Wu Ke

"Alright, alright, I was wrong, okay?"

Seeing the two most important people in the house united against him, Uncle Wu immediately surrendered.

Inside the house, Chu Chen excitedly picked up the phone. He hadn't seen Wu Ke in years, and he felt a surge of emotion. Since she moved out, he'd rarely received her calls, and he'd actually missed them.

"Hello, is that Xiao Ke?"

"Hmph, I say, Xiao Chen, are you looking for a beating?" Chu Chen recognized the voice on the phone. Although there was some distortion due to the international call, he could still tell it was a beautiful voice, like a warbler's song.

Hearing the hint of playful scolding in her voice, Chu Chen knew he'd messed up by calling her the wrong name in his excitement. He quickly tried to salvage the situation:

"Haha, slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue. But sweet and lovely Sister Xiao Ke, you wouldn't mind, would you? What do you say?"

"Xiao Chen, we haven't seen each other in years, how did you learn to flatter? And so disgustingly at that."

Chu Chen breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the teasing tone in her voice. Otherwise, he'd be in for it when she returned to the country. He thought to himself, Having a friend like this is truly a sin from a past life.

Back then, when Wu Ke first met Chu Chen and heard he was a week younger than her, she insisted he call her "Jie" (older sister). If he didn't, well, that was that. But Chu Chen was stubborn too. He agreed to call her "Jie," but only if he could add "Xiao" before it. Otherwise, they wouldn't even be friends. Seeing that he wouldn't budge, Wu Ke finally relented.

From this incident, Wu Ke saw Chu Chen's stubborn side. From then on, she never dared to make any unreasonable demands of him. If she really provoked his anger, they might actually stop being friends, which was the last thing she wanted.

Just then, the sound of Aunt Wu scolding Uncle Wu from outside drifted into the room. Wu Ke probably heard it too, as she asked, "What's going on outside? Why does it sound like my mom is lecturing my dad?"

Chu Chen chuckled, "I made some money, so I bought them some gifts and planned to treat them to a meal at a restaurant tonight. But Uncle Wu was a bit unhappy, saying I'm spending lavishly just because I made some money. Aunt Wu is probably scolding him about it."

"My dad is such an old stubborn mule, just ignore him. But, Xiao Chen, you're amazing! You became a millionaire without anyone knowing. It sounds unbelievable. The scruffy kid from back then is now a millionaire!"

Chu Chen grew up in what people called a poverty-stricken mountainous area, a place of unspeakable hardship. His family was a bit better off because his adoptive father was a teacher with a stable job, earning a government salary. Sometimes, he could even buy a new piece of clothing during the New Year.

As for other families, forget about buying new clothes for the New Year; some were so poor they had to share pants. Chu Chen came from such an environment, so how could he not dress simply?

However, even though Chu Chen dressed simply, his clothes were always neat. His adoptive father often told him, "A person can be poor, but they can't be spineless or lose their spirit. If someone lacks spirit, others won't respect them."

Chu Chen kept this saying in his heart. That's why, even though he was respectful to Zhao Qirui, he never fawned over him. His words, apart from polite honorifics, were generally neither servile nor overbearing. Perhaps it was for this reason that Zhao Qirui looked upon him with a degree of admiration.

Chu Chen joked, "Has anyone ever said that someone who's scruffy can't be rich? Sister Xiao Ke, you have serious class consciousness. In the old days, you would have been criticized for that."

"Oh, a few years apart, and you dare to lecture me now? Just you wait until I get back! But now that Xiao Chen is rich, I'm much more relaxed. At worst, I'll mortgage myself to you."

"This..." Hearing Wu Ke say that, Chu Chen became flustered and didn't know how to respond.

"What, are you looking down on me?"

When Chu Chen heard the unfriendly tone in Wu Ke's voice, he quickly said, "No, how could I look down on you, Sister Xiao Ke? But Sister Xiao Ke, you'll be a master's graduate from a prestigious overseas university. How could you not afford to pay back such a small amount of money? Besides, I'm supporting you with this money, so you don't need to pay it back."

"That won't do. Repaying debts is only right and proper. I will definitely pay this money back. Otherwise, I'll be your secretary then?"

"How can that be? You, a master's graduate from a prestigious university, being my secretary? I couldn't possibly handle that!"

"I don't care, will you agree or not? Hmm?!"

Chu Chen said with a hint of pleading, "Can we talk about this next year? Okay? Maybe your mind will change by then?"

Wu Ke stated firmly, "I definitely won't change my mind. I'll just give you some time to think about it. You must give me a satisfactory answer then, understand? But to thank you for paying my tuition, I'll give you my first kiss, mwah... muah!"

This kiss instantly brought back memories of Wu Ke's cute cherry lips, making Chu Chen feel a spark igniting within him. He couldn't help but feel a jolt of fear, thinking, No way, how could I have feelings for Xiao Ke? Is it just because my hormones are too active lately? Yes, it must be.

Despite his current outgoing demeanor, Chu Chen was actually somewhat introverted deep down and didn't easily accept others' affections. This was also due to his childhood experiences. His current cheerfulness was entirely thanks to his adoptive father's patient guidance, who spent a lot of time and effort to correct his somewhat twisted personality back then.

When he first came to stay with Uncle Wu, although the whole family was very welcoming, he didn't fully open up to them in the first few months. It was only after some time that he gradually accepted them.

Of course, after several years in Beijing, Chu Chen understood the drawbacks of his personality, especially in business, where harmony brings wealth. If he gave customers a feeling of being kept at a distance, he wouldn't be able to do good business. Therefore, over the past few years, his personality had improved significantly compared to before.

However, when it came to romantic relationships, Chu Chen didn't even dare to think about it. Firstly, he didn't know what that kind of feeling was like, and secondly, he didn't know how to handle such emotions. He was completely clueless in this regard, which was why Wu Ke often called him a "blockhead."

Sensing that his state of mind was off, Chu Chen quickly changed the subject: "Sister Xiao Ke, do you know anyone named Li Beibei?"

"Li Beibei? Are you talking about that 'dairy cow' from the Old Li family? Why are you asking about her?" Wu Ke's voice suddenly became high-pitched.

Hearing Wu Ke's tone, Chu Chen was certain they had a grudge and briefly explained the previous incident to her (Chapter 6).

"Hehe, with her intelligence, she wouldn't dare to bother my dad." Wu Ke said smugly from the other end of the line.

It turned out that the Wu and Li families were old acquaintances. Wu Ke and Li Beibei had known each other for a long time. However, perhaps due to incompatible personalities, they had disliked each other since they met, often arguing and fighting.

They each had their strengths: Wu Ke was good at arguing, and Li Beibei was good at fighting. But as they got older, fighting became less appropriate for the two girls, giving Wu Ke a clear advantage.

However, Wu Ke had a drawback: certain female characteristics were not very pronounced. Li Beibei, on the other hand, was extremely well-endowed. Because of this, Li Beibei often mocked her. Although Wu Ke retorted and gave her the nickname "dairy cow," she still cared about it, which made her dislike Li Beibei even more.

Just before Wu Ke went abroad, one day, Uncle Wu and Zhao Xueyi took Wu Ke to visit Old Li (Li Beibei's grandfather). Li Beibei and her young nephew were also there. Seizing the opportunity, Wu Ke, with a little trickery, bribed Li Beibei's nephew. Then, she and Li Beibei made a bet on a riddle.

Li Beibei wasn't truly foolish. She knew Wu Ke was coming that day, so she had prepared a few difficult questions in advance, otherwise she wouldn't have agreed to the bet so easily. However, even though her questions were difficult, they didn't truly stump Wu Ke. To lull her into a false sense of security, Wu Ke started by asking a few convoluted questions.

When she felt the time was right, Wu Ke immediately switched to a much simpler question: "A bull and a cow, guess three words." This question was actually very simple, but due to the previous misdirection, Li Beibei hesitated.

At this moment, Li Beibei's nephew appeared. He pointed his little finger at Li Beibei and said, "Auntie, you're so stupid. The answer is just 'two cows,' isn't it? No wonder people always say 'big breasts, no brains.' Auntie, you seem to be just like that."

This remark infuriated Li Beibei. Her face turned pale and then red. Seeing Wu Ke and the others holding back their laughter, she desperately wanted to beat him up. However, with elders present, such behavior was inappropriate. In the end, she could only run home with red eyes.

Wu Ke said proudly, with a laugh, "Xiao Chen, tell me, isn't she the epitome of 'big breasts, no brains'? I, this young lady, used a little trick and made her flee in disarray."

After hearing this, Chu Chen's face twitched. How could a girl who was tricked like this still have the nerve to bother Uncle Wu? He guessed that if Li Beibei wasn't relatively broad-minded, she probably wouldn't even go to Zhao Xueyi's place again. However, he let the matter go after hearing about it, as it had nothing to do with him. He then flattered her, "Of course, our Sister Xiao Ke is naturally blessed with both beauty and wisdom."

"Xiao Chen, do you really think so?"

"Absolutely. If I'm lying, may lightning strike me!"

"Pfft, pfft, pfft! Why are you swearing like that? I didn't say I don't believe you!"