flstandardbreds Chapter 18: Another Household Registration Check
Chapter 18: Another Household Registration Check
After the food had been served twice, Mr. and Mrs. Zhong exchanged a glance. Mrs. Zhong immediately understood, "Xiao Chen, have you graduated? Where are you from? How many people are in your family?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yu glanced at Wang Wenwen somewhat awkwardly. "I've already been accepted into a graduate program. I'm from Shanxi, and I'm studying with Professor Huang at Shanghai University of Technology. There are four people in my family: my parents and my younger brother, Chen Xu, who just started university this year at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics."
Wang Wenwen was a little jealous. The home-cooked dishes were already just average in taste, and now she didn't want to eat them at all.
Even the oblivious Zhong Xiaoqin sensed something was wrong. "Hey, Mom! They're just coming over for a meal, why are you asking them this?"
Mr. Zhong stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Your mother just loves to gossip. Come on, Xiao Wang, try your aunt's stir-fried celery. It's one of her specialties. She's even better at celery dumplings. Before Xiaoqin was born, your aunt loved celery dumplings the most, which is why she was named Xiaoqin."
Zhong Xiaoqin looked embarrassed. "I'm tired of hearing them bring up my name every time."
Everyone burst into laughter at Zhong Xiaoqin's embarrassed expression, filling the dinner table with a cheerful atmosphere.
After dinner, while helping to clear the table, Zhong Xiaoqin quietly mentioned to her mother in the kitchen that Wang Wenwen was staying overnight. Zhong's mother readily agreed; in her view, Zhong Xiaoqin was a very introverted and timid child, and it was a good thing for her to have a few close friends.
In the end, Chen Yu left the Zhong family alone after sitting for only a short while.
A few days later, Zhong Xiaoqin was still looking for a job. She had submitted many resumes and had several interviews, but hadn't received a definite answer and was just told to wait for a notification. Wang Wenwen was in a similar situation, also looking for a suitable job and submitting resumes to try her luck. Out of boredom, Zhong Xiaoqin invited Gu Jia to go shopping with Wang Wenwen.
The three agreed to meet at KFC. Zhong Xiaoqin and Gu Jia arrived first, with Gu Jia arriving about five minutes late.
"Here, Gu Gu, here!" Zhong Xiaoqin waved her arms to greet Gu Jia when she saw her appear. "Gu Gu, I've missed you so much! We haven't seen each other for so long. How's everything going on your end?" Holding hands upon meeting is a privilege only young girls have.
“We’ve only been apart for two weeks, it’s not that long. We often don’t see each other for a week or two before.” Gu Jia smiled and reassured Zhong Xiaoqin. “I should be almost done on my end. I’ve gone through the preliminary test, the second test, and the interview. I should have the results soon.”
Then he looked at Wang Wenwen and asked, "And who is this?"
Zhong Xiaoqin then realized that the two of them did not know each other. "I'm sorry, Wenwen, I forgot to introduce you. This is Gu Jia, my good friend and best friend. I call her Gu Gu." She then looked at Gu Jia and pointed to Wang Wenwen with her open palm. "This is Wang Wenwen, Chen Yu's god-sister."
Gu Jia and Wang Wenwen smiled and nodded to each other, which was considered a greeting.
Gu Jia said, "Chen Yu is in Shanghai too, right? I think you mentioned him before, but I was too busy the other day and can't remember."
Zhong Xiaoqin nodded with a slight blush, "Yes, he's coming to Shanghai to pursue a master's degree, and it seems he's being directly recommended for graduate school."
"So Chen Yu is quite impressive. To be recommended for postgraduate studies without connections, you have to be a very promising student, right?"
"Xiaoyu is really impressive. Back in my junior year at university in the capital, he worked on a project with Professor Li. It took two months, and Professor Li gave him 40,000 yuan as payment." The speaker was Wang Wenwen, a remarkable woman who could "take it or leave it," and she spoke as if she herself had earned 40,000 yuan in two months. During the Olympics, Shanghai's housing prices were all over 10,000 yuan per square meter. As long as you weren't in the back, 40,000 yuan was a significant sum, especially for someone who hadn't even graduated yet.
Gu Jia felt a sense of unease. Why did Chen Yu's god-sister idolize Chen Yu so much, and why was she so close to Zhong Xiaoqin? Gu Jia had seen other people with god-sisters or god-brothers before, usually among middle school students, but the relationship was only slightly closer than ordinary friends, and it faded as they got older. Chen Yu's god-sister seemed abnormal.
"Let's go shopping! I saw a newly opened boutique on South Street, and it looks really nice!" Once everyone was there, Zhong Xiaoqin pulled the two of them along for a stroll.
Gu Jia then composed herself, thinking, 'Zhong Xiaoqin herself doesn't care, so it would seem petty of me to say anything more. Let's talk about it later.'
To outsiders, this relationship seems like two older sisters taking care of a younger sister, just like in the drama. Without Zhong Xiaoqin, the three female leads couldn't possibly be together. Gu Jia looks down on Wang Manni, and Wang Manni is also very insecure, not daring to get close to Gu Jia.
The three quickly became acquainted. After spending some time together, Gu Jia discovered that Wang Wenwen was a "clean" girl—clean not only in terms of hygiene but also in her mindset. She was a good girl, kind-hearted, gentle, and possessed a refined, scholarly air. Gu Jia gradually accepted Wang Wenwen as part of her group of close friends. Although Wang Wenwen also found Gu Jia easy to get along with and sensed she had no ill intentions, she still felt a little awkward around her.
Regardless of their ulterior motives, the "Nothing But Thirty" best friend trio has formed as expected, leaving a certain saleswoman crying in the bathroom!
Chen Yu was also busy with his own things—renovating three houses and working on a research project with his professor—his time was very tight. Despite this, Chen Yu still made time to stay in touch with Zhong Xiaoqin. They often talked on the phone, sharing snippets of their lives. Chen Yu would inquire about Zhong Xiaoqin's job search progress, and Zhong Xiaoqin would ask about Chen Yu's research project. They would occasionally meet up for meals or movies, and of course, they never specifically avoided Wang Wenwen; all these activities were done together by the three of them.
Chen Yu found it strange. Could Zhong Xiaoqin really not see that Wang Wenwen looked at Chen Yu differently than she looked at others?
Just before New Year's Day, Zhong Xiaoqin called Chen Yu, "Brother Xiaoyu, can you come with me to the job interview?"
"Why do you call me Brother Xiaoyu?"
“Wenwen said that when we first met, she called you Chen Yu, then she called you Brother Yu, and then she called you Little Brother Yu, which sounded more intimate. I think calling you Little Brother Yu sounds really nice!” Zhong Xiaoqin’s focus is on being different.
Helpless, Chen Yu asked, "Where are you going for the interview? Why do you need me to come with you? Is the company unreliable?"
"No, it's mainly because Wenwen said that if a guy is with her, her female boss will feel more comfortable hiring her and it can also prevent some office harassment."
“That seems to make sense. Okay, give me a time, and I'll come pick you up from your house.” Chen Yu also thought the logic was sound.