Evening.
Geng’s family apartment living room.
Geng Yuehua’s words made her parents and brother speechless.
No one said a word for a few seconds.
After a while, Geng Yuehua’s mother asked. “Yuehua, is it true?”
“Yes.” Geng Yuehua poured a cup of tea and drank it.
Geng Xinke looks at his sister. “Sis, why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?”
Geng Yuehua coldly replied. “Xiao Dong asked me not to tell you.”
“But….” Geng Yuehua’s father frowned. “Why did he help Xinke?”
Everyone looks at Geng Yuehua, waiting for her reply. That’s right. Why is he so helpful?
Geng Yuehua paused for a second and put down the teacup. “Xinke is Xiao Dong’s subordinate, and Lin Pingping is his former subordinate. He will be affected if anything happens to you. I cannot say he is not doing this for himself, but he put aside his grudges to help you. He let you off after you grabbed his collar and went to Dong Hai District to clear your mess. I think you all are biased against him. I had met him several times these few days, and I can tell he is not a scheming person.”
Geng Xinke smacked his lips.
Geng Yuehua’s mother sighed. “Yuehua, you should have told us earlier. I had ignored Dong Xuebing when he greeted me earlier.”
Geng Xinke felt terrible. Dong Xuebing had invited him to have dinner earlier, and he rejected him.
“No matter what, it was Dong Xuebing who helped us.” Geng Yuehua’s father said. “We cannot let him think our family is unreasonable.”
Geng Yuehua’s mother nodded. “Yuehua, help me thank him when you see him again.”
Geng Yuehua replied emotionlessly. “I had thanked him.”
“Thank him for you?!” Geng Yuehua’s father said. “We are staying in the same building. Can’t you thank him yourself? Why must you ask Yuehua to be the messenger?”
Geng Yuehua’s mother gave him a stare. “How am I supposed to thank him after showing him that attitude earlier?”
Geng Yuehua’s father ignored her and looked at his son. “Speak up. Why are you keeping quiet?”
Geng Xinke doesn’t know what to say. He hated Dong Xuebing to the core and swore to go against him in the future. But it was Dong Xuebing who put aside their grudges and saved him. His anger towards him disappeared. If Dong Xuebing had not helped, those DVDs would have been sent to various departments, and countless people would have seen them. His assault case against Dong Xuebing would also not be settled so quickly.
Geng Xinke said. “Dong Xuebing had invited me to have dinner together this afternoon. How about we call him over to have dinner together?” He is not an ungrateful person and wants to thank him.
Geng Xinke’s mother nodded. “Alright. Yuehua, give Xiao Dong a call.”
Geng Yuehua sat there as if she had not heard anything.
Geng Yuehua’s mother asked again. “Yuehua, did you hear me?”
Geng Yuehua’s father frowned. “Can you be more sincere? How can you ask Yuehua to call him? Ask Xinke to go upstairs to invite him.”
Geng Xinke nodded. “I…. I will go upstairs and invite him.”
“Fine… fine…. I am not sincere like you all.” Geng Yuehua’s mother grumbled and stood up. “I will prepare dinner now.”
Stairwell.
Geng Xinke called Lin Pingping after he stepped out of his apartment.
“Hello, who is it?”
“Pingping? It’s me.”
Lin Pingping paused for a second. “How did you know my number?” Although they had slept together, she had not given him her number.
“I got it from someone. It’s easy to get it since I know you are working in Yan Tai County Investment Promotion Agency.”
“Stop calling me in the future.”
“Ok. Have you taken your dinner? What are you doing now?” Geng Xinke asked.
“I am cooking now. What is it you want?”
“I just want to tell you that everything is settled.” Geng Xinke said embarrassedly. “You are right. I don’t know anything about Dong Xuebing. He was the one who recovered the recordings and suppressed this issue. I had misunderstood him.”
Lin Pingping paused for a second. “What did he do?”
“It’s like this….” Geng Xinke told Lin Pingping what had happened.
Lin Pingping sighed in relief. “Chief Dong had helped me a lot when he was with the Investment Promotion Agency. Sigh…. I owe him another favor.” She is not surprised that Dong Xuebing stepped in to help her as she knows he is very protective of his subordinates.
“I am going to invite Dong Xuebing to come to my house for dinner. I will thank him for you.” There’s an underlying meaning in this sentence.
Lin Pingping got the underlying message. “No need. I will thank him myself.”
“Err…. Alright.”
“Bye.”
“Ok. Please take care of yourself.”
“I know.”
Lin Pingping treats Geng Xinke formally like an ordinary friend, and there’s nothing Geng Xinke can do. They split after they graduated and he had dated other women after that. But those women could not give him the same feeling he felt when he was with Lin Pingping. He regrets breaking up with her and tries to call her again. But she had changed her number, and they lost contact until two days ago.
Geng Xinke ended the call and went upstairs to Dong Xuebing’s apartment. He is troubled and feels uncomfortable doing this. This is difficult for him as he had to put aside his pride.
Geng Xinke hesitated for a while before pressing the doorbell.
Ding dong… ding dong…. The door opened, and Dong Xuebing stepped out. “Eh? Secretary Geng? Why are you here? Come in.”
Dong Xuebing was watching TV alone when Geng Xinke knocked on his door.
Geng Xinke smiled. “I will not go in. Director, have you taken your dinner? My parents had prepared dinner, and they are inviting you over.”
Dong Xuebing is puzzled. “I have not eaten, but I will not bother uncle and auntie. I am about to cook dinner now.”
“It’s not a bother. My family will be glad if you can join us.” Geng Xinke said this with difficulties.
“Haha…. Alright. Let me switch off the TV first.”
Dong Xuebing returned to his apartment to switch off the TV and grabbed two cartons of cigarettes before going downstairs with Geng Xinke. He slowly understands why Geng Xinke changed his attitude towards him. Yuehua must have told her family what happened.
It’s not a bad thing if they know about it.
Dong Xuebing doesn’t mind having a good relationship with Yuehua’s family.
Geng Family apartment.
“Xiao Dong, you are here.” Geng Yuehua’s father puts down his newspapers.
Geng Yuehua’s mother also comes over to greet him. “Xiao Dong, come in.”
Dong Xuebing smiled politely. “Uncle, auntie, I was not prepared and didn’t have any good gifts. Haha…. But it is bad to turn up empty-handed. Here are two cartons of Zhong Hua Cigarettes.” He placed the cigarettes on the table.
Geng Yuehua’s father replied. “Why are you bringing gifts?”
“That’s right.” Geng Yuehua’s mother added.
Dong Xuebing laughed. “It’s a small token, and this is my first time visiting you all. Gifts are a must.”
Geng Yuehua’s mother smiles. “You all Beijing people are so polite. Fine. We will accept it, but don’t bring anything next time.”
“Ok.” Dong Xuebing changed to slippers and entered the living room. “Mayor Geng.”
Geng Yuehua nods at Dong Xuebing and continues watching TV.
Dinner.
Everyone sat at the dining table, and Geng Yuehua’s father took out a few bottles of alcohol.
“Here, Xiao Dong.” Geng Yuehua’s mother raised her glass of plain water. “I can’t drink, and I will drink this instead. Let me give you a toast. I heard everything from Yuehua. Thank you.”
Dong Xuebing cannot allow elders to offer him toasts. “No…. no…. Auntie, don’t mention it. That’s what I should do.”
Geng Xinke added. “Let me have a toast with Director Dong instead. Thank you.”
Dong Xuebing reached out to stop him. “Stop toasting with me. The first glass should be me toasting with uncle and auntie. I cannot let elders offer a toast to me, and Xinke’s matter is a simple matter. That’s what I should do, and I did not do much too. Lastly, I was too rash and impulsive in the past, and it caused some misunderstandings. It’s all my fault, and here is a toast to both of you. I hope you will not blame me for what happened in the past.”
Dong Xuebing knocked his glass against Geng Yuehua’s parents’ glasses.
Geng Yuehua’s mother is smiling brightly. “You are too modest. It was my son who had ….”
Geng Yuehua’s father interrupts. “Stop talking about it.”
“Yes… yes….” Geng Yuehua’s mother said. “It’s all in the past. Let’s not talk about it anymore. Let’s eat.”
