Chapter 24

Chapter 24

***

Xu Lian sent Xiang ChangKong off to the subway station before returning home. When Xiang ChangKong got home, Xiang Nuan was still having a fierce battle with her homework. Hearing the sound of the front door opening, she hurried out of her room. “Brother, you’re back?”

“Un.” Xiang ChangKong closed the front door and handed her the bag he was holding. “Here you go.”

“What?”The curious Xiang Nuan took the paper bag and opened it.

Xiang ChangKong said: “It’s a few specialty products Xu Lian’s mother brought back with her from abroad. See if there’s anything you like.”

At Xiang ChangKong’s words, Xiang Nuan couldn’t help but look at him strangely. “You saw Big Sister’s mother today?” You met the parents already?!

Xiang ChangKong knocked her on the head and then asked her in a whisper. “Where’s mom?”

“She’s asleep, rest assured. Let’s go to my room to talk.” Xiang Nuan pulled her brother back into her room and asked him to sit on her chair. She stood over him, arms crossed across her chest. Xiang Nuan asked: “Brother. Now that you’ve met the parents already, does that mean you’re not far from marriage?”

Xiang ChangKong blushed, then replied. “What marriage? Her mother just happened to come back from abroad, and we coincidentally met each other.”

“Oh…” Xiang Nuan had a thoughtful look on her face. “Then, since you’ve met her parents, when are you going to formally introduce Big Sister to your family? I’m saying it now, you have to do it while I’m home!”

“…” Xiang ChangKong casually glanced at Xiang Nuan’s homework paper and said to her: “Have you finished your homework? This question is pretty important, you know. I taught you how to do it last time, but you still did it wrong here. Although you got the right answer, you’ve made it too convoluted. It doesn’t have to be so complicated as what you’ve done.”

Xiang Nuan: “…”

Wait, weren’t we just talking about meeting the parents!

“Exams are time-limited. If you can learn a more simple solution, you can save more time.” Xiang ChangKong took a pen on the desk and began to write on Xiang Nuan’s homework. In the end, her entire solution was reduced to a few steps.

“You should just keep quiet and study hard. Don’t think about other people and just concentrate on yourself. You don’t have all day after all.” Putting down the pen, Xiang ChangKong stood up and left the room.

Xiang Nuan: “…”

In the end, she picked up her cell phone, and angrily opened her group chat.

NuanNuan traveling the world: My brother just came back home. I was going to interrogate him, but he countered with the finishing move ‘IQ Crush’ ( ﾟ▽ﾟ) So inhuman, ah. ( ﾟ▽ﾟ)

Do a question for five minutes paralyzed for an hour: eh, he came back so early? Does that mean I still have a chance?

NuanNuan traveling the world: Die. He even met her parents, you know (≧▽≦)

Do a question for five minutes paralyzed for an hour: Adults are so efficient…

Studying causes baldness: Is it…a shotgun marriage?

Do a question for five minutes paralyzed for an hour: I really envy the adult world. (￣︿￣)

NuanNuan traveling the world: You two get out of here!

Despite having said all that, Xiang Nuan’s heart couldn’t help but worry. Don’t tell me all this was moving so fast because there was a ‘human life’ involved?

(T/N: She wonders if it was because Xiang ChangKong knocked Xu Lian up. Common in shotgun weddings.)

No, no, her brother wasn’t such a person.

She’d better focus on her homework.

The next day was a Sunday, so Xiang Nuan stayed in bed late. Naturally, she wouldn’t get out of bed as early as she usually did in school. So Xiang ChangKong was the first to get up. He made a good breakfast, made a lunchbox for Xu Lian, then left.

As he left, Wei YiChen, who rarely went out so early, also left his home.

After his blind date with Nie Lei, Wei YiChen’s father naturally yelled at him again. But fortunately, after a colossal scolding, his father relaxed his control on him, so Wei YiChen could go out again. During his imprisonment, apart from thinking about Xu Lian, he worried about his bar. Although it wasn’t a booming business, it was something created through his own hard work.

Now that he finally regained his freedom, Wei YiChen rode his motorcycle straight to his bar.

The bar was usually closed in the mornings. It was quiet when Wei YiChen entered the bar. He went straight to the recreation area, played a few rounds of billiard with his brothers and listened to their reports. When Ah Mao finished reporting to Wei YiChen the happenings of the bar, he began to falter.

As Wei YiChen sunk a ball and straightened to change positions, he asked: “What else aren’t you saying? Speak up?”

Ah Mao and the other brothers looked at each other. With a dry smile, Ah Mao replied: “It’s about… Sister Xu Lian.”

Wei YiChen looked at him and asked: “What’s wrong with Xu Lian? Who dares make trouble with her?”

Ever since Zhu Bing caused trouble in Xu Lian’s store, Wei YiChen kept a close eye on MONSTER. Although he’d been trapped at home for a while, he had asked his brothers to keep an eye on Xu Lian’s store in secret in case anyone else wanted to cause trouble.

“No, no, no, no one caused trouble.” After Ah Mao denied it, he found it much more challenging to say the next few words. “It’s just…just that recently, it seems like she’s in love.”

After he finished, he immediately took a few steps away from Wei YiChen.

Wei YiChen didn’t speak for a long time. He eventually leaned against the billiard table. “What did you say?”

His voice was low. Ah Mao’s back was dripping in cold sweat. “I-I, we, we’ve seen it several times. She…she and a man together. And also…also…”

“What else?”

“He went in and out of her house!” Ah Mao shouted this sentence out. Come on, I’ll face death head-on!

The rest of the room was so quiet it was depressing. Wei YiChen threw the billiard stick in his hands to the ground and walked towards Ah Mao. “Who was the man?”

“It was the guy who delivered her takeout before. It seems that he helped take care of Zhu Bing when he burst into Xu Lian’s store.”

Wei YiChan’s eye twitched. He had a vague impression of the guy. He pushed Ah Mao out of the way and walked out of the bar.

After he left, Ah Mao took a great gulp of air. After a few seconds, Ah Mao looked at the people around him and said: “Let’s go follow him. I’m afraid Brother Chen might do something bad. He’s too impulsive.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Ah Mao left with half of their people and left the other half to look after the bar. As they left the building, they just managed to see Wei YiChen riding away in his motorcycle. Ah Mao watched Wei YiChen’s retreating back in apprehension.

When Wei YiChen got to Xu Lian’s store, he quickly parked his motorcycle and walked through the door.

Zhang GuoEr, who has on the first floor, was startled by his abrupt entrance. Before she could even speak, Wei YiChen had already run up the stairs. This time Zhang GuoEr’s heart jumped with a ‘thump,’ not because of Wei YiChen’s handsomeness, but because of his scary, aggressive expression.

She didn’t even bother taking out her notebook and instead followed him upstairs.

Xu Lian had just finished a large order so she should be relaxing a little, but it was nearing the end of the year. This time of year was usually when she would be the busiest, so she was preparing herself for the upcoming flood of orders.

The door to her workshop suddenly slammed open, causing her hand to shake and wax to drip. Frowning, she put down the wax pot in her hands and looked at Wei YiChen, dissatisfied. “What are you doing?”

Wei YiChen walked towards Xu Lian with a grave expression. “Are you dating the takeaway guy?”

Xu Lian was stupefied for a moment. Then she said: “His name isn’t ‘takeaway guy,’ it’s Xiang ChangKong.”

“Who cares what he’s called!” Wei YiChen kicked over a nearby chair. He was very angry. Zhang GuoEr, who had been shuffling by the door, heard the loud crash and rushed in the room. “Brother Chen, if you have something to say you should use your words. Don’t be impulsive!”

Wei YiChen turned to Zhang GuoEr and impatiently said: “This has nothing to do with you. Get out.”

How can Zhang GuoEr just leave? Wei YiChen looked furious. What’ll happen if he does something to the Boss!

Xu Lian glanced at Zhang GuoEr and calmly said: “Go.”

“Boss…”

“It’s alright.”

The young Zhang GuoEr frowned, then reluctantly walked out of the workshop. But she didn’t go far. She stood behind the door. She thought that if Wei YiChen really started something later, even if he was handsome, she would definitely call the police!

Meanwhile, Wei YiChen’s brothers arrived. Ah Mao looked at Zhang GuoEr standing by the door and gulped. He peeked through the open door and said: “Brother Chen, calm down.”

Wei YiChen looked back and closed the door.

Ah Mao: “…”

Xu Lian walked to the table, poured herself a glass of water, then looked at Wei YiChen. “Who I’m with and what I do, what does it have to do with you?”

“What does it have to do with me?” Wei YiChen was so angry he couldn’t help but laugh. “Xu Lian, do you even have a heart?”

He had doted on her for so many years, all his brothers could see it. How can she not see it?

Xu Lian took a sip of her water. “I told you a long time ago how I felt. It was you who kept pestering me.”

“Hahaha, yes, I’ve been pestering you!” Wei YiChen repeated in a low voice. He then took the overturned chair and set it right.

People outside the room grew nervous when they heard a thump. Ah Mao knocked on the door and yelled: “Brother Chen, don’t do anything to Sister Xu Lian!”

He has been with Wei YiChen for many years now, so he knew Wei YiChen’s character well. If he really raised a hand on Xu Lian, he would regret it even after death.

But Ah Mao had nothing to worry about. Even while he was angry, it was impossible for Wei YiChen to strike Xu Lian. Instead, looking at the woman in front of him, Wei YiChen sarcastically said: “Even if you don’t like me, you should at least find someone better than me. What can you possibly see in a takeaway boy?”

“I think he’s better that you in every way.” Xu Lian said.

“Oh.” Wei YiChen sneered as he looked away. “I see.”

He opened the door and strode down the stairs. Ah Mao and his other brothers hastily followed him out of Xu Lian’s store.

Zhang GuoEr saw that they had left and then ran to Xu Lian’s side. Anxiously, she asked: “Boss, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Xu Lian straightened the chair and told Zhang GuoEr: “When Xiang ChangKong comes in later, don’t tell him what happened just now.”

“I know.” Zhang GuoEr nodded. Then she asked: “Boss, are you not ordering takeout today?”

Xu Lian: “Un.”

Zhang GuoEr: “….”

People with boyfriends sure are happy.

In the end, Zhang GuoEr went downstairs and recorded what just happened in her little notebook. When she heard the bell chime, she looked up.

It was Xiang ChangKong.

“Ah, the Boss is upstairs.”

As Xiang ChangKong looked up towards the second floor, he happened to lock eyes with Xu Lian.

Xu Lian smiled at him, then walked down the stairs. As Xiang ChangKong handed Xu Lian the insulated lunchbox, he looked at her strangely. “What’s the matter? Did something happen?”

Xu Lian froze, then shook her head. “No, why do you ask?”

“You don’t look very well.” Xiang ChangKong then smiled at her and said: “It’s fine if you’re alright. Go on and eat while it’s still warm. I’ll get going first.”

“Wait a minute,” Xu Lian stopped Xiang ChangKong. “Are you off at 8:00 p.m. tonight?”

“Un.”

“Then I’ll wait for you. Let’s go shopping around Starlight Park later.”

Xiang ChangKong looked at her for a bit, then said: “Alright.”