Chapter 93: So Bad! So… Clever. Part 1
Wen Rong remained wary of Zhou Xie, yet he had to admit that what he said made some sense.
As if to prove that Zhou Xie really didn’t have any ulterior motives this time, after the group meeting in the afternoon ended, the General Manager’s secretary came to find Wen Rong, asking if he was free to have a private dinner that evening.
Coincidentally, the HR lady passed by and came over to ask, “Is there more work?”
The secretary looked embarrassed. ” The leader’s son is preparing for the academy entrance exams and wants to ask Wen Rong for some advice.”
“What experience could he have? He was a special recruit.”
The secretary was tongue-tied and couldn’t speak. The HR lady looked at Wen Rong, “I saw that the address you filled in is at the Shi Family Manor. That’s far away, you should head back quickly.”
Wen Rong vaguely sensed something from the conversation and replied, “The car arrives in ten minutes. Would you like to leave together? I can drop you home.”
“No need, my home is nearby.”
The secretary couldn’t get a word in and left awkwardly. Walking out of the company gate, the HR lady’s expression suddenly turned serious as she warned him, “Boys are also in danger. If they ask you to eat alone, never go. Old men in their fifties with sons and daughters have filthy minds.”
Just as the HR lady said, after getting in the car, Wen Rong searched for his temporary boss on Bluebook. The first post was a fat man nearly fifty years old watching the Tennis Open with his whole family. The second was gossip news about the fat man with various young female stars.
The journey back was quiet.
He leaned back in his seat, leisurely enjoying the evening breeze as several streaks of deep red sunset flashed across his glasses lenses.
Wen Rong ate alone that night.
His work schedule was ramping up, and Shi Ye’s training tasks were becoming increasingly heavy; he could barely pull himself away from the tennis court.
The butler said Senior Leon hadn’t returned since leaving in the morning. Wen Rong guessed he must have gone to the research center.
Time passed busily and quickly. Two days before the finals, thanks to the HR lady’s reminder, Wen Rong learned that he had to arrange his own attire for the interview day. So, as soon as work ended, he asked Senior Leon where he could buy clothes suitable for being on camera.
Senior Leon didn’t reply. Wen Rong guessed he was busy, so he could only ask Shi Ye.
Shi Ye: [Where are you? Wait for me to come over.]
Wen Rong thought Shi Ye must be busy and declined: [No need, just tell me the place. Your training is important.]
Shi Ye: [I need to know what you’re wearing that day so I can wear a matching sports outfit. Cut the crap, I’m in the car, coming to pick you up immediately.]
Half an hour later, Wen Rong got into Shi Ye’s nanny van.
Shi Ye rattled off a string of names to the driver. The driver nodded, and the car drove to a place that looked like an ancient town.
Built along the river, the alleys were narrow and impassable for cars. The two got out and walked in for ten minutes or so, passing countless small shops built inside courtyards, finally entering a place with a pond of lotus flowers.
The young shop assistant’s attire looked somewhat familiar. Wen Rong couldn’t place it immediately, and didn’t recall anything during his Q&A with Shi Ye.
“What style does Young Master Shi want to make? Our boss happens to be in today. Please sit and rest, taste our freshly made lotus pastries, I’ll go call her.”
Shi Ye: “What kind do you want?”
Only then did the shop assistant realize that the real customer was Wen Rong beside Shi Ye.
Following the voice, eyes looked over Wen Rong’s body, face full of polite flattery for a customer. But upon a second look, identifying who Wen Rong was, the eyes suddenly went wide.
The smile on that face instantly became a few degrees more genuine. She hurriedly led the two to the second floor, entering a lounge overlooking the courtyard scenery.
She called for all the freshly made pastries to be brought up and even broke off a large tea cake the kitchen master couldn’t bear to use, attending to Wen Rong extremely well.
This series of treatments flattered Wen Rong. Moreover, given the extravagance, he didn’t even need to guess that the items here must be exorbitantly priced. While the assistant was out, he pulled Shi Ye and whispered, “This place looks very expensive. I probably can’t afford it.”
Shi Ye waved his hand, corners of his mouth lifting in a proud expression waiting for praise. “Don’t worry, I specially picked a place where you don’t need to spend money.”
“I don’t need you to pay for me.”
“What if the owner doesn’t want your money?”
“Huh?”
Wen Rong was a bit depressed. If the owner didn’t want his money, it meant Shi Ye secretly paid for him. There was basically no difference between the two scenarios.
He had already started thinking about what gift to buy for Shi Ye when a gentle knock sounded on the door.
Click—
A kind-looking middle-aged woman entered. She was dressed elegantly in a loose cheongsam, her long hair coiled up with a wooden hairpin.
Wen Rong stood up in awe, hurriedly greeting her, “Hello.”
The middle-aged woman smiled slightly. “I told Jincheng to bring you home for a meal, but he never does. Today is lucky; I’m in the shop, and you happened to come over.”
Why bring him for a meal?
Wen Rong paused, quickly extracting the information from the name “Jincheng” that this woman had a close relationship with Senior Zhang Jincheng. Subconsciously, he bowed slightly, “H-H-Hello.”
Shi Ye leaned in close and whispered, “Zhang Jincheng’s mom.”
Wen Rong shivered all over, instantly becoming flustered. He greeted her again, “Auntie, h-h-hello.”
Seeing his nervous appearance, Shi Ye couldn’t help but laugh. But as he laughed, a bitterness crept into the corners of his mouth.
Seeing Wen Rong this nervous, he started fantasizing about what it would be like if Wen Rong met his own mother.
Mother Zhang affectionately reached out to pull Wen Rong. “Truly a beautiful child. What kind of clothes do you want to make? When do you need them?”
Wen Rong answered truthfully. Mother Zhang frowned for a moment. “Time is a bit tight. Auntie will make you a new set later; can we alter a ready-made piece this time?”
Wen Rong hurriedly expressed his thanks. While Mother Zhang went to get the measuring tools, he sent a message to Zhang Jincheng.
Coming to Senior Zhang Jincheng’s family shop to meet his mother so abruptly, Wen Rong felt somewhat odd.
Zhang Jincheng replied quickly: [Get your measurements done and go back early, otherwise you’ll be annoyed to death by her.]
“……”
Huh?
After confirming again and again that Zhang Jincheng truly didn’t mind, Wen Rong felt slightly relieved.
As Senior Zhang Jincheng predicted, when Mother Zhang returned, she chattered while pulling Wen Rong to measure his size. “Why so thin?” “There’s no meat here, definitely haven’t been eating properly”…
Wen Rong didn’t feel annoyed; on the contrary, he was happy. This kind of concern gave him the feeling of a mother talking to him.
When he turned around, Wen Rong saw Shi Ye sitting by the sofa looking at him. Mother Zhang spoke a string of numbers to the assistant beside her, and he inputted a string of numbers into his phone too.
Is he recording my measurements?
It seemed strange at first, but turning around following Mother Zhang’s movements, he frequently saw Shi Ye’s smile growing deeper, the emotion in his eyes thickening, until he actually felt uncomfortable.
Turning again, Wen Rong steadied his mind and couldn’t help but speak: “Shi Ye.”
“Hmm?” Shi Ye grunted in response.
Wen Rong shifted his gaze, daring not to make eye contact. “Is there anything good to eat outside? I’m hungry.”
After saying this, he happened to see several plates of pastries on the table that the assistant had specially brought up. Realizing his words seemed dissatisfied with the shop’s food, he panicked and mentioned something not in the shop: “I want to drink coffee.”
“Wait here.”
Shi Ye was easy to fool. He put away his phone and went out, not noticing Wen Rong’s objective at all.
Leaving the door open, forgetting to close it.
The lounge relaxed briefly. Mother Zhang laughed, “Measuring your waistline now, it’s a centimeter wider.”
Wen Rong knew he had been too nervous and holding his breath just now. Mother Zhang was teasing him. He smiled awkwardly and continued to raise his arms as instructed.
“It’s good he went out. Staring at you straight on, not polite at all.”
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