Chapter 65: Empty Nesters?
Tian Wei, watching Lin Xiaowan enjoy herself, thought to himself, “This isn’t taking advantage; this is flirting.”
“Guoqiang, should we go over there?”
“Go over? To watch my daughter flirt with another guy? Let’s go, let’s just leave. Out of sight, out of mind. We’ll talk about it when we get home!!!” Lin Guoqiang waved dismissively.
Tian Wei, surprised, noted that Lin Guoqiang didn’t intervene despite Lin Xiaowan and Su Lin’s interaction.
What Tian Wei didn’t know was that Lin Guoqiang was in a deep dilemma. He wanted to rush over and take Lin Xiaowan away, but his rational side told him that doing so would only worsen things.
It would push Lin Xiaowan closer to Su Lin. More importantly, Lin Guoqiang noticed the genuine smile on Lin Xiaowan’s face when she was with Su Lin.
“When was the last time I saw such a smile on Xiaowan’s face? High school, middle school, or elementary school?”
“I can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve seen her smile so genuinely.”
In the car, Lin Guoqiang reflected on his past behavior towards Lin Xiaowan. For the last eighteen years, he had adopted a hands-off approach in raising her.
She had always been sensible and never caused him worry. However, this only made him feel more regretful.
“I have indeed neglected her too much.”
Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan and Su Lin were playfully bantering when she caught a glimpse of an Audi driving away. It looked familiar, much like her father’s car.
But she quickly shook the thought off. Knowing her father’s character, if he saw her fooling around with Su Lin, he would surely have come over to take her away. So, it must have been someone else’s Audi.
“What’s up, Xiaowan? What are you looking at?”
“Nothing… I just saw a car pass by that looked familiar,” Lin Xiaowan replied.
Su Lin followed her gaze, only seeing the tail of the Audi before it disappeared. “That must be an Audi, right? Xiaowan, you don’t think it was your dad, do you?”
Lin Xiaowan rolled her eyes at Su Lin, “That’s not impossible. My dad’s car could appear anywhere in the city, just not at the school.”
Su Lin, holding Lin Xiaowan’s hand, reassured her, “Don’t worry, I’m here to take you home.”
“Mm~!!”
“Su Lin, let’s see how Xiaoyu is doing, and then we can all go have dinner together,” Lin Xiaowan suggested cheerfully.
“Hehe, Xiaowan, you don’t eat dinner at home anymore? You’re always having dinner with us.”
“Ai, you know my family’s situation. My mom can usually make dinner when she’s less busy. But with foreign trade booming like this, she’s too busy to come home and cook.”
“Alright, then you get in the car. I’ll go call Xiaoyu.”
“Okay~!!”
Su Lin went to Xia Shiyu’s temporary office, where she was busy verifying financial records. She had to ensure every single receipt, ranging from a few yuan to thousands, was correct to avoid any financial errors.
Not formally trained in finance, Xia Shiyu relied on a calculator, and luckily, there weren’t too many invoices to go through that day.
Su Lin snuck up behind Xia Shiyu and hugged her, “Guess who?”
“Hehe, Su Lin~! I recognize your scent. I can tell it’s you from a meter away.”
Su Lin tugged at his collar, “Scent? I shower every day, you know.”
Xia Shiyu playfully hit him, “Not that kind of scent! Ah, now I have to start over again.”
Su Lin patted her head, “Which round is this?”
“The third.”
“Any mistakes in the first two?”
Xia Shiyu shook her head, “No, these are all prices Xiaowan negotiated in advance, so they just need to match.”
“Then it’s fine. No need for a third round. Let’s go for dinner.”
“Uh, Su Lin, what if I missed something?”
Su Lin laughed, “Xiaoyu, with your attention to detail, missing something? Impossible. Let’s go. You should learn computerized accounting; it’s much simpler.”
“Mm~!!”
“Tomorrow, I’ll buy a computer for home. Learn computerized accounting, okay?”
“Ah! A computer for home?”
“Of course. Xiaowan and I have computers; you should too. It’s important for your work. The company will pay for it.”
“Alright, I’ll buy one tomorrow.”
“Don’t skimp on money. Spend at least eight thousand. If it’s less, I’ll have words with you,” Su Lin said sternly.
Xia Shiyu pursed her lips, “You’re always scaring me.”
“Hehe… Let’s go eat. I’ll drive you home afterward.”
“Okay.”
After sharing a tender moment in the office, they left.
Lin Xiaowan, watching Su Lin and Xia Shiyu return, suspiciously eyed them. She felt like something happened between them but then chided herself for being paranoid.
Su Lin, who used to patiently explain things, now just acted without explanation. She was still annoyed at the thought of Su Lin’s previous slap.
“Xiaowan, what do you want to eat tonight?”
Lin Xiaowan shook her head, “I’ve been eating out with you so much lately, I’m spoilt for choice. Ask Xiaoyu.”
“I’m fine with anything.”
“Alright, then I’ll just pick a place. I’ll drive you home after.”
“Mm~!!”
…
On the other hand, Lin Guoqiang got home, planning to cook dinner and wait for Lin Xiaowan. He wanted to ask about her relationship with Su Lin. But by 8 p.m., there was still no sign of Lin Xiaowan, and Wang Xiaoqian was also absent.
Around 9 p.m., Wang Xiaoqian’s car finally pulled up. Lin Guoqiang, seeing the time, was even more upset. His daughter was out late, and it was already 9 p.m.
Wang Xiaoqian entered, “Oh, the big boss is home early today and even cooked dinner?”
Lin Guoqiang glared at her, “You’re aware it’s time to come home. Look at the time.”
“It’s 9 p.m., my usual time.”
“I say, Lin Guoqiang, why are you fussing? Just because you came home early today, you start bossing me around? Don’t forget your usual arrival time.”
“Uh…” Lin Guoqiang’s face reddened. Compared to Wang Xiaoqian, he was indeed more negligent.
Returning home in the early morning was routine for him, and sometimes he’d just sleep at the municipal government building when there was a lot of work.
“Eaten yet? Come eat with me.”
“I’ve eaten. Where’s Xiaowan? Doing homework?” Wang Xiaoqian glanced towards Lin Xiaowan’s room.
Hearing this, Lin Guoqiang blew up, “Your precious daughter hasn’t come home yet.”
“Hm? What’s wrong? Why are you so annoyed?” Wang Xiaoqian looked at him in surprise.
“What else? Our daughter is in a relationship,” Lin Guoqiang said, sounding aged.
“A relationship? That’s impossible! Our daughter isn’t just anyone’s child. She’s not a village girl from the mountains. Who in Zhongjiang could catch her eye?”
Suddenly, Wang Xiaoqian seemed to think of someone. Her eyes widened, “Could it be that Su Lin?”
Lin Guoqiang sighed, “Yes, him. After dealing with city affairs today, I happened to pass by No.1 Middle School. I had Ah Wei follow me to pick up Xiaowan, but then…”
After Lin Guoqiang finished, Wang Xiaoqian digested his words before responding, “Then why didn’t you bring her back with you?”
“I… I thought she’d come back after she was done, but it’s 9 p.m., and she’s still not home.”
“Heh, have you forgotten how long it’s been since we last cooked at home?” Wang Xiaoqian glared at him.
“Well… I can’t be blamed. We’re both busy; there’s no time to cook.”
“So, Xiaowan is probably out eating with that boy. Just wait, she’ll come back after dinner,” Wang Xiaoqian said calmly.
“Are you not worried at all?” Lin Guoqiang said, frustrated.
Wang Xiaoqian rolled her eyes, “I am worried, but what can I do now?”
“We don’t know the full situation. We can only wait for Xiaowan to come back and ask her.”
“Ah… Why did I come back alone…”
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