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Shen Xi grew even more vexed upon hearing Guan Lei’s sigh. Why was guan Lei unhappy? Guessing Guan Lei’s thoughts was harder than answering the National Physic Competition’s questions.

The two dragged their feet back to the house in silence. When they arrived, Shen Xi poured a glass of water for Guan Lei, then went to help her parents prepare lunch.

Guan Lei observed Shen Xi and her parents working together in the kitchen. Jokes were traded, and giggles would bubble forth from time to time in response. It was homely, and Guan Lei felt the burgeoning grip of envy claw its way into his heart.

!!

Would this happiness and bliss be his if he married Shen Xi?

Guan Lei’s wandering thoughts did not last long before a loud crash sounded outside.

Lu Shan left the dishes on the table and hurried to the door.

“Aiya, is that Shen Xi’s mother? I’m Guan Lei’s uncle. I’m here to pick him up.” A strong voice with a bit of an accent spoke up.

Guan Lei rushed to the door.

Li Zhe, who was usually well-dressed, wore a white vest with several matches. His blue overalls were covered in dust and caked in mud. Completing his ensemble was a straw hat with a large tear running from one side to another. Despite his haphazard appearance, he smiled genially.

There was an old-looking tractor behind Li Zhe, one Guan Lei had never seen before. Guan Lei could not help but rub his eyes in disbelief.

When Shen Xi heard Guan Lei’s uncle had come to pick him up, she quickly joined her classmate at the door.

Li Zhe chuckled as he sized Shen Xi up. “What a pretty lass you are. You must be Shen Xi! Lei’er has nothing but good words for you.”

Guan Lei facepalmed. He only told Li Zhe to pretend to be poor; he did not expect Li Zhe to get into character! Even his accent matched that of a humble farmer.

While Guan Lei was speechless, Li Zhe was very happy with his performance.

Shen Xi quickly invited Li Zhe into the house. “Ah. Come in, come in. You must be tired.”

Shen Xi never imagined Guan Lei’s uncle would be even poorer than her classmate. In this day and age, it was rare to see people wearing patched clothes.

Li Zhe accepted Shen Xi’s invitation and sat opposite Guan Lei at the dining table.

Shen Yan and Lu Shan laid out the rest of the dishes and encouraged Li Zhe and Guan Lei to eat their fill.

The two parties chatted over lunch.

Li Zhe surveyed his surroundings. Shen Xi’s family seemed quite poor. However, Li Zhe’s eyes flashed when he saw the painting hanging on a wall near the kitchen.

Li Zhen studied the work of art, smiling meaningfully. “The painting on the wall is quite nice, and the images over the stove are quite interesting. Were they added by the company that did renovations for your house?”

Shen Xi glanced at the painting and image in question, explaining, “No, my mother drew them.”

“I drew those for fun,” Lu Shan chimed in.

Li Zhe nodded; he also drew for fun. But that was an aside. Today, he was here to mess with his dear nephew! Li Zhe turned to Guan Lei and smirked mischievously. Guan Lei felt a shiver run down his spine. He had a bad feeling.

His premonition materialized soon after.

In a heavily accented voice, Li Zhe said to Lu Shan and Shen Yan, “Lei’er’s life is hard. His parents are constantly working and don’t have much time to spend with him. It is why he’s developed a strange personality and has few friends. I’ve been worried sick. I am fortunate that Xixi treats him as her friend.”

Guan Lei’s gaze sharpened, gaining a razor’s edge as he glared at Li Zhe, willing him to keep his mouth shut. Li Zhe ignored Guan Lei’s signal. Now that he had a chance to have fun, how could he stop now?

Lu Shan’s heart softened when she heard Guan Lei’s tragic tale. “You poor thing! Xixi, please take care of Lei’er, okay?”

Li Zhe sighed and said, “Lei’er tries his best. He got into Zhuo Ying High School on a scholarship, which let us save about 300,000 yuan to pay off the debts his parents accumulated.”

Guan Lei was on the verge of an explosion. He had finally found an excuse to use some money for a date he was planning on taking Shen Xi on. How was he supposed to buy a bouquet or invite her on a date now? She’d think he was too poor to do anything he had hoped to do with her!