Wang Yu had no idea how he’d offended his aunt; the moment they got home, he heard her complaining to his mother.
“Xiao Yu just messes around at school all day. When I went to pick him up, he wasn’t even at his seat.”
“But… I didn’t know you were coming to get me today.”
Normally Wang Yu went home by himself; his parents wanted to train his independence.
“Is your aunt wrong, then?”
Fang Qinghua shut Wang Yu down with one sentence.
She first glared at her son, then turned to her sister-in-law with a pleasant face.
“This kid got another bottom-tier score on the monthly exam. I really can’t control him… sigh~”
What followed was the usual litany of parenting woes; Wang Yu’s ears were calloused from hearing it. He didn’t think he was hard to raise.
A bowl of instant noodles with an egg was enough to satisfy him, but he didn’t dare let Mom hear that; he only thought it to himself.
Wang Ziyue listened for a while, then steered the conversation.
She proactively asked Wang Yu.
“Didn’t you sit behind that top student Jiang? How come you never studied properly with him?”
At the mention, Wang Yu’s face crumpled. He tossed the throw pillow aside and sighed dramatically.
“Jiang-ge abandoned our revolutionary friendship and left on his own.”
“He… passed away?!”
Wang Ziyue jumped in fright; Fang Qinghua was clearly shocked by her son’s words too.
Wang Yu pffted and burst out laughing; he found his mom and aunt’s expressions hilarious.
“What are you guys thinking… Jiang-ge just transferred schools. Said it was for health reasons, went back home to recuperate.”
“You brat! Who told you to phrase it so weirdly?”
Fang Qinghua smacked the back of his head in annoyance, then grabbed the pillow and whacked him with it.
“Stop, stop! Keep hitting and I’ll really turn into a mallet.”
“You’re less useful than a mallet!”
Wang Ziyue watched Wang Yu bolt upstairs, the corners of her mouth lifting unconsciously.
She recalled the name on the textbook cover she had seen.
It was now confirmed: Wang Yu’s former front-desk had been replaced by Jiang Cheng.
How could it be so sudden?
Jiang Cheng transferred in, and right after, Jiang Cheng disappeared.
Before, she had focused more on the relationship between the two, but now another unlikely idea was quietly nagging at her.
This wasn’t simple.
Wang Ziyue somewhat regretted returning the wristband to Jiang Cheng.
This object that kept appearing in her sight might hold other secrets.
From both Jiang Cheng’s and Jiang Cheng’s attitudes, it was clearly very important to them.
00:00:00
That was the time displayed on the wristband. Wang Ziyue recalled its appearance; she remembered a button on the back.
But she hadn’t pressed it then and didn’t know what it did; touching the screen had no other reaction.
The clue ended there.
The sound of the door opening came from the entrance.
Wang Ziyang walked in holding a suit jacket; seeing his wife and sister both in the living room, he asked,
“Where’s Xiao Yu?”
“Your son got scared off by me; he’s sulking upstairs.”
“What do you mean my son…”
Wang Ziyang shook his head with a laugh. “Isn’t he your son too?”
“I don’t want to call him son anymore; he only knows how to annoy me. A daughter would be so much cuter and obedient.”
Wang Ziyue raised a brow.
“They say sons take after their moms; there’s some truth to it~”
Wang Ziyang sat down, casually popping a grape from the table into his mouth.
“Get lost! Are you saying this mom has a bad temper?”
“Sis-in-law, don’t listen to my brother’s nonsense.” Wang Ziyue chimed in.
“Fine, fine, it’s this dad’s fault for not raising him right.”
Two against one; Wang Ziyang promptly raised his hands in surrender.
“Hey, didn’t he mention a… goddess he liked? Said she was his bro’s cousin…”
“I think he’s just all talk. If he actually brought home a daughter-in-law, I’d burn incense in gratitude.”
Whenever Wang Yu had a holiday, he went out with friends to play ball or hike; he couldn’t sit still for half a day.
Fang Qinghua verbally forbade puppy love, but she also worried her son had zero interest in romance.
Thinking of this, Fang Qinghua turned to Wang Ziyue.
“If Xiao Yu dated at his age, I wouldn’t be too optimistic. What about you? All these years and you never bring anyone home.”
Wang Ziyang and Wang Ziyue had a big age gap; sometimes Fang Qinghua regarded this sister-in-law more like an elder.
An independent woman naturally prioritized career, but as family, she hoped Wang Ziyue had someone to care for her.
Probably every parent worried about this.
Wang Ziyue turned her face away, using silence to show her resistance.
“Don’t pressure Ziyue either; Mom and Dad nagging is enough.”
Wang Ziyang had married young; he and Fang Qinghua had been introduced by their parents.
He didn’t mind, and married life with her was relaxed and happy.
But he still hoped his sister could follow her heart.
He usually played messenger for their parents while also speaking up for his sister in front of them.
In the end, he just wanted her to live steadily and well.
Holding a grudge with parents over marriage wasn’t great…
Wang Ziyue sighed; privately, she understood her big brother’s thoughts, but she felt she didn’t have the energy right now to manage a marriage.
Moreover, the idea of blind-dating and marrying someone she had no feelings for… Wang Ziyue frowned outright.
Seeing his sister frown, Wang Ziyang dropped the topic and turned to tonight’s menu.
“Mom and Dad went out again?”
Wang Ziyue glanced at the wall clock in the living room; the hands showed a time an hour later than usual dinner.
“Said they were going fishing today. Dad doesn’t go to the company much anymore; his hobbies change daily.”
Wang Ziyue recalled her brother mentioning their father had taken up traditional Chinese painting and even hired a teacher to come home.
So energetic, yet won’t help share the workload… Wang Ziyue pouted, instinctively feeling she had been dragged aboard a pirate ship when she became president.
She did all the work, saw none of the benefits—at least transfer more money to her card or slip her some shares now and then.
“Hello? Yes… Good, ah! What?!”
Wang Ziyang answered a call and leapt from the sofa.
“What’s with the shouting?”
Fang Qinghua patted her chest, looking at her husband.
“Dad collapsed… he’s in the hospital now.”
“I’ll drive; Bro, go get Xiao Yu.”
Wang Ziyue grabbed the car keys and headed out without thinking; her mind buzzed at the first half of the sentence.
The four rushed in Wang Ziyue’s car to the private hospital under the group.
Upon entering the lobby, they saw Chairman Wang Zhen’s secretary waiting.
“Uncle Liu.”
Wang Ziyue stepped forward; this was the old secretary who had followed their father for many years, now nominally in the group but mainly handling the chairman’s personal affairs.
“You’re here…”
Uncle Liu’s expression was calm; he still smiled, but Wang Ziyue noticed the veins bulging on the hand gripping his briefcase.
“The chairman just finished a physical exam; still waiting for results.”
Uncle Liu led them up in the elevator.
Wang Ziyue entered the ward and first smelled disinfectant.
Then she saw her father lying quietly in bed; her mother beside him was wiping the corners of her eyes with a tissue.