Volume One, Chapter 16: The Ten-Day Pact

“Child, why won’t you see reason?” the elderly lady chuckled.
“I had a talk with my daughter,” she continued, “she says she still can’t accept the age difference between you two. So, she hopes you can give her more time... Ten days.
Within those ten days, she won’t see you. She wants to use this time to carefully consider your relationship and decide what to do next.
Auntie also hopes that during these ten days, you will think things over calmly and not act rashly just because you are young, avoiding any grave mistakes.”

Ten days, huh?
Lin Chen’s heart, which had been hanging by a thread, was still suspended.
What did it feel like?
It was like a death sentence being suddenly commuted to a suspended death sentence—no real change in substance.

“Auntie, I will think it through carefully. But rest assured, though I’m young, I won’t act on impulse. I’m about to graduate from graduate school; I’m no longer a reckless kid and won’t make decisions lightly.”

“Alright, if you say so, I’m relieved,” Li Xiulan said, preparing to hang up.

But Lin Chen suddenly added, “Auntie, Tang Tang is resting at home now, right? Is there someone taking care of her? If you need me, just say the word... Also, her muscles need daily massage and relaxation, especially her arms and calves. That will help her recover fully.
She likes listening to gentle songs, especially soothing folk music. An Pu is her favorite. Please don’t play anything too intense for her.
And she hasn’t eaten much for a long time; her digestive system might not be in good shape. At first, avoid anything too stimulating. It’s best to give her some soft foods, like millet porridge...
The lighting in her room shouldn’t be too bright, and her pajamas should be as loose as possible.”

Seeing Lin Chen going on and on, the elderly lady shook her head with a tearful smile and interrupted, “Xiao Chen, auntie still has things to do, so let’s not chat any longer.”

After ending the call, Li Xiulan smiled and said to her daughter, “Did you hear that, dear? I think your little husband really cares about you.”

Xu Mi wouldn’t admit it aloud, but she could see how much he cared for her.
It felt quite comforting.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

“Mom, I get it. You’re really so naggy.”

“Naggy?” Li Xiulan feigned surprise. “Naggy? Me? If I hadn’t cut him off, Lin Chen would have kept talking for half an hour. I say one word, and you already complain about nagging?”

“Mom, stop it.” Xu Mi blushed deeply.

Watching her daughter banter with her so freely, Li Xiulan felt especially happy.
It was as if she had gone back to a few years ago, before her daughter suffered from depression.

…………

After leaving the hospital, Lin Chen returned to his dormitory.
He was supposed to pack up and move to his apartment but felt utterly dispirited.
Even when Jiang Yao called him to play basketball that afternoon, he didn’t go.
For a moment, it seemed he had lost interest in everything.

He just lay on his bed, endlessly scrolling through his phone...
Though even he didn’t know what he was expecting to find.

Ten days felt like ten days of imprisonment...
A sentence of solitary confinement without a wife!

At five in the afternoon, Lin Chen received a message from his cousin Chen Lan.

“Cousin, I’m at your school! Hurry up and come out to treat me to a meal!”

Chen Lan was the daughter of his second aunt.
She was eighteen this year, a freshman majoring in Chinese Language and Literature at the neighboring Normal University.
She proudly declared herself the new campus beauty of the Literature College.
Because their two schools were adjacent, her visits to Lin Chen’s school were like dropping by next door.

Lin Chen leisurely changed his clothes and left the boys’ dormitory.
As soon as he reached the stairs, he saw Chen Lan glaring at him with a look of grievance.

“Lin Chen, don’t you have any shame? You made me, a campus beauty, wait here for so long?”

“Campus beauty? Where?” Lin Chen glanced around mockingly.

Chen Lan, pouting, tiptoed and tugged at Lin Chen’s ear. “Look at me, where else are you looking?”

“Oh, you...” Lin Chen sneered at her. “You dare call yourself a campus beauty? Which beauty is just one meter fifty tall?”

“Who did you say is one meter fifty?” Chen Lan’s eyes widened angrily. “I’m one meter fifty-three!”

“That’s basically one meter fifty!” Lin Chen looked down on his cousin.

“You want to die!!!”

Chen Lan was genuinely furious, throwing punches at him while shouting.

She was a girl and rather petite.
So the blows didn’t hurt much...
But being beaten like that in public made Lin Chen worry about being seen.
He quickly stopped her. “Alright, stop it. I’ll treat you to something delicious later.”

“I’m not eating at the cafeteria!” Chen Lan said indignantly.

“Fine, you can eat whatever you want today!”

Chen Lan froze, staring at Lin Chen in disbelief. “You’re dating a rich woman? Why do you suddenly have money?”

“Brother found a job, earning twelve thousand a month!”

“Damn, which company is blind?!”

“Are you still going to eat?” Lin Chen threatened.

“Eat...!!!”

…………

After a dozen minutes, Lin Chen took Chen Lan to a barbecue restaurant near the school.
He ordered a 288-yuan set meal for two.

As plate after plate of grilled meat was brought out,
Chen Lan swallowed hard and exclaimed in shock, “Wow, being a working dog really is different. Besides the one time I first came to school, you’ve never treated me to something this good, right?”

“I’m so poor, but it’s you who’s eaten me dry!” Lin Chen complained.

His cousin was quite a character.

His second aunt gave her two thousand yuan a month for living expenses.
She spent fifteen hundred on clothes and cosmetics.
As for meals, if she didn’t have enough?
She came to mooch off Lin Chen!

To be honest, Lin Chen was scared of how much she ate!

“Nonsense, what does your poverty have to do with me? If you weren’t so concerned about your pride and didn’t keep telling aunt you found a job, would life be so tight?”

“Enough, enough, stop nagging. So, what exactly did you come for this time?”

Chen Lan knew Lin Chen’s financial situation best.
She had probably come because her mother assigned her a task again.

“I missed you. Can’t I just come see you?” she said, fiddling with the grilled meat.

“Heh, not telling the truth, huh? Then you can pay the bill yourself later...”

“...”

“Brother, are you really that cruel?”

“Then tell the truth!”

“Brother, is my honesty really worth just one meal?” Chen Lan teased mischievously.

“Fine, you’re ruthless!”

Lin Chen didn’t waste more words and sent her a 500-yuan red envelope on his phone.

The moment Chen Lan received the red envelope, her attitude changed completely.
She happily revealed the mission Zhao Xiuxiu had entrusted her with.

“Aunt said you have a girlfriend now but worries you might be fooling her, so she gave me a 200-yuan red envelope to come check the truth.”