Chapter 17: Seventeen Heartbeats Realizing How Close They Were

Xu Nianyi was reluctant, but in the end he softened his voice and called her, "Sister-in-law."

"That's right." Xu Zhenxun's expression softened considerably upon seeing this. "Although your brother and sister-in-law haven't had their wedding yet, they've already obtained their marriage certificate. This isn't taking advantage of you."

Xu Nian curled his lips, ran behind Xu Nianman, and stared at Wen Huai.

Wen Huai then remembered that he was still in his arms.

“…”

You can tell how red the ears are without even looking at them.

She pressed her shoulder against the man's chest, taking in every ounce of his scent.

Almost at the same time, Xu Youjing withdrew his hand from hers, took a step back, and kept some distance between them.

The warmth in his chest was instantly filled with cold air. He raised his eyebrows calmly, and a sudden sense of loneliness made him dazed for a moment.

Then it returned to normal.

Looking in her direction, I could only see her profile hidden by her long curly hair.

Lower your eyes.

He just did that.

I hope I didn't offend her.

The other three were used to such scenes and didn't react much. Seeing that the matter was resolved, they didn't lecture him any further. Li Changying pulled Wen Huai to sit down.

"I'm sorry, Xiao Ai, I made you laugh. Yiyi's mother died of complications during childbirth, and I've spoiled her since she was little. In this family, only Ajing can control her, and she only listens to Ajing. I don't know what happened today."

Wen Huai subconsciously raised his hand to push his hair behind his ear, but when he touched the earlobe, the heat still lingering, so he withdrew his hand. He smiled softly and said, "It's okay, grandma. I understand that it's hard to accept a stranger suddenly appearing in your house."

"That's not what Grandma meant..."

Li Changying, already feeling guilty, felt a pang of heartache upon hearing the gentle, polite and understanding voice. "Don't ever say such things about strangers again. We're a family, understand?"

Wen Huai's soft heart was touched. She lowered her eyelids and nodded vigorously, her nasal voice a little heavy: "I remember grandma."

On the other side of the sofa, Xu Youjing, who was listening to Xu Zhenxun talking, glanced sideways.

-

Wen Huai met all the elders of the Xu family who arrived one after another, but it was almost dinner time and he had not seen Xu Youjing's parents yet.

Is he still abroad?

When Li Changying came to discuss the wedding, she mentioned that she didn’t want to come back for her birthday.

In the pavilion in the middle of the lake, Wen Huai and the others were playing cards, thinking that things were not going well.

Second aunt Qin Zhilan, who was sitting down from her, ate again and ordered a firecracker.

While happily collecting everyone's gold bars, Xu Mingyi joked, "Xiao Ai, did my mom bribe you? You've been handed so many cards to her in the past few rounds."

The person who was speaking was the daughter of her second uncle, and the mother she was talking about was Qin Zhilan.

Qin Zhilan's wealthy face was covered in a smile, her already narrow eyes narrowed into slits, and her chubby fingers nimbly fiddled with the cards. She said, "What do you mean by bribe? Isn't it your mother who seizes opportunities? Otherwise, how could she win so much?"

"We have to seize the opportunity." Xu Qiyuan said coldly.

She is the eldest daughter of the Xu family.

A famous female entrepreneur who appeared in the finance textbook when she was an undergraduate at Wenhuai.

Xu Qiyuan handed the small gold bar over, not even bothering to raise her eyelids: "It seems that you won because you are a good fighter, and it has nothing to do with your previous boss."

Such a sharp and merciless revelation would have embarrassed anyone, but Qin Zhilan seemed oblivious to it and said with a smile, "Of course, big sister, have you forgotten that it was Wen Huai herself who said she couldn't fight? If there weren't enough people, why would we have called her?"

After saying that, he didn't forget to say to Wen Huai: "Tell my elder sister yourself whether you said it or not."

Wen Huai didn't respond, and said tactfully: "I am indeed here to learn, and I hope that my aunt and sister Ming Yi will show mercy."

"Big sister, you heard that, didn't you?" Qin Zhilan glanced at the other side with some pride, and then became even happier. She immediately put on the attitude of an elder, "But Wen Huai, you really need to learn the skill of playing mahjong, otherwise you will lose money like today in the future. Of course we are happy to help, but I am afraid you find it boring."

Xu Qiyuan sneered.

Wen Huai played another good card and agreed meekly: "Yes, I remember it."

After collecting all the good license plates, Qin Zhilan continued to teach: "It's useless to remember it in your head, you have to remember it in your heart. Look at what you played, I'm waiting for the card again. Oh, it's a good thing that A Jing is not here, otherwise, seeing you lose like this, I'm afraid I would regret marrying you."

After knocking Jie Bao down, she was delighted: "Hurry up, I'm going to win again!"

Just as he finished speaking, footsteps were heard on the wooden board.

Following closely behind was Xu Youjing's clear and magnetic voice.

“Who regrets it?”

Several people looked in the direction of the sound and saw a tall and slender figure walking towards them. The arrogance on his beautiful face was made even more prominent by the ink color.

He glanced at the small boxes in the hands of several people and understood.

He stopped directly behind Wen Huai and casually placed his hand on the back of her chair.

"Good cards." He said to Wen Huai.

Wen Huai's fingers touched the lines on the cards, hesitated for a moment before playing, and continued to play the good ones.

Xu Youjing leaned over and glanced at her.

Unexpectedly, the moment she mentioned the devil, she would appear. Qin Zhilan, feeling guilty, immediately subsided and adopted a different attitude: "We are trying to teach your wife how to play cards, but she just can't learn and keeps losing. We are all worried about you."

"Don't add us." Xu Qiyuan said disdainfully, "Just you."

Qin Zhilan: “…”

"Yeah."

Xu Youjing raised his hand and pressed the finger on Wen Huai's card, then pushed out another one, echoing absentmindedly: "I have to thank Second Aunt for caring about me so much."

Qin Zhilan could only smile awkwardly when she saw his perfunctory response: "You're welcome."

After a few cards, Wen Huai was already waiting for the winning hand, but he didn't fall down.

Just as she was about to touch the cards, the hand that appeared in her sight pushed the cards down for her. His hand that was pressing on the back of the chair fell on her shoulder and touched it.

"Touch it."

Wen Huai turned over the next one with his heart beating faster.

Seeing the pattern, Xu Youjing curled his lips and said, "Top fan."

The three of them were surprised, and even Xu Qiyuan went to see it specially.

A single color plus two hidden Kongs, a treasure among treasures, is the best.

They had won a lot of gold bars all afternoon, but this time they had to return them all to Wen Huai.

"How much do you want to give? Ajing, you are so lucky. Fortunately, I didn't call you this afternoon." Xu Mingyi was the first to give out his own small treasury.

Xu Qiyuan also handed it over readily, then rubbed her wrist and said, "No more fighting, retreat."

Qin Zhilan was reluctant, but because Xu Youjing couldn't accuse them of cheating, she held on to her small treasury and refused to give it.

Seeing this, Xu Qiyuan was too lazy to look and left the corridor.

Qin Zhilan probed: "If we really care about it, if it weren't for Ah Jing's interference, how could Wen Huai listen so well? I've never seen two people fight like this. Shouldn't the winner give it to me?"

Xu Mingyi couldn't bear to watch it any longer: "I'll admit defeat, Mom."

After being glared at by Qin Zhilan, she shut up.

Wen Huai had no intention of winning, nor did he care about the final winnings: "Actually..."

"Since Second Aunt is going to make a fuss about it." Xu Youjing's voice was heard above Wen Huai, "Then let's settle the score."

Wen Huai looked up and patted her left shoulder with his fingers.

Seeing this, Xu Mingyi fiddled with his phone.

Only Qin Zhilan didn't understand what was going on. She was delighted that she didn't have to pay the gold bars anymore, so she smiled and said, "You tell me."

"Aunt just said that I regretted marrying Wen Huai because she lost at a card game."

Qin Zhilan was about to explain that this was not what she meant when she heard Xu Youjing say, "Same premise. I wonder if Second Uncle would have the same idea after reading the financial statements?"

Qin Zhilan's expression changed: "How did you know?"

She was very secretive about the compensation, and almost no one would know about it except her. How did Xu Youjing know about it?

Smiling without saying a word, Xu Youjing collected the gold bars, took Wen Huai's wrist, stood up and walked out.

After taking two steps, Bian Ban stopped, and his tone was cold with the chill of the night.

"I don't know what my second uncle thinks, but I won't."

"So, aunt, your attitude towards Wen Huai determines everything."

“Eh…”

The voice behind him faded away, and Wen Huai tried hard to keep up with Xu Youjing's pace, which gradually became a bit strenuous.

Fortunately, he let her go as soon as they left the water's edge.

Holding the slightly warm wrist, Wen Huai didn't know if this was their first time holding hands. He coughed and took the initiative to break the silence.

"Is it time to eat?"

Xu Youjing looked at her and said "hmm".

The two walked towards the restaurant.

It was a rare occasion when he took the initiative to ask, "Are you having fun?"

Wen Huai was a little surprised and replied awkwardly, "Happy."

But how could she be happy when she kept losing except for the last game?

Fortunately, Xu Youjing didn't notice and was fooled by her.

The disappointment in his heart was replaced by a small sense of success, and Wen Huai felt happy.

Leather shoes and high heels clattered onto the gravel path, a few fireflies darting through the inky bamboo forest. Wen Huai realized that the beautiful garden by day had been transformed into a new style by the light of night.

The rustling of bamboo leaves was tranquil and soothing, its quiet presence bringing a sense of peace and tranquility. Fallen leaves cast shadows across the pale yellow hem of her skirt, and with every step she took, she could see the leaves on the hem shift into different shapes.

It was not until a leaf left its mark on her slender wrist that she remembered that Xu Youjing had held her hand there a few minutes ago.

I raised my hand and covered it with my body, and could still feel a strong pulse.

It was difficult to sneak a peek at him. Wen Huai preferred to stay half a step behind him, so that he could peek openly without looking askance.

So, I deliberately avoided walking with him and gradually fell behind him half a step, but unexpectedly I was noticed by him immediately.

"Come forward."

"......good."

Xu Youjing stood in the shade of the tree and waited.

He was very tall and had broad shoulders, and he easily caught the bamboo leaves that fell on her skirt and placed them on his shoulders and chest.

The evening breeze picked up again, and Wen Huai saw the leaves swaying on his shirt.

She lowered her eyes and stood beside him.

"You can count cards, right?" he said.

Not a question.

Wen Huai looked up and realized how close they were because they were standing on the stone road.

Her gaze shifted to her Adam's apple, which was clearly shadowed under the light. Her voice tightened, "Well, that wasn't very smart."

"That won't mean I lose to Second Aunt." His words were fair, but also harsh.

After a pause, Xu Youjing looked at her inquiringly, trying to find the answer from that harmless and gentle face, but still asked, "Why do you try to please them?"

Wen Huai's pupils trembled slightly.

Wen Huai had been on edge all day because of this. Although everyone was polite to her, she couldn't relax like she did in front of her father. Subconsciously, she tried to please them and avoid conflict.

So, when she was called to the mahjong table to make up the numbers, even though she could count cards and play cards, she never won a single hand. She was only conscientious in passing cards to the other three people, even including Xu Mingyi, who was of the same generation.

Wen Huai didn't know whether to be thankful that her service skills were so perfect, or even that she was not in the same class as them. The subconscious gap made her feel that although she was tired all day, this was what she should do.

At least that's what she thought before Xu Youjing spoke.

Now, the gorgeous packaging wrapped around the ugly heart was torn apart, and Wen Huai felt sad...

There was also the embarrassment of being exposed in front of him.

to please.

She was indeed trying to please them.

Pursing her lips, she felt that her toes must have blisters from being rubbed. Her voice was muffled: "I just want to live in peace with them."

"Because they are from the Xu family?"

Wen Huai didn't understand why he asked back. He suddenly made the obvious answer uncertain, which also made her confused. She admitted frankly: "Yeah."

The wind grew stronger, and the swaying bamboo forest dimmed the light above their heads.

Xu Youjing lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before looking up at her.

"Wen Huai, have you forgotten something?"

"What?"

After taking a deep breath, he said, "You are also from the Xu family."