“Girlfriend…”

Old Xu and Zhang Hong both froze. Xu Ye, who’d just lifted a few strands of noodles with his chopsticks, froze too. He quickly added, “No, I — that is—”

He was about to explain when Zhang Hong cut him off. “Put your bowl in the sink when you’re done.”

“Okay.”

Zhang Hong took Old Xu by the arm and went straight back to the bedroom.

The two of them sat on the bed murmuring.

“Aren’t you going to ask him about it?”

“Ask what? He’s grown up now, what business is it of ours?”

“He’s only been at school a month, how is he already in a relationship?”

“Who said it started at school?”

“It didn’t start at school?”

“All right, all right — stop asking so many questions. I’ve been hoping he’d find someone sooner rather than later. Finish university, get married, and then I can quit my job and stay home with the grandchildren.”

“At least find out what the girl’s family does.”

“Go to sleep. Stop fussing.”

Xu Ye finished his noodles quickly, put the bowl in the sink, went to his room, and lay down on his own bed.

He pulled out his phone and messaged Qingqing. You make it back okay?

Chen Qingqing: Yeah.

Xu Ye: Get some rest then.

Chen Qingqing: What are we doing tomorrow?

Xu Ye: There’s a comedy out for the National Holiday season. Want to catch it tomorrow afternoon?

Chen Qingqing: Sure.

Chen Qingqing: You come find me.

Xu Ye: Deal.

Xu Ye: Goodnight.

Chen Qingqing: Goodnight.

At the Red Leaf Estate villa.

Once Jiang Meilin saw Qingqing put her phone down, she ventured, “Qingqing, should I cook you some wontons?”

Qingqing was already on her feet. “I’m going to shower first.”

“All right. Should I bring them up when they’re ready, or will you come down?”

“I’ll come down.”

“Okay.” Jiang Meilin watched her daughter disappear up the stairs, a quiet smile settling onto her face. She had a feeling — difficult to pin down exactly — that something about Qingqing had shifted a little since the last time she’d been home.

…

The first day of National Holiday.

Xu Ye slept until past ten in the morning. Neither Zhang Hong nor Old Xu disturbed him.

He got up, ate a bowl of hand-folded dumplings Zhang Hong had made from scratch, and then rushed out the door.

“Where’d the boy go?”

“He left.”

“Where to?”

“He’s grown. I don’t keep track of where he goes.”

Xu Ye hailed a cab and went straight to Red Leaf Estate. He climbed out at the gate and was about to call Qingqing to come meet him when the security guard walked out on his own. “You’re Xu Ye, right? Go right in. The resident already let us know.”

“Thank you~”

He strolled up to the front door like he’d done it a hundred times, pressed the bell twice, and the gate swung open automatically. Inside, Jiang Meilin was already at the door with a pair of guest slippers ready, and she ushered him into the living room.

“Qingqing, Xiao Xu is here.”

She called up the stairs. A moment later, Qingqing appeared at the landing. If Jiang Meilin hadn’t been standing right there, she would have had him wait downstairs — but she hesitated, then said quietly, “Come on up.”

Xu Ye glanced at Jiang Meilin. Jiang Meilin nodded. He headed up.

He’d been to the house several times, but this was the first time he’d gone beyond the ground floor. He followed Qingqing to her bedroom door. When she pushed it open, a faint scent drifted out — soft, distinctly feminine, the kind that belonged to a girl’s own space.

Not sharp like perfume. More like Qingqing’s own scent, concentrated.

“Smells really nice~” he said, before he’d quite thought about saying it.

Qingqing spent most of her time at home in her room — she couldn’t smell anything particular herself. But hearing him say it, something in her chest started up again.

“Don’t say things like that. There’s nothing to smell.”

Xu Ye smiled sheepishly and followed her inside. The room was large, connected to a walk-in wardrobe and an en suite bathroom. Sliding open the glass door near the balcony revealed a generous terrace beyond.

He looked around, walked straight outside.

Under a shade umbrella on the terrace sat two reclining chairs. Besides Qingqing, Jiang Meilin sometimes sat out here herself — catching some afternoon sun, or letting the evening breeze in. The view was lovely.

Xu Ye settled into one of the chairs. Qingqing sat down beside him.

Jiang Meilin waited downstairs for a few minutes, then went to the kitchen, cut up an assortment of fruit, arranged it on a plate, and carefully made her way up to the second floor.

She stopped outside the bedroom door, ear pressed lightly to the wood.

Silence from inside.

She frowned slightly, eased the door open a centimeter at a time.

A cross-breeze had come through while they’d been sitting out — the window sheers were swaying gently. Through them she could see Xu Ye and Qingqing on the terrace, both settled quietly in their chairs. She pushed the door open the rest of the way and walked out. “I cut some fruit for you.”

“Thank you, Auntie.”

“Xiao Xu, stay for lunch?”

“I wouldn’t want to impose—”

Qingqing cut in before he could finish, something she almost never did. “You’d be embarrassed? Since when?”

Xu Ye gave her a pained look. “Do you have to blow my cover every single time? I do have a reputation to maintain.”

“Sure you do.”

Jiang Meilin laughed. “Then it’s settled. I’ll go start on lunch and call you down when it’s ready.”

“Thank you, Auntie.”

Once Jiang Meilin had gone downstairs, Xu Ye turned to Qingqing with a grin. “Your mom keeps being nicer and nicer to me. Has she fallen for me?”

The look she gave him suggested she was reassessing his intelligence.

He didn’t press his luck, pulled out his phone, and scrolled through Moments. Everyone seemed to have gone somewhere for the holiday — the photos confirmed that every scenic spot in the country was currently packed with people.

Traveling with money was an actual vacation. Traveling without it was just punishment.

At any rate, sightseeing wasn’t really on Xu Ye’s mind right now.

He switched back to WeChat. Qingqing’s dorm group was buzzing.

Jiang Yu: Just me and Xinyi in the dorm. We’re so lonely.

Shen Xinyi: So empty in here.

Zhang Ruowei: Stop broadcasting your feelings in the group chat. We have a male member, remember.

Jiang Yu: Doesn’t matter, he’s taken anyway.

Shen Xinyi: I wonder what Qingqing’s up to right now.

Xu Ye: Sunbathing at home.

Shen Xinyi: How would you know?

Xu Ye: Because I’m right next to her.

Shen Xinyi: ???

Zhang Ruowei: ???

Jiang Yu: ???

Zhang Ruowei: You actually went to Qingqing’s house?

Xu Ye: Yep. Waiting for her mom to finish cooking lunch for me.

Chen Qingqing: He’s making things up.

Chen Qingqing: Don’t listen to him.

Zhang Ruowei: Xu Ye, I genuinely take my hat off to you.

Zhang Ruowei: But while you’re with Qingqing, please, do not do anything inappropriate.

Jiang Yu: Please do not do anything inappropriate.

Shen Xinyi: Please do not do anything inappropriate.

“…”

Downstairs.

Chen Hansong had heard the night before that Qingqing was home for the holiday. The moment he got off work at noon, he drove straight over.

He pushed open the front door, heard the sounds of cooking from the kitchen, and walked toward it. “Meilin, where’s Qingqing?”

“You’re just in time actually.”

Jiang Meilin turned from the stove and handed him a finished dish. “Go upstairs and tell them to come down for lunch.”

Chen Hansong had already taken a step when he stopped cold.

“Them?”

“Xiao Xu is upstairs too.”

Chen Hansong stared at her.

“That little scoundrel is back again!!!”

(End of Chapter 87)