Chapter 30: The Old Home

Every year at the end of April and the beginning of November, Nanjiang University holds its Open Days, throwing open its venues, academic buildings, libraries, and more, while hosting a multitude of cultural activities.

Most of the visitors are middle and high school students, though there is a smattering of elementary school children and even preschoolers. The Student Union members generally dread dealing with these little brats.

This year, however, things were unexpectedly easy. Those few hundred children were kept perfectly in line by Fang Lian alone, sitting quietly in the library to listen to lectures without a single one wandering off.

Once the children were settled, Fang Lian finally caught her breath. As she stepped out of the library, she ran straight into Hu Xuemei.

Hu Xuemei handed her a bottle of cola and teased, "Not bad, you. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were an early childhood education major."

Fang Lian replied, "There’s a kindergarten next to my house, and I often work part-time there during winter and summer breaks."

As the two were chatting at the library entrance, someone came running over in a hurry.

"President, two foreigners have arrived, and they’re babbling away—we can’t communicate at all."

"Where are they from?"

"Vietnam. They don't speak English, and the translation software is making a mess of the Vietnamese. Do you know anyone in the minor languages department? Can you ask someone to come over?"

Hu Xuemei pulled out her phone and dialed a number: "There are two Vietnamese people here. Come over and help us translate."

Fang Lian, standing to the side, saw clearly that the contact name for the number Hu Xuemei dialed was Yan Xuan.

*Isn't my godfather a journalism major? Does he know Vietnamese?*

At Nanjiang University, Fang Lian had seen plenty of people who spoke fluent English, but she had never seen anyone who spoke Vietnamese.

Ten minutes later, Yan Xuan arrived and began communicating with the two Vietnamese visitors.

Seeing the look of astonishment on Fang Lian’s face, Hu Xuemei asked curiously, "Did Yan Xuan never tell you?"

Fang Lian blinked. "Tell me what?"

Hu Xuemei explained, "Yan Xuan and I are both from Xingcheng County in Lingxi Province. It’s separated from Vietnam by only a river, and we run into Vietnamese people on the streets every single day."

"Then why don't you know Vietnamese, Senior?"

"I never had any intention of staying in that dump of a town, Xingcheng. Why would I waste effort learning Vietnamese? I’d rather spend that time studying."

Fang Lian didn’t press further, but she had indirectly gleaned a piece of information from Hu Xuemei’s words.

*My godfather knows Vietnamese—does he plan to return to Xingcheng after graduation?*

*But shouldn't a godfather be a wealthy heir from a prominent family? How could he have grown up in a remote border town?*

The more Fang Lian thought about it, the more confused she became...

Ten minutes later, Yan Xuan returned to the two of them. "They are the parents of a Vietnamese exchange student looking for their daughter. I’ve already directed them to the International Students Office."

Hu Xuemei said politely, "Sorry for the trouble."

Yan Xuan shrugged and took Fang Lian’s hand to leave.

Back in the car, Fang Lian couldn't suppress her curiosity any longer and initiated the conversation. "Godfather, the senior told me about your hometown earlier. You don't mind, do you?"

Yan Xuan laughed softly. "Why would I mind? Ask whatever you want; there's no need to hold back."

"Godfather, are you really from Xingcheng County, Lingxi Province?"

"My parents' hometown is in the Northwest. When they were young, they were lured to the border for business, so they settled down there, and I was born the following year."

"Then, Godfather, you..."

"You’re curious about where my money comes from, right?"

Facing a girl who was now almost entirely submissive to him, Yan Xuan decided not to hide things anymore.

"There are some things I cannot tell you, but just as Hu Xuemei said, your godfather is just an ordinary person who grew up in a small border town. So, in the future, you don't need to guess my identity or scare yourself."

Yan Xuan paused, then added, "Also, rest assured, my money is clean. Otherwise, the police would have come knocking long ago."

"Mhm."

Fang Lian nodded obediently, a faint smile appearing on her face.

Knowing that Yan Xuan was just an ordinary person like herself, a weight was suddenly lifted from her heart. In the future, she wouldn't need to worry about being "socially incompatible."

Moreover, the fact that Yan Xuan was willing to tell her these things was a sign of his full trust in her.

As for the things Yan Xuan refused to say, she wouldn't be curious about them anymore. In Fang Lian’s view, if her godfather could earn so much money at such a young age, he must have special means and abilities that a little girl like her couldn't fathom.

"Godfather, are we eating at the cafeteria for lunch?"

Fang Lian steered the topic back to the present. She pulled two coupons from her bag. "Or we could try this newly opened Sichuan restaurant. We get 20% off with these."

"Let's go for Sichuan food."

The girl had presented two options, but in reality, there was only one.

Yan Xuan started the car and added, "By the way, did you finish that task I asked you to do at the bank?"

Fang Lian nodded. "It's done. The bank has upgraded me to a private banking client, and they also issued me a credit card with a two-million-dollar limit."

A week ago, Yan Xuan had spent another ten thousand, transferring ten million into Fang Lian's account via the app, and asked her to handle new banking cards and services to prepare for his upcoming plans.

"Xiao Lian, there's been a situation recently. I don't have enough cash flow on hand."

Because of the app's restrictions, Yan Xuan couldn't explicitly order Fang Lian to transfer the money; he could only hint at it.

Fortunately, Fang Lian was a smart girl. She immediately understood the subtext and asked hurriedly, "How much do you need, Godfather?"

"You decide."

"Then I'll make another trip to the bank this afternoon."

In Fang Lian’s heart, the money in the card already belonged to Yan Xuan; she was merely holding it for him.

Arriving at the Sichuan restaurant, Fang Lian and Yan Xuan found a window seat. Because it was a new shop with great promotions, the foot traffic was heavy; if they hadn't arrived early, they likely would have had to wait in line.

Fang Lian ordered three dishes and a soup. While waiting for the food, her phone suddenly rang.

"Godfather, I’m going to step out to take a call."

Fang Lian rose from the table and returned a few minutes later, but not long after, her phone rang again.

After this happened four or five times, Yan Xuan couldn't help but ask, "Who is it?"

Fang Lian held her phone, biting her lip, as if it were difficult to speak.

Yan Xuan simply sat down beside her and pulled her gently into his arms. "Is there something you can't tell your godfather?"

Fang Lian leaned her head on Yan Xuan's shoulder and sighed. "It's my mother."

"What does she want?"

"She wants to borrow money. She says my grandmother is sick and needs to be hospitalized, but I suspect..."

"Suspect what?"

"That she lost it playing mahjong."

"How much does she want?"

"Fifty-three thousand."

Yan Xuan chuckled. He hadn't expected Fang Lian to be conflicted over fifty-three thousand, especially considering she now had over fifteen million in her account.

"Just transfer it to her."

"I can't. The money is yours, Godfather, I can't spend it recklessly."

Fang Lian shook her head firmly. "Besides, I know her character. If she knows I have money, she’ll only become more insatiable in the future."

Yan Xuan analyzed, "But have you considered that if she isn't lying, and your grandmother really is hospitalized, this is life-saving money?"

Fang Lian felt her heart thumping after Yan Xuan’s words. After thinking it over repeatedly, she transferred three thousand to her mother first, then navigated to the high-speed train booking interface, planning to take two days off to see if it was true or false.

"Is that necessary?"

Yan Xuan couldn't understand it. If Fang Lian didn't trust her mother, why not just make a video call or ask her to send the hospital bill?

Did she really have to go back in person?

Fang Lian said helplessly, "Godfather, I know my mother best. As long as she can get money, she has plenty of tricks and ways to do it. When I was a child, my grandmother only had a cold and fever, but to borrow money from relatives, she managed to convince them it was cancer, which eventually led to her maternal relatives cutting all ties with her!"

Yan Xuan was dumbfounded. Looking at it this way, Fang Lian's own past persona was quite similar to her mother's—both were willing to do anything for money.

Truly, like mother, like daughter...

Yan Xuan suggested, "How about I go back with you?"

"Godfather, wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

"What's inappropriate about it? Just tell her I'm your boyfriend. I’d like to see if your mother would have the nerve to scam her own son-in-law."

"Mhm... I'll listen to you, Godfather."

Fang Lian stopped worrying and proactively bought a high-speed train ticket for Yan Xuan.

Putting down her phone, Fang Lian suddenly felt that heaven was fair after all.

Since her own mother wasn't reliable, she was compensated with a godfather instead!