"Less than three days, at most five or six days. What, can't bear to part with me?"
Jian Fei calculated in her mind. It was only four days until the weekend, and she could also return to her hometown then.
Just four days, what was there to be reluctant about?
He was a man, and it was natural for him to prioritize his career.
"No. Go get busy with your work."
"So heartless. I thought you'd be reluctant and want to come with me. I was being too sentimental."
Ke Teng moved his hand up, pinching her cheek with a hint of punishment.
"Do you know what your director asked me to bring you?"
Jian Fei certainly didn't know.
The documents were in a bag, sealed. She wasn't so childish as to secretly flip through the information.
"I don't know."
"Open it and see."
Jian Fei opened the documents and nearly dropped her jaw.
So, what she had traveled so far to deliver to him was a joke.
Inside was a business trip application form, already filled out by her director.
The trip was for one week, to Pingnan County, with the reason being accompanying a client.
"You... you said you didn't tell the director anything!"
Ke Teng laughed heartily twice and buried his face in her neck.
"I'm unmarried, you're unwed, we're of similar age, and it's all above board. What's wrong with people knowing?"
"Alright, go back and pack. See if there's anything you want to bring home for your family and buy it quickly. We have a meeting at three in the afternoon, so we'll be leaving soon."
They were driving back themselves.
The city was over 150 kilometers from Pingnan County, about an hour and a half by highway.
The assistant drove, and Jian Fei and Ke Teng sat quietly in the back.
Although they didn't say a word, Ke Teng held her hand and leaned against her the entire time, as if no one else was present.
He truly exemplified clinginess to the fullest.
They soon arrived at the county town. Following Jian Fei's directions, the assistant drove the car to her house.
Looking at the dusty, potholed cement road and the dilapidated row of residential buildings, Jian Fei felt a bit embarrassed.
After all, with the assistant there, she felt mortified for Ke Teng for bringing such an unpresentable companion.
"Hurry up and get back to work. I'm leaving now."
After such a long journey, she didn't even have the hospitality to invite them in to rest or have a drink.
Ke Teng felt a bit disappointed.
But then he understood her.
It was the first time she had brought a man home, and she hadn't informed her family beforehand. It was no wonder she was nervous.
Waving goodbye to her and pointing to his phone, signaling them to stay in touch, Ke Teng left soon after.
Before Jian Fei could even step into the yard, she heard lively chatter inside.
Among them was the voice of a young man.
Upon entering, she saw it was Jiang Chuan.
Her grandmother was stuffing something into his hand, and they were playfully pulling at each other.
In the midst of their tugging, Jiang Chuan saw her, and everyone was surprised.
"Why are you back at this time?"
Jian Fei had already thought of an excuse on the way, saying she was accompanying a client on a business trip. She brushed it off casually and then asked them.
"What are you guys doing?"
Grandma said that it had rained for over a month that spring, causing the kitchen to leak. A few days ago, some tiles had fallen off and smashed the pot.
"Since your dad's legs aren't convenient, there was no one to help with the cleanup. I happened to run into Jiang Chuan today, so I asked him to come over and lend a hand."
"Look at him, he hasn't rested at noon and has been busy here for an hour or two. He won't even sit down for a drink. I gave him two apples, but he refused them."
"Fei Fei, thank him properly."
How could such a grown man accept your apples?
Jian Fei walked Jiang Chuan to the door, exchanged pleasantries, asked about his recent life, and then said that she would find an opportunity to treat him to a meal while she had free time in the next few days.
After seeing him off, Jian Fei, her grandmother, and her father sat together.
Her father sighed, "Is there really nothing between you and Jiang Chuan?"
"Last time I saw him running around in the hospital, I thought he liked you. Alas, such a good child, it's a pity."
Remembering what Ke Teng had said about encountering him on a blind date, Jian Fei instinctively asked, "Is he getting married?"
"It seems so."
"Doesn't Aunt Zhang next door work at the Hilton Hotel? The other day, she ran into his family when they were dining out. They seemed to be discussing an engagement."
"The woman is also from our county. They've already bought a marital home in Sunshine Peninsula."
If this were half a month ago, Jian Fei would definitely have felt inferior and upset, perhaps even dejected.
The boy she had a crush on in her youth, the one in white, had ultimately chosen a girl with better conditions than hers due to his parents' wishes.
Affection was insignificant in the face of reality.
But now, besides wishing Jiang Chuan well, she had no other thoughts.
"I told you long ago, we're just ordinary classmates. Don't overthink it."
"If that's the case, we should interact with him less in the future."
"Otherwise, people might think we're trying to leverage his connections, and it might displease his family."
"Right, right, that's what I thought too, which is why I didn't ask him to stay for dinner today."
Her father looked at his mother.
"From now on, even if the house collapses, don't ask him for help again, understand, Mom? It's not good for Fei Fei if word gets out."
Grandma nodded.
"I just didn't know. I won't ask him again."
The three of them shifted the topic to her sister, and her father seemed a bit happier.
"Although Dad isn't very capable and hasn't saved much money over the years, he still has over 170,000 yuan."
"Your sister mentioned you have some savings. Bring it all together on one card when you come back this time. If it's not enough, we can borrow a little more."
"Your sister can have the cochlear implant now, which finally relieves one of my biggest concerns. Fei Fei, you have a hand in this."
Jian Fei didn't know her father was so capable and frugal.
Given his meager income, he had over 170,000 yuan in savings.
Looking at the dilapidated house and then thinking about Sunshine Peninsula, she suddenly had a bold idea.
"Didn't your sister tell you? The cochlear implant doesn't require you to pay."
"My doctoral advisor connected me with a magazine, where I published two papers and received some royalties. I also received a special free treatment for major illnesses from the department... In short, this falls under free medical care. We don't have to pay a single cent."
Father and Grandmother stared with confused, wide eyes.
"Your sister mentioned it casually last time, but she couldn't explain it clearly. I thought... is there really such a good thing?"
"It's true."
Jian Fei's fabricated story was quite convincing.
"This is like my university scholarship. The school subsidizes it. Can such an authoritative institution as the school be a scam?"
"That's truly wonderful."
Her father's time-worn face revealed a genuine smile.
"Oh, I was thinking we'd have to borrow money if it wasn't enough. Now that's great, saving such a large sum."
"Everyone has been buying houses these past few years. I was thinking, when conditions are better in the future, we could also get a house in Sunshine Peninsula."