Chapter 181: Practicing Together
The girl’s mother sighed and hugged her daughter. “Silly girl, your father is an old-fashioned man, but when did he not care about your feelings? He already said that if you are really seeing someone, you can bring him here so that we can meet him. If your father is satisfied with him in all aspects, then he can use that as an excuse to back out of the agreement. After all, people can freely date whoever they want nowadays. I’m sure your father’s friend will understand.”
Liu Kexin wiped her tears. “Really?” she asked, twitching her mouth.
“Of course. Don’t you know already how much your father loves you? So, can you be honest with me? Is that boy who’s been sending you home your boyfriend?”
“He is.” Liu Kexin hanged her head and nodded imperceptibly.
Liu Kexin’s mother seemed happy at first, then she got perplexed, “Then why didn’t you ask him in and why did you not admit it?”
“Because… Because I was shy.” Liu Kexin’s voice was very faint and timid.
Her mother was delighted, “Things will be easier this way. You should invite him in next time so that we can get to know him. If he’s a decent man with a clean background, there’s no reason for your father to stop you two. So he can tell his friend that you already have a boyfriend, and it won’t be possible for us to keep to that agreement. At worst, if ever the Yu family needs our help in future, we will do our best to help them and repay their kindness.”
Liu Kexin raised her head and looked at her mother, “Mom, do you really mean it?”
“Of course.” Her mother grinned, “Your father and I know that family well. They are not unreasonable people. I believe they will let it go if they know you have a boyfriend. So what’s of paramount importance is that you need to bring him here as soon as possible so that we can give the Yu family an answer.
“Okay.” Liu Kexin nodded. “I’ll invite him to our home one of these days.”
“So can you tell me what kind of a person he is and how you two met…”
Liu Kexin briefly told her mother what she knew while thinking in her heart, “Bing, I’m so sorry. You need to do me a favor again.”
Xiao Bing went to the noodle house again the next day, working as the cook and running the shop as its owner. With Xiao Bing there making lamian, the shop was crowded again. However there was always 30 percent less business if Xiao Bing was not around. Xiao Bing wondered if he should find someone to do the special lamian in his stead. After all, he could not always be there.
But he had to discuss it with Su Xiaoxiao’s mother first. After all this was the Su family’s exclusive recipe and they don’t willingly teach this to outsiders. If the recipe was spread to others, it would be a big blow to the Su family business.
But Xiao Bing thought that maybe he could apply for a patent on the recipe and register a trademark for the noodle house. He decided to discuss it with Li Chunlan when he had time.
Xiao Bing intended to pick Ye Xiaoxi up when she was off work, since it’s been a long time since he’d hung out with her. But Liu Kexin called him and invited him to dinner with her. Xiao Bing wanted to refuse, but he didn’t because Liu Kexin said it was an emergency. They settled on the time and place. Just after four p.m., Xiao Bing left the business to others, went out of the shop and drove off.
He entered the restaurant they had agreed on and found Liu Kexin sitting beside a window looking worried. There was a drink on the table in front of her.
“That girl. I have just solved her issues with Lu Qiang. What now?”
Xiao Bing walked over and grinned, “What’s the matter? Is that Lu Qiang still bothering you?”
Xiao Bing laughed as he sat down opposite Liu Kexin.
Liu Kexin shook her head and said: “No, we are on holiday today. I have not yet gone to work, and I have not met Lu Qiang.”
“So what happened? This is not like you at all. You’re always a cheerful and optimistic little angel.”
Liu Kexin blushed and sighed faintly. Then she gestured to the waiter and said softy, “May I have the menu, please?”
The waiter handed the menu to Liu Kexin and she handed it to Xiao Bing, but Xiao Bing pushed it back. She stopped hesitating and ordered for courses and a drink for Xiao Bing, then sent the waiter away.
“Now you can tell me, right? Did you get into trouble again?” asked Xiao Bing, grinning.
Hearing that, she sighed quietly again. She glanced at him discreetly which caused her face to redden. Weakly, she said, “Can you… Can you be my boyfriend?”
Xiao Bing was dumbfounded. Then he looked at the embarrassment on Liu Kexin’s face and realized that she was serious. “Goodness, she knows very well I have a girlfriend. How did this happen? Liu Kexin seemed to be a pure and naive girl.”
“Could it be that she was floored by the manly charm in me after I helped her last time? Come to think of it, that’s highly possible… What a blunder. Why did I forget to keep a low profile? Looks like girls just can’t resist my charm.”
“Damn. Why are girls always crazy about me before I even flirt with them?”
Xiao Bing spoke gravely, “Kexin, I understand how you feel, but you know my situation here. It’s just too sudden. I’m not prepared for this and I need some time to…”
Liu Kexin feigned anger, “What are you thinking? Actually I… just want you to pretend to be my boyfriend. My parents are forcing me to see another guy, so I thought of asking you to pose as my boyfriend.”
Xiao Bing felt relieved but also slightly disappointed. “I see. I thought this kind of thing only happens on TV. I never imagined that it would happen in real life.”
“That’s true.” Then Liu Kexin told Xiao Bing the story of how her parents returned to the city with the help of that friend. Finally, she said, “If it weren’t for the Yu family, my parents would still be in the country, where there’s no prospects for well-educated people like them.”
Xiao Bing nodded, “Sounds like your family owes him a big favor!”
“Yes.” Liu Kexin said, “So I understand how eager my parents are to return this favor. I can help them with it when I start my own career. But I don’t think they should force a marriage on me.”
Xiao Bing grinned, “That Yu family sounds like quite a wealthy and powerful one. If you end up marrying his son, you won’t need to work for the rest of your life and you’ll be a rich madam.”
Liu Kexin’s expression turned frosty as she said coldly, “You think I’m a gold-digger, do you?”
“Of course not,” Xiao Bing quickly replied with a serious face. “Otherwise you would not have thought of a way to refuse Lu Qiang in the first place.”
Upon hearing Lu Qiang’s name, Liu Kexin recalled Xiao Bing’s help and her expression softened and she said gently, “Bing, actually I’m very grateful to you for what you did. But this time, I’m at a loss. That’s why I sought your help. I don’t know who else to turn to. I know this is a bit troublesome. Besides, you have a girlfriend. If you really can’t help me, you’re free to say no. I won’t be angry. I’ll always be thankful for all you did to help me before this.”
Xiao Bing grinned, “Okay. Say no more. It just to pose as your boyfriend, that’s all. I’ll help.”
“Really?” Liu Kexin exclaimed with delight. “You talk to Yezi about it first. If she disapproves, you can just forget it. But if she agrees, then I will owe you another big favor.”
Xiao Bing smiled, “Yezi is a reasonable woman. I’m sure she won’t disapprove. You don’t have to worry about it. Just tell me what I need to do. I assume that I will need to pay your parents a visit. Just tell me the date so that I’ll have time to buy them a gift.”
“That’s totally unnecessary. Pretending to be my boyfriend is enough. You don’t need to buy anything.” said Liu Kexin in a flurry.
Xiao Bing laughed upon hearing it, “It’s normal for a man to buy gifts for his father-in-law. If I went to your home empty-handed, they might soon find out that I’m your fake boyfriend.”
Liu Kexin looked abashed. “Sorry… I did not think of it.”
Xiao Bing found it interesting to see the timidness on Liu Kexin’s face. A girl as innocent as she is rarely found in today’s complicated society.
Xiao Bing felt he was a very lucky man because the women whom he had good relationships with him all kept an appropriate distance from other men. Su Xiaoxiao seemed aloof, but actually she had a dynamic heart. She would never get close to a man easily. Yezi was a cute little girl who knew how to associate with men in an appropriate manner. She would never strike up any relationship with just any guy, especially after she had met Xiao Bing. As for Liu Kexin, she was practically a blank sheet of white paper.
Xiao Bing smiled at her, “Just let me handle it since you have zero experience. And we need some practice if you want them to believe that I’m your boyfriend.”
Liu Kexin said in surprise, “Practice?”
“This time we need to practice in a different way compare to last time…” said Xiao Bing vaguely.
