RBCT Chapter 128 Paul the Octopus Posts Another Weibo Message
Chapter 128 Paul the Octopus Posts Another Weibo Message
Chapter 128 Paul the Octopus Posts Another Weibo Message
"Son, will you and Wan Ning sleep in your own rooms separately, or together? I'll prepare a few light blankets for you both."
While Gu Wanning was in the bathroom, Yao Shufen pulled Geng Zhi to the corner and asked in a low voice, her eyes gleaming with a hint of expectation.
Geng Zhi almost choked on his own saliva: "Mom! What are you saying! Wan Ning is just a regular friend of mine. She was just giving me a ride home because she was going the same way. She was originally going to drive to Beijing with her best friend for the New Year, but it just happened to be snowing."
"Oh, just a friend." Yao Shufen nodded, her tone clearly saying, "I don't believe you for a second."
Geng Youcai, standing to the side, was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. He exchanged a glance with Yao Shufen, then revealed a meaningful smile, his expression one of utter disbelief.
Yao Shufen was more perceptive; she had long noticed the subtle interactions between the two—Gu Wanning's gaze towards her son, and her son's gaze towards Gu Wanning. Could they be just ordinary friends?
She didn't believe it a thousand times.
"Your dad and I don't live in a paradise. Do you think we don't know what your 'Jiaotong University matchmaker' does? We all—"
"Jiaotong University Matchmaker" is a matchmaker. Yao Shufen and Geng Youcai subconsciously assumed that Geng Zhi had carefully selected Gu Wanning from their company's "pool".
Before Yao Shufen could finish speaking, the bathroom door opened.
She instantly switched gears, her expression seamlessly transitioning from interrogating a suspect to that of a kind aunt: "Wan Ning, sit down for a bit. Auntie will go find you a new set of bedding. You can sleep in Geng Zhi's room." She glanced at her son, "Let Geng Zhi sleep on the sofa."
"Huh?!" Gu Wanning froze, her expression instantly becoming quite a sight. "Auntie, no, no, no—thank you, thank you!"
She was somewhat incoherent.
Her original intention was simply to come upstairs, sit for a while, exchange New Year's greetings, and then find a hotel to stay in. She never even considered spending the night at Geng Zhi's house.
What does one's own identity matter?
Friend? The other party? Lawyer?
It's neither reasonable nor ethical for us to stay at someone else's house!
Before Yao Shufen could speak, Gu Wanning quickly added, "Auntie, Uncle, you should get some rest too. I'm going back now, I need to..."
"Silly child!" Yao Shufen grabbed her hand tightly, the grip so firm it was impossible to break free. "With such heavy snow outside, where could you possibly go? We certainly wouldn't feel comfortable letting you drive again! Geng Zhi would be even more worried!"
Geng Zhi opened his mouth as if to say something, but Yao Shufen glared at him and shut him up.
"Auntie, it's alright, I'll just find a hotel nearby to stay in."
"It's Chinese New Year, and at this hour, what hotels would still be open?" Yao Shufen said decisively. "Our small county town isn't like a big city; the hotel owners have all closed up shop and gone home for the New Year long ago!"
"Huh? This...that shouldn't be the case, right?" Gu Wanning felt it was clearly unreasonable and tried to question it logically. "Shouldn't the county town also have 24-hour service?"
"Of course!" Yao Shufen interrupted her directly. "Aunt Yao never lies. Gengzhi is just like me, he never lies. You know Gengzhi well, you know he's an honest kid."
Yao Shufen looked completely certain; she wasn't going to talk about logic at this moment.
Gu Wanning's inner monologue: I was starting to believe it, but after you said "Geng the Great Deceiver is just like you," I suddenly can't believe it anymore.
"Auntie, I still want to go and take another look first," Gu Wanning tried to continue struggling.
"Wan Ning, is it because you think our family's conditions are too poor that you don't want to live here?" Yao Shufen started to use her ultimate move, looking at Gu Wan Ning with a hint of grievance and resentment in her eyes.
Her tactic of retreating to advance might be ineffective against patients' families in the hospital, but it's absolutely foolproof against someone like Gu Wanning.
"Auntie, no! Absolutely not!" Gu Wanning panicked instantly and quickly said, "I'll sleep here, I'll sleep in your house."
"That's more like it!" Yao Shufen smiled. "I'll go find you a brand new set of slippers, bedding, toothpaste, and toothbrush. Just wait for me to go find them for you!"
"Auntie, there's no need to go to so much trouble, really—"
"Oh, no trouble at all!" Yao Shufen smiled kindly, her wrinkles around her eyes radiating happiness. "You're a guest here, how can we let a guest suffer?"
With that, she turned around excitedly to find something.
Geng Youcai didn't sit idle either; he immediately went to the kitchen to prepare the side dishes again, leaving the two young people the opportunity to whisper to each other.
"Geng Zhi, how did the plot turn out like this?" Gu Wan Ning lightly stomped her foot, looking at Geng Zhi with a helpless expression.
Her expression was as complex as a spilled spice bottle, a mixture of confusion, embarrassment, helplessness, and a little bit of curiosity that she couldn't quite explain.
Geng Zhi didn't say anything, he just pouted, shook his head, shrugged, and spread his hands.
The set of movements was fluid and graceful, perfectly expressing "I don't know," "I can't do anything about it," and "I'm helpless."
Gu Wanning:
Three seconds of silence.
Gu Wanning spoke again, "Then, could you please help me carry my two suitcases upstairs?"
"Okay, you can wait at home." Geng Zhi nodded. "I'll ask my dad to help you carry it."
He then added, "The car is parked far away; it's very cold outside."
"Oh, well—thank you!"
As the two were whispering to each other, Yao Shufen came over carrying a new set of bedding.
"Wan Ning, here's a new set of bedding for you. It was just aired out a few days ago, so it's very light and thin."
"Thank you, Auntie!" Gu Wanning went over and, together with Yao Shufen, each carried a part of the bag, heading towards Geng Zhi's room.
Geng Zhi then called Geng Youcai to go downstairs together to help Gu Wanning get her suitcase from the car.
In the stairwell, Geng Youcai first gave Geng Zhi a thumbs up: "Son, you're really something!"
Geng looked at him warily: "Dad, what do you mean—what am I good at?"
"Without a word, you brought home such an outstanding and beautiful girlfriend." Geng Youcai patted his shoulder with a smile, "She's several times better than your dad was back then!"
"Dad, are you saying that Mom wasn't outstanding or pretty back then?" Geng Zhi blinked and asked.
"Huh? No! No!" Geng Youcai, with a strong survival instinct, waved his hands repeatedly. "Your mom is definitely the prettiest! It's precisely because your mom is a school beauty that she has so many suitors that it took your dad three years to win her over."
"Hmm, that's more like it."
"Speaking of which, you should have told the family beforehand if you were bringing Wan Ning home, so we could be prepared."
Geng Zhi was speechless: "Dad, didn't I tell you? I was originally going to drive to the capital with a friend; I was just hitchhiking. And yet you all misunderstood me like this—"
Geng Youcai was slightly taken aback at first, then shook his head, not believing it at all. After all, he could see from the many eye contact between Gu Wanning and Geng Zhi that they were definitely not just ordinary friends.
"Son, seize the opportunity!" Geng Youcai patted his shoulder again, this time with a bit more force, and gave him a meaningful look.
Geng Zhi shrugged again, without saying anything more.
After the two retrieved their suitcases and went upstairs, Yao Shufen and Gu Wanning had already changed all the old bedding on Geng Zhi's bed and replaced it with new bedding. The two chatted and laughed as they spoke.
"Thank you, Uncle Geng, for helping me retrieve my suitcase!"
"Wan Ning, don't be so polite, make yourself at home," Yao Shufen said with a smile. "You should wash up and get some rest soon, we won't disturb you any longer."
Fifteen minutes later.
After washing up, Gu Wanning returned to Geng Zhi's second bedroom.
As soon as Geng Zhi sat down on the sofa, Yao Shufen pulled him into the master bedroom.
"Son, why didn't you tell me you were driving back sooner?" Yao Shufen plopped down on the bed, lowering her voice, her complaint tinged with barely concealed excitement.
Geng Zhi looked completely innocent: "Mom, didn't I tell you yesterday that I was going to take a ride-sharing service back instead?"
"Stop pretending! Don't pretend with me!" Yao Shufen slapped Geng Zhi on the shoulder. "I was talking about Wan Ning coming. Why didn't you tell the family beforehand? Look at the mess the house is in! I haven't even cleaned it properly!"
Geng Zhi deliberately looked around: the master bedroom was as tidy as a showroom, the quilts were folded into neat squares, and the floor was so shiny that you could see your reflection in it.
"Messy? Mom, everyone knows you, Head Nurse Yao, love cleanliness! Whenever you're off duty, you clean the house three times over every day!"
"Don't try to evade the issue. I'm asking you about bringing Wan Ning home unexpectedly!" Yao Shufen rolled her eyes at her son.
Geng Zhi shook his head helplessly, preparing to explain for the Nth time: "Mom, I'll explain one last time—she was going to drive to the capital with her best friend Luo Yanling, and I just hitched a ride with her on the way—"
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Yao Shufen was utterly incredulous. "What about Wan Ning's best friend?"
"Her best friend was in a hurry to go back to the capital for the Chinese New Year, so she flew from Jinan to the capital ahead of time."
"Then why did Wan Ning spend so much money to buy so many expensive gifts for me and your father?" Yao Shufen questioned again.
"She—" Geng Zhi carefully considered how to phrase it, "These are actually your good sons, who have put in a lot of effort to be filial to you two."
Upon hearing this, Yao Shufen and Geng Youcai exchanged a glance. The former frowned, while the latter pursed his lips, their expressions remarkably identical: disbelief.
"Good son," Yao Shufen said with a wry smile, "Don't your father and I know what kind of gifts you buy for us?"
He remained silent, which, upon reflection, was indeed true, and it was somewhat awkward.
From childhood to adulthood, he only gave his father, Geng Youcai, a gift once—a pair of socks. Geng Youcai was so moved that he almost cried.
The only gift he ever gave his mother, Yao Shufen, was a pair of size 42 pink slippers. Yao Shufen wore them for two days, but felt they were too big, so she gave them to Geng Youcai. Geng Youcai is still wearing them to this day.
"Good son." Yao Shufen stared straight at him, deliberately pressing for an answer, "What size are these clothes you went to so much trouble to buy for me?"
"Size—" Geng Zhi stammered for a moment, "I really don't know—"
"These were indeed picked out by Wan Ning. I only provided basic information such as my height and weight. I didn't have enough money with me at the time, so Wan Ning lent me the money first, and I will pay her back later," Geng Zhi told the truth.
"You don't necessarily have to pay her back," Yao Shufen said immediately. "You should also buy her parents some nice gifts, buy a lot, spend several times more money on them. Wan Ning's mother really likes her."
upright:"----"
"By the way, son," Yao Shufen began, getting into the swing of things and formally starting the interrogation, "what do her parents do?"
Geng Zhi: "I don't know, I haven't inquired about it."
"Where is Wan Ning's hometown?" Yao Shufen asked again.
"Mom, I don't know either. I've never asked." Geng Zhi said, tactfully yawning.
Yao Shufen: "That Wan Ning's—"
"Shufen, it's getting late. Let our son get some rest. He's been driving all day and he must be exhausted." Seeing Geng Zhi's state, Geng Youcai quickly interrupted his wife's question.
Yao Shufen, who hadn't finished gossiping, wanted to know more, but after hearing her husband's words, she had no choice but to give up: "Alright, alright, we'll talk about it tomorrow. Son, you should go to sleep early. Tomorrow, you and Wan Ning can sleep in."
"Goodnight, Mom and Dad. I'll take my leave now." Geng Zhi felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly slipped out of the bedroom.
In the living room, the mattress on the sofa has been laid out, and the pillows and blankets are ready.
Geng Zhi lay down and first sent New Year's greetings to the teachers at Lanzhou University and Professors Gou Youqian and Qi Chuqin, and then replied to New Year's greetings from Shu Beibei, Yang Mingxia and others.
He glanced at his bedroom door, which was closed, but warm yellow light shone from inside.
Then, he stared at the ceiling for a while, lost in thought.
In Geng Zhi's bedroom.
The heating was on full blast, and Gu Wanning, wearing a thin silk nightgown, didn't feel cold at all.
Having just finished replying to a bunch of New Year's greetings, she was sitting in the chair in front of Geng Zhi's desk, taking a closer look at Geng Zhi's room.
The room wasn't large, but it was very clean. Besides a bed, there was a small wardrobe and a desk.
The desk was covered with extracurricular reading materials, and Gu Wanning curiously browsed through them, revealing Geng Zhi's reading interests.
The lowest tier consists of personal growth and biographical books, including "Huawei's Winter," "Zeng Guofan's Family Letters," and "Fire in the Valley."
"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and "Asking the Right Questions" —
The middle tier consists of science fiction, including titles such as *GEB*, *Star Trek*, *Foundation*, *The Three-Body Problem*, and *Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?* —
The top layer contains "Selected Works of Mao Zedong," "The Crowd," "Social Psychology," and "The Art of War" —
"This conman Geng is actually quite upright and knowledgeable," Gu Wanning thought to herself.
The desk has a special compartment where Geng Zhi displays several competition medals and trophies. There seem to be two books at the very back, but they appear to be hidden by the certificates.
Gu Wanning hesitated for five seconds, ten seconds, thirty seconds, and finally couldn't resist her curiosity. She reached out and pushed aside the trophy and certificate, and glanced at the book cover.
One is Jia Pingwa's "Ruined Capital", and the other is Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng's "Jin Ping Mei".
This quirk—it's so well hidden!
Gu Wanning's gaze returned to Geng Zhi's bed, with its brand-new bedding, pink sheets, and light blue duvet cover.
She glanced at the time, hesitated for a moment, then gently lay down on the bed, covered herself with the soft new quilt, and smelled the scent of sunshine.
The snow was still falling outside the window. Through the gap in the curtains, I could see the dim streetlights and snowflakes fluttering in the light.
It's very quiet.
It's very warm.
A warm feeling also lingered in Gu Wanning's heart.
She recalled how her straightforward mother, Yao Shufen, had been busy taking care of her, and how genuinely warm she had been to her.
So this is what home feels like?
Gu Wanning didn't know.
She hadn't felt this way in a very, very long time.
She picked up her phone, wanting to send a message to her father across the ocean and a text message to her mother, but after thinking about it, she put it down again.
Finally, she clicked on Geng Zhi's QQ profile picture and sent him the message.
[Gu Wanning]: "You big liar, are you asleep?"
[Straightforward]: "Not yet. In an unfamiliar place, don't you feel a little bit insecure?"
Gu Wanning stared at her phone screen for seven or eight seconds before replying.
[Gu Wanning]: "Well, to be honest, there is a tiny bit."
[Straightforward]: "Then, do you need me to go in and protect you?"
Gu Wanning: "No need!!"
Gu Wanning also added a pouting emoji to her post.
[Straightforward]: "Seriously, forget the jokes. Wouldn't you feel a little uncomfortable sleeping in an unfamiliar place?"
[Gu Wanning]: "Hmm, it really is a little strange."
[Straightforward]: "It's okay, there's still a long way to go, you'll gradually get used to my home."
Gu Wanning stared at the line of text, carefully considering its meaning.
The more I think about it, the less serious it seems.
What does "there's still a long way to go" mean? What does "getting used to it slowly" mean?
She then remembered the two books hidden on Geng Zhi's desk, as well as "The Art of War" and "Social Psychology".
The seeds of doubt began to take root and sprout.
[Gu Wanning]: "Tell me the truth, was this a setup you, my aunt, and Luo Yanling orchestrated beforehand?"
Geng Zhi stared at the message, puzzled, and after thinking about it for a while, he still didn't understand.
[Straightforward]: "I've thought about it for ages, but I still can't figure out what kind of scheme I set up with Aunt Qin and Luo Yanling?"
Gu Wanning wanted to say, "You tricked me into coming to your house," but hesitated and didn't say it.
Gu Wanning: "Hmph!"
Immediately afterwards, Gu Wanning posted an emoji with eight big characters written on it: "Serious on the surface, secretly a pervert on the inside."
What's wrong with Attorney Gu?
I may not be wrong in my seemingly serious manner, but why am I secretly a pervert?
What did I do?
The straightforward person in front of the screen was full of question marks, suddenly realizing that their brain cells were running out.
[Straightforward]: "Wan Ning, explain yourself clearly, what exactly did I set up?"
[Gu Wanning]: "Goodnight, you big liar!"
upright:"----"
[Straightforward]: "Good night."
After ending her chat with Geng Zhi, Gu Wan Ning put down her phone, stared at the ceiling, and suddenly laughed. She laughed at herself, and at this inexplicable night.
Then, she huddled under the covers, left a message for Luo Yanling, closed her eyes, and quickly drifted into a sweet dream.
In the living room, Geng Zhi was still awake.
He first turned on his computer and selected a new housing development located between the county hospital and the No. 1 Middle School. Then, he opened Weibo and posted a second message using the account "Paul the Octopus": "If Google withdraws from mainland China, will Baidu dominate the search market?"
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