Chapter 102: Making a Friend

Wen Jiu returned to the living room and, not seeing Lin Sheng, immediately knew she must be upstairs.

Footsteps echoed from the stairwell, and Wen Jiu hurried toward them, calling out, “Mom, I’m home!”

Lin Sheng smiled, “You’re already an adult, yet still so restless.”

Wen Jiu, hearing this, nestled against Lin Sheng’s arm, acting spoiled.

It wasn’t until Wen Zhan came home from work that the three sat down together for dinner.

At the dinner table, Wen Zhan asked, seemingly casually, “Jiu Jiu, have you been busy lately? Are Aunt Liu’s dishes to your liking?”

Wen Jiu was momentarily at a loss for words. Ever since she moved back to the Wen residence, she hadn’t asked Aunt Liu to cook at her apartment anymore. Back when she lived there, most meals were prepared by Gu Zehuai.

Though caught off guard, Wen Jiu didn’t intend to hide anything from her parents and replied honestly, “Mom, Dad, I haven’t asked Aunt Liu to cook at the apartment.”

Even though Wen Jiu hadn’t finished her sentence, her parents had already guessed the rest.

Wen’s father didn’t press further, and Wen’s mother simply gave a knowing look.

After dinner, the family went out for a walk.

On the way, they ran into their new neighbors.

Lin Sheng greeted the neighbor warmly and prompted Wen Jiu, “Jiu Jiu, say hello.”

“Jiu Jiu, this is Aunt Chen.”

Wen Jiu greeted her politely, “Good evening, Aunt Chen.”

Aunt Chen smiled in return, “Oh, so this is Jiu Jiu? Such a lovely girl.”

She added, “Jiu Jiu, chatting with your mother, I learned you’re about the same age as my son. Why not get to know each other? He’s just behind us, almost here.”

Wen Jiu was about to politely decline when she caught sight of Aunt Chen’s son.

He walked toward them against the light, his figure at first blurred, but it was clear he was tall.

As he drew near, illuminated by the streetlamp, Wen Jiu finally saw his face.

The man across from her clearly recognized Wen Jiu earlier, standing by Aunt Chen’s side. After greeting Aunt Chen, as she prompted, he greeted Wen’s parents one by one.

When his gaze met Wen Jiu’s, his smile grew brighter.

“Miss Wen, it’s been a while.”

Wen Jiu nodded courteously, “Indeed, it’s been a while, Mr. Huo.”

Wen’s mother and Aunt Chen asked in unison, “So you two know each other?”

Both nodded.

Wen Jiu explained first, “We once worked together with Huo Group.”

Huo Yeran added with a smile, “Yes, and it was a very pleasant collaboration.”

Wen Jiu’s brow twitched; she felt the atmosphere shift with his words.

Sure enough, Aunt Chen laughed even more cheerfully, “See, young people get familiar so easily. Jiu Jiu, you two should be friends, spend more time together.”

Wen Jiu nodded awkwardly, wishing it really was only about friendship.

She wasn’t adept at handling such situations, unlike her mother.

Lin Sheng, as if only hearing the literal meaning of Aunt Chen’s words, smiled and replied, “Yes, young people make friends easily. That’s how Jiu Jiu and her boyfriend became close.”

Wen Jiu breathed a sigh of relief at that—her mother always knew how to handle things.

Aunt Chen, hearing Lin Sheng’s reply, understood immediately. She laughed, teasing, “I see, Jiu Jiu’s boyfriend is lucky indeed, to have such a beautiful and capable girlfriend. Looks like my son missed his chance; this method won’t work after all.”

Her playful tone eased the awkwardness in just a few words.

Wen’s parents laughed heartily, and everyone exchanged a few more pleasantries.

Standing quietly through it all, Huo Yeran raised his eyebrows, glancing at Wen Jiu. It seemed he had indeed missed his opportunity.

After all, when they last had dinner, Wen Jiu clearly didn’t have a boyfriend yet.

Huo Yeran felt a pang of regret. He’d always been drawn to girls like Wen Jiu—her personality hit all the marks for him. He’d wanted to ask her out several times but never mustered the courage.

The elders finished their conversation and said their goodbyes, each heading home.

Despite his disappointment, Huo Yeran still smiled and bid farewell to Wen’s parents and Wen Jiu.

On the way back to the Wen residence, Wen Jiu clung to Lin Sheng’s arm, whining, “Mom, I’m so glad you were there just now; I wouldn’t have known how to handle that situation otherwise.”

Lin Sheng tapped Wen Jiu’s forehead with her finger. “You need to learn from me. There’ll be plenty more occasions like this in the future. Dad and I can’t always be there by your side.”

Wen Jiu laughed and agreed.

The family entered the house, chatting and laughing.

Meanwhile, at another home, after dinner, Gu Zehuai was sitting in the courtyard of the old residence, about to head inside when Grandmother Gu and Mother Gu called out to him.

Gu Zehuai looked at his grandmother and mother, both gazing at him seriously, feeling bewildered—he had no idea what was going on.