"Silu, I'm not a bad person. Of course, you're going to believe your mother right now, so I'll leave you alone." With that, Lu Fan turned and walked away.
Jiang Silu watched his retreating figure, sensing his disappointment, and felt a little puzzled.
After all, just yesterday this man had helped her tow her car in the rain. From the look of him, he didn't seem like a bad person.
'But why was Mom so adamant that he wasn't a good person?'
Jiang Silu shook her head. 'It's better if I stay out of grown-up affairs.'
She then headed to the cafeteria, put on an apron, and took her place at the serving station.
She now worked part-time in the cafeteria during the day and organized books in the library at night, earning sixty yuan a day.
Sixty yuan might not seem like much, but over a month, after covering her own living expenses, she could still send two or three hundred yuan to her mother.
Of course, Jiang Yixia would never accept money from Jiang Silu.
For the past two months, she had returned every transfer Jiang Silu sent.
She would even send voice messages, chiding, "Lulu, you don't need to give me money. Buy yourself some nice things to eat. Mom has plenty of money! And you don't have to work so many part-time jobs. If the allowance I give you isn't enough, I'll just add another 500."
But in reality, Jiang Silu was saving all the allowance her mother gave her.
Her goal was to wait until winter break, withdraw all the cash in one go, and present it to Jiang Yixia as a surprise.
Just then, a voice called out, "Silu."
Jiang Silu looked up to see her class monitor and smiled. "Class Monitor, what would you like? I'll give you a little extra."
This was the same class monitor who had been watching Jiang Silu and Lu Fan from the sidelines earlier.
His name was He Haipeng.
He knew Jiang Silu was working her part-time job in the cafeteria today, so he had queued up specifically at her station.
He Haipeng pointed to the braised pork and a tomato dish. "Could I trouble you for these two, Silu?"
"Of course." Jiang Silu expertly picked up the ladle and scooped a generous portion onto He Haipeng's tray.
Then she thanked him again. "Class Monitor, I really have to thank you again. If you hadn't helped me with the application, I probably wouldn't have gotten the part-time jobs in the cafeteria and the library."
"It was nothing, really. Just a small favor. I'm honored I could help," He Haipeng replied graciously.
Jiang Silu beamed at his words.
He Haipeng found himself captivated by her enchanting smile, momentarily lost in a daze.
That's right. He Haipeng had fallen for Jiang Silu on the very first day of school.
Her cute, charming smile was something he could never forget.
So when Jiang Silu later mentioned she wanted to work to earn money, He Haipeng moved heaven and earth to help her find a part-time job.
"Oh, by the way, our class has two financial aid grants for students in need. It's over 4,000 yuan a year. I grabbed a form for you. Why don't you fill it out later? I can help you submit it," He Haipeng said with eager kindness.
"No, that's okay." Jiang Silu shook her head. "Class Monitor, please give that application form to someone who needs it more."
"But you're the one who needs it most," He Haipeng explained. "Who else in our class is working two part-time jobs? And please, don't feel awkward about it. No one else will know you're applying for the grant. It'll just be between us, I promise."
Jiang Silu was still insistent. "Thank you, Class Monitor, but I really don't think I need the grant right now. I'm sure there's someone in our class who needs it more than I do. If I ever get truly desperate, I promise I'll swallow my pride and come to you."
"Alright, then." Seeing her determination, He Haipeng had no choice but to respect her wishes.
His thoughts then returned to the scene from earlier. After a moment's hesitation, He Haipeng finally asked, "By the way, I saw an older man talking to you just now. Is everything alright?"
"Oh, it was nothing. He's..." Jiang Silu decided to save Lu Fan some face. "He's a friend of my mom's. He heard I was studying here, so he just came by to say hi and brought me some fruit."
"Oh, I see."
A wave of relief washed over He Haipeng.
Just then, the student behind him in line started to get impatient, so he picked up his tray and said his goodbyes to Jiang Silu. "Well, Silu, I'll get going."
"Okay. See you, Class Monitor."
Carrying his tray, He Haipeng suddenly felt a new lightness in his step.
Just moments before, on his way to the cafeteria, he had been convinced that the man was approaching Jiang Silu with malicious intent.
After all, a girl as beautiful as Jiang Silu was bound to attract attention from people with ulterior motives.
He'd heard that many girls from the art department were being kept by wealthy older men.
And that the price was often ten thousand yuan a month. He Haipeng had been worried that Jiang Silu's financial struggles would force her to accept such an arrangement.
That was why he had so urgently told Jiang Silu about the financial aid grant.
The grant money wasn't a fortune, but at least it could help with her most pressing needs.
It was better than becoming a mistress to some greasy old man.
But now, the mystery was solved.
He Haipeng could finally relax a little.
'This makes me the most successful suitor to get close to Jiang Silu so far.'
Meanwhile, his assistant, Jiali, saw Lu Fan return empty-handed and asked, "Boss, what's our next move?"
"Let's make a trip to Yangcheng," Lu Fan said. He felt that with Jiang Yixia standing between him and his daughter, he had to face the woman at the heart of it all.
"Understood. I'll make the arrangements immediately."
Jiali promptly had a private jet arranged.
Soon, Lu Fan arrived in Yangcheng via private jet.
It was evening by the time he arrived, and the sky was gradually growing dark.
Yangcheng's skyline was beautiful at night.
But he was in no mood to appreciate it.
'What am I going to say to Yixia when I see her?'
' "I'm sorry"? She probably doesn't want to hear those two words.'
If he had a choice, Lu Fan would almost prefer it if Jiang Yixia just gave him a few hard slaps across the face.
As long as it would appease her anger, he'd take more than just a few slaps. He'd even accept kneeling on a durian all night.
Of course, this was all just in his head.
As for how Jiang Yixia would really react upon seeing him, he would have to go to the flower shop to find out.
At that moment, Jiang Yixia was arranging flowers in their pots.
When the sound of familiar yet foreign footsteps reached her, she greeted with a smile, "Hello, how can I help you?"
The next second, Jiang Yixia's expression froze. The potted plant in her hands fell to the floor.
"Yixia." Lu Fan stepped forward, calling out her name.
Time seemed to have been especially kind to this woman. Despite being past thirty, she bore no trace of its harshness.
Jiang Yixia was wearing an off-white knit sweater paired with a light, coffee-colored skirt that traced the lines of her slender, yet curvy, waist. The hem of the skirt revealed shapely, fair calves. On her feet were a pair of flat canvas shoes, and she exuded an air of clean, gentle elegance.
The warm, yellow light falling upon her seemed to coat her in a soft glow, a beauty so profound it made his heart tremble.
This was the woman he had wronged for nineteen years. Even after all this time, she could still make his heart skip a beat with such ease.
"What are you doing here?!" Jiang Yixia cried out, her voice trembling with emotion. "Get out!"