The next day, after Su Manman fully recovered, she got up early.
Since she didn’t know what time Qin Lin’s train would arrive, she went ahead to the train station and waited at the exit gate, scanning through wave after wave of passengers coming out, searching for his figure. By noon, she still hadn’t seen him.
“It’s so cold. I should find a place to warm up first and come back later.” Su Manman turned to leave.
The next second, the whistle of a train sounded in her ears. She stopped and decided to wait for one more batch.
So she returned to the exit gate.
After a while, she instantly recognized Qin Lin in the crowd.
Much more vivid than in photos.
Tall, with long legs.
His skin was fairer than most men’s, his facial features outstanding, and his gaze calm and cool. At that moment, a faint smile hung on his lips, adding a touch of warmth.
Oh my!
So handsome!
She didn’t expect Old Master Qin’s sharp old eyes—his son turned out so good-looking.
The man on the marriage certificate was already twenty-six. If it were her past self, she would have thought he was old.
But now, she only felt he was mature and steady.
Qin Lin, brother…
She had just called out when she realized there was a woman beside him, around twenty-three or twenty-four years old. She was pretty, had permed curly hair, and dressed fashionably.
The two of them were chatting and laughing.
What’s their relationship?
Didn’t Grandpa Qin say he wasn’t married and didn’t have a partner?
What’s going on with this woman?
How is this happening?
Su Manman’s mind buzzed.
Qin Lin suddenly heard his name and lifted his eyelids, only to see a white figure quickly pass by.
“I think I heard someone calling you,” the woman beside him said.
Qin Lin paused. Among the women he knew, none had that voice. Who was calling him?
“I heard it too.” Not only his name—but also “brother.”
A very unfamiliar way of addressing him.
He walked out of the station and looked around.
His gaze finally landed under a broadcasting pole not far away.
A very beautiful and cute girl was glaring at him, her lips pursed so tightly they looked like they could hang an oil pot.
For some reason, he felt like laughing.
The woman accompanying him was Liu Wei. She immediately noticed Su Manman’s striking appearance. After their eyes met, the girl stamped her foot at her and ran off. Liu Wei found it strange and glanced at the man beside her.
“Oh right, Qin Lin, did you see the girl under the pole? She seemed really hostile toward me.”
Qin Lin looked at her in surprise. “She has no grudge against you. Why would she be hostile?”
“Because of you. Many female colleagues in the office are jealous that I got to go on a business trip with you,” Liu Wei said in a joking tone while subtly flirting.
Qin Lin frowned slightly and did not respond. Instead, he said, “I’m leaving first.”
“Hey, Qin Lin—” Liu Wei tried to say more.
But Qin Lin had already picked up his bag and walked away quickly. He took a car home, unable to stop thinking about the girl at the station.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt she was angry with him.
When he entered the house, he immediately went to greet Old Master Qin.
“Dad, where’s Mom?”
Old Master Qin looked behind him. “She went to your aunt’s house in the countryside. Why did you come back alone?”
Qin Lin asked in confusion, “Should I not come back alone?”
“Yes. Manman went to pick you up,” the old man said.
“Manman? Who is that?”
Old Master Qin looked at him carefully. “The wife I found for you.”
Qin Lin immediately thought of the girl at the station. His brows jumped. Could it be her?
He blurted out, “White cotton coat, red knitted hat, two braids, calling people ‘brother’?”
Old Master Qin felt uneasy. “You met her? Ahem! Third son, don’t blame me. Just think of it as me owing you one. She’s the granddaughter of an old friend of mine. Her parents passed away, leaving her all alone, so she came to seek refuge. Originally, I planned to have her marry Xingyun, but after seeing your photo, she insisted on marrying you. I had no choice but to agree.”
Qin Lin’s expression darkened. “So you registered our marriage for us? That’s too absurd.”
However, thinking of the girl under the broadcasting pole, he didn’t feel much rejection—just mild surprise.
And he also understood why she was angry.
She must have misunderstood seeing him with Liu Wei.
He added, “I did see her. She was standing far away and did not identify herself to me.”
Old Master Qin observed him carefully. Seeing he was relatively calm, he slightly relaxed.
“She probably got shy. It’s so cold outside, and the forecast said snow. She just arrived—don’t let her get lost. Go find her.”
Qin Lin hesitated briefly, then picked up his coat and went out.
Just as he pushed his bicycle out the gate, he saw Qin Xingyun sneaking toward the alley.
“Xingyun, what guilty thing are you doing?”
Qin Xingyun startled. “Uncle! Did you see the fat woman at home?”
Qin Lin frowned. “Fat woman?”
“Yes! The girl Grandpa picked for me and my brothers. She’s his friend’s granddaughter—dark, fat, and rustic. She even wore sunglasses indoors and covered her face. She must be ugly. We’ve been avoiding Grandpa these past two days and didn’t even go home. Since you came back today, we came to ask about her.”
Qin Lin’s heart tightened. “What’s her name?”
After thinking, Qin Xingyun said, “I think Grandpa called her Manman.”
Qin Lin frowned. Were the Manmans they were talking about the same person?
“Uncle, you should avoid her too. That big, dark, fat woman is ugly and overly confident—not a good person.”
Whoosh!
A sharp sound of wind brushed past Qin Xingyun’s ear.
Thud!
A brick landed and shattered into two pieces.
Qin Xingyun turned in shock. At the alley entrance stood a girl holding two candied hawthorns in her left hand, her right hand still in a throwing posture.
His eyes lit up. He smiled. “Miss, you shouldn’t throw bricks like that. You might hurt someone.”
Su Manman said coldly, “Serves you right if I killed you!”
Qin Xingyun: “……”
His good impression of her immediately dropped by half. He restrained his smile. “What did I do to offend you?”
Qin Lin said calmly, “You spoke badly about her.”
Qin Xingyun was stunned. “When did I speak badly about her? I was talking about that dark, fat—mmph!”
Qin Lin covered his mouth.
Su Manman tilted her head, studying Qin Lin’s action. So he already knew her identity?
How did he know?
Looking at him up close, he was clean and cool. When the wind blew, his short hair naturally swept back, making him even more handsome.
Unfortunately, he already had another woman by his side.
She had principles—if something wasn’t claimed, and she liked it, she would fight for it and take it by force.
But if it already belonged to someone, no matter how much she liked it, she wouldn’t take it.
She suppressed her feelings for him, snorted, and walked past him.
Qin Lin’s pale face flushed slightly. Her temper… was actually this strong.
Qin Xingyun pulled Qin Lin’s hand away and stepped in front of Su Manman.
“Who are you? This is my house.”
“Now it’s my house too!” Su Manman pushed him aside forcefully.
Qin Xingyun staggered. “Hey, you shrew!”
Su Manman slapped him twice across the face. “I’ve tolerated you for a long time.”
The man she liked had another woman. Her love hadn’t even started before it ended. In a bad mood, she hit him and immediately ran off.
Qin Xingyun held his face, both confused and furious. “Uncle, she hit me.”
Qin Lin’s eyes darkened. “Who told you to be cheap-mouthed.”
Qin Xingyun: “……How am I cheap-mouthed? Why are you taking her side?”
“No reason.” Qin Lin walked away.
Qin Xingyun: “……What do you mean no reason? Uncle, explain yourself!”
Damn.
That hurts.