Chapter 70: Uncle Wang’s Plea

On the afternoon of the third day of the Lunar New Year, an old acquaintance, Uncle Wang, arrived at the shop.

Perhaps due to his age and susceptibility to cold, Uncle Wang was bundled in a thick down jacket. His already slender frame was wrapped like a giant glutinous rice dumpling, and he entered the shop with a distinctly worried expression.

Yue Renhui had once been a young apprentice under Uncle Wang, and he had received a great deal of support from him when he first opened his own shop. He held this kindness deeply in his heart. Every time he saw Uncle Wang, he would greet him politely, “Oh, Uncle Wang, what a rare sight! Come, sit down and warm yourself by the electric heater!”

Uncle Wang didn’t bother with formalities. He placed his somewhat stiff hands in front of the warm air, sighing heavily. “Ah! What a bother, what a bother!”

“What’s bothering you, Uncle Wang? Why don’t you tell me about it?”

“Sigh!” Uncle Wang let out another heavy sigh, then cast his gaze towards Lin Duo at the cash register.

Yue Renhui immediately understood. “Is it about your precious grandson?”

“Indeed it is!” Uncle Wang looked utterly dejected. “That boy, honestly! Isn’t it normal not to succeed when pursuing a girl? This isn’t the old society where marriages were arranged by parents and matchmakers, and at his age, his main focus should be on studying. There’s no rush for romance at all.

“But that boy, oh, that boy! He insists on me, an old man, stepping in, and he keeps threatening to go on a hunger strike! I initially thought he was joking, but yesterday, he genuinely didn’t touch a drop of water all day! This is truly a torment!”

Lin Duo, at the cash register, had heard the entire conversation clearly. She stood up anxiously. “Uncle Wang, is that true? Wang Linshu is on a hunger strike?!”

Wang Desheng, now standing, walked over to Lin Duo. “That’s why I had no choice but to swallow my pride and come here. I won’t force you to do anything, just go and talk some sense into that boy. He’s truly too obsessed with you, and I’m afraid he might do something foolish.

“Even if he’s a disappointment, he’s still my only grandson. If anything were to happen to him, I’d have nothing left to look forward to in this life.”

After all, Uncle Wang was an elder to Lin Duo and had shown kindness to her foster parents’ family. Lin Duo naturally couldn’t bring herself to refuse him, especially with her foster father also trying to persuade her. “Daughter, why don’t you go and see young Wang? At least prevent him from doing something rash in a moment of impulse.”

Finally, Lin Duo relented, speaking softly. “How should I meet him then?”

“That boy just wants to stroll around nearby and chat with you, saying he has something to explain. Wait, I’ll call him over right now.”

Upon receiving Lin Duo’s affirmative reply, Wang Desheng seemed overjoyed. He made a phone call home, chatted with Yue Renhui for a while longer, and then left.

****

After Uncle Wang had departed, Yue Renhui approached and patted Lin Duo’s shoulder. “Uncle Wang’s request isn’t unreasonable, and it’s hard for our family to refuse.

“However, your parents would never force you to do anything you don’t want to. For now, just comfort young Wang, say some polite words, and make him completely give up on this idea. Then this matter will be settled.”

Lin Duo nodded, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions, pondering what she would say later.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, a familiar figure, panting, stopped outside the shop door. Lin Duo had already changed into her outdoor down jacket and wool hat. She walked a few steps outside, her expression complex as she looked at Wang Linshu. “What do you have to say? Just say it quickly!”

“Um… let’s talk as we walk!” Wang Linshu forced a smile, but it didn’t quite match his haggard demeanor.

And so, the two walked side by side down the familiar street, neither speaking for a while.

As they passed a northern-style restaurant on the street, Wang Linshu tentatively broke the silence. “Xiaoduo, I remember you really like the food here. How about we go in and eat something?”

Lin Duo simply nodded gently, following Wang Linshu into the establishment.

Since it wasn’t yet dinner time, there weren’t many customers. They sat at a window-side table and casually ordered a bottle of a drink and two small dishes.

Wang Linshu proactively filled Lin Duo’s cup with the drink. Lin Duo took it, habitually said “Thank you,” and then slowly sipped, her gaze fixed on the snowflakes gently drifting outside the window.

Wang Linshu bit his lip, finally speaking. “Everything that day was my fault. Can you forgive me?”

Lin Duo set down her cup and sighed softly. “I can forgive you, but can you promise not to pursue me anymore?”

“Why… why can’t I pursue you? What’s wrong with liking someone?” Wang Linshu’s expression was agonizingly pained, and he uncontrollably clutched his head with both hands.

Lin Duo gently lowered her gaze. “There’s nothing wrong with liking someone, but you shouldn’t like me, because there won’t be any future for us.”

“Why… why!” Wang Linshu’s voice gradually rose. “You don’t have to agree to be with me now, but why won’t you even give me a chance to pursue you? Is there something wrong with liking a beautiful girl like you? Or am I so awful that I don’t deserve to like you?!”

Watching her former deskmate in such agony, how could Lin Duo feel any better? She desperately wanted to reveal the truth, to bring a definitive end to this relationship.

Yet, she couldn’t. Once a secret was known by a second person, it ceased to be a secret. Moreover, Wang Linshu, upon learning the truth, would surely be devastated and lose control, making it even less likely he could keep it quiet.

Lin Duo’s only recourse was to avoid Wang Linshu’s gaze, taking small sips of her drink, though the fluttering of her long eyelashes hinted at the turmoil within her.

Just then, the proprietress brought their dishes. Lin Duo picked up her chopsticks and ate a couple of bites, only to realize that Wang Linshu had no intention of picking up his own.

Hesitantly, she picked up a piece of food and brought it to Wang Linshu’s mouth. “Here, I’m lowering myself to personally feed you. You decide what you’re going to do!”

The tactic proved effective. Wang Linshu abruptly swallowed the food, nearly biting through the chopsticks, and the tension in his expression eased slightly. “I used to fantasize about you feeding me, but I never imagined it would happen under such circumstances.”

“I’m just afraid you’ll starve yourself sick from your hunger strike, so don’t get any ideas!” Lin Duo sternly retorted.

Of course, Lin Duo didn’t want the person in front of her to starve to death, so she patiently continued to feed him. A glow of happiness began to spread across Wang Linshu’s face. “I truly wish you could be my wife someday, feeding me like this every day.”

Unexpectedly, Lin Duo’s face instantly darkened, and she slammed her chopsticks onto the table. “Hey! Don’t push your luck! Eat it yourself!”

Wang Linshu still couldn’t fathom what he had said wrong. Though the beautiful girl across from him was so close, close enough to clearly see the alluring color of her cherry lips, he simply couldn’t decipher her thoughts.

It was as if a strange, dark cloud hung between them. However, Wang Linshu didn’t dwell on it too much; a woman’s heart was like a needle at the bottom of the sea, and it was normal for him not to understand.

After the meal, Wang Linshu naturally paid the bill. Lin Duo didn’t interfere, as she had recently gained some preliminary knowledge of ‘men’s studies’ from her roommates.

For instance, she now understood that one shouldn’t refuse when a man offered to treat, as it could make him quite unhappy.

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