Secondly, Liang Xiao also wanted her to visit the film set, even if she was just a screenwriter, but after the unexpected casting decision last time, the director remembered her, and every time he saw Liang Xiao, he would mention her. Liang Xiao had no choice but to let her go to the set, so they could meet in person, hoping that he would stop bringing it up in front of her afterward.
Although she felt that this was not as simple as it seemed, Liang Xiao rarely forced her, so she agreed. That’s why, even though it was summer vacation now, she wasn’t actually as free as she appeared to be; she still had a lot of things to do.
Furthermore, with so many people coming over this summer, she definitely wouldn’t be able to visit Xiyuan often. Not to mention anything else, even Fan Tianyu felt that his incognito status might not remain a secret for much longer, let alone the Public Welfare Company that was registered under her name. She feared she might even get dragged into the spotlight along with the company.
But she couldn’t just neglect the visits; when Wang Qiuhe came over, she couldn’t just leave her child unattended. Other things might not matter, but she had to be responsible for their safety, so she had to keep them under close watch.
Having them follow Fan Tianyu wasn’t as good as having them with her, especially since the Public Welfare Company couldn’t compare to Xiyuan.
Fan Tianyu was really laid back about it, "I think as long as we can keep it under wraps for a day, it’s a day gained. When we’re discovered, can’t we just deny it outright?"
It wasn’t as if being found out meant they had to admit to anything. He would simply deny it, and what could people do to him then?
"I’d like to see you deny it then," Mei Mengzhen said, her tone clearly displaying her disbelief.
...
The group prepared early but still left at 10:50 sharp. They had a smooth ride and arrived at Qi Yongwang’s school by 11:20. When they reached the bottom of his dorm building, it was right at 11:30. Mei Mengzhen checked her watch and then said, "The exam just finished, we’ll have to wait a bit longer."
"Right, it takes some time to get from the exam hall to the dorms."
Wang Qiuhe, curious about the college, no, about all new experiences, had been looking out the window ever since they left the house. She was even more intrigued upon arriving at the school. "Zhenzhen, college is really different. It’s so much bigger than our schools back home. Is your university even bigger than this one?"
"It’s a bit larger. If you’re curious, I can take you to my school for a visit. There are still many students taking exams right now; the campus is quite lively."
"Oh, that sounds great. Your school is close, right?"
"Yeah, it’s just behind our house. A 20-minute walk and we’re at the campus, but it’s so big you can’t cover it all on foot in one day. We can borrow an electric scooter when the time comes, and I’ll take you and Chenchen for a tour."
Wang Qiuhe asked with curiosity, "Zhenzhen, don’t you have an electric scooter? How do you get to school then?"
Fan Tianyu chuckled and interjected, "Your sister Zhenzhen goes to school in style, she rides a skateboard, an electric one at that. Who needs an electric scooter?"
A skateboard? "Zhenzhen, are you really that cool? I wouldn’t have guessed."
Indeed, it was hard to tell, at least not from Mei Mengzhen’s attire, that she was someone who skateboarded.
"Oh, I just know how to skate, I’m not really good with tricks or anything. It’s not that cool," Mei Mengzhen modestly replied, but talking about skateboarding did pique Mei Mengchen’s interest in learning, "Sis, Chenchen wants to learn too."
"Ah, you want to learn skateboarding too?" Mei Mengzhen wasn’t surprised. When they were in Xincheng, Mei Mengzhen used to ride Fan Tianyu’s old skateboard around their doorsteps, and at that time he was very keen to learn, but she didn’t allow it because he was too young. A year later, he brought it up again, which showed he was really interested.
Mei Mengzhen thought for a moment and then said, "How about I buy you a smaller skateboard first? You can try it out, and if you really like it, I’ll get you a good one later."
She was worried Mei Mengchen might lose interest after a couple of days and the money spent on the skateboard would be wasted, as there is quite a difference between children’s skateboards and those for adults.
Mei Mengchen was already thrilled that she had agreed. He wasn’t really concerned about the specifics and immediately said excitedly, "Great, thank you, sis!"
Wang Qiuhe glanced at the two of them and remarked, "You really spoil him."
"It’s not spoiling; these are normal requests. It’s just a hobby, nothing else."
"Zhenzhen, I heard from my mom that you’re going to work part-time during the summer. Are you working this year? What about Chenchen, who’s going to look after him?"
Fan Tianyu was leaning by the window smoking when he heard Wang Qiuhe’s question. He glanced at them in the rearview mirror and was about to say something when Mei Mengzhen spoke up first, "Part-time work, yes, but I’m going to spend a few days with you first. But now that you’ve brought it up, let me just tell you, when I go to work, I’ll take you with me. There’s no point in opposing me; it’s useless."
Wang Qiuhe was taken aback for a second, and then she excitedly jumped up, "But, Zhenzhen, I’m a minor. Why would you bring me to your work? It’s illegal for minors to work."
"I know, so I’ll be the one working, and you’ll be volunteering. It’s unpaid, so it’s not illegal." It was that simple.
"I haven’t agreed yet."
"I told you, opposition is futile. Whether you agree or not, I must take you with me. Your mom sent you to us, Brother Tianyu has to earn money and look after Chenchen; who has the time to keep an eye on you? I also have to work, so would you rather be left home alone? If something happens, who will be responsible? Even if nothing happens, who’s responsible if there is an accident?" Mei Mengzhen earnestly explained, "So just accept it. Opposing won’t do any good. Unless you want to go back home, I can ask Brother Mengcheng to send you back. Otherwise, you’ll be coming with me to work."
Comparatively, the idea of volunteering was less distressing than going back home. Although it was a tough decision, she hesitated only for a moment before consenting, "I can go to work with you, but..."
Mei Mengzhen interrupted her upon hearing this ’but’, "No buts. What ’but’? I will drive every day, food is included over there, and your work won’t be that strenuous. Don’t worry, I won’t push you too hard."
If Wang Qiuhe would cooperate, Mei Mengzhen would consider taking her along when visiting Liang Xiao’s set, of course, only under the condition that she could keep her appearance discreet, as she might want to go elsewhere—it was a fleeting idea, so she dared not mention it.
Wang Qiuhe couldn’t grasp such profound implications and complained with a disgruntled face, "I’d be a fool to trust you. I feel like I’ve gone from the wolf’s den right into a tiger’s lair. This is terrible, fate is against me."
"It’s an exaggeration; it’s just working for free." Fan Tianyu frowned, speaking up. After all, without schooling or working and not even looking normal, even if she was well-behaved, it would still be unacceptable. What parent or elder could feel content seeing this?
Filled with resentment, Wang Qiuhe found it impossible to stay seated and snapped indignantly, "No, I need to stand. I can’t sit still."