Chapter 5

Fan Meixi came out and saw Gu Mingyu leaning against the car, smoking and blowing out clouds of smoke. He looked like a delinquent youth, and she shook her head in exasperation. She went up to him, snatched half of the cigarette from his hand, and threw it into the trash bin. She glared at him with cold eyes and said, “What’s wrong with you? Can’t you speak properly? Who am I doing this for? Isn’t it for you? From start to finish, who are you trying to show that sour face to?”

Gu Mingyu coldly snorted and muttered, “You’re doing it for yourself.”

After saying that, he turned and opened the car door to get in.

Frustrated by his attitude, Fan Meixi caught up to the car and grabbed his ear, saying, “Say that again! Isn’t it because you couldn’t keep up and had to participate in some talent show and become a celebrity? Do you think it’s so easy to become a star these days? Do you know how many scandals there are behind the scenes? The main sponsor of the show ‘Unlimited Youth’ you participated in is He Qingmo. If he speaks for you, it would be a hundred times better than you trying to make it on your own. I brought you here so that he can get to know you, and if you make a good impression, we might be able to ask him for a favor. But no, you find it so hard to call someone!”

Gu Mingyu winced in pain as his ear was pulled, but he didn’t back down. “I don’t need the help of people like him. If I’m going to make it, it’ll be through my own talent. I don’t want a championship earned through connections. I’m not interested!”

“Enough!” Fan Meixi slapped him on the head. “Who are you calling ‘people like him’? Why are you so stubborn? Look at Fan Xing; he just arrived yesterday, and today he has already won everyone over. Have you ever seen He Qingmo being so gentle and easygoing with anyone else? It’s because Fan Xing knows how to be humble and can charm people. Can’t you learn from him? We’re not asking you to do anything else, just talk nicely to people and leave a good impression. Is that so hard?”

“Whatever!” Gu Mingyu scoffed. “What’s all this about being humble and charming? You’re making it sound so nice. Isn’t it just sleeping with a man? He Qingmo is just a pervert. Give him an attractive sow, and he’d still be in heat… Oh no, I mean a boar. He’s a damn homosexual. Those two, one sells his body for money, and the other spends money to buy companionship and entertainment. Are you really expecting them to have a long-lasting relationship?!”

Fan Meixi was speechless.

Gu Mingyu continued, “What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong? I guarantee that within three months, your precious son, Fan Xing, will be history. When that happens, no matter how good he is at charming people, it won’t matter. But it’s fine; even if He Qingmo loses interest in him, he won’t run out of money to spend on him.”

Gu Mingyu sneered and added, “Mom, all these years you’ve been waiting for him to come back so eagerly, but he refused to return, saying that he couldn’t leave Grandma alone because of her old age and that he needed to take care of her. But now, as soon as he heard he could come back and marry a wealthy man, he rushed back immediately. What happened to Grandma? I just can’t understand why he’s so lacking in principles, willing to do anything for money! I won’t consider him my brother. You advised me, but it’s useless!”

Fan Meixi looked at him, her lips trembling slightly, but she didn’t say anything more.

Meanwhile, Fan Xing had prepared a simple lunch and brought it to the table. He had worried that it might not suit He Qingmo’s taste, but the man finished it in no time, either because it was really delicious or because he was genuinely hungry.

After finishing his meal, He Qingmo seemed to have some work to attend to and went to his study without coming out.

Fan Xing cleaned up the kitchen and carried the items that Fan Meixi had brought into the dressing room. While there were many clothes, most of them didn’t fit or were not to his style. He stored them in a secluded corner.

With his laptop in hand, Fan Xing went to the terrace. He had noticed a spacious terrace on the third floor, with various flowers and plants beautifully maintained. What he liked most about it was the hanging chair—it looked incredibly comfortable.

And it was indeed very comfortable.

He took off his shoes, nestled into the chair, and opened his laptop to check his emails. At this moment, his phone rang—a long-distance international call from his grandmother.

Considering the time difference, it should be very late at night for her. He became worried and immediately answered the call.

“Grandma, why haven’t you gone to sleep yet?” he asked in their native dialect. Despite living abroad for so many years, his grandmother still wasn’t comfortable speaking English, so they always used their dialect for communication.

“Little Star…” His grandmother gently called him but didn’t say anything else.

This made Fan Xing even more worried. “Grandma, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well? Is there anything bothering you?”

“It’s nothing, I’ve recovered well. Don’t worry. I heard that you’re planning to stay there and not come back, is that true?” his grandmother asked.

Fan Xing’s hand holding the phone tightened. He didn’t know that Fan Meixi had intended for him to return for a wedding, so he wasn’t sure how to bring it up now.

However, there was no escaping it at this point.

“Yes, Grandma, I’m sorry for leaving you alone there. I’ll visit you often…” Fan Xing started, but his grandmother interrupted him eagerly.

“Little Star, tell me, what does that woman want you to do? You’ve tried to contact her so many times, and she never responded. Now, suddenly she’s asking you to come back to the country, arranging for you to transfer hospitals and hiring someone to take care of me. I don’t believe her conscience suddenly awakened. Tell me, is she forcing you to do something you don’t want to do?”

The woman his grandmother was referring to was Fan Xing’s mother, Fan Meixi. They were mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, but for many years, they had a strained relationship and rarely communicated.

“It’s not like that, Grandma. I decided to stay on my own. I feel…” Fan Xing began to explain.

“Little Star, why lie to Grandma? If you weren’t desperate, how could you possibly leave me and go back? It’s because I’m a burden to you. This illness can’t be treated anyway, and you came back because of me. We don’t need her help!” his grandmother’s voice quivered, and Fan Xing could imagine her quietly shedding tears on the other end of the phone.

He felt heartbroken and said, “Grandma, don’t think like that. Rest well, you’ll definitely recover. There’s really nothing wrong here, it’s my own…”

But his grandmother interrupted him once again, “What about university? You worked so hard to get into university, and now you’re not going?!”

A hint of disappointment flashed in the young man’s bright eyes, but he quickly pushed it away, speaking cheerfully, “I’ve applied to domestic universities. My grades are pretty good, so it should be fine, and I might even get a scholarship. Actually, there are many excellent universities in our country, and they’re not inferior to foreign ones at all. Don’t worry, I won’t give up on my studies.”

 

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