章 4: Hello, Lina
In the office, Bo Qiang stood still, staring at his phone as the call abruptly ended. He chuckled to himself, "My father really hasn't changed at all."
As he put his phone down, his thoughts drifted back to the conversation, specifically the part about Lina. He leaned back in his chair, recalling the last time he had seen her. "The last time I saw her, she was just a kid, always running around after me," he mused with a soft smile. "She was really cute back then, but I never thought of her as anything more than the daughter of my parents' friends. Now, I guess I'll be looking after her as a little sister, if she behaves herself." He chuckled again, amused by the image of Lina being quiet and shy. "At least, that's what my secretary tells me—she's a quiet girl."
His smile faded slightly as he thought more about what his father had implied. "My father really is getting old if he's trying to set me up at 25 with an 18-year-old. Ridiculous."
Knock, knock.
His secretary, Yuan Wonho, appeared at the door, interrupting his thoughts. "Excuse me, sir. You have a meeting in ten minutes."
Bo Qiang snapped back to the present, his relaxed demeanor shifting to his usual professional stance. "Alright," he replied as he stood up. He followed Yuan into the elevator, glancing at his watch. "Anything else later today?"
Yuan checked the schedule on his tablet. "Just one more meeting after this."
Bo Qiang thought for a moment, then said, "Reschedule it for tomorrow. My parents are back in town, and I'm having dinner with them."
Yuan blinked in surprise—Bo Qiang rarely moved his meetings for personal reasons—but he quickly nodded and made a note to reschedule. Bo Qiang's parents returning to the country clearly meant something important.
Later that evening, Lina woke up from a nap in her new bedroom. She smiled as she looked around, feeling content with how cozy and perfect everything seemed. "Wei Jian and Lian Mei are really good to me," she whispered to herself. "I'll take care of them, I promise. And as for Bo Qiang… even if he's supposed to be the villain in the story, I won't let him meet the same fate as the original. I'll just keep him away from Xiao Han." The thought of the protagonist made Lina grimace. That woman had ruined everything in the book.
A soft knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Come in," Lina called.
Lian Mei peeked her head inside, smiling warmly. "Lina, dinner is ready. The maid has already served everything."
"Thanks, Auntie. I'll take a quick shower and come down."
Lian Mei nodded and left the room, heading downstairs to wait for her.
Ten minutes later, Lina had showered and dried her long hair. As she stepped out of her bedroom, she could hear soft laughter coming from downstairs. Curious, she walked toward the staircase and peered down. Three people were sitting on the couch, and when they heard her approaching, they all turned to look at her.
Lian Mei smiled up at her. "Lina, are you ready? We've been waiting for you."
Lina quickly descended the stairs, a little flustered. "Sorry, Auntie. I took a bit longer drying my hair." As she reached the bottom, her gaze shifted to the dark-haired man sitting on the couch. His light eyes were already on her, studying her closely. Is that him? she thought, her heart skipping a beat.
Lian Mei noticed the way Lina was staring and quickly stood to introduce them. "Lina, this is my son, Bo Qiang."
It really is him. Lina tried to remain composed, hiding her surprise as she bowed her head slightly. "Nice to meet you, Brother Bo Qiang."
Bo Qiang, meanwhile, was quietly assessing Lina. He couldn't help but think, She's really grown up. His eyes softened as he took in her familiar features. But that sparkle in her eyes… it hasn't changed. She still has that same light.
Clearing his throat, Bo Qiang broke his thoughts. "Hello, Lina."
Just as the two exchanged polite greetings, Wei Jian, with a mischievous grin on his face, chimed in. "Lina, you don't have to call him 'brother.' He's the husband I've been preparing for you."
Lina and Bo Qiang's faces dropped in unison, the air around them thick with awkwardness.
Wei Jian burst out laughing, thoroughly enjoying their reactions. "What?" he teased, still chuckling. "You didn't think I was serious?"
Lian Mei sighed, rolling her eyes at her husband's antics. "Wei Jian, enough."
But the damage was done—Bo Qiang, flustered and annoyed, shot his father a sharp look. "Father, you should know when to joke."
"Who said I'm joking?" Wei Jian replied with a smirk. "You and Lina have been engaged since forever."
Lina's heart raced, her mind spinning. Engaged? She tried to keep her expression neutral, but inside she was panicking. That wasn't in the original story.
Bo Qiang, however, remained calm and collected, despite the absurdity of the situation. "But you adopted her, so now we're siblings, right?"
Lian Mei cut in, her voice gentle but firm. "Bo Qiang, you know why we adopted her. But to us, Lina has always been more than just a sister. She's your fiancée."
Wei Jian, sensing his son's discomfort, decided to push him a little further. "This boy," he thought to himself, he never realizes what's important until it's too late. Well, I'll teach him a lesson this time.
Feigning disappointment, Wei Jian sighed dramatically and grabbed Lian Mei's hand. "Alright then, if that's how it is, you and Lina are officially siblings from now on."
Turning to Lina with a warm, fatherly smile, he added, "Lina, you're starting college soon, right? If you ever like someone, just let me know. Your uncle will take care of everything."
Lina, amused by Wei Jian's theatrics, smiled and played along. "Okay, Uncle."
Lian Mei shot her son a knowing glance, understanding exactly what her husband was trying to do.
Bo Qiang, though still slightly uncomfortable, decided to let it go for now. He had no idea what his father's real intentions were, but he knew better than to challenge him in front of everyone. Instead, he simply nodded, ignoring the strange tension in the air.
As they all sat down for dinner, Lian Mei casually brought up another matter. "Bo Qiang, your father and I have been so busy with work lately. Could you take Lina to her college tomorrow?"
Wei Jian added, "Yes, make sure to take her tomorrow and look after her when we're not around."
Bo Qiang hesitated for a moment but finally agreed. "Alright, I'll take her."
He glanced at Lina, who was fully focused on her food, and thought about how drastically things had changed since they were kids. This is going to be interesting, he mused silently, not yet realizing just how much.
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