Chapter 92 The Timid Him (Part 4) I'm Proud to Have My Motherland by My Side…
Song Ce stayed in Lan Ye for more than three hours. After completing a final self-check to ensure there were no omissions, he sent the translated Russian manuscript to Linda.
Linda, who was working overtime at the company, immediately opened and checked the email from Song Ce.
Linda carefully reviewed the translated manuscript sent by Song Ce, her joy becoming increasingly evident. Sure enough, she had made the right bet this time.
Song Ce's translations of every technical term were incredibly precise, and the sentences flowed smoothly and naturally, perfectly meeting the rigorous and professional requirements of ANS headquarters for research manuscripts. She couldn't help but mutter to herself, "This is truly a gem!"
After confirming that the manuscript was correct, Linda immediately sent Song Ce an email, not only giving him high praise for his translation, but also warmly inviting him to join the long-term part-time translation team at the ANS branch.
After receiving Linda's email, Song Ce thought for a moment and then agreed. Linda was very happy and immediately contacted the finance department to pay the remaining translation fee.
Looking at the time on the computer screen, it was almost midnight. Song Ce couldn't help but stretch, and just as he was about to turn off the computer, someone gently patted his shoulder from behind.
Song Ce turned around and found that the person who came was Chen Chen.
Chen Chen handed Song Ce a bottle of chilled cola, smiling as she said, "Little classmate, I didn't want to bother you since you were so focused. This cola is on me."
Song Ce smiled and accepted it, then thanked Chen Chen.
Chen Chen sat down in the chair next to Song Ce and saw his computer screen, which was covered in text she couldn't understand at all. Upon closer inspection, it looked like Russian. She leaned forward, curiously looking at the screen, and asked, "What are you doing? Can you even understand these words?"
Song Ce nodded and briefly explained a few words to Chen Chen.
Upon hearing this, Chen Chen's eyes widened in amazement, and she said with a smile, "Wow! You're quite something! My name is Chen Chen, you can call me Sister Chen. Judging from your appearance, you're not even eighteen yet, are you?"
"Yes, Sister Chen." Song Ce smiled shyly upon hearing this.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Chen Chen stood up, ready to leave, when suddenly he remembered something and slapped his forehead: "Look at my memory! We've been chatting for so long, and I completely forgot to ask you your name!"
"My name is Song Ce."
Chen Chen nodded and said enthusiastically, "Xiao Ce, come to my place to surf the internet from now on. I'll save you a private room so no one will disturb your studies."
Just as Song Ce was about to politely decline, he heard a soft, slightly timid female voice from behind Chen Chen: "Sister, lunch is ready. Mom asked me to come and call you back for lunch."
Hearing the sound, Chen Chen turned his head and saw his younger sister, Chen Yao, wearing a simple outfit of jeans and a white sweatshirt, carrying a canvas bag. She looked extremely well-behaved.
"Oh, Yao Yao's here? Okay, I'll go back for dinner now." Chen Chen greeted Chen Yao with a smile.
Unexpectedly, Chen Yao's eyes lit up slightly when she saw Song Ce opposite Chen Chen. This reminded Song Ce of the fawn he had seen at the zoo when his mother took him there when his health had improved slightly.
At that time, the fawn's eyes were just as clean, pure, and moist.
"Song...Song Ce, what are you doing here?" Chen Yao asked softly. Although her voice was not loud, Song Ce and Chen Chen heard her clearly.
Seeing her younger sister's slightly shy expression, Chen Chen raised an eyebrow, her eyes full of gossip. She looked the two of them up and down and asked with a smile, "What, do you two know each other?"
Upon hearing her sister's question, Chen Yao's cheeks instantly flushed red, like a ripe apple. She lowered her head and whispered, "I only recently met him... Yesterday at school, he helped me pick up my books."
It turned out that Song Ce had run into Chen Yao in the stairwell on his way home from school yesterday.
Seeing that pure and innocent face, Song Ce was momentarily stunned. Of course, he wasn't stunned by Chen Yao's appearance, but because Chen Yao occupied a very deep place in the original owner's memories—the girl who was dragged into an alley by thugs and brutally humiliated was none other than Chen Yao.
Chen Yao was an introverted and shy person. When she saw a male classmate she had never met staring at her, she became so nervous that she didn't know what to do. She just wanted to get upstairs as quickly as possible. Unexpectedly, she was walking too fast and tripped on the steps.
She expected to fall heavily to the ground, perhaps even scraping her knees. However, to her surprise, she didn't fall on the cold ground, but instead landed in a warm embrace.
"Are you alright, classmate?" Chen Yao heard a gentle and pleasant voice above her head.
Chen Yao then realized that she was lying in the male classmate's arms. Her face instantly turned bright red. She quickly grabbed the handrail of the steps and broke free from his embrace, stammering, "I'm... I'm fine."
The male student bent down and picked up her books one by one from the ground, then handed them to her with both hands, smiling warmly as he said, "My name is Song Ce, and what's yours?"
"I...I'm Chen Yao," Chen Yao said softly, her head lowered.
And so, in this vibrant campus, Chen Yao unexpectedly met the first boy from another class during her school days.
Thinking of this, Chen Yao mustered up her courage and looked at Song Ce, "Yesterday, I didn't have a chance to thank you."
Seeing Chen Yao's serious expression, Song Ce turned his face slightly away, coughed lightly, and said, "It's nothing, you don't need to be so polite."
Watching the interaction between the two, Chen Chen's gossipy smile grew even wider. He teased, "Looks like Xiao Ce and our family are really meant to be! He helped Yao Yao yesterday, and he helped me today. Xiao Ce, you'll have to come here more often in the future, maybe... right?"
"sister!"
Chen Chen was used to seeing her younger sister's well-behaved and quiet demeanor, so it was rare to see her so nervous and flustered. Just as she was about to make a teasing remark, her phone rang.
She glanced down and saw a familiar number flashing on her phone screen. A hint of helplessness flashed in Chen Chen's eyes. She quickly greeted Song Ce and Chen Yao, then swiftly pressed the answer button and hurried towards the internet cafe entrance. Soon, she disappeared from their sight.
After watching her sister leave, Chen Yao subconsciously tightened her grip on the strap of her canvas bag. After hesitating for a while, she finally mustered up the courage to ask, "Song Ce, what brings you to my sister's internet cafe?"
Seeing Chen Yao's cautious demeanor, Song Ce unconsciously lowered his voice and replied seriously, "Well... Internet cafes are relatively quiet, so I came here to study."
"I see." Chen Yao nodded slightly, actually believing it. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Then you must be exceptionally good at studying!"
Song Ce thought he had developed a thick skin after experiencing several worlds. But at this moment, facing Chen Yao's undisguised and sincere praise, he suddenly felt his face burning, as if an invisible fire was gently scorching it. He turned his head slightly and said somewhat awkwardly, "It's... alright."
The thought that such a good girl had suffered such terrible treatment made Song Ce feel a pang of bitterness in his heart.
Song Ce composed himself and suppressed the strange emotions surfacing within him. Just then, Chen Chen returned after finishing her phone call. Her usually radiant face showed a rare hint of fatigue, but when she saw her younger sister and Song Ce looking at her, a relaxed and carefree smile instantly appeared on her face.
"You two seem to get along quite well, chatting so intently!"
Chen Yao's face flushed instantly at her sister's teasing. She instinctively lowered her head, gripping the straps of her canvas bag tightly, and whispered, "Sister..."
No one understood her younger sister's temperament better than Chen Chen. After hearing Chen Yao's words, she stepped forward, gently patted Chen Yao's shoulder, and said with a smile, "Okay, okay, I won't say anything more."
Looking at the girl who was bowing her head and remaining silent, Song Ce considerately took a step back, then picked up his schoolbag and said gently to Chen Chen and Chen Yao, "Sister Chen, Chen Yao, it's getting late, I should go home for dinner, you should go home early too!"
Chen Chen nodded and smiled, "Okay, Xiao Ce, be careful on your way, and come over to visit often when you have time."
Seeing this, Song Ce smiled and replied, "Okay, Sister Chen, I'll be going now. See you at school, Chen Yao."
Chen Yao raised her head slightly and said softly, "Goodbye."
After Song Ce left, Chen Chen turned around, took his sister's hand, and said seriously, "Yao Yao, since you want to be friends with him, you can't keep being so timid. You have to be brave and take that step forward, understand?"
Chen Yao bit her lower lip tightly, hesitated for a moment, and then said in a barely audible voice, "Sister, I know."
When the two sisters returned home, their parents had already gone out to work, but lunch had been left for them on the table. After lunch, Chen Chen received a call from her friend, who was saying something funny that made Chen Chen laugh out loud. Soon, Chen Chen hung up the phone and happily went out.
In an instant, Chen Yao was the only one left in the Chen family.
Chen Yao quickly washed and tidied up the tableware on the table, placing them neatly in the dish rack. Then she went to the bathroom, immersed her hands in water, and carefully rubbed away the remaining food oil. While rinsing the soap off her hands, Chen Yao subconsciously pursed her lips and slowly looked up at the mirror in front of her.
The girl in the mirror, in her eyes, didn't seem as bright as her sister, nor did her nose bridge seem as high. Although she had an oval face, there were still a few lingering pimples on her cheeks. She couldn't help but tilt her head slightly; her profile wasn't stunning, and the lines weren't particularly smooth…
Chen Yao lowered her head, and she couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't as beautiful as her sister. Why was she so ordinary? If only she could be prettier, more outstanding, and have a more likable personality, that would be... so wonderful.
Meanwhile, when Song Ce returned home, the house was filled with the aroma of food.
Song Mingyuan was coming out of the kitchen with bowls and chopsticks. On the dining table not far away, steaming hot food was already laid out.
"Xiao Ce, you're back? Come and eat." Song Mingyuan turned his head and said to Song Ce in a friendly manner.
Song Ce responded and took the bowl and chopsticks from Song Mingyuan. Song Mingyuan picked up a piece of green beans and shredded pork and put it in his bowl, saying, "Try it and see how it is?"
Song Ce nodded, took a bite of the shredded green beans and pork, and said with a surprised look, "Dad, your cooking is really delicious."
"I'm glad you like it. I'll cook for you more often whenever I have time," Song Mingyuan said with a smile, looking at Song Ce's satisfied expression.
Song Ce responded, looked around the house, and asked curiously, "Dad, where's Mom? Aren't we going to wait for her to eat together?"
Upon hearing this, Song Mingyuan's smile faltered slightly, and he explained, "Your mother said she has something to do at noon today and won't be coming home for lunch."
Song Ce nodded and did not ask any further questions as usual.
Seeing this, Song Mingyuan put another piece of pork rib on Song Ce's plate. Back home, even when the father and son met, they often fell into silence. They would go an entire day without exchanging more than a few words. But now, his son's attitude towards him had clearly softened considerably; Song Mingyuan hadn't seen such a harmonious atmosphere in a long time.
After chatting for a few minutes, Song Mingyuan couldn't help but say, "Xiao Ce, your homeroom teacher came to visit us a few days ago."
When Song Ce heard Song Mingyuan mention the home visit, he paused for a moment, then said knowingly, "Yes, I guessed the teacher might come."
Song Mingyuan put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "Xiao Ce, you are still young. Although grades don't mean everything, Dad still hopes that you can focus more on your studies so that you can have a better life in the future."
"Okay, Dad, I understand. I will study hard and live up to your expectations."
"well."
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Author's Note: (Snuggling Little Angel) Please comment and favorite if you like it!
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