With global currency devaluation, I'll wear these back and take my whole family flying!

"Ah Ci." Seeing Shen Ci's nervous expression, Shen Yingying on the other end of the video call quickly explained with a smile, "Oh, it's nothing. Your uncle was scalded by boiling brine a few days ago. He has a lot of blisters on his leg and is still in the hospital. He just finished changing his dressing."

"You got burned by brine? How could you be so careless!" Shen Ci was still shocked when she heard this. Burns are the most painful, and changing dressings is very torturous.

"It's all your uncle's fault for being so clumsy. He accidentally knocked it over. The shop is small, and luckily I wasn't inside at the time, otherwise I would definitely have been burned too." Shen Yingying sighed and said, "I was really scared at first. The skin on your uncle's calf was burned off. Fortunately, the doctor said it's okay. It will heal slowly after the scabs form. It's not a big deal for a grown man to have a scar, but he has to change the dressing twice a day."

Before Shen Ci could ask any further questions, Shen Yingying started explaining why Shen Jingjing had been leaving early lately: "Recently, your mother was worried that I wouldn't be able to manage everything by myself while your uncle was hospitalized, so she came early to help me. When she wasn't busy at noon, she would stay at the shop by herself while I came to the hospital to take care of your uncle."

Upon hearing this, Shen Ci's worries were dispelled; so that's why her mother had left early.

However, after thinking about it again, Shen Ci couldn't help but say, "Auntie, you have to be more careful in the future. The shop is small, so there's not much room for maneuver. I think you should listen to me and stop working there at the end of the year. I'll bring you to Longcheng next year and invest in another business for you."

Shen Yingying simply smiled and casually replied, "Auntie knows you're filial, but our little business is doing just fine, we make a good living every month, you don't need to worry about it."

"That's hard work, isn't it? Getting up so early every day and having to stay at the shop all the time. Guangrong and Suisui have grown up, it's time for you and your uncle to relax a bit."

"Everyone has their hardships, right? Everything requires some effort. Besides, your aunt's husband and I are used to it and don't find it too hard. We've been making braised meats and roast meats all our lives, and we're very good at it. If you ask us to do other things, we'll feel clumsy and uncomfortable."

Shen Yingying was telling the truth. Neither she nor her husband had much education, and they had raised their two children entirely on this one skill. They knew they couldn't handle any other business.

However, Shen Ci did not budge, but took a step back: "Let's discuss this again next year."

Shen Yingying smiled; no matter what, her niece's attitude warmed her heart.

"Oh, right, Aci, don't tell Ali and Xingxing about your aunt's husband's injury. Ali will be worried sick if she finds out on set, and Xingxing is focused on his studies right now, so don't let him get distracted," Shen Yingying reminded Shen Ci.

Shen Ci nodded in understanding. After hanging up the phone, she transferred some money to her aunt, but not too much, in case her aunt wouldn't accept it.

"Auntie, there's not much I can do to help in Longcheng. Could you buy some good food for Uncle? He's been suffering a lot from the burns. Try to comfort him."

Shen Yingying replied, "It's nothing for a grown man like him to suffer a little; there's nothing to comfort him about."

Even so, Shen Yingying still accepted the transfer, otherwise it would have been too formal, as she knew it was Shen Ci's intention.

"Please thank your niece on behalf of your uncle."

Shen Ci looked at the message and shook her head with a smile.

At this moment, Gu Lianxing pushed the door open and entered from the outside: "Honey, Qu Yang is looking for you downstairs. Don't you two have WeChat?"

Shen Ci shook her head: "I haven't added them on my own initiative."

She didn't take the initiative, and neither did Qu Yang.

Gu Lianxing was somewhat shocked, but after thinking about it, it seemed quite normal what had happened to Shen Ci.

She is a very special person, unlike anyone else.

Shen Ci arrived at the dormitory building wearing slippers and saw Qu Yang standing under the shade of a tree across the street. She smiled slightly and went to greet him.

"Shao Yu said you've been very busy with the college league lately, have you finished?"

It had been a long time since I'd seen Qu Yang. He was busy with training and competitions, and we didn't have each other's contact information, so we hadn't had much of a chance to chat.

Qu Yang looked at Shen Ci and shook his head: "Not yet, the semi-finals are this weekend."

As he spoke, he pulled two tickets out of his pocket: "If you have time, come and see it with your roommate."

Shen Ci was taken aback upon hearing this, and hesitantly reached out to take the two admission tickets and looked at them: "I don't understand basketball, and neither does she."

"It's alright, come whenever you have time, no pressure," Qu Yang said.

He kept his eyes on Shen Ci as he spoke, his expression was calm, and he gave people a very steady and reliable feeling, just like before.

Even though he didn't show anything, Shen Ci still keenly sensed some of the emotional fluctuations hidden beneath his surface.

"Just watching a game?" Shen Ci asked tentatively, "Isn't there anything else?"

Qu Yang was surprised by Shen Ci's keen insight, but suddenly grinned, his bronze skin highlighting his perfectly white teeth.

"There are other things, but I don't want to talk about them now."

It wasn't that Shen Ci was being presumptuous; her first thought was, "Could it be that Qu Yang plans to confess his feelings to me after winning the competition?"

However, the next second, Qu Yang seemed to be afraid that Shen Ci would feel guilty, and quickly explained, "But my invitation to watch the game has nothing to do with something else. I just wanted you to have the opportunity to watch one of my games. After all... we are friends!"

friend.

This was the first time he had so clearly defined the relationship between the two of them.

Shen Ci wasn't stupid; she could tell that Qu Yang had a crush on her, and there were clues in all the details.

Because she knows that when there's a "warm heater" next to you, you'll definitely feel the warmth.

Therefore, the fact that Qu Yang said this in front of her at this moment shows how restrained and patient he was in his feelings for Shen Ci.

Shen Ci was inevitably touched. She smiled and nodded, replying just as frankly, "Since it's an invitation from a friend, I will definitely go."

"Okay, it's settled then. Also, thank you for the shoes!"

"That's a thank-you gift from me, so don't thank me."

Qu Yang resumed his reserved smile, then waved to Shen Ci and strode away.

Shen Ci looked down at the two basketball game tickets in her hand again and still felt like laughing, after all, she really didn't understand the rules of basketball at all.

People who gather around the basketball court seemingly enjoying the game are actually just looking at the handsome guys.

The only thing I know about basketball is that "basketballs are round!"

However, what she was more concerned about was what Qu Yang wanted to tell her but didn't want to say now.