Xia Xiaolan quickly poured Tang Hongen a cup of tea to wet his throat.

Ordering food from the restaurant was a small task that didn’t require her attention – naturally, Little Wang would handle it.

Tang Hongen briefly explained Ying Jinchuan’s background.

He was extremely intelligent with a gift for mathematics, later working in the banking system.

But his exceptional abilities drew jealousy.

Combined with the major political movement of previous years, Ying Jinchuan’s family suffered hardship. His wife was a university teacher, and though they never had children, their relationship was very close.

But his wife couldn’t endure and passed away during those turbulent years.

Ying Jinchuan was devastated at the time.

“I know he regrets not taking his wife abroad in those first two years. He had the opportunity to avoid the chaos but couldn’t bear to leave his family behind. Last year, after Ying Jinchuan resolved his issues, his father, who had been sent to a farm in Heilongjiang Province, passed away before Ying Jinchuan could rescue him.”

So, with no elders above or children below, he was truly alone?

“Does he have no siblings?”

Xia Xiaolan thought how similar Ying Jinchuan’s previous situation was to Tang Hongen’s, though Tang Hongen was better off having hope in his son and career ambitions.

Looking at Ying Jinchuan’s detached manner, he seemed to lack career aspirations.

A person without desires naturally lacks motivation to strive forward – no wonder Ying Jinchuan seemed so detached.

Tang Hongen shook his head, unclear whether Ying Jinchuan truly had no relatives or if it was just a sensitive topic.

When Tang Hongen mentioned Ying Jinchuan had worked at a bank, Xia Xiaolan didn’t simply assume he was a teller… He must have been a true heavyweight, with knowledge of banking intricacies that surpassed not only Xia Xiaolan but many younger professionals.

Xia Xiaolan was truly curious about Ying Jinchuan’s exact role back then.

With such credentials, no wonder he could secure a 16 million yuan mortgage for Qihang.

The credit belonged to Senior Ying, yet others suspected underhanded dealings – they were overthinking!

“Then regarding Huo Chenzhou’s offer to lend me money, I should refuse him. I had thought about accepting and using Dongfeng Holdings’ money to repay the bank loan first.”

Tang Hongen glanced at her, “And then hand over Pan Yijun as a scapegoat? You’re still too focused on short-term results, too impetuous!”

Patching the east wall when it breaks, then turning to patch the west wall when it cracks – fortunately, Xia Xiaolan was just doing business. If she wanted to develop within the system, Tang Hongen would disapprove.

Tang Hongen had always known Xia Xiaolan was cunning, and though he criticized her, his lips involuntarily curled into a smile.

Xia Xiaolan was considering his interests, worried he’d be implicated in this loan incident. Using Huo Chenzhou’s money to repay the loan would naturally distance him from it.

How did Tang Hongen repay Xia Xiaolan?

After eating the meal Little Wang brought back, he sent her back to school, forbidding her from leaving campus for three days!

“Look at the results after three days – things should be clearer then. Stop neglecting your studies.”

Xia Xiaolan felt so aggrieved.

Could it be he was worried she’d interfere with his courtship of her mother, deliberately confining her?

Tang Hongen even had Little Wang escort Xia Xiaolan back to school – such caring attention meant he wanted to send Little Wang away too. Then he rode Xia Xiaolan’s modest secondhand bicycle out, drawing the neighbors’ attention.

Old Zhao from next door recognized him as the middle-aged comrade who visited the Liu family most frequently.

Old Zhao greeted him, and Tang Hongen responded.

As he rattled down the hutong on the bicycle, the whole alley knew the Liu family had a visitor.

Arriving in a car but leaving on a borrowed bicycle – he was certainly making himself at home!

When Tang Hongen later found Liu Fen, abandoned the bicycle at the clothing store, and returned in Liu Fen’s Chevrolet, who in the hutong didn’t know he was Liu Fen’s suitor?

“Looks like the Liu family will be hosting guests soon…”

Old Zhao, holding his birdcage, couldn’t help but salivate.

He was suggesting the Liu family would be celebrating good news, and the other elderly men playing chess all agreed.

Old comrades were still men – they could certainly distinguish between revolutionary friendship and the gaze of a man interested in a woman!

— That must be Liu Fen’s partner!

— Well, well, he’s dignified and impressive – must be somebody important.

The Liu family were private business owners and never hid it.

Initially, some made sour comments, especially after Liu Fen got a car.

But no matter how much gossip circulated, Liu Fen’s shop didn’t fail – her business expanded. Who among these neighbors could guarantee they’d never need help from others?

A single woman, especially an attractive one running a large business alone, naturally attracted gossip.

The criticism mainly targeted this point, suggesting that Liu Fen’s good looks and wealth meant she couldn’t be proper.

To Old Zhao, this was just jealousy.

It was fine to admire others’ success, but jealous slander was wrong.

Some saw the three Liu women as having money but no power and wanted to spend money for the Liu family by introducing suitors to Liu Fen… She rejected them all, and Grandmother Yu would say while cracking melon seeds that Liu Fen already had someone, so the neighbors needn’t worry.

Old Zhao had happened to see Tang Hongen several times, and the pair seemed closer each time. Those with ulterior motives must be blind to pretend they couldn’t see!

Old Zhao felt the Liu family would be celebrating soon.

In the neighboring living room, Liu Fen and Tang Hongen sat at opposite ends of the table.

Min Xiaoju said the car was dirty and, despite the cold weather, took a bucket of hot water to wash it, leaving just Liu Fen and Tang Hongen facing each other in the living room.

“Ah Fen, do you have anything to say to me?”

Other women would be complaining by now, at least asking who Sheng Xuan was, but Ah Fen was truly composed!

Liu Fen glanced at him, “Why did you come to Beijing again? Didn’t we agree that when I go to Yangcheng, you’d go there too, without disrupting work?”

This was their arrangement.

Liu Fen unfailingly went to Yangcheng at least once a month, sometimes twice.

She met Tang Hongen more often than Xia Xiaolan met Zhou Cheng.

No matter how busy Tang Hongen’s work was, he was still free to move about.

They had agreed to meet in Yangcheng.

Besides this, Tang Hongen remembered to call every day, sometimes before 7 AM, sometimes after 9 PM, their relationship steadily warming, their attachment no less than a young couple.

Liu Fen spoke increasingly casually with Tang Hongen.

Sometimes she remembered he was a mayor, but mayors were human too, and most times, Liu Fen forgot Tang Hongen’s position.

Like now, Tang Hongen suddenly created a “surprise” – during their morning call, he hadn’t mentioned coming to Beijing, yet appeared at noon. They’d said everything on the phone, this man was truly strange.

Tang Hongen sighed, “Of course, I need to work, but when I suddenly learned that Sheng Xuan had visited you, and you hadn’t told me, I worried you misunderstood. I couldn’t focus on work, just wanted to come explain to you. If you argued with me I’d certainly be troubled, but your silence and lack of jealousy also makes me uneasy. Ah Fen, do you think I’m sick?”

Liu Fen’s face turned bright red.

Though his tone was serious, why did it feel like he was teasing her?!