Chapter 326: 326 Enthusiasm

“He had his eyes on Secretary Jin long ago, but she never agreed,” Luo Xiyun said as she talked about the matter, constantly shaking her head.

“Secretary Jin didn’t accept his proposal and instead resigned. He wanted to persist, but later, it was Grandmother who stepped in and took Secretary Jin away with me.”

Chen Xu hadn’t expected Secretary Jin to have such a past, no wonder Xiyun trusted her so much, allowing her to be her own secretary. Her character was indeed trustworthy.

Fang Zhiyuan had good looks and was the CEO of a large conglomerate, he even divorced for her, probably not many women could resist. Yet, Secretary Jin actually rejected him, which was truly quite unusual.

During lunch, Chen Xu finally understood how Xiyun’s obsessive-compulsive disorder was formed. The rules of the Fang family were strict, they used a square table, with Old Mrs. Fang sitting at the head, Fang Zhiyuan and his son on one side, and Chen Xu and Luo Xiyun on the other.

The meal was Chinese, very exquisitely prepared, looking like the kind from some banquets. The utensils were also very elegant, with each person having a set of bowls and plates, and two sets of chopsticks each, apparently one set was specifically for picking up food.

Chen Xu, for all his life, had never used serving chopsticks, and found it quite novel.

Chen Xu saw little Fang Hao sitting opposite, sitting upright with a straight back, looking very serious, clearly already accustomed to it.

Fang Zhiyuan smiled and said, “Our family usually eats like this, just be casual since it’s your first time.”

Chen Xu said, “It’s okay.”

After all the dishes were served, Old Mrs. Fang said, “Let’s eat.”

Chen Xu saw the others start eating before he picked up his chopsticks.

Midway through the meal, little Fang Hao accidentally dropped a piece of rib onto the table, immediately putting down his chopsticks and hanging his head as if he had done something wrong.

Fang Zhiyuan said to his son, “Be careful next time.”

Little Fang Hao sneakily glanced at his grandmother, and only after Old Mrs. Fang nodded did he pick up his chopsticks and continue eating.

Fang Zhiyuan called the aunt over, had the rib on the table removed, and carefully wiped the table clean with a cloth, she wiped it meticulously until no trace was left before she left.

Little Fang Hao was the first to finish eating, put down his cutlery, and said, “Grandma, I’m done eating. Dad, Sister, Brother-in-law, please take your time.”

Chen Xu noticed his bowl was very clean, not even a single grain of rice left.

One could only say, the family discipline was indeed strict.

After lunch, everyone sat on the sofa, ate some fruits and chatted casually.

Fang Zhiyuan said, “Chen Xu, I heard from Xiyun that you’ve opened a chain of noodle shops, when are you planning to open a branch here?”

“There’s no such plan at the moment,” Chen Xu replied.

The noodle shop was now completely handed over to Old Tang to manage. He was quite stable by nature, and had submitted a plan that for at least one year, they didn’t plan to expand to other cities.

Fang Zhiyuan said, “If it’s a matter of funding, just say the word, I can invest some money in it.”

“Thanks, but it’s not necessary at this point,” Chen Xu tactfully declined. Knowing the past between the other party and Secretary Jin, he understood why he was so enthusiastic. This included the current offer to invest in his noodle shop, it was probably for Secretary Jin’s sake.

As expected, Fang Zhiyuan didn’t inquire further about his company.

*****

During the break, Chen Xu followed Luo Xiyun to her room.

Chen Xu asked, “Was your grandmother always like this?”

“She’s just strict with people, but actually very nice, she’s never hit or scolded me from childhood to adulthood,” Luo Xiyun explained.

Chen Xu commented, “Then I might have to learn from her someday. No hits, no scolding, yet able to teach a child so well, that’s impressive.”

Knock, knock…

There was a knock on the door, Chen Xu went to open it, and said somewhat surprised, “Uncle? Is there something?”

The knocker was Fang Zhiyuan, who smiled and said, “It’s rare for you to come here, I’ll take you out for a walk and introduce you to a few friends. Xiyun, lend me your boyfriend for the afternoon.”

Luo Xiyun looked at Chen Xu, then said, “Go on.”

“So I will,” Chen Xu naturally wasn’t worried, and left with Fang Zhiyuan.

As soon as Chen Xu left, Luo Xiyun sat down in front of the dressing table, letting her hair down.

Knock, knock.

There was a knock on the door, she turned around and called out, “Grandma? Aren’t you taking a nap?”

“You rarely come back, I wanted to chat more with you,” Old Mrs. Fang entered, Luo Xiyun hurriedly pulled a chair over for her to sit.

After sitting down, Old Mrs. Fang took hold of one of her hands, and asked, “What’s going on between you and that Chen Xu?”

“We are just…” facing her grandmother, she suddenly felt shy, “Well…”

Old Mrs. Fang laughed heartily and said, “Grandma has been through it all, no need to be shy.”

Luo Xiyun touched the old lady’s spotted hand and whispered, “Grandma, do you not like him very much?”

*****

Chen Xu and the other person were in Fang Zhiyuan’s car, a Ferrari.

“How long have you known Xiyun?” Fang Zhiyuan asked while driving.

“About two years,” Chen Xu counted the time before they were together too.

“At that time, she had just returned to the country, right? I’m quite curious, how did you manage to pursue her?”

While speaking, Fang Zhiyuan seemed to realize that his words were somewhat inappropriate, and explained, “Don’t get me wrong, my niece, I’ve watched her grow up from a child, and I know her very well. She has been spoiled by my mother from a young age, a bit haughty and always striving for perfection, and she has severe OCD. Over these years, I’ve never seen her with a boyfriend.”

“My mother doesn’t say it, but she’s actually a bit anxious. A few years ago, she started introducing her to some talented young men; she didn’t take a fancy to any. I thought she might never find a boyfriend in her lifetime. A few months ago, when I heard she started dating, I was really surprised and wanted to see who was so charming that he could win over my niece.”

Chen Xu said, “Honestly, I don’t even know what she sees in me.”

“Being modest isn’t necessary,” laughed Fang Zhiyuan, “You think I can’t tell? Just now at lunch, her eyes never left you, it’s more than just liking. Without certain skills, how would a woman be so devoted to you?”

Chen Xu looked at him and smiled too. He somewhat understood why he was so eagerly taking him out. It turns out he regarded him as a master of flirting.

Right, a while ago, Xiyun withdrew all the money from her family’s fund left by her mother, the Fang family wouldn’t think it was for him, would they?

Damn.

No wonder Old Mrs. Fang was always cool towards him, did they take him for a gold digger?

This just got interesting.