Chapter 29: Wen Xia’s Preemptive Strike
Her preemptive strike left Wen De silent for a moment. Then, he started the car. After reversing from the school gate onto the main road, he asked, “What do you want?”
Wen Xia grinned cheekily. “I want Dad to praise me.”
Hearing this, Wen De paused for a moment and glanced at her. Her pale-yellow coat made her delicate, palm-sized face appear even fairer. She revealed a row of neat teeth in a radiant smile that, for an instant, reminded him of Liu Yan in her younger days.
The reprimands he had been preparing seemed to vanish from his mind.
After a while, he uttered a few words, “Keep working hard.”
Wen Xia pouted, dissatisfied. “Dad~ That’s not how you praise someone. It should be, ‘My daughter is amazing. She’s my pride, and I’m so proud of her…'”
Wen De awkwardly pressed his lips together and let out a soft “Hmm.” Then he added, “The tutoring class has been arranged. It’s near the Ande Community, at Pearson Tutoring Center. Saturday classes are from 9 AM to 12 PM, then 1 PM to 5 PM, and again from 6 PM to 9 PM.”
“Sunday classes start at 7 AM and end at 12 PM.”
“Okay, thanks, Dad,” Wen Xia replied.
She looked at the profile of his face, noticing the marks left by time. A wave of bittersweet emotion rose in her heart.
In her previous life, she had given him little care and overlooked how much he had always cared for her.
When it came to her matters, he had truly fulfilled his responsibilities as a father to the best of his ability.
All the way home, Wen De never brought up the subject of early dating.
At the doorway, he said to Wen Xia, “Stay home and finish your homework. I have some things to take care of, and I might be back a bit late tonight…”
As he spoke, he seemed to remember something. Pressing his lips together, he changed his mind. “Come with me to the factory.”
Wen Xia was speechless.
Why did it feel like Wen De was trying to prevent her from meeting Qin Mo?
“Okay,” she replied.
She took two homework books and a pen out of her backpack and followed Wen De to the factory.
Huaxia Steel Plant.
This factory had been passed down from her grandfather, Wen Hua. When it was handed over to Wen De, it was just a small operation with only a dozen workers. Now, the steel plant had grown to employ two or three hundred people, and its area had expanded several times over.
She remembered that when she was in college, Huaxia Steel Plant would grow two to three times larger again.
Wen De was actually considered a successful man. Coupled with his handsome appearance, he was the kind of man admired by many women. Yet, she had never seen him interact too closely with any other women.
It seemed he had no intention of remarrying.
She couldn’t understand why Liu Yan would cheat with a man who, apart from having money, couldn’t compare to Wen De in any way. Why would she abandon her own daughter for such a man?
Wen De brought her to his office and pointed to the spot where he usually worked. “You can do your homework here. Call me if you need anything.”
“Dad, you can go ahead and take care of your work.”
After he left, Wen Xia sat down in Wen De’s black leather chair. Her gaze landed on the photo frame next to the computer. It was a picture of her performing on stage when she was six years old.
She had her hair in two pigtails, her cheeks were rouged, and she wore a red puffy dress, looking like a little Chihuahua.
The distant memory was already a bit hazy. She only remembered that Wen De had been on a business trip that day and couldn’t watch her performance.
She had thrown a tantrum, crying to Liu Yan, asking for her dad.
This photo was probably one that Liu Yan had sent to Wen De. He had done his best to be involved in her life. His fatherly love for her was even deeper than she had imagined.
At that moment, her phone vibrated, pulling her back to reality. She pulled it out and saw a message from Qin Shueba.
[Are you home? What did your dad say?]
[He just mentioned the tutoring classes. I’m doing homework at the factory now while Dad takes care of some business.]
As soon as she sent the message, her phone started ringing.
The boy’s slightly husky voice came through the receiver. “Which tutoring center?”
“Pearson.”
“Alright, wife.”
The two of them exchanged only a few brief words before ending the call.
Wen Xia began her homework, leaving the math problems for last.
After completing the final math question, she stretched her neck and glanced at her watch. It was already six o’clock, and the sky outside had grown dim.
By this time, the factory should have been done for the day, but the machines were still humming.
Overtime.
She stepped out, scanned her surroundings, and headed toward the meeting room on the left. Half a minute later, she heard Wen De’s angry voice.
“Is this the product you rushed out? Is it up to standard?”
“If you don’t want to work here, then leave immediately!”
This was followed by the sound of a hand slamming on the table. He was clearly furious.
Compared to this, Wen De had always been much more restrained in his temper when dealing with her.
The meeting room had glass walls, so she could clearly see his dark expression under the fluorescent light. She had rarely seen this side of him.
Just as she was about to sneak away, Wen De’s eyes landed on her. She gave him a quick smile before hurrying off.
The next second, his voice called out, “Xia Xia.”
Wen De stepped out and added, “I’ll take you to dinner.”
Wen Xia knew he was busy at the moment, so she shook her head. “Dad, you go ahead and take care of your work. I’ll grab something outside. Do you want me to bring you anything?”
“It’s already taken care of. Let’s go. Grab your bag, and we’ll head home after we eat,” Wen De replied, striding off ahead.
After finishing their meal, the two of them returned home.
At ten o’clock that night, Wen Xia was still working on her homework when she heard a faint noise from the bedroom next door, followed by the soft sound of the front door opening and closing.
It seemed like he was being careful not to wake her.
She stood up and looked out the window. A minute later, a figure appeared under the dim yellow streetlight. The shadow stretched longer and longer as the figure took large strides away.
…
Around 8 o’clock in the morning, Wen De returned home, looking exhausted. After taking off his shoes, he leaned against the shoe rack and rubbed his aching brow.
Hearing the noise, Wen Xia came out from the kitchen holding dishes. When she saw him like this, her eyes filled with concern. “Dad, you’re back. I was just about to call you.”
Wen De put his hand down, his fatigued expression fading as he replaced it with his usual demeanor. He reached out to take the dishes from her. “Just went out for a bit.”
Wen Xia quickly ran back to the kitchen, bringing out two bowls of congee and placing them on the table. Then she pinched his ear playfully and said with a smile, “Dad, eat more meat. You’ve lost weight.”
“Mhm,” Wen De replied, lowering his head to take a sip of congee, his expression unreadable, as if lost in thought.
After finishing the meal, it was already 8:30 AM. Wen Xia needed to go to her tutoring class. She found her first-year high school textbook and put it in her bag.
Wen De, still sitting on the couch, heard her movement and sat up. “Do you have enough money?”
His voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of exhaustion.
“Yes, Dad. I might not come back for lunch. It’s too rushed, going back and forth.”
Wen Xia paused for a moment, then added, “Dad, you should take a nap.”
…
As she left the neighborhood, she saw Qin Shueba standing under the tree where the bicycles were parked. He was dressed in a black trench coat that perfectly enveloped his tall, slender frame, the dark color outlining his features. His chin had a nice, slightly rounded point.
He had one hand in his coat pocket, his eyes slightly raised, and his voice was smooth as he called out, “Xia Xia.”
She couldn’t resist at all.
Wen Xia’s heart skipped a beat. “What are you doing here?”
“Going to the tutoring class,” Qin Mo said as he reached over to take her bag.
**TN
Qin Shueba – Scholar Qin or Top Student Qin
