210: Chapter 209 Su Jingqiu's Thoughts

"Hey, you two came just at the right time. It's almost noon, so Aunt Su is treating you to a meal."

"No need, Aunt Su. We've already bothered you enough coming here today," Chen Fan quickly declined politely.

"Exactly, Aunt Su, we won't stay for lunch," Chen Tong added, waving her hands quickly.

The smile on Su Jingqiu's face faded slightly. She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow: "What's this? Are you worried Aunt Su can't afford to buy you a meal?"

Chen Fan hurriedly explained: "No, no, Aunt Su, you misunderstood. We just feel like we're causing you too much trouble—"

"What trouble?" Su Jingqiu interrupted him directly, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. "You traveled all this way, and you're leaving without even eating a meal? What would people say about me, Su Jingqiu, if that got out? No, you have to eat before you leave today."

Su Mian stood to the side, watching Chen Fan being "besieged" by her mother. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, her fingers pinching the hem of her clothes. She remained quiet, but her eyes held a hint of a smile.

Since Su Jingqiu insisted on treating them, Chen Fan couldn't refuse anymore and could only nod in agreement.

However, what he didn't expect was that while Su Jingqiu's name sounded quite gentle and she looked beautiful, her personality wasn't gentle at all—she was straightforward and energetic in her words and actions, forming a sharp contrast with the name "Jingqiu."

But it wasn't strange; a woman running a garment factory alone wouldn't be able to hold on if her personality were too timid.

To be honest, Chen Fan was also quite curious about Su Mian's father.

Along the way, he hadn't heard Su Mian mention her father, and Su Jingqiu hadn't brought up anything about him either.

But this was their family business, and Chen Fan couldn't very well ask about it, so he could only bury his curiosity in his heart.

Half an hour later, the group arrived at a restaurant.

This was a Shaanxi-style restaurant, and the decoration and layout were quite decent.

The entrance had an antique style with blue bricks and grey tiles, and two red lanterns hung outside. Walking inside, the lobby was spacious and bright. The tables and chairs were made of solid wood, and there were several decorative paintings of Guanzhong folk customs on the walls. It wasn't luxurious, but it made people feel comfortable.

Su Jingqiu was obviously a regular here. As soon as she entered, a waiter came up to greet her, smiling and calling out "Sister Su," then led them to a private room.

The private room was on the second floor; it wasn't big, but it was quiet.

Su Jingqiu pulled out a chair and sat down, picked up the menu and flipped through it, then looked up at Chen Fan: "Xiao Fan, Xiao Tong, you two order. See what you want to eat."

Chen Fan quickly waved his hand: "Aunt Su, you order. I eat anything, I'm not picky."

"That won't do, you two are guests." Su Jingqiu handed the menu over, her attitude very firm.

Chen Fan looked at the menu, then at Su Jingqiu's "if you don't order, I won't let it go" expression, so he had to take it, ordered two dishes casually, and passed the menu back.

Su Jingqiu took the menu, quickly ordered a few signature dishes, and handed the menu to the waiter.

The waiter smiled, responded, and took the menu out.

Chen Tong picked up her teacup, took a sip, and asked: "Aunt Su, do you come here often?"

Su Jingqiu smiled and nodded: "Yes, for business entertainment. I sometimes bring clients here to eat. Their Shaanxi cuisine is authentic, and guests from out of town quite like it."

After the tea was refilled twice, the dishes started to arrive one after another.

Su Jingqiu picked up her chopsticks and greeted everyone: "Come, come, let's eat. Don't be polite, just treat it like your own home."

Chen Fan picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in his mouth. It was soft, flavorful, and fatty but not greasy—it was indeed excellent.

After Chen Tong ate a piece of chicken, she couldn't help but nod and give a thumbs-up to Su Jingqiu: "Aunt Su, the taste here is really good."

Hearing this, a smile appeared in Su Jingqiu's eyes, and the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes deepened slightly because of the smile: "If it's good, eat more. Don't be polite."

The group chatted while eating, and the atmosphere was relaxed and lively.

Chen Tong had a sweet mouth; one moment she was praising the food, the next she was praising Aunt Su for looking young, making Su Jingqiu beam with joy.

Su Mian sat quietly on the side, occasionally picking up a piece of food, and occasionally looking up at Chen Fan.

And when Chen Fan happened to look at her, she would smile slightly, then lower her head and continue eating quietly.

While chatting, Su Jingqiu's gaze fell on Chen Fan, her tone filled with a bit of curiosity and appreciation: "By the way, Xiao Fan, are you currently studying while preparing to start a business?"

Chen Tong, still with a piece of meat in her mouth, answered indistinctly: "Aunt Su, my brother is a student at Chang'an Jiaotong University!"

Su Jingqiu was stunned for a moment, her chopsticks paused in mid-air, and her eyes widened slightly: "Chang'an Jiaotong University? That's the best school in our Shaanxi province."

She had originally thought Chen Fan was just a rich second-generation kid who wanted to start a business to prove himself; she hadn't expected that Chen Fan was actually a student at Chang'an Jiaotong University.

One had to know that Chang'an Jiaotong University was the best university in Xian, a 985 institution. Students who could pass the entrance exam for this school were all top-tier students ranked at the top of the province.

In the eyes of someone her age, educational background was more convincing than anything else.

Thinking of this, the look she gave Chen Fan became even brighter—he was good at studying, looked good, and his family background was very good. After this brief interaction, she felt that this child had upright character and was sincere in dealing with people, not like some young people who were glib or had high expectations but low ability.

If only...

Once this thought popped up, she couldn't suppress it no matter what.

She glanced at Su Mian, who was eating quietly beside her, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart—this silly girl of hers, why didn't she know how to be more proactive?

Su Mian seemed to notice her mother's gaze, looked up, and met Su Jingqiu's meaningful look, feeling a bit confused.

She blinked, her bright eyes filled with innocence.

Su Jingqiu was made both anxious and amused by her blank expression, and she sighed secretly in her heart—this silly girl, when would she ever catch on?

Su Jingqiu withdrew her gaze, picked up her teacup and took a sip, the smile on her lips impossible to suppress. She looked at Chen Fan, her tone even more warm than before: "Xiao Fan, how old are you this year?"

"Nineteen," Chen Fan replied.

"Two years younger than my Mianmian," Su Jingqiu nodded, as if calculating something in her heart, "That's quite good."

Chen Fan didn't know what this "quite good" meant, so he smiled and didn't respond.

Chen Tong, however, heard something in it. She glanced at Su Jingqiu, then at Su Mian, the corners of her mouth curling up, and she sensibly didn't say anything.