After the college entrance examination, life began to follow one's heart

Chapter 178 Rong Xiyan's First Meeting with Her Father-in-Law and Her Low Spirits
"Mr. Jiang, you're also interested in having dinner here today?"

"Haha, I also expected to run into Mr. Ye here."

Xu Lin could tell from their conversation that they were probably just nodding acquaintances, and that they were quite polite to each other when they met.

His gaze swept over Jiang Mingyang and his family of four without leaving a trace, sizing them up.

It is said that a person's face can reveal a lot, but that's about it. There are plenty of corrupt officials who have fallen from grace with kind and benevolent faces, so it's not very informative.

Xu Lin looked at the family of four and couldn't discern anything particularly negative about them, such as the children being spoiled brats.

not at all.

At the same time, Jiang Mingyang's gaze also fell on Xu Lin, who amazed him.

This young man looked to be about the same age as his children, but his demeanor and aura were too dazzling, something that shouldn't be present at his age.

Ye Shengjun's son?

This age seems to indicate it, but it's clearly not.

How could you, Ye Shengjun, have a son of this caliber?
So this young man is not Ye Shengjun's son, and besides, they don't look alike at all.

So Jiang Mingyang asked, "Mr. Ye, who is this?"

"This is Mr. Xu. I'd like to discuss some business with Mr. Xu today."

Ye Shengjun explained.

"I see!"

Jiang Mingyang suddenly realized what was going on, and he reached out to shake hands with Xu Lin.

Xu Lin naturally reached out and shook hands with his father-in-law as well.

"Jiang Mingyang".

"Xu Lin."

The two introduced themselves and exchanged a few polite words, but there wasn't much more to talk about after that, since they weren't very familiar with each other.

Before long, Xu Lin and Ye Shengjun entered the private room, and Jiang Mingyang and his family also entered another private room.

"That guy was so handsome!"

Jiang Lin couldn't help but say.

Jiang Lin is Rong Xiyan's younger sister. Although they share the same father, Jiang Lin's looks are clearly inferior to Rong Xiyan's, and she is also a few centimeters shorter. Her figure is even more different. She can only be described as decent, but she does not reach the level of Rong Xiyan's exceptional talent.

"He was handsome and looked unfathomable. I've never seen anyone like him in my half-life."

Jiang Mingyang couldn't help but speak as he looked at his son, Jiang Peng.

Jiang Mingyang clearly has high hopes for his son, and he even named him Peng, which refers to the Peng bird, hoping that his son will soar high like the Peng bird and achieve great things in the future.

However, his son was not as he had imagined. Although his son was not a spoiled brat because of the family's wealth, he was not much better. His mother spoiled him too much, and he, as the father, had to clean up his son's messes twice.

At this moment, Jiang Mingyang wished that Xu Lin was his son, or that his son was like that young man from before, exuding nobility and extraordinary.

However, the gap between ideals and reality is too large.

On the other side, Xu Lin and his companion were ordering food.

However, the wait time for this private kitchen is not short. In a typical restaurant, there is a time limit for serving food, and everything must be served within half an hour.

But it's different here; take your time.

For example, Xu Lin and his group had a soup that took more than an hour to arrive.

So Xu Lin and Ye Shengjun just ate and chatted, and waited for a long time. Sometimes they finished one dish, but the next dish hadn't been served yet.

However, as expected of a top-notch private kitchen, the taste is indeed excellent; you might not even find this in so-called high-end restaurants.

“Mr. Xu, if you want to dine here next time, you can make a reservation in advance. For example, some dishes take a long time to prepare, so if you have a reservation, you won’t have to wait that long,” Ye Shengjun said.

"It's okay, take your time."

"Mr. Xu, have a drink!"

"cheers."

It's not wine, it's tea, from the West Lake Longting tea plantation, produced by the eighteen imperial tea trees. Therefore, it's not ordinary tea; in short, it's quite precious.

"Mr. Xu is exceptionally talented and has an incredible amount of knowledge. Even I, a man who has lived half my life, am ashamed of my own inferiority!"

Ye Shengjun sipped his tea carefully, unable to help but marvel at it.

What can two grown men talk about when they're together?
In reality, most men would probably be chatting about beautiful women or even calling them over to serve them. Although there are no beautiful women to call here, after a good meal and drinks, they can go to a high-end club to have fun.

Money can corrupt people, and most people find it hard to avoid this, since not everyone is virtuous and noble.

However, Xu Lin wouldn't go, and Ye Shengjun didn't have that idea either.

The two of them had just been talking about history.

It's absurd that people who aren't academics started talking about history, and then extended that conversation to society and the nation.

The two were discussing such grand topics.

Ye Shengjun was impressed by Xu Lin's extensive knowledge. In fact, Ye Shengjun felt that he already had enough historical knowledge. When he chatted with others, even history professors might not have his level of historical knowledge.

But Xu Lin actually surpassed him.

Xu Lin also said that he could recite the Twenty-Four Histories backwards.

Ye Shengjun immediately asked, "Mr. Xu isn't joking?"

Ye Shengjun naturally knew what the Twenty-Four Histories meant. It was a set of books that an ordinary person could not finish reading in their entire life, and it was also the most advanced part of history learning, without exception.

Xu Lin said, "Mr. Ye, you might as well ask me a question. Since I can write historical scripts, it can't just be my own imagination."

Ye Shengjun did indeed ask a question.

Ye Shengjun was born into a scholarly family. His father had a study with many ancient books, including the Twenty-Four Histories. When he was young, his father made him read a lot, including the Twenty-Four Histories. However, Ye Shengjun only read the first four histories. He couldn't bear to read any more. His father said that reading the first four histories was enough and would benefit him for a lifetime.

Therefore, Ye Shengjun asked Xu Lin about the contents of the first four histories, and Xu Lin answered them one by one, just like reciting a memorized text.

Ye Shengjun was once again amazed.

However, this was a history book, something to be memorized, so Ye Shengjun didn't ask many questions.

Ye Shengjun then began to discuss some deeper historical topics with Xu Lin.

For example, the proverb: "When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked; when the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away."

Xu Lin listed Han Xin and Guo Ziyi.

This saying refers to the problem of meritorious officials overshadowing their ruler, and how emperors deal with their meritorious officials—a problem that has been unavoidable throughout thousands of years of history.

Han Xin met a tragic end, while Guo Ziyi was a great contributor to quelling the An Lushan Rebellion and his achievements were so great that they threatened the emperor's power. The emperor was afraid of him, but Guo Ziyi escaped and died peacefully in his old age.

"Mr. Xu, why did Guo Ziyi die a natural death, while Han Xin met a tragic end?"

Ye Shengjun wanted to hear Xu Lin's opinion.

Xu Lin: "Guo Ziyi practiced the Taoist doctrine of being able to freely enter and leave the world. When the emperor needed him, Guo Ziyi would step up; when he didn't need him, he would obediently go home and leave his doors wide open for outsiders to see. Look, I'm just eating, drinking, and having fun, so people know that this old man doesn't crave power. But when the emperor needed him, Guo Ziyi would roll up his sleeves and get to work. The Taoist doctrine of retiring after achieving success and fame is something that only a few people in history, like Guo Ziyi, have managed to do. Even Han Xin couldn't let go of it, could he?"

"That's the truth."

Ye Shengjun nodded, as if enlightened.

Xu Lin continued, “But even so, not everyone can let go of power and money. You, like me, can talk about it so easily, but that doesn’t mean I can let go of these things. I’m young now, so it’s certain that I can’t let go, because I don’t have enough life experience to implement the ideas I’ve accepted. But when I get older, I may not be able to let go either. In fact, I might inevitably become like other old men, afraid of death.”

Ye Shengjun suddenly realized something again.

"Haha, speaking of which, Mr. Xu, I'm also afraid of death. As I get older, my health deteriorates. I'm starting to understand those who don't want to die. When I was young, I thought death was no big deal. I used to shout things like 'When a person dies, the bird flies to the sky; if you don't die, you live for ten thousand years.' But now, I dare not say that anymore. That's just how people are, isn't it?"

Ye Shengjun said, "So what runs through the entire history is human nature, right? Han Xin was greedy for power and didn't know how to let go, so he died tragically. Guo Ziyi was not greedy, so he died peacefully in his sleep. That's the reason."

Xu Lin: "That's one way to understand it."

The two didn't leave the private restaurant until after 10 p.m.

"Mr. Xu, let's talk again another time!"

Ye Shengjun was still not satisfied. As a prominent figure in society, Ye Shengjun did not indulge in wine and women like others. Instead, he liked to study some grand topics.

"Mr. Xu, may I have your contact information?"

"it is good!"

The two exchanged private phone numbers.

Night falls.

Xu Lin returned to the big house around 11 p.m.

Rong Xiyan was home alone.

After returning from the New Year's Day holiday, Rong Xiyan had not seen Xu Lin.

Xia Xiyao came by in between, but starting today, the next three days will be Xia Xiyao's exam period.

So Rong Xiyan was left alone at home again.

She was quite lonely; in Jiangdu, besides Xu Lin, there was only Xia Xiyao.

It was past 11 o'clock, and Rong Xiyan was still playing on her phone on the living room sofa.

"Xu Lin?"

Seeing Xu Lin enter, Rong Xiyan was pleasantly surprised and immediately put down her phone, stood up, and rushed over.

"Xu Lin, I miss you so much!" "We chat on WeChat every day, and we're still so close."

"I don't care, I just miss you!"

Rong Xiyan clung to Xu Lin like an octopus.

Actually, I miss you too.

"Do not believe."

"Is it alright to think about it even a little bit?"

"Hmph! Scumbag!"

Xu Lin didn't say anything, but carried her to sit down on the sofa.

"Where is Xia Xiyao? Isn't she here today?"

"She went back yesterday; she has exams at school."

"Oh, like this."

Judging by the timeline, universities across the country are now in the final review or exam phase.

Guess who I saw today?

"Who?"

Rong Xiyan didn't think too much about it; she simply sat on Xu Lin's lap and hugged him.

"I saw your father, your stepmother, and your half-siblings."

"Huh? What are they doing? And did they give you any trouble?"

Rong Xiyan was a little panicked.

"They don't even know who I am, so why are they making things difficult for me?"

Xu Lin touched her nose. "I saw the four of them go out to eat. I ran into them today when I was having dinner with a client for business. Did your father contact you and ask you to go out to eat with him?"

"No."

Rong Xiyan shook her head. "They don't even invite me to meals."

As she spoke, Rong Xiyan's mood suddenly plummeted. Compared to Xu Lin spending these past few days with Ning Yuhan, the fact that her family was marginalizing her made Rong Xiyan even more heartbroken and disappointed.

"Moreover, I didn't even know they came to Jiangdu, and my dad didn't tell me either."

Rong Xiyan felt very wronged.

Xu Lin gently patted her back, comforting her, "Don't you still have me?"

"You have no conscience either, you're two-timing me, I'm just a backup plan."

"Where? In my heart, you and senior are on the same level, equally important, neither is more important than the other."

"Scumbag."

"Fine, I'm a jerk."

Xu Lin admitted it.

"Xu Lin, don't leave me..."

Rong Xiyan hugged Xu Lin tightly, her little face resting on his chest.

She was upset because her family didn't invite her to meals, and she became very depressed.

"You're an important part of my family now, how could I possibly leave you?"

Xu Lin comforted the other person.

"Just don't leave me."

"Don't worry, I won't leave."

"Xu Lin, kiss..."

"Mmm, kiss."

The two kissed for a few minutes. Rong Xiyan was in a low mood tonight, which made Xu Lin feel a little guilty. He thought to himself that he should have known better than to mention her father's matter.

Jiang Mingyang's old territory is in Suzhou. He came to Jiangdu this time without Rong Xiyan knowing. Xu Lin also doesn't know what Jiang Mingyang is thinking. No matter what, Rong Xiyan is still his daughter. Right now, he is not treating her equally. Instead, he is treating her as an outsider. He doesn't even invite her to meals. He came to Jiangdu without Rong Xiyan knowing.

Rong Xiyan is only eighteen years old, and her psychological resilience is not strong. She is still at an age where she needs to be loved and cared for.

Xu Lin sighed inwardly and whispered softly in the other person's ear, "I'm here, don't think too much."

"Uh-huh."

How's your final exam preparation going?

Xu Lin decided to change the subject.

"I, Rong Xiyan, am definitely number one in my major!"

"You're ranked first in your major, and I haven't even said anything yet!"

Xu Lin laughed and said, "No need to think, I'm number one in my major!"

"I am first!"

"I'm number one, how dare you, a little girl, not get a chance?"

"Where am I small? Xu Lin, tell me quickly!"

Rong Xiyan immediately hugged Xu Lin tightly.

Rong Xiyan had just finished showering and, as always, wasn't wearing underwear that night, just a short-sleeved shirt and athletic shorts.

"Just kidding, you're not small at all."

"Is Ning Yuhan older, or am I older?"

"You seem a bit older."

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been tormenting her too much, but Rong Xiyan seems to have gotten a little bigger lately.

Ning Yuhan cries easily, while Rong Xiyan only cried in the early stages and rarely cried later. So, in terms of being abused by Xu Lin, Rong Xiyan was abused more, which is why she grew up? I don't know if it's just my imagination.

"Hmph, so what if I'm the boss!"

When Rong Xiyan heard Xu Lin say that she was older, her whole demeanor brightened. This was just one of those strange comparisons between girls.

"Xu Lin, time for bed!"

"Don't worry, I'll grant your wish."

It wasn't really sleeping, but rather taking off my clothes.

Xu Lin hadn't touched Rong Xiyan for several days, and Rong Xiyan had just had her period a few days ago, but that phase was over now.

But Rong Xiyan was a little down tonight, and she inexplicably cried when the first round ended.

Xu Lin thought he had been too harsh and wanted to coax her, but when he asked her, Rong Xiyan said that her father didn't want her anymore. After saying that, she continued to cry, tears streaming down her face.

Xu Lin was having a real headache.

"Go to sleep, don't think about these things. We'll go back together for the New Year."

Xu Lin gently patted the other person's back, wiping away their tears and comforting them.

"Xu Lin, don't leave me..."

"I won't leave you, don't worry."

"Uh-huh……"

Rong Xiyan nestled in Xu Lin's arms and fell asleep shortly afterward.

Silent all night.

The next morning, Rong Xiyan had recovered and showed no signs of being downcast.

The moment Xu Lin opened his eyes, he saw Rong Xiyan sitting on him, moving around.

Xu Lin: ...

"What are you doing, you little pervert!"

"Xu Lin, don't move, I'll do it myself this time!"

Rong Xiyan leaned down and kissed Xu Lin's lips, then looked into Xu Lin's eyes and said, "This is to make up for last night!"

"Little pervert!"

"Humph!"

The two of them got up at 10 a.m., washed up, and went out to find something to eat.

Today is another sunny day.

After eating, Xu Lin drove Rong Xiyan back to school. They had two exams that afternoon.

After these two college entrance exams, the university-wide exams will begin on the 12th and last for three whole days.

"Xu Lin, I'm going to get first place! Just you wait and see!"

Rong Xiyan was eager to try.

(End of this chapter)