Wen Conghan unbuttoned her overcoat, then crouched down and used the garment to wrap around Ji Mianyue.
“Are you not cold?” Wen Conghan asked again. The person in her arms was trembling.
“Are you cold?” Ji Mianyue suddenly asked, causing Wen Conghan’s embracing hands to pause for a moment.
“I read what people were saying. They said you have had a very hard life.” As Ji Mianyue spoke, tears filled her eyes. “When you went to work part-time in the winter, was it very hard and cold? At first, I did not dare to give you money because I was afraid you would think I was using Mom and Mommy’s money to give to you.”
“That money was originally yours. Once I found out, I stopped spending money recklessly. Except for food, I really did not spend anything at all.”
“I am decent at drawing, and I have been taking drawing commissions lately.”
At this point, Ji Mianyue’s tears began to fall steadily. The head she had just lifted buried itself once again in Wen Conghan’s chest.
“I am sorry. I am sorry I am not strong enough.”
“I still need you to coax me every time.”
“I did not mean it. I will make it up to you.”
Ji Mianyue sobbed, her words becoming incoherent toward the end as she cried. Seeing Ji Mianyue cry like this, Wen Conghan felt her heart instantly soften. She was not typically a person of overflowing emotions, but whenever she saw Ji Mianyue cry, she could not stand it. Her heart, usually as solid as a bronze wall, felt like a tart orange being squeezed of its juice whenever Ji Mianyue wept.
How could someone be so kind, so kind that they were a little bit foolish? Wen Conghan did not understand it; she only felt an aching tenderness. Suddenly, she thought of her childhood and what her mother had once told her.
“Wenwen, when you meet someone you like in the future, you must not bully her.”
Am I bullying the person I like right now? Did Mother get it wrong?
“Do you think I am very poor?” Wen Conghan sighed, her tone a bit melancholy.
It was true that she did not have a vast amount of money on hand, but she was certainly not poor enough to work part-time just to survive as the forum claimed.
“I have money. Between my savings and what Auntie Ji and Auntie Shen gave me, I have about five million in cash alone.” Wen Conghan helplessly held the person in front of her, thinking they looked like two penguins huddled together.
Hearing this, Ji Mianyue looked up timidly. “You are not lying to me, are you?”
Wen Conghan found it funny that this was the first time Ji Mianyue had ever questioned her honesty.
“The posts said that you go to the cafeteria very early in the morning just to buy a one-yuan corn cake.” Ji Mianyue’s lips began to pout again as she spoke. “You cannot lie to me just because you want me to feel better.”
Wen Conghan really had no defense against this little pitiful creature. She explained everything to Ji Mianyue point by point.
“That is because there is a class I want to audit that starts very early. At that time, the cafeteria only has corn cakes. I do not particularly like corn cakes, so I only eat one before going to class. Once the class is over, I come back and eat a normal breakfast.”
Wen Conghan had not expected that such a mundane thing could be twisted by those people.
“Then what about you helping the cafeteria auntie wash dishes?” Ji Mianyue was still afraid Wen Conghan was lying to her, her eyes brimming with tears that looked ready to fall at any second.
Wen Conghan was truly impressed by the rich imagination and editing skills of those posters. Her friendship with that cafeteria auntie was because the woman was friends with the graduate supervisor Wen Conghan wanted to choose later.
“I have a good relationship with that auntie. She injured her hand that day, so I helped her wash dishes once just in passing. Only that one time.”
“Then?” Ji Mianyue did not give up, carefully recalling the claims in those posts.
Wen Conghan knew that if she did not show Ji Mianyue some evidence, the girl would not let it go today. She released her hold on Ji Mianyue and pulled her phone from her pocket.
“My money is in several banks. You can look at them yourself.” Wen Conghan unlocked one of the banking apps and pressed the phone into Ji Mianyue’s hand.
“This is not safe. What if I am a bad person?” Ji Mianyue was stunned by the gesture.
“You are not a bad person.” Wen Conghan insisted that she look.
Ji Mianyue glanced at the phone Wen Conghan handed her. Looking at the string of zeros, she confirmed that Wen Conghan was not as pitiful as the forum posts suggested.
“You are a kind little dummy.”
As soon as Wen Conghan finished speaking, she saw that Ji Mianyue’s tears were gone, replaced by a huffy glare.
“I am not a little dummy!” Ji Mianyue returned the phone to Wen Conghan, feeling that she had indeed been a bit childish.
“Alright, then you are a not-so-dumb little dummy.”
After Wen Conghan spoke, Ji Mianyue reached out to grab her. However, because she had been crouching for so long, her legs were numb. The consequence of her lunging forward was that she fell directly onto Wen Conghan. Wen Conghan was caught off guard and knocked to the ground by Ji Mianyue. She was actually quite satisfied to have her beloved in her arms.
“Ji Mianyue, you are bullying me,” Wen Conghan said, unable to resist teasing the person in front of her.
Since she was sprawled on top of her, Ji Mianyue wanted to get up quickly upon hearing that. However, her legs were truly too numb. With a determined push, she not only failed to stand up but instead fell face-first into Wen Conghan’s chest.
“I did not do it on purpose,” Ji Mianyue said with a trace of stubbornness in her voice. She immediately tried to crawl up again.
“I know.” Wen Conghan stopped teasing her. She placed her hands on Ji Mianyue’s waist to give her some support. It was time to get up; otherwise, she would not be able to resist trapping Ji Mianyue in her arms. That would frighten her.
“Mianyue, I am very unhappy,” Wen Conghan said, her expression turning serious.
“What?” Ji Mianyue did not expect this. She blinked at Wen Conghan. “Why?”
Wen Conghan brushed the dust off Ji Mianyue’s clothes, then let Ji Mianyue do the same for her.
“Did we not agree to face this matter together? If you have emotions or if you are unhappy, why did you not tell me? Ji Mianyue, do you hate me?”
Wen Conghan knew perfectly well that Ji Mianyue felt more guilt than anything else, but she needed to ensure that if Ji Mianyue was ever unhappy in the future, she would come directly to her.
“No, no! I do not hate you!” Upon hearing this, Ji Mianyue immediately shook her head and waved her hands.
“Really?” Wen Conghan put on a look of disbelief, knitting her brows at Ji Mianyue.
“Really! I swear!”
Seeing that Ji Mianyue was about to make a vow, Wen Conghan pressed down her raised hand.
“There is no need to swear. But you must promise me that if you are unhappy next time, you will tell me immediately. Mianyue, I know you do not dare to tell Mom and Mommy about your sadness right now. Since that is the case, tell me. As long as you are sad, I will be your safe harbor.”
Wen Conghan’s gentle voice slowly reached Ji Mianyue’s heart. Ji Mianyue nodded, agreeing to Wen Conghan’s request. At the same time, she said to herself: Ji Mianyue, you are doomed. You really seem to have fallen for Wen Conghan.
Neither of them expected that because of the drama on the forum, their date to return home would be forced forward. After seeing the notification from Ji Yanru and Shen Yuxin, Wen Conghan felt a bit of a headache. Why were they rushing them so much? It left her with only one day to clean up the mess.