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One day, Wang Liang suddenly had to go to an appointment, so she hid in the bathroom to put on makeup. Tao Jun mocked her, saying that her makeup could ward off evil spirits.

"Ouch! My God!" Tao Jun cried out, peering through the crack in the bathroom door. "Pretty lady, are you going to exorcise a ghost? Those bright red lips, even zombies would turn tail and run!"

Wang Liang angrily slammed her powder puff against the door: "Get lost! I'll do my makeup however I want!"

Tao Jun squeezed into the cramped bathroom, grabbing a mascara from the vanity: "Is this stuff for cleaning shoes? Tsk tsk, the eyeliner looks like a caterpillar..."

"You don't know anything!" Wang Liang snatched back the cosmetics. "Mr. Song likes mature and sexy types!"

"Mr. Song? The bald guy who drove the BMW last week?" Tao Jun made an exaggerated expression and shouted.

Wang Liang grabbed a hairdryer as if to hit him, but Tao Jun nimbly dodged behind the door: "Don't hit me! Seriously though, you're on a date tonight, who's going to watch the convenience store?"

"none of your business!"

“How about this,” Tao Jun held up three fingers, “I’ll watch the shop for you, as payment for three days’ rent, how about that?”

Wang Liang sneered: "You? Last time I made you watch the store for two hours, and I didn't even give you three packs of Zhonghua cigarettes!"

"That was an accident!" Tao Jun declared confidently. "This time I promise I won't leave your side for a second! Two days' rent?"

"One day, take it or leave it!" Wang Liang thought for a moment and agreed to the deal.

Tao Jun gritted his teeth: "Deal! But you have to take off those false eyelashes, they're too scary..."

Wang Liang kicked him out of the bathroom.

……

In the convenience store at dusk, Tao Jun was idly scrolling through his phone, completely unaware that a man wearing a baseball cap had stolen two bottles of Moutai.

A car horn sounded outside the door. Tao Jun looked up and saw Wang Liang walking towards him arm in arm with "Mr. Song".

"Ah Jun!" Wang Liang said in a deliberately cloyingly sweet voice, "Mr. Song drove me back, could you help me load that case of bottled water into the car?"

Mr. Song smiled reservedly, twirling the BMW key on his finger.

Tao Jun rolled his eyes and slowly picked up the water.

“Just put it in the trunk.” Mr. Song opened the car door and suddenly lowered his voice to the phone, “I’ve got that rich woman sorted out tonight, and I’ve arranged to meet another one at the Peninsula Hotel tomorrow… Yes, just like the old script…”

Tao Jun's ears twitched, and he deliberately slammed the water tank heavily into the trunk.

Mr. Song hurriedly hung up the phone, then laughed awkwardly, "Business is so busy, haha..."

Once the BMW was gone, Tao Jun immediately sidled up to Wang Liang: "Sister Liang, something's not right with this guy surnamed Song! I just overheard him on the phone..."

"Stop being so sour!" Wang Liang shook her head smugly. "He's a senior executive at a listed company, earning a million a year! He's a million times better off than an unemployed bum like you!"

"A senior executive?" Tao Jun scoffed. "He hasn't even removed the tag from his suit sleeve! It's a Taobao bestseller, costing no more than 300 yuan!"

Wang Liang's expression changed, and she looked down at her phone: "He sent me a photo of my office on WeChat... wait, how come it looks exactly like a certain interior design rendering online?"

Tao Jun seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire: "Isn't he asking you to some matchmaking agency tomorrow? Take me with you, I'll help you check him out!"

"What are you going to do?"

"Just say I'm your cousin, and I'm also in a hurry to find a partner!" Tao Jun winked. "If it's a legitimate matchmaking agency, we'll definitely welcome new clients; but if it's a scam operation... hehe, let's see how I expose them!"

Wang Liang was skeptical, but a seed of doubt had already been planted in her mind.

……

The next day at noon, Tao Jun stood in front of the "Eternal Love" matchmaking agency, wearing a wrinkled suit, looking like a nouveau riche who had just arrived in the city.

"Cousin!" he shouted, "Is this place reliable? I've got plenty of money, and I just want to find a beautiful wife!"

Wang Liang awkwardly tugged at his sleeve: "Keep your voice down!"

At that moment, Mr. Song was on a blind date with another girl, and he said exactly the same thing as Wang Liang.

Even if Wang Liang were a fool, she would realize the problem at this point; she had indeed encountered a swindler.

"Oh! You're all scammers!" Wang Liang instantly realized what was going on, grabbing Mr. Song's tie. "Give me my money back! My 8888 yuan membership fee!"

The clubhouse was thrown into chaos.

Mr. Song dropped his pretense and shoved Wang Liang away viciously: "Crazy woman! Whose fault is it that you can't get married?"

Tao Jun strode forward, his nearly 1.8-meter height exuding an imposing aura: "How dare you talk to a lady like that? Do you believe I'll expose your scam to the TV station?"

He then took out his phone, and the screen showed that it was recording.

Mr. Song immediately backed down: "Brother... let's talk this out..."

Ultimately, under Tao Jun's threats, the club had no choice but to refund Wang Liang's entire fee.

As Wang Liang walked out the door, she was still trembling with anger: "These bastards! They actually called me a stupid, rich old maid!"

Tao Jun wanted to laugh but dared not: "Calm down, at least we got the money back..."

"You knew all along, didn't you?" Wang Liang suddenly turned around and slapped Tao Jun hard across the face. "Are you happy to see me make a fool of myself?"

Tao Jun covered his face, stunned: "I...I wasn't trying to help you..."

"Get out! Move out tonight!" Wang Liang hailed a taxi and sped away, leaving Tao Jun standing there in a daze.

……

As night fell, Tao Jun wandered the streets for a while with his luggage, and then, as if possessed, found himself back near the convenience store.

Through the glass window, he saw Wang Liang sitting alone behind the cashier, with half a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) in front of her, her makeup smudged and untouched.

The sound of the wind chimes as she pushed open the door startled Wang Liang. She looked up and saw Tao Jun, immediately grabbed a calculator and threw it at him: "Didn't I tell you to get lost!"

Tao Jun caught the calculator and silently put it back on the counter: "My movie DVDs are still upstairs..."

"Take it all! Take it all!" Wang Liang took another swig of wine. "You men are all the same!"

Tao Jun sighed, took a bag of peanuts and two cans of beer from the shelf, and sat down opposite her: "Drinking alone is no fun, I'll keep you company."

Wang Liang glared at him with red eyes, but in the end she still pushed a paper cup over to him.

After a few drinks, Wang Liang started talking: "I'm over thirty, what's wrong with wanting to find a reliable man? Those scammers specifically target older single women like us... saying we're desperate..."

Her tears mixed with mascara streamed down her face.

Tao Jun handed over a tissue: "Sister Liang, you're actually a great girl... it's just that your taste is a bit lacking."

"Get lost!" Wang Liang burst into laughter through her tears. "And you? How long has it been since Lin Li dumped you? Still can't forget her?"

Tao Jun took a swig of beer: "It's all in the past now. I understand now that relationships are like buying a used car. You can't just look at how shiny the paint is on the outside; you have to look at the engine."

Wang Liang raised an eyebrow in surprise: "Oh! That's quite philosophical?"

"I learned it from you," Tao Jun laughed. "Your theory about expired food states that no matter how shiny the food looks, it's still unusable once it's past its expiration date."

The two smiled at each other and clinked their glasses.

As the alcohol took effect, Wang Liang suddenly leaned closer and asked, "Seriously, why are you lingering here?"

Tao Jun's heart suddenly raced: "Because...because..."

"Why?" Wang Liang looked up at Tao Jun thoughtfully.

"Because your fried rice is the best in all of Shanghai!" Tao Jun blurted out.

Wang Liang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, laughing until tears streamed down her face: "Fool..."

As night deepened, two drunken men leaned against each other, their shadows cast on the wall by the convenience store's incandescent light, gradually merging into one.

……

Tao Jun accompanied Wang Liang to purchase goods, but he had already developed an interest in her.

"Put this batch of goods here, and the drinks over there..." Wang Liang directed the workers to move the goods, her floral shirt soaked with sweat.

Tao Jun followed behind her carrying two cases of bottled water, his eyes constantly glancing at her slender waist.

"What are you looking at!" Wang Liang turned around and glared at him. "Haven't you ever seen a woman do housework before?"

Tao Jun grinned, revealing two dimples: "I've never seen such a beautiful woman working."

Wang Liang's hand trembled, and she almost dropped the ledger: "Hmph! Smooth talker..."

She muttered to herself, but her ears turned red.

“I’m serious,” Tao Jun leaned closer, his body smelling of sunshine and sweat, “Look at us, you’re meticulous as a hair, and I’m as strong as an ox, aren’t we a perfect match?”

Wang Liang suddenly looked up, her eyes wide open: "Tao Jun, what...what do you mean?"

"I..." Tao Jun suddenly stammered, because his fear of marriage had flared up again, and his courage had burst like a punctured balloon. "I mean... um... isn't your shop short-staffed? How about hiring me as a full-time employee? The salary is negotiable..."

Wang Liang's expression shifted from surprise to disappointment, finally settling into a cold snort: "Take it or leave it!"

She turned and left, leaving Tao Jun slapping his forehead in frustration.

That evening, Wang Liang complained to Lu Qing while cutting fruit in the kitchen: "...He chickened out at the last minute again! Do you think this man is crazy?"

Lu Qing chuckled to herself, "Cousin, are you really smitten?"

"Who...who's fallen for him!" Wang Liang's knife slammed heavily on the chopping board. "I just can't stand his cowardly behavior!"

"Simple," Lu Qing whispered in his ear, "Pretend to go on a blind date tomorrow and see if he gets anxious..."

"..."

In the living room, a modern romance drama was playing on the television. Tao Jun suddenly jumped up from the sofa: "Fang Yuan! That's Lin Li!"

On the screen, Lin Li, with her exquisite makeup, is kissing the male lead in the rain.

The cast list shows that she is indeed the female lead.

"Looks like she's doing well." Su Ning took a sip of beer. "What about you? Shouldn't you move on?"

Tao Jun stared at the screen for a long time, then suddenly laughed: "Actually... I think I've fallen for Wang Liang."

"The convenience store owner?" Su Ning raised an eyebrow. "Her taste is quite unique."

“She has a sharp tongue but a soft heart,” Tao Jun’s eyes softened. “She keeps meticulous records, but last time I had a fever, she stayed up all night to take care of me…”

Su Ning patted him on the shoulder: "Then don't be a coward."

“But I…” Tao Jun rubbed his hands together, “You know, my parents’ marriage… I’m scared…”

“Tao Jun,” Su Ning looked him straight in the eye, “you can’t reject an entire orchard just because you’ve seen rotten apples.”

Tao Jun paused, then suddenly pointed at the television: "And what about you? No matter how much of a scoundrel Fang Danian is, he's still your father. Keke talks about Grandpa every day, can't you..."

“It’s different.” Su Ning’s expression instantly turned cold.

……

The next morning, Wang Liang wore an unusual dress, put on makeup, and carried a small bag as she walked out.

"Wang Liang, where are you going?" Tao Jun blocked the doorway, staring wide-eyed.

"A blind date!" Wang Liang raised her chin. "My mom introduced him. He's a PhD who returned from overseas and earns a million a year."

She deliberately waved her phone, "We're meeting at the Peninsula Hotel, it's really high-class!"

Tao Jun's face fell visibly: "That...that's good..."

Wang Liang waited for a while, but when he didn't say anything, she got angry and stomped her foot and left.

Half an hour later, Tao Jun appeared in the lobby of the Peninsula Hotel as if by magic, dressed in a suit and tie, looking like a clumsy private detective.

"How many are in your party, sir?" the waiter asked.

"I...I'm looking for someone..." Tao Jun looked around and suddenly saw Wang Liang sitting alone by the window with two cups of coffee in front of her.

He mustered his courage and walked over: "Um...where's the PhD who returned from overseas?"

Wang Liang slowly stirred her coffee: "Traffic jam, I'll be late."

She looked Tao Jun up and down. "What are you doing here?"

"I..." Tao Jun's palms were sweating, and he suddenly knelt down on one knee. "Wang Liang! Stop going on blind dates! Be with me! I may not have money or a house, but I can help you unload goods every day!"

All eyes in the restaurant turned to him.

Wang Liang's face turned as red as a tomato: "You...you get up! Aren't you ashamed!"

"I won't get up until you agree!" Tao Jun declared, in a fit of desperation. "I know I'm a coward, I have a fear of marriage, but I promise..."

"What guarantee?" Wang Liang's eyes sparkled.

"I promise to smoke half a pack less cigarette every day, and I'll use the money to buy you lipstick! I promise to remember the expiration dates of all expired products! I promise..." Tao Jun gritted his teeth, "...I promise to love you for a lifetime!"

Wang Liang's tears streamed down her face.

She reached out and pulled Tao Jun up: "Idiot...there's no overseas-educated PhD at all..."

Tao Jun paused for two seconds, then suddenly picked up Wang Liang and spun her around, drawing applause from the entire audience.

……

In the bathroom, Coco and Lu Qing were giving the golden retriever a bath, with foam flying everywhere.

“Aunt Lu,” Coco suddenly said, “Grandpa bought me ice cream again yesterday. He’s so pitiful, he lives under a bridge…”

Lu Qing paused for a moment: "Coco, do you want Grandpa to go home?"

"Yes, I want to!" Coco's eyes lit up. "But Daddy said Grandpa did something wrong before..."

Lu Qing dried her hands, squatted down to be at Coco's eye level: "Sometimes, forgiving others is letting go of yourself. Your father has a thorn in his heart, and he needs someone to help him pull it out."

That evening, Su Ning secretly followed Fang Danian to his "home" under the overpass, a shack made of cardboard and plastic sheeting.

He watched his elderly father, hunched over, sorting through the scraps he had collected, eating dry bread with cold water, and felt as if a stone was pressing on his chest.

"Dad..." The long-unheard address circled on the tip of her tongue before she swallowed it back down.

Su Ning turned and left, unaware that Fang Danian behind her looked up as if sensing something, tears welling up in his cloudy eyes.

……

The day of the move was bustling with activity.

Suning's newly purchased luxury house is spacious and bright, with nameplates hanging in each of the five bedrooms: "Clear Sky" for Suning and Lu Qing, "Princess Castle" for Coco, "Old Captain" for Fang Danian, and two reserved rooms for "Guests from Hong Kong".

"This...this is too extravagant!" Wang Liang touched the marble countertop, unable to believe her eyes.

Tao Jun proudly put his arm around her: "How about that? My ex-brother-in-law is awesome, isn't he?"

Fang Danian stood at the door, hesitant to go in: "A-Ning, I... I think I'll go back to the bridge..."

"Grandpa!" Coco ran over and grabbed his hand. "I decorated your room! There's a pirate ship model!"

Su Ning stood on the stairs, watching this scene, and said softly, "Dad, come in."

Fang Danian's tears instantly burst forth.

In the dead of night, Fang Danian gently knocked on Su Ning's door: "Fang Yuan, Dad... Dad is sorry..."

Su Ning handed him a cup of hot tea: "Coco told me that you've been secretly helping her and her daughter all these years."

“That can’t make up for it…” Fang Danian choked up, “Back then, I gambled away my family fortune and even your mother’s life-saving money…”

At this moment, Su Ning interrupted him, "Dad, Coco needs Grandpa. Let bygones be bygones."

The father and son sat facing each other, and the twenty-year estrangement melted away in that moment.

……

The night view of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong is as dazzling as stars.

Gao Yawen and Ma Shuer leaned on either side of Su Ning, and the three of them raised their glasses to drink together.

"So," Ma Shuer raised an eyebrow, "Lu Qing accepted your proposal?"

Su Ning nodded, turning the ring on her hand: "The ceremony will be next month. Will you... come?"

Gao Yawen chuckled: "What, aren't you afraid we'll cause trouble?"

“You won’t,” Su Ning said confidently, “because we’ve found the best way for us to get along.”

Mashuer sighed: "It's insane... I can't believe I can accept this kind of relationship."

“Because we love the same man,” Gao Yawen clinked glasses with her, “and he has enough love to share with each of us.”

Back in Shanghai, Suning arranged to meet Lu Qing at the most expensive restaurant on the Bund.

When the waiter pushed the cart covered with roses over, Lu Qing's palms were sweating with nervousness.

"Fang Yuan... what is this...?" Lu Qing was truly stunned and dumbfounded.

Suning took out a blue velvet box containing a necklace with a lock pendant: "The key is with me."

He whispered, "Lu Qing, will you marry me?"

Lu Qing's tears fell onto the rose petals: "What about them in Hong Kong?"

“They are my past and present,” Su Ning said, placing the necklace around her snow-white neck, “and you are my future.”

Lu Qing threw herself into his arms and kissed the man she both loved and hated.

Outside the window, cruise ships on the Huangpu River sounded their horns, as if blessing their love.

On the terrace of the mansion, Tao Jun had his arm around Wang Liang, and Fang Danian was holding Keke. They all looked up at the fireworks in the night sky.

Lu Qing leaned on Su Ning's shoulder and gently touched the lock-shaped pendant around her neck.

"What are you thinking about?" Su Ning asked.

"I'm thinking..." Lu Qing smiled, "What should we call our story?"

"My Wife is a Fairy?" Tao Jun interjected.

"The Five Good Families?" Wang Liang suggested.

Coco raised her little hand: "Magic Daddy!"

Everyone laughed.

Looking up at the starry sky, Su Ning whispered:

"Let's call it 'Perfect'."

...(End of chapter)