Chapter 764: Chapter 662: Part 2

As expected, Gu Shaojun arrived carrying a net bag of fruit that Xiao Man had packed. Qiu Limai took it, repeatedly saying he was being too kind, then turned and handed it to Xia Qingting to put away. Xia Qingting held up the bag and looked inside, pleasantly surprised. "You have local pears and tangerines even in winter? That’s wonderful, I love these! Thank you, Gu Shaojun."

Qiu Limai pretended to swat her daughter, chiding playfully, "Is Gu Shaojun a name for you to be calling him? Have you no manners? You should call him Brother Gu or Mr. Gu. Such disrespect for your elders is just improper!"

"Mom, you can’t always treat me like a child. Xiao Man is engaged, so she’s an adult, and I’m half a year older than her. Since Gu Shaojun is my good friend’s fiancé, we’re equals. I can call him by his name."

"Hey, this child of mine..."

Qiu Limai opened her mouth, then closed it. She glanced at Gu Shaojun and decided not to say anything more. She couldn’t very well snap at her daughter in front of a guest, ’She’s the one who’s engaged, not you. You don’t even know how to be in a relationship, so what makes you an adult?’

She could only smile awkwardly at Gu Shaojun and invite him to have a seat in the living room, explaining that Director Xia was in his study upstairs and would be down in a moment.

Gu Shaojun sat down next to Xiao Man and smiled. "Where did you two go today? Xiao Yu told me you were out all day."

Xiao Man said, "We went shopping. It was fun, and we bought a few things."

Xia Qingting picked up one of the "local pears" and was about to peel it, smacking her lips with an eager look on her face. Xiao Man suggested she eat a tangerine first, explaining that the tangerines were sweet with a hint of sourness, while her family’s pears had a light, refreshing sweetness. Saving them for last would be a more pleasant and enjoyable experience for her palate.

Xia Qingting readily took her advice. She peeled a tangerine, offering sections to Xiao Man and Gu Shaojun before eating one herself. Her eyes crinkled in delight. "Delicious! Not sour at all, just incredibly fragrant and sweet! I’m saving two to take back for my grandparents to try!"

Xiao Man laughed. "My Grandpa grew these. I didn’t bring many, but there are still more back home. If you want more, you should come back to my hometown with me for the New Year. You can eat as many as you want!"

As Qiu Limai brought a cup of tea over for Gu Shaojun, Xia Qingting immediately gave her mother a pleading look. Qiu Limai reached out and poked her daughter’s forehead. "Xiao Man is just joking, and you’re actually taking her seriously? Have you no shame?"

Xia Qingting pouted and popped a tangerine segment into her mother’s mouth. Qiu Limai nodded repeatedly, smiling as she praised how delicious the fruit really was.

Xia Qingting then turned on Gu Shaojun. "You saw me the other day, and I even called you Brother Gu! How could you not tell me Xiao Man was here? Because of you, I only got to taste this amazing fruit today. More importantly, we might have missed each other completely! If you had told me earlier, I would have invited Xiao Man to come stay with me. We still have so much to talk about... You, you... hmph!"

Xiao Man also looked at Gu Shaojun, playfully chiming in, "That’s right, why didn’t you tell me Xia Qingting was here? If Qingting and I had gone out together yesterday, then even if that Wei Group Leader didn’t recognize my face, he would have recognized her. He wouldn’t have singled me out and refused to let it go."

Gu Shaojun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. ’I’ve only met Director Xia’s youngest daughter two or three times; we’re not close at all. How could I possibly have thought to have my fiancée hang out with her? Whether they’d get along is one thing. But what if they get along too well, just like Xia Qingting said: invite Xiao Man to come stay at her place. Wouldn’t that be shooting myself in the foot? My own little fiancée, unable to be in my arms, sleeping over at someone else’s house? Absolutely not! No way!’

"That person from the arts troupe... my mom won’t even let me talk about it. If it were up to me, we’d go straight to her house and confront her..."

Before Xia Qingting could finish, Qiu Limai cut her off. "Your father’s coming down, and we’re about to eat. Why bring up such unpleasant business? This isn’t something for you kids to worry about. Everything has a cause and effect. That person started it, so naturally, she must accept the consequences. Now, everyone go wash your hands. It’s time for dinner!"

After dinner at Director Xia’s house, Gu Shaojun was called into the study by Director Xia for a talk. Xiao Man first chatted with Qiu Limai and her daughter in the living room before being pulled upstairs by Xia Qingting into her bedroom. Qingting opened two large wardrobes, both stuffed to the brim with new clothes her mother had bought for her. There were outfits for spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Xiao Man was amazed; it was a truly staggering amount. Since Qiu Limai didn’t get to see her youngest daughter often, it seemed she poured all her motherly love into buying clothes for her.

Xiao Man and Xia Qingting had slightly different auras, but their figures were quite similar. With nothing entertaining to do and the weather too cold to bother going out, they turned on the tape recorder and put on their own fashion show. They had a blast trying on all sorts of combinations, and when they got into the spirit of it, they started doing their makeup, mimicking the trendy styles they’d seen on TV. By the time Qiu Limai came upstairs to call for them, two hours had already passed. At first, she was startled by their heavily made-up, garish appearances, but after a moment, she couldn’t stop laughing.

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