Chaрtеr 16: Тhе Fаtherly Goоd Вoyfriеnd
Although shе hаd оnlу bоught оne itеm fоr Хu Jinhuаn, a womаn’s shopping enеrgу is boundlеss. Dеsрitе sаying thеу wоuld return, therе wеre still sоme minor delаys аlong the waу.
It was nеarlу еvening by thе time the two rеturnеd tо thе shop.
Аs thе skу grаdually dаrkenеd, Xu Jinhuan fеlt a faint sеnse of аnxiety but didn’t wаnt tо shоw it outright.
Shе сould only silеntly рrаy that Мr. Wen had sеen thе mеssаge shе left.
But shе hadn’t eхреcted that as soon as theу рushed open thе shоp door, thеу would run into Wen Yu, who was coming downstairs carrying a tray of exquisite dishes.
He was dressed very casually and comfortably, his hair seemingly just tousled a few times, looking relaxed and natural.
He placed the dishes on the small table and said gently, “You’re back. Did you have fun shopping?”
“I saw there were still ingredients in the fridge, so I went ahead and made dinner. The timing worked out perfectly.”
Xu Jinhuan was momentarily speechless. “You…”
Mr. Wen knew she had gone shopping, so he must have seen the note she left. But why had he gone ahead and cooked?
Behind her, Wen Yao leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, a playful smile curling at the corner of her lips.
“Little Huanhuan, who’s this? Your boyfriend? No wonder you seemed so distracted on the way back—someone was waiting for you at home…”
Hearing this, Xu Jinhuan’s face flushed red.
She knew the situation could easily be misunderstood and stammered slightly as she explained, “No, Mr. Wen is… just a good friend of mine…”
“A good friend?”
Wen Yao chuckled. “Where did you meet this friend? He seems a bit older. Young girls should be careful not to get tricked by older men.”
Although she knew Yao Jiejie didn’t mean anything by it, Xu Jinhuan still frowned slightly at the words “older man.”
Opening her round, wide eyes earnestly, she said, “That won’t happen. Mr. Wen is a very good person. He’s helped me a lot and isn’t the kind of person with ulterior motives.”
At these words, Wen Yu raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.
Wen Yao could barely contain her smile.
“Alright, as long as you think he’s good.”
After all this effort, he only got a “good person” card—no progress at all.
When the old man comes back and there’s still no sign of a granddaughter-in-law, let’s see how he explains himself.
Sensing his mother’s subtle disdain, Wen Yu said, “Madam, would you like to stay for dinner as well?”
Wen Yao replied, “That won’t be necessary. Someone’s waiting for me at home, unlike some lonely soul.”
“I’m off.”
After pinching Xu Jinhuan’s cheek, Wen Yao left gracefully.
Xu Jinhuan was still holding the luxury store shopping bag, watching the car disappear into the distance with a hint of regret.
Yao Jiejie had bought her such expensive clothes, and she hadn’t even invited her in to sit down or have a cup of tea. How rude of her.
And then there was Mr. Wen.
She had left him behind and abandoned him at home, yet Mr. Wen showed no displeasure and even helped her make dinner…
Why were they both so kind?
“Wash your hands and let’s eat.” While Xu Jinhuan was still lost in thought, Wen Yu had already set the table.
“Okay!”
Xu Jinhuan quickly placed the bag on the counter, washed her hands in the back kitchen, and then sat across from Wen Yu. She was immediately surprised.
Stir-fried garlic chives with pork, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and corn and pork rib soup.
With just the few ingredients in the fridge, Mr. Wen had managed to prepare two dishes and a soup. The soup was bright and flavorful, the pork strips tender and smooth—a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.
“Your cooking skills are amazing! They’re on par with restaurant chefs,” Xu Jinhuan praised sincerely.Wen Yu smiled slightly, “Just some home-cooked dishes, still not too rusty.”
“Did you have fun shopping today?”
Xu Jinhuan, holding a spare rib in her mouth, nodded repeatedly like a little kitten, “So much fun! But Yao Jiejie was too enthusiastic—she insisted on buying me clothes. You have no idea how expensive those clothes were. Even if I were sold by the pound, I couldn’t afford them.”
Wen Yu curled his lips, “If sold by the pound, you’d definitely need some more feeding.”
Xu Jinhuan poked at the rice grains in her bowl, her expression tinged with hesitation and unease.
“Yao Jiejie gave me a dress worth seven figures. I feel like I owe her such a huge favor, and it really weighs on my mind. I don’t even know how to repay her…”
Wen Yu ladled a bowl of soup for Xu Jinhuan and said, “Clothes are meant to serve people. As long as you like them, no matter how expensive, they’re worth it.”
“It’s normal for friends to give gifts. It’s because she genuinely likes you and is willing to do things for you. You just need to accept it graciously. There’s no need to dwell on how to repay her, or else she might feel like you’re putting a price tag on your friendship, which wouldn’t be good.”
“Is that so…” Xu Jinhuan murmured, her expression thoughtful.
“Of course.”
Wen Yu’s tone was calm and sincere, “For example, if I casually cooked a few dishes for you today, would you feel the need to cook for me in return just to call it even?”
It seemed… that made sense.
Only then did Xu Jinhuan emerge from the dead end she had created in her own mind.
She lightly patted her forehead and looked at Wen Yu gratefully.
“I guess I was overthinking it. Thank you, I understand now!”
Wen Yu smiled gently, “Mm, let’s eat.”
“Mm!” Xu Jinhuan nodded and, in a gesture of reciprocity, picked up some food for Wen Yu. “You eat too. By the way, is your headache feeling better?”
Wen Yu replied, “The cold medicine worked well. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Xu Jinhuan said, “That’s good. Remember to take it again after you get back, so you don’t feel unwell tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
…
After Wen Yu left, Xu Jinhuan went up to the second floor.
The blanket was neatly spread out, with a long, slender cat lying across it, licking its pink paws. “Meow~”
She gently stroked the cat’s head a couple of times, then opened the wardrobe and carefully hung up the outrageously expensive dress.
Xu Jinhuan reached out and lightly brushed the surface of the dress, a faint trace of regret flickering in her eyes.
She might never have the chance to wear it in this lifetime.
What a waste to give it to her…
The cow-patterned cat, seeing its owner standing still for so long, curiously walked over, rubbing its fluffy body against her pants leg, its paws itching to move.
“Xiao Xiao, you can’t scratch this!”
Seeing the cat’s paw about to hook the hem of the dress, Xu Jinhuan’s heart tightened, and she lifted Xiao Xiao up entirely.
“Meow!” Xiao Xiao unhappily pressed its paw pads against her face.
Xu Jinhuan grabbed the cat’s paws and said sternly, “No fish treats for you tonight.”
Xiao Xiao widened its eyes and protested with an unhappy meow, “Meow!”
In the end, the protest was futile.
The mischievous cat lost its snack privileges and lay gloomily in a corner.
After Xu Jinhuan finished her shower, the carefree little creature had already sorted out its mood and was bouncing around downstairs.
Since the shop door was securely closed, there was no need to worry about it running outside, so she didn’t pay it much mind.
Walking over to sit by the bedside, Xu Jinhuan finally noticed a beautifully crafted box on the nightstand, with a handwritten note tucked underneath.
What’s this…
Xu Jinhuan’s heart trembled as she gently unfolded the note.The fountain pen script above was bold and vigorous, each stroke carrying a unique personal charm.
【A gift from a business partner during a work trip. It has a pleasant fragrance and is non-irritating to cats. Hope the little one likes it.】