Jiang Nan was caught off guard by their sudden departure. She was at work when she received the message and realized the two elders were already on the long-distance bus. She didn’t even get a chance to see them off.
Feeling the need to talk to someone but unable to discuss it with Zeng Yu, Jiang Nan decided to call Yuan Lei. To her surprise, Yuan Lei didn’t answer for quite a while, which left Jiang Nan puzzled.
Just as Jiang Nan was lost in thought, Yuan Lei finally called back. “I’m at the hospital. Sorry, I couldn’t pick up earlier.”
Jiang Nan was shocked. “Are you already pregnant?”
“You’ve picked up some bad habits!” Yuan Lei couldn’t help but laugh. “No, Wang Zheng got into a car accident yesterday. On my wedding night, we ended up rushing to a county hospital. Can you believe that? And I can’t even complain. This morning, I had to get up early to arrange his checkups.”
After Jiang Nan understood the situation, she laughed. “As long as he’s okay. By the way, I should let Zeng Yu know. He and Wang Zheng are really close.”
Hearing this, Yuan Lei suddenly started laughing. “You know, Wang Zheng and Zeng Yu are brothers, so Wang Zheng calls me ‘Aunt.’ Zeng Yu should be calling me that too. And you? Shouldn’t you also be calling me that?”
Jiang Nan scoffed. “How about ‘Old Aunt’? How does that sound?”
Yuan Lei was immediately annoyed. “You jerk! Do I look that old?”
Jiang Nan finally laughed. “If you bring up titles again, I’m calling you Old Aunt.”
After hanging up, Jiang Nan walked over to the neighboring office and knocked on the door. Zeng Yu’s voice called out, “Come in.”
Jiang Nan pushed the door open. “Wang Zheng got into a car accident.”
Zeng Yu replied, “I know. He’s fine, mostly just some external injuries. He should be back to normal after resting for half a month.”
Jiang Nan smiled. “Should I go visit him? And if I do, what’s my title?”
“If you want to visit him, go ahead. The last time you met was a coincidence; this time, we can officially introduce ourselves and let him know we’re together.”
So the two of them left the office and headed to the hospital.
At the hospital, Ye Xiyan was finally at ease after seeing the results of Wang Zheng’s thorough checkup.
Ye Xiyan was pushing Wang Zheng in a borrowed wheelchair to get his dressings changed. The two Wang brothers weren’t around today, so Yuan Lei had driven them over.
Leading the way, Yuan Lei couldn’t resist taking a jab at Zeng Yu. “Zeng Yu, Jiang Nan is a flower, and you’re just a pile of cow dung. You’re lucky to have her.”
Zeng Yu frowned but didn’t respond, just glancing sideways at her. “What do you want me to say? Should I propose we break up? Back when I worked at the bar, you weren’t this harsh.”
Jiang Nan, smiling, gently shook Zeng Yu’s arm and then turned back to Yuan Lei. “Come on, for my sake, can we stop bickering? Let’s all shake hands and be friends.”
Zeng Yu extended his hand. “I understand you’re close with Jiang Nan and don’t fully trust me. It was wrong of me to overreact. I’m sorry.”
Yuan Lei looked surprised but shook his hand. “I’m just a woman with a small heart. Don’t hold it against me.”
At that moment, Ye Xiyan wheeled Wang Zheng out and saw the scene in the hallway. Wang Zheng couldn’t help but ask, “What’s going on here?”
Zeng Yu turned to Wang Zheng. “Let me officially introduce you—this is Jiang Nan, my girlfriend.”
Jiang Nan stepped forward and greeted Wang Zheng.
Ye Xiyan smiled, pulling Jiang Nan and Yuan Lei along. “Let’s go. Let them have a good talk. They didn’t really get to talk yesterday.”
Pushing the wheelchair, Zeng Yu glanced at Wang Zheng’s medical file. “What did the doctor say? Any other issues?”
Wang Zheng made a gesture as if holding a cigarette. “Do I?”
Zeng Yu glared at him. “Weren’t you quitting?” He said that but still reached into his pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and lit one up, handing it to Wang Zheng.
Wang Zheng took a deep drag, looking blissful. “I was suffocating.”
Zeng Yu snatched the cigarette from him. “Alright, two puffs are enough.” He glanced over at Ye Xiyan and whispered, “If Yezi finds out, I’m dead.”
Wang Zheng laughed. “Yezi agreed. Once I’m healed, we’ll get our marriage certificate, then go meet her parents.”
Zeng Yu snorted. “You lucky bastard, getting someone like Yezi. By the way, I’ve arranged to go back home with Jiang Nan for the New Year.”
Wang Zheng smiled broadly. “Nice, Jiang Nan’s a great girl. Her family’s probably not bad either. Have you thought about that?”
Zeng Yu shook his head with a smile. “I don’t care about her family. The company is starting to stabilize now, and I plan to spend the next two years building this brand. After that, I’ll look for other opportunities to grow the company.”
“Wang Zheng, some things you have to face. Marriage and relationships are influenced by family, so don’t take it lightly.” Wang Zheng spoke from experience.
Zeng Yu didn’t seem concerned and shook his head. “Family won’t affect me and Jiang Nan.”
“Fine, you won’t listen now anyway.” Wang Zheng changed the subject. “Now that I’m doing well, how about I give you a car? I’ve been tired of seeing you drive that old used Ford.”
Zeng Yu chuckled. “Sure, go ahead. I dare you to gift it, and I’ll take it.”
“Don’t back out later.”
“I won’t. Pick a good car for me, and I’ll drive it for a while. When you get married, I’ll give it back as a wedding gift.”
Wang Zheng scoffed. “Alright, how about this? I won’t give you the car; I’ll just lend you one. And by the way, my mom left me a few properties. You can take one to live in and just pay a token rent.”
Zeng Yu nodded. “That sounds fair.”
Wang Zheng raised his right hand with difficulty. “Remember when we used to fight and drink back home?”
Zeng Yu smiled. “Of course I do. Brothers for life!”
In unison, they both said, “For life!”
They exchanged a smile and clasped hands tightly.
When they left the hospital, everyone parted ways in the parking lot.
Ye Xiyan said to Zeng Yu and Jiang Nan, “Thank you for visiting Wang Zheng. We won’t invite you for a meal today, but once Wang Zheng recovers, we’ll have him treat you both to a nice dinner.”
Zeng Yu smiled and waved his hand. “Yezi, don’t be so formal.”
Jiang Nan added, “Exactly. They’re brothers, and we’re sisters.”
On the drive back, Jiang Nan’s phone rang. It was Xiao Xiao.
“The matter is resolved. Thank you!” Xiao Xiao said.
“No need to thank us. I’m just glad it went smoothly.” Jiang Nan put the call on speaker, so Zeng Yu could hear it too. His expression stiffened.
“I don’t know how to thank you properly. I’m pretty good at cooking, so how about I treat you both to a meal?” Xiao Xiao’s voice came through.
Jiang Nan glanced at Zeng Yu, who remained silent.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Nan replied, “Sure, just let us know the time.”
Zeng Yu continued to drive in silence, and Jiang Nan looked over at him. “What’s wrong? Are you upset because I made a decision for you?” In truth, she wanted to use this opportunity to help Zeng Yu and Xiao Xiao completely resolve any lingering issues.
Zeng Yu realized this and felt a bit frustrated, thinking that Jiang Nan didn’t trust him fully.
But after a moment of reflection, he understood her intentions weren’t wrong, so he forced a smile. “It’s nothing.”
“Just this once, no next time.” Jiang Nan said.
Zeng Yu merely smiled in response, not pushing the matter further.
“Let’s go to my place. No need to go back to the office.” Jiang Nan suddenly suggested.
“What’s up?”
Jiang Nan casually said, “Nothing, just wanted to eat your cooking.”
Without a word, Zeng Yu drove straight to Jiang Nan’s apartment complex.
After parking the car, Zeng Yu spoke up, “I’m not upset that you made the decision for me. You should trust that I can handle the situation.”
Jiang Nan’s face lit up with a bright smile at his words, and she replied, “I said it would be just this once.”
Zeng Yu chuckled and got out of the car. “There’s still a lot of work to do at the office. How about we order takeout? By the time I finish cooking, it’ll be pretty late.”
Jiang Nan walked over, linked arms with him, and playfully nudged him. “Today, you get a break.”
“Alright, you’re the boss. Whatever you say.”
This time, the fridge wasn’t empty; it was stocked with plenty of food, all bought by Fu Yu before she left.
Zeng Yu rolled up his sleeves and got to work in the kitchen, while Jiang Nan helped out on the side. The two chatted as they cooked, finding joy in the simple activity.
The old house’s range hood wasn’t very effective, so Zeng Yu shooed Jiang Nan out of the kitchen when the smoke started to get thick. Left alone in the living room, Jiang Nan sat down with her phone, checking her messages. Among them was one from Han Jiayi: “It’s your birthday today, remember to come home for dinner tonight.”
Jiang Nan hadn’t forgotten her birthday and had already made plans, so she quickly replied to Han Jiayi: “I already have plans.”
Upon realizing Jiang Nan was at the old house, Han Jiayi suddenly asked: “Are you with Zeng Yu?”
Jiang Nan felt a bit flustered, biting her lip before replying: “Yes.”
She had expected her mother to be angry, but instead, Han Jiayi simply responded: “Bring him along tonight.”
Jiang Nan panicked and immediately went to the bedroom to call her mother. “I can’t do that right now. I haven’t told him about our family situation yet. If I bring him home, the truth will come out.”
Han Jiayi, understanding the situation, handed the phone to her husband. “You talk to her. She doesn’t listen to me anyway.”
Jiang Ziliu, looking a bit helpless, took the phone. “Why, is it inconvenient to introduce him to us?”
Jiang Nan lowered her voice. “Yes, I’ve been telling him my family is just average. If I bring him home now, it’ll be like admitting I’ve been lying to him all along.” After she said it, Jiang Nan realized she had basically just confessed.
“I didn’t mean to hide it from you guys… It’s just that the timing didn’t feel right.” Jiang Nan quickly explained.
Jiang Ziliu laughed. “Like I said before, I’m not against you dating as long as you’re happy. Just let us know.”
“Alright, alright, now you know. He’s calling me for dinner, so I’ve got to go.”
Zeng Yu placed the last dish on the table and smiled. “Dinner’s ready.”
He cleared his throat. “There’s something I need to make clear to you.”
“Hmm? Go ahead.” Jiang Nan felt a bit nervous.
Zeng Yu took a deep breath and spoke slowly and seriously, “I’m not as open-minded as you might think. The reason I helped Xiao Xiao isn’t because I still have feelings for her, but because it’s a matter of principle. Even if it were just a regular friend, I would still lend a hand.”
Seeing how sincere Zeng Yu was, Jiang Nan stood up, walked over to him, and hugged him, resting her forehead on his chest. “I understand. I’m sorry.”
Zeng Yu gently pushed her away. “I’m all sweaty.”
Jiang Nan took a deep breath, looking up at him with sparkling eyes and smiled. “I like it this way!”
Just then, her phone rang.
Jiang Nan picked up the phone with a bit of irritation. “We just parted ways, so I don’t believe you have anything urgent. If you don’t have a good reason, you’ll be in big trouble.”
On the other end, Yuan Lei patted her chest. “Oh no, I’m so scared.”
“Get to the point. What do you need?” Jiang Nan urged.
Yuan Lei laughed. “Today’s your birthday! The girls and I planned a celebration for you tonight. I forgot to tell you earlier, so now I’m making up for it!”
Jiang Nan glanced at Zeng Yu, feeling a bit resigned. “Alright, I’ll come with Zeng Yu tonight.”
After hanging up, Zeng Yu asked, “What’s up?”
Jiang Nan smiled. “We have a gathering tonight. Let’s go together.”
Zeng Yu nodded and served her a bowl of soup. “Tomato and egg soup, to whet your appetite.”
After dinner, Jiang Nan went to take a shower. Zeng Yu called Wang Zheng, and when Wang Zheng answered, Zeng Yu spoke in a low voice, “Transfer ten thousand yuan to me.”
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