Yang Ying reacted quickly and hurriedly said:
“This is Shi Qing’s older brother. He works as a truck driver at a state-owned factory.”
Wen Shiqing’s gaze met his, then drifted away lightly without a word.
Xie Yucheng raised an eyebrow. Was she angry?
He knew that what he said last night was indeed a bit harsh. His mouth moved faster than his brain—there was no helping it.
“Come, Yucheng, sit down. This is your Aunt Zhang, and this is Uncle Zhou’s family. Their son, Zhou Chen, is in the same class as your sister. Ah, what a coincidence. This must be fate,” Xie Guoli said.
Xie Yucheng still gave his old man some face in front of outsiders. He set down the things in his hands, hooked a nearby stool with his foot, sat down, and began sizing up the boy across from him.
Zhou Chen called out “Brother.” Zhou’s father took out a cigarette case and passed cigarettes around to all the men present.
Xie Yucheng didn’t smoke but held it between his fingertips, playing with it. His dark, gleaming eyes stared straight at Zhou Chen, making him uneasy.
Zhou Chen instinctively leaned closer to Wen Shiqing. The gesture was quite intimate, as if the two were the closest in the room.
The matchmaker, Aunt Zhang, smiled and said, “Look at these two kids, sitting together—what a perfect match.”
Zhou Chen awkwardly scratched his head. Truth be told, he almost didn’t come today, but fortunately, he did.
Initially, he didn’t know his blind date was Wen Shiqing. He had planned to just go through the motions to get his parents off his back. It wasn’t until they met and exclaimed each other’s names in surprise that everyone realized they were classmates.
After exchanging a glance with Wen Shiqing and realizing she was also just going through the motions, he felt secretly delighted but also a bit disappointed.
The adults chatted about this and that.
Zhou Chen whispered in Wen Shiqing’s ear, “Your brother is quite handsome.”
Wen Shiqing lifted her beautiful eyes to glance at the man across from her. He sat there slouching, wearing a sour expression, yet his face was flawlessly handsome—the epitome of rugged charm.
“Not bad,” she said lightly. “You’re not bad-looking either.”
Her casual remark struck a chord with the boy beside her, making his heart race with excitement.
Xie Yucheng watched the two whispering intimately, pressed his tongue against the back of his teeth, and let out a faint, cold snort.
No one else noticed this subtle expression, but Wen Shiqing caught it. Instinctively, she felt he was mocking her. She frowned slightly and chatted even more animatedly with Zhou Chen beside her.
Zhou Chen and his friends had already finalized the time and place for their class reunion and took the opportunity to tell her about it today.
“I’ll pick you up early the day after tomorrow in my dad’s car.”
“Huh? Do you have a driver’s license?”
“I got my license a long time ago—back in the summer of my second year of high school.”
“That’s impressive.”
The boy’s lips curved into a slight smile, his cheeks flushed red.
Aunt Zhang, being astute and observant, noticed Xie Yucheng wasn’t saying much and addressed him: “Yucheng, you should hurry up too. Who knows, your sister might get married before you.”
Xie Yucheng crossed his arms behind his head, leisurely flashing a mocking smile. “Then I’ll have to trouble Aunt Zhang to worry about it for me. I want someone pretty—big-chested, slim-waisted, and round-hipped, someone who looks like she’d bear children well. None of those skinny, frail types.”
As soon as he said this, everyone in the room froze, then collectively flushed red as if a fire had been lit.
Xie Guoli felt so embarrassed he wished he could slap him with the sole of his shoe.
Aunt Zhang, having seen it all, was unfazed by any situation and could always keep the conversation flowing. “Of course, your dad and I have been neighbors for years—naturally, I’d help you manage things. Ah, time flies. In the blink of an eye, you’ve all grown up.”
She didn’t forget that this was Shi Qing’s moment and steered the topic toward her. “I still remember when Shi Qing was only about ten, always trailing after you. Whether you were climbing trees to steal bird eggs, wading into the river to catch turtles, or hopping the wall into our yard to pull vegetables…”
She laughed as she spoke, her hearty laughter filling the room. “No matter what you did, she’d be right there watching over you. You two were so close, even closer than siblings in other families.”
Aunt Zhang couldn’t seem to stop. “And I remember one time when your little sister was crying over something and no one could console her. You went to that shop at the end of the alley and bought her a few honey small breads, and she actually stopped crying right away. She ate until her mouth was all greasy—such an adorable sight…”
Everyone in the room listened with keen interest. As Aunt Zhang reminisced about the children’s younger days, Zhou Chen’s parents also chimed in with a few stories from his childhood, occasionally remarking how much Shi Qing and Zhou Chen resembled each other.
The adults chatted away merrily, while the three younger ones squirmed in embarrassment, wishing they could dig a hole with their toes.
Finally, the two sets of parents exchanged knowing glances, their eyes lingering on Zhou Chen and Wen Shiqing, and smiled contentedly. They were quite pleased with how the day had gone.
Before leaving, Wen Shiqing joined the adults in seeing the other family off to the door, watching as they drove away.
Yang Ying noticed Zhou Chen’s lingering, reluctant gaze fixed on Wen Shiqing. Once the car was out of sight, she whispered to her daughter, “His family is very well-off—both parents are high-ranking officials. If you marry into that family, you’ll want for nothing.”
“Mom, Zhou Chen and I…” She was about to explain when she saw Xie Yucheng emerge from the house and fell silent.
Zhou Chen was a good friend, nothing more. She could never be with him. Besides, her heart was already full.
The main room was littered with cigarette butts, melon seed shells, and candy wrappers. Xie Guoli called from inside for Yang Ying to clean up, and she went in.
Xie Yucheng walked to the courtyard gate. Wen Shiqing, her heart heavy, kept her head down as she passed by him. He subtly hooked his foot out, and she nearly tripped, hastily steadying herself by grabbing onto him.
Their eyes met, and she stared at him resentfully.
The man’s gaze was dark and profound, like a deep pool. He curled his lips slightly, his tone teasing, “I helped you vet him. He’s not right for you.”
“Why not?”
“He’s young, timid, a little coward. Put the two of you together, and you’d just be a pair of cowards. Does that sound suitable to you?”
“What right do you have to say that about him?” Her tone was defensive.
“You like him?” He gritted his teeth, leaning in with half-lidded eyes. His warm breath brushed against Wen Shiqing’s face, tickling her and unsettling her heartbeat.
“Who I like is none of your business, Brother. I’ll do as you wish and find a good man to marry early. Zhou Chen is my classmate—he’s handsome, responsible in class, and gets good grades. His family is well-off, so I wouldn’t have to worry about food or clothing. He really is an excellent choice.”
He let out a short, cold laugh and said through gritted teeth, “Fine. Just fine. Just like your worthless mother.”
Wen Shiqing’s tears instantly welled up. “Of course, I was born to my mother. What right do you have to speak about her like that, brother? She washes clothes, cooks meals, and takes care of Uncle Xie every single day—not one chore does she neglect. I know you dislike my mother, but please at least show her some respect. She owes you nothing and shouldn’t have to endure your emotional neglect and sarcasm.”
Xie Yucheng’s temples bulged with veins, his chest heaving as if suppressing something with immense effort. Suddenly, he slammed his fist into the wall behind Wen Shiqing.
She let out a soft “ah,” covering her mouth, her eyes panicked like a fawn startled by a hunter’s gunshot.
After the initial shock, she instinctively looked at his hand—how could he punch such solid brick wall? His knuckles were flushed crimson, with faint traces of blood seeping through in several spots.
Wen Shiqing grasped his hand, both heartbroken and furious. Her tears flowed more intensely as she choked out, “Brother, your hand…”
Xie Yucheng pulled his hand from her grasp, his forehead veins throbbing visibly. Breathing heavily, he stared at her for several seconds—her tear-streaked face only fueling his irritation. Turning abruptly, he strode swiftly toward the tree, mounted his motorcycle, and rode away.