Chapter Twenty-Two

In the early morning, as the mist dissipates, sunlight filters through the trees and reflects onto the indoor floor.

The person in the hospital bed by the window woke up groggily. The glaring light made her instinctively close her eyes, and after adjusting, she stared blankly at the ceiling for several seconds.

Her hazy memories brought back the events of the previous night; she seemed to have bumped into someone before she fainted.

Xing Bei sat up. The ward was quiet, and she was all alone. She hung her head and fidgeted with her fingers, lost in thought.

Chen Qingyan pushed open the door and saw the person on the hospital bed. His eyebrows curved into a smile: "You're awake."

The sudden sound startled Xing Bei, and she looked toward the door in the direction of the sound.

A tall, slender man was carrying a bowl of porridge toward her. His well-tailored suit perfectly accentuated his superior proportions, and his deep eyes looked at her with a smile. He seemed like a young master raised in a Western family, and every move he made was elegant and gentlemanly.

The man placed the packaged congee with preserved egg and lean pork to one side, met her questioning gaze, and chuckled, "Xiao Bei, you don't remember me after so long?"

Xing Bei was stunned for a moment, blinked in disbelief, and tentatively called out, "Brother Qingyan."

Chen Qingyan opened the porridge and handed it to her: "Thank goodness, you didn't lose your memory after the fall."

"It's been so long since we last met, I thought I was hallucinating." Xing Bei lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly. "Luckily it was you, otherwise it would have been very awkward."

Chen Qingyan gently rubbed the top of her head: "You're such a big girl now, and you still don't know how to take good care of yourself."

Xing Bei gave an awkward laugh: "Yesterday was just an accident."

Chen Qingyan looked at her tenderly. Suddenly, his phone rang in his pocket. He glanced at it, then walked to the window to answer the call.

Xing Bei looked up at the man by the window, and the familiar back gradually overlapped with the image of the older brother next door in her memory.

She and Chen Qingyan were childhood sweethearts. When she was very young, she lived at her maternal grandfather's house. Suddenly one day, a new neighbor moved in next door.

Driven by curiosity, she stood at the door and secretly observed them as they moved their belongings. She immediately noticed the little boy playing with a Rubik's Cube in the yard.

Back then, Chen Qingyan was chubby and incredibly well-behaved and adorable, like a soft and cuddly dumpling that instantly captured her heart, making her eager to befriend him.

Unfortunately, he was an ice cube. When she greeted him, he just glanced at her indifferently and ignored her.

But that didn't stop her from being quite shameless; she persistently went to harass him every day. Eventually, the first thing Chen Qingyan said to her was—

"You're so annoying, can you stay away from me?"

She really wanted to be friends with him, but he said she was annoying. She was very proud at the time and was so angry that she didn't go to see him for more than half a month.

One day, she didn't want to practice painting with Grandpa Tan anymore, so she secretly ran away to play, and unexpectedly ran into Chen Qingyan.

He was hiding under the slide and crying. She was not good with words and didn't know how to comfort him, so she just sat beside him and kept him company.

Even as a child, Chen Qingyan knew how to threaten people. He cried and then looked at her with a fierce expression: "You are not allowed to tell anyone about what happened today, or I will show you what I'm capable of."

Xing Bei looked at his chubby face, suppressed a laugh and nodded: "Don't worry, I'm the most honest person."

Later she learned that Chen Qingyan's family was not good. His mother was a housewife and his father owned a company, but he kept someone else outside and liked to beat his mother.

Since then, Chen Qingyan has been willing to talk to her. She is a very talkative person, and Chen Qingyan only occasionally responds to her. He will even manually mute her microphone if he finds her too noisy. The way the two get along is like that of a pair of bickering lovers.

Until she entered the third year of junior high school, Chen Qingyan suddenly transferred schools, and she never saw him again. From the time they separated until now, today can be considered their first meeting.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Qingyan walked towards her. She looked away and smiled, "Brother Qingyan, if you're busy, go ahead and do your thing. My friend will be here soon."

He had only come back temporarily to handle some work and didn't have much time. He added Xing Bei's contact information and gave her several more instructions before leaving with peace of mind.

Time really does change a person. When he was young, Chen Qingyan's mouth was like it was coated with poison, but now he really looks like an older brother.

After finishing her porridge, Xing Bei was about to be discharged from the hospital. Before she had even fully left the hospital, Lu Runxu, who had rushed over, pulled her away to have a full-body checkup.

Lu Runxu had a dark expression the whole time, and Xing Bei didn't dare to say a word while standing next to him.

Upon hearing the doctor's words, his eyes darkened further. On the way back to Zhuqing Bay, the car was eerily quiet.

Oh no!

This time she really angered Lu Runxu; she's lucky she's still sitting here unharmed.

After arriving home, Lu Runxu sat on the sofa without saying a word. She was observing him cautiously, silently mourning for herself for two minutes.

Fine, I'll risk it all. At worst, I'll just die.

Xing Bei leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Little Lu, are you alright?"

The man's indifferent gaze shifted to her, a cold laugh escaping his lips: "I'm fine."

That's very bad.

Oh no, oh no, is she really going to die here?

Xing Bei took his hand in a flattering manner: "Little Lu, let me explain, no, I mean, I'll try to justify myself."

Lu Runxu looked at her casually and said slowly, "Then I'll listen to how Mrs. Lu tries to argue."

I've already said it's an explanation, how can it be considered sophistry?

Xing Bei smiled guiltily, straddled him, and stared at him intently with her captivating peach blossom eyes: "I really didn't stand you up yesterday on purpose. Who knew the company would suddenly organize a team building event?"

“Not all bosses are like our CEO Lu, who doesn’t like team building activities, so our kind-hearted CEO Lu shouldn’t mind, right?” Xing Bei’s tone was somewhat uncertain.

Lu Runxu was amused by her words, and Xing Bei still thought he was angry because she stood him up.

That little rascal has no conscience.

Lu Runxu sighed helplessly and gently flicked her forehead: "You think it's just about standing someone up?"

Xing Bei was taken aback, tilted her head and thought for a moment, then asked uncertainly, "Is it because I went to the hospital?"

Lu Runxu reached out and pinched her cheek: "You must tell me in advance if anything happens in the future. Do you know how worried I was about you last night?"

Last night he called Xing Bei, but no one answered. He thought she might be having fun with her colleagues and hadn't heard him. When he called back close to midnight, her phone was switched off.

If Lin Qiuwan hadn't sent him a message that morning saying Xing Bei was in the hospital, he would have almost called the police.

"Xiao Lu, I know I was wrong." Xing Bei wrapped her arms around his neck and said coquettishly, "I will definitely take good care of myself in the future and will never let this happen again."

She knew her own physical condition well, so she took this opportunity to ask the company for 3 days of sick leave.

Lu Runxu strictly followed the doctor's advice, stewing nourishing soup for her every day and having Aunt Huang watch her drink it.

Xing Bei had been eating too much nutrition at home these past few days, and she had no appetite for anything. Today was the day she was going to the orphanage, so she decided to go out and treat herself to something all-natural.

She packed her things, slung her bag over her shoulder, and ran to the study to find Lu Runxu. Her rose-pink skirt swayed with her steps, like a brightly blooming rose.

Xing Bei went inside and hugged the person who was still in a meeting on the sofa, and kissed him several times on the face: "Little Lu, I'm going out to take care of some things, don't miss me too much."

Before Lu Runxu could speak, Xing Bei only left him with her back turned, and he lowered his eyes and smiled helplessly.

Seeing this on the computer opposite, they all fell silent, not daring to utter a sound, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Lu Runxu looked at the screen and coughed lightly: "My wife loves me too much, please forgive me."

As the meeting ended and Secretary Lin was about to rest, he was bombarded with a barrage of messages. When he opened them, he was so startled that he almost threw his phone away.

When did the boss go public with his relationship?

—Secretary Lin, when did the boss get married?

—I just overheard Xiao Wang from the meeting saying that he saw the boss's wife hugging and kissing the boss passionately.

—What does the proprietress look like? Is she beautiful?

—Isn't that obvious? The boss isn't blind.

—Someone was quick enough to take a screenshot, but unfortunately it only showed the back, not the face.

—With such beautiful shoulder blades, the proprietress must be very beautiful.

Secretary Lin looked at the messages in the group and instantly breathed a sigh of relief; he almost thought the boss had made it public.

—Alright, no discussing the boss's wife in the group. If the boss finds out, you'll get your wages docked.

—Also, delete that photo and don't let it be circulated.

—Secretary Lin, we are all very curious about what the boss's wife looks like.

—How could we possibly compare to the boss's wife's beauty? If you want to know, just go ask the boss yourself.

—Secretary Lin, you have betrayed the organization.

—Excuse me, but what can I do? I'm President Lu's chief secretary.

—Secretary Lin, I hope your year-end bonus gets docked.

—You are so vicious! Drag him out and give him a severe beating.

Every month, Xing Bei would take time to visit the orphanage she sponsors and spend time with the children. Seeing the innocent smiles on the children's faces made Xing Bei happy.

The children at the orphanage were playing on the lawn. Xing Bei watched their simple joys and smiled along with them. When she looked away, she noticed a little girl playing alone on a swing by a big tree.

Xing Bei asked the dean beside her, "Xiao Li, why are you sitting there all by yourself?"

The dean looked over and sighed helplessly: "A while ago, Xiaoli and another child got into an argument over a toy. That child was in a hurry and accidentally hurt Xiaoli's feelings."

Xing Bei frowned, and the smile on her lips gradually disappeared. The dean quickly added, "Ms. Xing, don't worry, I have already educated that child, but no matter how we try to comfort Xiao Li, she won't talk to us."

"I understand." Xing Bei patted the dean on the shoulder. "Every child here has their own things they don't want to talk about. Your impulsive actions are also a result of your poor upbringing in terms of personal qualities."

Xing Bei glanced at the person beside her, then smiled and walked down to the big tree diagonally opposite: "Xiao Li, why are you here all alone?"

Xiao Li hugged her little rabbit doll without saying a word. Xing Bei touched her face and quietly stayed by her side, swinging on the swing together.

After a long while, the person beside her slowly spoke: "Sister Xiao Bei, can my eyes really be cured?"

Xing Bei felt a sharp pang in her heart when she saw the cautious look in Tian Yue's eyes, and the image of Tian Yue receiving treatment flashed through her mind.

She smiled and nodded: "Of course it can be cured, baby, but the medicine won't work immediately, we have to take it slowly. Sister Xiao Bei will find you the best doctor, and I believe that soon our little Li will be able to see in her other eye too."

"That's right, Little Li, we should trust Sister Xiao Bei."

Xing Bei turned around and met those smiling eyes, and she froze on the spot.

Xiao Li: "Sister Moon, aren't you coming tomorrow?"

Tian Yue turned her gaze away and walked towards Xiao Li, squatting down in front of Xiao Li: "Sister Moon missed Xiao Li, so she came to see Xiao Li."

As she spoke, she took a glass jar out of her pocket: "I brought you your favorite milk candy. Go and share it with your friends."

Xiao Li took the glass jar, said thank you, and carried it into the classroom. Tian Yue got up and sat in the seat Xiao Li had left. The two of them watched the children chasing and playing without saying a word.

I don't know how much time has passed, but Tian Yue smiled and took the hand of the person beside her: "It's been so long, how come you still can't let yourself go? I've been waiting for you to come back year after year, to come back and continue being the dream-chasing Perle."

Xing Bei looked at the faint trace at the corner of her left eye, her nose stung even more, and her eyes were already wet.

Tian Yue raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and smiled gently: "Come back. I have never blamed you. If you are still dwelling on the past, it will make me feel bad too."

--

As evening approached, the sky suddenly turned gray, a gust of wind blew up, and the air became very muggy. Before long, a downpour began.

Xing Bei had been thinking about Tian Yue's words ever since she returned. When she picked up her pen and practiced on the tablet again, a wonderful feeling spread through her heart, and she began to feel less resistant to drawing.

But after a while, her hands would still tremble uncontrollably.

Xing Bei put down her pen, looked at the unfinished painting on the tablet, and sighed softly.

This can be considered a new beginning; things will get better with time.

After dinner, Xing Bei was lying on the sofa chatting with Chi Qingtang. Just as she exited the chat, a message from Xing's mother popped up.

—How are things going between you and Xiao Lu?

Beforehand, she hadn't looked at the information in order to appease Ms. Shi, and she didn't dare to reveal Lu Runxu's true identity to Ms. Shi, so she asked Chi Qingtang to modify the blind date information and fill in Lu Runxu's information with some slight changes.

Even now, Ms. Shi still thinks that Lu Runxu is just a young man from a well-off family with ambition, which fits Ms. Shi's criteria for choosing a person.

—It's pretty good. I'll bring him back for Chinese New Year.

—Okay, if it's really good, we can discuss marriage.

Xing Bei's lips twitched as she looked at the message.

-Mom, aren't we in a bit too much of a rush?

—What's the rush? You're already twenty-eight, which rounds up to thirty. After you get married and work on getting to know each other and trying to conceive, you'll be forty by the time the child grows up.

—You mentioned that your grandfather's grandson has been married for three years, and I heard he'll be able to hold his grandson next year. Look at you.

—How about I adopt one?

—It's either you or him.

Great, last year they were urging me to get married, this year they're directly asking for children.

Xing Bei exited the chat with Ms. Shi, checked the job posting website, and saw that her former company was hiring. After hesitating for a few seconds, she decided to submit her resume.

After a downpour, the air was filled with the fresh scent of rain, and the fragrance of flowers from the bedside table wafted into the bedroom with the gentle breeze.

Lu Runxu emerged from the bathroom amidst a light mist, his waist tie casually fastened, his dark blue robe slightly open, revealing his delicate collarbone and a large expanse of snow-white breasts.

Xing Bei looked down, subconsciously swallowed, and walked towards Lu Runxu with an admiring gaze, her slender, fair hand caressing his strong waist.

Tsk, what a V-shaped waist!

Lu Runxu usually sits for long periods and is rarely seen going to the gym, yet he still has such a perfect waist, which makes Xing Bei somewhat envious.

Xing Bei's slender, jade-like fingers traced the lines of her fingers upwards, her captivating peach blossom eyes looking at him with a unique expression: "Boss Lu."

Such a soft and sweet voice. Lu Runxu looked at her with a half-smile, his large hand caressing her snow-white, jade-like neck, his fingertips gently stroking her red lips.

The next second, a passionate kiss landed on her, and the faint scent of sandalwood instantly enveloped her. Lu Runxu's fingertips slowly roamed over her body, and the places he touched felt as if they were being scorched by fire.

The sound of round pearls falling to the ground broke the tranquility; the white pearls landed on the ground and blossomed into a beautiful white camellia.

Before long, Xing Bei's eyes were covered with a layer of mist.

"Sister, the camellias are in bloom."