When they exchanged greetings, Han Lie casually asked a question. Fang Tongzhi smiled and replied, "Your Sister Lu went to bed early. She specifically told to make sure I took good care of you..."
As soon as Han Lie heard this, he understood. Chen Lu was Fang Tongzhi’s serious girlfriend, the kind one marries. Furthermore, her family was likely at least as influential as Fang Tongzhi’s. Zhao Shengnan and Liu Yingjun were also heading towards marriage, but they were both players, not the types to settle down for a quiet life.
Dan Zihao was sulking, squeezed at the edge of the booth.
With a smile, Han Lie asked, "Brother Hao, why are you hiding over here?"
Dan Zihao no longer hated Han Lie. Fear was more prevalent now, mixed with so admiration. Being singled out by na actually made him feel sowhat flattered.
"It’s all the sa wherever I am... Brother Lie, I’ll toast to you later. Do this honor, okay?"
"Sure! You’re the main event today!"
Han Lie patted his shoulder, but before he could say another word, Ma Lian pulled him away.
Today, Ma Lian was a bit too excited and overly active, which was quite interesting.
Han Lie was pushed down into the middle of the main booth, next to the unfamiliar girl he had just t yesterday—the exceptionally pretty one.
Today, she wore a V-neck, tight T-shirt that revealed a sliver of her slim waist, paired with tight blue and white jeans. The jeans had two fashionable rips on the thighs—an outfit very much of its ti.
It was apparent she had put considerable effort into dressing fashionably. However, the effect was rely so-so. In those days, it was like this: nightclubs weren’t just battlegrounds for gold-diggers, internet celebrities, and top-tier beauties; all sorts of getups that were neither here nor there, a bit tacky, were common. So, in the end, it all ca down to looks and physique.
Han Lie had already forgotten what her face looked like; all he could see was that slender waist. Snow-white, tender, and so fine it seed it could be encircled with just one hand. Those "high-tech" girls who’d had ribs removed and fat suctioned couldn’t compare, could they? But she was clearly a natural enchantress.
Han Lie didn’t stare. He simply smiled and nodded at her. "Hello."
"Brother... Brother Lie, hello..."
She awkwardly tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear, her hand trembling as she extended it to Han Lie. She seed at once generous yet reserved, bold yet timid.
"My na is Si Yu. The ’Si’ is written with the ’female’ radical, and the ’Yu’ ans ’to give.’ I’m Huo Xiaoyu’s high school classmate, studying accounting at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics next door..."
Han Lie intentionally raised his eyebrows, feigning surprise.
"Why would your father choose that particular character for your na?"
Sotis, diving into deep conversation despite a shallow acquaintance was a quick way to build rapport.
She shyly pursed her lips and tucked her hair again.
"My father originally wanted to use ’Yu’ pronounced with a falling-rising tone—the ’Yu’ from ’Yu the Great’—because it’s easy to say and rolls off the tongue. But my mother disagreed. She was looking through the dictionary and chose a different ’Yu,’ one pronounced with a rising tone. She picked it because she thought the character itself looked similar to the character for ’good’ and felt it had a beautiful aning..."
She was a naive girl, not much sharper than Ding Xiang.
Through this simple answer and so observation, Han Lie had drawn his conclusions.
Her answer revealed not just her family’s financial situation but also her parents’ personalities and characters. She must be a girl from a small town. Her father was likely easygoing, perhaps even careless and a bit of a slob. Her mother, on the other hand, was probably domineering but uneducated. Her grandparents were likely from the countryside and didn’t have much say in family matters.
For a girl’s na, using just the ’Yu’ (as in Yu the Great) character is quite poor unless there’s a special reason. If it was just for the sake of sounding good and being easy to pronounce, they might as well have chosen an ordinary ’Yu’ (like the character for ’rain’). The mother was even more absurd. She chose her ’Yu’ (the one aning ’palace attendant’) because it looked pretty—clearly, she was uncultured. Yet, for her father to actually agree... one could only imagine his status in the family.
Moreover, their level of education and professional environnt were evidently nothing special; they probably didn’t associate with very sophisticated people in their daily lives. All things considered, Si Yu’s family background was crystal clear.
For a girl from such a family to be so beautiful and still manage to get into a top major at a prestigious finance university, her mother must have been very strict with her, and she herself must have been incredibly determined.
Exceptionally beautiful girls rarely excel academically. From a young age, far too many people and things can distract them. Constantly flattered and favored simply for their looks, it’s easy for vanity to take root during their most impressionable years. Once their appearance becos a distraction, focusing on studies becos difficult.
re parental control isn’t enough. Parents might curb tendencies toward early romances, but they can’t do the studying for their children. One needs a strong internal drive to resist such temptations and remain focused on academics.
Han Lie guessed that her internal drive probably stemd from her relatively poor family background. Hmm, about 88.75% certain.
That’s why her naivety was easy to explain—without a good family upbringing and having been excessively focused on her studies from a young age, she was as pure as a blank sheet of paper. She was likely the pristine type who had never even held hands with a boy.
Then why co to a nightclub?
It must have taken a lot of effort from Huo Xiaoyu, and she herself must be very curious about —Han Lie judged. This wasn’t blind confidence; it was a reasonable speculation. Whether or not this was the case, one more probing question would make it clear.
And so, the sly dog Han Lie smiled warmly and nodded in a gentlemanly manner. "You’re right, the literal aning of the character isn’t what’s important; the beautiful wishes your parents imbued it with are key. So, may I call you Little Fish?"
Si Yu’s large eyes instantly lit up with a dazzling sparkle, while her expression simultaneously carried a hint of shyness.
"You can... that indeed is my nickna, Little Fish..."
Got her. No doubt about it, she’s definitely here for !
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