Along the way, the boy was talking nonstop. Ou Shaowen tried to reply at first, but later the driver joined in with great interest. The boy named Dong Qiao just laid on the seat and started chatting with the driver. The atmosphere was no longer one he could intervene in. In just a few dozen minutes, Ou Shaowen already knew his name, the school he graduated from, the plot of a play he had rehearsed in college, his experience of signing with an entertainment company, his favorite fruit, his height and weight, and his favorite movie.
The taxi soon arrived at Qingxi Bay Community, where the access control is strict and outside vehicles are not allowed to enter at will.
“Just stop here, I'll just walk in.” Ou Shaowen paid the fare with his mobile phone, finally ended this one-sided listening, and prepared to get off the car.
"Hey." Dong Qiao stopped him with a look of surprise, "This community is so big and so far away, are you just going to walk back? Doesn't the guard here know you? Or do you have an access card? It would be better to let the taxi take you directly to your doorstep."
"Not far." When he usually runs for exercise in the community, he often runs three or five laps around the entire community.
"How about I take you in?" He quickly jumped down and said, "I'm really thirsty after dancing practice. Is it okay for me to go to your house and have a cup of tea?"
Ou Shaowen fell silent and looked at him without saying a word.
The atmosphere was somewhat stagnant. Dong Qiao's eyes wandered, avoiding his gaze, and he smiled brightly, "The taxi has left, why are we still here? Come in, I'm dying of thirst."
“But…” Ou Shaowen finally spoke.
Dong Qiao pursed his lips tightly, feeling an indescribable nervousness.
"Didn't you tell me before that we would each pay half of the fare?" He said in a serious tone, without any teasing in his tone.
Dong Qiao heaved a sigh of relief, picked up his phone and asked to add WeChat friends to transfer money, while walking naturally towards the community.
Ou Shaowen followed him, his mind attracted by the noun he had just heard, “I don’t have WeChat.”
"No way." Dong Qiao looked at him in disbelief. "What era is this? How can someone not even have WeChat?"
Before Ou Shaowen could answer, he became excited again, “It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ll teach you how to apply for one. It’s very simple.”
The tone was exactly the same as when Qi Yue found out that he didn't have a Weibo account.
Ou Shaowen watched Dong Qiao use his phone to apply for WeChat, and then added him as a friend. "Come on, I'll send you a red envelope. How much was the fare just now?"
"eighty."
"Then I'll transfer you 40 yuan." He really sent a red envelope and leaned over to look at his phone screen. "You can receive it when you click on the red envelope."
Ou Shaowen took the money, nodded slightly at him, and walked home in silence again.
At first, Dong Qiao asked a few questions about what training courses Qi Meng had arranged for him. Later, as he walked farther, his strength, which had been restored to a limited extent, ran out again. He finally reached the door of the villa, and he let out a breath. He hung on Ou Shaowen and wailed intermittently: "Oh, God, I can't do it anymore. I really can't do it today. I feel like I have reached the limit of my physical strength. I can't walk anymore."
Ou Shaowen glanced at him and rang the doorbell.
The garden door opened automatically to both sides. Ou Shaowen reached out and slowly but firmly pushed it open. "We're here."
They walked along a garden path that was considered long for Dong Qiao, and finally arrived at the main entrance. He climbed two steps, found a wall, and leaned against it.
"Xiao Wen, why did you come back by yourself? I was just about to tell you..." Aunt Zhou opened the door and immediately saw a sweaty and panting teenager standing not far from Ou Shaowen. She swallowed back what she was about to say and smiled warmly and politely, "Xiao Wen, is this your friend? Come on, come on, why didn't you call Lao Li to pick him up? He looks so tired. Come in and have a drink of water first."
"Thank you, Auntie." Dong Qiao instantly showed a well-behaved smile.
As he walked in, he couldn't help but feel excited. Before today, he had never thought that he could enter Mr. Ou's house so easily and drink Mr. Ou's tea. He held the teacup and swallowed it in small sips, trying to make his expression look natural and calm.
"Aunt Zhou, I'll go upstairs first." He wanted to get familiar with the new things he learned today.
"Um, what about your friend?" For a normal person, it would be too rude to just leave the invited guest there alone.
Of course, Ou Shaowen was not a normal person, so he replied as a matter of course: "I brought him in because he said he was thirsty and wanted to drink water. He can leave after drinking water." After thinking for a while, he added, "He is not my friend. We just met today."
Dong Qiao was halfway through drinking his water when he realized belatedly that Ou Shaowen had long disappeared. The person who looked like a nanny was trimming a pot of flowers on the dining table and looking at him from time to time.
Dong Qiao followed her line of sight and looked at the empty teacup in his hand. His face instantly became hot and he smiled awkwardly, "Auntie, can I have another glass of water? I'm sorry, I just finished a dance class with Shao Wen and I'm thirsty."
Aunt Zhou just smiled and didn't say anything. She nodded and poured him another glass. Dong Qiao finished another glass of water and tried to chat up a few things. After getting only a bland response from Aunt Zhou, he finally had no reason to stay here any longer. He stood up and waved to Aunt Zhou cheerfully, "Thank you for the water, Auntie. I'll go back first."
Aunt Zhou immediately dropped the things in her hands and walked him out the door. "Okay, then drive slowly. I'll open the door for you."
After quickly sending the person away, Aunt Zhou's face changed, and she went upstairs and knocked on Ou Shaowen's door with a look of disappointment.
"What's wrong, Aunt Zhou?" He looked confused.
"You don't even know him, but you brought him home?" Aunt Zhou's face was unusually serious. "In the future, you don't have to pay attention to friends who come up to you after only meeting you once. Come in for a drink of water? What an old excuse. There are two-yuan bottles of mineral water everywhere on any street outside. I don't believe he doesn't have money to buy one?"
Ou Shaowen actually didn’t have a clear idea of which products were sold and where, but he still nodded obediently, “Okay, next time I’ll suggest that he buy it himself.”
"Next time? There won't be a next time. This kind of person has a thicker face than a city wall. If you have a slightly better temper and get stuck with him, you can't get rid of him even if you want to." Aunt Zhou was employed by Ou Renjin. She was used to the people coming and going around him. She always maintained a neutral attitude before, not saying much and not meddling in other people's business. But who can help her in the kitchen every day like Ou Shaowen, and think of buying her gifts when he makes money? People's hearts are biased. Now, she just hopes that the child can stay in the villa as long as possible, and it would be even better if he can live here for life.
Ou Shaowen was a little puzzled, but he did not raise any objection.
Aunt Zhou saw the expression on his face and knew that he hadn't reacted yet. She couldn't help but sigh, "Do you know why she followed you back to the villa so stubbornly?"
Ou Shaowen shook his head.
"He must have some intentions towards Mr. Ou. He wants to replace him and become the new owner of this villa."
Ou Shaowen's pupils dilated slightly and his face immediately darkened.
Aunt Zhou was still mumbling, "Just now he was hinting at something, asking why Mr. Ou didn't pick you up after class and asked you to take a taxi back. He was being evasive, and he probably thought he was asking politely. I've seen a lot of people, and I know what he's thinking just by looking at him."
Ou Shaowen's expression became colder and colder. He nodded and responded seriously again this time, "Okay, I understand."
Back in the room, he sat on the bed, holding his phone. In fact, he had heard the story of Ou Renjin and the previous owners of the villa many times through many channels, but he never felt that he played the same role as those predecessors. Ou Renjin did not keep him by his side out of love. Their relationship was based on mission and purpose. He deeply understood this and had been prepared to leave after he lost his value.
Whether he leaves in five years or now, he can accept it calmly...
I think you can accept it calmly, right
However, just now, when he knew that the boy who looked so kind and enthusiastic walked into the villa with such a purpose, he suddenly felt very unhappy, more unhappy than every time he learned that he was scheduled for surgery immediately.
Just as he was thinking about how he should reject this person the next time he met him, some special ringtones suddenly rang.
Ou Shaowen's eyes immediately softened, and he forgot everything in an instant. When he picked up the phone, the melody of a song he heard from somewhere was still echoing in his mind.
"I heard that you brought a friend home?" Ou Renjin stared at the figure who was embraced on the computer screen and tapped the pen in his hand.