Chapter 328 - 325: Li Weiya’s Suspicion

Chapter 328: Chapter 325: Li Weiya’s Suspicion

Fenghua Hotel.

Lin Gaoyuan had already arranged for a welcome-back banquet. After hearing that Director Li from Qitian Animation was also in the returning group of cars, he had the staff add three more place settings.

On the way, Li Weiya called Wang Ming and told him to come to the Fenghua Hotel for dinner that evening.

After he hung up, Shen Ying looked at Wang Ming and asked, "When do you think Aunt Li will arrive?"

"She’s in Uncle Jiang’s car right now. They should be getting off the highway soon, and then she’ll go to dinner with them," Wang Ming said.

"Does that mean you have to go too?"

Wang Ming hesitated for a couple of seconds before giving a slight nod. He had originally planned to cook dinner and wait for his mom to get home, but it seemed that wasn’t necessary anymore.

’But what about Shen Ying?’ They were all going out for a big meal, leaving her all alone. It just didn’t feel right.

"In that case, I’ll head home. Dinner’s probably almost ready," Shen Ying said, standing up after finishing the hot tea in her cup.

She had a faint smile on her face, but it felt like a mask hiding her true feelings, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.

"Come with us," Wang Ming said suddenly.

Shen Ying froze for a moment, then shook her head with a smile. "It’s fine. You all go ahead. Winter break is long, anyway. It’s not like we won’t have other chances."

’She saw the situation clearly. Jiang Xia and Yanwan were definitely going to get married someday, making their families in-laws. And Aunt Li was their godmother. So, this was basically a family gathering. It wouldn’t be appropriate for an outsider like her to go.’

"Wang Ming, when you see Yanwan and the others, remember to say hi for me, okay? Thanks," Shen Ying said with a smile.

Just as he was about to nod, Shen Ying’s phone suddenly rang. She took it out and saw it was a call from Lin Yanwan.

When she answered, the first thing she heard was her best friend’s cheerful laughter. "Yingying, I’m back! We’re having dinner at the Fenghua Hotel tonight. I haven’t seen you in forever, I’ve missed you to death!"

Shen Ying instinctively wanted to refuse, but looking at Wang Ming’s hopeful expression, her resolve softened, and a flicker of emotion appeared in her eyes.

"Okay." After a pause, she said, "I miss you too, Yanwan."

"Great, it’s a plan! See you in a bit~"

After hanging up, Shen Ying took a couple of deep breaths and slowly broke into a smile as she looked at Wang Ming. "Let’s go. To the Fenghua Hotel, to welcome Yanwan and the others."

Wang Ming blinked. ’Heh. Talk about a light at the end of the tunnel.’

The two of them tidied up a little. After a glance at the spotless house, Wang Ming slowly closed the door.

On the way, Shen Ying called home to say that her good friend was back from out of town and they were going to have dinner together, so they shouldn’t wait for her.

When they arrived at the Fenghua Hotel, Wang Ming immediately spotted Lin Gaoyuan at the entrance, looking around expectantly.

He had met Lin Yanwan’s father a few times before.

"Hello, Uncle Lin." Wang Ming walked up and greeted him.

Lin Gaoyuan turned to look at the young man in front of him. He didn’t seem to recognize him at first, but after a few seconds of thought, it clicked. "You must be Director Li’s son, right?"

Wang Ming nodded. "Yes, Uncle Lin. My name is Wang Ming. I’m a classmate of Jiang Xia and Yanwan. This is Shen Ying, Yanwan’s best friend."

"Hello, Uncle Lin," Shen Ying also said politely.

"Hello, hello."

Lin Gaoyuan smiled. Now they were just waiting for Yanwan and the others to arrive, and then everyone would be there.

His gaze fell on Wang Ming. "Yanwan tells me you’re studying at the Central Academy of Fine Arts?" he asked.

Wang Ming scratched his head. "My college entrance exam scores were a bit worse than theirs. Otherwise, I would’ve gone to Tsinghua and been their schoolmate."

"Hahaha, don’t say that. The Central Academy of Fine Arts is one of the top art academies in the country. That’s excellent," Lin Gaoyuan laughed.

Lin Gaoyuan laughed again, then turned to Shen Ying. "I’ve heard Yanwan mention you. You’re at university in Yu Du, is that right?"

Shen Ying answered timidly, "My grades weren’t as good as theirs. My university isn’t as prestigious."

"Don’t sell yourself short. Whether a school is good or not doesn’t determine a person’s future. You’re the one who determines the final outcome," Lin Gaoyuan said with a smile.

After all, he was a relatively successful entrepreneur now. When he judged people, he didn’t just look at their academic background; he paid more attention to their inner character.

Besides, Shen Ying had a good relationship with Yanwan, Jiang Xia, and Wang Ming. As long as she wasn’t some kind of awful person, he had no reason to treat her any differently.

"Mhm! I’ll work hard."

Before long, two cars slowly pulled up to the entrance of the Fenghua Hotel. Lin Yanwan rolled down her window and waved frantically at Shen Ying.

"Yingying~"

The three of them immediately walked over. Lin Yanwan got out of the car, called out "Dad," and then pulled Shen Ying into a tight hug.

"Long time no see, Yingying."

"You guys at least see each other often. I’m the one who hasn’t seen anyone in forever," Shen Ying said, a happy smile spreading across her face.

The two friends walked to the side to catch up. Jiang Xia got out of the car and cheekily called Lin Gaoyuan "Dad."

"You brat, you’ve gotten a lot taller in the last six months," Lin Gaoyuan scolded with a laugh. "How tall are you now?"

"Exactly 1.8 meters."

"Not bad, not bad."

Lin Gaoyuan nodded with a beaming smile. ’With Jiang Xia’s and Yanwan’s genes, any future grandson of mine is bound to be exceptional.’

Jiang Xia tore his gaze away from the two friends, gave Old Wang a light punch on the arm, and pulled him aside, whispering teasingly, "Confessed yet?"

"Not yet." Wang Ming shook his head. He’d wanted to confess several times while spending these past few days with Shen Ying, but he had forced himself to hold back. He just felt like the time wasn’t right yet.

"Looks like your relationship is pretty good now. Better than it’s ever been, right?"

Wang Ming couldn’t help but blush. The turning point in their relationship was probably the night he went to her school to find her. After that, they traveled home together, started talking more and more without even realizing it, and could discuss anything. And today, she had come over to his house to help clean, deepening their bond even more.

"She came to my place today to help with a big clean-up," Old Wang said.

"Oh?" Jiang Xia raised an eyebrow. ’They’re moving faster than I thought. Is this what they call absence makes the heart grow fonder?’

"Not bad, not bad. Keep it up. Success is just around the corner. I’m rooting for you, buddy," Jiang Xia said, patting his shoulder.

Just then, Li Weiya got out of a taxi. Lin Gaoyuan strode over, extending a hand with a smile. "Director Li, it must have been a tiring journey. Thank you for coming."

"You’re too kind, President Lin." Li Weiya smiled and shook his hand.

She then looked toward her son, only to see Shen Ying walking over.

"Aunt Li, welcome back," Shen Ying said with a sweet smile.

"Yingying, long time no see." Li Weiya gave a small smile. "When did you get back?"

"Um, a few days ago. I came back with Wang Ming."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of surprise appeared in Li Weiya’s eyes. ’One is in the Imperial Capital, the other in Yu Du. They’re a world apart, so how could they have traveled home together?’

Her gaze instinctively shifted to her son. ’This kid said he was coming home early to clean. It seems the real reason wasn’t so simple after all.’

’Could it be...?’