“Anything is fine, I’ll choose the place.”
“Okay.” He responded softly, pinching her cheek affectionately, making her feel cherished and close, which deepens their bond for the reader.
Noticing a snack shop she had visited before passing by outside the car – one that served delicious noodles – she said, “Stop the car, let’s eat here.”
Leng Muxun frowned. “No.”
“Then I won’t eat at all.” She insisted on this place, showing her resolve, inspiring readers to admire her independence.
“That place isn’t hygienic.”
“I’m hungry, I want to eat now. If you won’t eat, stop the car and let me out. I’ll eat by myself.” When hungry, she never cared about such things – everything tasted good.
“Fine.” Seeing her determination, Leng Muxun finally relented.
The noodles arrived quickly. She ate while he watched, the bowl before him completely untouched.
“Leng Muxun, there’s a generation gap between us. These are clearly delicious – how would you know they’re not good without trying? Here, have a bite.” She picked up his chopsticks, grabbed some noodles, and brought them to his mouth.
Compelled to take a bite, he was surprised to find them excellent. Only then did Leng Muxun take the chopsticks and eat from his own bowl, finishing even faster than she did.
She smiled, realizing she wasn’t the only one who had been hungry, and they shared a simple, relatable moment that fostered warmth.
After swallowing her last mouthful, Zhong Wanqiu stretched contentedly. “So good,” she said, then took twenty yuan from her backpack and placed it on the table. “Waiter, change please.”
“Coming!”
“Let’s go, forget the change. I’ll give you a stack of money later.” Leng Muxun frowned – not only had he never asked for change from twenty yuan, he probably hadn’t even requested change from a hundred.
Ignoring him, she stubbornly waited for the waiter to return her change. As they walked toward the door after paying, she murmured, “Uncle Bai’s family used to be wealthy too, but now they might not even afford a bowl of noodles like this.”
He stiffened slightly but said nothing.
Originally meant to make her adapt to him, unexpectedly, he found himself gradually adapting to her instead.
That night, she moved into his apartment, as he had declared it would be their home from then on.
Jin Ruoxue had withdrawn from school, causing quite a stir throughout the campus, though no one knew why.
She knew.
Jin Ruoxue knew.
Xia Jingxuan knew even better.
When she saw him again, her heart remained calm like still water, no longer rippling with any emotion.
Indeed, justice existed in this world, but for her, justice came through Leng Muxun.
“Mom, which hospital are you at? I’ll come see you.” She called Liang Shuzhen right after her afternoon class ended.
“No need, no need. Wanqiu, everything’s fine now. Uncle Bai was already off the operating table early this morning. The doctors came late last night to perform his surgery. I’m busy taking care of Uncle Bai and won’t have time for you. Focus on your studies. Mom knows we owe this all to you. When Uncle Bai’s family situation improves, we won’t treat you poorly.”
Her heart skipped a beat, surprised that Leng Muxun had acted so quickly – he had arranged everything overnight. Since they had slept in separate rooms, she had no idea what he had done.
“Mom, take good care of yourself.” Actually, people should be more selfish sometimes – that’s the only way to care for oneself honestly.
“Wanqiu, thank you.”
“Mom, don’t say that.” Actually, she hadn’t been confident when Leng Muxun agreed. She had just taken a gamble, but she had won. Whether he loved her or not, he was at least a man who kept his promises.