CHAPTER 358: CHAPTER 357 CROSSED RELATIONSHIPS

While Xu Hongbin spoke, his eyes darted around Shi Yang, sizing him up from top to bottom, secretly cursing: Damn, is God your uncle? With those looks and that physique, damn!!...

Shi Yang had no idea that Xu Hongbin had metaphorically made him his dear uncle. He smiled and said, "Ah, I sent the materials on the nutritional products that President Mu sent yesterday back to the company, asking Chaozi to help give his opinion."

Xu Hongbin casually asked, "Your relationship with Manager Qu is really good. I’ve heard you two were university classmates?"

Shi Yang nodded with a smile.

Xu Hongbin sighed nostalgically, "All my university buddies went south to develop their careers. I’m the only one who returned home after graduation, and with the distance, the relationships slowly faded. It’s truly enviable how you and Manager Qu maintained yours."

Shi Yang is a shrewd person. With just a few words from someone else, he could sense the hidden motives and meanings. He deliberately cooperated by revealing more information: "That’s right, Chaozi and I weren’t just university classmates; we have been in the same school since junior high, and later we got into the same high school."

Shi Yang intentionally emphasized the word "high school," and indeed he saw Xu Hongbin’s eyes light up slightly.

Xu Hongbin put on a look of sudden realization, "Right! Look at my memory, Jiahui had told me you were high school classmates."

Shi Yang explained, "Yeah, she and I were in the same class. We were in class one, while Chaozi was in class two."

Xu Hongbin asked, "Back then, were you guys pretty close?"

The implication was that even after four years of college, Zhang Jiahui still remembered this old high school classmate, helping to bring in business, suggesting their relationship was definitely not ordinary.

If things weren’t too far off, it could well be a case of first love or something unforgettable from the past.

Shi Yang understood the implied meaning and felt that some things should be laid bare sooner rather than later, but given their relationship hadn’t reached the closeness needed to discuss personal privacy, he could only say, "We were quite close when we just started high school, but after a couple of months, I got into a fight over my wife and ended up in the hospital for a month. After that, my dad sent me to live with the teacher, spending all day under the teacher’s watch, and the relationship faded."

Xu Hongbin was extremely surprised and asked, "Mr. Shi, you’re married?"

Shi Yang raised his left hand to show him his hand: "Engaged. My wife is young, and we’re planning to get the marriage certificate after her birthday in the lunar month."

Xu Hongbin looked at Shi Yang for a long time, then squeezed out a sentence, "Mr. Shi, your fiancée wouldn’t happen to be Master Zhao’s daughter, right?"

Listening to Shi Yang describe his young wife, the first person that flashed in Xu Hongbin’s mind was Zhao Meimei.

Throughout the company, no one was oblivious to how Shi Yang doted on his sister. For someone to be pampered like that by a man, if she’s not his biological daughter, she’s definitely someone dear to his heart.

Shi Yang openly admitted, "Yes, Meimei is my wife."

Xu Hongbin was stunned, thinking this little wife is really young, just a sophomore, right? When Shi Yang was in first year of high school, Zhao Meimei was probably in elementary school. Getting into fights for her back then, this fresh grass sure is eaten fresh, the thought couldn’t be suppressed quickly.

While Xu Hongbin’s mind was a chaotic whirlwind, he heard Shi Yang say, "Everyone’s here, let’s head out."

Xu Hongbin followed behind Shi Yang to join the others. As they walked, he pondered and asked, "Mr. Shi, how about if we have a meal with you and your wife sometime?"

Shi Yang paused his steps, turned around, and readily agreed, "Sure."

Xu Hongbin politely asked, "I don’t know what you two like to eat."

Shi Yang said, "My wife loves fresh shrimp and hotpot lamb."

Xu Hongbin asked further, "Can you handle spicy food?"

Shi Yang chuckled, "Sure, both of us love spicy food."

Xu Hongbin was delighted, feeling as if the huge rock that had been blocking his heart had suddenly been lifted, allowing fresh air to rush into his lungs, making him feel all refreshed.

On the way to the lecture, Xu Hongbin took a moment to pull out his phone and check the time, unsure if Zhang Jiahui was in class. To be safe, he sent a message: Busy with classes today? This time at the headquarters has been really rewarding, so I plan to invite Mr. Shi for dinner when we return. You should join us?

Zhang Jiahui replied quickly: Sure, when are you coming back?

Xu Hongbin stared at the word "you" in the message, covered the "you" with his hand, and looked at the remaining words, allowing the feeling of discomfort in his mind to ease a little.

He replied: Probably two more days. The exact time isn’t set yet.

Once that message was sent, it disappeared into thin air.

Xu Hongbin regretted it, feeling that the message was too straightforward and lacked any transitional invitation for Zhang Jiahui to reply, effectively ending the conversation himself.

While Xu Hongbin regretted it, Zhang Jiahui was completely unaware. She finished replying, casually put her phone on the desk, and focused on examining the information sheet in her hand. After confirming everything was fine, she looked up and asked, "How’s the vocab memorizing going these days?"

Zhao Meimei held back her inner frustration and calmly reported her current learning progress.

Zhang Jiahui nodded with satisfaction and pulled out a stack of Level 4 practice papers from the bookshelf, still tagged with shopping labels: "Take these papers home, mark any parts you don’t understand, and let me know... Hmm, okay, come over on Wednesday. I’ll help you go over them, and we’ll adjust your review schedule according to your level."

Zhao Meimei took the papers, feeling obliged since she received help, and even though Zhang Jiahui’s initial intentions weren’t pure, her attitude towards tutoring was earnest and responsible, making it difficult not to show gratitude. So, she forced a grateful expression: "Thank you, teacher."

Zhang Jiahui smiled and whispered, "Meimei, there’s no need to be so formal with me in private. I’m treating you like my own little sister. It makes me happy when you call me sister."

Zhao Meimei thought to herself, you probably want me to call you sister-in-law, don’t you!

Though she thought this, she obediently called, "Sister Jiahui."

Zhang Jiahui, ready for a chat, glanced over, "By the way, I heard that your brother and the others will be back in two days?

Zhao Meimei’s mouth twitched with displeasure. When she called Shi Yang last night to urge him to get home, he had said the time wasn’t fixed yet. So how did Zhang Jiahui manage to know the precise return date?