Chapter 84
“‘Yesterday’?”
Li Jinghe initially thought the young man was joking. After a few seconds of looking at each other, she realized he was serious.
Li Jinghe’s mind raced through countless thoughts in an instant, and she finally glanced aningfully at Qin Qing.
“Why did you quit?”
She asked again, curious about what the young man might say.
This ti, to her surprise, the young man across from her responded calmly, “It’s bad for both my health and those around , so I quit.”
No extra explanations or attempts to please.
— Though the three elders from the Qin family knew well that the decision to quit smoking was likely due to Qin Qing ntioning Li Jinghe’s aversion to tobacco.
Not lying or showing off, just smart and knowing his place. … He’s quite an interesting young man.
Li Jinghe’s look at Wen Yufeng softened, losing the indifference she had shown before.
Qin Jingguo noticed the change in Li Jinghe’s expression and looked at Wen Yufeng with mixed feelings.
Then he picked up the conversation. “I heard from Xiao Qing that after graduating from high school, you went directly into the special forces?”
At this ntion, Wen Yufeng’s pupils contracted slightly.
He instinctively looked towards the girl sitting not far from him.
This reaction puzzled Qin Jingguo. “… Is it confidential and inconvenient to discuss?”
“No.”
Wen Yufeng shifted his gaze back. “I served in the army for five years. Two years ago, I was injured during training, which affected my vision, and I retired due to the injury. Recently, I have fully recovered.”
Qin Qing’s fingers trembled slightly.
After a mont, she raised her head to look at Qin Jingguo.
Qin Jingguo was taken aback by his daughter’s aningful look.
Realizing this topic seed to be a sensitive area for them, Qin Jingguo decided to move on.
—
“So, have you switched careers now?”
On this topic, Wen Yufeng took out his business card and handed it to Qin Jingguo with both hands.
Even Qin Qing, sitting next to him, was surprised.
She didn’t know Wen Yufeng had business cards.
“It’s not a career switch,” Wen Yufeng seed to notice Qin Qing’s confusion, giving her a reassuring look before explaining to Qin Jingguo, “I currently work for a security company.”
“Vice General Manager?”
After glancing at the business card, Qin Jingguo looked at Wen Yufeng with so surprise. “You’re only twenty-seven this year, right?”
“Yes.”
Li Jinghe took the card from Qin Jingguo, holding it in the air for a mont. A hint of contemplation crossed her face.
“… Mu Tong Security?”
She looked up with a more serious examination in her gaze.
“I’ve heard of this company. Its expansion speed and market share are unprecedented in the industry, but as far as I know, it definitely didn’t develop in just the past year or two.”
Wen Yufeng understood Li Jinghe’s implied aning and, after a brief silence, admitted.
“The position of Vice General Manager is just temporary. I hold twenty-seven percent of the shares in Mu Tong.”
Li Jinghe, who had already suspected this, was not surprised.
She frowned slightly and turned to look at Qin Qing.
Qin Qing moved an inch further into the sofa, feeling guilty.
—
Last night, when her parents questioned her about Wen Yufeng’s family background, Qin Qing only ntioned that his mother had passed away early and that his family relations were sowhat distant, leaving out the rest.
Seeing this, Wen Yufeng spoke up voluntarily. “I didn’t ntion this to Tian… Qing Qing in advance; it was my oversight.”
Before Li Jinghe and Qin Jingguo could react, Grandma Qin chid in with a smile. “Xiao Yu, just call him however you like. ‘Tian Tian’ is a nickna I gave her. Isn’t it nice?”
“Mm.” Wen Yufeng responded without hesitation, his lips curving slightly as he looked at Qin Qing. “As the na suggests.”
Qin Qing didn’t expect Wen Yufeng to flirt even in front of Li Jinghe and Qin Jingguo, and her face flushed red.
Seeing the topic being derailed again by Grandma Qin, Li Jinghe helplessly looked in the direction of the old lady.
Grandma Qin remained oblivious to her daughter-in-law’s exasperated look and focused on Wen Yufeng.
Li Jinghe had to turn back.
“So, what are your plans for the future?”
On this question, Wen Yufeng also didn’t ponder much. “I’ll follow Qing Qing’s plans.”
He looked at Qin Qing with a smile in his dark eyes. His hand, which had been quietly resting, reached out to hold the girl’s fingertips—
“She is my entire future plan.”
“…”
Qin Qing felt like she was going to go crazy.
anwhile, Wen Yufeng showed no concern about his words, and even intensified his actions by gently pinching her fingertips—
With a “pop,” Qin Qing didn’t hesitate to slap his hand away.
In the quiet living room, the sound was crisp and clean, leaving the other three elders stunned.
Grandma Qin was the first to react, looking at Wen Yufeng’s hand with concern—red marks from the “abuse” clearly visible on his fair fingers.
“You child!” Grandma Qin scolded Qin Qing, “Why did you hit so hard?”
Qin Qing, feeling guilty about her reflex, looked up sowhat remorsefully.
However, in her gaze, Wen Yufeng’s smile only deepened.
— This person was not only unbothered and unembarrassed but also looked at her with a teasing expression.
This indulgent look was almost palpable.
The embarrassed Qin Jingguo and Li Jinghe exchanged complicated glances at the scene.
At this mont, Grandma Qin stood up. “I rember there are a few ice packs in the fridge, right?”
Wen Yufeng turned his attention from Qin Qing.
“Grandma, I don’t need them.”
Then he turned back, lifting Qin Qing’s “assaulting” hand, inspecting her fingertips several tis before looking up. “Do you need them?”
Before Qin Qing could speak, Grandma Qin interjected, “If she doesn’t need them, she should feel the pain for a while.”
Qin Qing pouted. “Grandma, should you be feeling sorry for
or for him?”
“You hit Xiao Yu. Who do you think I should sympathize with? Besides, seeing how Xiao Yu is used to being bullied by you, I should treat him better.”
Wen Yufeng chuckled at Grandma Qin’s words, looking at her with amusent.
“Grandma, treating Qing Qing well is the best way to treat .”
Qin Jingguo, who had been ignored for a while, could no longer bear it.
— His precious daughter was being won over by this young man, who made her happy and smiling, giving him the feeling of his own cabbage being snatched away…
“Young Wen, you really know how to talk.” Qin Jingguo said.
Grandma Qin, returning with the ice packs, looked at him. “He talks better than you.”
Qin Jingguo: “…….”
Feeling cornered by his mother’s retort, he looked at Grandma Qin with grievance.
Grandma Qin huffed and pulled a long face.
“After questioning for half a morning, is it still not enough? Saying Xiao Yu talks well? He does much more than he talks—”
Grandma Qin sat back on the sofa, her face stern as she looked at Qin Jingguo. “When Xiao Yu was in high school, he waited in the corridor with a thermos for Qing Qing, sotis waiting nearly four hours while you were busy with etings at the company. Have you ever waited forty minutes for your daughter?”
When these words were spoken, Qin Jingguo was stunned, and Qin Qing looked at Wen Yufeng with wide eyes.
Wen Yufeng’s eyes showed a fleeting mont of awkwardness when he heard “thermos.”
Without looking at the expressions of those around him, Grandma Qin continued to reprimand. “When Qing Qing was in high school, she had poor resistance, often catching colds and fevers. Xiao Yu took care of her tirelessly, even carrying her to the hospital at two or three in the morning a couple of tis. Where were you then? Busy socializing or sleeping soundly?”
“…”
Qin Jingguo’s head hung low, unable to look up.
Li Jinghe’s expression was also grim. She understood that although Grandma Qin seed to be scolding Qin Jingguo, her words were equally directed at both of them.
“You two were busy and hardly ho those years. It was just Xiao Qing and , one old and one weak. All the troubles and issues at ho, big and small, Xiao Yu helped with tirelessly. During holidays, he inquired more frequently than you two. — Now, one of you is retired, and the other will be soon. You suddenly rember to sit here and question him properly? Have you ever questioned yourselves—have you been good enough parents for over twenty years?”
Qin Jingguo was left with a flushed face and could only hang his head.
Li Jinghe also looked troubled. Although she appeared to be only scolding Qin Jingguo, the words were just as applicable to her.
“During those two or three years when you were busy and absent, Xiao Yu was always there. He treated Qing Qing well, and what hardship did she endure?”
At this mont, Qin Jingguo and Li Jinghe fell silent.
Not only them, but even Qin Qing and Wen Yufeng were taken aback by Grandma Qin’s sudden outburst.
By now, the situation was settled, leaving no room for diation.
Grandma Qin, having vented her frustrations, softened her expression.
She looked at the clock.
“It’s past ten. Xiao Yu, stay for lunch.”
Under normal circumstances, Wen Yufeng would have declined a few tis, but given Grandma Qin’s recent outburst and Qin Qing’s urging gaze, he nodded in agreent.
Grandma Qin then stood up and walked towards the kitchen.
“Xiao Yu, help
cook a few dishes. I haven’t tasted your cooking for years.”
Wen Yufeng responded and nodded at Qin Qing’s parents before rising to follow Grandma Qin into the kitchen.
Qin Jingguo awkwardly stood up. “Mom, let
help you. Xiao Yu is a guest and it’s his first ti here.”
Hearing Qin Jingguo refer to Grandma Qin as “Mom” as he followed her, Qin Qing nearly laughed out loud.
However, Grandma Qin showed no rcy.
“You?” Grandma Qin turned back to glance at Qin Jingguo before returning to the kitchen. “In this area, you and Jinghe combined can’t compare to Xiao Yu. Better save your effort.”
“… Pfft.”
Seeing Qin Jingguo’s disgruntled expression, Qin Qing couldn’t hold back and chuckled lightly.
“……”
Qin Jingguo turned his gaze to Qin Qing with a stern look.
Unable to hide her smile, Qin Qing looked back at her parents.
“Dad, Mom, his cooking is really good. It’s true.”
As the kitchen door slid shut, Li Jinghe spoke. “You’ve decided on him, haven’t you?”
Qin Qing fell silent.
After a long mont, she withdrew her gaze from the slender figure inside the kitchen.
Qin Qing looked at Li Jinghe, her eyes softening with a gentle curve.
“Mom, the first ti he went to Grandma’s house was in the year I advanced to the second year of high school. After dinner that day, he helped Grandma wash the dishes in the kitchen. When Grandma praised him and teased , he said my hands were too small to hold the dishes and that I should stay away from the kitchen to avoid breaking the dishes.”
Li Jinghe and Qin Jingguo were both stunned. They clearly didn’t understand why Qin Qing suddenly brought this up.
But they remained silent and listened.
“I was very unhappy then and held a grudge for a long ti… Until later, once I didn’t make it ho for lunch, and he made
my first al—he wouldn’t let
into the kitchen, saying…”
Qin Qing’s eyes deepened with a smile, now mixed with other emotions.
Then she softly repeated the boy’s words from her mory—
“Shrimp heads are very hard and can prick your hands; various kitchen tools are sharp and can hurt you; putting water-containing ingredients into hot oil can cause burns; the range hood can’t remove all the oil smoke, which is bad for the respiratory system and skin…”
“I only said that last ti as a joke. What I really ant is that Qing Qing is a girl who deserves to be well cared for. I don’t want you to do these things… Whenever possible, I will do these things for you so you don’t need to learn or feel frustrated about being unskilled.”
“In fact, I’m glad you’re not good at these things. Because it ans that in the past, when I didn’t know the girl nad Qing Qing, she was always well taken care of, and never endured hardship.”
“This way, I won’t regret not being by your side earlier.”
“……”
After saying this, Qin Qing couldn’t help but laugh softly.
Her eyes filled with a light sheen.
Refocusing on her gaze, Qin Qing looked seriously at the slightly dazed Li Jinghe.
Then she spoke slowly and deliberately—
“So, yes, Mom, I think you’re right. — In this lifeti, I will only be certain about this one person.”
Reviews
All reviews (0)