In the morning, the first rays of light seeped through the curtains, making Tang Mingchuan squint. It was already bright outside, and he realized he had been sitting in the living room all night without noticing. Tang Mingchuan's eyes were sore, so he splashed some water on his face in the bathroom, which helped to wake him up a bit. Glancing at the time, he knew he had to go pick up Lin Xi soon, which was probably the only thing he was looking forward to. He decided to put aside Tang Sheng's matters for now. Lin Xi was the most important person in his heart. After a quick tidy-up, Tang Mingchuan got into his car to go pick up Lin Xi.
...
"A University is on break, and the dormitories will be closed to let students go home faster. Bai Wei has packed her bags and is ready to go home today. Lin Xi has also packed her bags. However, she's going to spend a week with Tang Mingchuan, so she'll probably need to leave her luggage at a hotel first.
"Xixi, I have to leave now. See you in September," Bai Wei ran over and hugged Lin Xi, looking reluctant to part.
"I'll miss you too," Lin Xi said to Bai Wei.
"Tsk tsk tsk, now that you have a boyfriend, you're all sweet and mushy with your words," Bai Wei teased without reservation.
Lin Xi couldn't help but laugh at Bai Wei's words. Bai Wei was straightforward and said whatever was on her mind, which is why Lin Xi liked her as a friend. Bai Wei dragged her suitcase away, and Lin Xi saw that Tang Mingchuan had sent a message saying he was about to come pick her up, so she started walking towards the school gate with her luggage.
Lin Xi felt excited about spending a week alone with Tang Mingchuan, but she also felt guilty for lying to her mother for the first time, telling her she'd be coming home the following week. Lin Xi had never lied before, and her parents trusted her, so they didn't question her too much.
When Tang Mingchuan arrived at the school gate, he called Lin Xi. It didn't take long before he saw the young girl dragging a heavy suitcase towards him. Tang Mingchuan hurried to help her with the luggage.
"You're not very tall, but you're quite strong," Tang Mingchuan said as he struggled with the heavy suitcase.
Lin Xi panted, "Let's go to the hotel first. I've booked a room. We can drop off the luggage and then go out."
Tang Mingchuan moved the luggage to the trunk and drove Lin Xi to the hotel where she had booked a room.
The hotel receptionist couldn't help but take a few more glances at Tang Mingchuan and Lin Xi. They were both good-looking and didn't lose to any celebrities in appearance. The girl seemed a bit young, but nowadays young people were more open-minded, so it was normal for them to stay together. That's what the hotel receptionist thought. After completing the check-in procedures, they went back to the room. When they opened the door, they found that the room was decorated in pink, with a large double bed.
"Little girl, are you implying something to me?" Tang Mingchuan said playfully, holding Lin Xi's hand.
Lin Xi felt embarrassed. The room she booked didn't look like this in the pictures. It must have been just for reference.
"Don't misunderstand. I... I didn't know it would be like this," Lin Xi explained awkwardly. Tang Mingchuan moved closer to her, trapping her at the foot of the bed, and she blushed.
"Oh? I thought you wanted to be with me?" Tang Mingchuan deliberately raised his tone, teasing her.
Seeing the girl so shy, he couldn't help but want to tease her some more.
The room was very quiet, with only the sound of their breathing and heartbeat. Suddenly, there was a loud bang as the backpack on the suitcase fell to the ground, breaking the atmosphere.
Tang Mingchuan stood up straight and patted Lin Xi's head. "Let's go, little girl. I'll take you out for a stroll."
Lin Xi quickly touched her face, feeling hot.
...
The city where A University was located was not big, but not small either, and there were many scenic spots. Tang Mingchuan had already prepared a sightseeing plan. Lin Xi rarely went out for sightseeing while at school. Apart from attending classes, she spent her free time doing part-time jobs. She had been here for six months but hadn't gone anywhere.
Tang Mingchuan knew of a scenic lake where they could rent a boat and enjoy the scenery. He took Lin Xi there, paddling the boat himself.
"How is it? Isn't it much better to see the scenery in the middle of the lake than on the stone bridge?" Tang Mingchuan asked Lin Xi. Lin Xi nodded. It was her first time enjoying the scenery on a lake, and it felt very fresh to her.
She thought Tang Mingchuan was really amazing; he always made her experience different kinds of joy.
Seeing Lin Xi enjoying herself, Tang Mingchuan kept rowing the boat, not minding his sore hands as long as she was happy.
The two of them played around and soon arrived at the lakeside.
Tang Mingchuan held Lin Xi's hand and followed her to the snack street. The snack street was bustling with people.
Lin Xi went to buy freshly squeezed fruit juice, not allowing Tang Mingchuan to follow her. Tang Mingchuan stood at a distance, watching her.
Suddenly, his phone in his pocket rang. He knew it was Tang Sheng calling.
Sure enough, Tang Sheng was relentless. Seeing Lin Xi still in line, Tang Mingchuan answered the phone.
"Tell me, what's on your mind?" Tang Mingchuan didn't want to waste time with him and went straight to the point. Knowing Tang Mingchuan's straightforwardness, Tang Sheng didn't bother with any pretense and said directly, "Ah Chuan, you're not young anymore. I, as your father, have arranged a marriage for you. When will you have time to come back and take a look?"
Tang Mingchuan sneered. Tang Sheng wouldn't let him go so easily. He fully utilized every bit of value in him. He and that woman's son were not willing to climb up the social ladder for their benefit, so they used him as a sacrifice.
"Since you've said it, let me be clear. It's impossible. Don't waste your efforts," Tang Mingchuan said before hanging up the phone.
Because his little girl was running towards him with the juice in her hands.
On the other side, at the Tang family home.
Tang Sheng was hung up on again. In a fit of anger, he threw his phone away. His wife, Wang Yuelan, walked over to him.
"The boy doesn't agree, does he? The Shen family is powerful. If we could form an alliance through marriage, it would be very beneficial to us," Wang Yuelan couldn't bear to see her son's happiness ruined, so she thought of Tang Mingchuan, the humble illegitimate child.
"The Shen family's daughter, Shen Yi, has a notorious
temper. I'm afraid our son won't be happy with her. It's better to find someone easier to control," Tang Sheng sat on the chair, thinking.
He picked up the phone on his desk and called his secretary. "Xiao Chen, immediately find out about Tang Mingchuan's current situation for me."
Since Tang Mingchuan's attitude was so resolute, he could start from his life and see if there was any breakthrough.
...
Lin Xi walked to Tang Mingchuan's side with the juice, noticing that Tang Mingchuan's expression didn't look good.
"A'Chuan, what's wrong with you?" Lin Xi asked softly.
Tang Mingchuan didn't say anything, just hugged Lin Xi tightly, holding her close to him.