When Chi Wan spoke, all Zhou Huaijin could think about was how she’d rather tell his cousin everything, while refusing to breathe a word to him.
That unpleasant feeling from before suddenly washed over him again.
Zhou Huaijin knew deep down that to Chi Wan, he was ultimately just a senior from her university—not exactly a stranger, but not a close friend either. He probably didn’t have her trust the way Zhou Huai’an did.
He didn’t know where this strange sense of competitiveness ca from, but at the very least, he hoped that the next ti Chi Wan was in trouble, she would think of asking him for help before his cousin.
It was just like that ti he sent the photo of her back to the family group chat.
He should have explained that Chi Wan was just a junior from his school, but he said nothing, quietly saving the photo instead.
Zhou Huaijin didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. As a single guy, it was only natural to be attracted to a girl like Chi Wan—pretty, with a sweet smile, but also an unexpectedly resilient personality.
’Be patient,’ Zhou Huaijin thought, recalling the secret his cousin had taught him yesterday: ’for a straightforward girl like Wanwan, a gentle and constant presence is the best long-term strategy.’
’Whether things are good or bad, just stay by her side and face it all with her. Once she gets completely used to your presence, you can naturally take the relationship to the next level.’
’Otherwise, it’d be easy for her to reject you completely right from the start.’
And Zhou Huaijin had always considered himself a very patient person.
*
Watching the last truck, loaded with bright golden oranges, drive away, Chi Wan walked briskly up to her parents. "The biggest job of the year is done! Now you two can start getting ready for a trip!"
Chi Wan didn’t plan on telling them about He Lingfeng, mainly because she didn’t want them to worry.
After all, she would be returning to school in a few days, and there was no telling what disgusting things He Lingfeng would pull next.
She wasn’t worried about herself. After all, with Li Xingye around, if He Lingfeng really dared to do sothing to her, she would teach him a lesson he wouldn’t forget.
But considering He Lingfeng’s past thods, Chi Wan was genuinely worried he would target her parents again.
So, Chi Wan figured she might as well send Chi Yuanshan and his wife on a trip to Europe. It would be best if they only returned after the matter with He Lingfeng was settled.
Based on the clues Zhou Huai’an had, the He Family’s main sphere of influence was likely concentrated along the coast and in the Golden Triangle. No matter how far their reach, it probably couldn’t extend to Europe.
But just to be safe, before they left, Chi Wan would definitely have Li Xingye secretly give them two seed canisters for self-defense. Nowadays, aside from a few essential daily items, the Crystal Core Devices made by Duan Qianyu and the others were mostly weapons.
Li Xingye’s vines were a natural choice as a primary component. Duan Qianyu had created a box about the size of a lighter, containing a small Crystal Core, compressed superpower energy, and a seed. It was dubbed the "seed canister."
When in need, one simply had to press the button to catalyze the Crystal Core. The superpower would then stimulate the seed’s growth to alleviate the crisis. Although its lethality was certainly no match for Li Xingye’s personal control, it was more than enough for an ordinary person to save their skin.
Chi Yuanshan and Song Yinghe first greeted Zhou Huaijin, who was standing nearby, before turning to their daughter with a puzzled look. "What trip?"
Chi Wan giggled. "Well, I just heard from him that the scenery in Europe is lovely and the pace of life is slow—perfect for middle-aged folks like you to take a leisurely trip. I was thinking, you’ve both been so busy with the company and haven’t had any ti to rest.
"Now that the orchard business is sorted out and I’m about to go back to school, you’ll be so bored at ho. Why not go out and have a nice trip and so fun?"
The couple exchanged a look. "It’s not that we can’t... but let’s wait a bit. At least until we’re sure the business with the He Family is over."
Otherwise, how could they rest easy leaving Chi Wan in the country all by herself?
Chi Wan, however, waved her hand and lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Don’t worry, the stuff with Song Yangming is pretty much over. The last ti the police officers ca to see us, it was to confirm whether his disappearance had anything to do with the He Family.
"The He Family is in a total ss right now dealing with all the investigations. They don’t even have ti for Song Yangming, let alone us. Once the police finish their searches, they’ll have even less ti to bother with small fry like us. After all, their initial target was Song Yangming.
"Why else do you think he ca to see today? He was worried I’d be scared knowing about the He Family’s situation, so he ca all this way just to give the inside scoop. Isn’t that right?"
Seeing Chi Wan turn and wink at him after spewing a load of nonsense, Zhou Huaijin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
He finally understood what his cousin ant when he’d said, ’Wanwan might look demure, but she’s got a strong mind of her own and is full of tricks.’
When it ca to hoodwinking her parents, the lies just flowed effortlessly, completely unrehearsed.
Zhou Huaijin couldn’t possibly pull the rug out from under Chi Wan, so he nodded guiltily. "Mm... Uncle, Auntie, you don’t need to worry about the He Family. Just go and enjoy your trip. I’m still here, and my cousin and I will be watching over things."
He could guess Chi Wan’s intentions—to get her parents away from all the trouble.
’But Chi Wan herself is just a young girl, not even twenty yet. She’s protecting her parents, but who’s going to protect her?’
Chi Wan said with playful exaggeration, "See? You know Brother Huai’an’s sources are reliable. Spot on! So just go and have fun. Otherwise, what are you two empty-nesters going to do? Sit at ho all day turning to stone waiting for ?"
Song Yinghe, amused by her daughter’s tone, gently pinched Chi Wan’s cheek. "What, turning to stone? You’re spouting such nonsense these days. Even if we were to go, there’s no rush. Besides, it takes ti to get visas."
Chi Wan paid that no mind, pressing her advantage. "Then it’s settled! Hehe, actually, I’ve already been working on the visas... I asked Brother Huai’an to find a travel agency, and they’re handling all the miscellaneous details.
"They’ve even arranged the itinerary and plans perfectly for you. All you have to do is relax and enjoy the trip!"
When Chi Wan had first planned to send her parents on a trip, she hadn’t known that the He Family was behind everything.
She had simply wanted her parents to go on a trip to relax and get rid of the gloom from the bankruptcy, so she had originally planned it as a surprise.
Now, it had turned out to be a fortunate coincidence.
Hearing this, Chi Yuanshan’s tone was one of feigned resignation. "Ah, Wanwan, you... Xiao Zhou, you have no idea. Our Wanwan, what she says goes. She arranges everything, and her mother and I can’t do a single thing about it."
How could Zhou Huaijin fail to hear the pride in his words?
He looked at Chi Yuanshan, whose grin was stretching from ear to ear, and held back a laugh as he agreed, "Wanwan is indeed very thoughtful."
Song Yinghe couldn’t stand to watch Chi Yuanshan’s pretense of helplessness any longer. "Co on, co on, let’s go inside before we talk more. What are we doing, keeping our guest standing at the door?"
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