Wen Tingxue thought he was shocked by the gap in the amount, but he said unhappily:
"Your grandmother said you were full of lies, and I didn't believe it. Now it seems..."
Wen Di frowned in disappointment, "You'll say anything to avoid supporting her. Fifty thousand, why don't you say five million?
"What does an old person want so much money for? All she wants is a monthly pension of five thousand yuan!"
His righteous tone made it seem as if Wen Tingxue were a heinous criminal.
Wen Tingxue lowered her head and smiled. She shouldn't have held out any hope for him.
He believed everything the old lady said, and even if her grandmother twisted facts and lied through her teeth, he still felt very sorry for her.
Yes, the elderly were weak.
Deserving of sympathy.
But didn't they need to clarify the truth first?
Since his heart was biased from the beginning, there was nothing more to say.
Wen Tingxue raised her head expressionlessly, just in time to see a fleeting look of disgust flash across his face.
Anger surged within her, and she retorted coldly, "Fifty thousand is not for her, but to pay off your uncle's gambling debts."
"Still lying!" The successive lies completely drained the last bit of guilt from his heart.
Wen Di said with burning anger, "Your grandmother guessed correctly. She knew you would shift the blame to your uncle.
"But I've checked. Your uncle has his own job, and his salary is not low. It's enough for a family of three in Lucheng. As for the gambling debts you mentioned, I'm sorry, I really couldn't find any."
When words fail, silence is golden.
Wen Tingxue closed her eyes tiredly, "Since you think you are righteous, then you support her. Our family will not give a single cent."
The gambling his uncle played was with loan sharks.
Over the years, her father and aunt had helped pay off a lot.
Both openly and secretly, the exact amount was unknown.
It was precisely because he was so confident that his uncle never thought of quitting gambling. After all, as long as he cried and made a fuss, someone would clean up his mess.
But why?
He wasn't the one working hard for the money, yet he was the one spending it like water!
The young girl walked out of the office without looking back, no matter what Wen Di said.
Facing the light, her expression was faint.
Yet, it was stunningly beautiful.
...
After leaving the office, Wen Tingxue clutched her phone tightly.
The screen showed Yu Wenli's call.
She was afraid those people hadn't left yet, so she was constantly on guard.
The corridor, which felt normal before, now seemed exceptionally long.
When she finally reached the end, the young girl suddenly froze, staring blankly ahead.
The sudden burst of light made her eye sockets feel a little hot.
The young man standing under the acacia tree seemed to sense it and looked up. The moment their eyes met, a faint smile bloomed on his clear and handsome face.
In the dappled shadows of the alternating light and dark, he was stunningly beautiful.
The young girl subconsciously smiled back, but before her lips could even lift, her eyes were already uncontrollably moist.
The unspoken anxiety, anger, and grievance she had suppressed all along reached their peak at this moment.
Like an overinflated balloon, ready to burst with the slightest poke...
Yu Wenli raised his hand, took off his earphones, and shut out the piercing screams from inside.
Then, without changing his expression, he walked out of the shade.
As his long legs moved, the hem of his clothes fluttered.
It wasn't a large movement, like gentle waves. Wen Tingxue watched for a moment, then suddenly felt that no grievance or anger mattered anymore.
The only thing that mattered was that he had arrived.
Yu Wenli stepped onto the stairs, his expression soft, "Good girl, what's wrong? You look so upset..."
He reached out to pinch her face, but she threw herself into his arms first.
A soft, tender bundle, her breath sweet.
The young man's back stiffened for a moment, then he put one hand on her shoulders and the other behind her head, gently stroking it.
The familiar scent filled her nostrils. The young girl whimpered sadly and then clung to his soft gray hoodie with longing.
"What's wrong?" A voice filled with concern came from above. "What did Mr. Wen say to you? Did you get wronged?"
The young girl didn't speak, just hugged him tightly.
Like a drowning person who had been drifting at sea for a long time, finally grasping a piece of driftwood, she held on tightly, refusing to let go.
Yu Wenli affectionately stroked the young girl's head and didn't ask any more questions.
They stood embracing for a long time in the light and shadow at the entrance of the corridor.
Only when the young girl felt that her emotions had settled did she slowly let go.
Afraid he would ask, she didn't dare to look up, her hands twisting the hem of her hoodie, and she said softly:
"Let's go home and eat."
"Okay."
He didn't ask anything, just held her hand and walked step by step onto the avenue paved with bright sunlight.
Their retreating figures gradually disappeared into the distance, appearing somewhat small in the vast teaching area.
But Wen Di watched for a long time.
After his anger subsided, he did have some doubts about the old lady's words.
After all, he knew the young girl's character; she didn't seem like a hypocritical or cunning person.
But her attitude was so firm...
Wen Di rubbed his temples with a headache and decided to investigate further.
What if there was something he didn't know?
...
As soon as the car started, Wen Zhongen's video call popped up.
There had been several calls before this, but she had missed them all.
As her fingertip touched the button, Wen Tingxue inexplicably recalled last night's phone call.
After a few seconds of hesitation, she pressed to connect.
Yu Wenli noticed her hesitation, and his narrow eyes slightly narrowed.
On the other end, Wen Zhongen hadn't realized the call was connected and was talking about work with his secretary.
Only when the secretary reminded him did he turn his head. The man in work mode was serious and attractive, with almost no expression on his face.
Completely different from his usual demeanor at home.
Wen Tingxue blinked in surprise.
Before she could get a good look, Wen Zhongen had already changed to a gentle smile, holding up his phone with a slightly awkward gesture, and asked patiently:
"Why are you still in the car? Is something wrong at school? Do you want Dad to come back and handle it?"
Although he rarely picked his daughter up from school, he knew her dismissal time.
According to normal hours, they should be having lunch now.
"Ah..."
Wen Tingxue lowered her eyes and said half-truthfully, "The homeroom teacher wanted to talk to me about something, which delayed me a bit."
Before Wen Zhongen could ask further, she quickly added, "It's nothing major. Have you had lunch, Dad?"
Her daughter's sudden concern instantly intercepted Wen Zhongen's desire to probe. He said sweetly, "I'll eat soon. Dad wants to chat with you for a while longer."
Since his daughter returned, he had been busy with work, and just as he was nearing completion, he was sent on a business trip to a neighboring city.
To be precise, he had spoken less with his daughter than Fang Yi did in a day.
Now that he finally had an opportunity, he naturally didn't want to miss it.
He just didn't know if his daughter was willing.
"Is it... convenient?" Wen Zhongen asked nervously, staring at the screen.
He was afraid his daughter didn't want to talk to him.
After all, he had spent so little time with her.
Their relationship hadn't been fully established yet.
Wen Tingxue's heart suddenly softened. She smiled sweetly, "Of course, it's convenient. Why wouldn't it be?"
After saying that, she suddenly felt that this conversation was very familiar.
Then she remembered that she had said something similar to her mother last night.
So, true family members, no matter how busy they are, never feel that your call is an interruption.
Wen Tingxue realized it afterward and showed a smile.
The last vestiges of negative emotions in her heart also became unimportant because of this realization.