Chapter 405 - 352
Chapter 405: Chapter 352
Xiao Man had told Yang Liu’er to stop following her, but who knew that instead of secretly tailing her, Yang Liu’er would start openly coming to find her. Every Saturday, she would be waiting on time outside the gates of the Medical College. It was never for anything important; sometimes they would only exchange a few words before going their separate ways.
Xiao Man was at a loss for words, but she was also helpless. ’I can’t just ignore her, can I?’ She was wary because she suspected Yang Liu’er was also reborn, but Yang Liu’er wasn’t a bad person, nor was she particularly annoying. They already knew each other, and besides, she always had Weiwei with her. The little boy was so well-behaved and adorable. The moment he saw Xiao Man from a distance, he would shout "Auntie" in a sweet, innocent voice that made it impossible not to soften up.
And so they continued to meet, treating each other as regular acquaintances. Yang Liu’er was very happy and satisfied with this arrangement. Xiao Man knew that Yang Liu’er had already moved out of the Bai Family’s home and was now living with the Lu Family, running a clothing business with Weiwei’s aunt, Lu Yuping, while also attending Night University. ’Not bad,’ she thought. ’She’s using her head now.’ If she had known Yang Liu’er was only keeping in touch to find out when Bai Junfan was returning to the country, she definitely would have grumbled, ’What is this all about? She should have just told me from the start. It’s not like I would have refused. Why does she have to come all the way out here every single week?’
On Saturday afternoon, as Xiao Man walked out of the school gates, she once again saw Yang Liu’er standing at the entrance with Weiwei. Yang Liu’er held a colorful floral umbrella, her permed, voluminous black hair tied high in a ponytail. She wore a green silk-satin dress and white high-heeled sandals. Her skin was fair, her waist slender, and her face rosy and vibrant. Standing there under the scorching June sun, she was like a blooming lotus—indescribably dazzling. Passersby of all ages couldn’t help but steal a few extra glances. If it weren’t for the four or five-year-old child standing beside her, men would have surely been rushing forward to lavish her with attention.
Seeing Xiao Man, Yang Liu’er smiled and waved. Weiwei immediately came running over, shouting "Auntie" and holding out his little arms for a hug.
Xiao Man squatted down to hug Weiwei, popping a milk candy into his mouth. Yang Liu’er walked over as well.
Xiao Man looked her up and down. "You get all dolled up every time you come here. Have you set your sights on someone inside?"
Yang Liu’er threw her head back and roared with laughter. Having known her for a while, Xiao Man knew this was her true nature—frank, direct, and candid. She said whatever was on her mind, and her brain wasn’t wired for complex schemes. For someone like her to live in the Bai Family’s grand residence, completely suppressed, it was no wonder she met that kind of end in their past life.
She had another fatal flaw: she was overly persistent and refused to change her ways.
’In her past life, I was actually quite similar to Yang Liu’er,’ Xiao Man reflected. Yang Liu’er had been unwaveringly in love with Bai Junfan, willing to endure any humiliation for him. Xiao Man, on the other hand, had been deceived, always believing that Mo Guoqiang and Liu Fengying were her birth parents and that her brood of younger siblings were her blood relatives. What was even more tragic than Yang Liu’er’s fate was that Xiao Man had never even known what romantic love was. To her, family ties were more important than life itself, and so she had foolishly and willingly exhausted herself to provide for and protect that family...
After she finished laughing, Yang Liu’er said, "When am I not dolled up? Don’t forget, I sell clothes. In our whole block of shops, I have the best figure. Whenever new inventory arrives, I’m the first one to wear it out and model it for everyone."
"Alright, alright, I get it. You have a great figure. Stop showing off!"
"Hehehe! Aunt Weiwei says a girl like me might get scouted for a movie one of these days! Manman, you’re tall. Honestly, if you just put on a little more weight, you’d be even prettier than me. Here, this dress I’m wearing is a new style that just came in. Aunt Weiwei told me to bring you one. It’s pink."
Yang Liu’er handed over a bag, but Xiao Man shook her head. "You should keep it to sell. All these bright colors... only someone like you can pull them off. I can’t."
"Your complexion is so good, and you have a nice figure too. Your chest is just a little small, that’s all. It’s fine, you’re still young. They’ll get bigger naturally in a couple of years! Just wear it, I’m sure it’ll look great. Don’t be so unconfident!"
Xiao Man: "..."
’Yang Liu’er, is that supposed to be encouragement or an insult? If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all!’
She picked up Weiwei and quickened her pace. "It’s too sunny here. Let’s go to a cold drink shop. We’ll grab a glass of soy milk, then we’ll head our separate ways."
Her high heels going CLACK-CLACK-CLACK, Yang Liu’er jogged behind them, chattering nonstop. The bag in her hand, Weiwei’s little water bottle, and her umbrella jangled and clinked with every step.
Xiao Man paused, waiting for her to catch up before speaking. "Aren’t the shops busy on Saturdays? You come running here every time. Aren’t you worried about losing business?"
Yang Liu’er laughed. "Saturday is Weiwei’s day to go out and play! Besides, Aunt Weiwei and I just went to Guangzhou and Shenzhen a few days ago to look at new products and place orders. We only got back last night, so we have to take a break today. We’re definitely not losing out on money. Weiwei’s grandpa is watching the store. Our business has expanded to four storefronts now, and not even in the same mall. Did you know a new free trade market opened on Ronghua Street? Our other two shops are over there. One is a shoe store with so many beautiful shoes. You should go take a look when you have time, you’ll definitely love it! We hired two girls from the neighborhood to watch the shops and we’re paying them a salary."
"Aunt Weiwei is that capable? You only just joined her, and you’re already opening new shops. She must have earned a lot of money. If you stick with her, your share of the profits in the future must be considerable."
"I don’t know how much Aunt Weiwei earned before. We opened the new stores because Weiwei’s dad sent money home again—a huge amount. Aunt Weiwei says money sitting in a bank is dead money; it’s better to use it in business to earn more. What can my one thousand yuan do? I just want to follow her and learn. If I get the chance, maybe I’ll open my own store someday."
"Being your own boss? That’s a pretty good idea."
"Hehe, it’s just a thought. I still have my studies to focus on."
"If you manage your time well, studying and making money don’t have to be mutually exclusive, right?"
As they walked and talked along the side of the concrete path, Yang Liu’er suddenly pulled Xiao Man’s arm. The two of them, with Weiwei in Xiao Man’s arms, ducked onto a smaller trail. After a few quick steps, they were hidden by the foliage.
Xiao Man knew at once: Yang Liu’er had spotted Lin Aizhen and Wu Xiaowen.
Just like Yang Liu’er, the mother-daughter pair of Lin Aizhen and Wu Xiaowen often came to the school gates on weekends to find Xiao Man. However, thanks to Xiao Man’s deliberate avoidance, they had never actually managed to meet with her.
Yang Liu’er stared at the pair as if they were her mortal enemies. She had long ago overheard from Bai Qingyue how Wu Xiaowen chose her adopted daughter over her biological one. Seeing how Xiao Man completely ignored Wu Xiaowen only confirmed that their mother-daughter relationship was strained. Thus, she wasn’t worried that Xiao Man would think her rude for her hostility. She had even recounted everything Wu Xiaowen had done in their past life to Xiao Man, only stopping when Xiao Man couldn’t bear to hear any more and told her to stop.
"Manman, they’re here to bother you again! In our past life, they doted on and spoiled Tang Yaxuan, letting her take your place. This life, they’re still spoiling and protecting her, without any regard for your feelings... You absolutely cannot go soft on them! Also, even though you’re Uncle Tang’s daughter now, Tang Qingyun is still your biological uncle. You’re still family. You have to warn him that there’s something improper going on between Wu Xiaowen and Bai Lihua..."
"Shut up! Are you trying to announce it to the whole world? You can’t just say things like that! I told you, you need to learn to protect yourself. Haven’t you ever heard that disaster comes from an unguarded mouth?"