Qiao Lei was visibly nervous, "Ah, but the senior sister will still face this problem when she goes back next time!"
"I haven't finished yet. It takes the person who tied the bell to untie it; to solve this problem once and for all, we definitely need to make a trip."
Shen Yuan looked at Qiao Lei, "Do you know her home address?"
Qiao Lei hurriedly nodded, "Yes, she said it might be a long-term battle and asked me to send her some face masks and skincare products."
"Then let's go to her house."
Shen Yuan took out his phone, "I'll ask Ji Ya to come along, and you can send me the address and head back first."
Qiao Lei held her fair chin high, "I won't go back; I want to go too!"
Qiao Lei flaunted her milky white chest, "I'm going to see the senior sister. How can I miss out on such a rescue mission?"
Shen Yuan chuckled, "You being there won't make much of a difference, but if you really want to go, just follow and keep quiet."
"I know what I'm doing."
Qiao Lei confidently said, "When I meet the senior sister's family, I'll say I'm your secretary."
"Why say secretary? That's just asking for misunderstandings."
Shen Yuan flicked her forehead, "Just say you are Jinghan's classmate and also a class officer, and that you came because you were concerned."
Qiao Lei pouted and rubbed her forehead, "Okay, got it."
Consequently, Shen Yuan took Qiao Lei to Long Jinghan's home in Shao County first, had Ji Ya buy some gifts, and then drove over in the Defender.
Shao County was about 200 kilometers from Star City; it took 2 hours by car, and it was completely dark by the time they arrived.
The high-rise buildings here were noticeably fewer than in Star City, and the traffic on the roads was less heavy, so the view seemed more expansive. The sun had already set, leaving only a gray sky.
Old folks and kids took their time strolling along the road, and the young people walked unhurriedly as well.
"Small places have their own advantages; life's pace is much slower."
Shen Yuan thought to himself and then followed the GPS to Long Jinghan's apartment building.
They hadn't told Long Jinghan beforehand, because even if they told her, she would have insisted that they didn't need to come and that she would be back at school in a few days.
"Senior, I'm feeling a bit nervous."
Qiao Lei stood downstairs, patting her chest; in her mind, Long Jinghan's parents were likely very strict people, and she worried about being sent away.
Shen yuan smiled without a word, but he examined the building which was a self-constructed house with a storefront on the first floor and housed a "three rooms and one living room" rental advertisement at the entrance. The stairway leading upstairs was quite narrow, probably designed specifically for renting.
"The senior sister told me her hometown is in the countryside, but her parents have always rented a house in the county town," Qiao Lei explained.
Shen Yuan led Qiao Lei upstairs and knocked on the door of room 301; soon, a middle-aged woman in her forties opened the door.
She frowned and examined the two, "Who are you looking for?"
Shen Yuan thought this was probably her mother and greeted her with a smile, "Hello, Auntie, we are Long Jinghan's friends and classmates, and we came to visit her."
"Friends and classmates? She didn't mention it. Wait a moment."
The middle-aged woman said, puzzled, then called Long Jinghan out.
Long Jinghan looked dejected, wearing a casual T-shirt, with red eyes and even her cheeks seemed thinner, obviously having faced a lot of grievances.
Qiao Lei excitedly waved.
Long Jinghan was also stunned to see them at her home, then joy burst into her eyes, grasping Qiao Lei's hand tightly, almost ready to shed tears of emotion.
"Leilei, Shen Yuan..."
Long Jinghan sniffled, clearly having many grievances to share. Follow current novᴇls on ɴovelfire.net
"Let's go inside and talk."
Shen Yuan gestured inside.
Long Jinghan invited them into the house. Sitting on the couch was a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard, dark rough skin, and his fingers were covered in calluses, typically seen in those who work long-term on construction sites.
Shen Yuan nodded slightly as a greeting.
"Ah, hello, please, take a seat."
The middle-aged man saw the two were a bit stiff and awkwardly smiled, indicating them to sit down.
Long Jinghan's mother assessed the two; the girl was dismissible, probably just a good friend of her daughter from school.
But this boy, she seriously suspected, was the "boyfriend" from her daughter's phone; otherwise, why would he travel all the way from Star City to Shao County?
He looked decent, but at this age, girls are easily deceived by appearances, Long Jinghan's mother was worried her daughter might be blinded by infatuation.
He was also well-dressed, but what use was that? Can it be eaten as food? Can it help the family in any way?
Seeing their empty hands, Long Jinghan's mother shook her head; no wonder the daughter didn't want to talk about her boyfriend, probably because besides being good-looking, he had no other merits to speak of.
Who doesn't bring a gift the first time they visit their girlfriend's home? It's not about being rich or poor; it's about manners and upbringing.
"Have you two had dinner?"
Long Jinghan's mother asked politely.
Qiao Lei replied directly.
Long Jinghan's mother "oh"ed; she was just being polite and had not actually planned to cook for them, but to her surprise, they said they hadn't eaten.
She looked at their empty hands and then told Long Jinghan, "Jinghan, go wash some fruit for your classmates."
Long Jinghan wanted to stay in the living room with them, and washing just fruits seemed inadequate since they hadn't had dinner yet.