Chapter 58 The old boss is trying hard to pursue his old love
Any beautiful love story is inseparable from chance and coincidence. The experienced Zhuge is naturally well aware of this rule. Even if there is no coincidence, he will create it artificially.
As instructed by General Zhuge, on a brisk summer evening, Meng Weishen and Professor Wen strolled their dog through Tsinghua University's campus as usual. Arriving at the old library, Meng Weishen pretended to let go, prompting the already restless Qin Shi Huang to bolt. The old man, seizing the opportunity, made a commanding entrance, securing the dog's collar and leash, returning them to Meng Weishen. He then chatted with Professor Wen about their days studying together in the library.
Meng Weishen had warned the old man beforehand that Qin Shi Huang was no sweet, docile little pet; he was a powerful, medium-sized hound capable of hurling bricks. Who was actually restraining whom remained to be seen; the old man might break another bone.
But Zhuge was determined, patting his chest and promising that he would definitely subdue the dog. The old man claimed that at the age of eight, he could break the neck of a vicious village dog with his bare hands, and at the age of fourteen, he could fight a robber on a train to a draw. It was just a spotted dog, no problem.
Things did not develop according to the old man's plan: Meng Weishen revealed the details to Professor Wen in advance.
"Relationships are a matter between two people. I believe that we must first obtain your consent before we can meet. If you don't want to see Mr. Zhuge, I will tell him directly that there is no chance."
Qin Shi Huang and Ciba's leashes got tangled together, and the two puppies were about to bump into each other's furry sides while walking, nearly falling over each other. It was a hilarious sight. Professor Wen was grinning from ear to ear:
"In the Chinese context, people often attach negative connotations to the word 'dog.' But I really like puppies. They are straightforward and sincere and will never lie to you."
Meng Weishen could only understand superficially: "Well... Qin Shi Huang is just stupid. The only things on his mind are eating, sleeping, and going out to play. There's nothing to deceive."
"You," Professor Wen sighed with a smile, "I just suddenly felt that you were like a puppy. Don't misunderstand, this is a compliment. You are the most sincere student I've ever taught. It's rare. There are so many smart students, but often the smarter they are, the more hypocritical they are. You are the only exception."
"Shouldn't I tell you in advance?"
Meng Weishen was bewildered. He asked, "Yes or No?", and Professor Wen simply replied, "Puppy." What should he do next?
Professor Wen gave him a gentle but firm look.
"I know you need Zhuge's support."
"But I don't want to embarrass you. I always feel that this is not good."
"It's okay. My meeting with Zhuge isn't a big deal." Ciba stopped by the flower bed and sniffed a cluster of white roses. Professor Wen also stopped leisurely. "Anyway, I have a clear conscience. I'm also curious about what he's become over the years."
Jiang Ranxu had recently been participating in a research project at Wudaokou, and they had agreed to return together afterward. Meng Weishen walked with his dog toward the southeast main gate, his heart still pounding.
He loathed the company of two former alumni and had tried every possible way to shirk the matchmaking role. Even if Professor Wen agreed, he knew it was out of consideration for his future and wouldn't be entirely willing. Besides, there wasn't much he could do for Professor Wen. The unequal contributions from both sides would leave him burdened with a heavy psychological burden.
While waiting, Meng Weishen even considered buying an Hermès dog collar, but then felt it was inappropriate. Professor Wen always wore short hair and sportswear, and he never wore luxury brand logos, so he must not be interested in Hermès.
Jiang Ranxu's car was parked on the side of the road. Meng Weishen was still browsing the Xiaodigu app, searching for "suitable gifts for mentors," but he couldn't come up with anything. His eyes glued to his phone, he opened the back door with one hand and was about to stuff the dog in when Jiang Ranxu reached out from the driver's seat and handed him a pack of wet wipes.
Jiang Ranxu said gently, "Wipe Qin Shi Huang's feet first. It will be very uncomfortable if there is dirt on it."
Meng Weishen finally came to his senses.
He quickly grabbed the leash and held Qin Shi Huang in his arms to wipe his feet. Qin Shi Huang's four paws were suspended outside the carriage, and he was particularly dramatic, screaming at the top of his voice, as if he was about to be dragged into a frying pan.
Meng Weishen showed no mercy, methodically carrying out the dog paw cleaning project amidst the noise. During their cohabitation, he had vaguely sensed that Jiang Ranxu's hygiene standards were extremely high, even eccentric—could it be due to his professional habits as a doctor? He didn't know, but he'd better avoid creating more bacteria and dust.
After wiping all four black paws, Qin Shi Huang, released from prison, immediately jumped onto the back of the chair. Meng Weishen glanced at the gray tissue ball, hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the dog's paw again and put on its almost new leather shoes.
Professor Wen's Pomeranian was allowed to wear shoes around campus, but Qin Shi Huang couldn't. He hated being restrained, and whenever he wore shoes, he'd transform into a dazed drunk, shifting into reverse and banging his head with his foot. After several unsuccessful attempts to remove his shoes, he finally gave in and huddled in the back seat.
Meng Weishen turned to the passenger seat, letting himself slump in the seat and sighing out the anger that had accumulated in his chest:
"I really hate socializing."
Jiang Ranxu didn't rush to start the car. Instead, he unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over to hug him. He thought Jiang Ranxu was going to kiss him, so he subconsciously closed his eyes. But he just touched his hair, his palm resting on his forehead. The warmth of their skin blocking out the cold air from the air conditioner.
"When will the tropical rainforest expedition you've booked go? Can I go tomorrow?" Meng Weishen said tiredly, "I'd rather help monkeys catch lice in the forest than be a matchmaker for my boss. Being a matchmaker is too tiring. Only Teacher A can do it."
"You can only go at the end of the year. Try your best to hold on until winter." Jiang Ranxu asked him, "Why, did your instructor agree today?"
Meng Weishen stiffened his neck and nodded.
"Since she has agreed, there is nothing for you to worry about."
Meng Weishen said irritably, "But, President Zhuge likes my director. Can't she just say she wants to meet her? She has to deliberately create a chance encounter and use a third party to act as a go-between. Even a simple problem has become complicated."
The other person smiled lightly, and his fingertips traced his eyelashes, the bridge of his nose, and the corners of his lips, creating a subtle tickling sensation. "Haven't you ever seen animals hunting on TV? Any smart hunter will lie in ambush for a long time before attacking, waiting for the prey to approach unconsciously. If you're not 100% sure of your chance, making too much noise will most likely cause the prey to escape."
"But love isn't hunting, you shouldn't be calculating." Whenever Meng Weishen recalled his experience, his stomach would twitch. "This old man is so cunning, it makes me feel sick."
"nausea?"
"nausea."
Meng Weishen bit his tongue, but noticed that the other party had suddenly stopped moving. He just turned his head and saw the pair of red pet shoes.
At some point, Qin Shi Huang had placed his two front legs on Jiang Ranxu's shoulders, and his wet black nose was pressed against Jiang Ranxu's neck, sniffing the other's scent carefully.
Jiang Ranxu's soul had already left his body, and he was motionless. It was the first time Meng Weishen saw such a completely blank expression on someone's face.
"Qin Shi Huang can't be so rude!"
Meng Weishen quickly pulled Qin Shi Huang down, and rolled both him and the dog from the passenger seat back to the back seat. To prevent the dog from going crazy again, he grabbed the dog's harness and restrained it tightly in his arms.
Jiang Ranxu suddenly opened the car door, rushed out, pulled out three or five wet wipes at once, and wiped the exposed skin on his neck over and over again.
Time passed by minute by minute, even Qin Shi Huang gradually stopped, but Jiang Ranxu was still wiping the same spot of skin over and over again.
Repetitive, stereotyped behaviors like these are often seen in caged animals whose living space is too narrow. Meng Weishen was confused and tormented. Just as he was about to get out of the car to investigate, Jiang Ranxu took the initiative and returned to the driver's seat.
Meng Weishen subconsciously tightened Qin Shihuang's straps to prevent the puppy from approaching him again.
Jiang Ranxu probably didn't like puppies that much - the fact was obvious to Meng Weishen, but he was particularly reluctant to speak up to confirm it, preferring to let the suspicion shrink from big to small, and then disappear from small to nothing.
He just said, "You scraped your neck. Do you want to take care of it?"
"No need. No, it wasn't scratched by me, it was a mosquito bite."
"All right."
The other person unscrewed a new bottle of mineral water and downed half of it in one gulp. As if to hide the truth, he returned to the previous topic: "You're right, your leader does have some evil intentions. You need to be more careful when working for them. Record what you need to record, so that you can keep evidence for later."
"I will." Meng Weishen stroked Qin Shi Huang's short, hard hair. "You know the lawyer gave me the recorder. When did you find it?"
Meng Weishen used declarative sentences. The bottle cap in Jiang Ranxu's hand slipped to the ground, and he quickly bent down to pick it up. "I don't know, it was just a casual suggestion. Did he give you a recorder?"
——
Walking a dog without a leash is like the dog walking the person. Meng Weishen is a civilized man, and he made an exception for Zhuge Zong.
During the summer break, most students had gone home to enjoy their brief reign as emperors, leaving only a few solitary lights lit in the old library. Meng Weishen remained somewhat apprehensive. He carefully surveyed the surrounding area, making sure the nearest mustache-wearing bastards (those who loved to overtake on the curve during the holidays) were several dozen meters away from Qin Shi Huang before quietly releasing the leash.
In an instant, Qin Shihuang rushed into the bushes like a nuclear bomb, causing a rustling sound and leaving a pile of leaf debris on the ground.
Mr. Zhuge had already been waiting nearby. The old man was lucky enough to grab the leash and bring Qin Shi Huang to show his goodwill. He feigned surprise and said, "Wenhui? Long time no see. I was invited back to my alma mater to attend the Entrepreneurs Summit Forum. I didn't expect to see you again."
Next to Meng Weishen, Professor Wen sighed softly and had no choice but to cooperate with the other party in acting out the scene of a long-awaited reunion.
Zhuge asked knowingly, "Wenhui, is this beagle your dog? It's so cute..."
Before he could finish his words, Qin Shi Huang launched his next explosive charge. The old man was caught off guard and was dragged far away by the dog. He lost his balance and fell flat on his face beside the flower bed.
Qin Shi Huang arrived at his favorite wild toilet, raised his hind legs and watered the rose forest in the flower bed.
Seeing his old lover's miserable state, Professor Wen smiled for the first time. "Of course it's not my dog. Who would dare to walk a beagle at this age? I'm not idle."
The light bulb's role should have ended here. Meng Weishen was very tactful and made up an excuse and hurriedly left the stage with Qin Shihuang.
He thought the mission was completed and wanted to go home directly, but Lin Zhesi called him on WeChat.
"Wesley, have they met up there?"
"I have met you." Meng Weishen reported briefly.
"Very good. Mr. Zhuge has already ordered a piece of gold jewelry. Please go pick it up for him. The balance will be transferred to your salary card later."
"Gold jewelry? What are they for?"
"It's for Professor Wen. You're married now, don't you know you should prepare a gift for the woman on a date?" Lin Zhesi said impatiently, "Why do you have to ask all this? It won't hurt you if I ask less."
"Is it just a gift? Do you need to set up so many transfers?"
He was just confused, but Lin Zhesi misunderstood his meaning: "You want money for running errands? It's a small problem. Just tell Mr. Zhuge yourself later. He won't treat you unfairly."
"I don't want..."
"Okay, that's it. I'll transfer the balance to you right away. Remember to pick up the items and don't keep them for yourself. The gold shop is on the B2 floor of XX shopping mall. The staff is waiting for you at the mall entrance."
The other party changed his work style of talking nonsense and hung up the phone without waiting for his explanation.
Within half a minute, Meng Weishen received a transfer of 30,000 yuan into his salary card.
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