SWG Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Ye Min came in and took out a notebook from her bag, handing it to Ruan Shengyi.

Xie Yu crowded over, eager to join in the fun, “What, what? What’s this goodie?”

Ye Min grabbed her shoulder and tossed her aside, saying, “It’s my travel notes from before.”

“Oh, boss, are you really planning to go out and play with Xiao Wenyu?”

The person studying the itinerary on their phone gave a light hum, not even bothering to lift their head.

Ye Min was reliable, and the notes she provided were quite comprehensive. Now, she just needed to check if some of the shops listed were still open, as the business climate had been so tough lately that half a year could mean the end for many places.

Unexpectedly, Xie Yu tossed over another question, “Is Xiao Wenyu even going with you?”

She should be…right?

Ruan Shengyi was momentarily lost.

Although that night had been slightly unpleasant, they had returned to a stable and normal relationship these past two days. The unpleasantness of that night seemed to have faded, and even when she mentioned going out to play, Xiao Wenyu nodded in agreement.

Because of this, Ruan Shengyi felt especially guilty and wanted to do her best to prepare for their trip.

They were definitely driving themselves, and they needed to book two hotel rooms that were close to the desert. They also needed to bring camping equipment, outdoor heating supplies, and a whole series of preparations for the little one.

What seemed like a not-too-troublesome trip for two was actually quite complicated when you factored in the child. Every aspect of their food, clothing, accommodation, and transportation had to be carefully planned. The places they wanted to visit had to have relatively gentle paths and mild food options, and then there were the shoes.

She had searched online for what kind of shoes Xiao Wenyu should be wearing at this stage of her pregnancy, and it wasn’t quite the absolutely flat shoes she had imagined. The internet recommended soft, comfortable, slightly heeled shoes, but…

Those shoes were so ugly.

How could it be that so many years had passed, and there still wasn’t a single pair of beautiful heeled shoes suitable for pregnant women?

She had vaguely inquired with customers who had children, and they had pointed her to some relatively pretty stores, but it was difficult to achieve a perfect balance between beauty and comfort.

But she still found them extremely ugly. In the end, she suppressed herself, and then suppressed herself again, secretly asking Lu Ke for Xiao Wenyu’s shoe size and buying two pairs. They should arrive just as Xiao Wenyu finished processing the school’s photos, which would also be the time for their trip.

There was, indeed, some selfishness in doing all this.

If she handled everything perfectly, both the immediate matters and the future ones, wouldn’t that also be a form of love?

If she gave Xiao Wenyu everything she could give, wouldn’t that also be okay?

She tsked and continued to plan the upcoming period on her phone.

Soon, the time for Ruan Shengyi’s meeting with Lu Ke arrived. The girl ran over as soon as she got off work, and before she could even catch her breath, she said, “What did you want to ask me? You sent such urgent messages.”

Ruan Shengyi put away her phone, not noticing that she had accidentally muted it. She said, “Sit down and rest for a bit. What do you want to drink? We can go upstairs together after I make it.”

Lu Ke was slightly stunned, then smiled, “Anything is fine? Is it free?”

“I need your help, so it’s free.”

“The most expensive, most expensive one, of course! And I want a large size. I’ll wait for you, hehe.”

“…”

Soon, the two of them went up to the second-floor private room together. Lu Ke took a big gulp and sighed, “Ah, that’s so refreshing! It’s so great that my bestie’s pursuer owns a bar!”

“I’ll give you half off from now on,” Ruan Shengyi said, handing her a pack of tissues, and then taking out her notebook to take notes, “But I have some questions to ask you.”

Lu Ke propped up one leg, rested her hand on her chin, and gently tapped her finger on the side of her face, warmly saying, “Ask away, little pursuer.”

“You and Xiao Wenyu…”

“We’re neighbors, classmates, besties, and many, many more. My family are all doctors, and when I was little, I often didn’t have time to eat, so I would go to her house to eat. We got to know each other over time, and my family used some connections to keep us in the same class. How’s that for a reliable relationship?”

As Lu Ke spoke, she glanced at the person seriously gripping the pen, and chuckled, “No, Ruan Shengyi, you’re so cute. What era is this? Are you still writing handwritten notes to pursue someone?”

Ruan Shengyi coughed lightly and stiffly changed the topic, “Did you go to college together?”

“Of course not. Little boss, that’s Yecheng Normal University! Even if I put three heads together, I wouldn’t be able to see the heels of Xiao Wenyu, let alone get into Yecheng Normal University.” Lu Ke said, sighing, “But I could have gone to college in Yecheng at the time. I thought it was too far and didn’t go. If I had gone, I could have been her model, and I definitely wouldn’t have given Lin Simu any chance!”

“Hey, Ruan Shengyi, which university did you go to? Is it near Yecheng Normal University?”

Ruan Shengyi pursed her lips and said in a muffled voice, “I didn’t go to college.”

Lu Ke was slightly startled and quickly said, “Oh dear, I didn’t know, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But speaking of which, if you were in Yecheng, that would be great. You’re much better-looking than Lin Simu, and you would definitely have caught the eye of that face-obsessed Xiao Wenyu at first sight.”

“…” Ruan Shengyi felt even more bitter. Tears welled up at the root of her nose, and even the hand holding the notebook turned pale. She said in a muffled voice, “Yes, what a pity. I didn’t like studying before, so there’s nothing I can do.”

However, since the topic had naturally led to Lin Simu, it wouldn’t seem so strange for Ruan Shengyi to ask more questions. But before she officially asked, she first said, “Last time you weren’t willing to say anything, why are you being so generous this time?”

“Silly~” Lu Ke rolled her eyes at her, “What I can say depends on how much my friend lets me say.”

“…” Why did these people all like to call themselves older sisters in front of her? Three years was all, it didn’t feel like that big of an age gap, did it?

Ruan Shengyi belatedly realized a bit of shyness—didn’t this mean that her actions, in the eyes of Xiao Wenyu’s friends, were all obvious moves?

She coughed lightly, “Then I’ll ask.”

“Okay, ask away. I’m very optimistic about you, and I’ll even tell you some things that Wenyu doesn’t want me to say.”

“…” Why were they so particularly optimistic about her?

If Ruan Shengyi had asked, she would have received the answer, “Because you’re very dedicated, far exceeding Lin’s dedication and effort.” But she didn’t ask.

It was good, she avoided being jealous once, but she also missed a chance to be proud.

“The pua you mentioned last time, when did it start? After marriage, or…”

Her attitude became serious, and Lu Ke also stopped joking, sitting up straight and solemnly saying, “Before marriage. At that time, Wenyu would often say—”

“This time, the photos I took didn’t capture the key points.”

“This was the handle that Lin Simu used to control her. Later, for a period of time, Wenyu’s self-doubt was particularly severe when she took pictures, and she would even tremble severely. Wenyu has loved photography since she was a child. When she was a teenager, her family bought her a lot of professional equipment to support her development, but for a period of time, she couldn’t even pick up the camera.”

Ruan Shengyi gritted her teeth, “And then? How did she pick it up again?”

“Her mother secretly signed her up for a photography competition, sent in her work, and won second prize. This helped her slowly get the camera back in her hands.”

Ruan Shengyi was slightly stunned.

How come, she had the same thought…

Lu Ke seemed to remember something, and smiled lightly, “Oh, Xiao’s mom is really a very interesting auntie. Let me tell you, when she stands with Wenyu, you will never doubt that they’re mother and daughter. They look exactly alike. But!”

Lu Ke even covered her mouth, suppressing a laugh, “Wenyu didn’t inherit any of Xiao’s auntie’s temper. Her and Xiao’s auntie’s personalities are completely different. Her personality is ten out of ten inherited from Zhao Wen’s auntie, including the hobby of photography. Zhao Wen’s auntie is a serious photography enthusiast, and as a result, her daughter directly took the professional path.”

Ruan Shengyi listened to her tell some stories from the past from time to time, and an involuntary warmth filled her heart. She imagined a Xiao Wenyu who was a little smaller than now, but who already stubbornly insisted to her family that she wanted to study photography, that she wanted to take the art exam, and who, if she had fallen in love, might have had the courage to tell her family, raising that still young, vigorous, and sharp head to ask her family for their approval.

How wonderful, how vibrant Xiao Wenyu was.

If Ruan Qing’s body had been slightly better, even just a little bit, would she have been holding an admission notice from Yecheng Normal University, going to meet a very sharp Xiao Wenyu?

Unfortunately, there were no ifs.

But now, she also had things she could do, such as making Lin Simu pay the most basic price for her actions.

But before that, she wanted to see a Xiao Wenyu who was particularly brave in picking up her camera again, letting her know that it wasn’t that difficult to overcome some difficulties.

She struggled for a moment, but still decided to ask, “Then can you contact Xiao Wenyu’s mother now?”

She regretted not asking for a contact information when she saw Zhao Wen last time, but she didn’t expect that the gentle and elegant lady in front of her was Xiao Wenyu’s mother!

Lu Ke raised her eyebrows, “What do you want this for? To meet the parents in advance, to prepare?”

“No.” Ruan Shengyi took a deep breath, “You can’t tell Xiao Wenyu. I saw the invitation letter for the Beishi photography competition, but she doesn’t want to go, and she denied herself several times in a row. I secretly signed her up for it, but I need her ID information… You don’t have to tell me, I’ll send you the form, just fill it out.”

“No wonder you asked me all this today.” Lu Ke said with a smile, and then took out her phone and placed it on the table. As the phone landed on the table with a soft thud, she stopped smiling and said in a low voice, “Ruan Shengyi, if you’ve really thought about getting close to her, don’t give up easily.”

“I don’t want to become the sinner who causes pain in Wenyu’s later life.”

Ruan Shengyi squeezed her knuckles and said in a low voice, “I will.”

I will work hard, trying to overcome that psychological barrier.

Even if she couldn’t overcome it, it would just mean no intimate contact. She would wholeheartedly treat Xiao Wenyu well, emptying herself out.

In it, there was love, and also a little bit, a little bit deeply engraved in her bones, of regret for what was too late.

“Then I’ll just call and ask. Xiao’s auntie retired last year, and she’s probably strolling with Zhao’s auntie right now.”

Sure enough, the phone rang twice before it was answered. The Big Cat lady impatiently said, “I said I’m not returning to work. You’ve squeezed me for more than thirty years. Can’t I enjoy my old age?”

Ruan Shengyi only had two thoughts in her heart:

First, this personality was indeed completely different from Xiao Wenyu’s. You could hear her impatience and explosiveness even through the phone.

Second, this was 100% Xiao Wenyu’s biological mother. The habit of answering the phone without looking at the caller ID and immediately lashing out was exactly the same.

Lu Ke was obviously used to it. She giggled and said sweetly, “Xiao’s auntie, it’s me, Little Lu.”

“Little Lu ah…” Xiao Yanyue’s voice slowed down, and there seemed to be the sound of her sitting up, and then she said warmly, “What’s wrong? Does that fellow have something to say but is too ashamed to call me?”

The reference to “that fellow” was self-evident.

Ruan Shengyi rubbed her nose and suddenly began to doubt whether she could walk out of this private room alive.

Lu Ke glanced at her, suppressing a smile, “No, but Xiao’s auntie, you can’t tell Wenyu about what I’m going to say.”

“Go ahead!” Xiao Yanyue agreed readily.

“I and another friend of Wenyu’s are planning to help her sign up for a photography competition. You know, her condition these days… Even though the invitation letter was sent to her, she didn’t go.”

Xiao Yanyue was also silent. Although she had a fiery temper, she was no less caring and tender than others. She had also been pregnant, and she naturally knew the causes and effects. She knew all about Xiao Wenyu’s current pain, but that fellow didn’t inherit anything from her, except for her stubbornness. She wouldn’t bow her head no matter what.

Now there was someone by her side who was still thinking about this matter…

Wait, a warning bell suddenly went off in Xiao Yanyue’s heart.

“What friend? Besides you, does Xiao Wenyu have such a close friend? What’s her name?”

…