Zhu Mingqi only complained to her a few times, "Look at that girl, she doesn't even look as old as Ahui, and she's already married. I didn't dare to ask her any questions, for fear that she would already have children. My family has two, no, three."
Zhu Mingqi chuckled. "Siyan is too quiet at home. I always forget about her. She'll be graduating soon. What a wonderful age! She's handsome too, but she doesn't seem to care about dating. All she does is study, just like her dad. It's so annoying."
Yan Lin smiled and said, "Si Yan also wants to lighten Feng He's burden, after all, A Hui is willful."
“Yes,” Zhu Mingqi said. “Ahui is like me, willful. But I’m much more attentive than her, how come she didn’t inherit any of that?”
Yan Lin shrugged: "I don't know."
The two chatted for a while, and not long after, Zhu Mingqi's expression changed as she looked at the distance, and her smile vanished.
The person not far away also turned their gaze over.
Their eyes met.
A moment later, Zhu Mingqi stepped aside first, saying, "Yan Lin, let's go."
Yan Lin was taken aback: "Auntie, you're not going to watch anymore?"
"No," Zhu Mingqi said. "If I run into an annoying person and don't leave, we'll end up arguing."
Yan Lin looked around and noticed a person in a white dress staring at them menacingly from a distance.
She was a woman around the same age as Zhu Mingqi, but she wasn't as well-maintained as Zhu Mingqi and looked somewhat sickly.
"Alright," Yan Lin agreed with Zhu Mingqi. "Then shall I take you to find A-Hui?"
“Okay.” Zhu Mingqi started to walk out, but then suddenly changed her mind. “Forget it, let’s go to that hospital.”
"Which one?" Yan Lin asked, puzzled.
Zhu Mingqi said, "At that hospital where Ning is, she's already a resident physician, and she even skipped a grade."
Yan Lin: "..."
"Don't tell Shen Hui," Zhu Mingqi said. "I'm just going to register, consider it a medical check-up, and see her while I'm at it."
Yan Lin: "..."
He silently put the phone back down, and silently lit a candle for Shen Hui in his heart.
//
After Liang Shi went downstairs to look for Liang Wanwan, he caught a glimpse of two annoying people at the same time.
— Qiu Zimin and Liang Xinran.
Qiu Zimin wore a white dress, which didn't quite match her temperament and looked rather mismatched, while Liang Xinran wore a light blue dress and silver high heels, and looked quite like a rich heiress.
Liang Wanwan stood opposite them, head down, as if she had been scolded.
Liang Shi didn't want to go over, but seeing Liang Wanwan's condition from the stairs, he finally went downstairs and called out from a distance, "Wanwan."
Liang Wanwan raised her head, bit her lip, and looked slightly embarrassed.
Qiu Zimin and Liang Xinran turned around at the sound, and Liang Shi met their gazes with a blank expression.
"Wanwan, I'm leaving," Liang Shi said.
Just as Liang Wanwan was about to lift her foot, she heard Qiu Zimin say sternly, "You dare!"
Liang Wanwan hesitated, but she looked troubled and said in a low voice, "Mom, I have something to do and I have to go first."
“Liang Wanwan.” Qiu Zimin also remembered that family scandals shouldn’t be aired in public. “Whenever I call you home, you always make excuses about school, but then you end up coming to an art exhibition with other people? Are you doing this on purpose? Do you want to drive me crazy like your older brothers did?”
“Big brother has already gone back to the company…” Liang Wanwan didn’t dare to contradict Qiu Zimin, but she weakly retorted, “Second brother went back too, so why are they going to…”
"Liang Wanwan!" Qiu Zimin called her name sternly, with a warning in her voice.
Liang Wanwan immediately fell silent, and even trembled in fright.
Liang Shi, who was watching from a short distance away, frowned. Just then, Chen Mian walked over and gently patted her on the shoulder: "What are you doing?"
"Do me a favor." Liang Shi pulled Chen Mian along: "Go and bring my sister over."
"That one?" Chen Mian gestured with her chin toward Liang Wanwan.
"right."
"Why aren't you going?" Chen Mian asked.
Liang Shi: "...has something difficult to say."
Chen Mian didn't ask any further questions, and Liang Shi said, "I'll treat you to dinner."
Chen Mian raised an eyebrow: "Do I owe you a meal?"
After saying that, he answered to himself, "Indeed, I haven't had lunch yet."
The organizers were actually planning a dinner party, but Chen Mian didn't want to attend; such a perfunctory occasion wasn't suitable for her.
Chen Mian raised her hand and took off her glasses, revealing a pair of sharp, indifferent eyes.
She lifted her foot and walked towards Liang Wanwan.
After noticing Chen Mian's arrival, Liang Wanwan lowered her head even further.
She absolutely did not want Chen Mian to see her in such a disheveled state.
But fate had other plans. Not only did Chen Mian see her, he also walked towards her.
Liang Wanwan clenched her fists, her body trembling.
Qiu Zimin frowned and questioned her, "Liang Wanwan, do you also want to be like your two brothers and never come home again?"
Liang Wanwan's voice was so weak it was barely audible, "No..."
Liang Xinran said from the side, "Mom, don't be angry. Wanwan is still young and has so many things to do at school. It's normal for her not to come home. A girl this age has so much freedom in college."
“Yeah, it’s more free at school.” Qiu Zimin got even angrier upon hearing this. “You don’t have any freedom at home, do you? You’re all just like your brother. I can understand your older brother protecting that one, but what about you two? You and your second brother are just opportunists. Liang Wanwan, I didn’t stop you from doing things at school, did I? But think about it, how long has it been since you’ve been home?”
Liang Wanwan bit her lower lip and whispered, "Mom, please stop talking."
It had a hint of pleading.
But Qiu Zimin only heard her voice, which was barely audible; she couldn't hear a single word she said.
Qiu Zimin poked her in exasperation, "Is this how I usually teach you? You can't even speak properly anymore? You might as well learn from her, what can you possibly learn..."
He was about to poke Liang Wanwan's forehead again when his finger was stopped.
Chen Mian was wearing a loose white shirt, one side of which was tucked into her black suit pants.
Today was probably a fairly important occasion, as she wore a tie under her white shirt, though it was loose and baggy, just like her shirt.
She was a bit taller than Liang Wanwan, and she blocked Liang Wanwan's view from the side.
Qiu Zimin's fingers were being grabbed. She looked up and saw a stranger. After a moment of stunned silence, she said coldly, "Who are you?"
“Her friend,” Chen Mian said, “In public, Auntie, isn’t this a bit inappropriate?”
Qiu Zimin frowned and let out a soft breath. She didn't want to embarrass herself in public, but the other person was standing there and used a lot of force to pry her fingers open, which hurt her quite a bit.
It took a lot of effort to pull her finger out. Qiu Zimin shook her finger and said, "I'm teaching my daughter that you're Wanwan's friend, so you should know your place."
"Huh?" Chen Mian was genuinely taken aback, and his voice carried a hint of contempt, making people feel uncomfortable.
Qiu Zimin asked, "What do you mean?"
Chen Mian shrugged. "It doesn't mean anything. If you think it's inappropriate for your friends to stop you from doing these things, then it's your girlfriend."
Chen Mian met her gaze, looking extremely arrogant.
Chen Mian smiled and said, "I can't stand seeing others bully my girlfriend. Your daughter is all grown up and of age to have a girlfriend. You're still doing this in public. Do you know how to raise a daughter? I'm glad my girlfriend isn't like you, otherwise I wouldn't dare to have children in the future."
Qiu Zimin: "...?"
Chen Mian's words were convoluted and roundabout, subtly criticizing Qiu Zimin.
It didn't even contain a single swear word.
It took Qiu Zimin a while to react, "You..."
Before she could even retort with her own insults, Chen Mian had already grabbed Liang Wanwan's wrist and swaggered away from her.
Qiu Zimin was furious.
At that moment, Liang Wanwan, whose wrist was being held by Chen Mian, looked up at her back.
Chen Mian has a slight hunchback, not a perfectly straight one.
But she is tall enough that it doesn't affect her figure at all.
Liang Wanwan's palms were damp, and through her misty eyes she looked at Chen Mian's back.
//
Chen Mian and Liang Shi met outside the art museum.
Liang Wanwan was in a bad mood and stood aside without saying a word.
Chen Mian apologized to Liang Wanwan first, "I'm sorry, it was your sister who asked me to bring you out, that's why I said those things. I'm sorry if I offended you, please don't take it to heart."
Liang Wanwan felt even more upset.
The cold winter sun hangs in the sky, reflecting a chilling light.
Liang Wanwan said timidly, "It's nothing."
She kept her head down, not daring to look at Chen Mian even once.
She had already seen enough when Chen Mian strode out with her hand.
That was the most greedy thing she had ever done.
Liang Shi gave Chen Mian a thumbs up, "Chen Mian, you're pretty ruthless when you curse."
Chen Mian raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Not bad."
Liang Shi had heard everything just now and deeply understood what Chen Mian had said.
The three of them stood outside the art museum, feeling a bit cold.
Chen Mian was the least dressed.
Chen Mian's coat was made of wool, and she only wore a single shirt underneath; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was spring clothing.
But she stood in the wind without shivering at all.