A Modern Love [mxm] [✔]

Chapter 2

His workday was finally over and Zhao Yunlan sighed. It had been a long day. It really seemed like today's products were not as undestroyable as they once were, but be as it is, more and more people had things that needed to be repaired.

He wasn't complaining, of course, he liked his job and business was going well.

He checked the time and thought of calling a friend, maybe they could grab a beer together if he was free, but his cousin Jun beat him to it and called him. Yunlan sighed and answered the call.

"How are you doing? Work keeps you busy?" his cousin asked.

"I am doing good, thanks. Work is great, but I'm done for today. Want to meet? We could go for a beer and catch up."

"I'd like that, but I can't. I need to drive to the university, Mei is still there and she needs me to pick her up."

"We could meet there if you like. It's been so long since I saw your daughter." Yunlan liked the girl much more than the father, to be honest, so he wouldn't mind seeing her too.

"You don't mind? If you're not busy, that would be great."

"Told you I'm done working for today. I can leave right now, I was about to do just that when you called."

"Actually I have a lot to do, maybe you could pick her up instead and drive her home?"

Finally Yunlan understood why his cousin had called him. Jun hadn't wasted any time before jumping at the chance to save himself some time.

Yunlan sighed again but after all he liked his niece a lot and he had nothing better to do now.

"Sure, I can do that." He agreed.

Jun thanked him and closed the call.

Yunlan walked leisurely to his car and drove to the university. He waited outside so that Zhang Mei would see him.

He stood there thinking how she had grown up fast, already attending university, and he didn't have to wait long before after only six minutes he spotted her coming out.

Mei looked a lot like her father, plus there were very little kids around at that hour, so he had no difficulty at all finding her.

When she saw him, she smiled a big smile and waved enthusiastically at him.

She made to move towards him but she was called back by a young man coming out of the university. They talked a bit and Yunlan saw the young man handing her a big book.

She thanked him then she ran towards Yunlan.

Mei jumped to hug him after so long since they saw each other and she scolded him for it.

"Where have you been? You should visit more. I haven't seen you in ages. How cruel of you, never stopping by!"

She pouted like a child. He laughed and patted her head.

Since she liked him so much, she was doing her best to make him feel guilty, after all she was his only niece and he deserted her completely.

"Don't you care about me at all?" she complained.

Yunlan chuckled knowing perfectly well what she was doing and he promised her that he would show himself more, then he tried to change the subject by shifting the focus on herself.

He asked her about her studies, how was it going and if she liked it, then he started to tease her about the young man that had stopped her earlier.

"Is he the reason you stayed so late at school?" he asked her with a smirk. "Do the two of you at least pretend to study? Is the school the best place to socialise?"

"What are you talking about!" she said firmly denying his teasings.

She then made a horrified face that he didn't quite understand, he had thought the guy looked quite handsome judging by what he could see from that distance.

"Please, that was my teacher!" she added explaining her reaction.

"That was a university professor? He looked so young!"

"Well, he's not. I admit he's very beautiful, but he's old! He must be older than you, he might even be as old as my dad!"

"Ehi kid! Watch it, ok? We're not mummies you know."

She smirked. "Anyway he's too old for me, but he might be the right age for you," she said looking at him with a big grin.

He laughed; unlike her father she was very sweet, and smart too. Yunlan's life choices were a taboo at her home, but that never stopped her from loving and understanding her uncle.

"You're so like your grandmother," he said fondly. Mei's grandmother was Yunlan's mother's sister, a lovely lady that didn't jump at the occasion of judging others like many people did. Too bad she lived far away.

Mei smiled happily, knowing that it was intended as a compliment to her - and totally ignoring the subtext, since they both knew that he also meant it as 'thank goodness you're not like your father.'

She didn't want to go there with him now. She didn't want to spoil the mood, he was being cheerful and she liked it best that way.

She started talking, totally taking control of the conversation. She told him how her teacher's lessons were so interesting that they were always full of students, and he let her go on for a while.

"What subject does he teach?" he then asked when she paused.

"Poetry and literature."

He made a bored face and this time it was her turn to laugh.

"But I only take the literature course."

She saw his smirk that clearly meant you find it boring too and felt the need to add something.

"At least for now!" She used a tone that accepted no reply, faking an angry look.

They both laughed and kept chatting until they arrived.

He drove her home, parked the car and went inside to greet her parents. He accepted a beer and stayed for a while before going back home.