Not long after Yue Qinshan left, Lu Wanyin returned home.
"How was the business at the supermarket today?" Jiang Huai asked casually, sitting on the sofa and reading a book.
"Mm, it was quite busy. Not bad, not too..." Lu Wanyin was tidying up when she suddenly felt something was off. She looked up at Jiang Huai with dissatisfaction.
"Did Lao Yue tell you?"
"What kind of tone is that? Yue laoshi was just concerned about you, worried that I, your boyfriend, might misunderstand."
"..."
Lu Wanyin said nothing and continued cleaning. From her skilled movements, it seemed like she was the one who did all the cleaning at home when she lived with Yue Qinshan. Her cooking skills should be pretty good too. Jiang Huai thought to himself that he might ask her to help out with cooking tomorrow.
The next morning, Jiang Huai left the house early. Before he left, he peeked into the bedroom, and saw that Lu Wanyin was still asleep.
Her sleeping posture was unusual, with her head at the foot of the bed and one foot hanging off the edge, while the blanket was kicked onto the floor.
Jiang Huai sighed helplessly and tiptoed out of the door.
When he reached the commercial street, Jiang Huai almost didn't recognize Yue Qinshan standing by a streetlight, smoking. Today, Yue Qinshan had shaved, changed into an old but still decent suit, and even combed his hair.
"Yue laoshi, you're really dressed up today?" Jiang Huai asked, walking up to him with a smile.
"How's this suit? I wore it when I got married," Yue Qinshan said proudly. "One word—handsome."
Yue Qinshan chuckled twice, then leaned closer to Jiang Huai and whispered, "Jiang Huai, have you decided what to buy?"
Jiang Huai thought for a moment. He had many ideas, but when he thought of Lu Wanyin's old phone, which still had a cracked screen, his heart sank a little.
"I'm thinking of getting her a new phone. Her old one is way too outdated."
"...Oh, yeah, that was a second-hand phone I bought for her when she got into high school. It's definitely seen better days," Yue Qinshan said with a chuckle.
Jiang Huai felt something was different about Yue Qinshan today. He had been training with Yue Qinshan for almost a month now. Although Yue Qinshan wasn't a serious person, he was definitely not someone who would just listen quietly. He had an impression of him as someone who was always a bit "unserious."
Since he had made up his mind, Jiang Huai took Yue Qinshan to a mobile phone store.
Once inside, Yue Qinshan felt awkward because he couldn't understand what the saleswoman was saying. Jiang Huai stepped in and translated, then turned to Yue Qinshan and said, "If it's for her 18th birthday, you can buy something a little more expensive. There's a new phone that's been getting good reviews and is fairly priced."
Yue Qinshan nodded. "Alright, I'll trust you on this."
As the saleswoman went to get the phone, Jiang Huai noticed that Yue Qinshan seemed a bit uneasy. He realized what was going on and leaned in to ask, "Did you not bring enough money, Yue laoshi? Should I pay?"
"Hahaha, you little brat, do you look down on me? I just think this era is moving so fast, even phones are made so exquisitely now."
When it was time to pay, Jiang Huai noticed Yue Qinshan take out a patched-up wallet. The patches, adorned with cute cartoon designs, clearly looked like they had been done by a young girl. It didn't take a genius to figure out it was Lu Wanyin who had made them.
"That'll be 4500 yuan, sir."
"Ah, alright," Yue Qinshan sighed as he opened his wallet and pulled out several older hundred-yuan bills that looked quite worn out.
After paying, Yue Qinshan didn't seem bothered at all. Looking at the bag with the new phone in his hands, he seemed genuinely happy.
"You think she'll like it?" Yue Qinshan asked.
"She's been using the same old phone since high school. If you get her a new one, she'll probably use it until the end of time. She'll definitely be happy," Jiang Huai reassured him with a grin.
"Hahaha, you little charmer. No wonder Lu Wanyin and Mo Yu care so much about you."
Jiang Huai froze for a moment, then scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. "Yue laoshi, what are you talking about? Mo Yu and I aren't... anything."
"Not anything? Then why did she go check your records at the association last night?"
"Ah?" Jiang Huai was surprised. "She checked my records?"
"Yeah, she did. She wore a mask and a hat, asked for your files, and sat there flipping through them for over an hour."
A chill ran down Jiang Huai's spine. Could Mo Yu have noticed something unusual about him? He'd have to be extra careful around her from now on. He couldn't afford to slip up in front of her.
After buying some fresh bass fish from the market, Yue Qinshan went to buy some fruit as well. It was meant to be a gift for Jiang Huai's parents as it was their first time meeting.
When they got home, they found that Lu Wanyin was still asleep. Jiang Huai couldn't help but laugh. This girl had a consistent sleep schedule—always sleeping on time but never waking up on time.
Now, she had switched to another odd sleeping position. Her head and upper body hung off the bed, while her lower body remained on it. It was as if they each slept in their own separate world.
Around 11 a.m., Jiang Huai's parents arrived, and he dragged Lu Wanyin out of bed. His mother scolded him for disturbing the girl's sleep.
Watching how much his mother doted on Lu Wanyin, Jiang Huai couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude. When had he ever been treated like this?
While Jiang Huai was cooking, Lu Wanyin helped him out in the kitchen. She was also very affectionate, much to the delight of his parents.
Her cooking skills were quite good. Although she only knew a few basic dishes, she could really make them shine with her touch.
"There were times when we couldn't afford meat, so I'd make vegetarian dishes or tofu taste like meat... You're not going to laugh at me, are you?" Lu Wanyin said, a bit embarrassed.
Jiang Huai pinched her cheek and smiled. "Well, you should learn how to cook real meat now. I want meat in every meal."
Lu Wanyin glanced up at him and gave a faint smile. Jiang Huai could tell it was a genuine smile.
After lunch, Jiang Huai sent his parents to the train station, and Yue Qinshan was about to leave too.
"Lao Yue," Jiang Huai called out.
At this point, Lu Wanyin had returned to her usual cold demeanor. "What are you doing here today?"
Facing Lu Wanyin's questioning, Yue Qinshan chuckled awkwardly. "I came to mooch off your food. What, now that you have a strong backer, you're not going to care about your old father?"
"Hmph, don't give me that nonsense. I know you too well. You'd avoid eating with strangers if you could. Why are you so eager to come today? What exactly do you want?"
Sighing, Yue Qinshan scratched his head. "I just think Jiang Huai here is a fine young man, a good future son-in-law! It's normal to come meet my future in-laws, right?"
Before Lu Wanyin could respond, Yue Qinshan waved his hand. "Alright, I've got to go. You two enjoy your time alone."
Jiang Huai watched as Yue Qinshan left. It seemed that the man had once again reverted to his usual carefree self. It was as if he had shed a heavy burden and felt a sense of relaxation.
Meanwhile, in a luxurious villa on the second floor in Lingyu City, a young girl stood by the balcony, wearing a lavish dress, arms crossed, and gazing coldly at the distance.
"Miss, I have the information you asked for," a butler said, holding a stack of documents.
Mo Yu glanced up at him. "I see. Good work."
She walked over to the butler, took a photo from the pile, and studied it closely. The photo showed a boy holding up a peace sign in front of the camera. Beside him was another smaller and thinner boy, nervously hiding behind the first, carefully watching the lens.
Mo Yu's hand trembled slightly as she looked at the photo. Her eyes flickered, and she whispered, "...It's really you, brother."