Chapter 3

I opened Douyin (TikTok), and a notification popped up immediately from “Wanwan Yiren” (a popular Taiwanese online personality). I clicked on the “Friends” section at the bottom, and the stunning sunlight photo I took of my mom that morning appeared on the screen. Looking at the time, I realized my mom had updated that morning.

I clicked the “Expand” button on the text below, and a paragraph appeared: “My son took this picture of me unintentionally while I was eating breakfast this morning. The sunlight was like gold being sprinkled, which really brightened my eyes. In a murky world, only clear and pure eyes can discover true beauty.”

Every time I open my mom’s homepage, I feel like my soul is cleansed. I’m so lucky to have such a perfect mom.

I skillfully clicked “like” and then unliked it, because I realized I seemed to like every video of my mom’s. I wondered if that would get me traffic restricted. But then I thought, I don’t want my mom to get too much traffic, so I clicked “like” again.

I clicked on the comments.

There were quite a few comments, but most of them were just random nonsense.

A netizen named “Yikou Bafang” commented, “If I could marry her, I would be willing to give her a fortune.”

[Pfft, he wants to marry my mom? Dream on. But it’s pretty funny; I only understood it after watching it a second time.]

A person whose name is a bunch of suns commented: “I would say you are intellectual, sexy, but with a wildcat inside.”

[A little wildcat? I’m a big tiger! Damn it, I wish I could find a tiger and eat this bastard up in one bite.]

A person named “Springtime Fades Away” commented: “A beautiful woman of sixteen, her body like soft butter, follows me into the wondrous house. If heads fall, heads fall; if marrow dries up, marrow dries up / kiss / kiss.”

[Holy crap! I was strongly against this guy leaving the literary world back then, but I still managed to report him.]

A comment on a webpage titled “Universe and the World” reads: “In this bustling world, it is your sharing that allows me to feel your beauty and the beauty of the world you perceive. Thank you for being here. /heart”

The mother replied to the comment, “Thank you. I hope you can also bring joy to others.”

My mother is always so gentle.

“What are you looking at? You’re even secretly laughing over there.” Jingyan came closer to me, and I showed her the video of my mother.

“Wow~ Aunt Liu is so beautiful~ I wish I could be that pretty when I grow up, and she has such a great presence too,” Jingyan said.

“You already have a great presence. Aunt Ouyang is so elegant. If you come to my house more often and chat with my mother, you’ll become even more elegant. You become like those you associate with,” I said.

“Hmm…that makes sense, but I suspect you’re trying to trick me into going to your house, hmph!” Jingyan said.

“Hehe, she was bound to come sooner or later, wasn’t she?” I said with a mischievous grin, suddenly remembering what I’d said earlier about “being influenced by one’s company.” Then I asked Jingyan, “By the way, where’s Mu Qianning? Didn’t she bother you today?”

“Why are you asking her? Well, you’re holding one in your arms and thinking about another one, aren’t you?!” Jingyan poked my forehead, pretending to be angry.

“No, no, I just wanted to ask,” I said.

“I don’t know, she disappeared after dinner,” Jingyan said.

“Bang bang bang!”

After a brief silence, the sound of impacts came from the other side again.

[Can’t you guys change your posture? All you do is bang your heads against the wall, like woodpeckers!]

Jingyan and I exchanged a glance, then simultaneously pressed our ears against the wall.

“Ahhhhhh…” Soft but continuous moans reached my ears. This was even with a wall in between. If there wasn’t one, I really couldn’t imagine how much the woman on the other side would be moaning.

I looked at Jingyan, and her face was noticeably red.

I quickly pulled her close to the covers and kissed her on the lips. Jingyan’s response was intense.

“One more time, baby?” I asked.

“Hmm…maybe not~” Jingyan refused instead.

“Okay. Let’s chat then.” I respected Jingyan’s opinion.

“Let me tell you, something happened to me today.” I told her about what had happened between me and Zhao Chenyu.

“Zhao Chenyu? That name sounds familiar?” Jingyan said, frowning.

“You know him? He’s a third-year student in the physical education department,” I asked, somewhat surprised.

“Hmm… I don’t recognize it, but the name sounds familiar.” Jingyan pouted, looking very cute.

“Okay, what do you think we should do about this?” I asked.

“Are you close to him?” Jingyan asked.

“I just play ball occasionally, and I eat out sometimes,” I said.

“It seems you don’t want to help, and you’re just refusing outright. I don’t think that’s a good idea either,” Jingyan said.

“It’s not that I don’t want to help, but I don’t know how. I’ve encountered similar situations before, but this is the first time someone I have no connection with has come to me. Sigh, like my dad, I’m usually annoyed by these kinds of things,” I said.

“Then that’s settled. You can introduce him to a more challenging place, so that even if he can’t handle it, it’s his own problem,” Jingyan said, her eyes darting around.

“Oh yeah? You’re so smart, baby! Mua~” I gave her a big kiss.

“So here’s the question: where should we go?” Jingyan asked.

I scratched my head, suddenly remembering my mother’s conversation with Aunt Ouyang. I quickly said to Jingyan, “By the way, didn’t Aunt Ouyang say she needed a driver? It just so happens that Zhao Chenyu can drive, what do you think?”

“A driver? My mother really needs a driver,” Jingyan said.

“But we’re not really looking for a driver, we’re just having him give it a try,” I said.

“What if something happens?” Jingyan asked.

“Do you think your mother would choose a college student who hasn’t even graduated yet as her driver?” I asked her in return.

“That’s true! My mom probably wouldn’t approve, so the driver should be more mature,” Jingyan nodded.

“Okay, let’s arrange it like this then. I’ll take him to see it whenever I have time,” I said.

“Um.”

“Bang! Bang! Bang!” The sounds of impact continued to come from the other side.

“Damn, I give up.” I couldn’t help but complain, then hugged Jingyan and drifted off to sleep.

…

The next day, we went downstairs for breakfast hand in hand, feeling refreshed. But we saw a familiar face – Mu Qianning, who was wearing a JK uniform and eating.

“What are you doing here?!” The three of them exclaimed at the same time, and the other people eating there all turned to look at us.

Jingyan and I hurried towards her. I looked at Mu Qianning, and her first reaction wasn’t to greet us, but to pick up her phone and start typing something. By the time we reached her dining table, she had already put her phone away, and was looking at us while constantly smoothing her hair.

“You… how did you get here?” Before we could even ask, she blurted out the question.

“It’s normal for the two of us to be here. But what are you doing at the hotel alone? Why don’t you stay in your dorm?” Although we both know about the hotel room arrangement, it’s still better for me, a guy, to talk about it.

“I…I…I came out to play, and it got too late, so I stayed here.” She raised her chin, her eyes darting around, and said in a stern but weak voice.

“Really?” I put down my plate and sat down in front of her.

“Yes! Yes!” she said, pouting, her pretty face slightly flushed, making her already beautiful face look even more adorably proud.

“Oh, I see. I just saw a guy looking for you.” I covered my mouth and stared at him scrutinizingly, thinking that I had finally caught her red-handed and I had to tease her properly.

“Who is it?” she suddenly exclaimed in surprise, which drew a few glances from the others.

“Looks like there really is a man here,” I whispered to Jingyan, who covered her mouth and chuckled.

“No! How could you be like this! Talking nonsense! I’m ignoring you!” Mu Qianning shouted, her tone filled with anger and resentment. Then, with a crisp “smack,” she slammed her chopsticks onto the plate, picked up her bag, turned around, and stormed off.

“Huh?” I frowned, looking at her retreating figure, quite surprised. She’s not usually this petty. What’s wrong with her today?

“Oh dear, I’ll go check first. You go back by yourself later~” Jingyan patted me and hurriedly got up to chase after me.

I wanted to chase after them, but I didn’t know what would happen if I appeared in front of them again, so I deliberately waited a little while before going out, but they were already gone.

Back at school, I messaged Jingyan, and she replied with an “OK” emoji, which put my mind at ease.

This morning, I was checking papers when my phone received a message. It was from Mu Qianning.

Mu Qianning: “Is Young Master Lin here? I hope I haven’t disturbed you.”

Me: “Uh, I’m here, what’s up?”

Mu Qianning: “Um… I apologize for what happened this morning. I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you. /Poor me /Poor me”

Me: “It’s okay. Also, I’m not a young master, don’t call me that, it makes me sound like a feudal remnant. /Sigh”

Mu Qianning: “Hehe, if you’re not the young master, then who is? You are the eldest young master.”

Me: “Okay, fine.”

Mu Qianning: “That’s right, what else should I call you if not Young Master? A big idiot? /smirk”

Me: “I’ll do it, you can have whatever you want, okay?”

Mu Qianning: “What are you doing? Let me tell you, I am pure and innocent. You can’t do anything to me, especially the second word.”

Me: “…I think it was a mistake for me to forgive you.”

Mu Qianning: “/Tongue out/Tongue out/Tongue out”

I closed my phone and didn’t reply to him again. Sigh, I wonder which man was fooled by this little vixen. I really hope Jingyan won’t be affected by her.

The day passed quickly. Dragging my tired body, I rubbed the hickeys on my neck and returned to my dorm.

The graduate student dormitories at N University are very nice; they’re double rooms with bunk beds and desks underneath.

As soon as I entered, I saw someone sitting in front of a computer, clattering away at the keyboard and mouse while muttering curses. This was my roommate, Chu Yun, who had gotten into N University for graduate school. Although his name is Yun, he is actually a burly, over 1.8-meter-tall guy.

“Oh my, who do we have here? It’s the great Xuanyu.” He heard the noise at the door, took off his headphones and said to me, but his tone was like that of a resentful woman, which was not his usual self.

I walked behind his desk and pinched his chubby shoulders hard a few times. The graduate students at N University start a few days earlier than the undergraduates, and although we only spent a few days together (during which I was often away), I felt we got along quite well with this outgoing roommate.

“Playing games again? Oh my god, how come you’re down to 0-3 again? You really are—oh, 0-4 now, haha.” I laughed at him from behind, watching the screen turn gray.

“It’s all your fault for pinching me, otherwise I would have killed that guy over there,” he said, turning his head.

“Come on, you’re still playing games? Have you forgotten what Li the Devil said about you in the group meeting today?” I said to him as I climbed onto the bed. Li the Devil is our mentor, Li Jin, who is known for being serious and meticulous, just as his name suggests.

“Hey, I’m so confused. Why is he so lenient with you? I saw you slacking off for ages, and he didn’t even say anything. Is there really some kind of discrimination between those who got in and those who got in through the entrance exam?” he said.

“No, I knew Professor Li before. He even taught us undergraduate classes,” I said. Actually, there was another reason why Professor Li was so nice to me: he and my dad were classmates. Before I went to university, I always called him Uncle Li. However, this relationship obviously couldn’t be known by more people. Of course, he also couldn’t know that we called him Devil Li in private.

“Sigh, there’s a difference between close and distant relationships, a difference between close and distant relationships~” he grumbled bitterly, then started another game.

I ignored him because my phone vibrated; it was a message from Jingyan.

Qin Jingyan: “Are you in the dorm?”

Me: “You just got back, and you already missed me?”

Qin Jingyan: “Hmph, I didn’t! I was just worried you’d get lost.” /Hmph

Me: “Okay, okay, thank you for your concern, Princess.”

Qin Jingyan: “It’s so boring, I’m all alone in the dorm.”

Me: “Mu Qianning isn’t here?”

Qin Jingyan: “I don’t know, they went out and haven’t come back yet.”

Qin Jingyan: “Hmph, don’t you dare covet others! /knock/knock”

Me: “No, you’ve been saying that for years. Have you ever seen me have any feelings for her? Who can compare to my beautiful Jingyan?”

Qin Jingyan: “Oh? So you mean if there’s someone better than me, you’ll dump me, right? /Thinking”

Me: “How is this possible! Oh no, I feel like I’m caught in an inexplicable situation where my mother and I both fell into the water.”

Qin Jingyan: “Haha, okay, I’m not teasing you anymore. My dad just told me he’s going home tomorrow, and since it’s the weekend, he’d like your whole family to come over for dinner tomorrow night.”

Me: “Uncle Qin is finally done with his work.”

Qin Jingyan: “Yes, he’s been doing this ever since I can remember.” /sighs

Me: “Okay, okay, I’ll be there for you from now on.”

Qin Jingyan: “Hmph, you’re taking advantage of me!”

Me: “Hehe.”

Qin Jingyan: “You big bad guy, I’m ignoring you!”

Me: “Alright, alright, it’s good that that crazy Ning isn’t here, you can enjoy your peaceful time.”

Qin Jingyan: “Okay, I know you’re going to play games. Go ahead!”

Me: “/I’m laughing so hard I’m crying/I’m laughing so hard I’m crying.”

I closed the chat window with Jingyan and saw a red dot on the chat interface. It was a message from Zhao Chenyu inviting me to play basketball that afternoon, but I ignored him.

[Ugh, what’s with the invitation to play ball? He just wants to know about himself. Oh well, looks like if I don’t help him, he’ll keep bothering me. I’d better get it sorted out for him quickly. I’ll find Aunt Ouyang and show him what a difference there is.]

With that in mind, I opened his chat window.

Me: “I was busy with experiments this afternoon and didn’t check.”

I replied to him with this sentence, and I didn’t expect him to reply instantly.

Zhao Chenyu: “Yeah, senior, graduate school life must be very busy.”

Me: “It’s alright. I’ll take you to the interview tomorrow. Do you have time?”

Zhao Chenyu: “Huh? So fast?”

I don’t?”

Zhao Chenyu: “Yes, yes, yes, senior arranged it. Even if I didn’t have it, I had to. I just didn’t expect it to be so fast. As expected of senior, you’re amazing! /thumbs up /thumbs up”

Me: “Whenever I have time.”

Zhao Chenyu: “What kind of job is it, senior? I’ll get ready.”

Me: “Something like an assistant, maybe they’ll drive. How’s your driving?”

Zhao Chenyu: “I got my license after graduating from junior high school. During high school holidays, I helped my family transport goods and often drove small trucks. I also got my B2 license a while ago, but I’ve never driven a medium-sized truck.”

I listened to what he said and was speechless.

[I put you up as an assistant, and you’re driving a sedan, but you’ve got a bunch of trucks… Giving you Aunt Ouyang’s car is really a waste. Oh well, it just proves he’s got some skills.]

Me: “You could obviously continue working for the family, and you could even find a job on your own. Why are you still asking me?”

Zhao Chenyu: “Isn’t this just to see if I can stay in a big city?”

Me: “Okay, tomorrow morning at nine o’clock, at the school gate.”

Zhao Chenyu: “OK, thank you, senior!”

Me: “It’s okay.”

Without reading his last message, I exited the chat, intending to talk to Aunt Ouyang, when suddenly Chu Yun called out to me from below, “Xuanyu, come down and log in quickly!”

Then I thought, since I’m just going to appease him anyway, it’s fine not to tell Aunt Ouyang. So I simply got out of bed.

“Log in, watch me carry you to new heights!”

It wasn’t until midnight, staring at the large word “failure” on the gray screen, that Chu Yun and I fell into deep thought.

“Damn it! No way, I won’t go to sleep until I win a game!” Chu Yun shouted, banging on the table behind me. The three empty Coke cans on his table were all knocked over by his bang.

“Alright, you can play now, I’m going to sleep,” I said to him.

“Didn’t you say you’d take me flying? We’ve been kneeling all night!” Chu Yun looked at me indignantly.

“Whether I play SVP or not, everyone knows whose fault it is.” I pulled the covers over myself and turned my back to him.

“Damn it! I don’t believe it!”

Amidst the clatter of mouse and keyboard, I drifted off to sleep.

…

The next day, at the school gate, I saw someone pacing back and forth from afar. When I got closer, it was indeed Zhao Chenyu.

“Senior!” He saw me and awkwardly jogged over.

As for why he seemed awkward, I understood when I saw his outfit. He was wearing a black suit and leather shoes. However, the cuffs covered his wrists and even the backs of his hands, the collar was askew, and the shirt buttons inside his tie were undone. I turned around and went behind him, and saw that the back of his suit jacket almost covered his buttocks. But the trousers fit him quite well.

“What’s wrong, senior?” he asked me curiously.

“Uh…it’s okay, let’s leave it at that.” I was going to try to persuade him, but oh well, it’s not a big deal anyway. “Come on, I’ll take you there.”

In the taxi.

“Senior, what do you think of my resume?” He opened a backpack he was carrying and took out a piece of paper to show me.

I thought to myself, he actually took it seriously. But I still had to put on an act.

“Well… that’s fine. You haven’t graduated yet, you’re just looking for an internship.” I glanced at his messy resume and handed it to him.

“Actually, for our department, it’s practically the same as graduation now, since we hardly have any classes,” he said.

“Um……”

“Senior, what kind of organization is this? Can you tell me about it?” he asked curiously.

“It’s nothing. An older friend of mine works at a company that needs an assistant or something. You can give it a try,” I said.

Throughout the entire journey, he kept asking me all sorts of questions, while I was just giving him the runaround. Until the taxi stopped in front of a luxurious building.

“Holy crap! Senior, isn’t this ** company? It’s a pretty famous company in our city, this…” He looked up at the tall building, swore, then looked at me, hesitant to speak.

I walked up to him, said to him, “Watch your words and actions,” and then went straight inside.

Without any hindrance, he and I entered the elevator. I took out a black and gold card from my pocket, swiped it, and amidst some people’s soft gasps and Zhao Chenyu’s questioning gaze, I pressed the button for the top floor.

The elevator reached a middle floor, everyone got off, and the doors closed, leaving only Zhao Chenyu and me. I glanced at him and saw him nervously fidgeting with his tie. I gave a dismissive smile.

“Ding-dong.”

The elevator reached the top floor. Unlike the lower areas, the top floor wasn’t very large. Aunt Ouyang’s company’s top floor was divided into two areas. One side housed her office, her assistant’s office, and a place to store important documents. The other side was Aunt Ouyang’s own gym, yoga area, shower area, and even a bed—essentially her private resting space.

Actually, Aunt Ouyang doesn’t like this kind of thing, and she rarely stays here. She prefers working with everyone. However, as the head of the company, she feels she needs to maintain a certain level of authority, which is why this separate top floor exists.

I led Zhao Chenyu toward Aunt Ouyang’s office. Looking out the window, the cars on the ground looked like neatly arranged snails. He looked down, and I could clearly feel his legs weakening.

“Who do we have here? Long time no see, Young Master Lin.” A beautiful woman in a business suit walked towards me. She was tall and sexy, with a high ponytail and frameless glasses. She smiled sweetly at me. The most striking thing was her face; it looked exactly like Mu Qianning’s. She was Mu Qianning’s twin sister, Mu Lingze.

The two sisters were Qin Jingyan’s best friends, but one chose to take the postgraduate entrance exam, while the other, because of Qin Jingyan, went straight to work after graduation and was called over by Aunt Ouyang to become her secretary.

“I told you not to call me Young Master~” I said, covering my face.

“Who is this?” Mu Lingze noticed Zhao Chenyu behind me.

“ah……”

“I have a junior from our school who’s here. I’m having him try out for an interview. Maybe he can run errands for Aunt Ouyang or something,” I said before Zhao Chenyu could react.

“Ah—yes, yes! Hello senior, I’m a third-year student in the Physical Education Department.” Zhao Chenyu took a step forward, bowed slightly, and introduced himself, his eyes showing a strange light as he looked at Mu Lingze.

[Is he so captivated by a beautiful woman that he can’t resist her?] I thought to myself, while my contempt for him grew even stronger.

“Oh, I see. Then wait a bit. Besides, you’ve come at a very inopportune time.” Mu Lingze nodded and ignored him, turning to me instead.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Recently, some of the company’s managers have run into some minor issues, and President Lan is currently resolving them. She’s in her office right now giving them a dressing down.” Mu Lingze pointed to the door of the office next door.

“Huh? Then this…” Before I could speak, Zhao Chenyu said in a flustered manner.

I ignored him, thinking it was perfect, let him be Aunt Ouyang’s punching bag.

Before we could exchange more than a few words, the office door opened, and a man carrying a folder emerged, nodding and smiling obsequiously. I noticed the papers inside the folder were all crooked and distorted. He saw Mu Lingze, immediately forcing a smile, then glanced at Zhao Chenyu and me, before walking away with a long face and his head down.

Mu Lingze and I looked at each other in bewilderment. She even gave Zhao Chenyu a pitiful look, which made Zhao Chenyu even more flustered.

“Xiaoling, get me a cup of coffee.” Aunt Ouyang’s familiar voice came from inside the house, but I didn’t recognize the tone at all.

“Okay!” Mu Lingze replied and went inside, and Zhao Chenyu and I followed.

Aunt Ouyang’s office is divided into an inner and an outer section. The outer section is Mu Lingze’s office area, and there is another door further inside, which leads to Aunt Ouyang’s room.

Mu Lingze quickly prepared a cup of coffee and was about to pick it up when Zhao Chenyu stepped forward and said, “Senior, let me do it.”

Mu Lingze looked at him in surprise. I also glanced at this junior.

Zhao Chenyu took the coffee tray from Mu Lingze, glanced at me, and I saw that his hands were trembling slightly, causing the spoon in the coffee cup to make a crisp ceramic clinking sound against the cup.

Mu Lingze glanced at me, I shrugged at her, walked ahead of Zhao Chenyu, and opened the door.

“Aunt Ouyang, I’m here!” I entered and saw Aunt Ouyang, dressed in a black suit and white shirt, leaning back in her office chair, legs crossed, one hand on the armrest, the other massaging her temples. Her suit was slightly open due to her posture, and her pert breasts, encased in her shirt, displayed her sexiness. I called out.

“Oh, it’s the baby~ This…” When Aunt Ouyang saw me, the worry on her face vanished. She was about to get up with a big smile when she saw Zhao Chenyu following closely behind me. She sat back down, pulled her suit jacket together, and then put on a serious expression, frowning slightly as she looked at me with a questioning look.

The air was quiet, and neither of us spoke. Zhao Chenyu slowly placed the coffee on the tray onto the table in front of Aunt Ouyang, then put the tray behind his back, took a few steps back, glanced at me, and then said to Aunt Ouyang.

“Hello, Mr. Lan… My name is Zhao Chenyu. I’m a third-year student in the Physical Education Department at N University. I know Senior Lin, and I asked him to introduce me to a job. I heard you’re hiring drivers, so I had him bring me here for an interview. I have a B2 driver’s license and six years of driving experience. I’m also open to assistant-type jobs. I previously participated in a project at school, where I served as a planner…” In a short while, Aunt Ouyang and I listened to his self-introduction. Throughout the interview, Aunt Ouyang didn’t glance at him once, simply sipping her coffee.

The air fell silent again. Zhao Chenyu squinted his already small eyes, looked down at the ground, his throat moved slightly, and he nervously swallowed.

After he finished speaking, Aunt Ouyang looked at me again, and I did the same thing as before—I shrugged.

I looked at Zhao Chenyu and thought to myself, “Are you out of your mind? Where’s your resume?”

But then I thought again, either he was nervous and forgot, or he didn’t want to take it out. In this kind of situation, taking it out wouldn’t make a difference.

Aunt Ouyang took another sip of coffee, then looked at me, pointed at him, and gestured with her chin toward the door.

I understood immediately and pulled Zhao Chenyu outside.

“Xuanyu, you stay here~” came Aunt Ouyang’s voice from behind.

I told Zhao Chenyu to stay outside with Mu Lingze, then turned around, went inside, and closed the door.

As soon as I turned around after closing the door, I saw Aunt Ouyang get up and walk over, pulling my hand and leading me to the sofa next to her. She pressed my arm to make me sit down, then sat down next to me, turned around, and put her two beautiful legs in a suit on my lap. She stretched out her delicate fingers, pinched my face and pulled it outwards, saying something rather fierce.

“Alright, you little rascal, tell me, what does this guy do?”

“Ouch, Auntie, it hurts!” I didn’t dare to resist and wrapped my arms around Aunt Ouyang’s waist from behind.

“Hold on tighter!” Aunt Ouyang released my face and said. I quickly did as she said, pulling her waist towards me a few times. I could feel the softness of Aunt Ouyang’s chest against one side of my chest.

“Speak!” Although Aunt Ouyang was a bit fierce, the fragrance emanating from her body made me feel very comfortable.

“Ah… it’s just a junior of mine who asked me to help him find a job. I thought it was perfect since you need one, so I let him give it a try.” I rubbed my face and said, feigning a pitiful expression.

“Are we close?” Aunt Ouyang asked.

“It’s alright, we usually play ball together quite often,” I said.

“You two aren’t even that close, yet you still try to lead me to Auntie’s side, you little rascal!” Aunt Ouyang pinched me again.

“Oh dear! But to be honest, Auntie, you really should hire a few assistants, so that your subordinates won’t be so angry with you.” I thought of that dejected person from earlier and said to Auntie.

“Oh, yes, my darling is so good, he knows how to care for his auntie, Mua~” Aunt Ouyang kissed my cheek that she had just pinched.

“So what am I supposed to do with this young man?” Aunt Ouyang said.

“What do you want me to do?” I asked in surprise.

“Yes, you tell me, it’s up to you to decide.” Aunt Ouyang said, putting her arm around my neck. In that instant, I felt like I wasn’t a nephew or niece, but Aunt Ouyang’s man.

“Hmm… I was originally planning to just give you a perfunctory answer. If you like him, you can keep him; if you don’t, I’ll just say a few words and let him go.” I said after thinking for a moment, but after I finished speaking, I realized that I seemed to have left the problem to Aunt Ouyang again.

“You really are a little rascal. You were just planning to fool everyone anyway. You were leading them all to Auntie’s side. You could have just found someone from the staff to fool them.” Aunt Ouyang pinched my cheek again, the one she had just kissed.

“Oh dear, what if you really need a driver?” I argued.

“If I wanted to hire drivers and bodyguards, I could have plenty of people. You don’t need to worry about it, young master,” Aunt Ouyang said.

“My darling is so good, always thinking of Auntie, Mua~”, Aunt Ouyang kissed my pinched cheek again. What did this half of my face do to deserve this? A mix of carrot and stick.

“Then forget it. I’ll take him away later,” I said.

“Whatever. But you, come and keep me company when you’re free. I’m so bored at work every day. If it weren’t for making money for you, I would have already outsourced the company,” Aunt Ouyang said.

“Make money for me? Isn’t that Jingyan’s?” I stared wide-eyed at Aunt Ouyang’s stunningly beautiful face, which was right in front of me.

“Is there a difference? You and Jingyan will get married sooner or later. Once you’re married, Auntie will give all these things to you. I haven’t wanted them for a long time,” Aunt Ouyang said.

“Ah…no, you and Uncle Qin also want to…” I hesitated.

“That thing was just a joke I made with you and Jingyan, hoping you’d hurry up and have a baby and get married,” Aunt Ouyang said.

My first instinct was to reply, “Didn’t you tell my mom that too?” But I immediately covered my mouth, because if I said it, I would be telling Aunt Ouyang that I had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Why are you covering your mouth? Don’t tell Auntie. You’re a young man, and you don’t even dare to say these things to Auntie. What’s the big deal? Don’t treat Auntie like your mother-in-law, just think of me as your sister. Auntie is telling you, baby, Jingyan told me that you should get married and have children after you graduate with your master’s degree. Auntie is asking you to put your studies aside for now. In the next few years, you should seduce her! Sleep with Jingyan more often! No condoms allowed! Get her pregnant as soon as possible so you can get married. Don’t worry about being weak, Auntie will do everything she can to help you recover.” Aunt Ouyang stared intently at me as I spoke.

I stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, utterly speechless at my aunt’s outrageous and provocative words.

“Pfft, look at you~ Did you hear what Auntie said?” This time, Aunt Ouyang didn’t pinch my face, but instead pinched my chest. By sheer coincidence, she pinched my nipple.

“Ah! I…I heard it,” I said, clutching my chest.

“Look at your slender frame, you’re too thin. Eat more. The other girl was shorter than you, but you could tell she had a good figure,” Aunt Ouyang said.

Although Aunt Ouyang didn’t really look at Zhao Chenyu, such a conspicuous person must have appeared in her sight at some point. I thought to myself, indeed, I need to train to have a similar physique to Zhao Chenyu.

“That’s settled then, Auntie. I’ll take him with me and won’t disturb your work any longer.” I was about to get up when Aunt Ouyang pressed me back down.

“You really don’t want to stay with your auntie?” Aunt Ouyang said with a hint of resentment.

“No…no, aren’t you at work?” I said.

“What’s wrong with going to work? Nothing is more important than my baby. Besides, nobody’s looking for me right now.” Aunt Ouyang hugged my neck and nestled against my chest.

I thought to myself, maybe Aunt Ouyang is just too tired from work. It’s only right that I spend more time with her.

I gently held her in my arms and stayed quietly. Aunt Ouyang’s figure was truly perfect; I could feel her slender, smooth waist even through her shirt.

I don’t know how many minutes passed.

“Buzzing…”

Aunt Ouyang’s phone, which was on the boss’s desk, vibrated. She got up, quite annoyed, and answered the call.

“What’s wrong?”

[Who’s on the other end? Aunt Ouyang didn’t even say “hello.”]

“Hmm… really? They’re all here?”

“You want me to go?! Can’t I not go?”

[What made Aunt Ouyang so angry?] I saw Aunt Ouyang sitting in a chair, speaking angrily into her phone. I got up and went to her side, but I couldn’t hear what was going on on the phone.

“They’re just a few distributors, why do we have to get involved?”

[It seems to be a business matter, but who is on the other end? Who could possibly make Aunt Ouyang act this way, even using the term “we”?]

“Yes, yes, you’re right, aren’t you? It’s more important to pay attention to those below and win their hearts, but I really don’t want to go. I’ll just end up smelling like alcohol again,” Aunt Ouyang said with annoyance.

“Sigh~ I can’t even send someone downstairs?” Aunt Ouyang said.

“Fine, fine. I give up! I’m hanging up!” Aunt Ouyang angrily slammed down the phone and tossed it onto the table, the phone hitting the surface with a loud “thud!”

I saw Aunt Ouyang huddled in her office chair, sighing with her hand over her forehead. I felt a pang of sadness, so I went behind her and started massaging her shoulders.

Aunt Ouyang knew it was me, and she enjoyed it, her gloomy expression lessening somewhat. I massaged her while glancing at the table.

Besides the essentials like a computer, folders, a bell, paper, pens, and cups, Aunt Ouyang’s only personal item is a photo frame. I’ve seen the photo in the frame, but it’s not a family portrait of Aunt Ouyang. It’s a group photo of Aunt Ouyang, Jingyan, me, and my mother taken during a trip.

After a while, Aunt Ouyang touched my hand, signaling me to stop.

“Whose phone call was that, Aunt Ouyang? What made you so angry?” I asked.

“Who else? Besides your Uncle Qin, who else can order your aunt around like this?” Aunt Ouyang said, frowning.

“Oh, I see.” I wanted to say something more, but when I heard it was Uncle Qin on the phone, I suddenly didn’t know what to say.

“Are you invited to a dinner party?” I asked.

“Yeah, what a boring dinner party,” Aunt Ouyang said.

“How about I go with you? I’ll cover for you if you need to drink,” I said.

“No need, baby. It’s more painful to see you being forced to drink than to drink it myself,” Aunt Ouyang said, touching my hand.

I felt a warm glow inside, but at the same time, I also felt a sense of powerlessness.

I racked my brains trying to find a way to help Aunt Ouyang.

Suddenly, I thought of someone.

“Aunt Ouyang, why don’t we let Zhao Chenyu go? He can drink a lot,” I said. I had attended a party with him once before, so I knew that.

“…Alright, then call him in.” Aunt Ouyang thought for a moment and then said.

I hurriedly left the office.