"Patience? What patience do you have? A poor kid from a village, have you really started to think of yourself as somebody important?"
Wang Qin scornfully pointed at Feng Lin, "You must rely on your own abilities to secure a three-hundred-million order, or just get out!"
"Mom! I really misjudged you, going back on your word like this. Do you have no shame?"
Xu Ruoying, with tears streaming down her face, roared.
"Look at the daughter you've raised, how she talks to me!"
Wang Qin grabbed Xu Chuan's arm and shook it forcefully.
Xu Chuan sighed deeply. In fact, they really hadn't expected that Feng Lin could obtain a three-hundred-million order.
The two talked for a long time yesterday, this task was impossible for Feng Lin to complete.
They wanted him to know it was too difficult and back off.
In their view, Feng Lin would take the opportunity to run away.
"Feng Lin! Let's go! I won't stay in a family with no kinship like this!"
Xu Ruoying couldn't believe that her own existence was seen only as a profit in their eyes.
She had told them about Song Keming's character, yet for a three-hundred-million order, they still sent her into the tiger's den.
Feng Lin was pulled away by Xu Ruoying, but before leaving, he did not forget to glance back at Xu Chuan and Wang Qin.
He was indeed very disappointed with this family.
…
The two of them boarded the bus, preparing to go back.
Feng Lin, looking at Xu Ruoying who was still crying, smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "You're so beautiful, even wearing a black tracksuit makes you look good."
"Like you need to say it."
Xu Ruoying pouted slightly and wiped away her tears with her sleeve.
"No shame."
As Feng Lin was speaking, he felt his phone vibrate. He took it out and saw a call from Lan Rou.
"Hello," Feng Lin answered the phone.
"Feng Lin, my grandfather heard you've come to Jiang City and wants to meet with you. When do you have time?"
Lan Rou asked from the other end.
"I have time these few days."
"Then alright, send me your address, and I'll come pick you up this afternoon," Lan Rou said with a laugh.
"Okay, goodbye Miss Lan Rou." Feng Lin hung up the phone.
Lan Rou?
Xu Ruoying's eyes suddenly turned cold.
Noticing that Feng Lin had hung up, she then asked, "Do you know Lan Rou?"
"She's also my fiancée. She's not a bad woman, I plan to get in touch with her."
Feng Lin did not lie; after all, his relationship with Xu Ruoying was merely based on a transaction.
His task would end once she was completely free from Song Keming.
"Are you still dreaming?"
Xu Ruoying scoffed. She snatched Feng Lin's phone away, opened the recent call log, and checked the number.
A familiar number appeared in front of her eyes.
The one who just called Feng Lin was indeed Lan Rou!
Could it be that Feng Lin wasn't lying?
"You, you and Lan Rou... Feng Lin, what do you mean?" Xu Ruoying suddenly lowered her head in distress, and the tears that had stopped began to fall again.
This attracted the attention of the few passengers on the bus, all of them turning to look.
Especially the men, who wished they could beat Feng Lin up.
For making such a beautiful girlfriend cry.
"What did I do?"
Feng Lin was completely bewildered.
"Both Lan Rou and I are betrothed to you, but you drop me to engage with her. Are you proving that I'm not as good as her?"
Xu Ruoying, wiping her tears with her sleeve, tried to speak calmly, "I don't blame you, it's normal. How can our Xu Family compare to the Lan family?"
"It has nothing to do with your family. I told you from the beginning that I like gentle older sisters."
Feng Lin explained placidly.
"Gentle older sister? Pfft!"
Xu Ruoying burst out laughing.
"Are you freaking crazy? Crying and laughing like this." Feng Lin rolled his eyes.
"Your jokes are just too funny. She and I have been classmates from primary school to high school, smoking, perming our hair, drinking — what hasn't she done? And now she plays the 'gentle big sister'? Psh!"
Xu Ruoying curled her lip; she and Lan Rou even often got into fights.
Feng Lin frowned deeply, his face showing some displeasure, "Xu Ruoying, that's where you're wrong. Even if I didn't choose you, there's no need to tarnish someone's reputation."
"I'm tarnishing her reputation? If you don't believe me, ask Yingying. We were all in the same class. In primary school, Yingying often brought nice snacks, and Lan Rou would snatch them away. That's why I fought with her several times."
Xu Ruoying grew angry as she spoke about this incident.
In primary school, it was nothing serious, just one-on-one fights.
In middle school, that wretched girl learned to call on others for help.
Once, Xu Ruoying got the top score on a test, with Lan Rou coming in second.
Lan Rou then got a group of girls to 'teach her a lesson' while she went to the bathroom.
However, Xu Ruoying's temper was naturally explosive, and she wasn't afraid of them at all.
It was only in high school, when everyone was nearly an adult, that they stopped having conflicts.
Feng Lin glanced at Xu Ruoying and just smiled, clearly not believing a word.
"Feng Lin! If you have the guts, let her confront me!" Xu Ruoying said coldly.
"No! It's not good for you to meet her; I don't want her to get the wrong idea," Feng Lin said with a smile, shaking his head.
"You!"
Xu Ruoying was so angry she gritted her teeth, then she sneered, "It's impossible between you two because we're married."
"Ours is a sham," Feng Lin reminded her.
"Who says? We've already got the certificate; I won't divorce you, and you two will never be able to be together."
Xu Ruoying raised her pretty face proudly.
"Perfect, since I've needed a wife lately. Having a legal one is a good choice."
Feng Lin eyeing Xu Ruoying, to be honest, purely based on appearance, Xu Ruoying was the one who best met Feng Lin's standards.
"Scum!"
Xu Ruoying's face suddenly flushed red, and she turned to look out the window.
...
The two returned to Feng Lin's residence; Tang Hong was not at home.
That morning, she said she was going out to look for a job to help with the household expenses.
Feng Lin opened the door to his room, and Xu Ruoying walked in ahead of him, collapsing on the couch.
Feng Lin, meanwhile, texted Lan Rou the address and waited for her to come and get him.
At noon, Feng Lin was ready to go to the bun shop where Tang Qianqian used to work to buy some buns.
The taste was good there, and the buns were generously filled with meat.
As for Xu Ruoying, she sat on the couch, scrolling through her phone, thinking about what to do next.
Suddenly, two car horns sounded from outside.
Xu Ruoying didn't pay it any mind, but shortly afterward, Lan Rou, dressed in a black skirt and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, walked in.
"Excuse me, does Feng Lin live here?"
"Feng Lin went out to buy lunch..." Xu Ruoying had just begun to reply when her expression suddenly changed.
The voice was too familiar.
She fixed her gaze, and there stood a familiar woman at the door.
"Lan Rou! It is you!"
Xu Ruoying pointed at her fiercely.
"Why are you here?" Lan Rou frowned deeply.
"I'm here to expose you! You've deceived Feng Lin's feelings, and I will stop you!" Xu Ruoying said coldly.
Lan Rou calmly took off her gold-rimmed glasses, her demeanor changing completely, her eyes sharp, "Niu Niu, you're meddling too much."
Xu Ruoying's figure had always been the object of Lan Rou's mockery, from 'soccer ball' to 'milk cow,' and eventually 'Niu Niu.'
The process had gone from initial sarcasm to eventual envy.
"I haven't cared about that nickname for a long time," Xu Ruoying said with a cold laugh, "I'd advise you to get lost. Feng Lin already has someone, and it's me."
"Interesting."
Lan Rou grew increasingly curious about who exactly Feng Lin was.
Even a high and cold woman like Xu Ruoying would say such things.
"Is that Miss Lan?" Feng Lin's voice suddenly came from outside as he saw Lan Rou's Chery Tiggo.
Lan Rou immediately rubbed her eyes and put her glasses back on, speaking grievously, "Why are you cursing at me?"
Feng Lin looked taken aback and hurried over. Seeing Lan Rou with tears in her eyes, he scolded harshly, "Xu Ruoying, have you lost your damn mind?"