He accepted their unspoken admiration without batting an eye, then ordered food. "You go ahead," he said. "Recently, the Wen family and the Fei family have had a significant collaboration, which is why Wen Qi was willing to bring his family's Longjing tea out to meet people."
Fei Shuo sighed, and then very sincerely told the whole story.
"Could it be that Nianyu is bothered by the fact that you've been looking for merchandise all these years?" Wen Cheng asked sincerely.
“If Xiao Chuan was looking for the surrounding area like this, I would have broken up with him long ago,” Wen Qi commented, giving a fair assessment. Fei Shuo clenched his fists.
But because of her troubled love life, she held back. When you need someone's help, you have to be humble!
This is the lesson my father, who focused on success, taught me.
“There’s probably more to it than that. I feel he’s changed a lot over the years.” Fei Shuo took a deep breath. “Did you investigate?” Wen Cheng took a bite of the dessert that Wen Qi fed her.
Fei Shuo shook his head, "I haven't had time to check." These days, he was no different from a young man in love, and he couldn't remember anything else.
Moreover, although Nianyu was cold to him when she went out, Fei Shuo lowered his head and drank a glass of water inside the house.
But she couldn't help but blush, and to outsiders, it looked like a loyal dog that had been away from home was thinking of its owner.
"Don't even think about it. Let me make this clear: just because you're looking for someone nearby, I won't support you pursuing Dongliang, the pillar of my company. But if his unresolved issues are related to you... sigh," Wen Yunyi grumbled unhappily, then proceeded to explain in detail: "Nianyu's senior year of high school..."
Fei Shuo arrived at Xie Nianyu's building feeling a bit dizzy. At that moment, the light in one of the windows was still on. Fei Shuo finally regained some of his energy and went upstairs. He knocked on the door for a while, but there was no response. Fei Shuo then entered the password, but it showed that the password was incorrect. It turned out that the password had been changed the next day.
Fei Shuo stood there looking somewhat lost, just like a big dog abandoned by its owner.
After standing there for five minutes, Fei Shuo finally took out his phone to make a call. Five minutes later, after calling all the available contact methods, Fei Shuo confirmed Xie Nianyu's determination this time.
Just as he was preparing to come back tomorrow, a woman dressed in an old-fashioned style and wearing thick glasses walked up to Fei Shuo and asked, "Excuse me, is this Xie Nianyu's home?" Fei Shuo wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the woman's gaze was somewhat appraising. According to Wen Yunyi, Nianyu shouldn't have any relatives left. "What do you want with him?"
The woman smiled somewhat awkwardly, "He is my son."
Having said that, she refused to say more. Fei Shuo frowned, adopting his usual imposing manner, "He doesn't live here; this is my home."
"Beep," the door suddenly opened, and Fei Shuo's face was instantly slapped repeatedly.
When the woman saw Xie Nianyu, she rushed over like a dog seeing a bone. "Niannian, it's your mother. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed. Are you used to living here now?"
Disgust was written all over Xie Nianyu's eyes. "Did you need something?"
The woman looked around nervously, as if afraid that a fourth person might come. "Niannian, let's go inside and talk. I've been on the train for more than ten hours straight to get here, and I haven't even had a sip of water."
Xie Nianyu stood at the door, showing no intention of letting her in. "Niannian, what do you mean by this?" the woman asked, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
"It's not like Nianyu told you not to drink. You're his mother, and you're nowhere to be found when something happens. Now that he's doing better and better, how dare you come over?" To Fei Shuo, anything he said, even indirect, was an insult. "You! You," the woman was so angry at Fei Shuo's directness that she couldn't say anything else for a long time. "Nianyu, let's go inside."
“He’s right. Your current husband’s child is getting married and needs to buy a house, right? Your father should have left you a considerable amount of savings before he passed away. Isn’t that enough for you?” Xie Nianyu said without any hesitation.
The woman looked at Xie Nianyu reproachfully, "What are you saying? Isn't your uncle's son also like a younger brother to you? All that money was used to subsidize your in-laws. Your uncle has had a hard life."
Although I was the head of a department at the university, I didn't earn much money. Now that you're making a lot of money, giving you a few million wouldn't be a big deal. I'm still your mother, so just consider this money as a token of my concern. You won't have any descendants in the future, so saving this much is...
"You're blatantly robbing us! You think you can't spend money without offspring? Who gave you that twisted logic? Do you know how much it costs to go on a trip? How much a meal can cost? And what about investments? At worst, we can donate all the money to the country when we die. That's better than having a mother like you."
"You, you!" The woman was easily embarrassed, and after being spoken to so bluntly by Fei Shuo, she felt extremely ashamed and indignant. "He, he's a homosexual! He's ruined the family reputation. Do you know how much gossip I endured back then? My divorce is understandable, but you, Xie Nianyu, must also fulfill your due support obligations!" The woman's eyes were full of contempt.
Xie Nianyu stood there, and even though she had been described in such a way, her face did not show much emotion.
Fei Shuo grabbed Xie Nianyu and slammed the door shut as the woman lunged at him. The knocking outside didn't stop, and Fei Shuo impatiently made a phone call to his assistant.
"The police will be here soon, don't be afraid."
"I think you're just trying to take advantage of this," Xie Nianyu shoved Fei Shuo away, showing no trace of weakness. The room was dimly lit. He picked up a cigarette from the sofa, but Fei Shuo snatched it away just as he put it in his mouth. "It's unhealthy."
Xie Nianyu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "When did you learn to control me?"
Fei Shuo held his breath, but dared not let it out. He could only stand there staring at Xie Nianyu. Even though Xie Nianyu had said such hurtful things last night, he still came the next day. "Xie Nianyu, you ruined our family. Your father and I raised you with great difficulty, not so that you would like men, not so that you would be an outcast, not so that you would embarrass me. Wasn't that him back then? Huh!"
“You haven’t embarrassed yourself,” Fei Shuo said, looking into Xie Nianyu’s eyes as the commotion outside continued. Xie Nianyu’s hand, holding the lighter, involuntarily twirled it. “Let me tell you, if you don’t pay, I’ll sue you. With your current status, what ability do you have to withstand a media attack?”
“Your abilities,” Fei Shuo continued.
"Your relationship is just a passing fancy. Without children, do you really think you can stay this young forever? One day, you'll be just like me, old and nobody will care about you anymore."
“Even when he’s old, he’ll still be a handsome little old man. Others may not look at him, but I will,” Fei Shuo said, his eyes filled with Xie Nianyu.
A crack appeared in Xie Nianyu's expression. "It was my fault for looking around all these years, but I was just looking and didn't date anyone. You're the first one," Fei Shuo tried his best to explain. Xie Nianyu suddenly sneered, "No wonder your technique was so bad that day."
.
Ugh...
Fei Shuo silently suppressed his temper. The two remained silent for about five minutes before Xie Nianyu finally put down the lighter in her hand and walked over. There was no sound outside the door; all that could be heard was the evening breeze and the faint sound of a heartbeat. "I told you, I abandoned you. Don't you hold a grudge?"
“I’ve been searching for this for so many years,” Fei Shuo said guiltily. “You haven’t dragged your family down with you. Your mother was never a good person from beginning to end. None of this is your fault. You’ve carried this burden for so many years; it’s time to let go.”
“I never thought she was a good person, but I see her much more clearly today,” Xie Nianyu’s insight exceeded Fei Shuo’s expectations. “You know everything today?”
“Yes, my friend told me about her situation. I’ve been sending her alimony every month. She’s just causing trouble. I’ve also contacted the police.” Now that ordinary people can no longer threaten Xie Nianyu, Fei Shuo suddenly realized that he had underestimated Xie Nianyu. “We,” Xie Nianyu started to say, but was almost blinded by Fei Shuo’s starry eyes, “…Let’s talk about it another day.”
"Huh?" Fei Shuo immediately wilted and pitifully leaned closer. Xie Nianyu pressed her finger against Fei Shuo's Adam's apple. "If you keep whining, you can go back to sleep tonight."
The puppy's tail immediately started wagging rapidly.
That night, Fei Shuo changed back into the bathrobe that was kept at Xie Nianyu's house. While Xie Nianyu was sleeping, he secretly took a picture of the room and posted it on his WeChat Moments with the caption: Waiting for him.
She can be as sexy as she wants, and as smug as she wants.
Wen Cheng: [@Xie Nianyu];
Wen Yunyi: [@Xie Nianyu];
Gu Yuning: "@Xie Nianyu, your boyfriend is being shameless again!"
Yao Xingwei: "Why don't you change the front camera!"
He Haobo: "I respect you as a true man!"
Fei Shuo: "@Yao Xingwei, let's discuss this at your company another day. For the sake of our health, we should all avoid consuming too many lemons."
Let him be smug for now; he'll be brought down by some scheme tomorrow!
A note from the author:
The extra chapters will probably end in one or two more. Thank you everyone who has been with this story. And thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2022-06-09 23:59:21 and 2022-06-11 19:15:57!
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 179 Extra 4: Past and Future
March 12th was undoubtedly a day full of surprises for Wen Cheng. Wen Qi was away on a business trip today, which meant that tonight, he would be the most free Wen Cheng of the year!
Tonight, no one stopped him from staying up all night playing games. He ordered fried chicken, hamburgers, snacks, ice cream, and Wen Cheng's food at home like crazy. The same deliveryman even came twice and finally asked tactfully, "Is it a family gathering?"
To save face, Wen Cheng shamelessly told him that he not only invited them, but also invited ten!
That night, the game he was developing was filled with wails of despair, and the training ground was filled with all sorts of civilized greetings: Which old bastard came with top-tier equipment to humiliate us!
Even more insane than the game itself was his private messages; the number of reports had exceeded the limit! At 3 a.m., Yao Xingwei called him directly, begging him to stop. He finally had a chance to rest and play a game, but he couldn't even have peace and quiet.
Finally, at four in the morning, Wen Cheng tolerantly accepted her friends' objections and fell fast asleep on the off-white beanbag chair in the living room.
In his dream, Wen Cheng entered a bizarre and fantastical dream world. Everything was so familiar, yet everything took an unpredictable turn.
He saw the alleyway from his elementary school days, the auntie grilling sausages at the school gate, and the familiar school bell. When he turned around, the scene around him transformed into his high school. He could hear the sound of students reading aloud coming from the classroom in the distance. When he reached his familiar classroom, a banner was already hanging on the wall, proclaiming a great victory in the college entrance examination. The students' faces were obscured, like a wad of cotton wool. Wen Cheng could only look away, and then he saw himself standing on the teacher's desk, wearing a white shirt and smiling triumphantly.
When did he ever work as a high school teacher?
Wen Cheng wanted to get closer, but the road beneath her feet seemed endless, and she just couldn't get any closer. "Alright, students, get out of class is over. Make sure you get enough nutrition these days. No matter how hard or tiring it is, you can't neglect your health. Go eat when it's time. Those who want to go home for dinner, please let me know."
The students sitting in their seats swarmed over, and before Wen Cheng could dodge, they easily passed through Didi's body as if they hadn't seen him, and then walked towards "themselves".
He can answer all kinds of questions from students with ease, which is very different from his own personality.
"Teacher! Your brother is here to pick you up for dinner!" the student shouted loudly outside.
Brother? When did he get a brother?
Wen Cheng looked out the window, and the light from the window suddenly became dazzling. The more he tried to see clearly, the less he could see.
When the light faded, he suddenly found himself in an unfamiliar apartment. This environment was so much better than his previous rented place. "He" was sitting lazily on the sofa watching TV, with fresh grapes on the coffee table. "Today we're having squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, hot and sour shredded potatoes, and smoked ham. Is there anything else you'd like to eat?"
A gentle male voice came from behind her. Wen Cheng turned around. The man was about 1.85 meters tall and was wearing a dark green apron. However, his face was also as if it were stuffed with cotton and could not be seen clearly.
"And there's pineapple juice! It's so hot, I'd like to have two popsicles!"
The way "myself" speaks and the manner of speaking are completely different from my own. "You can have the first one, but you can only have one in the second one. If you catch a cold from eating a popsicle, what will the students think of you as a teacher? Don't you want the authority you've worked so hard to establish in front of them?"
The man walked over, and "she" immediately hugged him and acted coquettishly, saying, "You're a doctor, you'll definitely be able to cure me before the students find out!"
“I’m a doctor, not a god. Not only can I not cure you immediately, but as your boyfriend, I’m also very angry about what you said, and it might even cause you more pain.”
The two figures gradually overlapped.
Before Wen Cheng could even unleash his吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or witty remarks) power, he was instantly pulled far away. A blurry white light flashed by, and he found himself back in his original orphanage.
The old white walls were cleaned up and the swings in the yard were replaced with safer chairs, and a series of play facilities were added. When Wen Cheng saw this, he finally felt something. He knew clearly that this was a dream.
But this dream was like a warm wad of cotton, filling the void that had always lingered in my heart.
"You can't go out today. Be a good boy and wait for your brother to come back. Don't cause any more trouble, understand?" The elderly dean used the last bit of his authority to intimidate the little boy who was always very close to Wen Cheng.
"Okay, I won't go out," the boy said, but his eyes were still fixed on the door. Wen Cheng's heart suddenly ached, and she couldn't help but want to go forward. This time, the dream didn't seem to want to restrict him. He could see the faces of those familiar people very clearly. "The old man looks much older, but it's okay, he's still got energy."
Wen Cheng stood in front of the dean, but the dean couldn't see him. Wen Cheng seemed to be looking at the place where he had grown up, and suddenly heard a cheer from behind him.
"Myself" and his new partner walked in through the door, and all the younger siblings rushed over to them. The headmaster stood not far away, watching them with a kind expression. He waited until the children had finished playing before walking over and saying, "Wen Cheng, isn't it too much trouble to take so many children out at once? Why don't you just eat at home?"
"How can that be? I've already booked the restaurant. Don't worry, Dean. I'm a teacher now, and I'm pretty good at taking care of kids. Come on, little ones, let's go!"
A group of children followed "themselves" happily, while the new partner thoughtfully accompanied the headmaster as they walked towards the light ahead.
Wen Cheng took a few steps forward, but it was as if the dream was deliberately working against him. The road beneath his feet turned into a marathon track, and he couldn't catch up no matter what. Wen Cheng eventually stopped, understanding the situation, but he felt helpless in such a dream.
How long are you going to stay in my dreams?
The voice came from behind. Wen Cheng turned around and saw her former self.
"Are you Wen Cheng, or another possible version of me?" Wen Cheng felt that all of this was a bit surreal, although the fact that he could live again in the world of the book was surreal enough.
"It's not that complicated. We just swapped living environments, and there's absolutely no chance of us going back," the original owner said with a hint of domineering arrogance. "Perhaps this is the last time we'll see each other. In that kind of family, I think you'd be much more comfortable than me."
Wen Cheng didn't answer, and "myself" didn't seem to care. She continued, "I'm a possessive person. What's mine is mine. But in that world, my parents always helped Wen Yunyi in the name of kindness and soft-heartedness. I'm not that magnanimous."
But it's different over there. You won't care how much they love you, and you'll be much more comfortable in your life.”