The Green Tea Supporting Girl Is Still Playing Her Role Today (GL) - Chapter 74

Chapter 74

With only one day left before the New Year holiday, the employees’ hearts had already taken flight, including Xie Zhifei’s.

When Wen Pinghan came to drop off some documents, Xie Zhifei asked, “What are your plans for the New Year?”

“Plans?” Wen Pinghan replied.

“Like, do you want to stay home or go traveling?” Xie Zhifei said.

“I’m fine with either. What about you?”

“I’m fine with either too.” Xie Zhifei smiled. “But this year is my grandma’s eightieth birthday, so we have to visit her to pay our respects. I probably can’t travel. Next time, though—next New Year, how about we go on a trip together?”

“Sounds good.” Wen Pinghan gave a gentle smile, already looking forward to next year’s Spring Festival even though the current one hadn’t started.

Back in her office, she was still savoring their conversation when she suddenly paused—odd, why didn’t Xie Zhifei ask if I was going back to my hometown?

By the afternoon, people were already taking leave to catch high-speed trains or flights. Li Jiachuan had left early to spend time with his family, while Xie Zhifei headed to headquarters.

Wen Pinghan stayed until the very last moment before leaving work.

In the lobby on the first floor, she ran into a flustered Lin Zhimin, who had dragged her suitcase to the office, waiting to catch an evening train.

“Big Sis Han, when are you heading back? Have you bought your ticket?” Lin Zhimin asked hurriedly.

See, that’s the question people ask first.

“I’m not going back. I’ll stay in the city for the New Year.”

“Not going to spend time with your family?”

“No.” Wen Pinghan’s lips twitched slightly. “I don’t have any family.”

Lin Zhimin’s eyes widened, and she quickly covered her mouth. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Hurry and catch your train. The roads are probably packed—don’t be late.”

“Okay, I won’t keep you then. Bye, see you next year!”

“Yeah, see you next year.”

At the entrance to her residential complex, Wen Pinghan noticed a few people gathered around the security guard, asking questions.

She stopped, watched for a while, then stepped into the shadows and pulled out her phone. “Hello, 110?”

Soon, a police officer arrived at the gate and asked, “We received a report from a resident about someone disturbing the peace here. What’s going on?”

“It’s those people,” the guard said, pointing at them. “They’ve been blocking the entrance, insisting I give them a resident’s apartment number.”

The officer looked over. There were three people: a middle-aged woman with gaunt, sunken cheeks and sharp, darting eyes that gave her a harsh look. The other two were men, their ages unclear, with a careless, loafing demeanor, like troublemakers with no proper work.

“Officer, we’re not bad people,” the woman said, sounding aggrieved. “I’m just here to find my daughter, but the guard won’t let us in.”

“I told them, there’s no one named Zhao Pinghan here,” the guard said, exasperated.

“Wen! Check if there’s someone named Wen Pinghan!” one of the men suddenly shouted.

The guard looked at the officer, unsure of what to do.

The officer asked, “If she’s your daughter, why don’t you just call her?”

“She blocked us all! Ungrateful girl, made some money and now she doesn’t want to acknowledge us!” the woman spat.

“Here’s what we’ll do. Come with me to the station to explain the situation. Don’t obstruct the residents here.”

“No, no, we’re not going!” The woman shook her head frantically, her eyes darting. She quickly pulled her two sons to bow to the officer. “It’s too late to bother you, officer. We’ll head back now.”

The three slunk away, and the officer left too. Only then did Wen Pinghan approach the gate.

The guard called out to her. “Ms. Wen, some people were here looking for you, saying they were your family…”

“Family? What family?” Wen Pinghan said, puzzled. “My parents passed away long ago. What family could I have?”

“Ha, I knew it! Those people didn’t look like good folks. Liars, probably! If they come back, I’ll chase them off!” the guard said indignantly.

“Thanks, uncle.”

The guard waved with a smile. “Get home safe. A young woman living alone needs to be careful.”

“Mm.”

Back at her place, Wen Pinghan opened a rental app.

Who knew when those people might show up again? If they came across a different security guard, it’d be another hassle.

But with the holidays, even viewing apartments was an issue. Besides, she was a bit reluctant to leave. The days she’d spent here were some of her favorite memories.

She loved the busy little kitchen, where Xie Zhifei would chatter away while she cooked noodles. She loved the living room with its balcony, where Xie Zhifei would either sprawl on the couch watching TV or take selfies outside.

The apartment wasn’t big or small—just right for holding two people’s memories.

While tidying up, she got a video call from Xie Zhifei. The background didn’t look familiar. “You’re at your dad’s place?” she asked.

“Yeah, I came back with him tonight, so I’m staying here,” Xie Zhifei said with a smile.

Wen Pinghan nodded and asked, “When are you going to pay your respects?”

“The first day of the New Year.”

“For how many days?”

“Probably two at most. My dad’s got a lot going on.”

“Makes sense.”

“Sister, come to our place for New Year’s Eve the day after tomorrow?” Xie Zhifei invited.

“Your… place?” Wen Pinghan asked, incredulous. “Don’t tell me you mean you and Chairman Xie?”

“Yup!” Xie Zhifei grinned.

“I already talked to my dad, and he’s fine with me bringing you over for New Year’s Eve. Now we just need your okay,” Xie Zhifei said excitedly.

“How’d you convince Chairman Xie?” Wen Pinghan asked curiously.

Xie Zhifei said, “I told him you’ve been so busy helping me with work that you haven’t had time to rest, and it’d be lonely for you to spend the New Year alone here. So I suggested we all celebrate together to make it lively.”

“And Chairman Xie agreed just like that?”

“Yup. You’re both a Qisheng employee and my friend, so he was quick to agree to this great idea. It’s just an extra pair of chopsticks, after all.” Xie Zhifei conveniently left out how she’d begged and pleaded.

“So, Sister, are you in?” Xie Zhifei looked at her expectantly.

Wen Pinghan nodded. “Okay.”

“It’s settled then! I’m gonna go prepare stuff for you!” Xie Zhifei said, thrilled.

The next morning, Xie Zhifei made a quick visit to the Gu household. She heard Gu Zhizhang had left early, leaving only a few women at home.

Gu’s mother was invited to a ladies’ gathering and wanted to bring Zhang Changsheng and Wang Wan along, but Zhang Changsheng said she’d rather stay home to finish her book, and Wang Wan finally realized she needed to work on her thesis. As Gu’s mother was leaving, she ran into Xie Zhifei, who’d come to visit.

“Zhifei, perfect timing. Go keep them company,” Gu’s mother said with a smile.

“Sure, Auntie. Where are you off to?” Xie Zhifei asked.

“Mrs. Li invited us for tea.”

“Mrs. Li? Li Hongyan’s mom?” Xie Zhifei’s eyes flickered.

“Yes.”

“Have fun, then. I’ll go check on them.” Xie Zhifei hurried to the second floor, wandering around until she found Zhang Changsheng in the guest room. She knocked.

Zhang Changsheng turned, saw her, put down her book, and stood with a slow smile. “You’re here. Looking for Wang Wan?”

“Yeah, and to check on you. How’s it going, staying here? You settling in okay?” Xie Zhifei asked.

“It’s fine. Auntie’s been taking good care of me,” Zhang Changsheng said.

“Anything else? Any issues adjusting?” Xie Zhifei pressed.

“What do you mean?”

“Gu Zhizhang,” Xie Zhifei said. “You’re a bit like Sister Wen, so I’m worried he might treat you badly—or too well.”

Zhang Changsheng thought for a moment. “It doesn’t matter if he’s good or bad to me. He’s irrelevant to me. I won’t let a few words from him affect my mood. If I got upset over every little thing someone said, I’d never recover from this illness.”

Xie Zhifei laughed.

Looks like Zhang Changsheng’s first impression of Gu Zhizhang was terrible—he’d already been relegated to irrelevant stranger status.

“But your concern’s not baseless. Gu Zhizhang’s been arguing with Auntie about my visit these past few days. I’m stuck in the middle, and it’s pretty awkward,” Zhang Changsheng admitted.

“Don’t you want to go back to your grandparents’ place? They’re in the city, right?”

“I do, but not now,” Zhang Changsheng explained. “I told my grandparents I’d spend the New Year with the Gu family. If I went back now, they’d ask why. It’s not a big deal, but if I told them, they might hold a grudge against the Gu family, stirring up unnecessary trouble. It’s just a couple of days—I’ll head back after the New Year.”

Xie Zhifei gave a heartfelt thumbs-up. “Big picture thinking!”

Zhang Changsheng smiled helplessly. “It’s just about avoiding extra hassle. Keeping a good mood is more important than anything.”

Xie Zhifei nodded and, just to be safe, pulled a key from her pocket. “If you don’t feel comfortable here, you can stay at my place for a few days—the one I took you to last time. I’ll be at my dad’s, so no one will bother you. The aunt there will take care of you, too. Just tell her what you want to eat.”

“Thanks.” Zhang Changsheng took the key, looked up, and smiled. “You’re very warm.”

“Don’t get me wrong—I just really like you as a friend, nothing else,” Xie Zhifei said quickly.

“I know. Oh, right, I promised to give you a set of books. Hold on.” Zhang Changsheng turned to grab them.

“Uh… okay, thanks.” Xie Zhifei left the Gu household with a stack of books, then drove to find Wen Pinghan.

“Sister, what are you doing?” Xie Zhifei asked as she walked in, noticing the living room cluttered with stuff.

“Packing,” Wen Pinghan said, putting away things she wouldn’t need for a while and stacking them in a corner.

“You’re already getting ready to come to my place?!” Xie Zhifei said, delighted. “I just came to tell you about it, and you’re already on the same wavelength, prepping!”

Wen Pinghan froze, turning to her. “What?”

“Moving in with me. Aren’t you packing for that?” Xie Zhifei asked.

“Oh… no, I was planning to move somewhere else after the New Year. I’ve got time off now, so I’m slowly getting things ready,” Wen Pinghan said.

Xie Zhifei said, “Right, move to my place.”

Wen Pinghan said, “…No, I mean somewhere else.”

Xie Zhifei blinked, walked over, and pressed down on her box. “Do you think I’m moving too fast with the whole living-together thing?”

After a moment, Wen Pinghan nodded slightly. “A bit.”

“Alright, then come stay at the Xie residence with me for a couple of days, just two days, and we can spend the New Year together. How about it?” Xie Zhifei asked again.

“Didn’t we already agree on New Year’s Eve?”

Wen Pinghan wasn’t remotely prepared to meet the parents, let alone live with them! Especially since the parent was her ultimate boss, and she’d sort of run off with his daughter.

How terrifying!

“Fine,” Xie Zhifei sighed dramatically, turning away. Her eyes darted, and she let out another long sigh. “Guess I’ll have to stay with Zhang Changsheng then. Might be super awkward.”

The sound of packing tape stopped abruptly. Wen Pinghan asked, “What do you mean?”

“Gu Zhizhang’s been drinking a lot lately and even mistook Zhang Changsheng for someone else. I’m worried if he gets drunk and does something irreversible, it’ll be too late. So I lent her the key to my villa. She might stay there tonight. To give her space, I’ll head back to the Xie residence until the New Year. Since you’re moving anyway, why not just come stay with me for a couple of days?”

“Or I could stay here with you until the New Year,” Xie Zhifei said, eyes sparkling.

“No, you can’t stay here.” Wen Pinghan couldn’t risk those people showing up and running into Xie Zhifei.

“Then back to my villa?”

“…Your villa’s big enough that one more person wouldn’t make a difference, right?” Wen Pinghan said slowly.

Xie Zhifei’s little plan didn’t quite work out, and she sighed in defeat.

Wen Pinghan finished taping a box, strode into the bedroom, and after a moment, called out in a deliberately calm voice, “Come help me pick out clothes to bring to your place!”

Xie Zhifei’s lips curved into a smile—her little plan had worked after all.

As long as Wen Pinghan minded her staying alone with Zhang Changsheng, she’d agree to move in together. It was just a matter of whether she’d choose the Xie residence, with constant run-ins with Xie Hongxu, or the villa, with the possibility of Zhang Changsheng showing up—or not. One was a parent, the other a friend. The answer was obvious, wasn’t it?

Wen Pinghan chose the latter—score!

Xie Zhifei rushed into the room. “Hehe, Sister, I’m here! No need for a coat—wear mine. Just bring some personal stuff. I think the underwear Wu Qianqian gave you last time would be perfect.”

Wen Pinghan: “Get lost.”

Xie Zhifei: “Oh, oops!”