75 Qiao Xi X Shang Dan

◎My Banker's Daughter [Part 5]◎

No one deliberately tries to break this situation.

And this continued stably until the end of Shangxinuan's college entrance examination.

Qiao Xi thought she would have more time to visit Shang Dan at the Shang family home, but Shang Dan seemed to be very busy during the summer vacation, and she could hardly see him during the day.

Several times, it was only when the Qiao family's driver arrived that she saw Shang Dan's car slowly approaching.

Passing each other by seems to be their normal life.

Later, Qiao Xi was taken abroad by her parents for a week.

When she returned to China, she learned that Shang Dan had gone abroad on a business trip.

She lay on Shangxi's warm bed, gazing at the pattering rain outside the window.

Sorrow surges within me, and springtime longing stirs within my heart.

Qiao Xi looked at Shang Xinuan on the sofa. She was holding her phone and laughing at something.

"Nuan Nuan," Qiao Xi called out.

Shang Xinuan quickly closed her phone, then, as if remembering something, jumped onto the bed.

"Xixi, do you have someone you like?" she suddenly asked.

Qiao Xi was taken aback, feeling guilty that Shang Xinuan had seen through her girlish thoughts, and immediately shook her head, "No."

Looking at Shang Xinuan, she had a lovestruck expression. "Xixi, I have something to tell you. Don't be angry, and please keep it a secret, okay?"

Qiao Xi hadn't quite recovered from what had just happened, but she nodded reflexively, "Okay."

"I have someone I like," Shang Xinuan said.

Seeing her shy expression, Qiao Xi's eyes widened as well. "Who is it?"

Shang Xinuan took her arm, her tone slightly ingratiating, "Your uncle, Li Xiran."

For a moment, Qiao Xi was so shocked that she couldn't speak, and then she managed to calm herself down. "Li Xiran?"

"Although it's absurd, I'm certain that I like him." Shang Xinu stared at the ceiling, as if recalling countless moments when her heart fluttered.

"..." Qiao Xi didn't know what to say.

If she liked someone else, she might be able to offer Shang Xinuan some suggestions. But Li Xiran is her uncle, with a background that is difficult to talk about.

Even she couldn't offer any advice.

"Won't you be unhappy?" Shang Xin asked.

Qiao Xi countered, "Why would you be unhappy?"

“After all, he’s your uncle. It’s probably strange for your best friend to like him.” Shang Xinuan looked into her eyes and said carefully, “Like, if you or Ruan Ruan suddenly told me that you like Shang Dan, my first thought would probably be that it’s strange too.”

Qiao Xi clutched the hem of her clothes, only hearing the words "I like Shang Dan," which she found strange.

"Why is it strange?" Qiao Xi mustered her courage and asked.

Shang Xin pondered for a long time, "I can't say either. Maybe it's because I'm afraid you'll think it's strange that I like Li Xiran."

A young girl in love is sensitive and may start to doubt herself because of a single comment from her best friend.

Qiao Xi sighed and replied, "No. It's normal to like someone, and it's normal to like someone."

"Really?" Shang Xinuan asked.

Qiao Xi nodded, "Li Xiran is a good person. He has a stable personality, is willing to pamper people, and is good-looking too. It's perfectly normal to like him!"

Seeing Shang Xinuan's relieved expression, Qiao Xi continued, "Shang Dan is also very nice. It should be normal if Ruan Ruan and I like him, right?"

Shang Xinu stared at the ceiling, blinked, then turned to look at Qiao Xi, "So, do you like Shang Dan?"

Suddenly being stared into the eyes by Shang Xinuan, Qiao Xi felt guilty and backed away, saying, "How could that be?"

"That's true. My brother and your uncle are quite different. He's not gentle and is usually cold. You and Ruan Ruan definitely won't like him."

Actually, Qiao Xi regretted it as soon as she said it.

How could I not like him?

But having already blurted it out, she still didn't have the courage to tell Shang Xinuan the truth.

She thought, what if?

In case, there's no possibility between her and Shang Dan.

Instead, it damaged their sisterly bond...

-

The two sisters never mentioned their late-night chat again.

But ever since Shang Xinuan realized she liked Li Xi, she hasn't been staying home very often.

When the college entrance exam scores were released, she took advantage of Li Xiran's business trip to Los Angeles and went there to have fun with him.

Qiao Xi couldn't find an excuse to go to the Shang family's house, and because she was going abroad for the start of the semester, she started to get busy with her own things.

Unable to find any other way to distract herself, she enrolled in a two-week sketching summer camp.

He sent himself directly into the deep mountains, carrying his easel to sketch every day.

When I get tired of painting, I take pictures of the mountain scenery.

Then, the other girls took forest-themed photos of each other.

A week passed in a monotonous yet interesting routine.

Halfway through the summer camp, the organizers held a bonfire party.

Without Shang Xinuan and Ruan Songyi, and even with Jiang Xiangzhuo and Yu Jiayue, she lost her playful and mischievous spirit.

I sat by the barbecue grill, edited photos, and posted them on my WeChat Moments.

The nine-square puzzle features mountain scenery and her photo.

Soon, the comment section was filled with various comments and likes.

But she scrolled through the pages again and again, and still couldn't find Shang Dan's profile picture flashing.

Qiao Xi rested her chin on her hand, looked up at the sky, and thought to herself that she had been mistaken.

That day, the drinks offered in the train carriage were just a figment of her girlish imagination.

He likes the scent of mint and citrus perfume, so naturally he would like drinks with that flavor.

Qiao Xi lowered her head and chuckled silently, patted the hem of her skirt and stood up, "I'm tired, I'm going back to sleep."

She thought that by throwing herself into the mountains and avoiding seeing Shang Dan, she could soothe her longing.

But longing seems to be a silent, yet all-pervasive emotion.

In particular, her longing was mixed with unrequited love.

With overwhelming power, it swept through her heart like a chaotic hurricane.

She said she was going back to sleep, but once she lay down in bed, she couldn't fall asleep.

At night in the mountains, you can hear the chirping of various insects.

The rustling of falling leaves creates a scene that is both noisy and quiet.

It seems that her heart at this moment should be calm, but it is also like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami.

Just past midnight, her phone vibrated.

Qiao Xi unlocked her phone again; it was Shang Xinuan who sent her photos of Li Xiran that she had secretly taken in Los Angeles.

She didn't have the courage of a rich girl, nor did she dare to confess her crush and openly pursue the person she liked.

After replying to Shang Xinuan's message, Qiao Xi noticed that there were many more likes on her WeChat Moments.

She clicked on it blankly, then was drawn to a profile picture.

Shang Dan gave her a thumbs up.

Qiao Xi didn't count how many people liked her post, but the rehearsed avatars that liked it already filled her entire screen.

But that didn't stop her from spotting Shang Dan at a glance from a bunch of pictures.

The late night can amplify subtle emotions and make it easier to stir up feelings.

Qiao Xi's finger slid towards Shang Dan several times, but she didn't have the courage to click on it.

But when she actually clicked into the chat box that belonged to the two of them, the empty panel only contained the system information after automatically adding friends.

Qiao Xi stared blankly at Shang Dan's profile picture, but a storm was raging inside her.

Two little devils even popped into her head: one encouraged her to be brave, thinking that taking the initiative might lead to a story; the other warned her to be cautious, in case the person was just giving her a thumbs up out of basic affection.

But then she thought, what could she do even if she misunderstood?

She just wanted to be brave and stand by the person she liked. What's wrong with that?

Qiao Xi took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and sent Shang Dan a message: "Brother, do you want any local specialties? Free-range chickens from the mountains are especially delicious!"

Soon, the note for Shang Dan flashed with a string of characters: Typing...

Shang Dan replied: 【Is it easy to carry?】

Qiao Xi's eyes lit up: [We can ship via express delivery.]

Shang Dan: [If you like, bring back a few. If they're hard to bring, let me know in advance, and I'll come pick you up.]

Qiao Xi sat up in bed.

She looked at the message on the screen: I'll come pick you up...

Laughter drifted in from outside the window; they were starting their bonfire dance.

Just like her heart was dancing at that moment.

Shang Dan: [It's been a long time since you came to visit. When are you planning to go home?]

Qiao Xi clutched her heart and asked, "When are you going home?"

He could have said he would come over to visit sometime.

But he said he was going home.

It seems that because she often stayed at the Shang family's house for short periods, it became her home as well.

Qiao Xi typed slowly, her fingertips feeling sticky and sweet, as if coated with honey. [Weekend. Also, a warm and cozy graduation banquet.]

Shang Xinuan received her admission letter from Shanghai University, so the Shang family is going to hold a banquet for their eldest daughter to celebrate her admission to university.

The reason Qiao Xi mentioned this day was to confirm that Shang Dan would definitely be at home.

Shang Dan: [Okay.]

Shang Dan: [Then you should go to sleep. Staying up late isn't good for girls.]

Qiao Xi said goodnight.

Then she scrolled through the few remaining lines of chat again and again, as if that was enough to fill her heart like honey.

-

Finally, the weekend arrived, and Qiao Xi got up early to put on makeup.

This was also the first time she appeared in front of Shang Dan with makeup on.

For the graduation banquet, the young lady was notified in advance to wear a formal dress.

Qiao Xi chose a light yellow short skirt, revealing a pair of slender, fair legs.

The little girl let her hair down and wore high heels; she really looked like a grown-up young woman.

As soon as her car stopped in front of the Shang family's gate, she saw Shang Dan leaning lazily to one side, as if he had been sent by the old man to greet guests.

Qiao Xi tidied her hair and got out of the car.

She walked straight to Shang Dan's side, but he seemed to be busy and didn't notice her immediately.

"Brother!" Qiao Xi laughed, deliberately raising her voice to scare him.

However, Shang Dan was too composed; even when he was frightened, he remained calm.

At this moment, I saw her, smiling as she looked me over.

"Long time no see," he said.

Qiao Xi smiled and nodded, "Long time no see."

So long that longing has become a habit.

When I actually stood in front of him, it felt like a hallucination.

"Let's go, Nuannuan has been waiting for you since early this morning." Shang Dan followed her, and the two entered the door side by side.

Qiao Xi glanced at him secretly and asked, "Grandpa sent you to greet the guests. If you just walk in, won't you get scolded?"

She made things that were uncertain sound like they were true.

Shang Dan was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant. "Who told you that I was sent by Grandpa to greet the guests?"

"Isn't that so?"

Shang Dan nodded slightly, his hands behind his back. "No."

Qiao Xi bit her lip and suddenly asked, "Then it wasn't that you came all this way just to meet me?"

These words were so ambiguous that after she finished speaking, she didn't even have the courage to look up at Shang Dan.

"I'm not here to welcome you. What would I be doing standing there in this heat?" He seemed to be confirming her guess.

Qiao Xi slowed her pace and looked up at him, "Shang Dan, you're making a misunderstanding."

Shang Dan looked at her and asked, "What misunderstanding?"

It was a misunderstanding; he liked her too.

Qiao Xi didn't dare to reveal her true thoughts. The coward just smiled and said, "It's a misunderstanding. You're just eager to receive the gifts I brought back from the mountains."

Shang Dan chuckled softly, "Xi Xi, you..."

He didn't continue speaking, and then the two arrived at the gate of Shang Xinuan's courtyard.

Ruan Songyi, Jiang Xiangzhuo, and Yu Jiayue had already arrived. Upon seeing her, they began calling out to her to return to the group, "My dear lady, you've finally returned from the mountains."

Qiao Xi jogged over and said, "Don't worry, I brought you gifts. The driver will bring them over in a bit."

Who wants your gift? We just miss you.

Qiao Xi's brain seemed to be struck by lightning at that moment, and she seemed to have vaguely guessed what Shang Dan was about to say.

But when she turned around, Shang Dan, who had brought her there, was nowhere to be seen.

She puffed out her cheeks, thinking that only Ruan Songyi and Shang Xinuan would say such cheesy things to her.

"What's the schedule for today? Can you tell me?"

Shang Xinuan lifted her skirt and introduced, "We'll have dinner first, then have some drinks and dance. In the evening, we can write wishing lanterns in the garden."

"Let's go out and play together again tomorrow."

Because many elders came to her house today for a college entrance celebration banquet, she, as the main character, couldn't just disappear.

Lunch was a family dinner.

It was held in the Shang family's small auditorium.

Shang Xinuan had mentioned to Qiao Xi a long time ago that she wanted to trouble her to help toast the elders.

Qiao Xi wasn't required to drink at first; she was only responsible for warming up and pouring low-alcohol fruit wine for Shang Xi.

Later, seeing that the young lady had already started to get a little tipsy, she took the opportunity to drink a few cups for her until Shang Dan came over, and then neither of them had to drink anymore.

So in the afternoon, the two of them, slightly tipsy, drank quite a bit of red wine.

Qiao Xi started writing the wishing lanterns in the evening, her head still spinning.

The five of them sat around a tea table in the garden, each holding a lotus lantern.

Under the lamp base are the wishing slips for placement.

"What are you planning to write?" Ruan Songyi asked.

Shang Xinuan's intentions were common knowledge. Everyone knew without even guessing that it was related to Li Xiran.

“Xi Xi, I’m more curious about you.” Ruan Songyi squinted at her. “You’re the only one who doesn’t like to talk about relationships, and I’ve never heard you say that you like anyone.”

Qiao Xi rested her chin on her hand and said, "That's because there isn't any, so how can I talk to you?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, you don't have a crush on me or Nuan Nuan, do you?" Ruan Songyi smiled brightly.

Qiao Xi covered the wishing note in front of her eyes with her hand, "What kind of taboo literature have you been reading lately? Friendly reminder, don't involve your best friends."

"Alright, alright, let's each write our own and not bother each other."

Qiao Xi thought for a long time, but she didn't know how to write to express her feelings for Shang Dan.

Finally, she picked up the pen and wrote only two words on the paper.

【Shang Dan】

Since it's a wish, her only wish is for Shang Dan.

"What did you write? So fast?" Just as Ruan Songyi was about to look over, Qiao Xi quickly folded it and stuffed it into the base of the lotus lamp.

“Wishes can’t be spoken aloud, otherwise they won’t come true,” Qiao Xi pushed Ruan Songyi away and replied.

The group released lotus lanterns, and then the night deepened.

Aunt Hui also happened to come over and said that the movie screen and wine were ready.

This was a promise they made before graduation: after they all received their acceptance letters, they would have a good drink together.

-

The summer night breeze is warm, carrying a restless feeling.

Whether it was the alcohol that spurred them on, or the surge of youth that stirred within them, is unknown.

Qiao Xi sat on the recliner, staring at the empty wine glass, her vision beginning to blur.

"Xixi, you've had quite a bit to drink today. Be careful not to get really drunk."

Qiao Xi took the wine bottle and poured herself a little more.

Whether it was the shimmering light from the swaying wine under the lamplight or not, she seemed to see Shang Dan standing in the distance.

The little sprite in her mind flew out again, urging her to give it a try and confess her feelings.

Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, she picked up her glass and drank it all in one gulp, then staggered to her feet and walked toward Shang Dan's seat.

Where are you going?

Qiao Xi did not respond.

But in her heart, she was telling herself that she was going to confess her feelings.

Qiao Xi originally thought she was drunk, which is why she mistakenly thought Shang Dan was standing there.

It wasn't until she walked over that she realized it really was Shang Dan.

"Have you been drinking?" he asked.

Qiao Xi felt her body burning hot, as if the alcohol was surging and burning within her, accompanied by her rapid heartbeat.

“Brother.” Her voice trembled as she said this, “I drank alcohol, but I know what I’m doing.”

"Then tell me, what are you doing?" Shang Dan asked patiently.

Qiao Xi's eyes were red and swollen, as if they were filled with water. She pointed at him and said, "Brother, you're too tall. Can you be a little shorter? I can't reach you."

"What do you want to do? And lower yourself a little?" Although it was a question, Shang Dan still listened to her and bent down to look her in the eye.

With them so close, Qiao Xi stepped forward and said, "I... I want to confess."

"Shang Dan, I like you." She said in a trembling voice, then grabbed his collar and kissed him hard on the lips.

She really didn't know what to do when confessing her feelings. But based on her years of experience watching TV dramas, it seemed like the usual routine was to say "I like you" first, and then kiss the other person.

This time, even Shang Dan was stunned.

He only reached out to protect her waist, but didn't respond to her kisses at all.

Qiao Xi was still in a semi-drunk state. After Shang Dan helped her to her feet, he asked, "Xi Xi, are you drunk or just telling the truth?"

Qiao Xi was now completely drunk, her legs weak as she leaned against Shang Dan's chest. "I don't know either, but these are the truths I wanted to say."

"Do you really like me?"

"Hmm. Brother, do you like me? I mean, the kind of liking a man has for a woman."

Shang Dan didn't answer immediately, but instead asked, "Will you remember what just happened tomorrow?"

Qiao Xi's eyelids gradually grew heavy, and she replied in a soft, muffled voice, "I might remember."

"If you remember, come find your brother tomorrow. I'll tell you whether I like you or not, and what kind of liking I have for you." Shang Dan paused, then added, "But if you've forgotten..."

"If I forget, I'll just pretend I was bullied by that little drunkard. I'll pretend this never happened."