Chapter 188: Shakespeare’s Love Letters ⑤
“A company? A boss?” Nie Aifang’s eyes widened, and she pointed at Nie Aiwen, asking in surprise.
Nie Aiwen nodded, enjoying Nie Aifang’s astonished expression.
Nie Aifang had been in this city for so many years; she wasn’t ignorant. A small studio couldn’t simply be called a company; it needed a strong team.
Aiwen? A company boss?
That little boy who always trailed behind her, wiping his nose, was now… a company boss?
It wasn’t that Nie Aifang was being unreasonable. Her memory of Nie Aiwen was cut off at the point when he left home to work.
When their parents were alive, they could be carefree. Wherever she went to play, he would follow, like a shadow. That was the period she remembered most vividly and wished to recall. Later, after their parents passed away, she went to work at a pig farm, and he went to school every day. They only had a short time together in the mornings and evenings.
After they started working, they each had their own lives. It was only occasionally that Nie Aiwen would visit her home for a meal and a get-together before leaving.
Therefore, for Nie Aifang, the impression of that little shadow was the deepest. Although she had long known her younger brother had grown into an adult, a company boss?
To Nie Aifang, it was like a fairy tale. She took a while to process it before saying, “Being a boss… is good. You don’t have to be managed by others.” This was also why she left the factory to open her own stall.
However, selling vegetables at the market, she felt it was acceptable. Although the other person was indeed the boss, they also had to sell vegetables. They were far apart, and there was no lecturing, so she didn’t feel like she was working for someone else. It felt more like tending to her own stall.
“Then… Sister, do you have any thoughts?” Nie Aiwen’s hands were still on Nie Aifang’s shoulders. He knew Nie Aifang didn’t realize how inappropriate his actions were at this moment. In fact, he also knew that in their era, dating wasn’t like it is now. People could hold hands and hug on the street? Not to mention holding hands and hugging, it wasn’t uncommon to see couples kissing on commercial streets where young people frequented.
However, given their age difference, passersby couldn’t help but look back when they saw him with his hands on her shoulders. Many seemed to think they were an old married couple, and it was rare to see such affection.
Hearing Nie Aiwen ask her, Nie Aifang snapped back to attention. “Even if you’re the boss, you have to go to work! Go to work quickly! Be careful of people plotting behind your back! They’ll slack off… you need to go back and supervise.”
“Sister… I…” He wanted to say that their company operated on commission. While there was a base salary, it wasn’t high. To earn more, sales volume had to be high. Without his supervision, no one would dare slack off. Besides, with Li Mingxue there, he felt no male colleague would want to slack off in front of her.
But Nie Aifang didn’t wait for him to finish, pushing him. “Go quickly, you need to supervise properly.” She had been an employee before, and it was different from selling vegetables. At the factory, it was hourly wage. She saw many people liked to slack off. Only when a leader appeared would they pretend to be busy; once the leader left, they would start slacking again. Since Aiwen was the boss, he had to properly supervise his employees!
Nie Aiwen understood Nie Aifang’s thoughts, of course. Helplessly, Nie Aiwen removed his hands from Nie Aifang’s shoulders. “Then I’ll be going?”
“Mhm, mhm.” Nie Aifang nodded.
Nie Aiwen took a few steps, then turned back. “Sister, I want to go with you to look at houses.”
“Go to work!” Nie Aifang waved her hand.
Nie Aiwen walked back, lowered his head, and placed a kiss on Nie Aifang’s forehead. Before Nie Aifang could react, he ran and got into a passing taxi, leaving the ‘scene of the crime.’
When Nie Aifang came to her senses, her face turned completely red. She looked around, confirmed no one had noticed them, and then carefully left.
With shock and shyness, Nie Aifang looked at a few houses before going to a small eatery outside Nie Qiu’s school to eat a bowl of porridge and a small plate of pickled vegetables, and bought Nie Qiu a chicken leg. At noon, when A City High School let out, she entered the school gate.
Nie Qiu was eating in the canteen, sitting with Peng Yu Yang, Huang Yan, and Zhang Haiyang. As Li Kai’s good buddy, Zhang Haiyang naturally disliked sitting with Peng Yu Yang. In reality, this was a preconceived notion. Because he was good friends with Li Kai, he considered Li Kai’s enemies to be his enemies. If not for this connection, the four of them sitting together wouldn’t have been so awkward.
Zhang Haiyang wouldn’t initiate conversation with Peng Yu Yang, and Peng Yu Yang wouldn’t initiate conversation with Zhang Haiyang. Of course, he wouldn’t respond to Huang Yan in front of Zhang Haiyang. This created a strange dynamic. Sitting together, the two boys faced each other but didn’t speak. Zhang Haiyang spoke to Nie Qiu and Huang Yan, and Huang Yan would also speak to Zhang Haiyang when talking to Nie Qiu. The only person Peng Yu Yang could talk to was Nie Qiu. Therefore… Nie Qiu repeatedly tried to draw Peng Yu Yang into the conversation but repeatedly failed.
Nie Aifang couldn’t find Nie Qiu in Class 10’s classroom, so with the help of a classmate, she found Nie Qiu in the canteen.
Nie Qiu had already finished eating. The four of them were by the sink outside the canteen, returning their trays. Nie Aifang saw Nie Qiu and happily called out, “Qiu Qiu.”
Hearing Nie Aifang’s voice, Nie Qiu turned around, looking at Nie Aifang with surprise and joy. “Mom, why are you here? Are you feeling better? Did the doctor say you could be discharged today?”
“I’ve been better for a long time. The doctor said I could be discharged, so I am discharged.” Nie Aifang said with a smile, then smiled at Zhang Haiyang and the others. “You’re here too? Have you eaten?”
Zhang Haiyang, Huang Yan, and Peng Yu Yang greeted Nie Aifang with smiles upon seeing her, repeatedly calling her Auntie.
Huang Yan also politely said, “Auntie, we’ve already eaten. Have you?”
“I’ve eaten,” Nie Aifang replied, smiling and holding up the transparent plastic bag in her hand. She said to Nie Qiu, “I just ate at a small restaurant outside your school. This is what I have left, for you to eat. Share some with your classmates.” She said it was leftovers for two reasons: first, she hadn’t eaten it herself, and the chicken leg cost five yuan! Second, Nie Qiu’s classmates were there, and it wouldn’t be good to give it only to Nie Qiu. If it were fresh, she would have to share it with classmates, right? A five-yuan chicken leg was something she rarely bought.
This wasn’t Nie Aifang being stingy. Almost all mothers might have this tendency: saving the good things for their own children to eat, but being reluctant to share them with their children’s friends, because a mother knows her child won’t dislike her. At least, Nie Qiu wouldn’t dislike her.
Nie Qiu took the plastic bag Nie Aifang handed over. Before he could say he would share it with Huang Yan and the others, they repeatedly shook their heads. Zhang Haiyang even smiled and said to Nie Aifang, “Auntie, we just finished eating and aren’t hungry yet. Nie Qiu can eat it all by himself.”
