Jiang Ren reheated the meal and returned to the sofa. “Tingting, eat something before going back to sleep in your room.”

Meng Ting rubbed her eyes, delighted. “You’re back!”

“Mm.” He gently brushed the hair from her cheek. “Have you eaten?”

“No, I accidentally fell asleep. I’ll go reheat the food so we can eat together.”

“I’ve already done that. Let’s go.”

After her nap, Meng Ting felt more energetic. However, Jiang Ren had worked until midnight before returning. She observed his calm demeanor, unable to discern how things had progressed.

After they finished eating, Meng Ting started to clean the dishes.

“I’ll do it,” Jiang Ren held her hand. “Go sleep in your room.”

“No need.” Her bright eyes sparkled with energy. “I’m not tired at all. You haven’t rested properly in a long time, go to bed first.”

“Be good.” His lips curved slightly as he gathered all the dishes and took them to the kitchen.

Jiang Ren bought this three-bedroom apartment when he was a student. He wasn’t short on money then, and the place was luxuriously decorated. After washing his hands, he came out to find her watching him from the doorway. He couldn’t help but smile. “Why aren’t you sleeping yet? Are you going home tomorrow?”

“Mm.”

“Does your father know you’re here?”

“No.” Her cheeks flushed. “I told him I was visiting Zhao Nuancheng.”

He chuckled softly.

Meng Ting said, “I’m going to visit my grandparents in my hometown in a few days, so I won’t be able to come cook for you. Please eat well, don’t just have noodles all the time. They’re not nutritious.”

Meng Ting had initially wanted to give him the remaining money in her card, but knowing Jiang Ren’s personality, he wouldn’t accept it. She gave up on that idea and tried to think of other ways to take care of him.

Shu’s Father’s deepest impression of Jiang Ren was from their second year of high school when Jiang Ren had beaten up Chen Shuo, and their family didn’t have to pay compensation anymore. In Shu Zhitong’s heart, Chen Shuo wasn’t a good person, but he never expected Jiang Ren to be worse.

Later, when he learned that Jiang Ren had saved Meng Ting from the fire, Shu Zhitong’s feelings were complex. He was immensely grateful, but that didn’t mean any father would be willing to entrust his daughter to such a young man. Shu Zhitong would rather serve Jiang Ren for the rest of his life than give Meng Ting to him.

The idea of repaying a debt with marriage was ancient; times had changed! Shu Zhitong wanted to compensate with money or gifts, but by then, Jiang Ren had already gone to B City. Even Shu Yang couldn’t help but say, “He doesn’t need that little money.”

This earned him a glare from Shu Zhitong.

Even without Meng Ting saying it, Jiang Ren could guess her father’s opinion of him.

So he didn’t probe further, just nodded. “Will you come back for the New Year?”

Meng Ting nodded with a smile. “Grandfather and Grandmother like you very much. They surely still remember you.”

He couldn’t resist patting her hair, his eyes filled with amusement. “Mm.”

The next morning, Meng Ting returned home. Zhao Nuancheng, who had gone to study at a distant X University, called Meng Ting excitedly. She chatted animatedly, sharing many interesting stories about X University.

Meng Ting remembered that He Junming was also in X City. “Have you seen He Junming? I think he’s studying there too.”

After a long pause, Zhao Nuancheng reluctantly spoke, “I have. He’s now quite famous among several universities.”

“What happened?”

“He’s studying at the vocational college next to our school. He was with Lu Yue for half a month before getting beaten up by Lu Yue’s current boyfriend.”

Meng Ting was dumbfounded.

Zhao Nuancheng found it distasteful. “It’s quite embarrassing, isn’t it? But I guess he didn’t know Lu Yue had a boyfriend. He made a big scene at the time, refusing to believe Lu Yue was that kind of person. He fought with that guy, but Lu Yue didn’t help him, so…”

So he became a laughingstock, forced into the role of the “third wheel.” After this incident, Lu Yue’s reputation wasn’t great either.

He Junming’s family was well-off. They used to be in real estate development but in recent years had only been contracting projects, not developing land themselves.

Lu Yue’s boyfriend was a top student at X University, but his family was very poor. Lu Yue’s family had run into trouble after she started university and owed a lot of money. Lu Yue liked that top student, but without money, she turned to He Junming as an unwitting victim.

He Junming was foolish, happily playing the role of a cash cow without realizing it, giving more than half of his money to Lu Yue.

Lu Yue had been his high school crush, but now he’d been deceived. Now, all the schools in that area of X City knew he had been paying to support someone else’s girlfriend.

“Let’s not talk about him anymore. He’s just an idiot. Tingting, how’s B University?”

Meng Ting chatted with Zhao Nuancheng for a while longer.

Before the New Year, Shu Zhitong took Meng Ting and Shu Yang to visit Meng Ting’s grandparents. This was Shu Zhitong’s first visit as a son-in-law. He had carefully prepared gifts and was somewhat nervous, but the grandparents were very welcoming.

Especially Grandmother, who hugged Meng Ting tightly. “Let Grandmother have a look. Oh my, you’ve lost weight. Tingting, is the university cafeteria food not good?”

“No, the cafeteria is fine. I haven’t lost weight, Grandmother. You’re mistaken.”

Grandfather gave red envelopes to both children. Shu Yang accepted it shyly, saying thank you.

Grandmother pulled Meng Ting aside and whispered, “Is your stepfather treating you well?”

Her face was full of worry. Meng Ting quickly assured her that he was. She also told her about how Shu Zhitong had helped her with her eye treatment. Only then did Grandmother feel relieved.

The elderly couple refused to take Shu Zhitong’s money. They had their government pension and, unless there was a major illness, they could manage their daily lives without problems.

Grandmother was very pleased. She said to Meng Ting, “I used to have a very successful student. Now he’s a good civil servant. His son is about your age. Why don’t you young people get to know each other?”

Meng Ting was taken aback. Was Grandmother trying to set her up?

Grandmother said, “It’s not a blind date. It’s good for young people to socialize more. Your generation isn’t like ours with arranged marriages. Their family is good, and I know them well. Even if you don’t end up dating, it’s good to have more friends. They’re coming to visit me for the New Year tomorrow. See if you get along.”

Meng Ting couldn’t help but smile wryly. After a while, she whispered something in Grandmother’s ear.

“You’re serious? That young man who saved your grandfather is your boyfriend now!”

“Yes.”

Grandmother sighed. “Well, as long as he’s kind-hearted and treats our Tingting well, everything else can come slowly.”

They had tried to arrange Zeng Yujie’s relationship before, but she had eloped with a scoundrel and given birth to Meng Ting. Although the elderly couple believed in their judgment, after that incident, they knew that matters of the heart couldn’t be forced.

The next day, Grandmother’s student indeed came to pay a New Year’s visit with his son.

At that time, Meng Ting was in the yard helping Grandmother pick vegetables.

Her fair fingers were half-immersed in water, looking incredibly beautiful.

Grandmother was telling her some interesting village stories, and she was laughing sweetly, her big eyes curved in amusement.

When Huo Yifeng followed his civil servant father into the yard and saw her, he froze. “Junior Meng Ting?”

She rolled up her sleeves and looked up, her tea-colored eyes also showing surprise.

The Huo Yifeng who once said he would wait for her at No. 7 Middle School?

Remembering how reluctant he had been to come, Huo Yifeng’s face reddened. “You… you’re Teacher Wan’s granddaughter?”

Grandmother quickly welcomed the family, smiling amiably. Seeing the scene, she couldn’t help but be amused. Oh my, they already knew each other. This young man had good prospects and seemed to like their Tingting very much.

But their Tingting only lowered her sleeves, covering her fair arms, and nodded politely. “Hello, Uncle and Auntie. Hello, Senior Huo.”

Meng Ting was also troubled.

She had only come back to her hometown to spend a couple of days with her grandparents. She didn’t want to meet this former male god from No. 7 Middle School.

That man who was still working tirelessly in H City would go crazy.

The issue of the injured worker had been resolved with money, but now funds were tight.

Gao Yi had no choice. He had invested most of his life savings, fearing the project would be abandoned and all would be lost.

The bosses of those few eco-friendly building material companies refused to sign contracts no matter what, raising their prices by twenty percent.

Gao Yi couldn’t help but suggest, “Manager Jiang, why don’t we give up on these few companies and find other partners? Let’s buy cheaper building materials and finish the houses first.”

Jiang Ren lowered his eyes, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. “Let’s negotiate further.”

He didn’t want to build unfinished buildings, nor did he want to construct a bunch of heavily polluting structures.

His initial plan was to promote a series of undeveloped seaside garden apartments and small villas. Wealthy people value their lives, so green and environmentally friendly were two key selling points. H City had beautiful scenery, and in a few years, there would be continuous development in transportation and tourism, with real estate flourishing.

If they chose cheap, low-quality building materials now, it would reduce the house price by at least 3,000 yuan per square meter.

Jiang Ren said softly, “Let’s invite these executives for a meal and see what they have to say. Maybe there’s room for negotiation.”

Gao Yi had no choice but to comply.

After returning home for the New Year, He Junming had been coming over every day. “Brother Ren, let me work with you. My major is boring, and wasting time there is unbearable. I don’t even want to go back to X City.”

Jiang Ren glanced at him. “This work is very tough. You’re better off with your father than with me.”

“My father? He just lets me sit there playing on my phone and tells me not to wander around. I have nothing to do, I’m bored to death.”

Jiang Ren was silent for a moment. “You can work with me.”

“Really?”

“Just for the one-month winter break. When school starts, go back to your studies. Study hard and learn more.”

He Junming scratched his head. “Alright, alright.”

“Tonight, come with me to dinner. Say nice things and keep your temper in check. If you can’t handle today, you’d better stick with your father.”

He Junming readily agreed.

They had booked a venue at Xiaogang City, as Jiang Ren was hosting, and Xiaogang City was the most luxurious club in all of H City.

Jiang Ren ordered the best wine. Gao Yi, He Junming, and a male assistant all went.

Jiang Ren didn’t bring women to such dinners; he knew these men’s personalities and feared the women might be harassed.

Several middle-aged men in their forties and fifties, corpulent and self-satisfied, applauded as they listened to the singing.

Jiang Ren stood up with a smile, pouring wine for each of them in turn.

“Chairman Chen, Chairman Wang, Chairman Fang, here’s to you.”

The middle-aged men exchanged glances but drank nonetheless.

Gao Yi kept up a stream of flattery, praising Chairman Chen’s newly acquired land as promising, and complimenting Chairman Wang’s son as a rising talent. These men were all smiling tigers, quickly responding with polite words, but no one actively mentioned the issue of rising building material prices.

After several rounds of drinks, Jiang Ren finally spoke up, “Have our people offended you, gentlemen? Regarding the building materials…”

Chen Ping put down his glass, interrupting with a smile, “That girl on stage sings well. Manager Jiang, I hear your mother was a stunning beauty in her youth. You’re quite handsome yourself, why don’t you go up and sing a song?”

With these words, the entire private room fell silent, even the singer on stage didn’t dare speak.

Jiang Ren gripped his glass, the water inside rippling in circles.

He Junming’s eyes blazed with anger. “You son of a…”

Jiang Ren patted his shoulder. “Keep our guests company.”

He stood up, a young man with broad shoulders and long legs, smiling generously. “If you gentlemen are interested, I’ll certainly sing a song. Unfortunately, I’m not gifted in this area, so please forgive me if it’s not good.”

He took the microphone and sang a Cantonese song, “Glorious Years.”

It was a popular song from the 90s.

Jiang Ren already had the makings of a mature man, his voice much lower than the original singer. His pitch was accurate, and in modern times, it might be considered a bass.

The executives gave perfunctory applause.

Jiang Ren curved his lips slightly. “I didn’t sing well, I’ll punish myself with three drinks.”

Wang Shenghang said, “Manager Jiang, is your leg beyond recovery? It’s a pity. With medical technology so advanced nowadays, and you being tall and handsome, it’s a shame to have this defect.”

Jiang Ren’s smile didn’t falter. “Thank you for your concern, Chairman Wang. It’s still being treated. The bone was a bit shattered before. I’m tough, so it’s not bad that I still have my leg. With luck, it might improve in the future.”

Throughout the evening, whenever Jiang Ren mentioned building materials, he was met with various humiliations.

Sometimes they talked about his leg, sometimes about his mother’s old scandals. He Junming listened until his eyes turned red, gripping his glass and drinking one after another on Brother Ren’s behalf.

As the dinner was nearing its end, the executives still hadn’t addressed the main issue, continually deflecting.

Jiang Ren’s smile gradually faded.

As the dinner concluded, Chen Ping said, “Thank you for the hospitality. We had a great time tonight. Manager Jiang is very generous.”

Their drivers came to take them back.

He Junming threw his glass. “Damn, their ancestors! They were just humiliating us! I wish I could kill these bastards!”

Gao Yi looked displeased.

Jiang Ren remained silent. He had drunk the most, toasting not only the executives but also their deputies. He didn’t leave Xiaogang City, vomiting twice in the bathroom.

Jiang Ren wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb, then punched the washbasin.

The marble met his fist with a dull thud.

He raised his eyes to look at himself in the mirror, his gaze three parts wild and seven parts cold.

If it were his former self, those turtle eggs wouldn’t have made it out of Xiaogang City’s gates.

However, in all of H City, there were only a few companies that could provide large quantities of environmentally friendly building materials.

Cross-city transport and labor costs would add another 20%. It made no difference.

Jiang Ren washed his face with cold water, dried his hands, and walked out. He felt the two New Year red envelopes in his pocket and told He Junming and Gao Yi to go back first.

He drove the company car.

Jiang Ren went to Meng Ting’s residential area.

He had driven down this road countless times. Sometimes he lingered here, sometimes he wanted to catch a glimpse of her from afar. Once, he had almost scared her to tears, and she had abandoned the fish and fruit she had bought.

Meng Ting had come back in the afternoon.

When she came running down, she was very happy. The young girl wore a light blue cotton jacket, with a red hairpin shaped like Santa’s candy cane on her head. She had tucked her hair behind her ears. She looked beautiful and charming.

To have her, he would have to walk a very long road.

Meng Ting was delighted to see him. Her voice was sweet, “Jiang Ren.”

“Mm, what are you doing?”

“Watching the Spring Festival special program with Dad and Shu Yang. There’s a really funny skit.”

He smiled too. “Come here, let me look at you. Happy with the New Year?”

She nodded and was about to throw herself into his arms. Jiang Ren frowned and held her shoulders. “Be good, I smell of alcohol. Don’t dirty your new clothes.”

Meng Ting was so frustrated she wanted to bite him. She didn’t care about that at all.

The smell of alcohol on him was so strong, that she could smell it from far away.

Seeing her big eyes looking at him dissatisfied, he chuckled softly.

He took out a red envelope he had prepared for her from his pocket. “Baby, happy New Year. Study hard and make progress.”

She held the red envelope in a daze. “Red envelopes are given by elders to juniors.”

“Originally, they symbolized blessings and protection.” He laughed softly, “I didn’t know what else to give you, so I only have this.”

Meng Ting said, “You’re so materialistic.”

However, the words “protection” made her heart skip a beat.

She smiled and stood on tiptoe. “I have something for you too.”

With one hand, she tucked the red envelope back into his suit pocket, and with the other, she raised it, her voice soft and sweet, “Open your mouth.”

Meng Ting fed an Alpenliebe candy into his mouth.

The flavors of strawberry and milk melted in his mouth.

He was momentarily stunned.

“Grandma gave it to me,” she said, her little face flushed but her eyes bright. She said softly, “She said Jiang Ren is very good, and that I should love you well.”