Jian Fei hadn't figured out how to explain her relationship with Ke Teng to her family, so she didn't want them to discover she was out late at night.
She planned to return early the next morning.
However, man proposes, God disposes.
After a night of unrestrained passion, she woke up the next day to find it was already past eight o'clock.
She felt a pang of panic but forced herself to remain calm and asked Ke Teng to take her back.
On the way, Ke Teng asked her what she would do if her family found out.
"Just say you're my client, and you had an urgent matter last night that required me to accompany you."
Ke Teng was a little displeased.
Was he that unpresentable? After everything that had happened between them, she still didn't dare tell her family.
However, he respected Jian Fei.
Girls were different from men. Establishing a relationship privately without the customary introductions and betrothal was indeed difficult to explain.
When they reached her doorstep, Jian Fei didn't want to invite Ke Teng in.
As he sat in the car and she stood outside, about to bid farewell, her grandmother returned from buying steamed buns and happened to see them both.
"Fei Fei's back? Ke Teng is here too? Breakfast is ready, just waiting for you two. Come back and eat quickly."
Thus, Jian Fei had no choice but to bring Ke Teng home, her heart pounding.
Whether it was her grandmother and sister's simple-mindedness or their high emotional intelligence,
no one asked about last night.
Her grandmother, who had the habit of waking up early to prepare breakfast, had stewed a fragrant congee and stir-fried some light side dishes. She had just gone out to buy steamed buns, ensuring they ate comfortably.
Sipping the congee simmered in a clay pot, Ke Teng felt immensely satisfied.
"With such culinary skills, it's a shame you don't open a restaurant."
As a housewife, the greatest compliment she could receive was about her cooking. Her grandmother was delighted and told him.
She had indeed considered opening a restaurant, and more than one person had suggested it to her.
"Then why didn't you?"
Ke Teng's question was naively uttered, like "Why don't they eat cake?" He regretted it immediately.
Looking at their family's economic condition and members, he knew that even opening a small restaurant would be difficult.
Her sister had to go to work and quickly finished breakfast before bidding them goodbye.
She used to ride a bicycle, but last year she used her salary to buy herself a small green electric scooter.
The November morning was quite cold, and the leaves on the branches had all fallen, leaving them bare.
Seeing her sister set off so thinly clad, Ke Teng felt a pang of concern and offered to drive her.
Coincidentally, Jian Fei hadn't visited her sister's factory in a long time and wanted to see it, so the three of them went together.
The car Ke Teng's assistant had prepared for his business trip was a low-key, luxurious Bentley.
While not particularly conspicuous in a big city, it was quite eye-catching driving through the streets of the small county town.
On the way to the factory, her sister was very excited.
She had been unfashionably dressed for the first 22 years of her life, and the thought that she might finally hold her head high today made her tremble with joy.
Ke Teng drove the car all the way to the factory entrance before stopping. As expected, it attracted countless gazes.
The boss only drove a BMW 7 Series. Who was this important person who even outshone the boss?
When they saw her sister get out of the car, everyone was even more astonished.
Among the crowd, a pair of searching eyes was particularly noticeable—it was the young man her sister had a crush on, who was about to get married.
Seeing his surprised gaze, her sister felt proud yet somewhat flustered.
She gestured for Jian Fei and Ke Teng to leave quickly.
For her, holding her head high was enough.
Ke Teng was a perceptive person, understanding men's thoughts very well.
Especially since that man's gaze was different from others.
Recalling that phone call, he asked Jian Fei, "Is that the person your sister used to have a crush on?"
Jian Fei had seen photos and told him it was.
"He's quite ordinary. Your sister's taste isn't great."
He pulled her sister closer, tidied her collar, and knowing she could read lips, he slowly told her.
"You are beautiful, young, and have a bright future. Ordinary men are not worthy of you, especially these ones."
"Don't be sad over these people anymore. I'll introduce you to better ones. They can only admire you."
After dropping her sister off, Jian Fei had nothing to do and decided to go home to help her grandmother.
Ke Teng had to go to work, and they shared a kiss goodbye.
They hadn't seen each other all morning, and after a short nap at noon, Ke Teng called her at three in the afternoon.
He asked her to wait at the entrance to pick her up.
It felt like they hadn't seen each other in a long time, and Jian Fei was very excited.
She quietly washed her hair, tidied herself up, and even applied some cheap lipstick before going out.
Seeing her in good spirits, Ke Teng was also in a good mood and drove her directly to the largest shopping mall in the county town.
"Why are we here? Are you buying something?"
"I heard from a staff member that a shop here is for sale, so I came to take a look."
The shop he mentioned was on the first floor of the mall, the first one to the left of the main entrance.
It was a prime location that Jian Fei often saw but could only dream of.
He wasn't in the business of doing business in such a small place, so why would he look at a shop?
Ke Teng took her hand and they walked around the shop. The space and location were good. He asked Jian Fei how she felt about it.
Jian Fei said it was very nice, "But what do you want it for?"
"To open a restaurant. Grandma's cooking is so good, it would be a waste not to let her serve everyone. Let her run it."
Jian Fei never expected him to say that, and she immediately felt a sense of awkwardness.
She thought she had accepted her relationship with Ke Teng with equanimity, but that was only superficial.
He was good to her, cared about her, was willing to share his feelings with her, and wanted to be intimate with her. They got along well, which was already remarkable.
She didn't want him to spend money on her again and again.
Her pride couldn't take it.
After receiving so many years of education, only to be dependent on a man at every turn made her doubt her own abilities and feel a great sense of frustration.
"No need. Grandma's cooking is only suitable for a roadside stall, not for such a high-class venue. Besides..."
"Besides what?" Ke Teng interrupted her.
"I think the rent is very expensive, and you can't afford it, but you don't want me to help you pay it?"
Jian Fei always maintained a sense of distance in their relationship, which made him unhappy.
"You're overthinking it. I don't plan on helping you pay the rent. I bought it for my own use."
"Hmm?"
"I bought this shop. I'll be the boss, I'll handle the renovation, set the brand and rules, and let your sister and grandmother work for me."
Fortunately, he had planned everything in advance.
"Your sister is just an assembly line worker at the factory. After ten or eight years, there won't be much improvement. It's better for her to work with me."
"She can be the store manager and handle the finances. Not only will she get trained and build confidence, but she'll also gain experience in running a shop, isn't that good?"
He presented his actions as helping her and giving her family free gifts in a way that he hoped Jian Fei could accept.
However, the more he tried to make it sound noble, the more Jian Fei felt his good intentions and the more embarrassed she became.
For the first time in her life, she clearly understood why people said one should marry someone of equal social standing.