There was no way Xu Ye was taking Wang Manning to the factory.
He took Wang Yuxin because she was easy to manage — she did whatever he told her to do, no different from a real younger sister.
Wang Manning was another matter. The girl had obviously been spoiled, and Xu Ye was afraid that if he took her to the factory, every relative he had would know by the next day that he was in the lingerie business.
Seeing how firm he was about it, Wang Manning gave two contemptuous snorts, picked up her bag and took herself out the door.
Wang Zixuan followed his sister.
As for Wang Yuxin, she was just about to go out when Xu Ye caught her by the back of the neck. She tipped her head up, the picture of injured innocence. “Manning-jiejie asked me. I only told her a little bit.”
Xu Ye gave her ear a pinch. “You little traitor,” he threatened. “Open your mouth again and you can forget about me taking you anywhere.”
Wang Yuxin quickly clapped her hand over her mouth and put on an expression that said I promise I won’t say another word.
Only then did he take her out with him.
There weren’t many places worth seeing in Jiangzhou. Out-of-towners who came as tourists were all there for Mount Lu, and to see all of Mount Lu you needed at least a week up there.
Apart from Mount Lu there were Lushan West Sea and the Great Buddha of Donglin, but both were a fair distance from downtown.
Xu Ye thought about it and decided to take them to Xunyang Tower first, then out for some of Jiangzhou’s signature street snacks. For lunch he would see what his mom and dad had planned. In any case he had a swimming lesson that afternoon, and no time to go on entertaining three younger cousins.
Xu Ye reflected that he really was a very dedicated student.
He had even dreamed about swimming the night before, and the thought of learning it from Chen Qingqing gave him a small thrill of excitement.
……
It was the weekend.
Chen Hansong had a rare day off.
First thing that morning he messaged Jiang Meilin to ask whether she was at home. Hearing that she had already gone back to the company, he got in the car a little after nine and drove out to Red Leaf Estate.
He parked outside and walked up to the closed front gate. He had once been master of this house, and now he had to stand there meekly and press the bell.
Chen Qingqing was in the house on her own and assumed it was Xu Ye. She ran the whole way to the door, and when she opened it and found Chen Hansong standing outside, the smile vanished off her face.
“Dad? What are you doing here?”
Chen Hansong caught the disappointment in his daughter’s expression, and his jealousy came up in full. “You were happy enough a second ago, and one look at me and your face goes cold. So I’m not as important to you as that boy anymore, is that it?”
Chen Qingqing had no intention of answering a question that awkward. She turned and headed for the living room, and Chen Hansong came after her. “Have you eaten breakfast?”
“Yes.”
“What did you have?”
“Auntie Wang brought over soy milk, buns and radish pancakes.”
“Are you scared, sleeping here on your own at night?” Chen Hansong asked next.
“No.”
“I’ll take you out for lunch today.”
“Will there be anyone else?”
Chen Hansong knew she didn’t like sitting at a table with strangers. He smiled and said quickly, “No. Just the two of us.”
“Oh.”
“What have you been doing at home on your own these last few days?”
“Nothing much.”
“Has that boy been over to see you?”
“He came yesterday.”
Chen Hansong knew this was one thing he could no longer prevent, but he said, sternly all the same, “Let him come if he comes. But you are not to let him stay the night here. Also—”
“Dad, you’re so annoying~”
“I’ve barely said a word. What are you going upstairs for now? I’m talking to you.”
Around eleven o’clock.
Chen Hansong and Chen Qingqing set off in the car.
There were a great many traffic lights downtown, and with all the stopping and starting Chen Qingqing was getting sleepy.
Seeing that, Chen Hansong asked, “What do you feel like for lunch?”
“Anything.”
“Haven’t you been eating properly lately? You look thinner to me.”
“Really?”
“Qingqing, you’re thin enough already. No more dieting.”
“I know.”
Father and daughter went back and forth like that, and just as Chen Qingqing was about to lose patience she happened to glance out the window. Through the glass she caught sight of a figure she knew better than any other, and her eyes flew wide. Then she shouted, “Stop the car.”
“We’re not there yet.”
“Stop the car!”
Chen Hansong frowned. Seeing how agitated she had suddenly become, he pulled over, then followed her gaze out through the window…
It was outside a shopping mall a little way off.
Xu Ye was standing there looking at his phone, and beside him stood a girl about his own age.
The mall entrance was busy with traffic and Xu Ye hadn’t noticed Chen Hansong’s car. Beside him, Wang Manning was still frowning. “What’s taking those two so long?”
Xu Ye explained offhandedly, “The restrooms are right at the back. It’s several minutes’ walk.”
“Are we eating at your place for lunch, or out?”
“I don’t know. I’ll call your Eldest Aunt in a bit.”
“Do you have anything going on this afternoon?”
“I certainly do.”
“What?”
“Swimming lesson.”
“A swimming lesson?”
“Mm. I’m going over to my girlfriend’s.”
“You have a girlfriend?!”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Is it so strange that I’d have a girlfriend?”
“Yes.”
Xu Ye said in a pointed tone, “Heh. With a temper like yours, I doubt anybody will be chasing you at university either.”
“You—!” Wang Manning lost her temper on the spot and swung her bag at him.
Xu Ye stepped aside and dodged it easily.
Wang Manning wasn’t letting it go.
It was at that moment.
“Drive!”
“Qingqing~”
“Drive!”
Chen Hansong had no choice but to step on the gas and pull away.
But no sooner had the car gone than Wang Yuxin came out of the mall with Wang Zixuan.
……
Chen Qingqing’s eyes had already gone red.
She had never expected to run into Xu Ye out in the city that day, still less that there would be a girl standing beside him.
Thinking back to the two of them at the mall entrance a moment ago.
Especially the way that girl had picked up her bag at the end and gone in for a round of flirting and squabbling.
Chen Qingqing burst into tears, drops the size of beans falling one after another.
She was in no state to think it through. Anyone at all who ran into her boyfriend out in the city, laughing and talking with a girl about the same age as him, would have thought he was cheating on her.
The good memories of the past began to collapse in that moment too.
It was as though the whole world had lost its color.
Chen Qingqing cried harder and harder.
Listening to his daughter cry, Chen Hansong felt his heart break. He hurriedly found a place to pull over. Frowning hard, he tested the water. “Qingqing, you don’t know that girl?”
Chen Qingqing kept her head down, wiping at her tears, and shook her head hard.
At that Chen Hansong took out his phone and called Xu Ye.
Xu Ye was surprised to see Chen Hansong calling and answered. He had barely got the phone to his ear before the man laid into him.
Xu Ye hadn’t even caught up with what was happening. All he heard was Chen Hansong saying you are not to come near my daughter again, and then the line went dead.
Xu Ye was left completely blank.
What’s gotten into my father-in-law?
That’s not right.
Why was somebody crying on that call?
He had the faint sense that something was wrong, so he called Chen Qingqing — and couldn’t get through at all. More puzzled than ever, he got into the car and called Jiang Meilin instead.
“Hello, Xiao Xu.”
“Auntie, Uncle Chen just called me. Before I could get a word out he laid into me, and now Qingqing won’t pick up when I call. What on earth has happened?”
“Is that so?”
Jiang Meilin had no idea what was going on either. She said, “Let me call and ask.”
(End of Chapter 269)