Chapter 5 Her little trick was seen through during the rainy season. ...
Understanding that Lin Fei was on vacation, Grandma didn't urge her to get up.
I was woken up by phone calls from two close friends before 10 a.m., who kept urging me to go out for dinner.
At noon, Lin Fei, with a clean-cut face, met her friend, who was fully made up, at a restaurant in the shopping mall.
The two stared at Lin Fei, looking her up and down. Her plain pink T-shirt and denim shorts were completely unfashionable. But when they saw the Crocs on her feet, they couldn't help but stare.
“Mumu, it’s been half a year since the three of us last saw each other. We dressed up carefully to see you, how could you just wash your face and go out like that!” Tu Xia started first.
Liang Yanru immediately followed up: "You're really not paying any attention to the two of us!"
Lin Fei pulled out a chair and sat down, tore off the plastic film from the tableware, rinsed the bowl with hot tea, and said nonchalantly, "Leave me alone. I wear makeup to work every day and have to put effort into my outfits. Let me wear something comfortable on my day off."
"Besides, the three of us have been playing together since junior high. We've seen everything. It's not like we're on a trip to take pictures, so there's really no need for that." Lin Fei saw the milk tea next to her, picked up the one she had ordered, inserted the straw, and gulped down two big mouthfuls. After being in the sun all the way, she really needed a glass of ice water.
Liang Yanru: "Then you have to pay for our makeup."
Tu Xia nodded vigorously.
"Ladies, please speak frankly. I don't accept any tricks." After ten years of friendship, they knew each other's personalities all too well, and Lin Fei knew that the two of them were up to no good.
The two men coughed in turn.
"Keep your voice down, or people will think we're crazy." Lin Fei noticed the surprised looks from the next table and stopped his friend, who was getting into the act.
Tu Xia asked directly, "Confess and you'll be treated leniently. Did you resign?"
Liang Yanru: "Don't lie to us. We can tell the answer just by looking into your eyes."
"Yes." Lin Fei answered his friends frankly, "I didn't mean to lie to you. You're not my grandmother."
Both of them knew that Lin Fei's grandmother wanted her to settle in Gangdu, so they were unwilling to tell her that she had resigned from Haishi.
"What do you plan to do?" Tu Xia asked.
Lin Fei stirred the small amount of material that had sunk to the bottom with a straw and said in a flat tone, "I'll be honest with you after I find a job. That's my current thought."
“This isn’t a long-term solution. You can stay at home for two days, but if you stay for a week or two, Grandma will inevitably become suspicious,” Liang Yanru said. “Hiding it isn’t a good approach.”
Tu Xia disagreed: "You can move into my house tomorrow and stay as long as you like."
Liang Yanru elbowed Tu Xia: "Don't do anything reckless. If Grandma finds out, she'll give Mumu a piece of her mind."
"It's alright. Grandma likes the two of us the most. If things get out, we'll just go stay at Mumu's house for a couple of days and help her appease Grandma." Tu Xia gave herself a thumbs up for her idea.
Liang Yanru: "I'm afraid Grandma will use a broom to kick the three of us out the door together."
The three of them had played together since childhood and often stayed at each other's homes during holidays, so they were already familiar with each other's parents.
The waiter served the food, interrupting the two people's argument.
Lin Fei interrupted them just as they were about to start another round of argument, saying, "No, thank you."
"This can't be done recklessly." With Lin Fei's support, Liang Yanru wanted to teach Tu Xia a lesson.
Before he could even speak, Lin Fei added, "Since you're married, it's inconvenient for me to live at your place. You could consider Aru's place."
Liang Yanru was taken aback: "I'm married too! Why can my family consider it!"
"Don't you and your husband live apart for most of the year?" Lin Fei seriously considered the feasibility.
Tu Xia laughed out loud in an immoral way.
Liang Yanru and her husband were introduced by their families. In their wealthy way of speaking, it was an arranged marriage. The two had been married for three years but were estranged, each busy with their own work.
“Don’t even mention it. My parents are unhappy that we only see each other once a month. They even changed my work location to the new development zone, which is only two kilometers away from his company. Now we have to eat lunch together.” Liang Yanru looked worried. “His appetite has improved, but I’ve lost three pounds.”
“Workaholic, if you work less overtime, you’ll gain three pounds,” Tu Xia bluntly exposed. “Don’t try to shift the blame onto Young Master Pei.”
Not wanting to put his friends in a difficult position, Lin Fei said, "Forget it, I'll have to go back to Haishi at the end of the month anyway to deal with the luggage I left in my rented apartment. If it doesn't work out, I'll go back to Haishi to stay if Grandma urges me. I'll use this time to send out resumes to companies in Jiangdu."
"Mumu, you used to be a copywriter at a game company, right? This is easy." Tu Xia nudged Liang Yanru with her elbow. "Tell your husband to give you a referral. He knows a lot of people in the industry. Give us a few more for Mumu to choose from."
"TuTu, don't make things worse. You know they're only pretending to be together. Don't make things difficult for Aru." Lin Fei picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and fed it to Tu Xia, trying to calm her down.
“It’s just a referral spot, but I can still ask around. If you’re interested in his company, I can ask for you. I can also ask about better companies.” Liang Yanru cared more about her friend’s affairs than anyone else.
Lin Fei declined her friend's offer because she was unsure what kind of job she wanted to do next and was afraid of letting her friend down.
The two men understood her meaning and told her to think it over and bring it up anytime.
After lunch, Lin Fei accompanied the two shopping and took the opportunity to take photos of them, who rarely went out with makeup on.
After the party ended, Lin Fei returned to Chunxi Old Street.
As the sun set and the wind grew cooler, Lin Fei slowed his pace home.
The rosy light was cut off by the square self-built buildings, and oblique rectangular blocks of light fell on the smooth bluestone slabs.
Lights were on in every household. Even though no one uses firewood to cook anymore, a faint smell of firewood and the aroma of home-cooked meals could still be smelled in the air.
Lin Fei's description is rather common; to use a more literary term, it's called the "flavor of everyday life," a warm and comforting aroma.
A neighbor sitting under the eaves, enjoying the cool air, saw Lin Fei and greeted her.
Standard greetings – Where have you been? Have you eaten yet?
Lin Fei greeted everyone as he arrived home. Upon entering the courtyard, he smelled the aroma of home-cooked meals.
Grandma's cooking is different from other places; it's more fragrant and more tempting.
"Grandma! I'm back!" Lin Fei knew that Grandma was in the kitchen, but she still insisted on shouting in a voice that could be heard from the third floor.
Grandma's voice was neither too loud nor too soft: "Go wash your hands, dinner is almost ready."
Then he shouted even louder upstairs, "Ah Yao, go to the square and call your mother home!"
The sound of footsteps going downstairs replaced the answer.
Lin Fei lives alone in Haishi. He is busy with work and often works overtime during holidays. He relies on takeout for all his meals. Now that he is eating home-cooked food, he ate an extra bowl of rice and finished half of the dishes.
Chi Yao gripped his chopsticks, a shocked expression on his face: "Big sister...did you come back from scavenging?"
My aunt slapped him across the face: "Stop talking nonsense, eat your food properly."
The elders all like younger people with good appetites. Eating heartily is a sign of recognition of cooking skills. Grandma and Aunt kept putting food on Lin Fei's plate, smiling and very happy.
Grandma asked, "Want some more?"
"I'm not eating anymore," Lin Fei said with a smile. "I saw there's watermelon in the fridge, so I'll save some room for it."
The aunt laughed: "Okay, let's eat watermelon later!"
Chi Yao's eyes were red with envy.
This is the treatment you get when you don't live at home most of the time and only come back occasionally.
Unlike him, who has become universally disliked.
After they finished dinner, Chi Xin, who should have been at school, appeared in the compound.
"Why are you back?" Chi Yao asked first.
Chi Xin glanced at his younger brother with disgust, called out "Grandma" first, and then sat down next to Lin Fei.
When Grandma asked the same question, Chi Xin replied, "I just finished having dinner with friends. I don't have class tomorrow, and I don't have any plans for the weekend, so I might as well go home and stay for a few days."
After hearing his second sister's answer, Chi Yao felt excluded and wisely put down his chopsticks and said, "I'm going back to my room to do my homework."
When Grandma has free time, she likes to make Zhuang brocade and other crafts. The shape is like a little person with outstretched limbs holding a round bead, which is filled with more than a dozen kinds of Chinese herbs. It has many auspicious meanings such as warding off evil and bringing peace.
I make them for the children in my family during holidays and festivals, one for each of them.
While her hands were busy, her mouth was still free, and Grandma kept talking about Lin Fei's visit to Grandpa.
"Grandma, don't you want me to go back to Jiangdu to work and live?" Lin Fei asked after taking a bite of watermelon.
Chi Xin interrupted, "Your maternal grandfather's family is well-off, so life there is much easier for him. Are you stupid?"
“Ah Xin is right,” the aunt said, looking up from her handiwork.
Suddenly, a ball rolled into the yard. A little girl with pigtails from the drink shop across the street ran out and entered the yard. She first made eye contact with Lin Fei. Seeing a stranger, she blinked her big eyes and dared not move until Chi Xin asked her if she wanted to eat watermelon. She recognized the familiar face and her expression softened a lot.
“Grandma, look, Ying Shuiying and Jiang Hua are doing quite well living in the old street after graduation. They even have a daughter now.” Lin Fei used examples of people her age to illustrate this point.
Grandma: "Ahua is a selected graduate from the city and was assigned to the street office for training. Shuiying works as a designer, taking on freelance work from home. Her coffee shop is also doing quite well. Are you like them?"
“I understand.” Lin Fei pinched the little girl’s pigtails. “If I marry a local or a guy from the neighborhood, you’ll be able to accept me living in Jiangdu.”
"You're being ridiculous!" Grandma's eyes widened, and the wrinkles around her eyes smoothed out.
Lin Fei smiled, poked the little girl's chubby cheeks a few times, and before going back to the room, he walked to the table and took the prepared food: "I'll take four."
Grandma watched Lin Fei's retreating figure, her hand pressed against her chest: "Where are you going? You haven't finished speaking yet! This child is going to drive me crazy. Could she really be thinking something?"
She knew her granddaughter's temperament all too well: either she would lie down and drift through life, or once she had an idea, she would be more decisive than anyone else.
Chi Xin wiped the child's mouth, gave her two slices of watermelon to take home, and said, "Grandma, don't worry, my sister... likes mature and steady types, preferably a few years older than her. There aren't any suitable men in our old street yet."
Knowing all of Lin Fei's ambiguous past relationships, Chi Xin was very clear about her criteria for choosing a partner. Moreover, Lin Fei had a strange quirk that no one else knew about, which was unacceptable to ordinary people. She was very certain that she would not find a suitable marriage partner in the short term.
Grandma was still worried, but the child was too old to be forced to make arrangements. She sighed and picked up new fabric to make new baby dolls.
"Lin Fei, you took one too many!" Grandma shouted upstairs.
Lin Fei poked his head out from the balcony: "Three, right? I didn't take any more."
Grandma couldn't remember whether it was three or four, so she said, "Never mind, we can do it again later."
-
When her grandmother asked her for the fifth time if she wanted to visit her grandfather in the port city, Lin Fei packed a few clothes, made an excuse to meet a friend, and stayed outside.
But she didn't want to go back to Haishi too soon. Just then, Zhong Shuwen called her and she learned that he had been in Jiangdu for the past six months and had a fixed residence there, so she decided to stay there for a couple of days.
Zhong Shuwen sent the address, which was in an upscale residential area near the river, and thoughtfully called a Didi car for Lin Fei.
On the way, Lin Fei received a message from Zhong Shuwen. He was still busy at the hospital and couldn't come to her. He messaged her: "[I'm still in surgery. Go home and wait for me. The door code is 777666. Liang Sheng lives across the street. He just got off work. You can contact him if you need anything urgent.]"
Lin Fei's gaze fell on the two characters 'Liang Sheng', and he asked knowingly, "Who?"
Zhong Shuwen: [Liang Yanzhe.]
She was surprised.
Is Liang Yanzhe also like Zhong Shuwen, spending half a year in Jiangdu?
The taxi stopped at the entrance of the residential area. The security guard knocked on the window, signaling Lin Fei to lower the window to confirm his identity.
Zhong Shuwen had already reported it, and the security guard only allowed her to pass after Lin Fei told him the building and room number.
Lin Fei stood in front of the elevator, hesitated for a second, and then pressed the down button.
Standing in the sweltering underground parking lot, Lin Fei couldn't help but want to laugh, and for some reason, a sense of anticipation arose within her that she couldn't quite explain.
perhaps……
A black Cayenne drove into Lin Fei's line of sight and pulled up to where she was standing. She saw the handsome face of the man in the driver's seat and her lips curled up slightly.
I came at the right time, and my expectations were met; he was just getting off work.
He smoothly reversed into the parking space, turned off the car, opened the door and got out, carrying a briefcase and a suit jacket. Behind his glasses were a pair of smiling eyes full of warmth, but other than that, no other emotions could be discerned.
"What a coincidence!" Lin Fei smiled very naturally, as if it were a chance encounter, not something deliberately arranged.
Liang Yanzhe asked, "Are you here to see Ah Wen?"
Lin Fei nodded.
"How do we wait in the underground parking garage?" Liang Yanzhe's eyes fell on Lin Fei.
It is clearly full of gentleness, yet it makes people feel tense, giving the illusion that there is a knife hidden in the softness.
After two years of being battered by the workplace, Lin Fei had learned to tell lies with a truthful tone: "My cousin said he's about to get off work and told me to wait for him here."
Liang Yanzhe wouldn't ask Zhong Shuwen, and even if he did, Lin Fei could just pretend not to know.
"His surgery won't be over anytime soon today. Why don't you come sit with me for a while?" Liang Yanzhe asked her considerately, seemingly without any suspicion.
Lin Fei was measured in his approach, trying to be deliberate yet not deliberate: "No, I know my cousin's house password, but you need to swipe a card to press the floor number. He said you live on the same floor, so he can give me a ride."
Liang Yanzhe raised an eyebrow and smiled meaningfully: "Well, let's go."
"Oh, right, here's a gift for you." To quickly change the subject, Lin Fei took something out of his bag. "The Ghost Festival is coming soon, and my grandma and aunt make some small items to ward off evil spirits and bring peace."
Liang Yanzhe, who was never superstitious, hesitated for a few seconds before reaching out to take it.
It looked big in her palm, but became tiny in his hand. He had never seen this before and didn't know what it could be used for, so he was a little embarrassed, but still politely thanked him.
Lin Fei could see his hesitation, so she said, "You can hang it on the rearview mirror inside your car for safe travels!"
Liang Yanzhe unlocked the car: "Hang it up now."
"Let me help you." Lin Fei took it, opened the passenger door, and got in the car.
The air conditioning in the car hadn't completely dissipated yet; stepping inside felt like stepping from a fiery mountain into a cool mountain valley. Driven by selfishness, I slowed down my actions of hanging the ornaments.
Liang Yanzhe's car interior is rather dark, and the red and blue ones seem to have wandered into a gray world, swaying and adorable.
Lin Fei got out of the car and clapped his hands: "Alright!"
Before Liang Yanzhe could reply, a new vehicle pulled up, interrupting them.
Zhong Shuwen got off work and went home earlier than expected.
Zhong Shuwen quickly parked the car, hurriedly grabbed her things, and got out. She ran up to Lin Fei and asked, "What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to tell the security guard so he could swipe your card and let you go upstairs?"
Lin Fei glanced at Liang Yanzhe, whose smile deepened. Suddenly, he felt a burning sensation in his ears and neck; his little trick had been seen through.
"I'm hungry." Lin Fei didn't argue, blinked, and abruptly changed the subject.
Zhong Shuwen was about to start talking when she remembered Lin Fei's comment, "You've been talking too much," so she swallowed her words and said, "We're having hot pot tonight. I've bought the ingredients. Let's go."
The three of them took the elevator together, and Liang Yanzhe swiped his card to press the button for the 7th floor.
After the two men exchanged brief greetings, they didn't speak again, probably because they were tired from work. Lin Fei wisely kept quiet, subconsciously pondering Liang Yanzhe's expression in the parking lot.
The elevator doors opened again, and Zhong Shuwen walked towards home, thinking about whether to invite Liang Yanzhe to dinner, since he had overheard that they were having hot pot tonight.
He turned to look across the street, his expression changing, darkening, and he growled unhappily, "Lin Fei! Where are you going! Who are you going home with!"
Liang Yanzhe turned his head and met Lin Fei's gaze.
She followed right behind him, no more than half a meter away.
Lin Fei, who had been daydreaming, snapped back to reality and coughed, "Sorry, it's just a habit."
A note from the author:
----------------------
Zhong Shuwen: What does "getting used to it" mean? How did you get used to it again? What exactly are you getting used to?
Afei: ...
Dr. Liang: You talk too much.
-
[Shy] In the previous chapter, Fei thought he had no chance, but in this chapter, Fei has a lot of ideas.
Still 66, love you all! [Laughing out loud]
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