ACMS 33

Chapter 33: Meeting the Parents

This time, Qiao Le’s return shot was extremely impressive. Not only was Chen Hao stunned, but even the others who were watching them play were surprised.

“Nice return!” someone shouted. “Chen Hao, you’re embarrassing yourself! If you can’t do it, let me try.”

“Go away, what’s it to you?” Chen Hao turned around and joked, then said to Qiao Le, “You’re pretty good. Let’s go again.”

The two played a short round back and forth, then gave up the court to others and went off to rest.

Chen Hao tossed a bottle of water to Qiao Le and sat beside him. “Add me on WeChat. Let’s play again next time.”

Qiao Le added him on WeChat, noted his name, twisted open the bottle of water, and took a sip. Just then, he heard Chen Hao ask, “Are you from Yunjing City?”

“Yeah, what about you?”

“I’m not, I’m from Shen City,” Chen Hao said. “I just moved here this year.”

Shen City.

Qiao Le paused in his drinking. His mother, Liang Shuling, had gone to Shen City years ago, claiming it was for work, but never came back.

“What’s wrong?” Chen Hao noticed he suddenly went silent. “What are you thinking about? Why aren’t you speaking?”

“Nothing,” Qiao Le snapped out of it, finished the remaining water in the bottle, and casually asked, “Is Shen City fun?”

“It’s okay,” Chen Hao thought for a moment before answering. “It’s actually about as bustling as Yunjing, but there aren’t as many tourist spots. Haven’t you been there?”

Qiao Le: “No.”

“Well, if you have the chance to visit next time, I’ll show you around—food, accommodations, and fun are all on me!” Chen Hao said. “When it comes to having fun, I’m an expert.”

Qiao Le smiled. “We’ll see.”

He had once thought about going to Shen City to check it out.

When Liang Shuling first moved there, she sent a few things home, and Qiao Le kept the address. He had planned to visit Shen City and meet her.

But back then, Xiao Man was still young, and his father was often absent. He couldn’t make the trip.

Later, when his father had his accident, that thought was left behind.

Now, with both time and money, he no longer had the desire to go.

Qiao Le stood up from the chair and said to Chen Hao, “I have class now, you guys go ahead and play.”

“I’m not playing anymore either. I have to go back to class,” Chen Hao pointed to his small electric scooter and, like last time, shamelessly asked, “Which building are you going to? Can you give me a ride?”

Qiao Le: “The Ideology and Politics Building.”

“Coincidentally, me too!” Chen Hao said happily. “It’s not room 1203, is it? A public class?”

Qiao Le: “You too?”

“Yeah!” Chen Hao laughed heartily. “Let’s go, let me ride with you. I’ll treat you to lunch later.”

Since it was on the way, Qiao Le agreed. He rode his bike, taking Chen Hao to the Ideology and Politics Building.

Once in the classroom, Qiao Le found a seat and checked his phone.

There was a message from Shen Hechuan asking if he was in class yet. The previous message was a photo Qiao Le had sent him in the morning.

Qiao Le replied to the message, exited the chat, and saw there was new activity in the Shen family group chat, [Loving and Caring Family].

After it became known that he and Shen Hechuan had officially registered their marriage, Wu Huilan added him to the family group. As soon as he entered, he was welcomed with a shower of red envelopes. They were all designated red envelopes, with Shen Hechuan excluded.

The red envelopes kept coming, and Qiao Le’s fingers grew tired from tapping them. Finally, Old Shen, dissatisfied with the small amounts, transferred money directly to him in the group.

Qiao Le’s WeChat wallet balance kept climbing, reaching as high as 600,000 that day.

“Isn’t this too much?” he asked Shen Hechuan, holding his phone. “I feel a bit embarrassed, like I’m scamming elderly people’s retirement money.”

This remark made Shen Hechuan laugh. He glanced at Qiao Le’s phone and said, “600,000 is the maximum for WeChat transfers, not the limit for red envelopes. You can try posting your bank account number in the group and easily make hundreds of thousands a day.”

Qiao Le: “…I still don’t understand the ways of rich people.”

Shen Hechuan chuckled and said meaningfully, “Well, you’ll understand eventually.”

At that moment, Qiao Le was so focused on the red envelopes that he didn’t pick up on his underlying meaning.

Seeing there was a new message in the group, Qiao Le opened the [Loving and Caring Family] chat.

Wu Huilan had posted two possible dates, saying they were for the engagement banquet and asking them to choose one.

She originally wanted to hold a wedding for them, but since Qiao Le was still in school, the family decided to hold a small engagement party at home for close relatives only, not open to the public.

The two dates were in the same month—one was next week, the other at the end of the month.

It was already nearly mid-month.

Qiao Le replied, asking if the timing was too tight.

[A wise and graceful heart]: It’s not urgent, just pick a date. Everything else will be handled for you.

[A wise and graceful heart]: The wedding outfit also needs to be custom-made. Let me know when you’re free, and we’ll take your measurements at home.

Qiao Le wasn’t sure how to decide, so he left the choice to the other party.

[Qiao Le]: @Shen

[Shen]: End of the month. I’m busy with work these days.

Shen Hechuan replied and then looked up to ask Judy, who was reporting to him, “Is there anything else?”

Judy said, “The president of Huanqai Biology, Mr. Fang, is downstairs in the reception area. He said he wants to invite you to dinner to apologize in person.”

After the incident with Yang Mu, Fang Zhiqiang, the president of Huanqai Biology, was worried about the impact on the cooperation between their two companies. He had tried several times to arrange a meeting with Shen Hechuan but had been turned down.

With the contract nearing expiration at the end of the year, he was becoming anxious and had shown up uninvited to wait.

Shen Hechuan thought for a moment and said, “Tell him no need to apologize. This matter is Yang Mu’s personal action and has nothing to do with Huanqai. According to the contract, if the overall profit rises by five percentage points compared to last year, we can renew it.”

“Understood.”

After Judy left, Shen Hechuan received a call from Wu Huilan asking about the guest list for the engagement.

Shen Hechuan flipped through some documents. “You and Dad can decide.”

“I know, but I’m asking about Qiao Le’s side,” Wu Huilan said. “Although his father is gone and his mother’s whereabouts are unknown, he must have relatives. For such a big event like an engagement, it’s important to have some family members present. I’m not clear about Qiao Le’s family situation, so I can’t make the decision rashly. Qiao Le needs to handle his guests.”

Shen Hechuan hadn’t met Qiao Le’s other relatives either, but he had heard Qiao Le mention his uncle and aunt.

“I’ll ask him tonight,” he told Wu Huilan. “Leave it for now.”

“Okay.”

On Qiao Le’s side, as soon as class was over, he and Chen Hao went to the school cafeteria.

Yunjing University has sixteen cafeterias, and they went to the one closest to the Ideology and Politics Building. Qiao Le didn’t have a meal card yet, but the cafeteria accepted WeChat payments, which was very convenient.

When Chen Hao saw him displaying the payment code, he quickly reached out to stop him. “What are you doing? I said I’d treat you.”

As he spoke, he asked the cafeteria lady for extra steamed dishes and then swiped his card, and the payment was immediately processed.

Qiao Le didn’t insist. “Thanks.”

“Not a big deal,” Chen Hao said casually. “Let’s sit over there.”

They found a seat, and Chen Hao’s phone rang. He glanced at it and answered, “Auntie… I’m not coming home for lunch, I’m eating at the school cafeteria. Yeah, with a new friend, uh-huh, okay.”

He hung up, and when he saw Qiao Le looking at him, he casually explained, “My family asked if I’m coming home for lunch.”

Qiao Le said, “Your family really cares about you.”

“Ha.” Chen Hao waved it off. “My dad’s too busy to care about me, and so is my mom. They’re not as good as me—”

He suddenly stopped, sighed, and said, “Forget it, let’s not talk about it. Let’s eat.”

Qiao Le wasn’t a gossiping person. He and Chen Hao had just met, and since Chen Hao didn’t want to talk, he didn’t ask any more questions and just focused on eating.

Among all the universities in Yunjing City, Yunjing University’s cafeterias were famous for their delicious food, with various cuisines to choose from.

Qiao Le swallowed a piece of pork rib, took a photo with his phone, and sent it to Shen Hechuan, casually asking if he had eaten yet.

Seeing this, Chen Hao asked curiously, “Did you send that to your girlfriend?”

“No,” Qiao Le put his phone away.

Chen Hao continued, “Then to your boyfriend?”

Boyfriend?

Not really. More like husband.

His forever husband.

Thinking of this, Qiao Le suddenly found it amusing and couldn’t help but laugh to himself.

Chen Hao didn’t know what he said that triggered the laughter. He was confused and asked, “What are you laughing about? Is it your boyfriend or girlfriend?”

Qiao Le stopped laughing and said, “Boyfriend.”

“Damn, you really have one!” Chen Hao was extremely surprised and fired a series of questions like a machine gun, “You found someone already, even though you just started college? Is it your high school classmate? Are they from our school?”

“Are they from our school?”

Thinking of how Shen Hechuan also graduated from Yunjing University, Qiao Le nodded, “Mm, but he already graduated.”

“Is he our senior?” Chen Hao asked curiously. “How did you two meet?”

“It’s a bit complicated to explain in just a couple of words. Let’s just say it was a beautiful misunderstanding,” Qiao Le thought for a moment and said, “I’ll introduce you to him if there’s a chance.”

“Sure.” Chen Hao wasn’t too concerned, so he changed the subject. “By the way, my birthday’s next month on the 3rd. I’m planning to have a small party at my place. You should come and hang out.”

“Is it a big crowd?” Qiao Le asked.

“Not really, just about ten or so people,” Chen Hao said. “I just got here, don’t know too many people. Most are classmates, but we’re friends now, so you should come.”

Chen Hao was Qiao Le’s first friend since returning to school. He sincerely invited him, and Qiao Le happily agreed, “Alright.”

“Great, it’s settled then!” Chen Hao said happily. “What do you want to drink? I’ll buy you a drink.”

As he said that, he was about to get up, but Qiao Le stopped him, “I’ll get it, thanks for the meal.”

Friends should maintain proper etiquette; he couldn’t just let Chen Hao always treat him.

“We’re friends, why be so polite?” Chen Hao said, but his mouth was already stretching from ear to ear, eagerly waiting for Qiao Le to buy him a drink.

He liked making friends. He had quite a few in Shen City, but those friends who would hang out with him in public would talk behind his back, calling him the son of a nouveau riche. If it weren’t for his generosity, they wouldn’t bother dealing with him.

Qiao Le not only played sports well, but also bought him drinks, so he was determined to be good friends with him.

Qiao Le bought two bottles of drinks and returned, handing one to Chen Hao and opening the other for himself.

Chen Hao took a sip and asked, “My place is at Shanshui Yufu. Do you know the way? Should I send a car to pick you up later?”

Shanshui Yufu was also in Liwan New District. Qiao Le hadn’t been there, but he had a navigation app.

“I’ll go by myself,” Qiao Le said. Even if he didn’t know the way, he could always have Shen Hechuan drive him.

Let Shen Hechuan drive him?

Realizing his own thought, Qiao Le paused for a moment.

Why had he naturally thought to ask Shen Hechuan to drive him? It seemed so natural.

It was all Shen Hechuan’s fault for always being so accommodating that it made him lose his sense of boundaries.

It’s all Shen Hechuan’s fault.

With that thought, Qiao Le felt better, blaming others first rather than making things difficult for himself.

After dinner, Qiao Le separated from Chen Hao and went to the library to pass time until his next class.

He only had two classes in the afternoon, and school was done by 4:30 PM.

Just as Shen Hechuan said, the temperature started to drop in the afternoon. Luckily, he had brought a jacket.

Kindergarten also finished at 4:30, and Aunt Yang had already picked Qiao Man up and taken him home. Qiao Le didn’t need to pick him up, so he went straight to the Linjiang Complex.

As soon as he got home, he received a message from Chen Hao.

The message included a location for Shanshui Yufu, inviting him to come over when he had time.

Qiao Le replied and then went to wash his hands before dinner.

Shen Hechuan had business to attend to, so it was just him and Qiao Man for dinner.

After dinner, Qiao Le gave Qiao Man a bath. Just as he finished, Old Master Shen’s video call came in, and Qiao Man grabbed the phone to chat with him.

On the video call, Old Master Shen asked if Qiao Man was adjusting well to school. The little one nodded, “The new school is so big, and there are so many fun things.”

Seeing them chatting happily, Qiao Le took his clothes and went to take a shower. When he came out, the old man and the little one were still talking, and Qiao Man’s childish remarks had the old man laughing heartily.

After their chat ended, Qiao Le went over to ask Qiao Man how his day at school was. The little one excitedly gestured and told him all the fun stories from school.

Seeing that Qiao Man had adapted well, Qiao Le felt relieved. He then asked, “How about we go visit Uncle and Aunt this weekend?”

He still hadn’t finished dealing with the debts. He hadn’t transferred the money back to his uncle and aunt yet because he wasn’t sure how to explain it over the phone. He also feared that if they received the money, they’d only worry more.

So, he planned to go back in person.

Also, the Double Ninth Festival was approaching, and he wanted to bring Xiao Man to visit his father’s grave.

Though he resented how his father had left him and Xiao Man to die, as a son, there were still certain things he had to do.

Upon hearing that they were going to visit Uncle and Aunt, Qiao Man immediately nodded, “Okay, I miss Uncle and Aunt!”

Qiao Le smiled, “Then tomorrow evening, we’ll buy gifts for Uncle and Aunt.”

“Mm-hmm!” Qiao Man nodded. “I’ll buy an Ultraman for Little Fat Brother!”

Xiao Pang was a kid from the neighboring house, and he and Qiao Man got along well. When Qiao Man was in the countryside, whatever snacks or toys he had, Xiao Pang would always share with him.

As they were chatting, Shen Hechuan came home.

When Qiao Man saw him, he ran over to hug him, “Uncle Shen, you’re back!”

Recently, the little one had become closer to Shen Hechuan, sometimes even insisting that Shen Hechuan tell him stories, completely forgetting how he didn’t want to stay here in the beginning.

“Mm.” Shen Hechuan bent down to pick him up and walked toward Qiao Le. Upon seeing Qiao Le’s pajamas, he asked, “You’ve taken a shower?”

Qiao Le replied, “Mm, came back early.”

He smelled a faint scent of alcohol on Shen Hechuan and leaned over to sniff again. “Did you drink?”

Shen Hechuan obediently stood still for him to sniff. He felt an odd sense of a newlywed checking on their partner’s activities, as though any moment now, Qiao Le would accuse him of smelling like someone else’s perfume.

“A little,” Shen Hechuan said, putting Qiao Man down. He sniffed his clothes and admitted, “It does have a strong scent.”

“It’s fine,” Qiao Le said. He used to work in a bar. “There’s also a bit of smoke, smells kinda bad.”

Neither he nor Shen Hechuan smoked, so the smell must’ve come from the business dinner.

Shen Hechuan said, “I’ll go take a shower.”

“Go ahead,” Qiao Le waved his hand. “Make sure you clean up well.”

As soon as those words left his mouth, both of them froze. Shen Hechuan, who had been about to leave, paused and turned to look at him, “Clean up well, and then what?”

“…” Qiao Le pushed him away, “Then come back and tell the kid a bedtime story.”

Shen Hechuan chuckled softly and went to the bathroom.

When he finished showering and came out, he saw Qiao Le and Qiao Man snuggled up on the sofa, watching cartoons.

They were both wearing matching warm yellow pajamas, half-lying on the couch in a relaxed posture, no longer the stiff people they had been when they first arrived.

Shen Hechuan’s expression softened, a warm, satisfied feeling swelling inside him.

Qiao Le noticed him coming out and teased, “Did you clean up well?”

Shen Hechuan walked over and kneeled on the sofa beside him, leaning down toward Qiao Le, “Want to smell again?”

He smelled faintly of sea salt and lemon, the same scent as Qiao Le, since they both used the same shower gel at home.

Qiao Le grabbed a pillow to place between them, “It’s late, let’s be proper.”

Shen Hechuan snorted with a laugh, “Coward.”

He sat down beside Qiao Le and glanced at the projection, seeing a group of kids running around. “What are you watching?”

“Digimon.” Qiao Le introduced it, “It’s about a group of kids who are chosen to enter the world of Digimon and save the Digimon world.”

The TV was showing a scene where Agumon evolved, and Qiao Man was completely captivated by the story, staring at the screen without moving.

Shen Hechuan remembered something Wu Huilan had asked him earlier and asked Qiao Le, “Do you have any ideas about the guest list for the engagement party?”

“Hm?” Qiao Le turned to look at him. “Isn’t your mom handling it? I don’t really know much about this.”

“I’m talking about the guests from your side,” Shen Hechuan clarified, “Wu Huilan wants to know, should we invite your uncle and aunt?”

Qiao Le hadn’t thought about that. Since his marriage to Shen Hechuan was a contractual one, he thought the people he needed to worry about were just from Shen Hechuan’s side.

Also, his uncle and aunt didn’t know about Shen Hechuan, and suddenly inviting them to the engagement party might scare them.

“Is it necessary?” Qiao Le hesitated a bit. “I haven’t figured out how to explain our relationship yet.”

Shen Hechuan said, “It’s simple.”

“Hmm?”

“Just leave the agreement aside. Your debt is the perfect reason to explain,” Shen Hechuan suggested. “I can go back with you. It will add credibility.”

Qiao Le was stunned. “You’ll go back with me?”

Shen Hechuan nodded. “Apart from your parents, they are the closest people to you. It’s only right that I pay a visit. This way, they’ll feel more at ease. And since our agreement is for five years, we can’t keep hiding it from them.”

After hearing this, Qiao Le thought for a moment and felt it made sense. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Then it’s settled?” Shen Hechuan asked. “When will we leave?”

Qiao Le replied, “…You’re deciding this a bit too quickly!”

Shen Hechuan reminded him, “The engagement banquet is at the end of the month. We only have less than two weeks.”

That’s right. Time was really tight.

Qiao Le thought for a moment and said, “I’m planning to go back this weekend. If you don’t mind the trouble, we can go together.”

Shen Hechuan was more than happy to oblige. Without Qiao Le’s parents around, seeing his uncle and aunt was as good as meeting the parents.

But he didn’t show it. Instead, he said with a reserved manner, “No problem. You can just arrange everything.”

Qiao Le said, “My hometown is in Liuhe Town. Have you heard of it? The road is a bit far and not easy to travel. It takes about seven hours one way. We’ll need to stay overnight.”

Shen Hechuan had no objections and asked if there was anyone else to invite.

Qiao Le shook his head, telling him that it was just to reassure his uncle and aunt, and that adding more people would only complicate things.

So the plan was set. Qiao Le said, “Shall we leave Saturday morning? Are you okay with that? I’ll book the tickets in advance.”

“Let’s drive. It’s more convenient,” Shen Hechuan said. “It’s not easy to carry things on public transport. And since it’s my first time visiting, I can’t go empty-handed.”

Qiao Le reminded him, “The road conditions are really bad. You might struggle with the car, and you might scrape the undercarriage.”

The road from Jinyang County to Liuhe Town had long stretches of dirt road, making it difficult for cars to pass.

“It’s fine,” Shen Hechuan said. “I’ll handle it.”

Since he said he’d take care of it, Qiao Le didn’t worry further.

The next day, Qiao Le bought gifts for his uncle and aunt and gave them a call to inform them that he was bringing someone back with him.

On Saturday, Qiao Le woke up early and quickly got Qiao Man up, readying him to head out.

In the parking, the driver was already waiting.

It wasn’t the previous Maybach or the last Bentley, but a Mercedes-Benz G-Class. Not only could it handle dirt roads, but it would also manage mountain roads without a problem.

Shen Hechuan placed the gifts Qiao Le bought in the trunk, then picked up Qiao Man and helped him into the car. Afterward, he got in as well.

Once they were seated, the driver started the car, steering with one hand. Qiao Le, noticing this, turned to Shen Hechuan and said, “I just thought of something.”

Shen Hechuan raised an eyebrow, “What is it?”

Qiao Le said, “No one can refuse a man driving a G-Class with one hand.”

Shen Hechuan: “…” I should have driven the car myself.

Hearing their conversation, the driver stiffened, silently placing his other hand on the wheel. If the car had a partition, he would have raised it without hesitation.

Shen Hechuan glanced at the driver, then turned his attention back to Qiao Le. “It’s just one hand. Xiao Man could do it too.”

Qiao Le chuckled. Xiao Man could indeed do it. He was already able to drive his little toy car with one hand, and he was quite good at it.

“Go get your driver’s license,” Shen Hechuan remarked, noticing how much Qiao Le admired the car. He hadn’t seen him look at other cars with that level of appreciation.

“Once you get it, I’ll let you drive it,” he added.

“Really?” Qiao Le was intrigued. “Then I’ll sign up when I get back. Don’t go back on your word, okay?”

“Of course not.”

Shen Hechuan wouldn’t back out. As long as Qiao Le liked it, he’d even buy him a new one. He was willing to buy anything Qiao Le liked.

But some things couldn’t be rushed.

To Qiao Le, their relationship was still just a contractual marriage. If he rushed things, it might scare him away.

On the way to Liuhe Town, they stopped for lunch, then continued on their journey.

Driving was indeed more convenient than taking public transport, with no transfers and no detours. They arrived nearly two hours earlier than usual.

The black car pulled over by the roadside. Qiao Le and Shen Hechuan got out, and Qiao Le helped Qiao Man down.

Chen Li, who had been preparing dinner in the yard, heard the sound and put down what she was holding. She stepped out and saw them getting out of the car.

“Aunt!”

As soon as Qiao Man saw Chen Li, he opened his arms and quickly rushed over to hug her. “Xiao Man missed you so much! Did you miss me?”

Chen Li crouched down and scooped him up, “Xiao Man, I missed you too.”

Qiao Le walked over. “Aunt.”

“You’re back,” Chen Li smiled, her gaze falling on Shen Hechuan beside him. “This must be Xiao Shen?”

Shen Hechuan nodded and addressed her, “Aunt.”

“Ah.” Chen Li responded. “Come on in. I was wondering when you’d arrive. Didn’t expect you so soon. Come in and sit down.”

Qiao Le led Shen Hechuan inside. The driver helped carry in the gifts before leaving. He’d come back to pick them up the next day.

In addition to the things Qiao Le bought, Shen Hechuan also brought a lot of gifts, so much so that there wasn’t enough room on the table, and some had to be piled on the floor.

This was the first time Chen Li met Shen Hechuan, so she didn’t know what to say to him. Instead, she gave Qiao Le a few words of advice, urging him not to spend too much.

Qiao Le smiled and agreed, but she knew he wouldn’t listen. Chen Li didn’t know how to handle him. When she tried to pour tea for Shen Hechuan, Qiao Le stopped her, saying, “I’ll do it. We’re family, no need to be so formal.”

When he said “family,” Qiao Le couldn’t help but smile.

Every time he visited Shen Hechuan’s house, Wu Huilan and the others always said that, and now it felt like returning to his own home.

He poured Shen Hechuan a cup of water, then told him to play with Qiao Man while he went outside to help his aunt.

Shen Hechuan understood they needed to talk and didn’t interrupt.

Chen Li did indeed have something to discuss with Qiao Le.

A few days ago, when Qiao Le told her he was bringing someone back, she was shocked. He had never mentioned having a partner before, so why was he suddenly bringing someone back? And saying they were going to the engagement banquet.

After some probing, she learned that they had been seeing each other for some time but hadn’t made it public yet, so he hadn’t told her and her husband.

Of course, this was all a lie fabricated by Qiao Le.

“So what’s going on?” Chen Li glanced towards the living room, where Shen Hechuan was playing with Qiao Man. Their interaction seemed very familiar, showing they were quite close.

“It’s just as I told you on the phone,” Qiao Le said while peeling some loofah. “We’re planning to get engaged, but there’s no one else in my family. If you and Uncle are willing, I’d like to invite you both to come.”

“Of course we’re willing to come to your engagement banquet!” Chen Li said. “But you’re only nineteen. Why the rush? Getting engaged isn’t a small matter. Do you know enough about his character and family?”

Qiao Le replied, “I know. He’s a good person, and his family is great. He treats me and Xiao Man very well.”

“But it’s so sudden,” Chen Li still seemed worried. “You should have told us earlier so we could have helped you investigate. What if you get scammed?”

Scammed?

Qiao Le thought about his increasingly full wallet and felt like he was the one who was scamming.

“It’s fine. Didn’t I bring him here for you to meet?” Qiao Le reassured her. “Besides, it’s just an engagement. If it doesn’t work out, we can break up. People get divorced even after they’re married.”

Chen Li said, “I know you’re saying that, but—”

“By the way, Aunt,” Qiao Le interjected, “I haven’t told you yet, but I’m going back to school. I’ve already started attending classes.”

Chen Li dropped the eggplant in her hand, thinking she had misheard. “What did you say?”

“I said I’m going back to school,” Qiao Le bent down to pick up the eggplant. “I’ve been in class for a week now. Besides bringing Shen Hechuan for you to meet, I also wanted to let you know about this.”

“Really?” Chen Li’s face showed excitement. “You’re not lying to me, right? I’m serious about this!”

“Really,” Qiao Le lowered his voice. “I don’t have to work anymore. Shen Hechuan has taken care of everything for me. Xiao Man’s also switched to a new kindergarten, and the environment is great.”

Chen Li blinked back tears, holding his hand tightly. “You really went back to school?”

As a teacher, she understood better than anyone the importance of education. When Qiao Le dropped out, she had disagreed, but she couldn’t stop him, nor did she have the ability to help him.

Qiao Le patiently responded, “Really, I’m not lying to you.”

Hearing his confirmation, Chen Li smiled through her tears. “That’s great! That’s really great!”

Qiao Le wiped her tears with the back of his hand and said, “This is a good thing. Why are you crying? Don’t cry anymore.”

“It’s a good thing, it really is,” Chen Li smiled. Thinking he said Shen