Rebirth: He Decides to Lie Flat
Chapter 489 - 489 484 Chance Encounter on the Train

Chapter 489: 484 Chapter: Chance Encounter on the Train Chapter 489: 484 Chapter: Chance Encounter on the Train “What? Engaged?”

Having worked overtime with Professor Li in the lab for three days, Mu Jiawen felt a bit dizzy when she first heard the news and was slow to react, “Who did you say is getting engaged?”

“Dapang and Ding Yuanyuan.”

Mu Jiawen remembered quite clearly that just before the holiday, someone had insisted they were single at a meal, refusing to acknowledge Dapang as her boyfriend.

How many days has it been since then?

Women, truly fickle.

Mu Jiawen pulled out her phone and stealthily sent a message to Ding Yuanyuan: “A woman whose words don’t match her heart!”

Then she put Ding Yuanyuan’s matter aside and called Xie Lin.

The kid took his college entrance exams this year. Apart from sending him materials, she also asked Teacher Gao to arrange tutors for several subjects during the winter break. His grades were quite good, and the tutors were just to help him spot weaknesses and avoid losing points during the exams.

Right after the exams in June, she had called Xie Lin to invite him to visit Beijing, but he said he found a part-time job in the county and planned to work while waiting for the results.

The results were out by now, and Xie Lin did quite well, but it probably wasn’t enough for Beijing University. Xie Yanfen paid more attention to Xie Lin and suggested that he apply for Haishi University, which would be closer to him, allowing him to take care of Xie Lin.

As for the major, they wanted him to study finance.

That was also Old Master Xie’s wish. Although he himself wasn’t fixated on passing down the family lineage, his two granddaughters and one grandson all had their own hobbies and majors and had made it clear that they wouldn’t switch careers to take over the company.

Having built his empire with passion and hard work in his youth, he might not claim it to be vast, but it was the result of his struggles. If possible, who wouldn’t want to leave it to their descendants?

Old Master Xie and his eldest brother shared a deep bond, and his brother’s grandson was like his own. If Xie Lin was willing, he would be more than happy to entrust the company to him.

Now that Xie Lin was still young and had no clear plan for his major, they took the opportunity to guide him in that direction.

Xie Lin thought it over and, instead of making a decision right away, he first called Mu Jiawen to discuss.

In the end, he placed Haishi University at the top of his list of universities to apply for and finance as his top choice for a major.

Mu Jiawen called Xie Lin just as he had received his admission notice not long before.

“Then come to Beijing and have some fun for a while. I’ll take you to school before the term starts.”

Xie Lin agreed and decided to take the train to Beijing by himself.

On August 2, Xie Lin, with his backpack on his shoulders and clutching the ticket Xie Yanhai had bought for him in advance, nervously joined the crowd onto the platform. He then looked at the information on his ticket to find his train car.

However, as he approached his seat and was about to put his backpack on the luggage rack overhead, he suddenly heard a surprised voice, “Xiaolin?”

Xie Lin turned his head and saw a familiar face sitting across from his seat, Zhou Youming.

He reflexively called out, “Brother-in-law.”

He remembered only after he spoke that the man had long since divorced Song Xiwen. He scratched his head awkwardly, not sure what to say next.

Zhou Youming laughed it off and said, “No problem, have a seat.”

Then he looked down at Haohao in his arms and said, “Haohao, this is your little uncle. Have you forgotten?”

Haohao was already six years old and was about to start elementary school after the summer, so Zhou Youming had brought him from his hometown ahead of time, planning to educate him by his side.

The little guy blinked at Xie Lin and suddenly asked, “Little uncle, where’s my auntie?”

Zhou Youming and Xie Lin were both startled at once. It had been almost two years since Mu Jiawen had seen Haohao, and they hadn’t expected the little guy to still remember her.

“She’s in Beijing. I’m heading there to find her this time, what about you? Where are you all going?”

As Xie Lin spoke, he glanced at the woman sitting next to Zhou Youming with the corner of his eye; it was apparent she was with them, father and son.

Had he remarried?

Since her divorce, Song Xiwen had remained unmarried up until now, but she no longer lived in Yunzhou; she had been transferred to North City. He had heard that a high-ranking official personally issued the transfer order, and he could sense the disdain in his parents’ voices when they talked about it.

But he wasn’t clear on the specifics; all he knew was that his older cousin had completely fallen out with his aunt. Over the past year, she hadn’t returned home once. Meanwhile, his aunt’s hair had turned completely white, and she looked unusually aged, carrying an indescribable air of lifelessness.

His father was very worried, and whenever he wasn’t busy, he would visit her almost every other day.

“We’re headed to Beijing too.” Haohao’s voice pulled Xie Lin back from his brief reminiscence, and the little fellow asked with some excitement, “Uncle Lin, can I meet Auntie?”

“Haohao, your auntie is quite busy.” Zhou Youming, not waiting for Xie Lin to reply, spoke disapprovingly first, “What did Daddy tell you? You can’t always act on your own wishes and do whatever you want. You have to consider other people’s time and feelings, understand?”

Being scolded publicly made Little Haohao feel humiliated, and he said with a sullen face, “I don’t understand. I was asking Uncle Lin; I didn’t say we must go.” Although he really wanted to go, it could only happen with Auntie’s agreement.

Despite his young age, he understood the principle.

Zhou Youming was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure of what to say.

Xie Lin, finding the situation amusing, pulled out his phone and said, “I’ll call your auntie. You can ask her yourself, is that okay?”

Haohao’s eyes lit up. Could he really talk to Auntie on the phone?

The experiment had concluded, and for the past couple of days, Mu Jiawen was actually resting. When Xie Lin called her, she was sprawled out on the couch doing nothing.

“Are you on the train?”

“Yeah, I’m on board. Sister, I met… Zhou Big Brother and Haohao on the train, and they’re also going to Beijing…”

“What a coincidence? Tell them that I’ll drive to the station to pick you up this afternoon and invite them to join us for dinner tonight.”

After conveying Mu Jiawen’s message, Xie Lin hesitated briefly before turning to look at the woman beside him.

Haohao eagerly looked at his father, seemingly impatient, “Daddy, let’s go, let’s go…”

The woman smiled softly, “If Haohao wants to go, let’s go then.”

The two were married for less than three months. She was keen on bonding with the child, so how could she object at such a time?

The train sped on, and soon over six hours went by, and the train Xie Lin and the others were on arrived at their destination.

“Uncle Lin, is Auntie right at the exit?”

Having spent the entire journey together, Haohao had grown quite familiar with Xie Lin. Despite being young, he seemed to remember everything, even saying he missed his grandparents. After returning from Beijing, he wanted to visit them at their old home.

Zhou Youming felt a bit ashamed; he hadn’t taken Haohao there once since the divorce. Logically, he should visit, because no matter what, Xie Jingying and the third elder of the Song family truly cared for Haohao.

And they were his real grandparents, a connection that could not be severed.

However, what puzzled Xie Lin was that Haohao hadn’t mentioned his mother throughout the entire conversation.

Before the age of four, he was raised solely by Song Xiwen. The divorce had dragged on for so long because Song Xiwen was unwilling to give up his custody.

But now, for what reason did the word “Mom” seem like a taboo subject to him…