It gets dark late now; it's six o'clock, and the sun hasn't set yet.
Xu Ningyan found a shady spot, looked up at the design department office upstairs, and could vaguely hear Gu Zhiyuan's voice, who was probably giving his colleagues special treatment.
I checked my watch; it should be over in about twenty minutes.
Looking up, I saw a familiar figure walking over from the other side of the bike shed.
It was Xu Zhenzhu.
Xu Zhenzhu also saw Xu Ningyan. She was stunned at first, then walked over through gritted teeth: "What are you doing here?"
Xu Ningyan scoffed: "What's it to you?"
Xu Zhenzhu was quite taken aback. She looked up at the office and remembered Lu Kai's earlier instructions to have her come downstairs.
Reluctantly, he said, "Brother Lu said he'd like to treat you and your partner to dinner at the state-run restaurant tonight! After this meal, we'll be family! Tell your partner to help Brother Lu out more; he won't treat you badly in the future, understand?"
Xu Ningyan sneered: "It's not like my family is starving. Do you think we're family just because we ate together? Who's family with you? Why should my partner help your partner? Is it because your partner is arrogant and can't take care of himself? Or is it because your partner is a charlatan and can't make a living?"
"Your partner needs to beg my partner for help, how dare you say you won't mistreat us in the future? Who gave you the courage to say such a thing?"
Even a fool could tell that Gu Zhiyuan was putting pressure on Lu Kai.
Lu Kai is a real scoundrel. He can't compete with me, so he resorts to crooked and evil tricks!
Wanting others to help you out, yet only willing to contribute one meal without taking the initiative yourself? Who do you think you are!
Xu Zhenzhu was so anxious that she tried to rush over and cover Xu Ningyan's mouth: "You're talking nonsense! Brother Lu only said he would help you because of me, because you are a member of the Xu family! Don't bite the hand that feeds you! Can't you even tell it's just polite talk?"
“My brother Lu is so capable, he’s a shoo-in for the next head of the design department! His dad is the deputy director of the machinery factory! No matter how capable your girlfriend is, she still has to work under them! What are you so smug about?”
"You'd better try to please your partner and us. I'm a magnanimous person, and I won't hold your past actions against you. Once we're successful, you'll naturally have a place to eat!"
Xu Zhenzhu got more and more excited as she spoke, as if she could already see the future: after Lu Kai became the richest man in the provincial capital, Xu Ningyan and Gu Zhiyuan would have to beg for food and flatter them.
Xu Ningyan laughed: "My partner is a respectable employee of a machinery factory, earning his living through his own abilities! What do you mean by 'making a living under your thumb'? Do you think this is the old society? No matter how powerful your partner is, does he have to listen to my partner now? No matter how powerful your partner's father is, he's just a deputy factory director. Does he think he can control everything?"
"Let me give you a piece of advice: you'd better hold back! This woman hasn't even married into the Lu family yet, and she's already acting like she owns the Lu family? Aren't you afraid of losing everything?"
These words struck a nerve with Xu Zhenzhu, and her eyes immediately reddened: "Stop talking nonsense and trying to sow discord between me and Brother Lu! He's already agreed to come to my house to propose marriage once this busy period is over—"
Xu Ningyan chuckled: "Let's talk about that when you actually marry into the Lu family!"
Xu Zhenzhu was silent for a while, then seemed to be speaking to Xu Ningyan, but also to herself: "I will definitely marry Brother Lu! I definitely will! He promised me!"
Xu Ningyan replied perfunctorily, "Ah, right, right, right! You two are a perfect match, a match made in heaven, stay together and don't go out and ruin other people's lives!"
As they were talking, the door to the design department office upstairs opened, and Gu Zhiyuan came out first, followed by several people who kept asking him questions.
Gu Zhiyuan glanced downstairs unintentionally, and was taken aback. He didn't even bother to answer his colleague's question before heading downstairs.
The people behind glanced over and saw two women standing in the carport downstairs, one of whom was Lu Kai's girlfriend.
They all turned to look at Lu Kai.
Lu Kai's expression changed, and he quickened his pace, rushing downstairs after Lu Kai.
Gu Zhiyuan walked up to Xu Ningyan in a few steps, reached out and ruffled her hair, asking with a smile in his eyes, "Why are you here? Is it an emergency? Or did you forget your keys?"
Xu Ningyan smiled at him: "I've come to pick you up from get off work!"
Gu Zhiyuan's eyes shone with intense joy, his ears burned, and his heart skipped a beat. He took a deep breath to barely suppress the smirk on his face, and stammered, "Pick me up after get off work?"
Why did this girl suddenly decide to pick me up from work today? Did she miss me too much? Gu Zhiyuan couldn't help but wonder.
Xu Ningyan nodded: "I got off work early today. I went home with Lin Hong to take care of some things. Since the time was just right, I picked you up from get off work and hitched a ride home with you."
Gu Zhiyuan was a little disappointed, but he quickly cheered up again. Although it wasn't a special occasion to pick him up after get off work, the thought itself was commendable.
He subtly pinched himself to steady himself, turned to nod at his colleague behind him, then pushed out his bicycle, gesturing for Xu Ningyan to sit on the back so they could ride home.
Seeing the opportunity, Lu Kai quickly stepped forward and stopped Xu Ningyan: "It's Siya, oh, no, it's Xu Ningyan, right? I'm your aunt's boyfriend, my name is Lu Kai! I've heard your aunt talk about you before, but I only found out today that you're Xiao Gu's boyfriend! Since we've run into each other, let's have dinner together tonight!"
“Your aunt just happened to be in the county town for training. She doesn’t have many friends here, so you can get together more often and chat. We’re all family. Given my working relationship with Xiao Gu, we’ll be dealing with each other frequently in the future. So, give me, as your soon-to-be uncle, a chance, and I’ll treat you to the head chef’s specialty dishes at the state-run restaurant!”
As she spoke, she winked at Xu Zhenzhu, who was standing there dumbfounded.
Xu Zhenzhu really didn't want to have anything to do with Xu Ningyan anymore, but she couldn't go against Lu Kai's wishes.
In her heart, Lu Kai was the most important person, and she didn't want to go against any of his words.
Forcing a smile, she deliberately stepped forward and affectionately took Xu Ningyan's arm: "Yes, Siya, it's been so long! I heard you just moved to the county town, so Brother Lu and I are treating you to dinner today as a welcome-back party!"
"If I, as your aunt, have done anything wrong in the past, I apologize! After all, we are blood relatives, direct aunt and niece. How could we really become estranged?"
"Look, your partner and Brother Lu are colleagues, and I'm in the same system as you! What a coincidence! It seems even God isn't going to let us stay together! Don't you think so?"
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