Xu Ye’s head buzzed.

So if I can’t pay the money back, I have to become a live-in son-in-law?

“Auntie, you’re not joking with me, are you?”

“Not at all.”

Xu Ye, operating with a god’s-eye view, of course knew this investment couldn’t possibly lose money, and that he couldn’t possibly fail to repay the loan. So he agreed quickly. “Fine. I accept all of it.”

Jiang Meilin hadn’t expected him to agree so readily. She laughed. “Then you’ll need to make a trip back to Jiangzhou — the sum is too large for anything else. And don’t let Qingqing know about this.”

“All right.”

Xu Ye agreed without hesitation. Five million in 2014 was by no means a small sum. Even Chen Hansong couldn’t have produced that much on short notice. Jiang Meilin worked at a foreign firm with excellent compensation; from the very beginning of her acquaintance with Chen Hansong, her salary had always been higher than his — which was possibly one of the reasons the two of them had divorced.

Had Jiang Meilin been an ordinary office worker or a housewife, first, she’d have had time to be with Chen Qingqing, and second, she and Chen Hansong wouldn’t have quarreled so often.

After hanging up, Xu Ye immediately booked a high-speed rail ticket back to Jiangzhou for that evening.

Meanwhile, at the villa in Red Leaf Estate—

Chen Hansong was beside himself. “Jiang Meilin, I think you really have lost your mind.”

Jiang Meilin gave him a look and said coldly, “What business is it of yours?”

Chen Hansong was instantly at a loss for words. He genuinely had no standing to interfere in Jiang Meilin’s affairs — the two of them were divorced, and at best their relationship now amounted to ex-husband and ex-wife.

Jiang Meilin poured a cup of hot water, took a small sip, and said, “If Xiao Xu can repay this money, then I’ll be able to hand Qingqing over to him with peace of mind. If he can’t, then this money counts as the bride price I’m giving his parents — and once he and Qingqing marry, I’ll arrange the road he takes from there. Either outcome is acceptable to me. Consider it a test.”

Chen Hansong let out a heavy sigh, sat on the sofa, and said with a bitter face, “How very generous of you.”

Jiang Meilin looked at him with distaste. “Do you have anything else? If not, get lost.”

“I’ve only been here ten minutes.”

“You’re an eyesore.”

Chen Hansong grabbed a cushion, hugged it to his chest, and said like a thoroughly henpecked man, “I’m not leaving!”

Jiang Meilin was dumbstruck.

It was the first time she’d ever seen Chen Hansong behave like this. In the past, whenever they’d fought, all she had to do was tell him to get out and he’d leave immediately.

She turned aside, pressed her lips together in a smile, then picked up her cup and started up the stairs.

Chen Hansong said quickly, “I’ve got one more thing to say.”

Jiang Meilin stopped on the steps. “Spit it out.”

“This year on New Year’s Eve, I’m coming to have the reunion dinner with you both.”

“What for?”

“I already promised Qingqing.”

“That’s your business. I never agreed.”

Chen Hansong’s voice rose with emotion. “Jiang Meilin, don’t push it. I will be coming on New Year’s Eve — unless you’re prepared to throw me out of the house in front of Qingqing.”

Jiang Meilin couldn’t be bothered to answer, and disappeared around the bend of the staircase with a smile on her face.

Chen Hansong genuinely didn’t leave. He pulled out his phone, lay down right there on the sofa, and adopted the posture of a man with absolutely nothing left to lose.

…

Xu Ye packed his things at the dorm, then sent a leave request to his counselor, Su Tong.

Seeing his message, Su Tong immediately asked, “And the reason for the leave?”

Xu Ye replied quickly: “My dad fractured his foot and is in the hospital. I’m going back to check on him. I’ll be back Monday afternoon.”

Only then did Su Tong reply with an “okay.”

Shoulder bag slung on, Xu Ye first stopped by the fruit shop, gave a few instructions, and then had Zhang Xinzhou ride him to the subway station on the electric scooter.

The route to the train station passed by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and since Xu Ye had promised Chen Qingqing he’d come see her tomorrow, he decided to stop by first and explain.

One hour and twenty-five minutes later, Xu Ye arrived at the gates of the conservatory. He walked all the way to the base of the girls’ dormitory and called Chen Qingqing.

“Hello?”

“Go out to your dorm balcony.”

“Huh?”

Xu Ye didn’t say anything more, because he could already hear a chair scraping against the floor — clearly, she’d stood up while he was still talking.

Chen Qingqing walked out onto the balcony, looked down, and found Xu Ye standing at the dormitory entrance.

She was about to say something, then worried about disturbing others, so she hung up quickly and jogged all the way down from the second floor.

Reaching him, her first words were: “You lied to me again. You said tomorrow — why are you here today?”

Xu Ye smiled. “Something came up. I have to head back to Jiangzhou later. I won’t be back until Monday.”

Her very lovely brow immediately furrowed, and she pressed him, curious, “What came up?”

If Jiang Meilin hadn’t given him instructions, Xu Ye would certainly have told the truth. Instead he scratched his head and smiled. “Nothing major. I just need to make the trip. The station’s on the way, so I thought I’d come tell you in person — if I’d told you over the phone, I was worried you’d be upset.”

Chen Qingqing pursed her lips. “So what time do you leave?”

Xu Ye pulled out his phone, checked, and smiled. “My train’s around six in the evening. So I’ve got about another hour.”

“Then come with me.” She took hold of his wrist and pulled him toward the school gate.

“Where are we going?”

“To eat.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“The train takes hours.”

Xu Ye followed cheerfully, and shamelessly held the black elastic on his wrist up under Chen Qingqing’s nose. “Look — I haven’t taken this off all week. Give it a sniff, it’s even got a smell now.”

She swatted his hand away and shot him a look. “That reeks. Get it away from me.”

She led him to a restaurant, and since she wasn’t hungry herself, ordered only a deluxe set meal for him.

Xu Ye wasn’t hungry either, but to make her happy, he ate quickly.

She sat across from him, chin propped in her hand, watching him eat, a smile never leaving her face.

In six or seven minutes he’d finished. He gave a satisfied belch. “I’m stuffed.”

Chen Qingqing pointed at his face, beaming. “You’ve got a grain of rice on your cheek. Who are you saving that for?”

Xu Ye pulled out a tissue, wiped his mouth clean, and stood. “I’m full. Walk with me a bit, help me digest.”

“Okay~”

The scenery outside the school wasn’t as nice as the little wooded grove inside it, so the two of them retraced their steps back onto campus. After walking for twenty-odd minutes, they finally sat down on a bench beneath a large tree.

Do something enough times and it becomes habit.

Their first hand-holding traced back to the summer, at the bank, when Chen Qingqing had taken Xu Ye’s hand to spite Chen Hansong — but that had only been a performance.

Every time after, it was Xu Ye who reached for her hand first. At the beginning she’d dodge, she’d resist. But now, the moment the two of them sat down, their hands found each other of their own accord.

Xu Ye started telling her what he’d done this week, along with all the small trivia of daily life — the cafeteria had a new serving auntie whose hand was always shaking, a very cheap snack shop had opened on the food street, and three nights ago the dorm auntie had caught a pervert stealing girls’ underwear…

Chen Qingqing listened for a good while, then remembered he still had a train to catch and quickly checked the time on her phone.

“Shouldn’t you be leaving?”

“It’s fine. Let’s sit a little longer.”

“Your lips are chapped.”

“Mm. Winter’s too dry.”

“I have lip balm in the dorm. I’ll go get it for you.”

She was already starting to rise when Xu Ye pulled her back down. Sitting on the bench, holding her hand, he smiled. “No need to go to the trouble. I’ll just borrow some of yours.”

With that, he stood, took a step forward, and looked down at her.

Chen Qingqing froze in place. She tilted her head up, her own bright, watery eyes fixed on his — and it seemed she’d guessed what he was about to do, because just as she blinked—

The scoundrel in front of her suddenly bent down and, without any reason or warning, covered her mouth with his own.

She shut her eyes at once, her whole body going rigid.

Xu Ye kissed her briefly — the lightest taste of it — then, like the rogue he was, licked his own lips and grinned. “Strawberry flavored, huh~”

(End of Chapter 158)