Living Together, Prospering Together

Xia Guodong stayed at the institute late today.

Two mergers and acquisitions, one advisory meeting—it was already dark by the time they finished.

He rubbed his temples as he left Junhe, and the driver asked if he was going back.

He said there was no rush, and he would go check on Yutong.

As the car turned into the Times Light Center, he told the driver to go first.

Someone is walking their dog downstairs.

He looked up and saw that the lights on his daughter's floor were off.

Xia Guodong thought that he was probably working overtime again.

He went upstairs and knocked on the door, but no one answered.

I knocked again, but still no one answered.

He took a half step back and looked through the peephole; there was no change in the light inside the door.

"That girl," he muttered to himself as he dialed the number.

It rang a few times, and then the other end answered.

"Yutong, where are you?"

"Dad? I'm home. I just finished showering and I'm lying down watching TV."

Are you sure you're home?

"Yes, of course! Would I lie to you?"

Xia Yutong's voice was light and cheerful, just like usual.

"Then why did I knock on the door for so long and no one answered?" Xia Guodong said.

"Huh?" There was a clear pause on the other end of the phone.

"What...what are you doing? Why didn't you tell me you were coming so late?"

"I was just passing by and thought you'd been working hard lately, so I brought you some late-night snacks."

He handed over the bag in his hand, then put it down again.

"Late-night snack?" Xia Yutong's voice softened.

"I...I might have been on the balcony and didn't hear it, and the TV was loud too."

"Your balcony is on the 30th floor, and I didn't hear the TV either," Xia Guodong pointed out calmly.

"I...I was driving very quietly," she added softly.

"Even if you turn the volume up loud, it won't reach the hallway," Xia Guodong said.

There was a moment of silence.

Xia Yutong said, "Okay, okay, I wasn't home. I came out this afternoon."

"Where did you go?"

"Being with friends."

"Which friend?"

"It's... Shen Qingning."

"She asked you out? Where are you?"

"Her home," Xia Yutong said.

"Let's turn on a video call, I want to see you."

"Dad, are you checking up on me?"

"It's been a long time since I've seen Qingning. I'm just saying hello on the way." Xia Guodong's tone was emotionless.

"Okay... then I'll have her tell you."

Xia Yutong covered the receiver and whispered something to the person next to her.

A few seconds later, the video call connected.

Shen Qingning's smiling face is the first thing to appear in the frame.

She was wearing a light-colored loungewear dress, her hair was casually clipped back with a hair clip, and behind her was a beige wall.

The light was soft, making it impossible to pinpoint the exact location.

"Hello Uncle Xia, it's been a long time." She waved at the camera.

"Qingning, good evening! Is Yutong with you?"

"Yes! She said she's been too tired lately, so I made her some grapefruit tea, and we're chatting now."

"Don't worry, I'll let her sleep in the guest room later."

"Thank you for your help."

Xia Guodong glanced at the edge of the screen.

There are no signs, so you can't tell which neighborhood it is.

Behind Shen Qingning, only half of a sofa and a few books were visible; the tidy arrangement was so neat that it didn't seem like her home's style.

"Not at all, we're good friends, Uncle Xia, you're too kind." Shen Qingning smiled sincerely.

Xia Guodong nodded: "Then you two chat, don't stay up too late. I'll have her bring you two more boxes of tea next week."

"Thank you, Uncle Xia." Shen Qingning waved to him, and the call ended immediately.

After hanging up the phone, Xia Guodong stood downstairs without moving.

The wind blew in from the aisle, making the paper bags containing midnight snacks rustle.

Of course, he wouldn't expose him to his face.

But the wall in the video isn't the wall in Shen Qingning's house.

More importantly, Xia Yutong was flustered.

That girl would never lie just because she's going out with friends.

Today, not only did he lie, but he also asked Shen Qingning to vouch for him.

Xia Guodong thought carefully about the place where the two of them were together, and finally settled on the same name.

Jianghan.

The relationship between Shen Qingning and Jiang Han had long been rumored in the industry.

He had always known that his daughter had become close to Jiang Han since she started working as a special agent.

But Xia Guodong always felt that Yutong was a professional, client and lawyer, and that public and private matters should be kept separate.

Moreover, Jiang Han's relationships were too complicated, so he never thought about it that way.

But now, it's as if someone has pulled a missing page from a drawer.

He suddenly remembered that every time his daughter mentioned Jiang Han, she would call him "General Manager Jiang".

It seemed like a deliberate attempt to appear businesslike.

He also recalled that during the last personnel changes at Xingyue, even Liu Meng knew about it, and Yu Tong was at home saying that she needed to see how the contract would be signed.

Even then, she was already worrying about every little thing for Jiang Han.

The phone rang again; it was Xia Yutong calling back.

"Dad, are you home yet?"

Her voice returned to normal, but it sounded too normal.

"It'll be soon. You and Qingning should get some rest."

Some answers don't need to be asked today.

My daughter is all grown up now; she chose her own path.

But his father's guess was most likely correct.

At the villa, Xia Yutong was already sprawled on the sofa, her phone pressed against her forehead, seemingly lost in thought.

Shen Qingning brought over a glass of water: "Your dad is more difficult than I imagined."

Xia Yutong glanced at her: "Don't you even know what he does for a living!"

Xiao Xiao suddenly appeared out of nowhere and squeezed next to her.

"Sister Yutong, welcome to the Underground Relationship Group."

Xiao Xiao hooked her arm around her neck, her face clearly showing she was just watching the show.

"Why are you making things worse?" Xia Yutong slapped her hand away.

"I haven't caused any trouble. Did your dad already guess that?"

Xiao Xiao's eyes darted around. "Tell him that at worst, you can just stay with Jiang Han."

"If he gets angry, just do what I do and run away from home. You'll feel so much lighter."

"I don't need to use my dad's supplementary card!" Xia Yutong retorted irritably.

She sat up, rubbing her temples, and grabbed her phone with her other hand to look through it.

The screen was frozen on her father's call history.

This phone call was more unbearable than going to court.

She turned her head to the side, and Xiao Xiao was still laughing and joking.

Xia Yutong thought that tonight's ordeal was probably just the beginning.

Shen Qingning pushed the water glass towards her, and when she didn't take it, she put it on the coffee table.

"What are you planning to do?"

"I don't know," Xia Yutong said in a muffled voice.

"I haven't figured out how to tell my dad. You know him, the calmer he is, the more it means he's guessed everything."

Even if someone guesses it, they might not say it out loud.

"Your dad is a lawyer, and he's a master at waiting for the right moment. The more panicked you are now, the more certain he becomes."

"How can I not panic?" Xia Yutong looked up, her eyes a little red.

"He's never checked my whereabouts before, but today he suddenly video-called me!"

"That means he cares about you!" Shen Qingning comforted him.

"I know...that's why it's even more annoying."

Xiao Xiao, unusually, didn't continue to stir things up.

She hugged another cushion, sat cross-legged on the carpet, and tilted her head to look at Xia Yutong for a long time.

"Sister Yutong, why don't you try talking to him about something else first, instead of confronting him right away?"

"Who do you think my dad is?!"

"Are you afraid he'll object?" Shen Qingning asked.

"I'm afraid he'll be disappointed. If he knew I was being used as a...

She didn't finish the last word.

"What?" Xiao Xiao asked.

"Shut up!" Xia Yutong threw a pillow at him.

Xiao Xiao laughed carefree: "What's there to be afraid of? It's not like I'm stealing someone."

"We are living together and prospering together."