A Maybach pulled up in front of a residential complex. Fang Yan stepped out of the car and smiled, “Thanks to Campus Belle Jiang for seeing me off. May good people have eight babies in one go!”
Chen Ruru leaned her head out from the front passenger seat and snapped, “Shut up! Our Wanrou kindly sent you home. Can you at least have some conscience?”
Fang Yan chuckled, “How am I lacking conscience? Wasn’t I thanking Campus Belle Jiang?”
Chen Ruru rolled her eyes. “What kind of decent person thanks someone by wishing her eight babies? Do you even know how painful childbirth is? Our Wanrou is so delicate, and she doesn’t even have a boyfriend yet! If you don’t know how to speak properly, then just shut up!”
“Alright, alright.” Fang Yan raised his hands in surrender. “Then I’ll wish Campus Belle Jiang twins in one go and a lifetime of peace for good people.”
“You!” Chen Ruru unlocked the car door, clearly ready to get out and continue arguing.
But Jiang Wanrou had already stepped out first and walked up to Fang Yan. She held a small bag in her hand and gently handed it to him. “This is… medicine.”
“Medicine?” Fang Yan looked puzzled.
Jiang Wanrou added softly, “I asked Uncle Kang to buy allergy medicine. At the company annual meeting last time, you drank quite a bit and had an allergic reaction. Aunt Li bought allergy medicine for you then. I just asked Uncle Kang to get some too.”
Fang Yan suddenly understood. So that was why her car had arrived so late. She had gone to buy medicine for him.
Jiang Wanrou’s breathtakingly beautiful face remained calm and indifferent, as if those considerate words had not come from her at all.
Fang Yan said awkwardly, “Jiang Wanrou, I don’t have money for the medicine right now. I’ll transfer it back to you after I ask my mom for some money.”
“I…” Jiang Wanrou did not wait for him to finish. She turned around and got back into the car.
The faint fragrance of her hair lingered in the air, a light, clean scent that seemed to circle around Fang Yan’s heart.
The Maybach drove away.
Only then did the property security guard poke his head out from the guard booth. “Hey, Yan boy, not bad. Found yourself a girl that stunning. I’ve never seen a girl that beautiful before. She’s even prettier than those female celebrities on TV! And that Maybach costs at least 4 to 5 million yuan on the road. She’s loaded too!”
Fang Yan watched as the guard walked toward him. The man wore slippers, his security cap tilted to one side. His shirt was tucked into his trousers, and he carried himself in a carefree, slightly roguish manner.
Stretching lazily, Fang Yan smiled, “Brother Wang, she’s my classmate.”
“Classmate?” Brother Wang looked at him suspiciously. “Would a classmate treat you that well? She sent you home and even brought you medicine. Is that really just classmates?”
“…Uh.” Fang Yan thought about it carefully and found he had no good rebuttal. Jiang Wanrou’s behavior did seem to go beyond ordinary classmates, but he did not feel like explaining.
Taking his silence as admission, Brother Wang pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed one over. “Want one?”
“Your mom wouldn’t have the heart,” Brother Wang said with a grin. He did not insist and tucked the cigarette back into his pocket.
“I’m off.” Fang Yan took a few steps forward, then turned back and added, “By the way, don’t tell my mom that my classmate sent me home.”
Brother Wang pulled out his cigarette pack again. Only a few were left inside. He waved it meaningfully. “Got it. I’ll handle it. I guarantee I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
He even gave a mock military salute.
…
Fang Yan was in a very good mood tonight. At least he had shown off his singing voice at the gathering. As for Jiang Wanrou, it was just classmate friendship. After all, she even knew his parents.
But when he reached his apartment door, his heart could not help but grow nervous again.
He carefully sniffed himself. He could not smell any alcohol at all. When he drank earlier, he had taken off his shirt and gone bare-chested, so the clothes would not absorb the smell. A smart move. His clothes carried no scent.
After confirming he smelled fine, Fang Yan raised his hand and knocked on the door. Knock, knock, knock.
“Coming, wait a moment.”
Soon, a middle-aged woman opened the door. “Oh, Yan boy, you’re back?”
The moment he saw her, Fang Yan instinctively called out, “Mom, I’m thirsty. Is there any water?”
“Yes, there’s some on the table.”
As soon as Fang Yan stepped inside, he saw his father sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper. After glancing at him, his father simply said, “Go to bed early,” and went back into his room.
After locking the door, his mother, Li Xiulan, walked into the living room and pointed at the wall clock. It was past midnight. “Yan boy, don’t come back this late again. Do you know what time it is?”
“I know, it was a class gathering,” Fang Yan replied quickly.
Seeing that his mother was about to start lecturing, he patted his stomach and changed the topic. “Mom, I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?”
“Your dad guessed you’d be hungry. He already cooked you a bowl of noodles in the kitchen.”
Li Xiulan went into the kitchen. In her forties, she had the typical appearance of a hardworking woman. Time had left many marks on her face, with visible wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. Because of her job as a junior manager, she often kept a stern expression, which made her look somewhat fierce.
But seeing Fang Yan return home safely clearly pleased her. A faint smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of her mouth.
After placing the bowl of noodles in front of him, she reminded him, “After you finish eating, rest for a bit, then take a shower and go to bed. It’s too late. For breakfast, go to your grandmother’s or your eldest uncle’s place. Your dad and I need to sleep in.”
With noodles still in his mouth, Fang Yan replied vaguely, “Got it.”
…
Her parents were already sitting on the sofa waiting for her. People often said wealth preserved youth. They both looked quite young, though their expressions were serious.
“Dad, Mom, I’m back,” Jiang Wanrou said softly.
Without waiting for their response, she walked straight toward her room.
“Stop!” Her mother, Gong Lixin, called out sharply. “Didn’t you promise Mom you would be home before eleven? It’s already past midnight. That’s almost two hours late! What were you doing?”
“Nothing.” Jiang Wanrou shook her head slightly and continued walking toward her room.
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll ask Old Kang. He’ll tell me why you came back so late!”
Gong Lixin’s words made Jiang Wanrou pause. She took a deep breath, opened her bedroom door, and immediately locked it behind her.
Soon, her parents’ argument drifted to her ears.
“Jiang Binsheng, look at your precious daughter. The older she gets, the more rebellious she becomes. Now she doesn’t even talk to her own mother.”
“Enough. Wanrou already told you it was a class gathering. She was having fun. What’s wrong with coming back a little later?”
“A little later is fine, but she could at least tell me! Not even a single message!”
“Maybe she didn’t notice the time.”
“That’s enough. You father and daughter are the same. You treat me like an outsider! Where are you going? Stop right there!”
“Can’t I step out for some air?”
“Then don’t come back!”
The sound of a door slamming followed.
Listening to their argument, Jiang Wanrou felt suffocated. The little bit of happiness she had earlier completely vanished.
Her phone chimed.
She picked it up and saw a friend request.
Haiyanheqing [Friend Request]
Note: [I’m Fang Yan]
Jiang Wanrou tapped to accept.