Chapter 40 - I’ve Been Kicked Out. Will You Take Me In?
The next day after the exams, the cla.s.s was lively with discussions. Some were complaining that the topics were beyond the syllabus’ materials, others were comparing answers, while the rest were excited to be finally liberated. Ji Liao was a part of it until his phone rang. He glanced at it, then walked outside to accept the call.
“Mom?” It was Xu Ai Wen.
“Tang Tang, Mom is at your school gate with Uncle Meng. When can you come out?”
Ji Liao answered, “I’m going out now.”
He packed his schoolbag and recalled that Ji Qing Wen would come to pick him up every time after his final exams.
Rushing downstairs and turning two corners, he jogged to the school gate, and as expected, he saw Xu Ai Wen. Today, she had put on some light makeup, which made her seem more graceful and very compatible with the elegant man beside her.
Ji Liao walked over and called out, “Mom, Uncle Meng.”
Xu Ai Wen smiled and helped him with his schoolbag. Meng Yuan took it automatically and held it in his hand.
Xu Ai Wen said, “Let’s wait awhile for Yao Yao. Yao Yao is your Uncle Meng’s daughter. She’s your age, also in year two. Do you know her?”
Ji Liao looked surprised. Yao Yao, the school flower Meng Yao Yao?!
What a coincidence.
Just then, Meng Yao Yao appeared and waved to them with a sweet smile.
“Dad, Auntie Xu!” Meng Yao Yao ran over and greeted them briskly.
Then she looked at Ji Liao and said in surprise, “I didn’t expect it to be you!”
It was in a very familiar tone.
When Xu Ai Wen heard this, she couldn’t help but ask, “Yao Yao knows our Tang Tang?”
“Tang Tang?”
Meng Yao Yao had met Xu Ai Wen once before and had a good impression of her; she was graceful as well as pleasant, and was also a good conversationalist. Her father had been single for many years and it was difficult for him to meet someone. Of course, she had to do her best to support them!
“It’s Ji Liao’s nickname. When he was still in my tummy, we thought he was a girl, so we gave him the nickname Tang Tang.”
Xu Ai Wen smiled, intending to bring them closer.
Meng Yao Yao was very supportive by laughing out loud, as if it was very interesting.
Next to her, Ji Liao, “k2026;”
Inside, he wanted to collapse, not understanding why such things had to be said in the open!
Fortunately, Meng Yuan reminded them, “It’s late. Let’s go to the restaurant first and talk while we eat.”
They got into the car together. Xu Ai Wen sat in the front pa.s.senger seat while Ji Liao sat with Meng Yao Yao in the back.
Ji Liao felt a little awkward since his lack of experience with girls made him uncomfortable. Moreover, he and Meng Yao Yao were considered love rivals.
He touched the tip of his nose while his phone vibrated. He picked it up: it was a phone call from He Cheng Ming!
Panicking for just a moment, Ji Liao wanted to cut off the call, but instead he accidentally accepted it. A low male voice with a hint of a smile was heard, “Baby, where are you?”
Although it wasn’t very loud, it was still profound enough for everyone to hear…
Inside the car, it became instantly silent. Ji Liao lowered his head as his ears turned red. Even his hands were shaking.
He tried to control himself by saying, “This is Ji Liao. You are?”
There was a short silence, then a laugh. “Sorry, I’ve gotten the wrong number.”
Ji Liao said “okay” before he hung up the phone.
The atmosphere was so weird that he couldn’t determine if his pretense had been believable or not.
Meng Yao Yao suddenly burst out laughing and helped him out. “I received a similar call once. The person actually called me Mom! I’m only seventeen. I was so p.i.s.sed off!”
Others might not have recognised it, but she did. It was her male G.o.d’s voice! Charming and flirtatious!
Meng Yao Yao’s heart was weeping, but on the surface, she controlled her emotions and joked around.
She suddenly recalled a situation some time ago about a rumour in school speculating that He Cheng Ming was dating. According to the rumour, a girl overheard He Cheng Ming calling someone “baby.” Could that person have been Ji Liao?!
Meng Yao Yao felt bitter when she couldn’t figure out why all the good-looking guys were gay. She was very cute too!
But she respected He Cheng Ming’s choice and strongly believed that she would meet someone better in future.
Near the restaurant entrance, Meng Yuan stopped the car, and Xu Ai Wen and the two children alighted first.
While they were eating, Meng Yuan briefly introduced himself. He had an apartment at the second tier and had no elders in the family, only a daughter that was Meng Yao Yao. Her mother pa.s.sed away from cancer five years ago, and since then he had been single, until he met Xu Ai Wen.
The life of being a pool of stagnant water began to surge.
They worked in the same company and he was Xu Ai Wen’s superior. Because of frequent joint projects, their feelings for each other grew over time, which eventually led them to their current relationship .
Adults did not particularly require their love to be a raging inferno on dry wood — as long as they felt they were suitable, it was okay.
Meng Yuan’s intention in saying this was that he had hoped he could marry Xu Ai Wen soon.
In fact, he had already proposed to her, but due to the obstruction of Ji Liao’s unclear inclination, Xu Ai Wen had not agreed.
Today’s meal was for Ji Liao to provide his opinion on this.
“I don’t mind.” Ji Liao looked up and voiced his thoughts.
He sensed the change in Xu Ai Wen. Ever since she got together with Uncle Meng, she was radiant, like a young woman immersed in love.
So what reason did he have to object?
Meng Yuan was very happy, and Meng Yao Yao was even more so. Although her father doted on her a lot, there were some things that she could only talk about with a mother.
On second thought, she wouldn’t be able to tell Auntie Xu too much of her worries, or else Ji Liao would be exposed!
After the four of them finished their meal, Meng Yuan sent Xu Ai Wen and Ji Liao home. As soon as they returned, they went upstairs.
Ji Liao left his phone on the sofa to pour himself a gla.s.s of water in the kitchen. When he came out, he saw Xu Ai Wen holding his phone.
He had set a lock screen so Xu Ai Wen couldn’t unlock it.
“Mom.” Ji Liao walked over, his expression a little tense.
Xu Ai Wen asked, unsmiling, “Are you dating someone?!”
When Ji Liao had answered the phone in the car, she had seen his phone screen through the rear-view mirror. It had clearly stated a person’s name and was obviously not an unknown number.
Ji Liao pursed his lips and remained silent, his heart beating quickly.
Xu Ai Wen became angrier. It didn’t matter to her that he was dating, but with a boy?!
“Tang Tang, tell Mom what’s going on?”
She tried her best to suppress her emotions to get Ji Liao’s confession. She blamed herself for not loving him enough, which had led to Ji Liao’s psychological problem of liking boys.
“It’s what you think. I like him.” Ji Liao lowered his head and his voice was gloomy.
Xu Ai Wen was furious. For the first time in over ten years, it was her first time giving him such an order: “Break off the relationship with that person immediately!”
Ji Liao didn’t speak, his silence was a rebellion.
Xu Ai Wen was heartbroken, unable to understand how her well-behaved son could become like this. She was ruthless as she pushed him out the door. “Fine, if you don’t want to, go and look for that person. Let him support you, feed you, clothe you and provide for your studies!”
Ji Liao was also upset. With red eyes, he banged on the door. “Mom, Mom…”
There was no response for a long time.
At night, the freezing wind blew against him. He had not even brought his phone out with him. Feeling through his pockets, he only had twenty dollars.
He took a taxi to He Cheng Ming’s neighbourhood. Ji Liao knocked on the door and looked at the person who opened it.
“I’ve been kicked out. Will you take me in?”
With that, he smiled bitterly but full of expectation.