Chapter 7

After having their meal, Wang Ming and Zou Shuqing drove back to Jade Huating Area A.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the residential complex, Wang Ming got out of the car and gentlemanly opened the passenger door for Zou Shuqing.

Zou Shuqing lifted the carefully packed leftovers and gracefully got out of the car.

She raised her head slightly, a hint of gratitude in her eyes. “Thank you for lunch today.

I’ll accept the laptop, but I really can’t take the money or the car.”

Wang Ming gazed at her quietly for a few seconds, said nothing more, and gently placed the car keys and bank card on the hood of the car.

He turned resolutely, not looking back, and tossed out, “Looking forward to seeing you next time.”

Zou Shuqing watched Wang Ming’s departing figure and sighed.

She had already politely refused several times at the table, but Wang Ming was so determined.

There was no parking spot at the entrance, so she picked up the bank card and car keys and got into the car.

She registered the owner’s license plate and drove into the complex.

Back home, Zou Shuqing put the packed food on the dining table and collapsed onto the sofa.

She had no mind for work at all; her head was filled with Wang Ming’s ambiguous words of confession.

He knew her birthday, knew her old computer, knew her car had been driven for ten years, knew about her mortgage pressure.

These details warmed her heart. Her own daughter, though adopted and raised with all her care, didn’t care about any of these things.

Wang Ming… is a good man…

“Thud-” The door suddenly sounded, interrupting Zou Shuqing’s thoughts.

She turned her head and saw that it was Zou Mengmeng.

“Mom, I’m back!” Zou Mengmeng walked in with a big smile.

“Eh? Aren’t you working this afternoon?”

“It’s not time yet. I just had lunch with someone, and since it was near our complex, I came back.”

Zou Mengmeng walked into the living room, her gaze sweeping over the bags on the dining table and two bottles of packaged red wine.

“Wow, Mom, did you order takeout today?”

Zou Shuqing forced a smile. “It’s not takeout, it’s… it’s from someone else.”

Zou Mengmeng looked at her suspiciously. “From someone else? Who?”

She spoke as she opened the bags.

“A friend. By the way, Mengmeng, how’s work going lately?”

Zou Mengmeng pouted. “Same as always, exhausting and not much money. Mom, can you lend me some money first? I want to buy a new handbag.”

Zou Shuqing looked at her daughter, feeling helpless. “You’re already grown up, stop spending recklessly. Are you expecting me to provide your entire dowry in the future?”

Zou Mengmeng grumbled in dissatisfaction, “Just lend me some, it’s not like I won’t pay you back.”

“Wow! All Western food, and so much of it. Too bad I’m full, I’ll save it for dinner.”

“Alright, it’s all yours,” Zou Shuqing sighed. Her daughter was lazy, greedy, and loved to spend money. After all, she wasn’t her biological child and was nothing like herself.

Zou Mengmeng suddenly noticed the Juzi Laptop on the sofa and a pile of cosmetic shopping bags.

“You bought a new laptop? Juzi, that must’ve cost a lot!” Zou Mengmeng picked up the laptop and then put it down, staring at the cosmetic packaging, her eyes wide. “Dior eye cream! Wow, this lipstick is expensive too!”

Zou Shuqing became flustered. “Th-these were all gifts from someone else.”

Zou Mengmeng stopped what she was doing, looked up at Zou Shuqing, her eyes full of suspicion. “Gifts from someone else? Don’t tell me you’ve got a boyfriend?”

Zou Shuqing’s face turned red at once. “What nonsense! They’re just gifts from a friend, there’s no boyfriend.”
Zou Mengmeng narrowed her eyes and looked Zou Shuqing up and down. “Mom, stop trying to fool me. The way you look right now, it’s obvious you’re hiding something from me. Come on, tell me, who gave you these?”

Zou Mengmeng then noticed the car keys and her eyes widened. “And you say you don’t have a boyfriend? How could you have spare money to buy a car? Wow, someone even gave you a car-whoever’s chasing you must be a big boss!

I knew it! You’re so pretty, you must have a lot of admirers!”

Zou Shuqing looked a bit embarrassed and hurried to explain, “Mengmeng, it’s really not what you think. It’s just a friend. He saw my computer was old and my car had been used for a long time, so he gave me these. We’re just ordinary friends.”

Zou Mengmeng crossed her arms, her face full of disbelief. “Ordinary friends? What kind of ordinary friend gives you a computer and a car? Even this eye cream and lipstick cost tens of thousands.

Mom, stop being so stubborn. I wouldn’t object to you finding someone. You’ve been alone for so many years, it’s time someone took care of you.

By the way, what does he do? How old is he? As long as he’s not an old man, it’s fine. But, well, if he’s this rich, even if he’s old… that’s okay too…”

Zou Shuqing almost wanted to send her back to the orphanage.

She took a deep breath. “Stop guessing. I’m going to return the car.”

Zou Mengmeng wouldn’t let it go. She scooted closer to Zou Shuqing, grinning. “Mom, just tell me.

Maybe he really likes you. You shouldn’t keep rejecting him.

Look at these gifts-if he wasn’t sincere, would he give you all this? If you return them, you’ll just break his heart.”

“Oh? So you think he’s really sincere?” Zou Shuqing asked seriously.

Zou Mengmeng nodded vigorously. “Of course! I’m telling you, don’t let your Prince Charming slip away! You’re already 37! It’s time to blossom!”

“But… our identities… sigh… No, the age gap is too big. It’s impossible for us to be together.”

Zou Mengmeng’s eyes lit up. “So what if he’s older? Older men know how to take care of people! Mom, just give it a try and get to know him. Besides, he’s rich!”

Zou Shuqing gave Zou Mengmeng a reproachful look. “All you care about is money! By the way, didn’t you say you wanted to borrow money to buy a bag? What kind of bag are you planning to buy?”

As soon as the topic changed, Zou Mengmeng perked up. “I want to buy a designer bag. That brand is super popular-lots of celebrities are carrying it lately.

But it’s a bit expensive, so I wanted to borrow some money from you. Mom, please lend it to me, I promise I’ll pay you back soon.”

Zou Shuqing shook her head. “Since you started working, you’ve already borrowed tens of thousands from me. Have you paid back a single cent?

Mengmeng, it’s not that I don’t want to lend you money. You know our situation-I still have to pay the mortgage every month, and living expenses aren’t small either. Can’t you be a bit more frugal? When you earn more in the future, you can buy whatever you want.”

Zou Mengmeng looked a little unhappy. “You’re so stingy. Other moms buy all sorts of things for their daughters. Can’t you be nicer to me? It’s just a bag, it’s not a big deal.”

Seeing her daughter’s spoiled attitude, Zou Shuqing felt a bit disappointed. “Fine, I’ll transfer you money on Wei Xin in a bit. Is ten thousand enough?”

Zou Mengmeng sat on the sofa in a huff. “Hmph, ten thousand isn’t even enough for a zipper. It costs fifty thousand.”

“What?” Zou Shuqing exploded in anger.

At that moment, her phone rang. Zou Shuqing suppressed her anger, took her phone out of her bag, and saw that it was Wang Ming calling.