Early the next morning,
The sunlight was bright and beautiful.
Yang Haoran, lying in bed, was awakened by his alarm clock. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he groggily fumbled for his phone on the nightstand and checked the timeβexactly 7:30.
He had to buy a gift this morning to visit Aunt He and had an appointment with Ji Youxi at noon. His schedule was a bit tight, and afraid of oversleeping, he had set an alarm before going to bed last night.
After washing up in the bathroom, Yang Haoran went downstairs and saw his father leisurely drinking tea in the living room, while his mother was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the family.
He greeted his father, and the two sat on the living room sofa. Yang Wenfu poured his son a cup of tea and handed it to him to help wake him up.
“Haoran, it’s Sunday today. Why are you up so early? Why not sleep a bit more?”
Yang Haoran took the tea from his father, gulped it down in one go, and replied, “A classmate invited me to his place, so I got up early.”
“Rare to see you so enthusiastic.”
Yang Wenfu took a sip of his tea, looked at his son with a smile, and asked, “A male classmate or a female classmate?”
Yang Haoran hadnβt expected his father to suddenly overflow with paternal concern, taking an interest in his daily social life. He was slightly taken aback and casually brushed it off: “A male classmate. Why do you ask, Dad?”
Faced with his sonβs surprised expression, Yang Wenfu felt a complex, indescribable emotion welling up inside himβsomething akin to paternal guilt. He smiled and said, “Itβs nothing. Is Yaoyao awake yet?”
“Still sleeping.”
After breakfast, Yang Haoran took a taxi to a nearby shopping mall. It was around nine, and the mall had just opened. Yang Haoran entered with the bustling crowd.
Although it was already late September and the intense summer heat was gradually fading, the central air conditioning in the mall was still running at full power, sending waves of cool air his way.
Jewelry stores like Chow Tai Fook and Lung Fung were often located on the first floor of malls. Yang Haoran casually strolled around the first floor and soon spotted the Chow Tai Fook logo on the right, with two attractive hostesses in cheongsams standing at the entrance.
“Welcome…”
“Sir, how may I assist you today?”
As soon as he entered the store, a female sales assistant quickly approached him with enthusiasm, a professional smile on her face.
Even though the young man in front of her looked youthful and clearly underage, his clothing and demeanor unmistakably revealed theζ°θ΄¨ of a wealthy family’s child. Especially the Rolex Submariner “Hulk” on his wristβin her eyes, he was the epitome of a tall, rich, and handsome young man.
Yang Haoran glanced at the dazzling glass counters, filled with diamond rings, gold rings, gold necklaces, jade bracelets, pearl earrings, and more. It was almost too much to take in at once.
After a quick scan, Yang Haoran got straight to the point and asked the sales assistant, “Which is the most expensive necklace you have here?”
“Sir, please follow me.”
The sales assistantβs enthusiasm became even more apparent as she guided Yang Haoran to a necklace counter.
“Sir, may I ask who youβre buying this for?” the sales assistant inquired first.
“My girlfriend.”
“Sir, please take a look at this one.” The sales assistant had the staff behind the counter bring out a butterfly collarbone chain and handed it to Yang Haoran for him to examine. She began explaining, “This is a newly released necklace in our store. Itβs priced at thirty-eight thousand yuan. The body of the necklace is made of 99.9% pure gold, weighing approximately…”
As she introduced the product, the sales assistant observed Yang Haoranβs expression. Seeing that he remained unfazed upon hearing the price, she secretly envied his girlfriend. Young, rich, and handsomeβI wouldnβt mind being his girlfriend myself, she thought. Iβd let him have me in any position he wants, and Iβd guarantee I know how to serve a man better than some inexperienced young girl.
Unaware of the sales assistantβs inner thoughts, Yang Haoran cut her off midway and asked her to pack it up for him.
While the sales assistant went to process the card payment, Yang Haoran casually browsed around the store and soon took a liking to a delicate and elegant pearl bracelet priced at over five thousand yuan.
Remembering that he had to go shopping with Ji Youxi at noon, even though he somewhat disliked her troublesome personality, he had to admit that, for the sake of her flawless face, he went ahead and bought the pearl bracelet as well.
After leaving Chow Tai Fook, Yang Haoranβs long-accumulated personal savings had shrunk by half.
Before he left, the enthusiastic sales assistant asked him to add her on WeChat so she could assist him with any future needs.
In the eyes of most, the sales assistant, with her makeup on, was quite attractive. But Yang Haoran lacked any interest. He had never been fond of gold-digging women like her and politely declined.
By the time he arrived at Aunt Heβs place, it was already past ten.
He Muchen seemed slightly uncomfortable upon seeing Yang Haoran. She greeted him with a smile and asked her son, Wei Ming, to entertain him while she went to the kitchen to cut some fruit for the two.
Yang Haoran and Wei Ming sat down on the living room sofa.
“Haozhi, why are you so late?”
“I wanted to come earlier, but the mall didnβt open until nine.”
“By the way, Haozhi, my mom transferred four thousand to me yesterday and told me to give it to you. She said itβs a monthβs rent for you.”
Yang Haoran was somewhat surprised. Aunt He is insisting on keeping things so formal. It seems that phone call from that guy surnamed Li last night had an effect.
Yang Haoran didnβt know that He Muchen had never intended to take advantage of someone younger than her from the very beginning. She was gentle and kind-hearted. Having been single for many years while raising her son, she never accepted favors from unfamiliar men without good reason.
It was only her colleague, Li Song, who, by staying close and seizing the opportunity, had spent three years tirelessly caring for her and checking in on her through all kinds of weather, who finally won her over.
Li Song wasnβt particularly handsomeβin fact, he was quite ordinary, the kind of person who would blend into a crowd without causing a ripple. Already in his thirties and still unmarried, his family background was average, with just a two-story house built in his hometown.
The fact that Li Song managed to win over He Muchen, even though she was a divorcee with a child, was the envy of his male colleagues. After all, He Muchen had a beautiful and captivating face. Even in her thirties, she hadnβt lost her charm. Her figure was explosive, with curvaceous lines that filled their eyes with delight during daily work.
Men, from beginning to end, have always been fond of beautiful women with good figures. Without a doubt, He Muchen fit both criteria perfectly. So, even though He Muchen had a son, there were plenty of men who were eager to make a move. What made Li Song stand out in He Muchenβs eyes was his genuine sincerity toward her.
After successfully pursuing the great beauty He Muchen, Li Song couldnβt help but feel smug amid his colleaguesβ envy. But he was also aware that, to prevent himself from wearing an emperor-sized green hat, he discussed with He Muchen the plan to resign after they registered their marriage and move to his hometown to start a small business together.
However, on the night before they were supposed to register, an unexpected change occurred. He Muchenβs son, who was in high school, asked her to stay with him for a month. Li Song was anxious and impatient, but he couldnβt think of a reason to stop He Muchen right away.
After He Muchen arrived here, Li Song called her last night to urge her, saying that meeting her son once was enoughβthe child was already grown up and sensible enough to take care of himself. He repeatedly promised to cover all her sonβs expenses from high school through college.
He Muchen comforted him, asking him not to worry. She wasnβt going to run away. Since she was already here, she would return in a month. She assured him she would listen to himβthey would move to his hometown and build a life together.