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"Huh? I, I—" Joanna Gong's cheeks flushed a deep red. She hadn't expected Linda Young to hit her with such a big question right off the bat. Totally caught off guard, Joanna was at a loss for words.
"Geez, Mom! She just said she's Shawn's classmate, that's all. Why'd you have to come at her with something so blunt? Of course she's embarrassed! You're such a gossip! You might've just ruined a good thing by scaring her off!" Sherry Young grumbled, seeing Joanna Gong's awkward, shy look and knowing her mom was in full matchmaker mode again.
"Oh—it's not that serious, really. Hehe—" Joanna Gong replied quickly, trying to play it cool.
"Alright, I won't ask that then. So, Joanna, what do you think of my Shawn? Hehe—let me tell you, I made him myself, so as his mom, I know him inside out! He's got a kind heart, always helping people out, and every week he helps an old lady cross the street. Plus, he's so shy—his face turns beet red whenever he talks to a girl! Honestly, he's the most straight-laced kid you could meet. If you don't have a boyfriend yet, maybe you should give Shawn a chance! Hehe—" Linda Young tried to change the subject, but her new question was even more outrageous.
Her eyes lingered on Joanna Gong's knockout figure—first those impressive curves up top, then down to her round, perky backside. The more Linda looked, the more she liked her. This girl was premium stock! With a chest like that, she'd be overflowing with milk; with hips that full and high, she was destined to pop out sons. Plus, that sweet face and juicy curves screamed 'lucky wife.' If she married Shawn and gave him a chubby baby boy, Linda would be over the moon! With that thought, Linda's gaze grew even more doting and approving.
"Pfft—" Rainie Cheng couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle after hearing Linda Young praise her precious son. Whether Shawn Young really helped an old lady cross the street every week, she didn't know. Maybe Linda was talking about the old Shawn, but now, as far as she was concerned, the Shawn she knew was anything but shy. Talking to girls made him blush? No way! Especially calling Shawn 'an honest kid'—Rainie Cheng and any woman who'd been intimate with him knew: if Shawn Young was 'honest,' then there was no such thing as an honest man in the world!
"Huh? Officer Cheng, you're good friends with my Shawn, so you know what I said is true, right?" Linda Young saw Rainie Cheng laughing and thought she was agreeing with her.
"Uh—well, yes! Shawn is definitely a great guy! And that's all thanks to your wonderful parenting and hard work, Auntie!" Rainie Cheng flattered Linda Young while shooting Shawn a playful glare.
"Oh! Oh! Really? Hehe, Officer Cheng, you sure know how to talk—" Linda Young's smile was so wide her eyes nearly disappeared.
Still, Linda Young had her sights set on Joanna Gong. She knew—out of the two gorgeous girls who came with Shawn Young, Joanna was the better match for him. After all, they're classmates, while Rainie Cheng is an international police inspector. In Linda's eyes, her precious Shawn might be great, but their family just couldn't 'reach' someone with Rainie's background. Of course, Linda Young had no idea about Shawn's miraculous adventures, so her thinking was normal. Really, what mother doesn't want her child to find a suitable partner?
Linda Young perked up, turning to Joanna Gong with keen interest: "Joanna, where's your hometown? Is it far from Clearview City?"
Joanna answered honestly and a bit nervously, "Auntie, I'm from Clearview City too! And I've been Shawn's classmate since middle school, high school, and now college!"
"What?! You're from Clearview City too? And you've been Shawn's classmate for that many years? That's destiny! Hehe—where do you live in town?" Linda Young was suddenly all excited, convinced Joanna was heaven-sent for her son. Time to lock this down—no letting the good stuff slip away!
"Oh, Auntie, my family lives on Henderson Avenue. It's not very far from here!" Joanna Gong answered.
"Oh, Henderson Avenue? Fancy! In Clearview City, everyone knows only the rich folks live there! Hehe—there aren't many Gongs on Henderson Avenue, right? I heard one Gong family got into a huge mess lately—it's the talk of the town! Supposedly, they owe the mob millions in loan shark debt. Millions! I've never even seen a million, and they've managed to rack up several! And it's all gambling debt, too! Word is, that Gong family is about to go belly-up—gambling ruins lives, I tell you! Joanna, your last name's Gong too—have you heard this story? Any chance you're related to those folks?" Linda Young chattered on, her curiosity in full gossip mode.
"Ugh—Mom, why do you have to be so nosy? You ever worry you’ll scare people off? Seriously! Joanna, don’t mind my mom—she’s just a chatty middle-aged gossip. Once she gets going, she could talk your ear off all day!" Sherry Young jumped in, seeing Joanna looking pale and super awkward, even trembling a little.
Joanna Gong's face turned white. She took a deep breath, pressed her lips together as if steeling herself, and then said directly to Linda Young, "Auntie, on Henderson Avenue, there's only one Gong family—mine. The family that owes millions in loan shark debts is mine. My father is Samuel Gong. The one being hounded by the mafia is us—the Gong Family."
To be continued—click 'Next' to read the rest of the juicy chapter!