He no longer responded, and Lin Wei assumed he had come to terms with things. He took him back home and made him a bowl of hangover soup to drink before sleeping. However, as Huo Qijun watched Lin Wei’s attentive kindness, he couldn’t help but recall what he had said in the car earlier, feeling inexplicably annoyed as if he had been unfairly deducted a point.
After that day, Huo Qijun seemed to return to normal and did not give Lin Wei another opportunity to worry about him. Most of Lin Wei’s free time at work was spent helping Fu Xiaoqing prepare for her exams.
Thanks to the misunderstanding caused by Huo Qijun at the blind date party, it seemed that Grandma Huo had never anticipated such a situation. To prevent Huo Qijun from being capricious and losing face again, she has kept a low profile for the time being.
Fu Xiaoqing’s exam preparation was progressing smoothly. During this time, Tang Yuan visited again. The two were in the study, murmuring about something. At lunchtime, Fu Xiaoqing couldn’t help but glance back and forth between Lin Wei and Huo Qijun, leaving the two men opposite her in confusion.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Wei asked.
“Nothing, nothing!” Fu Xiaoqing shook her head vigorously.
Sitting next to her, Tang Yuan silently wished her to tell the truth; her expression definitely indicated that she had suddenly developed feelings!
The day of the official exam was accompanied by Tang Yuan, who was more familiar with the process. With someone experienced guiding her, Fu Xiaoqing felt little pressure and completed the exam with ease.
A week later, results were announced. That day, Lin Wei and Huo Qijun left work promptly and, upon opening the door, saw Fu Xiaoqing rushing down from the second floor. She sprinted to the entrance and gave Lin Wei a bear hug.
“Lin Wei, I passed!” Fu Xiaoqing was genuinely happy and grateful to Lin Wei. This hug carried no other meaning; she didn’t know how else to express her thanks.
However, Huo Qijun found it hard to understand and felt his eyes hurt from the sight.
“Hey! Are you done hugging? Quickly break it up!”
Only then did Fu Xiaoqing come to her senses, hurriedly letting go and stepping back, touching her nose and saying, “I was just too excited!”
Lin Wei smiled and said, “Let’s celebrate well today. Tomorrow, I will take you to see your brother. You must be going crazy not being able to go out these days, right?”
“Not really, I was too busy preparing for the exams,” Fu Xiaoqing replied while secretly observing Huo Qijun’s expression, which reflected growing dissatisfaction.
She tugged on Huo Qijun’s sleeve, purposefully slowing down. Huo Qijun, with a sulky expression, reluctantly stopped, and once there was a bit of distance from Lin Wei, he silently mouthed, “What’s wrong?”
Fu Xiaoqing, with good intentions, thought since she was leaving soon, it was time to give this guy a hint.
“Do you still think you like me?”
“That’s just a misunderstanding!” Huo Qijun instantly denied it without hesitation; after all, Fu Xiaoqing had woken up to reality sooner than he had.
But then he fell into the trap because Fu Xiaoqing followed up with a question he couldn’t answer:
“Then what were you bothered by when I hugged Lin Wei just now?”
After dropping this bomb, Fu Xiaoqing slipped away without giving Huo Qijun a chance to argue.
Having known each other for so long, she understood Huo Qijun well enough; if she let him come up with an excuse, he could very well persuade himself.
So it was better to let him stew!
In the kitchen, Fu Xiaoqing hummed happily while preparing a celebratory dinner. Lin Wei helped her, occasionally glancing at Huo Qijun, who was staring blankly at the sofa in the living room. He asked curiously, “What did you say to provoke him so much?”
“I can’t say that; otherwise, he’ll be furious,” Fu Xiaoqing tilted her head and looked at him. “Is it that you don’t permit him to be upset?”
“Alright, I won’t ask then,” Lin Wei shrugged with a smile.
Fu Xiaoqing sighed. She genuinely thought that Lin Wei and Huo Qijun were quite compatible—especially their contrasting personalities, which perfectly illustrated the concept of opposites attracting. Unfortunately, she was leaving soon and wouldn’t see how it all ended.
“If you don’t want to leave, staying a bit longer isn’t a problem,” Lin Wei heard her sigh and assumed she was worried about that. He explained, “I was just concerned that if you stayed here, you wouldn’t get the chance to go out and might get bored.”
“No, that’s not it.” Although Fu Xiaoqing was curious about their developing relationship, taking care of Fu Tianlan was far more important to her. “I simply don’t like farewells, but they’re inevitable, so there’s no need to hide from them.”
Lin Wei nodded in understanding. “Once you’re there, if you have any trouble adjusting, you must tell me.”
“Got it!”
After dinner was prepared, the three of them sat at the dining table. Fu Xiaoqing poured two glasses of green grape wine for herself and Lin Wei, while Huo Qijun looked at the glass of pure milk meant for children in front of him, feeling utterly ridiculous.
“Let’s raise a glass to celebrate my freedom from difficulties!” Fu Xiaoqing knew Huo Qijun wouldn’t be satisfied with this, so she spoke promptly to silence him. Had it not been for Huo Qijun’s capriciousness in teasing her, she wouldn’t have gone through all these challenges later.
Upon hearing this, Huo Qijun indeed closed his mouth, begrudgingly clinking his glass of pure milk against the two glasses of fruit wine.
“Are you taking her tomorrow?” he casually asked after taking a sip of milk.
Lin Wei nodded, “I think it’s best if I go in person. Plus, I’ll help arrange things regarding Xiaoqing’s position.”
Huo Qijun recalled that hug at the door and Fu Xiaoqing’s earlier question. Feeling unwilling to see them together, it felt strange, unlike the last time when Fu Xiaoqing’s feelings for Lin Wei weren’t as strong. The pairing of his best friend and the woman he had pursued felt odd.
He reasoned with himself and completely forgot that he had previously concluded that given Lin Wei’s orientation, the two of them were impossible together. With Fu Xiaoqing’s meaningful gaze, he decided to throw caution to the wind: “I’m going too!”
“Why would you go? You can’t be of any help,” Fu Xiaoqing pretended not to understand.
Huo Qijun said nothing, just bumped his leg against Lin Wei’s under the table, wanting him to take his side. Not knowing where his confidence came from, he firmly believed Lin Wei would unconditionally cater to his wishes.
In reality, Lin Wei was indifferent; if Huo Qijun wanted to go, he could, which was fine to see things through to the end. After a moment of thought, he said, “Recently, A Qi has been quite busy at work, so this would be a good chance for a break!”