Chapter 27: Wan Ke

"Did we know each other before?" Xia Cheng asked after applying the medicine.

Wan Ke shook his head, propped up his chin, crossed his legs, leaned back in his chair, and answered cynically:

"Maybe I've seen it in a dream."

"Honestly, I think I've heard your name before."

"This is normal. You might have heard it on TV, in the news, or even from someone else."

"Mr. Wan, the sandals are delivered." The saleswoman knocked on the door. She placed the flat shoes at Xia Cheng's feet and secretly glanced at the two of them.

Xia Cheng put on new shoes, put the old shoes into the bag, stood up from the chair and stomped her feet twice.

"I was too anxious at the time and misunderstood that person. I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

"Between us, what's the trouble?"

This feigned familiarity made Xia Cheng feel like this person...was ill, his words always incomprehensible. Xia Cheng glanced at him suspiciously, then met his light, sky-blue eyes, soothing and relaxing. Her thoughts drifted back to that sweltering summer night two years ago. The warmth of his breath still lingered on her calves, burning and numbing.

"Your eyes..." Xia Cheng stared at Wan Ke blankly. She had seen those eyes that were unique to Westerners before.

But the sudden ringing of the phone interrupted Xia Cheng's guess, and she could only turn on her phone first.

It was already two o'clock, the time she and Chen Kelin had agreed on. The call was also from Chen Kelin. Hearing that she was already waiting for her in the pastry area, Xia Cheng had no choice but to say goodbye to Wan Ke.

After the people left, Wan Ke stretched. He specifically said his last name was Wan, and stared at her with his eyes. He thought Xia Cheng would ask about his eldest brother's name, but unexpectedly, she didn't mention anything.

When he met Xia Cheng in the parking lot, he recognized the woman.

It was also he who secretly took photos of Xia Cheng and sent them to the director, asking him to find an excuse to send out coupons.

Two years ago, when my eldest brother came back, there was a photo of a woman in his wallet.

In the photo, under the setting sun, the woman is holding her nephew, half of her shoulders are golden in the sunlight, and she is standing beside the shimmering water. She looks like a fairy who just fell from the sky, with the unique tenderness and gentleness of an Oriental person.

He stared with his eyes wide open and asked who the woman was and if he could get to know her.

His elder brother smiled and said "Get lost", and then sent him to the South China region to be the president for training on the grounds of poor performance.

Only then did he realize that the only woman who could appear in his eldest brother's wallet could be his sister-in-law!

But... Wan Ke looked at Xia Cheng's back, thoughtfully. Her sister-in-law seemed to be much younger than her elder brother.

He smiled and sent all the photos he took to his elder brother through the chat box.

One minute, ten minutes, there was no reply from the eldest brother. Could he be stunned?

Wan Ke stared at the screen of his mobile phone. Half an hour later, he saw his elder brother send him a thumbs-up.

He almost jumped up.

His elder brother actually praised him for such a thing. It seems that he should consider changing his career and becoming a photographer!

*

From a distance, Xia Cheng saw Chen Kelin. She was wearing a pink hip skirt. When they met, she almost jumped up to greet her. She was smart and sweet. When she came closer, her long, distinct eyelashes blinked like an elf.

As soon as she saw Xia Cheng, Chen Kelin took out the chestnut cake in her hand. She opened the brown box and held the steaming chestnut cake in both hands.

"Look what I bought, freshly baked chestnut cakes, so crispy and fragrant."

"Wow! I've been craving this for a long time."

Xia Cheng hadn't eaten lunch and was already very hungry. She held the chestnut cake bought by Chen Kelin and took a big bite. Then she suddenly remembered what was in her hand and handed it to Chen Kelin with a smile.

“This is a birthday present.”

Chen Kelin felt warm in her heart. Having someone remember her birthday in a strange city was a kind of silent companionship.

The two held hands and talked, and after resting for a while in the dining area, they set out to buy clothes.

Xia Cheng told Chen Kelin what happened in the morning. Chen Kelin laughed and patted her shoulder. After the laughter, she started to talk seriously again.

"Being brave and doing what is right is inherently risky. I'm an only child, so I'd rather be a good daughter to my parents. I'll leave being a hero to others."

"I wish I were an only child too."

"Aren't you?" Chen Kelin knew what Xia Cheng was thinking and took her arm comfortingly.

"If you're not happy, don't force yourself to stay there."

"They are my biological parents after all, and they're actually quite good to me. Sometimes I wonder if I'm being too petty."

Chen Kelin put her hands on her hips and knocked Xia Cheng on the forehead with her knuckles.

"Selflessness and generosity are the hallmarks of saints, and there are only a few in this world. Even I envy you sometimes. You're beautiful, your family is wealthy, and your grades are good. Besides, maybe even your sister is jealous of you."

"But what can she be jealous of me for? She is good at playing music, chess, calligraphy and painting, is eloquent and knowledgeable. I only know how to harvest rice and grow vegetables, and..." and, using some little thoughts that are not presentable.

Xia Cheng didn't want to go on. This topic was a bit heavy and was also the chain that bound her progress.

Self-blame, inferiority, jealousy, envy and all kinds of unbearable emotions surrounded her, making her feel that she was a despicable person, like the withered and rotten grass in the pot that could not be saved.

"Let's go buy some clothes and think carefully about what to wear on the day of the audition." She changed the subject and took Chen Kelin to the women's clothing area, taking out the coupon that the supervisor had stuffed into her pocket as an apology.

"With this, we're definitely going to save a ton of money today!"

"Yeah!"

Chen Kelin's eyes lit up. She loved Xia Cheng's penny-pinching ways. With her, she didn't have to worry about her appearance. They shared a common goal: to save whenever possible, regardless of financial need. Group buy coupons and savings cards—those delightful things—frequently appeared in their chats.

In her eyes, it doesn’t matter if Xia Cheng is not kind. Deciding on a friend is like deciding on your significant other. The truth is that you can play together!

The two men walked through the women's clothing area, their arms full of hangers.

Sexy, pure, cute, Korean style, if it's not suitable for Xia Cheng, then try Chen Kelin instead. They can act as chief of staff to each other and try each store for dozens of minutes.

After the two came out, it was already past eight o'clock. They found a place to have dinner and separated at the door of the restaurant, each carrying a large, bulging handbag and going back.

One goes back to school, the other goes back home.

Chen Kelin struck a seductive pose, crossed her legs and blew a kiss. Xia Cheng took her kiss, put it in her pocket and took it home.