Gift

"Oh, is that so? I'm relieved then." Wang Ruifang finally heaved a sigh of relief.

"Ah?"

Wang Ruifang immediately felt that something was amiss and quickly corrected herself. "No, what I meant was that Xiaxia has Qin Huaichuan's help. She'll definitely win the lawsuit. I can rest assured."

Zhou Xia did not think about it anymore.

The two of them busied themselves in the kitchen for quite a while. By the time they finished cooking four dishes and a soup, the sky had already turned dark. 

Wang Ruifang bought a free-range chicken in the village. She said that she wanted to make soup for Shen Lin and her. 

Zhou Xia suggested using a pressure cooker. With it, the meal could be done soon. However, Wang Ruifang refused. She said that it was better to stew it in a claypot. Hence, it took several hours to serve the food.

Zhou Xia was too embarrassed to tell Shen Lin that she was leaving. So, she ended up staying at Shen Lin's house until the chicken soup was ready. In addition, Zhou Xia had told him that she had asked for leave from her mentor tomorrow afternoon to do something. 

Wang Ruifang had an even better reason. She said to Zhou Xia, "Shen Lin is off work tomorrow too. It's a rare opportunity for both of you to not go to work. Stay and chat. It'll be dark after dinner. Let Shen Lin drive you home. It's not safe for you to be alone."

It was difficult to refuse such kindness. Moreover, Wang Ruifang had already arranged everything for her, so Zhou Xia could not refuse. Wang Ruifang was an elder and an old neighbor of their family. She was also an old friend of Zhou Xia's parents. How could Zhou Xia, who was known for being obedient and sensible in front of her elders, refuse Wang Ruifang's good intentions?

When they were having dinner, Wang Ruifang gave Shen Lin a look. "I'm too far away to reach it. Get Xiaxia some soup. You're already an adult. How can you be so insensible?"

Shen Lin finally noticed the pot of chicken soup in front of him. He stood up and scooped a bowl of chicken soup for Zhou Xia. 

Zhou Xia looked at Shen Lin with a half-smile as if she was watching a good show. She rested her chin on her hand and said teasingly, "Was it Aunty who taught you how to change so much then?"

Zhou Xia's first impression of Shen Lin was that he was a taciturn person. Although he had a high IQ, he had a low EQ. This time, Shen Lin had really changed dramatically. When he brought her the mineral water, he even knew how to help her twist the cap off and even took the initiative to help her press the elevator button. It turned out that there was a mentor secretly teaching him.

Shen Lin ignored Zhou Xia. He served Wang Ruifang another bowl of chicken soup. "Mom, you should have some too." 

Wang Ruifang took it with satisfaction. She turned to Zhou Xia. "Xiaxia, is Shen Lin different from before? How is it? Can he meet your requirements now?"

Zhou Xia lowered her head so that the mother-and-son duo would not see her red face. "Yes, he's different."

Why did Wang Ruifang suddenly ask if Shen Lin could meet Zhou Xia's expectations? It sounded as if Shen Lin had been trying to change himself all these years just to meet Zhou Xia's expectations. 

Zhou Xia then added, "I can't ask for him to change. Even if I do, it should be Shen Lin's future girlfriend's request."

The smile on Wang Ruifang's face faded a little. She awkwardly changed the topic. "Let's not talk about this. The dishes are getting cold." After saying that, she put a large piece of sweet and sour pork ribs into Zhou Xia's bowl.

After the three of them finished their dinner, Wang Ruifang refused to let Zhou Xia clean the table. She insisted on having a chat with Zhou Xia in the living room. She even said that they cooked together, so Shen Lin should be in charge of cleaning the table. 

Zhou Xia sat down on the sofa with Wang Ruifang. The two of them began to chat again, and the topic veered off. Zhou Xia could not sit still any longer. She glanced at the time on her phone and decided that she had to go home no matter what.

She was worried that if she waited any longer, the sky would get darker, and Wang Ruifang would make her stay the night. An idea struck Zhou Xia. She opened her bag and took out a brand-new pearl-white jewelry box. She opened it and handed it to Wang Ruifang.

Inside was a milky white camellia brooch inlaid with pearls. The petals were also pearl-patterned. It was low-key, elegant, and exquisite. "Aunty, I came in a hurry and didn't prepare a good gift for you. This brooch is for you."

"Aiya, quickly put it away. I don't want it. There's no need for gifts between us. There's no need to be so polite. I'm already happy enough that you're here to have a meal with me. Hurry up and keep your things. Be good."

Zhou Xia took out the brooch from the box and approached Wang Ruifang. "This little one doesn't cost much money. You made me such delicious chicken soup, so I wanted to give you a gift. I'll put it on for you." Zhou Xia was already an expert in interacting with the elders.

She helped Wang Ruifang put it on. Zhou Xia took her arm and led Wang Ruifang to the mirror in the bathroom. She didn't notice that she had forgotten to close her bag, and it was open wide, hanging on the edge of the sofa.