As Ruan Yufei called out Xing Zheng’s name, Lin Mei remembered what he had said yesterday while taking a call at the milk tea shop. It was a sudden realization: his mention of coming over tomorrow referred to coming to Grandma Xu’s place!
They had parted ways that morning, only to meet again in the evening, and under such an awkward circumstance. Apart from Ruan Yufei, no one else present knew about her relationship with Xing Zheng. Even so, she felt guilty.
“Ah, Zheng is here,” Xu Shang saw Xing Zheng and pulled him over, intending to introduce him to Lin Mei’s family of three. Before Xu Shang could speak, Xing Zheng smiled and greeted Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue, “Teacher Lin, Teacher Xiao, we meet again. How is Teacher Lin’s recovery?”
“Very good, everything is very good,” Lin Zhengde was also surprised and guessed his identity. “You and the elders are…”
“This is my grandson, Zheng. Don’t you remember, Zheng? You used to tutor him when he was little!” Xu Shang smiled and introduced Xing Zheng’s identity to them.
Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue stared at Xing Zheng for a long time. Xiao Yue said, “You’ve changed so much from when you were little, we didn’t recognize you! I remember the second child barely spoke when he was young.”
Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue didn’t have a deep impression of Xing Zheng. He spoke too little, and even during tutoring sessions, he wouldn’t say much. He was a child with little presence, so he naturally wouldn’t leave much of an impression. They no longer remembered what he looked like in his youth, and seeing him as an adult, they couldn’t recognize him at all.
Xing Zheng replied smoothly, “I was quiet as a child. I recognized both of you last time at the hospital, but seeing that you didn’t remember me, I was afraid it would be abrupt, so I didn’t say much.”
Xu Shang didn’t understand, “What hospital? You’ve met before?”
“Lin Mei and I have a working relationship,” Xing Zheng glanced at Lin Mei. Lin Mei immediately became nervous, clenching her fists, her palms sweating from anxiety, fearing Xing Zheng might say something misleading. He seemed to sense her panic and smiled, “The last time Teacher Lin had surgery, it happened to be in a hospital I invested in. When he was transferred, Lin Mei asked a friend to connect me.”
Lin Mei felt a slight relief. Fortunately, he hadn’t said anything that would lead to speculation. Meanwhile, Ruan Yufei’s face turned even paler. Xing Zheng and Lin Mei… knew each other from childhood?
This was Ruan Yufei’s first time spending Chinese New Year with the elders. She knew that before they moved, the elders had good relationships with their former neighbors. She also knew that Xing Zheng and Xing Yan had lived in western Hunan for a few years when they were young. In that case, Lin Mei must be Xing Zheng’s childhood companion?
If this relationship existed…
“So that’s how it is!” Xu Shang nodded. She said with a smile, “I didn’t expect this connection. You two didn’t play together as children, but you’ve become close as adults. I remember back then, Mei Mei always followed Ming Zhe around. Did you two ever talk back then?”
The elders, being older, didn’t remember past events clearly. While reminiscing, she also asked questions.
She mentioned Xing Yan, and Lin Mei reflexively looked at Xing Zheng’s expression. He was still smiling, seemingly unbothered, and was joking with Xu Shang, “As you said, she always followed my brother around, so she wouldn’t talk to me.”
“You were quiet as a child, even if Mei Mei spoke to you, you might not have responded!” Xu Shang defended Lin Mei, “I remember, the little girl from our street liked you and tried to play with you a few times, but you didn’t say a word to her!”
After Xing Zheng entered, Lin Mei hadn’t spoken again. The string in her mind was constantly taut, afraid of being discovered.
Xing Zheng saw Lin Mei’s clenched fists and panicked expression, so he proactively spoke to her, “Are you quite surprised?”
Lin Mei replied stiffly, “Yes.”
Seeing the elders’ puzzled expressions, Xing Zheng then smiled and explained, “She only found out my identity today. She didn’t recognize me before, after all, we weren’t close.”
For some reason, Lin Mei felt that his last two words were a deliberate taunt, but the elders didn’t notice.
Xie Junyao happened to return with Yang Shuo. As soon as Yang Shuo saw Xing Zheng, he excitedly rushed towards him, “Daddy!”
The moment Yang Shuo entered, Lin Mei instinctively lowered her head. Children speak their minds, and this child had always been unfriendly towards her and wouldn’t consider the occasion.
Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue were surprised by the call of “Daddy.” Xing Zheng’s son was already this old?
Some things were inconvenient to discuss in front of a child. Xu Shang and Xie Junyao simultaneously looked at Ruan Yufei. Ruan Yufei immediately understood their meaning, “Yang Shuo, come with Mommy for a drink first!”
After Ruan Yufei took Yang Shuo to the kitchen for a drink, Xu Shang said to Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue, “This is the child of my great-grandson. The child’s father passed away early. Zheng has been taking care of them, mother and daughter. The child doesn’t know, so he thinks Zheng is his father.”
Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue were both kind-hearted people. After hearing the explanation, they felt more sympathy for the child. So young, and without a father, he was truly pitiable.
In the kitchen, Ruan Yufei said to Yang Shuo, who was drinking water, “Yang Shuo, no matter who you see later, don’t speak carelessly, okay?”
Yang Shuo nodded as if he understood. At that moment, he still didn’t grasp the meaning of Ruan Yufei’s words. It wasn’t until he returned to the living room and saw Lin Mei…
Yang Shuo thought Lin Mei was a vixen trying to steal his daddy. As soon as he saw her, he wanted to find trouble. Ruan Yufei held his shoulders and kept signaling to him. Only then did Yang Shuo restrain himself. But even so, Lin Mei felt Yang Shuo’s hostile gaze.
What was supposed to be a happy gathering turned into a situation where she felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. She didn’t have the courage to look at Xing Zheng, but Xing Zheng naturally sat down beside her. Lin Mei flinched away as if she had been shocked.
Xing Zheng took an orange and offered it to her, smiling and teasing, “It’s not work now, you don’t have to be so afraid of me. Have an orange and relax.”
Lin Mei: “……”
Xu Shang also said to Lin Mei, “Zheng can be a bit serious at work, but he’s usually very easygoing. Don’t be afraid of him. Come on, have an orange.”
With Xu Shang urging her, Lin Mei had no choice but to accept the orange. On the peel, his finger warmth lingered. His body temperature always seemed to be high, like a flame that would burn her to ashes if she got too close.
Lin Mei didn’t have the appetite for the orange. She peeled it and forced herself to eat two segments before stopping. At this moment, Xing Zheng beside her suddenly broke off a segment of orange from her hand.
Whether intentionally or not, his fingers brushed against her palm, scratching it lightly as if flirting. The slight tickling sensation made her arm tremble involuntarily, making her feel uncomfortable all over.
Lin Mei put the orange down and casually said, “I’m going to wash my hands.”
Xu Shang: “Do you know where the bathroom is? I’ll have…”
“I’ll take her,” before Xu Shang could finish, Xing Zheng volunteered. He stood up and said to Lin Mei, “Follow me.”