After returning from the cemetery, Mother Xu had Gu Congwang stay for dinner.

Although Gu Congwang was a young master, he was very adept at making elders happy. At the dinner table, he praised every single dish, and after eating, he busied himself with clearing the tableware and washing the dishes.

He insisted no matter how Mother Xu tried to persuade him, like a cold, ruthless dishwasher.

Helpless, Mother Xu patted Xu Zhinan's back. "Go and help him."

Xu Zhinan responded with a "Okay" and walked into the kitchen. Young Master Gu was washing dishes with his sleeves rolled up, looking very unprofessional. He had squeezed out too much detergent, and when the water ran, it created a thick layer of foam that just wouldn't rinse clean.

Xu Zhinan watched for a moment and then smiled. "Let me."

"No, no, no." Gu Congwang held up his two foam-covered hands.

"You can't get them clean like this."

"Then you can instruct me from a distance, don't interfere."

"...Then use less detergent. After rinsing them, put them to the side. We can rinse them one more time later."

Gu Congwang waved a hand. "Simple!"

Droplets of water flicked from his fingertips and landed on Xu Zhinan's face. She let out a small "eh," and Gu Congwang apologized while laughing, wanting to wipe it off for her but his own hands were even dirtier.

Xu Zhinan wiped it away with the back of her hand. "If your mom saw you like this now, she'd definitely be shocked."

"My mom probably doesn't even know how to wash dishes herself. The kitchen is the territory of our family's housekeeper."

"Then why are you rushing to wash the dishes?"

"Can't this young master experience life?"

"..."

After Gu Congwang finished the dishes, he chatted with Mother Xu for a while longer before leaving. The sky had already darkened.

There weren't many subjects that required exams this semester, only two, so the pressure to review wasn't great. Xu Zhinan decided not to go back to school.

She returned to her bedroom and took out the change of clothes she had brought in the morning, only then realizing that she had also brought back Lin Qingye's white short-sleeved shirt.

Because she didn't dare to dry this shirt in the dormitory, she hadn't washed it since changing out of it.

Xu Zhinan paused, then took the shirt into the bathroom to wash it, hung it on the balcony, and came back.

The evening breeze blew gently, causing the hem of the shirt to flutter.

Seeing this shirt again now, she was in a completely different state of mind.

Just then, Mother Xu pushed the door open and came in. Xu Zhinan retracted her gaze. "Mom?"

"Is it far for Little Gu to get home from our place?"

"Quite far. His home seems to be near Yintai City."

"Then why didn't you see him off?" Mother Xu's tone was a little reproachful.

Xu Zhinan: "He's not taking the subway back, he has a driver picking him up."

"Is that so? Does Little Gu's family have very good financial conditions?"

"Yeah, his father runs a company." Xu Zhinan didn't know the specifics, as she had never asked much about it.

Mother Xu said with a smile, "I think he seems to like you quite a bit."

The topic changed so abruptly that Xu Zhinan didn't react for a moment, asking blankly, "Who?"

"Who else could it be, Little Gu." Mother Xu laughed. "You two grew up going to the same schools since you were young, so you know each other inside and out. Although I don't care if you marry someone rich or poor in the future, what's most important is that he treats you well."

What was all this about?

Xu Zhinan quickly called out "Mom" to stop her, explaining, "Gu Congwang and I are not in that kind of relationship, we're just friends."

"You're about to graduate from university, how are you still so clueless? If Little Gu didn't like you, why would he be so good to you? He's a young master at home, yet he comes to our house to help out and wash dishes, and he even went to see your father with us."

"He's a nice person. I've known him for so many years, he's always been like this."

Mother Xu said with conviction, "You've never liked someone before, so you don't know."

"..."

Xu Zhinan couldn't speak.

She had liked someone.

For so long, with trepidation and caution.

But now, perhaps her mother was right. She really didn't know.

"Think about it yourself. Mom thinks Little Gu is particularly suitable for you." Mother Xu listed Gu Congwang's good qualities. "Considerate, kind, diligent, and he's also cheerful and has high emotional intelligence. In this regard, you two complement each other quite well."

"..."

"Anyway, I like someone like him, and I can be at ease." Mother Xu said, "Some boys know how to please girls, but when it comes to the future, they're ultimately not dependable. You must not be deceived by the sweet talk of this kind of boy."

Xu Zhinan obediently replied, "I know, Mom."

"Ah, look at me, why did I start talking to you about this." Mother Xu smiled and tapped her forehead with her index finger. "You haven't even had your awakening yet."

"..."

After Mother Xu left, Xu Zhinan was once again alone in the bedroom.

The warm summer night breeze blew, and the thin T-shirt dried quickly. Xu Zhinan sat at her desk, staring at the shirt outside the window for a while, before going to bring it back in.

The shirt only had the scent of laundry detergent left, a faint floral fragrance.

The unique scent Lin Qingye had left on it was gone.

Xu Zhinan folded the shirt, took out her phone, and thought about how to return it to him.

At the same time, a red circle with a "1" appeared at the bottom of her WeChat interface. She casually tapped it open and froze.

Lin Qingye's profile picture was displayed. He had liked her Moments post mourning her father.

This was the first time she and Lin Qingye had any connection again since she had thrown that bottle of water.

But when she clicked on the notification again, the profile picture was gone, leaving only a "like" notification.

Lin Qingye had unliked it.

He probably did it by accident.

Xu Zhinan's fingertips paused slightly. She exited and put the shirt back into the bottom of her closet.

'Forget it, I've worn this shirt. He probably wouldn't want it back even if I returned it.'

Lin Qingye didn't sleep well that night.

It had clearly been several days since Xu Zhinan had last come here, yet in his dreams, he could always smell her unique fragrance.

He had originally thought it was the scent of the body wash she often used, but later, after she showered at his place, that scent was still on her.

A not-too-strong sweetness, like the light cream wrapped inside a freshly baked dessert.

Lin Qingye later asked her where the scent on her body came from.

Xu Zhinan was rather baffled and asked what scent he was talking about.

She herself had never noticed it.

So Lin Qingye smiled, scraped her cheek with his finger, and teased playfully, "Natural body scent."

He was woken up by a phone call.

The curtains in the bedroom were tightly drawn, leaving it dim. He sat up with a frown, picked up his phone, and saw that it was a call from Lin Guancheng.

He had drunk too much last night, and his throat was uncomfortable now. He swiped to answer the call but didn't speak right away, instead grabbing the cup on the bedside table and gulping down a large mouthful of cold water.

Lin Guancheng: "Hello?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"You've graduated. Let's go out for a meal at noon. Your uncles are all coming," Lin Guancheng said.

"Where?"

"I'll send you the address in a bit. It's just a few relatives. Now that you've graduated, we should all have a meal together."

He was graduating, yet he was the last to be notified about the meal. Really something else.

Lin Qingye curled his lip in a sneer and gave a flat response.

Lin Guancheng had made his fortune in real estate in his early years and later expanded his business empire. Now, he was a well-known figure in Yan City.

Lin Qingye followed the address Lin Guancheng sent him. When he arrived, he found that it was hardly the "few relatives" he had mentioned. The banquet halls on both sides were packed with people.

He had no idea what they were thinking.

A businessman's pride. Even a graduation had to be turned into a grand event.

Lin Guancheng was also afraid of his son's temperament, fearing that this scene would make him lose face. The moment he saw him frown, he said, "You go to that hall first, it's all relatives. Don't worry about this side, we just invited everyone to celebrate together."

Lin Qingye turned his head to look. The door to the banquet hall was open, and he could see a woman standing in the middle, smiling and chatting with people.

Fu Xueming was wearing a black, shallow V-neck dress, her makeup exquisite. A pair of priceless diamond earrings dangled from her earlobes, hidden amidst her black hair, exuding a gentle and graceful temperament.