Chapter 46
Throughout the journey, Wen Zhiling remained quiet and well-behaved, not saying a word.
Zong Linhan: "Are you thinking about what Lu Qin said?"
Wen Zhiling nodded.
Zong Linhan: "It has something to do with him."
He told Wen Zhiling about Zong Linyang's suspicious behavior. Although reluctant, it was the truth. Zong Linhan tapped his fingertips on the steering wheel. "What do you think?"
"It's really dangerous, so I won't go for now." The car slowly came to a stop in front of the apartment building. Wen Zhiling opened the car door, "See you again when the world is at peace. Goodnight!"
Why say goodnight in broad daylight?
The passenger door opened and then slammed shut again.
A force grabbed Wen Zhiling by the back of her collar, and she fell to the ground in the passenger seat with a thud. When she looked up, she was met with Zong Linhan's magnified, handsome face.
Zong Linhan: "Why are you running?"
Wen Zhiling: "That's your brother..."
Zong Linhan: "It's not a monster, is it?"
Wen Zhiling looked away: "Can we not go..."
Zong Linhan: "Why?"
Wen Zhiling: "We haven't gotten back together yet."
Zong Linhan laughed coldly and released his hand, saying, "Wen Zhiling, it's shameful to run away."
Wen Zhiling straightened up, holding onto the back of the car, and straightened her clothes that he had messed up. She weakly added, "But is it useful?"
"It's no use." Zong Linhan kissed her. "You were the one who took the initiative before, weren't you?"
Wen Zhiling thought to herself that she hadn't been thinking about the long term back then, and who knew it would come to the point of meeting the parents.
-
Fear of meeting her boyfriend's family, coupled with exhaustion after the blood test, caused Wen Zhiling to sleep until four in the afternoon. When she woke up, the evening sunlight shone through the gauze curtains, and memories of the past floated like specks of light.
There were many unread messages on her phone, a dense row of red dots, and Wen Zhiling suddenly woke up.
Green: "Sister!! You quit your job to go back to being a rich girl???!!! I was wondering why you had such an amazing aura, making coffee like you were mixing perfume, so you're a real rich girl who descended to earth to experience life, right?! (Hands tea to the boss.gif)"
Xiao Meng: "Does the main family have a lot of handsome guys?! (You know what I mean.jpg)"
Store Manager: "Are you there?"
Shop owner: "I'm so sorry to have asked you to wash the cups before."
Shop owner: (clasping hands in a fist salute)
...
Wen Zhiling replied guiltily to each message, then scrolled down and saw that Qiao Yan had also sent a message. Qiao Yan: "Call me back when you have time."
During the phone call, Wen Zhiling learned that Aunt Qiao had been discharged from the hospital for some time. Although she was still not very agile and the fracture site was often painful, she was much better than before.
Before hanging up the phone, the two arranged a time to meet again.
-
On Wednesday evening, Zong Linhan came to pick up Wen Zhiling. Wen Zhiling nestled motionless in the passenger seat, as quiet as a little quail.
"You're this nervous about meeting my brother?" Zong Lin sneered. "What about meeting my parents?"
Wen Zhiling turned her head, a hint of fear lurking beneath her calm, "That's what I was thinking. First I met your brother, and soon I'll be meeting your parents..."
"Don't be nervous, they really like you." Especially his mother, who has been taking Zong Yue on a shopping spree of luxury brands lately, bringing home baskets full of jewelry, clothes, and bags. Rather, he was genuinely worried that this display might scare Wen Zhiling.
This is a very private private kitchen, surrounded by bamboo groves, with a wooden sign hanging on the wall, low-key and inconspicuous.
"Is there anything we need to rehearse?" Wen Zhiling asked softly. "How will you tell your family how we met?"
“I never said that, just make things up.” Seeing her nervousness, Zong Linhan suppressed a laugh. “The truth is pretty good too. You picked me up, and over time, feelings developed. Then, on a stormy day, you suddenly asked me if I wanted to give it a try, and then you…”
Wen Zhiling covered Zong Linhan's mouth, her ears turning red, "I was just momentarily bewitched."
"It wasn't just a momentary attraction to beauty," he said, pressing his lips even harder against hers, forcefully suppressing the inappropriate topic of adult content.
Led by a waiter dressed in dark blue, we walked through a lush bamboo forest. At the end of the forest, there was a table where a man sat casually, gazing at the windmills floating on the water.
Waiter: "Watch your step, this way."
He turned around at the sound, a smile appearing on his face.
The lamplight cast soft shadows on his fair face. He wore a light gray shirt, exuding an elegant air, quite different from Zong Linhan's sharp and aggressive demeanor.
This was the second time Wen Zhiling had seen him. Unlike the first time, almost immediately, the spot on her wrist where blood had been drawn started to ache, and she felt a little dizzy, as if she had lost too much blood.
Zong Linhan caught Wen Zhiling in time.
Upon reaching the table, he introduced, "Brother, this is my girlfriend, Wen Zhiling."
Zong Linyang smiled, his gaze falling on Wen Zhiling, with just the right amount of curiosity and goodwill. "Hello."
Wen Zhiling nodded somewhat reservedly: "Hello."
"Don't stand, sit down," Zong Linyang said naturally.
He picked up the purple clay teapot on the table, poured in hot tea, and steam rose into the air. "The dishes here are rather light in flavor. I don't know if you'll like them."
He pushed the menu over, "Take a look and see what you'd like to eat?"
As the exquisite dishes were served one after another, Zong Linyang mostly led the conversation, chatting about trivial travel experiences and asking the two about interesting stories or gossip from variety shows. His tone was gentle and approachable, and gradually, Wen Zhiling became less nervous.
Zong Linhan's phone screen lit up on the table. He glanced at it and said, "I'm going out to take this call."
The door to the private room closed gently. The air was quiet, a light breeze rustling the bamboo leaves outside the window. Zong Linyang put down his chopsticks with a crisp sound. Wen Zhiling, who had been engrossed in her rice, stopped eating and glanced up at him.
The gentle smile faded from Zong Linyang's face. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes, which resembled Zong Linhan's, fixed on her.
Wen Zhiling gripped the chopsticks in her hand tightly. His gaze swept over her slender fingers. "Don't be so nervous, I just feel something's a little strange."
Wen Zhiling: "What's strange?"
Zong Linyang: "That's strange, why haven't you remembered me yet?"
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Author's Note: I'll finish updating this in one go.
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