Chapter 45: Song Jianye’s Aunt

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Song Jianye’s Aunt

After a few rounds of drinks and several dishes, the meal was well underway.

Since Chen Yuan was his student, Wang Shoucheng made sure to keep things appropriate and didn’t drink too much with him.

The next task was clearing the table.

"Teacher Wang, let me help you," Song Jianye said, getting up.

She had no idea how to do this kind of chore, but she knew she should offer to help.

"No, no, it’s alright. You two just keep an eye on my daughter for me."

"Okay."

In the living room, Chen Yuan and Wang Yutong hit it off immediately. He had the little girl squealing with laughter.

TINKLE TINKLE... DING DING DONG...

Song Jianye picked up a nearby toy piano. She pressed a few keys, producing a pleasant melody.

Chen Yuan watched her, surprised. "You know how to play this?"

"Back in ninth grade, I won second place in the city-wide competition."

"Not bad at all."

’It’s not that surprising, actually,’ Chen Yuan thought.

’Piano lessons are pretty standard for rich kids.’

"You’re amazing, big sister! I don’t know how to play."

"You’re still little. You’ll learn when you’re older."

Song Jianye pressed a few more keys, playing a familiar melody.

"Can you tell what it is?"

"Piece of cake."

Song Jianye’s delicate hands rested on the keys and began to play.

Holding Wang Yutong, Chen Yuan began to hum along. "Sing with me," he whispered. "Twinkle, twinkle, little star..."

Wang Yutong sang along with Chen Yuan, though completely off-key. Her singing style was to fall two beats behind, then rush three to catch up.

Wang Shoucheng returned from the kitchen, carrying a tray of freshly brewed tea.

"Well, well, you’ve been holding out on me. You’re actually a pretty good singer."

"I was just singing a little to entertain the kid."

"You really do have a good voice. My wife studied music, you know. That’s what she just told me in the kitchen."

"I guess my artistic talent is getting harder and harder to hide," he joked.

"The ’Campus Top Ten Singers’ competition is coming up. Have you signed up?"

"Nah, I’d rather not go up and embarrass myself."

’Chen Yuan had a bad feeling about this.’

"I think you have a great voice, too," Song Jianye said softly.

"I can’t believe you’d betray me like that."

"But it’s true!"

"Don’t tease her. Go sign up when you get back. Try to win some glory for our department."

’I knew I shouldn’t have come.’

For the next half hour or so, Wang Shoucheng chatted with them, offering a great deal of advice.

He touched on topics like the national English exams, joining the Party, applying for graduate school, and joining research labs, urging them to start preparing now.

’Maybe calling Teacher Wang a ’grind-master’ wasn’t quite right,’ Chen Yuan thought.

’Reading between the lines, it was clear he genuinely wanted the best for his students. He wanted them to get higher degrees and find better jobs, to avoid the mistakes he’d made when he was young.’

’He just went about it the wrong way at times.’

After chatting over tea with Wang Shoucheng, the two left around six in the evening.

The sky slowly darkened. Twilight trickled down the creases of the buildings, as if someone had spilled a jar of orange ink across the horizon.

Chen Yuan pinched Song Jianye’s cheek.

"What was that for?" Song Jianye asked, staring at Chen Yuan in a daze.

"Why did you say I can sing?"

"Because you can! Your pitch is perfect, much better than mine... SLURP..." A little drool escaped from the corner of her mouth.

’The good news: my singing is apparently professional-level.’

’The bad news: I only know how to sing nursery rhymes.’

"You’re setting me up for a fall. I was just messing around, I know it wasn’t perfect."

"It doesn’t matter this time. You just have to do well next time."

’Her words struck Chen Yuan as a bit odd, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on why.’

"Let go, I’m going to drool."

Chen Yuan released her. "Bus or taxi?"

"Let’s take the bus. Tomorrow’s Monday, so I want to start my budget plan. Get a feel for it ahead of time."

"Sounds good."

The two ambled toward the bus stop.

The setting sun stretched their shadows. A breeze lifted Song Jianye’s long hair. Beside them, at a coffee shop, the shadow of her hair danced across a standing light-up sign that read: "Couples’ Special—Rose Coconut Latte."

...

After dropping the two off at Wang Shoucheng’s house, Uncle Zhang drove to the airport.

After a wait of about ten minutes, a woman emerged from the terminal. She wore black capri pants and high heels, carrying an LV handbag and pulling a suitcase.

"Second Mistress."

The woman’s name was Zhao Lin. She was Song Jianye’s aunt.

Uncle Zhang took her suitcase and placed it in the trunk. He then held open the rear passenger door for Zhao Lin before getting in and driving toward the city.

"How has Nian Nian been doing? Is she having any trouble adjusting to university life?"

"When the semester first started, she had some trouble getting along with her classmates. It took her a while to adjust, but she’s been doing better lately. She hasn’t mentioned wanting to drop out again," Uncle Zhang said with a smile.

"That’s good."

Zhao Lin’s expression visibly relaxed.

"And you... I told you to be the general manager here. You should have someone else do the driving."

"With my level of education? I wouldn’t have the first clue how to manage a hotel," Uncle Zhang said with a chuckle.

"I’ve been driving the Young Miss around since she was two years old. In the blink of an eye, she’s eighteen. I’d just worry if anyone else was picking her up."

"I see how it is. You’ve spoiled her rotten all these years. You’ve been slipping her extra cash while she’s at school here, haven’t you?"

Uncle Zhang laughed awkwardly.

"The Young Miss... she still hasn’t quite adapted to living on her own. But she did say that starting next week, she’s going to start budgeting her money."

"It’s good that she’s realizing that. I know a ten-thousand-yuan allowance is a bit of a hardship for her, but she absolutely cannot get into the habit of being wasteful."

"From what I heard the Young Miss say, she only plans on spending five hundred next week."

"What? Five hundred a week?"

Her tone rose. "Live on air? She’s a grown adult, how can she still be so impulsive?"

"The Young Miss met someone at school recently. They seem to have a pretty good relationship. She said this person’s monthly allowance is two thousand, and she wants to try living like that, too."

"A guy?"

"Yes, a male student."

"Would you look at that..." Zhao Lin’s expression was a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"All through school, she was so quiet. I told her she should meet some boys, make more friends, but she wouldn’t listen for anything. Now she’s in university, I don’t have time to nag her, and she goes and makes a male friend all by herself."

Uncle Zhang, driving the car, smiled.

"Maybe she’s just at that age. Puberty, I guess."

"She is a bit of a late bloomer," Zhao Lin said.

"How has her sleep been lately? Is she still having insomnia?"

Uncle Zhang thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it... I don’t think she’s said anything about it since the National Day holiday."

"It couldn’t be because she met that male classmate, could it?"

"That’s a possibility."

"Take me to the university. I want to go see her."

Uncle Zhang glanced at his watch. "She probably isn’t at the university. That boy’s teacher invited him over for dinner, and he took our Young Miss with him."