Hearing Che Xiaoxiao's explanation, Yuan Shanshan said with a somewhat ashamed expression:
"I'm sorry, I misunderstood you."
"Don't be silly, who are we kidding, do we need to say sorry?"
Che Xiaoxiao suddenly hugged Yuan Shanshan's neck and said with a mischievous smile, "If you really feel sorry, then let me grab your chest."
As she spoke, her wicked hand made its move.
"Ah, no." Yuan Shanshan struggled quickly, her face flushed like the tide.
"No fighting or frolicking in the hospital!" a nurse reprimanded sternly.
Yuan Shanshan and Che Xiaoxiao both stuck out their tongues and went back to the ward.
"What were you two chatting about?" The old lady asked, puzzled. Was there anything that she couldn't hear?
"Nothing much, just that Shanshan felt shy. She originally told me not to mention that she had a boyfriend, but my big mouth accidentally let it slip," Che Xiaoxiao explained with a chuckle.
"What's there to be shy about, it's only natural for men to marry and women to wed," the old lady teased, then said:
"Right, find some time to bring your boyfriend over."
Yuan Shanshan and Che Xiaoxiao were both dumbfounded; they just wanted to make the old lady happy, they didn't plan on really bringing a boyfriend to meet her.
"What, is that not possible?" The old lady was clearly unhappy, her expression filled with suspicion.
"Of course not, how could it be?"
Che Xiaoxiao forced a laugh, her expression a bit unnatural, thinking to herself that now she was in trouble.
"Good, then you bring him tomorrow. Okay, I'm tired, you can go out now." The old lady lay down, leaving them no chance to refuse.
Once they left the hospital, Yuan Shanshan looked utterly dejected:
"Great, now my mom wants to meet a boyfriend, where am I supposed to find one for her?"
"What are you afraid of, there's Hao Jian for problems !"
Che Xiaoxiao said with a playful grin; wasn't finding a boyfriend simple? Just find someone to pretend.
"Guess there's no other choice now." Yuan Shanshan sighed. It seemed she would have to trouble Hao Jian.
"What? You want me to be your boyfriend?"
Hao Jian was completely surprised, looking at Yuan Shanshan with a face full of astonishment!
Are the girls of today so direct? Giving a guy no time to prepare... that's just too wicked!
And his loud voice made many colleagues look over.
"Keep your voice down, it's not about really wanting you to be my boyfriend, but to fool my mom for a bit. She has always wanted me to find a boyfriend, so I just thought I'd fulfill that wish for her," Yuan Shanshan explained.
"You got me scared for a moment, sure, when should we go see the old lady? How about tomorrow? I have the day off," Hao Jian said.
"You agreed?" Yuan Shanshan stared blankly, surprised that Hao Jian agreed so easily.
"It's a simple gesture of help."
Hao Jian shrugged his shoulders, fulfilling the wish of an ailing old lady was a good thing, and he had no reason to refuse.
"Why are you so nice to me?"
Yuan Shanshan couldn't help asking. Clearly, the old lady's words also had some effect on her. She wanted to know if Hao Jian was genuinely pitying her, or if he had other ulterior motives.
Hao Jian scratched his head, embarrassed, and started to smile.
"Of course, there is!" Yuan Shanshan asserted confidently,
"Normal people wouldn't lend money to a stranger, but you not only lent it, you didn't even require me to write an IOU; it's as if you're not even afraid I won't pay you back."
"Because I'm an orphan, I didn't want to see you become one too," Hao Jian said with a smile, choosing to be honest with Yuan Shanshan to prevent her from worrying.
Yuan Shanshan was greatly surprised, and Che Xiaoxiao beside her also gasped sharply.
Because Hao Jian had always been joking and laughing, they had never imagined that he had such a past.
"I'm sorry, I didn't do it on purpose," Yuan Shanshan said, her head lowered. Had she known, she wouldn't have asked.
"Come on, do I look like a man with a glass heart?" Hao Jian said impatiently, disliking this sort of fussiness the most.
The very next morning, Hao Jian went to the hospital with Yuan Shanshan, Che Xiaoxiao, and the others.
At that time in the hospital room, aside from the old lady, Yuan Shanshan's brother, Yuan Zhibang, was also there.
Having heard that his sister had a boyfriend, he wanted to see for himself, but when Yuan Zhibang looked at Hao Jian, his eyes showed a trace of hostility.
Hao Jian just smiled and didn't mind, knowing this was a child's psychology, feeling as if his sister was taken away from him, which caused him to resist Hao Jian instinctively.
Today, Hao Jian was wearing a well-fitted suit, of course, rented for a hundred yuan a day, which made him look rather presentable, like a successful man.
"Auntie, hello, my name is Hao Jian, I've come to visit you," Hao Jian greeted the old lady enthusiastically.
"Are you Yuan Shanshan's boyfriend?"
The old lady's eyes shone. She hadn't entirely believed Che Xiaoxiao and Yuan Shanshan earlier, but now that she saw the man in person, she believed it.
"You're my sister's boyfriend, why haven't I heard her mention you?" Yuan Zhibang asked with a stern face.
At Yuan Zhibang's question, Hao Jian and the others were taken aback, as the hostility on Yuan Zhibang's face was not the least bit concealed.
But Hao Jian responded with ease, smiling,
"That's because Shanshan is quite shy, so we had to keep our relationship on the down low. I've always wanted to meet her family, but she was worried about burdening me and so she refused."
As he spoke, Hao Jian looked tenderly at Yuan Shanshan, his demeanor as if Yuan Shanshan really was his girlfriend.
And in that moment, Yuan Shanshan felt as though she truly was Hao Jian's girlfriend, almost melted by the tender look in his eyes.
"Best Actor, for sure!"
Che Xiaoxiao sighed inwardly; if she hadn't been in on the secret, she might have truly believed that Hao Jian and Yuan Shanshan were an item.
Upon hearing this, the old lady sighed,
"This girl Shanshan has sacrificed too much for our family ever since she was little, especially with my illness burdening her. Fortunately, I won't live much longer and won't have to be a burden to her."
The old lady spoke somewhat willfully, but she was conveying a message to Hao Jian:
I'm going to die soon, so you don't have to worry about me being a burden after you marry Yuan Shanshan.
She hoped Hao Jian would treat Yuan Shanshan well.
"Mom, why would you say that?" Yuan Shanshan, upset by the old lady's words, almost cried. This talk of dying...
At this moment, Yuan Zhibang also spoke up, but with a cold expression,
"That's right, our family is a burden. If you can't accept that, I suggest you break up with my sister sooner rather than later!"
"Zhibang, what nonsense are you spouting? Have you lost your mind?"
The old lady hit Yuan Zhibang on the head. Yuan Shanshan had finally found a boyfriend, and now Yuan Zhibang was thinking of scaring him away?