Wendy still looked completely resistant.
"Why are you so stubborn? I’ve been neighbors with Grandma Meng for decades. Even if you’re not interested in Aaron Meng, you should at least go through the motions and give their family an answer! Did you hear me?" Mrs. Parker gave her final ultimatum. "Take a few more days off from work! Never mind, I’ll talk to Alex myself!"
"Hey, hey, Mom, Mom..." Before Wendy could answer, Mrs. Parker spun around and hurried off to find Alex.
Alex was carrying a bag of fresh groceries he’d just bought, planning to make a special dinner that night, when he saw Mrs. Parker rush over like a whirlwind. "Mrs. Parker?"
"Alex, I need to discuss something with you. Could you give Wendy a few more days off?" Mrs. Parker began. "Ever since she went off to college, she’s barely had time to come home. Now that she’s finally back, let her stay a little longer."
Alex thought for a moment, then replied, "I’ll report the situation to the CEO and Mrs. Yin. If there aren’t any issues, it should be fine. Both of them are very kind and understanding!"
"That’s great, that’s great." Mrs. Parker breathed a sigh of relief, holding Alex’s hand and chattering away. "To be honest, Alex, I only have one daughter and one son. As a mother, I just want my kids to be safe and happy. Wendy’s already in her twenties. Around here, people get married early—she should’ve been married and had kids by now! But she’s never in a hurry. That’s why our family wants to match her with Aaron Meng. I’m asking for a few extra days off so they can spend time together and develop their feelings."
Alex’s smile faded a little. "Were they childhood friends who grew up together?"
"Yes, yes, they grew up together, though they didn’t go to the same elementary or middle school." Mrs. Parker didn’t notice Alex’s expression and kept talking. "Wendy went to her grandma’s in the countryside for school when she was little, and only returned for high school. But they played together as kids, practically since they were in diapers! Plus, our families are neighbors—we know each other well, and both sets of parents have the same idea. Alex, someone like you would be an amazing son-in-law, but that’s just wishful thinking. Aaron may not be as good as you, but he’s honest and reliable. We trust him, and when they have kids, we’ll be able to help out..."
Listening to Mrs. Parker, Alex suddenly felt a strange discomfort in his heart.
Was he going crazy?
Who Wendy went on a blind date with—what did that have to do with him?
Why did he feel uncomfortable?
He really must be crazy!
"Is that so? I’ll call the CEO now." Alex interrupted Mrs. Parker and turned to call Cecilia Gu, explaining the situation.
After listening, Cecilia Gu laughed and said, "Sure, no problem. I’ll approve your leave on Charles’s behalf. We’ll be here for another three or four days, so you’ll have time to get back."
Alex responded in a slightly subdued voice.
But Cecilia Gu added, "Alex, if you really like Wendy, don’t let her slip away. Mrs. Parker’s right—life here may be simple, but it’s peaceful. If Wendy can’t find her match out there, saving up and coming home isn’t a bad idea. Some things, some feelings, if you miss them, there might never be another chance. Don’t let it pass you by."
Alex: "Uh, thank you for the advice. I will."
After hanging up, Cecilia Gu hadn’t had time to reflect when she heard Charles’s amused voice behind her: "You know, some things, some feelings, once missed, are gone forever. Are you really going to miss out on me?"
Cecilia Gu whipped around, her face flushing red. "I—I was talking about Alex! I wasn’t talking about us! Besides, Alex is your assistant. Don’t you care about him at all?"
"Isn’t that what you’re here for?" Charles Yin smiled, utterly charming.
"I can’t just take over your job, can I?" Cecilia Gu’s eyes flickered, suddenly unable to meet Charles’s gaze.
"You can. Why not? My people, my business—you can make all the decisions." Charles leaned closer, his voice low and seductive. "Didn’t you just decide for me and give Alex time off? Well done. From now on, you’re in charge of their vacations!"
Cecilia Gu’s face turned even redder. "I—I—It just slipped out..."
"It’s fine, no matter what you say, you’re in charge." Charles chuckled softly. "Let them handle their own affairs. Let’s talk about us now, shall we?"
"What do we have to talk about?" Cecilia Gu’s face grew even hotter.
"Lots and lots." Charles pressed his advantage, blowing gently in Cecilia’s ear. "I’ve got a lifetime’s worth of things to say to you."
Meanwhile, after hanging up, Alex turned to Mrs. Parker and said, "It’s approved. Wendy has about three more days off."
"Really? That’s wonderful, thank you so much!" Mrs. Parker excitedly grabbed Alex’s hand, unable to help herself from gushing. "Alex, you’re such a catch. I’d love to introduce you to someone, but honestly, I don’t know what kind of girl would be good enough for you! Ah, you really are a good kid!"
Goodness, even my own daughter isn’t good enough!
Alex opened his mouth, almost blurting out: Why don’t you introduce your daughter to me!
Alex forced a smile. "It’s not that exaggerated, I’m just an ordinary guy."
Not ordinary, not ordinary at all." Mrs. Parker said happily. "I’ll go talk to the Meng family and arrange for the two kids to have a good chat."
Alex watched as Mrs. Parker strode off energetically to arrange Wendy and Aaron Meng’s blind date.
Alex turned back, feeling frustrated.
What the hell was wrong with him?
Why did just the thought of sweet, soft Wendy with another man make him feel so uncomfortable?
Could he really be falling for that chubby-faced little girl?
How could that be?
How could he fall for someone so easily?
How could he let himself fall so easily?
Meanwhile, when the Meng family heard that Wendy was willing to seriously chat with Aaron Meng and go on a blind date, they were overjoyed and quickly told Aaron.
Aaron Meng had been feeling down, but when he heard Wendy was seriously considering him, his eyes lit up. He stopped drinking, happily went to shower and change, ready to meet Wendy for their blind date looking his best.
The Meng family couldn’t help but worry, afraid Wendy would reject Aaron again, which would be a huge blow to him.
The blind date between Aaron Meng and Wendy was set for noon the next day at a restaurant near their home.
It was supposed to be just the two of them, but something unexpected happened.
Don’t think Aaron Meng is just an ordinary worker—he actually has admirers!
After all, Aaron Meng works at a state-owned enterprise, his job is stable, with full benefits, easy hours, and close to home. All these perks make him quite popular locally.
There were plenty of girls in town who secretly liked Aaron Meng, but he only had eyes for Wendy.
Turns out, one of their classmates, Huang A-ling, had always secretly liked Aaron Meng.
Huang A-ling was Aaron’s classmate in elementary and middle school. She didn’t get into a top high school, so she went to a local vocational school. After graduating, she worked as a sales promoter in a mall.
She’d always had a crush on Aaron Meng and dreamed of marrying into the Meng family.
But she knew deep down that Aaron only cared about Wendy.
Before Wendy came back, she thought she still had a chance.
But when she heard Wendy had returned, she couldn’t sit still and went to find Aaron herself.
She didn’t even get to see Aaron. His mother told Huang A-ling directly, "A-ling, I’m sorry. Aaron waited for Wendy all these years, and now she’s finally back. Both families want them together. You’re a good girl, but don’t waste your time on Aaron anymore."
Huang A-ling felt like she’d been struck by lightning!
She couldn’t believe it!
She’d waited for Aaron all these years, and in just two days Wendy’s return changed everything!
So, Huang A-ling decided to stir things up between Wendy and Aaron. She contacted their classmates, saying she wanted to organize a class reunion, and casually invited both Aaron and Wendy.
They were all locals, and even those who didn’t attend the same high school had complicated connections. Many of Huang A-ling’s classmates had gone to high school with Wendy.
When everyone heard Wendy was back, they insisted on getting together. They called Wendy and Aaron, determined to get them to the reunion.
With no other choice, Wendy and Aaron postponed their blind date to the evening and went to the class reunion at noon.
Wendy was worried Alex would be lonely, so she brought him along to the party.
Alex didn’t refuse and just tagged along. Worst case, he’d treat everyone to lunch.
The two had just arrived at the hotel and hadn’t even entered the room when Wendy heard a woman’s voice inside: "Hey, did you hear? Wendy graduated from college and found a job as an assistant. Tsk tsk, I don’t get it—why would a college grad work as an assistant? Isn’t that just serving people? Like a housekeeper! Geez! If she can’t make it outside, she can come back to us old classmates! We wouldn’t just stand by. We could easily introduce her to a factory job, that’s better than serving people!"
"I heard that too. Wendy majored in serving people! Who knows if her job is serving men at home or at the office?"
Soon, a bunch of people started laughing with obvious malice.