Normally, Zhou Yuwen wasn't a chauffeur, so Liu Jing should have sat in the passenger seat. However, as a woman in her forties who was used to living a pampered life, it really wasn't appropriate to make her sit in the front.
Zhou Yuwen consciously pulled the rear door open for her. Given her age, Liu Jing could truly be considered his elder. The only reason he had been willing to pull over and build so goodwill in the first place was because she drove a Maybach, wasn't it?
Therefore, after Liu Jing got into the car, Zhou Yuwen didn't try to hide anything.
Liu Jing's impression of Zhou Yuwen was genuinely quite good. Not only was he presentable, but he also handled things with a calm and logical deanor. She had inadvertently noticed that he was wearing a mid-to-high-end IWC chanical watch and was driving a luxury car worth over a million.
'His family must be in business,' Liu Jing thought to herself.
In the Jinling area, Liu Jing figured she knew just about everyone in the business circle. Perhaps she could even establish a connection with him, so she straightforwardly asked where his family was from and what kind of business they did.
Zhou Yuwen definitely had an ulterior motive for getting to know Liu Jing, so he didn't beat around the bush either.
He pursed his lips into a smile and replied, "Auntie, my family isn't in business. We are from Xuhuai, and my parents are just ordinary grassroots civil servants."
"Then,"
"Are you wondering how I got this car, Auntie?"
Zhou Yuwen smiled at Liu Jing through the rearview mirror. Her expression indeed conveyed that exact question.
Zhou Yuwen explained that he wrote web novels online.
"I got quite lucky and made a bit of money."
"Writing novels?" Liu Jing's interest was imdiately piqued by that phrase. Naturally, different social classes had completely different perceptions of what writing a novel entailed.
If anyone familiar with web novels heard this, they would definitely curl their lips in disdain. Did web fiction even count as real literature? With just a keyboard and two hands, starting with a single character, the entire content was completely fabricated out of thin air!
But Liu Jing was different. She had never been exposed to web novels. In her understanding, writing a novel ant traditional literary fiction. Could Zhou Yuwen really afford such a nice car just by writing books?
Liu Jing imdiately looked at him in a new light. "You bought this car entirely with the money you earned from writing novels?" she asked.
She understood the publishing industry. Buying a million-dollar luxury car solely from writing novels?
"That's right," Zhou Yuwen replied. "I know you might not believe it, Auntie, but there should be news about
online. You can look it up."
Liu Jing actually took out her phone, ready to search. Mostly because Zhou Yuwen claiming he bought a luxury car by writing novels seed utterly unimaginable to her. If it were true, then he was truly an outstanding talent among his peers.
If Zhou Yuwen had made a lot of money through business, Liu Jing might have been impressed, but she absolutely wouldn't have reacted like this. However, hearing that he relied on writing novels made her view him as an intellectual. She felt a deep respect for him, thinking he was truly remarkable for his young age.
As it happened, Zhou Yuwen's reputation was currently at its peak. The novel website had spent a considerable amount of money purchasing promotional articles, filling the internet with pieces praising him.
Articles with titles like, "Using Traditional Literary thods to Write Web Novels."
"Zhou Yuwen's novels possess a humorous and witty writing style, with plots full of twists and turns."
"The story's developnt is both reasonable and entirely unexpected, making it a rare and excellent read."
"His books employ a great deal of nuanced, subtle writing techniques."
"This fully demonstrates that despite Mr. Zhou's young age, his literary accomplishnt is exceptionally high. Even when compared to renowned master writers, his prose does not fall short in the slightest."
The articles were indeed sowhat exaggerated, but there was no stopping the sheer volu of them. Mingled among them were reports claiming that Zhou Yuwen's royalties last month had surpassed one million!
"The boss of a listed company finds the feeling of youth in Zhou Yuwen's novel! Splurges two million!"
"Born into an ordinary family, Zhou Yuwen has loved literature since childhood..."
Piece after piece of news gave Liu Jing a general understanding of him. When she raised her head again, the look she gave Zhou Yuwen was increasingly filled with approval.
The drive from the library to Pioneer Park was actually only about a five-minute journey.
By the ti Liu Jing finished reading up on him via her phone, Zhou Yuwen had already parked the car. "Auntie, we've arrived at Pioneer Park," he said with a smile. "Which building are you heading to? I'll drop you off there."
"Oh, I think it's Building B."
"What a coincidence, I'm also in Building B."
Zhou Yuwen got out of the car and opened the door for Liu Jing.
Liu Jing spoke to him with genuine sincerity, "Little Zhou, Auntie really doesn't know how to thank you. You've been such a huge help, and you even found a pair of slippers for ..."
Zhou Yuwen assured her it was nothing, noting that everyone faced difficulties when away from ho.
"Auntie, you're about the sa age as my mom. I helped you out on the road today, so maybe in the future, if my mom runs into trouble, soone else will lend her a hand," Zhou Yuwen said.
The more Liu Jing listened to his words, the more pleasing they sounded. She couldn't help but wonder why her own child wasn't as sensible as Zhou Yuwen.
To be completely honest, the people Liu Jing usually interacted with were all children from prominent families, but she didn't actually like those wealthy heirs. Sure, they were outstanding in their own right.
However, they all carried an aura that was difficult to conceal—an innate arrogance. They lacked empathy. People like them could hide it very well in front of ordinary folks. When an average person interacted with them, they would think, 'Wow, these wealthy heirs are so well-educated and incredibly polite.'
But the truth was, the only reason they acted politely was because ordinary people hadn't infringed upon their interests. True wealthy heirs wouldn't act overly flamboyant, but if you, as an ordinary person, lacked the self-awareness of your status while around them, they would display their disgust without any disguise.
Precisely because she had seen too many young people like that, even though she hadn't spent much ti with Zhou Yuwen, his uniquely grounded and calm deanor made Liu Jing like him imnsely.
At such a young age, relying solely on a pen and paper, he had carved out his own fortune.
'How wonderful would it be if a young man like this beca my son-in-law?'
'If that happened, Xinyi definitely wouldn't suffer any grievances. After all, our family has a substantial business and great wealth. Being with such a talented boy would be a case of mutual support.'
'And there's another benefit...'
'Any future children they have could take the surna Jiang.'
Alright, Liu Jing was definitely getting a little ahead of herself.
But she couldn't help it! Xinyi would be turning twenty-five next year!
She had to find her a satisfactory husband and in-laws eventually, didn't she?
Wearing slippers made moving around sowhat inconvenient for Liu Jing, but fortunately, Zhou Yuwen was walking right beside her. She didn't think about where he was actually going, assuming he was specifically escorting her upstairs, which only increased her satisfaction with him.
She smiled and asked what brought him to Pioneer Park.
Zhou Yuwen explained that he was a student here and had casually started an entrepreneurial project on the side.
"Oh, you're still studying? Are you a postgraduate student?" Liu Jing asked.
"No, I'm still studying for my bachelor's degree," Zhou Yuwen replied.
Hearing this, Liu Jing felt a bit disappointed. If he was an undergraduate, that ant he was younger than her daughter. She wondered if he would be open to an older girl.
"Little Zhou, when it cos to choosing a partner, do you have any requirents regarding a girl's age?" Liu Jing asked point-blank.
"Huh?" Zhou Yuwen was taken aback. He glanced at her, only to see that she looked completely serious. "As for age, I think as long as the gap isn't too large, it's perfectly acceptable," he said.
"My daughter is twenty-three this year, a postgraduate student at Nanjing University. She shouldn't be much older than you. I'd like to introduce you two." Liu Jing was nothing if not direct. She already had a general understanding of his background, so there was no need to be subtle.
This boy was exceptionally outstanding.
However, considering her own family background—which Zhou Yuwen could likely deduce sowhat—and the fact that her daughter was a postgraduate student...
They should be considered a good match, right?
So was there anything wrong with her bringing it up directly?
"Ah?" Zhou Yuwen uttered softly. 'Hold on, Auntie, I just wanted to network with you. After all, nobody wants to work harder than they have to. But I never said I wanted to be your son-in-law! You've completely thrown
off.'
"A twenty-three-year-old postgraduate student? Your daughter must be quite impressive, especially being at Nanjing University," Zhou Yuwen said, trying to find sothing to say.
"She's not just smart; she's beautiful too. Let
show you a picture of her. If you think she's a good fit, I'll send you her WeChat contact, and you two can chat on your own. Co on, let's add each other on WeChat first," Liu Jing said, pulling out her phone.
Cast a wide net. It wasn't easy to encounter such an excellent young man.
The internet had detailed his situation crystal clear, and the news couldn't all be fake, right?
Even if nothing ca of it, introducing her daughter to an outstanding peer was still a good idea.
It was far better than having her hang around guys nad "Gold" or "Silver" every day.
Just hearing those nas sounded so tacky.
Zhou Yuwen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Seeing her pull out her phone, he said, "Wait, Auntie. We can definitely add each other on WeChat, but there's sothing I need to tell you. I already have—"
"Mom?"
Before Zhou Yuwen could spit out the word "girlfriend," he saw a beautiful face at the top of the stairs. Jiang Xinyi was standing right there, looking down in surprise at the two people coming up the steps.
Wait, this pairing was just too bizarre.
Zhou Yuwen... and my mom.
"Mom?" This second exclamation ca from Zhou Yuwen. He looked at Jiang Xinyi, and then turned to look at the auntie standing beside him.
'Good heavens! My counselor's girlfriend's mother is trying to set
up with my counselor's girlfriend to be my wife!?'
Setting everything else aside for a mont, it was cold outside, so they headed into the office first.
The office was actually quite comfortable. Although the location was a bit remote, it was inside the university after all, so the infrastructure was undeniably good. Furthermore, the ginkgo trees visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows were a lovely sight.
Zhou Yuwen brewed a cup of coffee for Liu Jing.
Jiang Xinyi also managed to figure out the situation: the family's Maybach couldn't get in, and her mom's high heels had broken.
Thanks to Zhou Yuwen's kindness, they made it. Otherwise, her sheltered and naive mother wouldn't have even known how to walk over here.
Alright, none of that was important right now!
What was important was that her mom had actually taken a liking to Zhou Yuwen.
While Zhou Yuwen was off making coffee, Liu Jing was blaming Jiang Xinyi. Sitting on the sofa, she muttered, "I was wondering why you rejected all those jobs I arranged for you. I couldn't figure out what was so great about this job, but it turns out your real interest lay elsewhere."
Sitting on the sofa chatting with her mother, Jiang Xinyi couldn't help but shoot a glance at Zhou Yuwen, who was busy nearby.
The coffee machine was newly bought, and he wasn't quite sure how to use it yet.
Upon arriving at the office, he had taken off his suit jacket.
The white shirt underneath accentuated his physique perfectly, and he had rolled his sleeves up, exposing his wrists.
It had to be said, Zhou Yuwen's figure definitely made him an absolute heartthrob for older won.
Regardless, Liu Jing was extrely satisfied. She spoke directly to Jiang Xinyi, "I am very pleased with this Little Zhou. He's countless tis better than that 'Gold' or 'Silver' guy. And to think you hid this from ! There's no need to hide it anymore. Find so ti to bring Little Zhou over to our house for dinner."
"Mom, what are you talking about? He's You Changjin's student!" Jiang Xinyi was rendered completely speechless by her mother's impatient and eager deanor. She hadn't even said a word, and her mother was already making arrangents.
'Seriously, did I ever say Zhou Yuwen and I had that kind of relationship?'
From Liu Jing's perspective, it was practically the sa thing.
Otherwise, what else was she hoping to achieve by staying here?
"What's wrong with being a student? He's his student, not yours. Besides, look at the era we're living in; student-teacher romances aren't forbidden anymore. Even Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü..."
"Alright, shut up, he's coming over," Jiang Xinyi ordered without hesitation upon seeing Zhou Yuwen approaching, imdiately hushing her mother. She then whispered a stern warning into her ear, "I'm warning you, don't go ruining the motherland's next generation. Little Zhou is only eighteen, and he already has a girlfriend! Stop talking nonsense! Your daughter is practically a leftover woman already!"
"If you know you're an older leftover woman, shouldn't you hurry up? 'A woman three years older brings a gold brick.' Besides, with our family's background right here, he wouldn't be losing out," Liu Jing whispered back to her daughter.
"Alright, zip it!"
Seeing Zhou Yuwen step out from the glass-partitioned pantry, Jiang Xinyi hurriedly forced her mother into silence.
Carrying two cups of coffee, Zhou Yuwen walked over and said apologetically, "Auntie, as a startup, we don't have any premium beans. I'm afraid you might not be used to the taste."
Liu Jing chuckled brightly and said, "Auntie isn't that pretentious."
"As long as you brewed it, Auntie will love it."
"Cough—cough, cough!" Hearing this, Jiang Xinyi broke into a violent fit of coughing, instantly shooting her mother a fierce glare. 'Seriously, Mom, where are your morals!?'
'Is this sothing you should be saying right now!?'
'Do you rember the attitude you had toward Little You back then?!'
'What happened to your persona?'
'It can actually change!?'
Zhou Yuwen also felt deeply awkward hearing this. 'What the heck, Auntie? You just told
your daughter was twenty-three, but she's practically twenty-five, alright?'
'I'm only eighteen this year, but looking at those eyes of yours...'
'Why are you still trying to set us up?'
Zhou Yuwen handed the coffees to Jiang Xinyi and her mother. anwhile, the gaze Liu Jing fixed on him was exceptionally warm and benevolent.
"To think that you not only write novels but also know how to do business."
Zhou Yuwen modestly denied it.
"It's just a small-scale operation. I really have to thank Sister Xinyi for helping ," he said, taking the opportunity to praise Jiang Xinyi.
Liu Jing stroked her daughter's hair and said, "Our Xinyi is indeed very capable."
"I was just thinking about introducing you two so you could get to know each other. I didn't expect you to already be acquainted; it saves
the trouble of doing the introduction," Liu Jing remarked.
"Mom, are you done yet? I'm not even off work, and you're just chatting away with my boss like this?" Jiang Xinyi grumbled in a muffled voice.
Liu Jing waved her off. "If you have things to do, go ahead and keep busy. Little Zhou and I still have plenty left to talk about."
"...?"
Holding her coffee in the disposable paper cup, Liu Jing looked at her daughter's speechless expression in confusion. "Why are you looking at
like that? Aren't you supposed to be working? Hurry up and get to it! Your boss is standing right here watching, and you're just slacking off?"
"Hmph!"
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