Chapter 168: Chapter 97: I’m Not Your Dad
Chen Yuan chuckled knowingly, and Li Weihao instantly understood.
"Junior, you really get it!"
In reality, Li Weihao understood this kind of maneuver. He’d done a little of it himself before, but compared to Chen Yuan’s idea, his attempts were just child’s play.
’I’m still at the stage of faking receipts, but he’s already talking about running entire projects!’
"I was just spitballing..."
"Junior, forgive my bluntness, but what level has your relative reached?" Li Weihao asked tentatively.
"Director, but I can’t really get into specifics."
"That’s already very impressive. After you graduate and go back home to start your career, you’ll have a meteoric rise."
"That was true five years ago, but not anymore," Chen Yuan said with a sigh.
"What happened?"
"He hit a wall."
Li Weihao was speechless.
"Well, I won’t disturb you two any longer. I’ll get going."
Li Weihao looked at Song Jianye. "Do you want to join the student council? I can get you in."
"Umm..."
Song Jianye thought for a moment, glanced at Chen Yuan, and said blankly:
"I have to ask Chen Yuan."
Li Weihao was speechless.
’I shouldn’t have even asked. This public display of affection is f*cking suffocating!’
"I really won’t disturb you two now. I’m leaving."
"Bye, senior."
"Bye."
After Li Weihao left, Chen Yuan looked at Song Jianye.
"You’re getting pretty good at this, huh? You even know to buy drinks now."
"I learned from Sister Jing. Hehe, aren’t I smart?"
"You are a little smart. What else did Sister Jing teach you?"
"Sister Jing didn’t teach me directly. I learned by watching her," Song Jianye said.
"When Uncle Zhang is discussing business with people, Sister Jing always proactively pours them tea. But since that’s not convenient right now, I bought you guys Cokes instead."
"Nice, nice. That’s great."
"Hmph, of course it is."
Song Jianye lifted her chin, looking very proud of herself.
"I have to go to my driving lesson this afternoon. Coach Zhou should be here by now."
"Go buy a drink from Snowy Sweet or something and take it to Coach Zhou."
"Can I buy one for myself, too?"
"Get the lemonade. Don’t drink the other stuff."
Song Jianye took out her phone and opened the Snowy Sweet delivery app.
"Look, they have a value combo here. A sundae, a lemonade, and a taro ball grape drink for only twelve yuan."
"So? What are you trying to say?"
"I’m saying the combo is a better deal. If we buy them separately, two drinks might cost twelve yuan anyway. This way, we get a free sundae."
"Is this something a rich second-generation kid like you should be calculating?"
"Shh!"
She placed a pale little hand to her lips, making a hushing gesture.
"The fake account books are getting hard to balance. We have to be frugal."
"Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. Forget about me eating that sundae."
"Don’t think I’m a glutton. Even though I was the one who suggested the combo, the extra sundae wasn’t for me. I was getting it for you."
Song Jianye turned away, refusing to look at Chen Yuan, leaving him with a view of the back of her stubborn head.
"You’re not a nice person at all. I’m not like that. I don’t want to be friends with you anymore."
"I’m just concerned about my good friend’s health. You need to stay healthy and keep being my good friend for a long, long time."
"Do you really think so?" Song Jianye turned her head, looking at Chen Yuan with hope in her eyes.
’A four-year-old is so easy to fool.’
"I do."
"Let’s pinky swear," Song Jianye said haughtily, lifting her chin.
"Okay, pinky swear!"
Their pinkies hooked together, and their thumbs pressed against each other.
Song Jianye was very serious and pressed hard, even adjusting the position of her thumb to make them line up perfectly.
Her attention seemed to be completely focused on the pinky swear.
’I was just trying to humor a kid and make her happy. I didn’t expect her to be so incredibly serious about it.’
’If I’m too casual about this, it’ll ruin the moment.’
Watching her serious expression, Chen Yuan was suddenly reminded of a line from Master Ye.
"If you had to put an expiration date on this promise, how long would you want it to be?"
"Umm..."
Song Jianye thought very seriously. "Let’s say... until we’re 80."
"What do you mean? We have to start fighting after we turn 80?"
"No, no, that’s not what I mean. But I think when we’re actually 80, you probably won’t be able to beat me in a fight."
"So you’re going to use the fact that you’ve studied martial arts to bully people, is that it?"
"Wrong! Completely wrong!" Song Jianye said haughtily.
"A martial artist’s code is to help the weak and oppose the strong. How could I ever do something like that?"
"If that’s the case, what makes you think I won’t be able to beat you when we’re 80?"
"I think you’ll be in a wheelchair when you’re 80. I’ll just stand a meter away and poke you with a little stick, and you won’t be able to hit me."
Chen Yuan was speechless.
’Can a creature really evolve across species?’
’Human at 18, but a little devil at 80?’
"Okay, okay, I was just teasing you. You’re my best friend, how could I poke you with a little stick? That would be so inhumane. At most, I’d just refuse to feed you."
Chen Yuan: "I think I’d rather you just poked me."
"Hehe, it’s a blessing to be taken advantage of," Song Jianye said.
"Let’s do the pinky swear again, properly this time. We have to be serious."
Song Jianye was true to her word, her attitude even more serious than before.
"Pinky swear, for a hundred years, no take-backs."
"And after a hundred years?"
Song Jianye was stunned. She stared at Chen Yuan.
"Can we even live for another 100 years?"
"Maybe it’s possible."
"Then it’s forever and ever, no changing. We’ll be best friends forever."
"Best friends forever."
"Alright, you wait here. I’ll go buy the drinks and bring back the sundae for you."
"Okay."
Song Jianye left. Her dorm was right nearby, and he decided to wait for her there since he had to go back and change his shoes for class anyway.
A few dozen meters away, Song Jianye was standing in front of the Snowy Sweet take-out window.
She stood there, elegant and graceful. The sunlight slanted down from behind her, making her look just like the heroine of a Makoto Shinkai film.
But...
...the whole vibe suddenly changed.
The clerk handed her a bag. Song Jianye took it, and then the sundae.
Then she turned and walked away, showing no intention of coming back at all.
He took out his phone and called Song Jianye.
"I’m still waiting for my sundae, why’d you leave?"
"I couldn’t hold the sundae properly and accidentally dropped it. I’m so sorry! I’ll buy you another one when I get the chance, bye!"
Chen Yuan was speechless.
Song Jianye hung up, a bag of drinks in one hand and the sundae in the other, eating it happily without a hint of guilt.
’I never should have believed her nonsense!’