Chapter 45

Chapter 32-33: Father and Daughter

Wei Gang was held back tightly by Zhao Jianguo and others, ultimately not making any overly aggressive moves, and left with a sullen face. Li Shengli, a straightforward man, knew this grudge was significant and did not see them off. He watched their backs and asked worriedly, "Will this cause big trouble? Wei Gang isn't someone to be trifled with..."

The cool night breeze blew across his face, and Wen Liang, hands in his pockets, jumped like a typical teenager and laughed, "It's really cold today... Uncle Li, don't worry, I can handle Wei Gang after saying that!"

The opening day of Qinghe Soy Milk Shop ended successfully, except for the small disturbance caused by Wei Gang. It received excellent reviews and a surge in popularity. Many customers living nearby even came to inquire about the business hours, which made the extremely tired Xu Yao and Ning Xiaoning very happy. They experienced the hardships and joys of work for the first time, a feeling that could not be learned in school.

After closing in the afternoon, a few of them went to Fengming Tower for a celebratory dinner. Wen Liang watched the two girls leave in a taxi, then turned to Li Shengli and complained, "We need to hire a couple of employees in a few days, or else with these two young ladies, I'll end up working my next life away."

Li Shengli couldn't help but laugh. During the meal, Wen Liang had been forced to agree to countless unfair terms by the two young girls. Any boss would be in tears after using such employees for just two days.

When Wen Liang got home, Wen Huiming was already back. He didn't say much, just sighed and pointed at Wen Liang's nose, "You, you..."

Wen Liang grinned and asked, "What did your boss say? Didn't he praise me a bit?"

"He did praise you a bit," Wen Huiming seemed to recall something, suddenly stood up, walked a few steps in the living room, then stopped and stared at Wen Liang, asking, "Wen Liang, were you being deliberate today? What are you planning?"

What I'm planning, I can't tell you now!

Wen Liang didn't answer, but asked instead, "How's the Qinghua Factory?"

"What else?" Mentioning this, Wen Huiming felt a headache and forgot his earlier question. "The municipal government is facing a lot of resistance. They insist on selling the Qinghua Factory to Fan Hengan according to the planned blueprint, saying it's about adapting to local conditions and considering the current situation. They claim that blindly applying policies from above is a crime against the people."

"Huh, they're really putting on a high hat." Wen Liang didn't expect that the joint document from the Ministry of Finance, the State Planning Commission, and other five ministries, "Several Opinions on the Reform of Central and Local State-Owned Enterprises During the Ninth Five-Year Plan," had already been issued to the city level, yet Qingzhou was still ignoring it and acting on its own. However, this wasn't unusual; hypocrisy was a common practice in the bureaucracy. When there were policies from above, there were always countermeasures from below, and this was how things in the country became a mess.

"It's fine," seeing Wen Huiming's low spirits, Wen Liang comforted him, "From being at a complete disadvantage to now being on equal footing, Xu Fuyan at least has the strength to fight. Besides, he still has a trump card in the provincial capital. You don't need to worry too much."

Wen Huiming sighed again, saying helplessly, "I hope so. Let's take it one step at a time."

The No. 1 Compound of the Municipal Committee was located at No. 17 Chunxi Road, a two-story villa with front and back gardens. The lush trees and the green ivy that covered the walls like a grid made it a picturesque scene. Through the fence, one could vaguely see a small pavilion behind the house and two small vegetable plots beside it. This was the most mysterious and eye-catching place in Qingzhou, where the successive Party Secretaries of Qingzhou resided, accompanied by power, status, and glory, as well as the relentless machinations and cunning.

Xu Yao sneaked into the house, holding her small leather shoes, ready to sneak upstairs. Xu Fuyan, sitting on the sofa in the living room reading a newspaper, rustled the paper, and Xu Yao's face immediately fell. She turned around reluctantly and walked over, throwing the shoes far away and sitting next to Xu Fuyan.

Xu Fuyan's stern face showed no smile, pointing to the opposite side and indicating for Xu Yao to sit there. Xu Yao pouted, huffed, and moved over, biting her lip and not speaking. Xu Fuyan's wife was the chief physician of the pediatric department at the Provincial First People's Hospital, and her organizational relationship was still in Guanshan, the provincial capital. She would stay in Qingzhou for some time, and Xu Yao, being naturally active, insisted on coming along, so Xu Fuyan had to agree.

As a result, Xu Yao was almost like a free-range child in Qingzhou. She spent her days hanging out with Wen Liang at No. 7 Compound, riding the bus around Qingzhou, which led to their acquaintance and friendship, sharing both good and bad times.

Waiting for her daughter to admit her mistake seemed like a 21st-century affair. Xu Fuyan folded the newspaper helplessly and smiled gently, "What's wrong? I haven't even started to scold you, and you're already throwing a tantrum?"

"Scold? Dad, did you even see me at Qinghe Soy Milk Shop today? I felt like you were only staring at that stinky boy Wen Liang, not even glancing at me once."

"Hmm, that's a good attitude!" Xu Fuyan knew his daughter well. If he asked her directly, she might not answer, but now that she was willing to speak, it was a good start.

If Wen Liang were here, he would have spat blood in protest. Is this considered a good attitude? In the Wen family, he would have been beaten to death long ago!

But people are different. Xu Yao, the student, was completely unaware of this, and said aggressively, "Secretary Xu, why did you go to the shop today? Were you following me?"

Xu Fuyan was surprised, "Oh, taking the initiative and turning the tables? You've learned these tricks? Xu Yao, I think you're learning bad things from others."

This wasn't a light or heavy comment, but it made Xu Yao nervous. She couldn't let Wen Liang leave a bad impression on her father, though she didn't have a clear reason why.

"No, I've been working hard outside. I'm as good as it gets."

"You, you," Xu Fuyan pointed at her, shaking his head with a bitter smile, then suddenly changed his tone, "Does Wen Liang know me?"

"Of course..." Xu Yao opened her mouth to speak but suddenly remembered Wen Liang's words and stopped abruptly, "...he doesn't know! Before coming to Qingzhou, you repeatedly warned me not to reveal my identity outside and to live as a normal child. I remember, don't worry!"

Xu Fuyan laughed heartily, "Good, my little girl is the best. However, people can be very complex. You might think you understand, but what you see might be an illusion. Sometimes, you need to look and think more, and not be deceived by appearances. Of course, I'm not saying everything is an illusion, just be careful..."

Xu Yao, being clever, could easily understand her father's underlying meaning. Ning Xiaoning had already experienced something similar, and the facts proved that Xu Yao's judgment was more accurate than Xiaoning's and her father's. Perhaps it wasn't about judgment at all; they saw Wen Liang with their eyes, while she saw him with her heart!

At this moment, Xu Fuyan wasn't the high-ranking official overseeing a region, nor the cunning bureaucrat, nor the trapped secretary struggling in the political arena. To Xu Yao, he was always a kind, loving, strict, yet gentle father. Xu Yao understood his good intentions, feeling moved. She got up and sat next to Xu Fuyan, hugging his arm, resting her head on his shoulder, and gently rubbing her face, saying softly, "Wen Liang is a good person. I believe in him."

Xu Fuyan stroked her hair, smiling, "Of course, if my little girl says someone is good, they must be." Xu Yao, with her head down, didn't see the cold look that flashed in Xu Fuyan's eyes. She poked him, "You're making things up again. Are all officials so domineering?"

"Oh, what do you mean by that?"

"It's because of that factory manager today. After you left, he caused a scene in the shop, even throwing the soy milk cups on the ground." Xu Yao complained. Although Wen Liang and Li Shengli had kept it from her, the new employee had seen everything and told Xu Yao.

"Haha, he was upset because he lost something. It's normal to have a temper. In life, if you bully others, you should be prepared to be bullied back."

Xu Yao didn't understand this, but she understood what he said next.

"Xu Yao, remember what I'm about to say. Wen Liang is not a simple child. He's smart, brave, and has a good understanding of human nature. I don't know how Wen Huiming raised him, but he's taught him everything! But because of this, you need to understand that in my position, many people have ulterior motives..."

What followed wasn't something a father or a Party Secretary could say. Xu Yao, having grown up in an official family, was more mature than her peers. Her expression darkened, and she said softly, "I understand."

Xu Fuyan laughed heartily, suddenly messing up her hair, "Don't be so down. I'm not stopping you from seeing him. Just be careful and maintain a proper relationship. That boy has some qualities I admire..."

Xu Yao pouted, pretending to be angry, but her thoughts involuntarily turned to that boy. He was gentle and mysterious, and no matter what her father thought, he was still him.

The girl's thoughts drifted to a distant and unknown place, but she suddenly felt a vague unease. After the holiday, should she tell Wen Liang what her father said?

Maybe she should, maybe...

The three-day National Day holiday passed quickly. Qinghe Soy Milk Shop had a successful opening, with customers streaming in from morning to afternoon. Afterward, under Wen Liang's guidance, Wen Huiming wrote an article praising Xu Fuyan's attention to re-employment for laid-off workers. After being polished by the secretary and reviewed by Xu Fuyan, it was published in the Qingzhou Daily and other newspapers, attracting significant public attention. Especially with the photo of Xu Fuyan holding a soy milk cup and the caption "Delicious," within a week, Qinghe Soy Milk Shop became almost a household name.

With the booming business, Li Shengli immediately hired three more employees, all young and pretty girls in uniform, adding a beautiful scene to the shop. Wen Liang often stayed at the soy milk shop, writing and drawing in a notebook, busy with something unknown. Sometimes he would help Li Siqing with her seventh-grade homework. After this period of adjustment and playing with Xu Yao and the others, Li Siqing gradually returned to her former self, occasionally playing pranks on Wen Liang. However, having survived those two years of hell, she was more well-behaved and sensible than her peers, charming and lovely.

Since the opening ceremony, Wen Liang hadn't seen Xu Yao again.

On the first day after the holiday, Wen Liang arrived at school early. Everyone was still groggy from the three-day break, and the large campus was quiet, with only a few students riding their bikes quickly through the corridors. Walking under the trees in the early October morning, the air seemed to carry a hint of youth. Wen Liang placed his hand on the railing by the large playground, his three fingers lightly touching the cold iron, leaving a winding trail as he walked.

Passing the experimental building, he suddenly saw two people talking downstairs. With his good eyesight, he could clearly see the anger on Gu Wen yuan's handsome face and Ji Su's gentle face full of helplessness.

Wen Liang didn't stop or care about what was happening between them, and he wandered into the classroom.

By the time Ren Yi arrived, class was almost starting. Wen Liang smiled and bowed, "Brother Qiu Shui, please."

Ren Yi looked dejected, waving his hand listlessly, "Tang Fang is gone, so is Xiao Qiu Shui. From now on, call me 'Nightly Autumn Rain Under the Lonely Lamp'..."

Wen Liang was stunned. "Nightly autumn rain under the lonely lamp, heartbroken and full of hate. Is it that serious? What did Tang Fang do to make you so heartbroken?" Not long ago, Ren Yi had called himself "Xiao Qiu Shui of the Righteous Alliance," but Tang Fang was still assigned to Ji Su.

"Spit! Tang Fang is pure and innocent, how could she hurt me? The problem is that someone has interfered, so I naturally have to be 'nightly autumn rain.'"

Wen Liang understood immediately. This guy must have found out that Gu Wen yuan was pursuing Ji Su and was intimidated by the insurmountable obstacle. But Gu Wen yuan had always been gentlemanly, always polite to Ji Su. Why was he now纠缠不休, even Ren Yi knew about it?

But this wasn't his concern. What bothered him was that Xu Yao hadn't shown up for the past two days. Was she under house arrest by Xu Fuyan?

The peaceful days lasted about a week. During this time, Wen Liang noticed something strange. Ji Su, who had always been a model student, started being late in the morning, leaving early in the afternoon, and today she hadn't shown up for two classes.

If this were Wen Liang, it would be normal, but for Ji Su, it was highly unusual.

After the second class, it was time for the routine morning exercises, which were canceled due to rain. Wen Liang, finding the classroom stuffy, went out and stood at the corner of the second-floor railing, looking down. The two-story Boshuo Building was the freshman building, with classes one to four on the second floor and five to eight on the first. Across from it was the Xingzhi Building, also with eight classes. During breaks, the railings would be crowded with students chatting and joking in groups. Occasionally, someone would spit on the ground below, and the students on the first floor would loudly scold them. When it got lively, two or three dozen students would shout, "Come up! Go down!" until a teacher came to stop them.

This was a common way to vent in the boring and lonely high school life. Sometimes, you could see magpies driving students with signs around the campus, marching in formation. The signs would list reasons for the march, usually three main categories: being late or leaving early, skipping classes, and fighting or smoking. Occasionally, a legendary figure would appear with reasons like "improper attire" (wearing slippers, shorts, and tank tops to class), "moral corruption" (usually referring to early romance), or "smashing the school office window," and the students watching from the upper and lower floors would applaud thunderously, welcoming these marchers like heroes.

In Wen Liang's memory from his previous life, a classmate once marched three times in seven days for five different reasons, earning the nickname "The Full Moon on the 15th," which became famous for a time. In the following twenty years, no one broke this record!

Thinking about the past, Wen Liang's expression became a bit distant. The sky was pouring rain, forming silver lines along the eaves, splashing onto the stone path below with a pitter-patter sound. Looking out, everything was shrouded in a misty haze, adding a touch of ethereal beauty to the entire campus.

Suddenly, a slender figure ran through the rain, the sky-blue umbrella swaying in the wind, each step splashing a series of water droplets. From above, it looked like water lilies blooming behind her, leaving a trail of beauty.

It was Ji Su, and she was still late.

Ji Su, with half of her clothes wet, looked a bit disheveled. Wen Liang, sitting at the back, occasionally glanced over and saw her sitting there, her textbook untouched for a long time. Meng Ke, sitting next to her, whispered something from time to time, her face full of comfort.

Wen Liang remained calm and didn't ask. After lunch, passing the experimental building, he suddenly saw Xu Yao with her hands in her jeans pockets, heading upstairs. The