t learn how to interact with girls from him?” Su Qinglian ground her teeth, wishing she could crawl down the phone line and beat this fool up.

Shen Subai thought carefully: “Since I came to Haicheng, I’ve been with Haozi every day, but I haven’t seen him interact with any girl either. Mom, enough for now. Haozi and I are going out for dinner.”

After he said this, Su Qinglian felt something was off but couldn’t put her finger on it. Knowing her son, who was serious and reserved like his father, she knew he didn’t have many friends besides a few comrades from the army and usually kept his distance from people. How did he suddenly get so close to Tian Hao?

Plus, Linlin from the courtyard was a very pretty girl, an overseas student with a good background, and many boys liked her.

More importantly, Linlin had been chasing after her youngest son for a long time, but Shen Subai never gave her a second look. Besides his few comrades, he didn’t really have many friends or get close to anyone. Was he getting too close to Tian Hao?

He moved to Haicheng and worked with him, and now the two grown men spent all day together and even ate meals together daily?

Thinking about all this, Su Qinglian felt uneasy: “Shen Subai, stay away from Tian Hao!”

On the notebook in front of Shen Subai, there were some book titles about architecture, and at the bottom, the start date for Haicheng University’s night school was written. He was multitasking, still replying to Su Qinglian: “Mom, Haozi is a good kid, don’t worry.”

Su Qinglian: “…”

Why did it feel more and more suspicious? Was it really a matter of whether Tian Hao was good or not?

Shen Subai added again: “Mom, I gotta go now. Haozi and I are heading out.”

The call ended. Su Qinglian sat dumbfounded on the couch for a while, ran her hands through her hair, and silently told herself she was probably overthinking it.

Su Bai was just focusing on work and hadn’t considered his love life yet. Well, well, these things can’t be rushed. Better that he bring Haozi back than keep being single for months anyway…