Chapter 125: Sharing a Dorm
Ai Ning blankly held his chopsticks. He had never thought of it this way before.
He wasn’t a “defective product” born from inheriting that scumbag’s genes; he was a “protector” born to help his mother escape that hell.
Thinking like this completely changed his mood.
He Meng looked at Gu Qinghuan with admiration. She had always thought that the people on TV who could persuade others just by talking were ridiculous.
Now it seemed it was real! There were actually people who could bring such an enlightening effect with just a few words!
She also knew that her childhood friend Ai Ning had always been concerned about being the child of that scumbag, but she usually comforted him by pointing out that he wasn’t like that man, highlighting the differences between them.
She hadn’t expected this explanation, and it greatly broadened her perspective!
Gu Qinghuan had eaten a lot of meat and was feeling a bit full, so she started cooking some leafy greens in the hot pot.
Ai Ning’s personality she had observed before—stubborn at times but inherently decent, even somewhat sensitive.
After hearing about his family situation the day before, Gu Qinghuan could understand and decided to comfort him from another perspective.
Rather than worrying about a hateful father, it was better to focus on how he had helped his mother, right?
Suddenly, Ai Ning stood up: “Sorry, I need to use the restroom.”
He said it and hurried off, leaving Gu Qinghuan and He Meng seated.
He Meng snapped out of her thoughts and enthusiastically said to Gu Qinghuan, “What else do you want to eat? I’ll cook it for you!”
Gu Qinghuan couldn’t refuse, so she accepted her offer, waiting to be fed by He Meng.
“Ai Ning told me about you a long time ago,” He Meng said while eyeing the meat slices. “He said the class president in his class is really amazing. I was curious, and now I finally get to meet you.”
Gu Qinghuan stared at the ceiling: “I don’t think that was a compliment…” Her main impression was that she had been annoyed with Ai Ning and had even lectured him.
He Meng laughed: “No, really! It’s all praise!”
“Although from what you just said, Aunt Wan seems a little pitiful, she’s actually incredible. After the divorce, she returned to her hometown and took over the old factory her family left behind.”
“Originally, her family planned to sell the factory, but Aunt Wan gradually grew it stronger. Now she’s an outstanding local entrepreneur and has even received the March 8th Red Banner honor.”
“I’ve admired Aunt Wan since I was a kid. Of course, she’s so busy that Ai Ning, as her son, sometimes feels lonely or thinks his mom doesn’t care. I wanted to comfort him, but I never got it right.”
Here, she looked at Gu Qinghuan with shining eyes: “Hearing what you said earlier, I really admire you! You thought of it that way! You comforted him in an instant!”
Gu Qinghuan felt a little embarrassed by the praise and added, “Actually, about what I said regarding alimony, if you don’t want much contact with your father, just keep your distance and regularly transfer the minimum court-mandated alimony.”
“Sometimes, rather than wasting time and energy on people you dislike, it’s better to focus on yourself.”
He Meng stroked her chin thoughtfully: “I think combining both approaches is best! Spend some time dealing with him to make him behave, then let him stay far away, just transfer some money regularly.”
Gu Qinghuan gave her a thumbs-up: “That works. Alternating the methods will definitely make him the one who can’t handle it first.”
“Exactly,” He Meng grinned. “As for lawsuits, we can leave them to the lawyer. We don’t care about the money—we just don’t want him to have it easy.”
At that moment, Ai Ning returned. His face didn’t show anything, but the hair on his temples and forehead was slightly damp, probably from washing his face. Whether he had cried or not, no one needed to pry; sometimes crying is just a way to relieve emotions.
Gu Qinghuan called out: “Keep eating! There’s plenty left!”
Ai Ning sat down again, looking much brighter: “Okay, let’s continue.”
The three of them finished lunch in a lively atmosphere. He Meng even added Gu Qinghuan on WeChat, saying she wanted to chat more.
Gu Qinghuan, feeling full, wanted a drink. After hesitating between the takeout and the small convenience store in the cafeteria, she decided on the store—it was ready to drink immediately.
She said goodbye to Ai Ning and He Meng and went to the convenience store alone.
The items in the store were not cheap. After browsing, Gu Qinghuan set her sights on the hot chocolate milk in the heated drinks section.
There was only one left—wasn’t this fate? Definitely meant to be hers!
She picked up the hot chocolate milk and was about to check out when someone suddenly rushed over, opened the cabinet, reached out, paused mid-air, and let out an “ah!”
“Excuse me,” a young woman asked anxiously, “is this hot chocolate milk still available?”
“There’s some left, I’ll get it for you,” the cashier said, retrieving a few boxes from the storage and handing one to the young woman. The rest remained in the heated cabinet.
“This is cold. Is there any hot left?” the young woman said, looking flustered.
The cashier shook his head: “No, it needs time to heat.”
“How long?” she asked.
“I honestly haven’t timed it. Maybe ten or so minutes,” the cashier replied.
Seeing her panic, he suggested: “You could ask the back kitchen for some hot water and warm it directly.”
The young woman shook her head: “No, these cardboard boxes absorb water. The edges will get wet. He’ll definitely get mad.”
Buying something for someone else? And judging by her appearance, she didn’t seem like a teacher… or a production staff member?
Gu Qinghuan thought and handed her own hot chocolate milk over: “Hi, do you want this one?”
“Yes!” The young woman nodded instinctively, then realized: “Are you giving it to me, student?”
“Yeah, I don’t have to drink this. You can take it to checkout,” Gu Qinghuan waved her hand. “Hurry, or it’ll get cold.”
“Thank you, thank you!” The young woman thanked her twice, paid, tucked the drink under her arm, and dashed off.
Gu Qinghuan picked out a soy milk instead, paid, and sipped it on her way back to the office.
By the time she arrived, Yu Xin was already there, cleaning the calico cat’s litter box, while the cat sat atop a nearby cabinet, looking down.
“Xin Bao, I’ll handle it,” Gu Qinghuan said, putting down her soy milk to help.
“I’m already napping at your place, helping a bit is only natural,” Yu Xin replied, efficiently finishing the cleaning and taking out the trash.
After washing her hands and returning, she casually asked, “Was the hot pot lamb good?”
“Delicious!” Gu Qinghuan nodded. “Tonight when I get home, I’ll leave a comment on the cafeteria’s public account with my feedback. By the way, Xin Bao, what did you eat?”
“I had claypot rice noodles,” Yu Xin answered. In winter, the clay pot keeps it warm; eating it warms the whole body.
A few minutes later, Jiang Chuchu arrived: “I thought you were already asleep.”
“We were waiting for you,” Gu Qinghuan said, taking out their small blankets.
Even if they hadn’t eaten together, they could still nap together.
