Mei Fang immediately answered without hesitation:
“Who else would call me that…it must be Sister Yue Yue, right?”
“Hehe… bingo!”
Mei Fang brushed away the hands covering his eyes and faced the older cousin dressed in jeans and a white jacket. She had short, wavy curly hair, and among her beautiful features, the mole below the corner of her left eye was particularly noticeable.
She was also pleasantly surprised to see Mei Fang.
“Wow, Xiaofangzi, you’ve grown so handsome! I’m sure I wouldn’t recognize you if I saw you on the street.”
“It’s not that exaggerated, is it?” Mei Fang waved his hand dismissively, engaging in some mutual flattery typical of the Mei family. “Sister Yue Yue, you’re the one who has become more and more beautiful. Oh, did you come here with Uncle and Auntie?”
“Yes, your dad kept urging us to visit your new house. I took a few extra days off work for this. I couldn’t see you during New Year last year because I was preparing for the civil service exam. So this year, I came specially to see you and Xiaoya.”
As Mei Yue said this, she couldn’t help but reach out and pinch Mei Fang’s cheeks: “Oh, this little handsome guy is so good-looking! Let Sister Yue Yue pinch you some more! The more I pinch, the more red envelopes I’ll give you!”
“Sigh…”
This cheerful and lively young lady was Mei Fang’s cousin, Mei Yue. She was about seven or eight years older than Mei Fang but had always lived with her parents in Echeng. Therefore, they rarely had the opportunity to meet.
In his previous life, Mei Fang had a good relationship with Mei Yue during their childhood. Mei Fang spent his second, third, and sixth grade summer vacations at his uncle, Mei Lixiong’s house in Echeng, and his sister Yue Yue was always there to take care of him and play with him. However, in this life, he was busy maintaining a pure friendship with his two childhood sweethearts, so he only went to Echeng for one summer vacation.
When Xiang Xiaoxia was pregnant with Mei Ya and needed to avoid acquaintances in Baimei, she stayed at Mei Lixiong’s house in Echeng for the entire year.
Mei Ya was also born in Echeng, and for two years, Mei Yue helped take care of Xiang Xiaoxia and the infant Mei Ya.
Such events also helped this generation of cousins maintain a good relationship. Although their contact decreased significantly as they grew up, every meeting still felt warm.
However, in the past two years, whenever Mei Fang faced Mei Yue, he would always ask her about one thing, as if he had been concerned about it for a long time.
“Sister Yue Yue, let me ask you, do you have a boyfriend right now?”
“Ah… Xiaofangzi, why are you so interested in my love life lately? Are you worried that your sister Yue Yue won’t be able to get married?”
Mei Yue helplessly crossed her arms and sighed.
“This is a matter of great concern for our family’s eldest sister. There must have been many people chasing after Sister Yue Yue in college, and you must definitely have even more admirers after you started working. Since Sister Yue Yue is the eldest princess of our Mei family, we can’t let you be snatched away by just anyone.”
“Don’t worry, there isn’t anyone at the moment…” Mei Yue said while suddenly shifting her gaze elsewhere. Mei Fang had seen this coy gesture too many times from Xia Yuan, so he quickly understood her thoughts.
“So, it means it’s not official yet?”
Mei Fang continued to inquire along the same topic, “But is it close to becoming official?”
“If you put it that way…” Mei Yue seemed a bit hesitant when answering the question. “Well, there is someone.”
“Then, what does he do?”
Mei Yue playfully punched Mei Fang and said, “You’re in such a hurry to dig into my love life! Hey, did you make a deal with my dad to come and get information on my love life? He’s been pressuring me to go on blind dates lately, making me meet those potential matches from within the party that Uncle introduced. I’m so tired of it.”
“No, no, it’s not related to Uncle. I’m just genuinely curious!”
Mei Fang smiled and said, “After all, ordinary men are not worthy of our sister Yue Yue.”
“Don’t say that. I’m nothing special. But he did start a business in Jiangcheng. He’s a small business owner.”
“I see… got it! So, it seems that Sister Yue Yue has caught the attention of a handsome and wealthy man?”
“It’s not official yet, so don’t tell my dad!”
Mei Yue playfully hooked her arm around Mei Fang’s shoulder. “Otherwise, I’ll let you experience the Yue Yue’s Iron Fist, the one you were most afraid of when you were little!”
“Alright, alright, I won’t tell anyone. But I see there are a lot of scammers out there these days, so if I have a chance, let your little cousin meet him and help you assess him.
“Fine… Since you’re so interested in meeting him, I’ll consider it. He’s currently working in Jiangcheng, so after New Year, when I have a chance to visit your school, I’ll take you to meet him.”
“Great! But before that, you’re not allowed to officially start your relationship with him. Otherwise, don’t blame me for reporting it to Uncle and Auntie.”
“Alright, you’re quite clever Xiaofangzi… Go back inside quickly, Dad and Mom haven’t seen you yet. I’m going to find Xiaoya and have some quality time with her.”
“Got it!”
Mei Fang followed behind his cousin after their conversation, and the smile on his face gradually faded.
In her previous life, Mei Yue had always been an optimistic and cheerful young lady. However, not long after graduating and starting work, she met and fell in love with a scumbag man, eventually marrying him.
Ever since the scumbag got together with Mei Yue, he not only used sweet words to deceive her out of her life savings but also mortgaged her father’s house to take out loans for construction projects, which eventually led to him losing everything and disappearing without a trace.
Having been retired for many years, Mei Fang’s uncle had to drag his elderly body to do odd jobs and run a street stall to pay off debts, all in order to prevent their house from being taken away.
Mei Yue was unable to find the scumbag after that, and she also developed hysteria due to self-reproach and shame, sometimes falling into a state of madness.
This tragedy completely shattered Mei Lixiong’s family, turning them into the laughingstock of their neighborhood, and Mei Yue’s mother spent her days in tears.
In his previous life, Mei Fang couldn’t do anything for his uncle’s family, and watching his once lively cousin fall into such a state pained him deeply.
But now, with a fresh start in this new life, Mei Fang wouldn’t let this tragedy repeat itself in their family. He would find a way to prevent his sister Yue Yue from falling into the trap of that scumbag again.
Mei Fang entered the house and warmly greeted Mei Lixiong and his wife, saying, “Hello, Uncle and Auntie!”
“Oh… Mei Fang, you’ve grown so big!” His uncle exclaimed upon seeing him. His aunt was also delighted and said, “You’ve become such a young man. It’s amazing how much you change every year.”
“Auntie, you’re getting younger and younger. Your skincare is really good.”
“Mei Fang really knows how to speak well, as expected of someone from Jiangcheng NOHS.”
Compared to his energetic younger brother, Mei Lijun, the older brother, Mei Lixiong, appeared much more calm. “How is life at Jiangcheng NOHS? Is the academic pressure still high?”
“Not bad. Everyone is very capable… I can barely keep up.”
“That’s still impressive. Work hard. Our generation of the Mei family relies on you for a bright future. You should also take care of your cousin more. Although she is much older than you, she only knows how to have fun and doesn’t think about anything else.”
“You’re bad-mouthing me in front of my little cousin again, I can hear you!” Mei Yue protested as she grabbed Mei Ya’s hand at the door.
Mei Fang’s paternal relatives did not live very close to each other. The two brothers, Mei Lixiong and Mei Lijun, along with their younger sister, Mei Lirong, who got married and moved to Xingcheng in Hunan Province. They didn’t meet often due to the distance.
Mei Fang’s grandparents passed away when he was three years old, leaving behind the ancestral property, which was an old house. This house was given to the youngest son, Mei Lijun, who stayed in their hometown.
Of course, Mei Lijun lived up to expectations. Through his hard work, he became a deputy director, the most successful member of the Mei family so far.
After Mei Lijun became successful, some distant relatives who had little contact before started coming around to benefit from his achievements. Moving to Baizhou actually reduced the troubles caused by those relatives.
Of course, the relationship between the two brothers had always been good, even before Mei Lijun achieved success. Even now, Mei Lixiong was still calling Mei Lijun “little brother” or “Lijun” as usual, without using any honorifics.
After exchanging greetings with his uncle and aunt, Mei Fang chatted with them for a bit. Xiang Xiaoxia came out of the kitchen wiping her hands at this moment. The mother and son often talk to each other through phone calls or video calls, so it wasn’t really a long-awaited reunion, and there was no need for much small talk. When she saw Mei Fang, she immediately urged him:
“Go take a shower! You’ve been sitting in the car for so long. Xiaoya, you too.”
Mei Ya reluctantly replied, “Why do I have to take a shower? I shower every day. It’s so cold, I don’t want to get undressed.”
“Stop acting like a baby. Go and take a shower quickly.”
“Auntie, I’ll help Mei Ya wash up!”
“Great! I want to take a shower with Sister Yue Yue!”
“You still need someone to help you wash at this age. Aren’t you embarrassed?”
“No, I’m not embarrassed. I’m super happy!”
“You little brat…”
With Mei Ya’s lively personality, the house was filled with a joyous atmosphere.
While chatting with everyone, Mei Fang secretly checked his phone. In the group chat with the three of them, Xia Yuan had sent a message half an hour ago, saying that they had arrived home and even shared a photo of their family dinner.
The photo showed Xia Yuan’s family, including the still beautiful and elegant Teacher Yu.
【Having dinner at our house tonight! It seems like my mom’s cooking has improved a bit. What do you think?】
【Then I should try it when I go back.】
Mei Fang had just sent the message but Xia Yuan replied instantly.
【You better not try it. It will ruin the beautiful image of my mom that you’ve had in your heart all this time. QwQ】
Mei Fang smiled and shook his head while looking at the screen, then unconsciously let out a sigh.
Although the atmosphere at home was currently warm, something still felt missing.
I kind of want to recharge Yuan Yuan’s and Youxi’s super energy right now. Sigh…
Mei Fang immediately answered without hesitation:
“Who else would call me that…it must be Sister Yue Yue, right?”
“Hehe… bingo!”
Mei Fang brushed away the hands covering his eyes and faced the older cousin dressed in jeans and a white jacket. She had short, wavy curly hair, and among her beautiful features, the mole below the corner of her left eye was particularly noticeable.
She was also pleasantly surprised to see Mei Fang.
“Wow, Xiaofangzi, you’ve grown so handsome! I’m sure I wouldn’t recognize you if I saw you on the street.”
“It’s not that exaggerated, is it?” Mei Fang waved his hand dismissively, engaging in some mutual flattery typical of the Mei family. “Sister Yue Yue, you’re the one who has become more and more beautiful. Oh, did you come here with Uncle and Auntie?”
“Yes, your dad kept urging us to visit your new house. I took a few extra days off work for this. I couldn’t see you during New Year last year because I was preparing for the civil service exam. So this year, I came specially to see you and Xiaoya.”
As Mei Yue said this, she couldn’t help but reach out and pinch Mei Fang’s cheeks: “Oh, this little handsome guy is so good-looking! Let Sister Yue Yue pinch you some more! The more I pinch, the more red envelopes I’ll give you!”
“Sigh…”
This cheerful and lively young lady was Mei Fang’s cousin, Mei Yue. She was about seven or eight years older than Mei Fang but had always lived with her parents in Echeng. Therefore, they rarely had the opportunity to meet.
In his previous life, Mei Fang had a good relationship with Mei Yue during their childhood. Mei Fang spent his second, third, and sixth grade summer vacations at his uncle, Mei Lixiong’s house in Echeng, and his sister Yue Yue was always there to take care of him and play with him. However, in this life, he was busy maintaining a pure friendship with his two childhood sweethearts, so he only went to Echeng for one summer vacation.
When Xiang Xiaoxia was pregnant with Mei Ya and needed to avoid acquaintances in Baimei, she stayed at Mei Lixiong’s house in Echeng for the entire year.
Mei Ya was also born in Echeng, and for two years, Mei Yue helped take care of Xiang Xiaoxia and the infant Mei Ya.
Such events also helped this generation of cousins maintain a good relationship. Although their contact decreased significantly as they grew up, every meeting still felt warm.
However, in the past two years, whenever Mei Fang faced Mei Yue, he would always ask her about one thing, as if he had been concerned about it for a long time.
“Sister Yue Yue, let me ask you, do you have a boyfriend right now?”
“Ah… Xiaofangzi, why are you so interested in my love life lately? Are you worried that your sister Yue Yue won’t be able to get married?”
Mei Yue helplessly crossed her arms and sighed.
“This is a matter of great concern for our family’s eldest sister. There must have been many people chasing after Sister Yue Yue in college, and you must definitely have even more admirers after you started working. Since Sister Yue Yue is the eldest princess of our Mei family, we can’t let you be snatched away by just anyone.”
“Don’t worry, there isn’t anyone at the moment…” Mei Yue said while suddenly shifting her gaze elsewhere. Mei Fang had seen this coy gesture too many times from Xia Yuan, so he quickly understood her thoughts.
“So, it means it’s not official yet?”
Mei Fang continued to inquire along the same topic, “But is it close to becoming official?”
“If you put it that way…” Mei Yue seemed a bit hesitant when answering the question. “Well, there is someone.”
“Then, what does he do?”
Mei Yue playfully punched Mei Fang and said, “You’re in such a hurry to dig into my love life! Hey, did you make a deal with my dad to come and get information on my love life? He’s been pressuring me to go on blind dates lately, making me meet those potential matches from within the party that Uncle introduced. I’m so tired of it.”
“No, no, it’s not related to Uncle. I’m just genuinely curious!”
Mei Fang smiled and said, “After all, ordinary men are not worthy of our sister Yue Yue.”
“Don’t say that. I’m nothing special. But he did start a business in Jiangcheng. He’s a small business owner.”
“I see… got it! So, it seems that Sister Yue Yue has caught the attention of a handsome and wealthy man?”
“It’s not official yet, so don’t tell my dad!”
Mei Yue playfully hooked her arm around Mei Fang’s shoulder. “Otherwise, I’ll let you experience the Yue Yue’s Iron Fist, the one you were most afraid of when you were little!”
“Alright, alright, I won’t tell anyone. But I see there are a lot of scammers out there these days, so if I have a chance, let your little cousin meet him and help you assess him.
“Fine… Since you’re so interested in meeting him, I’ll consider it. He’s currently working in Jiangcheng, so after New Year, when I have a chance to visit your school, I’ll take you to meet him.”
“Great! But before that, you’re not allowed to officially start your relationship with him. Otherwise, don’t blame me for reporting it to Uncle and Auntie.”
“Alright, you’re quite clever Xiaofangzi… Go back inside quickly, Dad and Mom haven’t seen you yet. I’m going to find Xiaoya and have some quality time with her.”
“Got it!”
Mei Fang followed behind his cousin after their conversation, and the smile on his face gradually faded.
In her previous life, Mei Yue had always been an optimistic and cheerful young lady. However, not long after graduating and starting work, she met and fell in love with a scumbag man, eventually marrying him.
Ever since the scumbag got together with Mei Yue, he not only used sweet words to deceive her out of her life savings but also mortgaged her father’s house to take out loans for construction projects, which eventually led to him losing everything and disappearing without a trace.
Having been retired for many years, Mei Fang’s uncle had to drag his elderly body to do odd jobs and run a street stall to pay off debts, all in order to prevent their house from being taken away.
Mei Yue was unable to find the scumbag after that, and she also developed hysteria due to self-reproach and shame, sometimes falling into a state of madness.
This tragedy completely shattered Mei Lixiong’s family, turning them into the laughingstock of their neighborhood, and Mei Yue’s mother spent her days in tears.
In his previous life, Mei Fang couldn’t do anything for his uncle’s family, and watching his once lively cousin fall into such a state pained him deeply.
But now, with a fresh start in this new life, Mei Fang wouldn’t let this tragedy repeat itself in their family. He would find a way to prevent his sister Yue Yue from falling into the trap of that scumbag again.
Mei Fang entered the house and warmly greeted Mei Lixiong and his wife, saying, “Hello, Uncle and Auntie!”
“Oh… Mei Fang, you’ve grown so big!” His uncle exclaimed upon seeing him. His aunt was also delighted and said, “You’ve become such a young man. It’s amazing how much you change every year.”
“Auntie, you’re getting younger and younger. Your skincare is really good.”
“Mei Fang really knows how to speak well, as expected of someone from Jiangcheng NOHS.”
Compared to his energetic younger brother, Mei Lijun, the older brother, Mei Lixiong, appeared much more calm. “How is life at Jiangcheng NOHS? Is the academic pressure still high?”
“Not bad. Everyone is very capable… I can barely keep up.”
“That’s still impressive. Work hard. Our generation of the Mei family relies on you for a bright future. You should also take care of your cousin more. Although she is much older than you, she only knows how to have fun and doesn’t think about anything else.”
“You’re bad-mouthing me in front of my little cousin again, I can hear you!” Mei Yue protested as she grabbed Mei Ya’s hand at the door.
Mei Fang’s paternal relatives did not live very close to each other. The two brothers, Mei Lixiong and Mei Lijun, along with their younger sister, Mei Lirong, who got married and moved to Xingcheng in Hunan Province. They didn’t meet often due to the distance.
Mei Fang’s grandparents passed away when he was three years old, leaving behind the ancestral property, which was an old house. This house was given to the youngest son, Mei Lijun, who stayed in their hometown.
Of course, Mei Lijun lived up to expectations. Through his hard work, he became a deputy director, the most successful member of the Mei family so far.
After Mei Lijun became successful, some distant relatives who had little contact before started coming around to benefit from his achievements. Moving to Baizhou actually reduced the troubles caused by those relatives.
Of course, the relationship between the two brothers had always been good, even before Mei Lijun achieved success. Even now, Mei Lixiong was still calling Mei Lijun “little brother” or “Lijun” as usual, without using any honorifics.
After exchanging greetings with his uncle and aunt, Mei Fang chatted with them for a bit. Xiang Xiaoxia came out of the kitchen wiping her hands at this moment. The mother and son often talk to each other through phone calls or video calls, so it wasn’t really a long-awaited reunion, and there was no need for much small talk. When she saw Mei Fang, she immediately urged him:
“Go take a shower! You’ve been sitting in the car for so long. Xiaoya, you too.”
Mei Ya reluctantly replied, “Why do I have to take a shower? I shower every day. It’s so cold, I don’t want to get undressed.”
“Stop acting like a baby. Go and take a shower quickly.”
“Auntie, I’ll help Mei Ya wash up!”
“Great! I want to take a shower with Sister Yue Yue!”
“You still need someone to help you wash at this age. Aren’t you embarrassed?”
“No, I’m not embarrassed. I’m super happy!”
“You little brat…”
With Mei Ya’s lively personality, the house was filled with a joyous atmosphere.
While chatting with everyone, Mei Fang secretly checked his phone. In the group chat with the three of them, Xia Yuan had sent a message half an hour ago, saying that they had arrived home and even shared a photo of their family dinner.
The photo showed Xia Yuan’s family, including the still beautiful and elegant Teacher Yu.
【Having dinner at our house tonight! It seems like my mom’s cooking has improved a bit. What do you think?】
【Then I should try it when I go back.】
Mei Fang had just sent the message but Xia Yuan replied instantly.
【You better not try it. It will ruin the beautiful image of my mom that you’ve had in your heart all this time. QwQ】
Mei Fang smiled and shook his head while looking at the screen, then unconsciously let out a sigh.
Although the atmosphere at home was currently warm, something still felt missing.
I kind of want to recharge Yuan Yuan’s and Youxi’s super energy right now. Sigh…
