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Chapter 244: Chapter 203: I Put It On For You_2
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At half past seven in the evening.
After dinner, Tang Qing was practicing his calligraphy in his bedroom. He didn’t feel like going to the command room these days, especially after seeing those archive materials this morning. Understanding some of the deepest crimes of this society made him upset, so practicing calligraphy was his way of lifting his spirits.
"Ding-ding..."
Just then, Tang Qing’s phone rang, causing him to mess up his handwriting. He pulled out his mobile and saw it was from an unknown number.
Tang Qing didn’t bother guessing who it was and pressed the answer button, "Hello."
"Hello, Little Tang. This is Wang Yan’s father. Have you eaten?" Wang Sheng’s booming voice came from the phone.
Tang Qing wasn’t surprised by the unexpected call from Wang Sheng. Given Wang Yan’s excitement today, she must’ve "sung his praises" to her family. However, the opening line "have you eaten" seemed peculiar.
"Hello, Uncle Wang. Yes, I’ve eaten. How about you?" replied Tang Qing with a smile.
"We haven’t yet, your Aunt Shi is about to finish cooking. I heard from my daughter that Sheng Tang’s stores are about to be inaugurated throughout the province, congratulations." Wang Sheng laughed.
"Thank you. Uncle Wang, if there’s something on your mind, feel free to bring it up." Tang Qing replied with a bitter smile. It’s better to be forthright, as beating around the bush seemed hypocritical.
Hearing this Wang Sheng gave a loud laugh. He didn’t find Tang Qing impolite. On the contrary, he would be upset if Tang Qing tactfully changed the topic like a little fox. He preferred Tang Qing’s directness; if only he was his son-in-law, what a pity.
"Since that’s the case, let’s cut to the chase; as soon as I got home I heard from my daughter that you are supporting her music studies. Not only that, she said you’ve promised to produce an album for her, is this true?" asked Wang Sheng.
"Yes, it’s true. I’ve always known she was interested in music, we are friends, I just want to show my support," replied Tang Qing truthfully.
"Then I must thank you first. I used to find reasons to discourage her, but now I, as a father, feel unable to stop her," Wang Sheng sighed. He wished for his daughter to do what she loves, but deep down he was reluctant to accept the idea of stars. Wang Yan could be a music teacher, but he found it difficult to accept her as a celebrity.
"Do you have feelings for our Wang Yan?"
Before his sentence ended, Tang Qing was startled by Wang Sheng’s sudden question.
"Ahem, well...I think you might have misunderstood, Uncle Wang. I just want to help her. Moreover, if I can help her become famous, I could save a lot on advertising fees. Heh, at that time, you must not blame me for taking advantage of Wang Yan," rushed Tang Qing, presenting an explanation for this potentially delicate situation.
"...Do you have time in the next few days? Come over to our house for a visit and we can have a proper chat," said Wang Sheng after a brief pause, refraining from further questions. Some concerns are best discussed face to face; he had too many doubts and fears. If there were signs of trouble, it was crucial to nip them in the bud immediately. He didn’t want his daughter to get more deeply involved than she already was.
After some thought, Tang Qing proposed, "How about the after tomorrow evening?"
"Sure, concentrate on your studies for now, and we’ll talk when you come over the after tomorrow night," Wang Sheng replied.
"Okay."
After their conversation ended, Tang Qing didn’t continue practicing calligraphy but lay on his bed deep in thought.
He clearly understood what Wang Sheng wanted to talk about the day after tomorrow. Wang Sheng probably had many questions; the most significant must be why Tang Qing promised to spend so much money to support Wang Yan, especially when Wang Sheng was aware of Lin Jiaxue’s presence.
In more polite terms, Tang Qing’s actions might be described as helping a classmate, but less graciously, his help might be seen as excessive generosity — causing others to suspect his motives. Therefore, Tang Qing needed to justify his ’motives.’ Although what he told Wang Sheng on the phone is true, he knew that an old hand like Wang Sheng wouldn’t be easily convinced.
The next challenge would likely be Wang Sheng rejecting his assistance. Given that his family isn’t in financial jeopardy, they wouldn’t be inclined to accept Tang Qing’s charity. As a businessman, Wang Sheng might take advantage of such an opportunity in the business world, but when it comes to his daughter, acceptance would be difficult. Hence, Tang Qing needed to persuade Wang Sheng to accept his financial help, otherwise, he might not get a chance to spend the money.
Ah, forget it. I’ll think about this tomorrow. There have been too many annoying things to deal with these past two days.
Subsequently, Tang Qing continued practicing his calligraphy. He had been practicing in ’clerical script’ and even ’seal script’, but he found the ’seal script’ too ’ancient’ and odd-looking. He left the rest of the books in ’seal script’ aside without practicing. Once he finishes mastering the remaining ’semi-cursive’ and ’European scripts’ this month, his plan is to study ink painting. The whole point of practicing calligraphy was to sooth his spirits. He specifically chose the scripts that focused on calm and deliberate strokes, dismissing scripts that required speed, as it made him more impatient.
The next morning.
Upon seeing Tang Qing, Wang Yan anxiously asked in a hushed tone, "What did my father say to you on the phone last night?"
She knew that her father had called Tang Qing last night, but Wang Sheng had not divulged the content of the call. He just said that Tang Qing would come over to dinner tonight. Wang Yan was pleased, but at the same time she had a faint worry. She feared that her father and Tang Qing might have serious disagreements or even verbal conflicts tomorrow night.
"Is your father still opposed?" Tang Qing asked with a light laugh.
"Not exactly. It’s much better than before. He’s just hesitant. I’m sorry for causing you trouble. Maybe I should not pursue music anymore." Wang Yan said softly in fear that Tang Qing might find her troublesome.
Upon hearing this, Tang Qing replied seriously, "No way. You must keep learning. Firstly, it’s your dream. Secondly, I’m looking forward to making you a star and making you the spokesperson for my company."
In her previous life, Wang Yan had given up her dream because of his words. In this life, he was determined not to let such a thing happen again.
"Oh," Wang Yan responded gently, fiddling with her pencil box. Inside, she was thrilled. She knew that Tang Qing supported her dreams, but she selectively ignored the last sentence he said.
...
Seven o’clock in the evening.
Today was Qin Shiyu’s birthday. People from three families gathered at Qin Yugang’s place once more. This time, Tang Qing didn’t need to buy groceries, because the meal was prepared by Mother Tang, Auntie and Mother Lin. The kitchen was so small that it left no room for Tang Qing to squeeze in.
The three heads of the households were chatting and watching TV in the living room while the two cousins were doing homework in their own rooms.
Tang Qing pulled Lin Jiaxue into his room and closed the door.
Lin Jiaxue was aware of what was going on, as just after entering the house, Qin Shiqi had excitedly shown off the gift Tang Qing had bought for her. Naturally, there would be one for her too.
Tang Qing asked Lin Jiaxue to sit on his bed and took out two boxes from a drawer. He opened them in front of Lin Jiaxue and asked, "Jiaxue, do you like it?"
After scanning it briefly, Lin Jiaxue replied softly with a smile, "Hmm, I like it."
It did not matter what Tang Qing gave or how much it cost; as long as it was from Tang Qing, it was perfect.
"Then let me put it on for you," Tang Qing said.
"Alright," responded Lin Jiaxue.
After that, Tang Qing personally helped Lin Jiaxue put on the bracelet and the watch. He held Lin Jiaxue’s hand closely, carefully inspecting the jewelry, then said, "Hmm, it looks really good," and kissed her hand after speaking.
Lin Jiaxue did not say anything, nor did she flinch. She just gently looked at Tang Qing.
"You must wear them often in the future, understood?"
"Hmm."
"Even when you go to school."
"Okay."
"Jiaxue."
"What’s up?"
"Nothing, just a bit thirsty."
"You..hmm.."
After a romantic moment in Tang Qing’s room, they were interrupted and Lin Jiaxue was ’taken’ away by Qin Shiqi who had finished her homework. Qin Shiqi ignored Tang Qing’s ’grieved’ expression.
Humph, he thought, next time I must kiss her till I am satisfied.
