After hanging up the video call, Xu Mengyao sent a message: "Mom, I'm taking a shower and can't answer the video. What's up?"
Yang Qingyue on the other end of the phone was puzzled.
Taking a shower and unable to answer a video call?
Xu Mengyao had video-called her while showering before. The video didn't need to show the body, just the head.
Mengyao might be at Lin Chen's again.
Yang Qingyue murmured to herself.
They used to be worried about this, but now they were happy to see it. If Xu Mengyao and Lin Chen were really together, it meant Xu Mengyao had completely emerged from her shadow.
Yang Qingyue: "Aunt Liang's fiftieth birthday is coming up. You have to go. Have you prepared a birthday gift?"
"Not yet."
Yang Qingyue said, "Then you need to hurry up and prepare. You know their situation; the gifts can't be lacking, but they can't be too expensive either. Think about whether Lin Chen should go."
"He participated in your company's basketball game. If he doesn't go to this kind of thing, it doesn't seem very good."
Xu Mengyao had a bit of a headache.
Her Aunt Liang's husband was a government official, and not a low-ranking one. Every time she had to give gifts, it was a headache. It used to be fine, just a regular birthday, but this time it was Aunt Liang's fiftieth birthday.
"Mom, I'll prepare."
"I'll discuss with Lin Chen tomorrow about whether he'll go."
Yang Qingyue said, "Do you have to wait until tomorrow? You should be able to discuss it with him right now in the next room, right?"
Xu Mengyao: "..."
The next morning arrived in a blink. Xu Mengyao got up, washed up, and went outside to find Lin Chen preparing breakfast.
"Lin Chen, won't you be exhausted cooking three meals a day like this? It's okay to take a break sometimes."
Xu Mengyao said at the kitchen door.
Lin Chen looked at Xu Mengyao and smiled, "Someone who thinks this is hard will find it difficult to reach a high level of cooking. Has Xiaoxi, that little lazybones, woken up yet?"
Xu Mengyao nodded.
"Not yet."
"I want to discuss something with you. Aunt Liang's fiftieth birthday is next week; Xiaoxi will definitely go, and you should come too."
Lin Chen asked, "Is Aunt Liang a relative of yours?"
Xu Mengyao shook her head. "Not a relative. Her husband used to be my Grandfather's subordinate. Grandfather took good care of him, so our families used to be quite close."
"The relationship faded a bit after my Grandfather passed away, but we still visit each other during festivals, birthdays, and the like."
Lin Chen asked, "Her husband has a high position?"
"District Chief of Modu."
Lin Chen was somewhat surprised. The District Chief of Modu - that level was quite high. In smaller cities, that level would probably be one of the top two leaders.
"When would be a good time for me to go?" Lin Chen asked.
Xu Mengyao: "Next Wednesday. You've publicly agreed to participate in the company basketball game, and considering the relationship between our families, you'll probably have to attend Aunt Liang's big fiftieth birthday."
Lin Chen nodded slightly.
"I'm fine with that. I'm good at freeloading."
In China, he knew that to grow a business, you definitely needed connections in official circles. The adult world wasn't a fairy tale; relationships had to be maintained.
"Lin Chen, there's also something else—"
Xu Mengyao looked at Lin Chen with some hesitation.
"What is it?"
Xu Mengyao: "Could you draw a painting for me? I've been thinking and thinking, and I don't know what kind of gift would be suitable."
"The paintings I give you, even if they're exposed later, no one can fault it."
Lin Chen chuckled, "That's right. Giving paintings to your own husband definitely can't be considered bribery."
"I can paint for you, but I won't take money. You have to think about how to thank me then, whether it's kissing me, hugging me, or something else?"
Xu Mengyao: "..."
"Wouldn't a million be good enough?"
Lin Chen shook his head, "Not good enough, it reeks of money."
"Then I'll have my daughter kiss you."
Lin Chen looked at Xu Mengyao, "Don't even talk about kissing. Even if you let your daughter sleep with me, it won't work. Trying to get off the hook isn't going to work."
Xu Mengyao: "I'll make you a meal."
Lin Chen said unhappily, "Last time you cooked, I had to doctor it before I could finish it. You, the big CEO, can't do this. It's almost inedible for me, don't poison Xiaoxi."
Was it that bad? Xu Mengyao mumbled to herself.
"Then I owe you a hug, to be repaid within three years."
Lin Chen said with a smile, "Mengyao, it seems you're confident you'll be with me within three years. But three years is too long, three months is more like it."
"Three months is too short."
"A year."
Lin Chen shook his head: "The payment period is too long, I can't accept it."
"Half a year… at the shortest, half a year."
Xu Mengyao's beautiful eyes widened as she stared at Lin Chen.
Lin Chen chuckled softly, "Half a year it is. I'll take the short end of the stick on this, but you'll have to make it up to me in other ways. The hugging time can't be less than a minute."
Xu Mengyao's face flushed slightly.
There was a big difference between a quick hug and one lasting over a minute.
But after half a year, their relationship should have progressed quite a bit. Maybe hugging would be acceptable then?
It was better than having to hug within three months.
"Alright… alright then."
"I'll go wake Xiaoxi up."
Xu Mengyao, her face flushed, quickly slipped away.
Lin Chen smiled slightly; teasing Xu Mengyao was quite interesting. Xu Mengyao looked very alluring when she blushed.
It seems Mengyao's favor towards me has increased quite a bit. Otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed to a hug in half a year.
Lin Chen murmured to himself.
Xu Mengyao agreeing to this meant she had a good expectation for their relationship.
If it weren't for Xu Mengyao's illness, perhaps they could be together soon. Xu Mengyao had a psychological illness, a problem of the mind, and she found it difficult to control herself.
Lin Chen knew medicine; he was very clear on how difficult it was to treat psychological illnesses.
Only slowly could her psychological shadow disappear.
"You bad egg, making me owe such a debt."
"A million isn't enough? I can give you five million, no problem."
Xu Mengyao covered her face, feeling a bit flushed.
"Xiaoxi, wake up."
"We're going to the amusement park today."
After calming down for a moment, Xu Mengyao woke up Lin Xiaoxi.
After breakfast, Lin Chen and the others quickly set off.
"Let's go to the amusement park!"
Lin Xiaoxi shouted excitedly, "Daddy, I want to go to a big amusement park. I want to ride the horses."
Xu Mengyao was puzzled, "Do amusement parks have horses?"
Lin Chen laughed, "Xiaoxi means the carousel."
\n\n
Twenty minutes passed.
\n\n
"Beep beep!"
Lin Chen's phone rang. It was a video call from his mother.
"Lin Chen, your mom is calling."
Xu Mengyao looked at Lin Chen's phone.
She was a little nervous.
Lin Chen's parents had come to Modu before and met Lin Xiaoxi, but they hadn't met her. They hadn't even seen her during video calls.
Lin Xiaoxi said, "Mom, Dad is driving. Answer the video call, okay? I want to talk to Grandma. I miss Grandma."
"Answer the call for Xiaoxi."
Lin Chen said.
Xu Mengyao glanced at Lin Xiaoxi, her little padded jacket sometimes let the wind through. But Lin Chen had gone to America to meet her parents, so she couldn't refuse the video call.
Picking up the phone, Xu Mengyao answered the video call.
But she didn't immediately hand the phone to Lin Xiaoxi.
"Hello, Auntie."
"Lin Chen is driving. We're taking Xiaoxi to the amusement park."
Xu Mengyao greeted the camera.
-----------------------
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