Chapter 43

Shortly after, Tang Xiaoqing received a text message from Qin Yufei. She looked at the phone number in the message, immediately saved it, and then dialed it...

Xu Jianxing was sleeping when he suddenly heard the ringtone of his phone. He opened his slightly dazed eyes, reached out to grab the phone, and without checking the caller, said weakly, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Tang Xiaoqing. You didn't even tell me you changed your phone number. That's not very nice, is it?" Tang Xiaoqing complained as soon as she answered the call.

"Ah!" Xu Jianxing instantly became alert and hurriedly smiled apologetically, "Oh, it's Master Xiao. I've been quite busy these past few days and didn't have the chance to tell you. I'm really sorry. I'll kneel before you and apologize, and listen to your teachings."

"Smooth talker." Tang Xiaoqing laughed.

"Oh, how would you know if my tongue is smooth, Master?" Xu Jianxing, who had gotten used to bantering in online games over the past year, couldn't help but respond immediately to Tang Xiaoqing's words.

This made Tang Xiaoqing blush, and after a moment, she glared and said, "You rascal, you've learned to be naughty too."

At this moment, Xu Jianxing also realized what he had said and laughed dryly, "Habit, just a habit."

"I don't want to deal with you." Tang Xiaoqing replied irritably, then said, "Alright, I have something important to tell you."

"Important? What's important?" Xu Jianxing asked, a bit surprised. "You're not trying to find me a job again, are you?"

Although Xu Jianxing had been in Yunhai for a year, his brothers and Tang Xiaoqing had been very concerned about his situation and had even found him several good jobs.

However, due to the matter with Chen Haoxue, Xu Jianxing had never agreed to any of them. He wanted to see if he could find a good job on his own, feeling不服气 (unwilling to accept it). But now he understood that in such times, it was extremely difficult to find a suitable and good job without connections.

Originally, he planned to accept the job his brothers introduced when they mentioned it next time. But after obtaining the ring, his life had completely changed, and he no longer needed to look for a job.

Hearing this, Tang Xiaoqing said seriously, "I'm not trying to find you a job. You're so stubborn. The matter I want to tell you is that Xiao Xue's mother asked me for your phone number."

"Boom!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Jianxing's mind went blank. The gentle and elegant figure of that girl, which had been deeply etched in his mind, appeared before him as if it were the first time they met, just as gentle and extraordinary, just as captivating.

After so long, Xu Jianxing thought he had almost forgotten about that girl. But at this moment, he still felt a heart-wrenching pain, making it hard for him to breathe and his mind a mess.

Who says that feelings fade over time? He didn't feel that at all; instead, his longing had become even stronger. His mind was filled with the name "Chen Haoxue."

After a long while, Xu Jianxing recovered and said in a hoarse and heavy voice, "Her mother, what does she want from me?"

"Ah, you don't know either?" Tang Xiaoqing asked in surprise.

"No, I don't." Xu Jianxing's eyes flashed with confusion, but he quickly regained his composure, took a deep breath, and said, "Give me her mother's phone number."

By now, Xu Jianxing had made up his mind. Although he couldn't forget the past, he couldn't hurt Lu Qian either. So, no matter what Su Ya wanted, he decided to face it with the mindset of a friend of her daughter.

Tang Xiaoqing didn't waste words and directly gave Su Ya's phone number to Xu Jianxing. After giving it, she said, "Jianxing, I won't say more. You're an adult. Whatever happens, control your emotions. I wish you the best, hoping this will have a good outcome."

Although she said this, Tang Xiaoqing knew it wouldn't be a good outcome. In her eyes, Chen Haoxue's parents were like the old stubborn people in her family, who wouldn't care about the feelings of the younger generation and would force their will upon them. If you didn't follow, they might not disown you, but they would confine you for life.

In their eyes, there was no law, only will and power. Anyone in the family could be sacrificed for the family's future, which was a major factor in the longevity of a large family for hundreds of years.

Xu Jianxing smiled faintly and said, "I understand, Master Xiao. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up."

"Right, there's one more thing I haven't told you. Xiao Xue's family is also in Yunhai, and they've been here for about three months." Tang Xiaoqing quickly added.

"Ah." Xu Jianxing was stunned again, then hung up the phone with a bitter smile. Without much thought, he dialed Su Ya's number. Soon, the voice that he couldn't forget echoed in his phone, "Who is this? This is Su Ya."

Aunt, this word, Xu Jianxing couldn't bring himself to say. Although his heart could sometimes be very broad, it could also be very narrow. Initially, he had respect and a good impression of Su Ya, but after their first meeting, all that goodwill had collapsed.

He would never forget the humiliation he felt during that first and only meeting with Su Ya, and her condescending attitude, whether real or feigned, left a deep impression on him. Especially when she gave him 100,000 yuan, he felt like he was being pitied, as if dating Chen Haoxue was for the money.

Xu Jianxing could sell his physical and mental labor for money, but he would never sell his soul or feelings. Raised by his father, he had a pride that others didn't have. Even if the sky fell, he would hold it up and never live a life of humiliation.

From another perspective, Xu Jianxing understood that Su Ya was doing it for her daughter and Chen Haoxue's future, but her methods were unacceptable to him. If it weren't for Chen Haoxue, he would have left on the spot. Although the outcome didn't change, he could at least say he had acted with integrity.

"Phew!" Xu Jianxing took a deep breath and said calmly, "Hello, Ms. Su. This is Xu Jianxing. What can I do for you?"

"Ah!" Hearing the sudden voice, Su Ya let out a gasp and frowned. Although she knew she hadn't left a good impression on Xu Jianxing, hearing such a cold tone still made her uncomfortable.

It was like a county magistrate visiting a farmer's home and being met with a cold face. The magistrate would feel extremely uncomfortable, knowing that in the county, everyone usually revolved around him. The contrast was significant. But he never thought about what he had done for the county or the people.

Meanwhile, the others in the living room noticed Su Ya's unusual behavior and looked at her questioningly.

Su Ya immediately regained her composure and covered the phone, saying, "Xu Jianxing."

"Oh." The others nodded in understanding. Chen Qingguo arranged, "Put it on the table and use the speaker."

"Okay." Su Ya, though a bit reluctant, agreed. She was worried that Xu Jianxing might say something inappropriate, but since her father-in-law had said so, she couldn't refuse. She also felt that she hadn't done anything wrong from a mother's perspective.

This was a matter of perspective.

Su Ya then placed the phone on the table and pressed the speaker button. "Yes, I'm calling you about Xiao Xue."

"Xiao Xue!" Xu Jianxing was stunned and quickly asked, "What's wrong with Xiao Xue?"

Hearing this, Su Ya couldn't help but feel relieved. It seemed that Xu Jianxing hadn't forgotten her daughter, which gave her some comfort. She continued, "Xiao Xue had a falling out with her father over you. Although she didn't run away from home, she locked herself in her room for almost a year. Even now, when I ask her to go shopping with me, she refuses."

Thinking about this, Su Ya felt a deep sadness, feeling that her daughter had more influence from an outsider than from her own mother.

"What?" Xu Jianxing was stunned again. He knew Chen Haoxue loved him deeply, but he never imagined it to this extent, as if she had locked herself in her memories.

Hearing about Chen Haoxue's devotion, Xu Jianxing felt a wave of shame, realizing he had wronged her and failed to live up to her love.

However, Xu Jianxing wasn't indecisive. He quickly calmed down but still harbored resentment towards Su Ya. He said, "Ms. Su, since you're calling me, you must need my help. What is it?"

"Ms. Su?!" Hearing this, Chen Qingguo and Han Guixiang nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that not only their son but also their daughter-in-law had been involved in Xu Jianxing's matter. Otherwise, Xu Jianxing wouldn't use such a formal and distant title. At least he should call her "Aunt." But at this moment, they didn't care about this; they just wanted to solve their granddaughter's problem.

At the same time, Su Ya used a formal tone, "Mr. Xu, I know you have a girlfriend now. Please don't misunderstand that we were tracking you. Our family has moved to Yunhai. Xiao Xue's grandparents and my younger daughter live in the Yunhai villa area. Although Xiao Xue's sister had never met you, she recognized you from photos. This morning, she saw you in the neighborhood and confirmed it was you. She also learned that you have a girlfriend. You won't deny this, will you?"