Chapter 45 Roses

For the remaining days, Yu Bai spent his time taking care of Ms. Yu at the hospital with Chi Qinghe, and at Chi Qinghe's initiative, he began some awkward dates.

Chi Qinghe is a very romantic person. He would send flowers to Yu Bai every morning, take Yu Bai to various hidden gem restaurants every noon, and often take a walk along the river after dinner in the evening.

Escaping the fast-paced and busy work, Yu Bai gradually came to like this peaceful and tranquil life. A week later, Ms. Yu was discharged from the hospital, and Yu Bai was about to return to Nancheng. She felt extremely reluctant to leave.

On the night of his discharge from the hospital, Chi Qinghe personally cooked a meal, while Yu Bai assisted him.

Seeing the harmonious scene of them together, and how handsome and beautiful they were, Ms. Yu felt very gratified. After this hospitalization, Ms. Yu had tempered her sharp temper and cherished the present moment even more. She only wanted to see Yu Bai settle down, get pregnant, and have children so that she could enjoy her old age in peace.

"When are you getting married? Do you have any plans?"

In the semi-open kitchen, Yu Bai and Chi Qinghe were busily working around the stove when Ms. Yu's loud and clear voice reached their ears. They subconsciously glanced at each other, then shyly looked away.

Yu Bai looked up at Madam Yu, her face flushed, "Mom, what are you saying?"

Ms. Yu snorted lightly, "What's wrong? I'm looking forward to holding my grandson soon."

Upon hearing this, Yu Bai blushed even more. She wanted to argue with Ms. Yu, but Chi Qinghe smiled and defended Yu Bai, saying, "Auntie, Bai Bai is still young, there's no rush."

Ms. Yu said, "I'm already 25, I'm not young anymore."

"By the way, are you going back to Nancheng the day after tomorrow?" Ms. Yu asked Yu Bai.

Yu Bai nodded.

"Why don't you quit your job in Nancheng and come to Lincheng? That way you won't have a long-distance relationship with Qinghe. Long-distance relationships are the most emotionally draining. You're a girl, there's no need for you to push yourself so hard," Ms. Yu said with the air of someone who's been through it all.

Ms. Yu's words angered Yu Bai. In Ms. Yu's mind, her work was less valuable than getting married and having children. Her tone unconsciously carried a hint of anger, "Mom, haven't you been working hard all these years?"

"Oh, you child." Ms. Yu looked at Chi Qinghe, her eyes accusing Yu Bai.

Chi Qinghe smiled and said, "Auntie, Bai Bai loves her job very much. If anyone should resign, it should be me."

His eyes were smiling as he looked gently at Yu Bai beside him. To prevent Ms. Yu from continuing her rant, he changed the subject, "We're out of soy sauce at home. I'll go downstairs to buy some. Bai Bai, do you want to come with me?"

Realizing the signal from Chi Qinghe's eyes, Yu Bai immediately nodded, "Okay."

After going downstairs with Chi Qinghe and breathing in the cool, fresh air, Yu Bai finally relaxed. She was truly fed up with Ms. Yu's controlling nature.

Seeing that Yu Bai was in a bad mood, Chi Qinghe magically produced a handful of candy from behind his back. Yu Bai's eyes lit up. It was the first time she had ever seen candy that sparkled with light. Chi Qinghe placed it in her palm, and after peeling off one of the candy wrappers, she realized that it was diamonds. Various colored diamonds were wrapped in glass candy wrappers, sparkling and dazzling.

Yu Bai opened her mouth wide, trying to stuff the candy into Chi Qinghe's mouth, "It's too precious, you can't."

Chi Qinghe took a small step back, her eyes crinkling with laughter, her voice incredibly gentle, "You're my girlfriend, why can't I?"

Behind him was an unseen, dark, tree-lined path, with dim streetlights on both sides that vaguely illuminated his bright eyes. In those sincere and affectionate eyes, there was only her.

Diamonds symbolize eternal, unwavering, and faithful love. Yu Bai suddenly felt flustered. Her promise was light, while Chi Qinghe's feelings were heavy, which made her feel guilty. Her feelings for Chi Qinghe were like the darkness behind him, full of uncertainty and weighing the pros and cons. She could leave at any time, but now she couldn't help but hesitate.

Yu Bai's expression turned unnaturally serious. Chi Qinghe pinched her cheeks and smiled indulgently, "Don't feel embarrassed, Bai Bai, you deserve the best of everything."

Chi Qinghe's hands were a little cold. As he pinched her face, Yu Bai's lips curved upwards in response, and the smile in Chi Qinghe's eyes deepened.

Yu Bai put the diamond candies into her pocket, and Chi Qinghe took her hand. Yu Bai held it back and they intertwined their fingers.

"Let's walk for a while before going back." Yu Bai looked up and stared at Chi Qinghe's face.

He lowered his eyes, his pure and straightforward love overwhelming Yu Bai. "Okay."

The wind outside was just the right amount of cold, and Yu Bai's mind became increasingly clear. She remained silent, and Chi Qinghe did not speak either, but simply held her hand gently, offering silent companionship.

Looking back on the years I've known Chi Qinghe, he always seems to be a gentleman who knows how to maintain appropriate boundaries. His unwavering support is touching without being off-putting. After she suggested giving it a try, he always respected her opinions and put her first.

Yu Bai suddenly remembered that one night during her second year of graduate school, when she was rushing to finish her thesis, Chi Qinghe shared a song with her, Faye Wong's "Red Bean".

"When we've seen all the scenery, perhaps you'll stay with me and watch the gentle flow of time."

He was such a gentle person, and Yu Bai's eyes welled up with tears.

Just then, a cold wind blew by, and Yu Bai felt a dampness on the tip of his nose; a drop of rain had fallen.

"It's raining," she murmured.

Chi Qinghe let go of her hand, went to a convenience store and bought an umbrella. He opened the umbrella and sheltered Yu Bai under it. After a short while, a light drizzle fell on the umbrella.

"Let's go back."

"good."

Chi Qinghe pulled Yu Bai into his arms, and Yu Bai nestled close to him in return.

As they walked through the bustling street, a young girl carrying a bucket of roses stopped them, smiling as she looked at Chi Qinghe.

"Handsome, buy your girlfriend a bouquet of roses."

"You two are such a good match, young lady."

The old lady's praise came easily to Yu Bai, who blushed. Chi Qinghe readily paid for a bouquet of roses.

Yu Bai held the bouquet of flowers, the delicate petals stirring her thoughts. She recalled a scene from many years ago that was almost identical, except that the person giving the flowers was not the one in front of her, but her former sweetheart.

The initial excitement had long since faded with time. Yu Bai looked at the bouquet of flowers calmly. She was no longer a young girl experiencing first love, while the roses remained as beautiful as ever.

She lowered her head and forced a smile.

My heart, which I thought had withered, has finally come back to life.

-

"Sir, are you buying flowers for your girlfriend?"

The young flower seller looked at the tall, handsome man in front of her and was completely bewildered.

He was all alone, and didn't look like he was waiting for someone.

After the handsome couple left, he emerged from the shadows and stared quietly at the few remaining flowers in the bucket.

Having seen many down-on-their-luck people, none are as remarkable as the man before me. He seems to possess everything, noble and unattainable, yet he appears utterly lost and dejected.

"Feel sorry."

His voice was hoarse as he turned and left.

"Wait." A young girl's voice came from behind.

Jiang Jizhou turned around, and the young girl handed him a rose.

"This is for you."

Her voice was somewhat timid, with a hint of sympathy.

Jiang Jizhou smiled slightly. He didn't speak, but took out a cigarette, lit it with a lighter, and the nicotine smoke seemed to be the condensation of loneliness and melancholy between his brows and eyes, ethereal and elusive.

His clothes looked expensive, so the girl noticed his old lighter. It had been around for many years and the paint was peeling off; she didn't know how many times it had been handled.

Jiang Jizhou turned and left.

The rose in the girl's hand trembled slightly in the chilly autumn wind as she gazed thoughtfully at Jiang Jizhou's retreating figure.

When Jiang Jizhou saw Yu Bai nestled in Chi Qinghe's arms, he felt as if his chest had been ripped open, his violently beating heart exposed to the wind, the cold wind churning his heart, and nicotine numbing the pain.

Instead of keeping his promise to return to Nancheng, Jiang Jizhou opened a hotel near Yu Bai's residential area. Every day, he would secretly watch Yu Bai and Chi Qinghe enter the team together like a lovesick fool, driven mad with jealousy, but he dared not approach them.

Jiang Jizhou opened his phone, and Yu Bai's message box was pinned to the top of the WeChat page.

He logged into Yue Sinian's WeChat account and, under the pretext of an interview, sent messages to Yu Bai from time to time in Yue Sinian's name.

Yu Bai read the message and replied, but his reply was extremely polite and distant, and he treated it as a business transaction.

Jiang Jizhou was happy because Yu Bai was polite and distant towards Yue Sinian, but he was also very unhappy. It was like a saw tearing and cutting at his heart, causing him great pain.

For the umpteenth time, I clicked on Yu Bai's profile picture and then clicked on Moments. It was only visible for the past six months, but there was only one post: a picture of an orange cat with the caption "Today's oranges."

He didn't know how long he stared at it, until the cigarette burned out and his fingertips stung, before he came to his senses.

Jiang Jizhou opened their chat window and typed in text.

【Have you got a meal yet? 】

When she received the message, Yu Bai was eating. Chi Qinghe served her a bowl of soup, as Chi Qinghe was very good at making soup.

Ms. Yu kept praising Chi Qinghe's superb cooking skills.

Yu Bai smiled and replied to Yue Sinian's message.

Since she returned to Lincheng, Yue Sinian has been sending her messages frequently. Out of politeness, Yu Bai has replied to them all, but she still can't help feeling that Yue Sinian is being a bit tactless. However, since it is necessary for work, she still can't break off relations.

[Eating now.]

Jiang Jizhou stood on the riverbank, cruise ships sailing by, neon lights on the other side of the river flickering, and the wind blowing away the cigarette between his fingers.

[Sorry to bother you, Xiao Yu, when are you going back to Nancheng?]

Yu Bai replied quickly.

【the day after tomorrow. 】

Jiang Jizhou stared at a tall building on the other side of the river, its top floor lit up with green lights, and he stared straight at it.

"Who are you messaging?"

Chi Qinghe gently inquired of Yu Bai.

Yu Bai smiled. "A colleague at work."

Chi Qinghe put away the bowls and chopsticks, and Yu Bai quickly got up to help.

Even on vacation, you still have to work.

Yu Bai stuck out his tongue, "There's nothing I can do."

After finishing his work and seeing Chi Qinghe off, Yu Bai sat alone on the sofa and finally had time to look at his phone.

Yue Sinian did not send any more messages.