Transmigrating into the Genius Cannon Fodder’s Aunt

Chapter 119 – Why Is He Wei With Qi Kai?

Ning Shaobai put the box of love letters back on the display shelf. When he looked down, he saw Xia Mian’s bright, glimmering eyes and her sweet, soft smile.

Ning Shaobai rubbed her head and said with a laugh, “You’re trying to fool me again.”

Xia Mian giggled and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Doctor Ning.”

“Mm?”

“Have I ever told you that I really, really like you?”

Ning Shaobai froze for a moment. Then a smile spread across his face as he cupped her cheek and said gently, “Mm, I know.”

Their gazes met. Xia Mian saw her own smiling reflection in his eyes.

Ning Shaobai’s eyes lowered to her lips. After a moment, he pinched her chin lightly and leaned down slowly.

Xia Mian closed her eyes…

“Auntie!”

“Aunt Mian!”

Xiao Feng and Chenchen’s voices came from outside. They were much faster than Xia Wenyue had been yesterday—in no time, they were in the middle of the front yard.

“Auntie!”

Xia Mian was still flustered, but Ning Shaobai had already regained his composure. He even brushed her lips quickly before letting her go.

Xia Mian shot him a glare, while Ning Shaobai just chuckled.

Xiao Feng came running in through the door. “Auntie, you’re back!”

Chenchen followed close behind. “Aunt Mian, are we having baked milk today?”

The two boys were wearing identical pale yellow shirts, looking every bit like a pair of brothers.

Xia Mian opened her arms toward Xiao Feng. “Baby, did you sleep well last night?”

Xiao Feng ran happily into her arms and nodded. “I went to bed at nine!”

“I’ll make some for you in a bit,” Xia Mian said, patting Chenchen’s head. With how busy high school was, it had been a long time since she’d made treats for them.

Chenchen cheered at once, then turned to look at Ning Shaobai. “Uncle, why are you here too?”

Ning Shaobai tapped him lightly on the head. “Why can’t I be here?”

Xiao Feng, ever the well-behaved one, asked, “Uncle Ning, will you eat baked milk with us?”

Xia Mian laughed. “We probably won’t have time for baked milk. Let’s have breakfast first.”

Ning Shaobai chuckled. “From now on, you should keep an extra set of dishes ready.”

Are you planning to eat here every day? Xia Mian raised an eyebrow, then let out a chuckle. “Second Aunt said once the renovation plan is finalized, we’ll move in with them.”

Ning Shaobai suggested, “You could wait until next year or the year after to renovate this courtyard. Then you wouldn’t need to stay at someone else’s place.”

As he spoke, he shot a meaningful glance toward his own house.

Sure enough, he’s been planning this all along! Xia Mian couldn’t help but laugh. “Second Aunt would never agree to that. Besides, how could Second Aunt’s house count as someone else’s?”

Ning Shaobai thought for a moment and said with exaggerated seriousness, “Oh, right. I just remembered—the renovation team’s already fully booked this year. They probably won’t be free until next year.”

Xia Mian nearly burst out laughing. “Doctor Ning, that’s such a terrible lie.”

Ning Shaobai chuckled.

…

After breakfast, Ning Shaobai went to work. Once Xia Mian finished making snacks for the kids, she went to find Mao Huimei.

She hadn’t explained much the day before, so Mao Huimei hadn’t thought too deeply about it. When Xia Mian arrived, Mao Huimei was studying English with a tape recorder. She was going to attend a business expo in a few days—foreign companies were said to be participating—so she was cramming at the last minute.

Xia Mian told her what she had seen the night before. Mao Huimei’s first reaction was disbelief. “Are you sure you didn’t mistake him? It was really He Wei?”

Xia Mian asked, “Sis, has He Wei ever told you about his family? His parents, siblings, what his family do?”

Mao Huimei thought for a while, then realized something. “I only know his family owns a factory and that they’re pretty well-off. He seems to be running a restaurant himself…”

Which meant there was no concrete information at all. If he suddenly disappeared one day, Mao Huimei wouldn’t even know where to start looking for him.

“I just feel like we haven’t really made our relationship official yet. Asking too many questions might seem inappropriate…” Mao Huimei frowned.

Xia Mian offered her opinion, “It’s true that asking too much could seem pushy, but you also said you’re both almost twenty-five. Once the relationship is certain, marriage will follow. If he’s serious about including you in his life plan, he should be the one offering that information.”

Mao Huimei quickly calmed down. “You said he was with Qi Kai? And what did the girl with Qi Kai look like?”

Xia Mian breathed a sigh of relief. People in love were almost always blind, and she’d worried Mao Huimei wouldn’t listen.

Mao Huimei seemed to know what she was thinking and sighed. “Anyone in the world might lie to me, but not you. Whatever you saw or thought, just tell me.”

Xia Mian didn’t have the heart to make her too upset, so she said, “There might be some misunderstanding about He Wei. In any case, it’s safest if we stay cautious.”

Mao Huimei nodded. “Tell me about the girl with Qi Kai. Can you describe her in detail?”

“Pretty, about 1.6 meters tall, a little shorter than you. She has a refined, gentle air. Looks like a well-bred and soft-spoken girl.”

Seeing Mao Huimei’s look of sudden realization, Xia Mian asked, “You know her?”

Mao Huimei said, “Her name’s Lu Nana. She’s kind of a celebrity in the economics department—her family’s rich. I heard she’s been chasing after Qi Kai.”

Xia Mian frowned. “Does she have any brothers?”

Mao Huimei said, “Not that I’ve heard. I just know her parents spoil her and never restrict her spending. Why do you ask?”

Realizing that Mao Huimei still hadn’t understood why Qi Kai had pursued her back then, Xia Mian explained her guess: “He clearly knows how to take shortcuts. To someone like him, love definitely doesn’t rank above ambition.”

“In his eyes, all the family wealth will eventually be given to men. A family with only girls will become extinct. If he gets married into such a family, he will definitely be able to inherit the property with confidence.”

Mao Huimei suddenly understood. “No wonder he cared so much back then about whether our family would take in a son-in-law…”

“Of course, it’s just speculation.” Xia Mian said. “But Sis, don’t go looking for Lu Nana rashly.”

“I’m not stupid.” Mao Huimei gave a wry smile. “If what you say is true and Lu Nana’s really dating Qi Kai now, she probably hates me to death. No way she’d believe a word I say.”

“If I ever get the chance to warn her, I’ll try, but otherwise, it’s not our problem.”

After spending some time working at an entertainment company and helping Xia Wenyue manage the business, Mao Huimei had grown significantly more perceptive.

“The real question now is—why would He Wei be hanging around with Qi Kai and Lu Nana?”

Xia Mian guessed, “If Lu Nana’s a rich second-generation too, maybe they know each other?”

Mao Huimei nodded, “I’ll try to find out.”

Xia Mian cautioned her, “Until you do, don’t go out with He Wei again, okay?”

Mao Huimei tugged playfully at Xia Mian’s tuft and smiled. “Got it. Don’t worry so much.”

After all, it was Mao Huimei’s personal matter. Since she said she’d look into it herself, Xia Mian didn’t interfere further. She hadn’t expected that before Mao Huimei found anything, she herself would stumble upon the truth at Old Master Rong’s birthday banquet.

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