Jian Fei hadn't figured out how to explain her relationship with Ke Teng to her family, so she didn't want them to discover she was out late.
She planned to return early the next day.
However, man proposes, but heaven disposes.
After an intimate night, she woke up to find it was already past eight in the morning.
She felt panicked but managed to stay calm, asking Ke Teng to take her home.
On the way, Ke Teng asked her what she would do if her family found out.
"Just say you're my client and I had a last-minute issue that required me to accompany you out last night."
Ke Teng felt a little displeased.
Was he that embarrassing? Even after everything that had happened between them, she still wasn't ready to tell her family.
But he respected Jian Fei.
Girls were different from men. Establishing a relationship privately without any formal arrangements was indeed difficult to explain.
When he dropped her off at the door, Jian Fei didn't want to invite Ke Teng in.
As he sat in the car and she stood outside preparing to say goodbye, her grandmother returned from buying buns, catching them both by surprise.
"Fei Fei, you're back? Ke Teng is here too? Breakfast is ready, we're just waiting for you two, come back and eat."
Thus, Jian Fei had no choice but to bring Ke Teng home.
Whether it was her grandmother and sister's simple-mindedness or their high emotional intelligence,
no one asked about what happened the previous night.
Her grandmother had the habit of waking up early to make breakfast, simmering rich and fragrant porridge and stir-frying light side dishes, and she had just gone out to buy buns, ensuring they ate comfortably.
Drinking the porridge cooked in a clay pot, Ke Teng felt incredibly satisfied.
"With this skill, it's a shame you don't open a restaurant."
As a housewife, the greatest compliment she could receive was about her cooking. Her grandmother was very happy and told him.
She had indeed thought about opening a restaurant before, and more than one person had suggested it to her.
"Then why didn't you?"
Ke Teng's question was a bit naive, like asking why someone didn't eat meat when there was no meat available, and he regretted it immediately.
Looking at their family's financial situation and members, it was clear that even opening a small restaurant would be difficult.
Her sister had to go to work and quickly finished her meal before saying goodbye to them.
She used to ride a bicycle, but last year she bought herself a small green electric scooter with her salary.
The November morning was quite cold, and the leaves on the tree branches had all fallen, leaving them bare.
Seeing his sister leave so thinly clad, Ke Teng felt a bit heartbroken and offered to drive her.
Coincidentally, Jian Fei hadn't visited her sister's factory in a long time and wanted to see it too, so the three of them went together.
The car Ke Teng's assistant had prepared for his business trip was a discreetly luxurious Bentley.
While not conspicuous in a big city, it was quite eye-catching on the streets of the small county town.
On the way to the factory, her sister was very excited.
She had been plain and unsophisticated for the first 22 years of her life, and the thought that she might finally hold her head high today made her tremble with joy.
Ke Teng drove the car directly to the factory entrance before stopping. As expected, it attracted countless gazes.
The boss only drove a BMW 7 Series, so where did this important person come from, who could even outshine the boss?
Seeing her sister get out of the car, everyone was even more surprised.
Among the crowd, a pair of inquisitive eyes was particularly striking; it was the young man her sister had a crush on, who was about to get married.
Seeing the look of surprise he cast, her sister felt proud yet also a little flustered.
She signed with her hands, urging Jian Fei and Ke Teng to leave quickly.
For her, this moment of holding her head high was enough.
Ke Teng was a discerning person and understood men's thoughts very well.
Especially since that man's gaze was different from others.
Recalling the phone call from that day, he asked Jian Fei, "Is that the person your sister used to have a crush on?"
Jian Fei had seen a photo and told him it was.
"He's quite ordinary. Your sister's taste really isn't that great."
He pulled his sister in front of him, tidied her collar, and knowing she could read lips, he told her slowly.
"You are beautiful, young, and have a promising future. Ordinary men are not worthy of you, especially those here."
"Don't be sad over these people anymore. Brother will introduce you to better ones; they will only be able to admire you."
After dropping off her sister, Jian Fei had nothing to do and decided to go home to help her grandmother.
Ke Teng had work to do, and they parted with a kiss.
They hadn't seen each other all morning, and Jian Fei had taken a short nap at noon. At three in the afternoon, Ke Teng called her.
He asked her to wait at the entrance to pick her up.
As if they hadn't seen each other in a long time, Jian Fei was very excited.
She secretly washed her hair, tidied herself up, and even applied a bit of cheap lipstick before going out.
Seeing her looking well, Ke Teng was also in a good mood and drove her directly to the largest mall in the county town.
"Why are we here? Are you buying something?"
"I heard from a staff member that a shop here is for sale, so I came to take a look."
The shop he mentioned was located on the first floor of the mall, the first unit to the left of the main entrance.
It was a prime location that Jian Fei had often seen but could only dream of.
He wasn't in the business in such a small place, so why would he be looking at shops?
Ke Teng took her hand and led her around the premises. The space and location were good, and he asked Jian Fei how she felt about it.
Jian Fei said it was very good, "But what do you want it for?"
"To open a restaurant. Grandma's cooking is so good, it would be a waste not to share it with everyone. Let her run it."
Jian Fei never expected him to say that and felt embarrassed.
She thought she had calmly accepted her relationship with Ke Teng, but it was only that.
He was good to her, cared about her, was willing to share his feelings with her, and enjoyed their intimacy. It was already remarkable that they got along so well.
She didn't want him to spend money on her repeatedly.
Her pride couldn't take it.
After receiving so many years of education, yet being dependent on a man for everything at the end made her doubt her abilities and feel very frustrated.
"No need. Grandma's cooking is only suitable for a roadside stall, not for such a high-end place. Besides..."
"Besides what?" Ke Teng interrupted her.
"I think the rent is very expensive, and you can't afford it, but you don't want me to help you pay?"
Jian Fei always maintained a sense of distance in their relationship, which made him unhappy.
"You're overthinking it. I have no intention of helping you pay the rent. I bought it for my own use."
"Hmm?"
"I bought this shop. I'll be the boss, I'll do the renovation, establish the brand and rules, and let your sister and grandmother work for me."
Fortunately, he had planned everything in advance.
"Your sister is just an assembly line worker at the factory. Even after ten or eight years, there won't be much improvement. It's better for her to work with me."
"She'll be the store manager and handle the finances. Not only will she get training and build confidence, but she'll also gain experience in running a shop. Isn't that good?"
He presented the matter of his help and their free gifts in a very dignified manner, trying to make Jian Fei more accepting.
However, the more he did so, the more Jian Fei felt his thoughtful intentions and the more embarrassed she became.
For the first time in her life, she clearly understood why people say it's important to marry someone from a similar social background.