Chapter 38: My Heartbeat Is Thirty-Eight, Too Bad

...

The city sky was devoid of stars as a black Rolls-Royce drove toward the city center. The silence of its body passing by became the only sound between the two of them.

Wen Huai, who was sitting in the passenger seat, withdrew his gaze from the ink-black world, and rubbed the ring on his ring finger.

She remembered that ten minutes ago, Xu Youjing said at the wedding banquet door that he wanted to go back and put on the ring, and asked her if she was okay.

OK......

Wen Huai's answer was interrupted by Tian Xitong who came to see her off. After the four of them exchanged greetings, Tian Xitong realized that Xu Youjing was also nearby and came over just after finishing his work. He was also willing to see her off, so she felt relieved.

But outsiders don’t know, but Wen Huai knows.

It would be a coincidence that Xu Youjing, who was on a business trip in Lingang, appeared here.

Is it because of her, or...

She took out her cell phone to search, but there was no signal. When she opened Weibo, it was blank and nothing showed up.

At this moment, a thunder roared from the sky.

Wen Huai looked up and saw that the originally dark night sky was covered by dark clouds, and it was about to rain.

She asked, "When does it fly to Hong Kong?"

Xu Youjing also withdrew his gaze from the thick clouds in the sky: "Tonight."

Tomorrow is the pre-conference meeting, starting at 9:00 AM. If there are delays due to weather...

"This rain may not come down, and the airport may not be affected, so don't worry."

Wen Huai couldn't relax and searched for flight information, but the network was too poor.

"If flying doesn't work, I can take the high-speed rail. If that doesn't work, I can drive."

Compared to Wen Huai, Xu Youjing, the one who was delayed, was not nervous at all.

He even took the time to glance at the passenger seat, curling his eyes. "It's only six and a half hours by car, so we'll make it in time."

Hearing his serious tone, Wen Huai couldn't help but look over and said, "It's a long road at night. If it rains, even if you two take turns driving, it won't work. It's too dangerous."

Xu Youjing opened his lips, but was interrupted by a phone call in the car.

Speak of the devil, the devil appears. Jiang Han's voice appeared in the car, "Mr. Xu, the airline just informed us that due to weather conditions, the flight needs to take off half an hour earlier."

In other words, Xu Youjing has to arrive at the airport at 11:30.

He said yes, and Jiang Han said, "Then I'll call you again before I get on the plane."

After hanging up the phone, Wen Huai thought about it: "Isn't Special Assistant Jiang going with you?"

Or... She looked at Xu Youjing, "Is Special Assistant Jiang in Lingang?"

Then he also asked Jiang Han to bring in the clothes at the banquet...

So, she wasn't being wishful thinking at the time. Did he really want to take off his clothes and let her wear them?

Xu Youjing didn't expect Wen Huai to find the loophole with just one sentence. Although he was negligent, he admitted his mistake in a good manner: "I came back on my own because of my busy schedule. I said that in front of you because I was afraid that you would feel burdened."

"I won't lie to you again. There won't be a next time."

The sudden promise was like a gift without warning, catching Wen Huai off guard.

She opened her lips, forgetting what she was about to say, and nodded mechanically after a few seconds.

"Then I'll take you to the airport."

"It's very late. What time do you plan to go to bed after coming here and there?" Turning from the intersection, he took the time to look at her.

His brows, which were usually calm, were now slightly furrowed for some unknown reason.

The car slowed down, and Xu Youjing raised his hand to search in the cabinet for a moment, then he remembered that the watch was in another car, so he gave up.

He joked, "Are you worried about my driving skills?"

"No." Wen Huai's gaze averted, trying to hide his true intentions. "Then I won't send you off."

The man curled his lips and said, "Okay."

She remembered that there were too many messages piled up on WeChat during her hospitalization two days ago. It took her the next day to sort them out. Xu Youjing was not there, so she didn't have time to say anything.

"On Monday, Jiao Xiaolin came to my office to apologize. On the day she was hospitalized, she also sent me a WeChat message saying she wanted to come visit me, but I declined."

Xu Youjing hummed, "Did you say anything else?"

Wen Huai shook his head: "It's just a daily conversation."

"I guess he wants to play the emotional card and find an opportunity to make a move after he gets to know you better." He has already made up his mind, "Wait until I come back and play a scene with me."

"good."

...

Compared to the journey to Lingang, the time they spent returning home passed quickly.

Xu Youjing didn't get out of the car. He rolled down the window and spoke to her, "Listen to Aunt Ping at home and don't meet irrelevant people. Leave it to me to deal with it when I get back."

"Okay." Wen Huai treated Sui Jianwen and the others as he said.

"Don't wait for me at night, just sleep peacefully."

She nodded again, "I know."

Maybe the person outside agreed obediently. Xu Youjing looked at her face illuminated by the night light and suddenly felt dry in his throat.

Is it true that she would agree to whatever he said?

"wait for me--"

Wen Huai didn't hear clearly: "Huh?"

But in the end, now is not the right time.

Or, I'll tell her in person after finishing my trip to Lingang.

He pursed his lips and said, "Come in, it's cold at night."

Wen Huai stood there, bent over, looking at the people in the car, wanting to tell them something, but when he got to his lips, he only said, "Be careful on the road."

"Um."

The person who agreed obediently became Xu Youjing.

But he was happy to do so.

The car drove away and she stood there until it disappeared from her sight.

The dusk was falling and everything was quiet.

Instead, she remembered the last face of Xu Youjing she saw even more clearly.

The smooth contours, clear lines and obviously thin face further highlight the superior bone structure.

The person those eyes were looking at above his tall nose was her.

He seemed to have something to say to her as well.

But they couldn't say it out loud.

Wen Huai lowered his eyes and thought casually.

Is it possible that Xu Youjing also had some feelings for her when he was with her?

Even just a little bit.

The shadows of the trees were mottled, and the wind came from nowhere, following the direction the car left, and also blew through Wen Huai's thin clothes.

She moved back and Aunt Ping had already taken out the clothes.

"Hurry home, hurry home. It's getting colder tonight." Putting her coat on her shoulders, Aunt Ping held her in her arms, "Are you happy with the banquet today?"

Her eyebrows were curved.

"Happy."

The coldness all over her body was wrapped in warmth. Wen Huai was held tightly in Aunt Ping's arms, and even her hair was covered under her coat, for fear that she would catch a cold.

Wen Huai was of course happy to receive such long-lost care.

"I'm glad you're happy. Go back and eat the medicinal food. I've also warmed up the Chinese medicine for you. It's at the perfect temperature."

I almost forgot about this, and Wen Huai's good mood was half gone.

"Auntie Ping, can we tonight——"

"no."

Before she could even finish her words, Aunt Ping guessed what she was up to. "You Jing specifically told me to make you take the medicine. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain to him when he comes back. I won't tell him."

She remembered that Wen Huai didn't drive today, "It's so late, did you take a taxi back?"

Wen Huai was stunned: "A Jing sent me back."

"Yujing? He's back?"

Seeing that Aunt Ping was completely unaware of the situation, she felt that his schedule was really tight and he didn't even have time to go home.

"No wonder you called me just now. I told you it couldn't be as simple as just telling you to take your medicine." Aunt Ping opened the door and smiled. "It seems she felt bad that you got sick from standing in the wind for too long, so she asked me to get some clothes and go out to pick you up."

"You're not cold anymore, are you? Do you want to take a shower first or take medicine first?"

Wen Huai's thoughts were interrupted, and she said, "Take the medicine first, otherwise you will still smell like Chinese medicine after taking a shower."

Aunt Ping smiled and agreed, then chatted with her: "Xiao Ai, don't you like the smell of Chinese medicine?"

Recalling the bad memories, Wen Huai nodded, "I was ignorant and willful when I was a child and was taught a lesson. Now I know it was for my own good."

She put down her clothes and went to help in the kitchen. "Auntie Ping, I know you are doing this for my own good. Thank you."

"You kid." Aunt Ping was also moved, tears welling up in her eyes.

During this period of time together, she knew that Wen Huai was a slow-warm person. Although he was usually amiable, she could still tell whether he was being polite or being intimate.

Wen Huai now truly treats her as a family member and this place as her home.

In the kitchen, the two ladies sympathized with each other, and Wen Huai was touched to the point of feeling a lump in his throat.

At this time, Aunt Ping handed over the Chinese medicine bag and said, "Drink it while it's hot."

Wen Huai: "..."

-

At two o'clock in the morning, Xu Youjing arrived at the Lingang Hotel. After washing up, he picked up his mobile phone and saw a missed call and a WeChat message.

Ignoring the missed call, he first opened the chat box with Wen Huai.

The chat history above shows that fifty minutes ago, he said he had arrived, but the person who said he was sleeping before boarding the plane replied to him.

Five minutes ago, another message came.

"A": [Aunt Ping said Grandma has had a headache lately. I want to go see her tomorrow.]

The sound of keyboards echoed in the quiet room.

He replied: [Okay, use my card if you need anything.]

Looking at this sentence carefully, Xu Youjing felt that something was wrong, and it took him a while to remember it.

He and Wen Huai have been together for so long, but he has never handed over his salary card like other couples do. They each spend their own money.

The gift Wen Huai bought last time must have cost a lot of money, but he didn't say anything.

That’s terrible, Xu Youjing.

Sitting down on the sofa, not caring about his half-wet hair, he carefully thought about what to say.

Give you a credit card?

No, like a nouveau riche.

These are all the cards I have, use any of them.

Easy to pretend.

Tell me how much it costs and I will reimburse you.

More nervous.

With a long sigh, Xu Youjing leaned back and lay on the sofa.

He suddenly remembered that he had a missed call, so he called him back.

The call was connected after only two rings.

I turned on the hands-free mode and heard a deep voice: "Busy?"

"No." He checked the time. "I just got out of the shower. I have something to ask you."

The other side reminded: "I called you first."

Xu Youjing compromised: "Then tell me quickly."

“…Qiao Mian…”

"Xie Songbai, shut up!" Pressing his solar plexus, Xu Youjing felt overwhelmed. "We haven't seen each other for so long, can you please stop talking about Qiao Mian all the time? You're in China now, wait for her to come back and see for yourself."

Xie Songbai also compromised: "Then you speak first."

Xu Youjing: “….”

Xu Youjing: "Exactly, Jiang Han asked me to ask you, he wants to hand over his salary card to his wife, how can he say it naturally?"

“…”

There was a long silence.

It was so long that he thought the call was disconnected.

"Hello?" He frowned as he watched the seconds tick by. "Why aren't you talking?"

"Are you asking me about how couples get along?" The calm voice chuckled. "Of us, are you married or am I?"

Xu Youjing was silent.

He really shouldn't.

Xie Songbai added, "However, Kuang Chi is with me, so perhaps he can answer you."

"OK."

After a few seconds, there was a friction noise from the receiver, and then it became quiet. He heard Xie Songbai say, "The person is gone."

Xu Youjing: “?”

Xie Songbai: "His wife's flight landed in Beicheng at 3 o'clock, so I went to pick her up."

Xu Youjing: “…”

Xu Youjing: "It's alright then, hang up."

Xie Songbai: "Wait a moment."

Xu Youjing clicked his tongue, "What happened again?"

"Speaking of which," Xie Songbai said in a drawn-out, playful tone, "If Xu Zhuangzao wants to hand over his salary card, why not just give it directly? Why is he beating around the bush?"

"How can I kidnap—" Xu Youjing paused, "Who told you it was me? And what's with this nickname?"

The latter question naturally did not need to be answered, Xu Youjing guessed who said it.

No one would be so boring except Gu Kuangchi.

"Then do you know that Gu Kuangchi's nickname is Hard-mouthed Brother?"

Xie Songbai smiled: "In the same series as your plastic bag brother?"

Xu Youjing's face turned cold, "Hang up."

The deep laugh continued, "Yeah."

The call continued, and before hanging up, Xu Youjing's face straightened again.

"Welcome back."

Xie Songbai was startled for a moment, then said, "I see, Mr. Xu, everything went well."

After hanging up the phone, silence returned to my ears.

In the presidential suite on the top floor of the Beicheng Lanxi International Hotel, a man with a reserved and deep temperament leaned against the sofa, the meticulously buttoned suit buttons on his chest faintly shining with a low-key metallic luster.

Xie Songbai lowered his eyes to stare at his phone, which had gone dark. He recalled that Xu Youjing had only just refuted the nickname. He wondered if he had forgotten to fill in the "I have a friend" gap, or if he simply didn't care if people knew it was him.

While finding it somewhat funny, Xie Songbai's deep eyes dimmed.

While I envy myself, I also celebrate for him.

It is a real blessing to have someone you love.

-

Xu Youjing returned to the page.

Seeing the empty input box that had been deleted, he simply transferred the money directly and then typed.

There was no reply from the other side, so he knew she was asleep, so he didn't continue and got up to go into the bathroom.

Wen Huai saw Xu Youjing's reply the next day.

She wanted to wait for him to come back before going to sleep last night, but she didn't expect to lose consciousness while holding the phone.

The screen showed three unread messages, and she clicked them.

3:05

J: [Go ahead. If driving is inconvenient, you can ask Uncle Li to pick you up.]

J: [The money has been transferred to your card. Just buy whatever you need. We'll consider it a gift for you.]

3:25

J: [Good night.]

Wen Huai saw the corners of his lips turned up through the screen, coughed unnaturally, and felt that he was useless.

Then, she pressed her fingertips on both sides of the phone, and the chat history on the screen was captured.

It was Xu Youjing who said good night.

She replied with a "OK", then forgot about the transfer and went downstairs to wash up.

Before going to the old house, Wen Huai went to the pastry shop first, queued up and bought his grandmother's favorite snowflake crisps and gingerbread before going to the old house.

Led into the house by Uncle Li, when she passed the living room, she saw a woman wearing a leather robe sitting on the sofa.

At just one glance, she could feel the nobility and indifference of the woman, but when she saw those eyes, she immediately guessed her identity.

Those eyes and eyebrows are almost 60% similar to Xu Youjing's. She should be the eldest daughter of the Qiao family and the mother who fled abroad after giving birth to Xu Youjing - Qiao Wanzhen.

The person on the sofa also noticed this side. Strangely, Uncle Li in front of him did not show any intention of stopping the introduction. Wen Huai just nodded as a greeting.

Qiao Wanzhen looked her up and down and took a sip of coffee.

"After seeing the old lady, you should come and see me."

The pair of eyes outlined by delicate makeup were sharp and fierce. She opened her lips and said, "Miss Wen."