Xu Xiuwen didn't get upset.
He simply smiled and said, "Anyway, you can come and take a look."
Liao Zhiyong nodded and then asked, "You said your company is a film and television company? Have you guys made any movies?"
Xu Xiuwen shook his head.
Liao Zhiyong was disappointed and became even more convinced that Xu Xiuwen's company was a newly established small company.
In other words, a small company with no future prospects.
After all, he was a student at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics.
Southwestern University of Finance and Economics was a 211 project university.
In 2006, it was considered a very good school.
Naturally, he wasn't willing to settle for joining a small company with no future after graduation.
Xu Xiuwen continued, "Our company isn't making movies for now, only TV dramas."
"Oh, so have you made any TV dramas?"
"We've produced two. The second one is premiering this summer, and the first one aired last winter on Jiangsu Provincial TV."
Hearing this, Liao Zhiyong became interested.
"Oh? What's the name? Maybe I've seen it."
"It's called Meteor Garden, an idol drama."
Liao Zhiyong shook his head. "Haven't seen it."
He turned to ask Leng Rou, "Leng Rou, have you seen this drama?"
Leng Rou also shook her head.
Xu Xiuwen smiled and said, "It's okay if you haven't seen it. I just wanted to tell you that while our company is new, it has great potential. If you're interested, you can come and check things out yourself. There are some things I can't explain right now."
Liao Zhiyong nodded. "Alright, I'll think about it."
"Let's exchange numbers. Call me if you decide to come over."
"Sure."
The two exchanged phone numbers.
Once they were done, the train arrived at the station.
Passengers began to stand up, grabbing their luggage to prepare to disembark.
Leng Rou's suitcase was still on the luggage rack above her head.
She turned to Xu Xiuwen and said, "Xu Xiuwen, can you help me get it down?"
Before Xu Xiuwen could respond, Liao Zhiyong immediately offered, "Leng Rou, I can help you."
Xu Xiuwen realized by now that Liao Zhiyong might be interested in Leng Rou.
Wishing to give him a chance, he said, "I need to help Weiwei with her suitcase. Let Liao Zhiyong help you with yours."
Leng Rou frowned and said, "Never mind, I'll do it myself."
But this time, Liao Zhiyong was more assertive. "It's no problem. Let me help you."
With that, he took down Leng Rou's suitcase.
Leng Rou thanked him, then pulled her suitcase and walked off without looking back.
Liao Zhiyong felt awkward.
Watching Leng Rou's retreating figure, he let out a disappointed sigh.
Xu Xiuwen noticed and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
The three of them then left the station together.
As they exited Chongqing Railway Station, they were greeted by a parking lot filled with cars.
Xu Xiuwen parted ways with Liao Zhiyong here and followed Tang Weiwei to catch another ride.
After changing several modes of transport, and enduring a five-hour journey, they finally arrived near Tang Weiwei's home at 8 PM.
Her home was in a small village under Wumu Town, in a remote area.
The village didn't even have paved roads.
The only way out of the village was a bumpy dirt road running through the fields.
The minivan driver who had just brought them dropped them off at the entrance to the dirt road, refusing to drive any further.
Xu Xiuwen and Tang Weiwei stood at the entrance to the dirt road.
By now, the sky was completely dark.
"How much farther?" Xu Xiuwen asked.
She replied softly, "Another 20 minutes' walk, and we'll be there."
"Another 20 minutes? Weiwei, your place is really out of the way."
"I'm sorry, Xu Xiuwen, for making you come all this way with me."
"I was just making an observation, not blaming you. Why are you apologizing? Alright, let's hurry back. Your grandma must be anxious waiting for you."
In the past, no matter how long or difficult the journey was, Tang Weiwei always felt at ease returning home.
But this time, with Xu Xiuwen accompanying her, the poverty of her hometown was laid bare before his eyes.
She couldn't help but feel a pang of inferiority.
However, Xu Xiuwen's nonchalant attitude eased her anxiety.
She picked up her suitcase, ready to head home, but Xu Xiuwen took it from her hands.
Before she could say anything, he started walking ahead. "Let's go."
Tang Weiwei was deeply moved by his gesture.
She wasn't as exhausted as Xu Xiuwen, but knowing she couldn't change his mind, she quietly followed behind him.
It was past 8 PM.
Since they were in the countryside, the air was fresh and free of smog.
Above them, the bright moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the dirt road they were walking on.
There was no need to worry about not being able to see.
"How much farther now?" Xu Xiuwen couldn't help but ask again.
Tang Weiwei let out a soft "ah" and then said quietly, "We're almost there."
She wasn't lying.
After walking for another three minutes, Xu Xiuwen could make out the outline of a village.
Tang Weiwei's village was incredibly poor.
Xu Xiuwen could see quite a few houses made of mud.
In rural areas, people tended to go to bed early.
Many houses were already locked up and dark.
The village was eerily quiet, except when they passed houses with dogs.
Hearing the noise, the dogs in the yards began barking furiously.
Once they entered the village, Xu Xiuwen didn't know the way and followed Tang Weiwei closely.
Under her guidance, they soon arrived in front of two mud houses.
The door of the house wasn't so much a proper door as it was several wooden planks nailed together.
An elderly woman stood at the doorway.
Under the moonlight, Xu Xiuwen could make out her figure—a short, slightly hunched old lady.
She wore a brightly colored floral T-shirt, which didn't look like women's clothing and had a somewhat masculine style.
At that moment, the old lady spotted Tang Weiwei.
Her wrinkled face instantly lit up with a joyous smile.
Tang Weiwei also saw the old lady.
Excited, she called out, "Grandma!"
She quickly walked up to her and held her hand.
Tang Weiwei's voice was choked with emotion.
It was clear she was overwhelmed, having been away from home and not seeing her grandmother for so long.
Tang Weiwei's grandmother tightly grasped her granddaughter's hand, looking her up and down. Speaking in the Chongqing dialect, she said, "It's good you're back, it's good you're back."
Xu Xiuwen followed Tang Weiwei to the doorway.
Only then did the old lady notice that Tang Weiwei had brought someone home with her.
For a moment, the old woman was visibly stunned.
Xu Xiuwen immediately guessed that Tang Weiwei hadn't told her grandmother she would be bringing her boyfriend home.
Not wanting to give the elderly woman such a shock right away, he stepped forward and said, "Hello, Grandma. I'm Xu Xiuwen, Tang Weiwei's classmate."
The old lady glanced at her granddaughter after hearing this.
Feeling the weight of her grandmother's gaze, Tang Weiwei's excitement instantly subsided. She grew nervous and stammered, "Grandma, he… he's… my classmate."
The old lady scrutinized Xu Xiuwen carefully once more, then nodded and said in her hoarse voice, "Come in."
After that, she turned and went into the house.
Tang Weiwei immediately turned to Xu Xiuwen, her eyes filled with apology.
Xu Xiuwen shook his head and even smiled at her, which made her breathe a sigh of relief.
The two of them followed her grandmother inside.
Tang Weiwei's home was very modest, consisting of just two small mud-brick houses.
In the front room, there was a small, old square table and two long wooden benches—furniture that had clearly been used for many years, possibly even given by someone else.
Once inside, the old lady asked if Xu Xiuwen and Tang Weiwei had eaten yet. Tang Weiwei said no.
Without a word, the old lady headed toward the back door.
Tang Weiwei quickly said to Xu Xiuwen, "I'll go help," then left him alone in the front room.
Both the grandmother and granddaughter went to the backyard.
Xu Xiuwen took the opportunity to look around.
Tang Weiwei's home consisted of the two mud-brick houses and a yard fenced with bamboo. In the yard, there were two smaller rooms.
In one corner, close to the main house, was a tiny mud-brick room that served as the kitchen, complete with a traditional stove.
At that moment, the old lady was in the kitchen, lighting a fire.
At the far end of the yard was another small thatched hut, which Xu Xiuwen guessed was the toilet.
After surveying everything, one word came to his mind: poverty.
Xu Xiuwen had expected Tang Weiwei's family to be poor, but seeing it in person still shocked him.
It was truly destitute.
Growing up in such an environment, it was no wonder Tang Weiwei was so frugal.
After finishing his tour, Xu Xiuwen returned to the main room and sat on one of the long benches to wait.
Not long after, Tang Weiwei came back with two bowls of noodles.
The noodles were freshly cooked, steaming hot, and smelled delicious.
Xu Xiuwen noticed that one bowl had an egg on top, while the other did not.
Tang Weiwei placed the bowl with the egg in front of Xu Xiuwen and kept the one without for herself.
Her grandmother didn't come in with her and was still busy in the small kitchen in the yard.
Tang Weiwei handed Xu Xiuwen a pair of chopsticks and said softly, "Xu Xiuwen, this is all we have. I'm sorry."
She didn't even dare to meet his eyes.
Xu Xiuwen didn't bother with polite, empty words.
He knew that this egg was likely one of the few decent things Tang Weiwei's family had.
Eating it would reassure her.
So he dug in, eating with gusto and praising, "This tastes amazing."
Seeing him eat so happily, Tang Weiwei finally relaxed.
After sitting down, Tang Weiwei buried her head in her bowl of noodles.
Once they had finished dinner, Tang Weiwei carried the bowls and chopsticks to the small kitchen in the back. Then she returned and led Xu Xiuwen to the other mud-brick room.
This room was the "bedroom" of Tang Weiwei's home.
Since Xu Xiuwen was a guest, he hadn't felt it appropriate to look around earlier. Now that he followed Tang Weiwei inside, he quickly took in his surroundings.
The bedroom had only one old wooden bed. Judging by its size, it could fit two people comfortably, but three would be a tight squeeze.
Tang Weiwei pulled a clean quilt from a wooden cabinet in the corner and began making the bed for Xu Xiuwen.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Xu Xiuwen asked, "Why is there only one bed? Where did you used to sleep?"
Tang Weiwei, still arranging the bedding, replied, "There's only one bed at home. I've shared it with my grandmother since I was little."
"What about tonight? Where are you two going to sleep?"
Tang Weiwei's face turned red at his question. "You'll sleep here."
"Huh? And you and Grandma?"
"My grandma and I will go to Uncle Tang's house. He's away working, so it's just Aunt at home. We'll squeeze in with her for the night."
Xu Xiuwen was stunned. Tang Weiwei and her grandmother were giving up their only bed for him while they went to her aunt's place.
Some people might have been bothered by sleeping on a bed an elderly person had used, but Xu Xiuwen didn't care at all.
At that moment, he felt a mix of surprise and gratitude, along with a deep sense of sorrow for the poverty of this household.
"Wait here for a moment," Tang Weiwei said before stepping out of the room.
After a short while, she returned with a wooden bucket in her hands.
The bucket was filled with steaming hot water, and warm vapor rose from it.
Placing the bucket by the bed, Tang Weiwei said, "Xu Xiuwen, wash up and then get some rest. We're heading to my aunt's house now. I'll lock the door from the outside, and I'll come by in the morning to let you out."
Xu Xiuwen nodded solemnly, accepting the towel she handed him. He was about to dip it in the water to wash his face when Tang Weiwei stopped him.
"No!" she exclaimed, her face turning red.
"What's wrong?" he asked, puzzled.
Blushing, Tang Weiwei explained, "This is for washing your feet, not your face."
Xu Xiuwen realized his mistake and felt a little embarrassed. Clearly, the towel he was holding wasn't meant for his face but for his feet.
Thankfully, he hadn't started wiping his face yet, or the situation would have been truly awkward.
Tang Weiwei gave a small, amused smile before kneeling in front of him.
She began helping him take off his shoes.
Startled, Xu Xiuwen instinctively tried to refuse, but the gentle and caring look on her face froze him in place for a moment.
By the time he came to his senses, Tang Weiwei had already removed his shoes and socks.
With her delicate hands, she placed his feet into the warm water.
Tang Weiwei then began to wash his feet.
Xu Xiuwen was overwhelmed.
He thought about Tang Weiwei's traditional and modest nature. Maybe women here were accustomed to serving men this way.
But then again, it didn't quite seem like that.
After all, this was Chongyu Province, where traditions could be... unconventional.
When it came to the family status of women in Chongyu, did it even need to be said? How could it be possible for women to serve men?
Xu Xiuwen thought about it and figured this must have been Tang Weiwei's own decision.
So, he didn't refuse her anymore.
But suddenly, a question popped into his mind.
He couldn't help but ask, "Weiwei."
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
"Besides helping me wash my feet, have you ever helped another man wash his feet?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Xu Xiuwen regretted it.
Because he saw Tang Weiwei's face flush red instantly.
But it was clear that she wasn't embarrassed.
She looked angry.
Tang Weiwei's face turned red with fury, as if she'd been insulted, and she could barely speak clearly.
"Xu Xiuwen, how… how could you think that about me? Of course, I've only ever washed yours!"
Xu Xiuwen quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Weiwei. I said the wrong thing."
Hearing his apology, Tang Weiwei's mood gradually improved.
After calming down, she realized Xu Xiuwen probably hadn't meant it the way she thought.
Looking at Tang Weiwei's flushed cheeks, Xu Xiuwen became certain that her face wasn't red from anger.
Under the light, the girl's blushing face was breathtakingly beautiful.
Without thinking, Xu Xiuwen suddenly reached out, tilted Tang Weiwei's chin up, and kissed her.
-----------------------
If you want to read advanced chapters, you can read around 30 advanced chapters on Hiraethtranslations(.)com