Chapter 19 Don't panic.

They shared an unspoken understanding.

He didn't mention it, and she certainly wouldn't, so they both sat down. The waiter came in to take their order, then took the menu, closed the door, and left.

The private room fell silent again.

After a moment, Ye Peixiu spoke first, saying calmly, "Meizhu can't come."

He kept staring at her expression while he spoke. Xia Qingwan's face was emotionless, and she nodded slightly.

Ye Peixiu even felt like laughing.

They laughed at her stubbornness and their own helplessness.

When is Grandma coming back to Beijing?

"By the end of next month."

She moved the already neat pair of chopsticks back and forth on the chopstick rest, her hands busy as a bee.

Ye Peixiu simply watched without saying a word.

The dishes were served one by one, and no one spoke during the meal.

Finally, the waiter brought out dessert. Xia Qingwan took a bite of the osmanthus hibiscus cake, and finally a smile appeared on her face.

She even looked somewhat innocent.

Ye Peixiu asked, "Is it delicious?"

Xia Qingwan paused briefly, then nodded.

Politely, she pushed the moon-white porcelain plate toward him and said, "...Would you like to try it?"

A pale white porcelain plate lay across the middle, and the two of them were sticking forks into the hibiscus cake. The cake was soft and elastic, and they were fiddling with it, holding two forks in their hands.

This small space on the porcelain plate is the sole focal point of the entire private room.

The piece that had been stuck in her mouth was a bit too big, so Xia Qingwan used a fork to hold it and focused on putting it into her mouth.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ye Peixiu's hand still beside the plate.

With long, slender joints, and prominent veins on the back of his hands, he wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up below his elbows, revealing prominent veins on his forearms and smooth, thin muscle lines.

In that instant, she inexplicably realized that he was eight years older than her.

When is his birthday? Has he already turned 27?

Just as she was thinking this, she heard Ye Peixiu ask, "What month is your birthday?"

Xia Qingwan couldn't help but look up at him, pausing for a few seconds before answering, "... January in the Gregorian calendar." Seeing that Ye Peixiu was still looking at her, as if waiting for a specific number, she had no choice but to complete the answer, "January 26th."

"Are they all based on the Gregorian calendar?"

"……Um."

She had no memory of how her parents celebrated her birthday before she was five years old. After her parents passed away when she was five, no one remembered her birthday anymore.

In fact, she had never celebrated her birthday before coming to Beijing.

After arriving in Beijing, on her eighteenth birthday, she bought a cake herself and ate it with her grandmother and her great-grandmother. After dinner, her grandmother called her into the study and gave her a "coming-of-age" speech.

He has grown up well.

Ye Peixiu took out his phone and looked at the calendar.

What a coincidence, her birthday this year falls on New Year's Eve.

The transition from old to new is a good omen.

As a courtesy, Xia Qingwan finished a whole piece of osmanthus hibiscus cake, wiped the corner of her lips with a napkin, and asked, "What about you? When is your birthday?"

Ye Peixiu leaned back in his chair and said with a smile, "Why, are you going to give me a gift?"

His tone was casual, displaying the lazy demeanor of a young master.

His nonchalant attitude actually made Xia Qingwan feel safe, so she said, "I can't afford anything too expensive, and I'm sure you wouldn't like anything ordinary."

"Have I ever told you," Ye Peixiu said, "I like whatever you give me."

Xia Qingwan was slightly stunned.

She was surprised that he would bring up those words again, and her face flushed as she looked away.

Ye Peixiu was still laughing, as if he had just told a joke, and said, "You must have heard a lot of things like this before. Why," he paused, "haven't you figured out a set of ways to respond?"

How could he say such a thing so lightly? Xia Qingwan couldn't help but look at him and said, "No one is as difficult as you—"

Before she finished speaking, she realized her slip of the tongue, her face flushed, and she pursed her lips and remained silent.

Ye Peixiu remained silent, staring intently at her half-lowered eyelashes and her two cherry-pink lips.

The lips are plump and pink.

The anxious silence lasted for about half a minute. Xia Qingwan picked up her bag and said, "I'm leaving."

The heat on her face hadn't dissipated, and perhaps instinctively she wanted to hide it. As she walked towards the door of the private room, she raised her hand to pull down the hair tie behind her head, her long hair cascading down like a waterfall.

She casually put the hair tie around her wrist and raised her hand to open the door.

Ye Peixiu had caught up with her from behind, and the man's big hand reached over her side and pressed the door panel.

He enveloped the entire person from behind.

She didn't dare to move.

His body was stiff and his hands were hanging down.

November 2nd.

He said.

Xia Qingwan didn't want to appear too out of control, so she tried to control her breathing and heartbeat and replied, "...I understand."

At this point, she thought the conversation was over, so she raised her hand to turn the door again, but this time, her hand was caught.

His palm covered the back of her hand, pressing it against the door panel. "...Will you give me a birthday present?"

"have no idea."

Maybe he was nervous, so he answered quickly.

This made Ye Peixiu laugh.

"...If you don't deliver it, I'll come looking for you."

This was quite unreasonable. Xia Qingwan turned around and said, "You——"

This action was too bad. Ye Peixiu supported the door panel with one hand, lowered his head slightly, and his tall figure completely surrounded her.

The two people were too close to each other, looking at each other from above and below.

He asked in a low voice, "What about me?"

Xia Qingwan wanted to call you a scoundrel, but at this point, anything she said would sound like she was being coquettish. So she kept her mouth shut.

Suddenly, there were two knocks on the door from outside.

Xia Qingwan, who was leaning against the door, was startled and stumbled forward reflexively. A strand of hair on her head brushed against Ye Peixiu's nose, and her forehead bumped into his shoulder.

Ye Peixiu almost subconsciously folded his arm and raised his hand to stroke the top of her head, "It's okay, don't panic."

He held her head like that, patted it a few times, led her behind him, and opened the door.

There was no one outside the door.

The waiter was always considerate and immediately left when no one answered the door.

He turned to look at her. "Shall I take you home?"

Xia Qingwan patted her cheeks. "No need."

"It's so late, and you want me to let you go alone?"

"Xia Changping seems to recognize your car, but I don't want him to know."

She explained.

"I'll take you to the gate of the compound."

It's not good to refuse again.

The two people left the box one after the other and walked out to the courtyard.

Several people were drinking tea under the flower stand, with dim candles burning on the tea table, and laughter echoed throughout the room.

"Why haven't I seen Lao Sheng lately?"

“I heard she’s getting very close to that Xia family kid,” a young boy said with a grin. “I think she’s taken a liking to his girlfriend.”

Another person scoffed, "How interesting. Is it worth getting close to someone like that? Just tell him, and he'll be all over him, practically begging for your help."

Someone spotted Ye Peixiu first and quickly stood up, saying, "Mr. Ye."

The others turned to look, and quickly stood up as well, bowing and scraping, "Mr. Ye."

Ye Peixiu nodded slightly without pausing.

Everyone saw that there was a girl walking beside him.

Xia Qingwan is a very recognizable person, tall and graceful, calm and cool, with long hair like a waterfall.

Even those who weren't familiar with the Xia family recognized them. As soon as their figures disappeared at the gate, they began to whisper, "Isn't that the Xia family kid's cousin? She's been to Beiguanfang Hutong a few times."

Someone realized what they were talking about and said gloatingly, "You were just talking about someone else, and now they've overheard you."

"Don't be ridiculous. I heard that this cousin is not close to Xia Changping's family at all."

Amidst the shock, someone steered the conversation back to the main point, "I say, how come this person from the Xia family is involved with Mr. Ye..."

"I remember now. Didn't someone say that Mr. Ye had a date with a female college student? That wouldn't be..."

Several people exchanged glances and laughed contemptuously, saying, "Xia Mingzhou's family has been trying so hard to curry favor with Mr. Ye that Mr. Ye has never even shown his face. But this little cousin is so promising and has saved the country in a roundabout way, haha."

-

I'm home.

Xia Qingwan first packed the things she would take with her to visit Grandma Xi tomorrow, and then took a shower and changed her clothes.

It was close to midnight.

She sat at her desk, reading documents and classics, and then did a set of English exercises. Soon it was time for bed. She put down her pen and stretched.

Inadvertently, I noticed the standing calendar in the corner of the desk.

November 2nd.

She reached out and took the calendar, turned to November, and circled the number two with a pen.

After circling it, I stared at it blankly for a while.

-

The next morning, Lin Xiangyu called to say that she had found a new place and moved in.

"Would you like to have hot pot with me?"

"Can it be later?" Xia Qingwan said. "I have to go to the hospital to see Grandma Xi this afternoon, and I also have a lecture to attend at seven o'clock."

"Then let's meet at ten o'clock? Since there's no one at your house anyway, how about you just stay with me for the night after dinner and go straight to school tomorrow?"

"good."

Xia Qingwan packed a few changes of clothes, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed to the hospital first.

The weather has become colder recently, and Grandma Liang's old cold legs have recurred. She is recuperating at home and has not gone to the hospital.

Grandma Xi was bored all day and kept asking to go home.

"I've asked, and the caregiver can come back with me and stay at home for a while." Grandma Xi said, "You're home anyway, so we can keep each other company, how about it?"

Xia Qingwan went to the doctor's office and the doctor said she could go home.

"The old man is recovering very quickly. He will be checked again in half a month. If there are no problems, he will be fully recovered in another month."

Xia Qingwan checked her class schedule and made an appointment with the doctor to come to the hospital next Tuesday noon to take Grandma Xi and the caregiver home.

Of course Grandma Xi happily agreed.

Seeing Xia Qingwan busying around, he asked, "Where's Mingzhou? He hasn't come these days. Is he very busy?"

"He must be quite busy."

Xia Qingwan thought back to the gossip she'd heard in the alley club last night. Erotic scandals always spread the fastest, and whether true or false, they were certainly untrustworthy.

However, it is also a fact that Lin Xiangyu and Xia Mingzhou had a conflict.

Grandma Xi sighed, "You don't know, before the old lady passed away, she specifically told me to keep in touch with Mingzhou more often."

Xia Huiqing was always worried about Xia Mingzhou, fearing that he would become like his father.

Xia Changping has many women outside and doesn't return home for ten days or half a month. Xia Mingzhou's mother has not lived at home for a long time, and the relationship between husband and wife has long been in name only.

In the eyes of old lady Xia Huiqing, Xia Mingzhou was no different from an orphan.

“I’ll call him another day and ask him to come home to see you when he has time.”

Xia Qingwan comforted.

"Is he and that little girlfriend okay?"

Grandma Xi asked, "I think that girl is sensible and quite nice."

Xia Qingwan smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about these things."

"Too."

-

Xia Qingwan had dinner with Grandma Xi, then went to a lecture, and set off for Lin Xiangyu's rented place around 9 o'clock.

The community is near Peking University, with old red brick buildings and many people walking their dogs.

Xia Qingwan followed the navigation to Building 6 and saw two figures standing face to face talking in the distance.

One of them was obviously Lin Xiangyu.

She is tall and has shoulder-length short hair, making her easy to recognize.

As she got closer, she realized that the man she was talking to looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she had seen him before.

When I got close, the two people who were talking turned their heads to look at me.

Xia Qingwan then realized that the man was Sheng Junchi.

Sheng Junchi greeted her with a smile, "Miss Xia."

Xia Qingwan nodded, "Mr. Sheng."

Sheng Junchi said goodbye, and Lin Xiangyu pulled Xia Qing upstairs that evening.

Lin Xiangyu chatted with her warmly, and the two of them prepared the ingredients for the hot pot together. They plugged in the electricity, and the hot pot started cooking.

She didn't mention why Sheng Junchi was there at all, and Xia Qingwan naturally wouldn't ask.

After eating hot pot, the two took a shower one after the other, changed into pajamas and lay on the same bed.

Lin Xiangyu played an unknown Japanese song on her phone. Xia Qingwan reached out and turned off the bedside lamp.

The bedroom was suddenly plunged into darkness.

When the song was playing on repeat for the third time, Lin Xiangyu suddenly said, "Sometimes I feel that Mingzhou doesn't love me."

"…Why do you feel that way?"

Lin Xiangyu didn't answer.

After a moment, Lin Xiangyu kicked her and said with a grin, "Qingwan, if I break up with your brother, who will you be with?"

Xia Qingwan snuggled up to her and hugged her, "Of course I'll stay with you."

Lin Xiangyu laughed heartily, hugged her head and ruffled her hair, "You are so good."

Xia Qingwan laughed too, "Am I a puppy you two raised?"

"You are a kitten," Lin Xiangyu pinched her face, "a beautiful and proud kitten."

The two of them quarreled for a while, and Xia Qingwan gradually became drowsy.

In a daze, I sensed that Lin Xiangyu was crying.

-

After that, Xia Qingwan was busy with classes and homework, as well as various project tasks assigned by her tutor. She returned to the dormitory on time every day and had not been able to contact Lin Xiangyu for a long time.

During this period, Xia Mingzhou came to the old house once and drove with her to take Grandma Xi to the hospital for a follow-up examination.

While Grandma Xi was getting her checkup, the two of them stood in the corridor. Xia Qingwan asked him how things were going between him and Lin Xiangyu, but Xia Mingzhou didn't answer.

She didn't ask any more questions.

After dropping Grandma Xi off at home, Xia Mingzhou stood by the car, lit a cigarette, and called out to her, "Qingwan."

Xia Qingwan stopped and asked, "Hmm?"

"I think you should be careful."

Xia Qingwan felt a little puzzled, "Be careful about what?"

"The person you are in contact with," Xia Mingzhou glanced at her, "Mr. Ye."

"What happened to him? Is there an accident?"

Xia Mingzhou shook his head, looked up to the sky and sighed, saying self-deprecatingly, "...I suddenly understand now why grandma hid this from my dad."

People like them can turn the world upside down with just a flick of their fingers.

We are not on equal footing, and any conflict with them would be playing with fire.

Xia Qingwan was silent.

After finishing his cigarette, Xia Mingzhou asked before getting into the car, "Has your sister-in-law... Xiang Yu contacted you?"

"Not recently," Xia Qingwan said, "...I feel like there might be a misunderstanding between you two."

Xia Mingzhou sneered and raised his hand, "Let's go."

-

It was a drizzling evening at the end of September.

It was the weekend, and Xia Qingwan planned to go back early to accompany Grandma Xi. When it was getting dark, she packed up and prepared to leave the study room.

Pei Meizhu, who had made an appointment with her to study together, immediately put away her phone and affectionately put her arm around her.

When the two of them went downstairs, Pei Meizhu said, "I'm going to have dinner with my cousin. Do you want to come with me?"

"I'm not going, I'm going home right now."

"Come along, I promise to be there today."

Xia Qingwan smiled and refused, "It's really not convenient today."

The two of them walked out of the revolving door together.

"cousin!"

Pei Meizhu called out.

Xia Qingwan raised her head and saw a black Maybach parked in the rain at the foot of the steps at the entrance of the library. Ye Peizheng stepped out of the car.

He walked over, holding an umbrella.

Pei Meizhu said, "Cousin, Sister Qingwan said she has something to do and can't have dinner with us today."

Ye Peixiu stood at the bottom of the stairs, looked up at her, and said, "Really?"

Xia Qingwan smiled and nodded, "I'm going home early today."

"I'll take you back."

Xia Qingwan didn't answer immediately, and within seconds, Pei Meizhu had already slipped away.

Under the black umbrella, Ye Peixiu, dressed in a suit, still looked at her and said only, "I got a new car."

Xia Qingwan suddenly realized what was happening, and her heart ached. She asked, "...Why are you changing cars?"

Although he didn't feel the need to deliberately hide anything from Xia Changping, nor did he feel that there was anything he couldn't handle, but Xia Qingwan was concerned about these things, so of course he had to satisfy her need for security first, without letting her have any worries.

"Send you to your doorstep."