Chapter 120: Master, don’t run!

After three rounds of wine, the dishes have five flavors.

The people at the table were chatting back and forth, carefully flattering Xie Fei with every word.

Xie Fei's eyebrows did not move, nor did he reply to the conversation. He turned a deaf ear to the people's attempts to show goodwill. He just took a tissue and wiped his mouth. Then he said in a dull tone, "Enjoy your meal, everyone. I'm going to the garden to get some fresh air and will be back later."

The warm atmosphere was interrupted. Everyone was stunned at first, with different expressions on their faces. They were not sure whether what Xie Fei said was true or he was implying that they were too noisy. After a while, they spoke in twos and threes: "This room is a bit stuffy, haha."

Xie Mingguang, the head of the branch Xie family, had long been fed up with these people snatching his chance to curry favor with the main family. After hearing what Xie Fei said, he smiled and said, "I guess you are not interested in the conversation between us old men, so just go and wander around. This is not your first time to come to the Xie family, and we are all family. Should I not send someone to lead the way for you?"

Xie Fei said "Yeah" indifferently, nodded to everyone and got up to leave. He did not express too much about the family relationship revealed in Xie Mingguang's words, and just regarded this as an advance compensation for his future discipline of Xie Yanli.

…

From the small door on the right side of the hall to the corridor, a winding gravel path leads directly to the back garden. The summer night sky was dotted with stars, and the cool night breeze blew away the faint smell of alcohol that stained Xie Fei's body.

Xie Fei took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. His charming peach blossom eyes, which were filled with mist, gradually regained their clarity, and even the light blush on his cheeks faded away.

Compared to the lively and magnificent hall, the only sound in the back garden is the sweet chirping of insects. There is a street lamp every few meters, and the light is a faint yellow. It is difficult to see clearly from a distance, but it inexplicably brings a layer of hazy beauty to the quiet garden.

Xie Fei put his hands in his pockets and walked slowly towards his destination on the gravel path. He came here not to get some fresh air, but to meet Qiao Wan, to casually create a hole in her heart and plant the seeds of doubt, or even, if possible, to make her turn her attention from Xie Yanli to himself.

However, considering her love for Xie Yanli, she shouldn't fall in love with himself so quickly. Although Xie Fei felt that he could easily surpass Xie Yanli by several streets, and this Qiao Wan was not that Qiao Wan, "she" was his wife!

However, it is always hard to explain such things as liking someone. What if Qiao Wan’s inertia suppresses Wan’er?

As he was thinking this, he had unknowingly arrived at a place not far from his destination. He could hear the voices of a man and a woman talking from the seats next to the fountain in front.

"Are you annoying, Qiao Wan? I told you to stop bothering me. Otherwise, even if you are the little princess of the Qiao family, don't blame me for being rude!" The boy's voice was not very pleasant. It was even a little sharp because he was angry. Maybe it was because he was in the voice change period.

"I'm fine. I'm not annoyed at all as long as I can see you." A girl's charming voice followed. After a pause, she said timidly, "Brother Yan Li, why are you so rude to me... But you can do whatever you want, as long as you are responsible for me."

"You——" Xie Yanli's voice was shaking with anger, "This is totally unreasonable. I have never seen someone as shameless as you!"

"That's because you are short-sighted. There are so many people like me! Besides, if I were like those thin-skinned ladies, I don't know when I could get close to you and let you see me!" Qiao Wan wrinkled his nose in disdain and pouted.

Seeing her like this, Xie Yanli frowned impatiently. He knew in his heart that his few words would have no effect on this spoiled young lady. However, her parents would not allow him to bully her. After all, she was the apple of the Qiao family's eye. The Qiao family's status in S City could not be underestimated. Moreover, his family had business dealings with the Qiao family. This was really... a headache.

Rubbing his forehead, Xie Yanli took a few deep breaths, suppressing the unhappiness in his heart. With a bit of irritability and disgust in his dark eyes, he pretended to be calm and said to Qiao Wan: "Qiao Wan, do you think that if you keep pestering me like this, I will like you as you wish? No, doing this will only make me hate you more and more."

"But if I don't pester you like this, you won't like me. At least now you have a deep impression of me." Qiao Wan looked up at him and said in a flattering way, "Brother Yan Li, you should try to get to know me better. Maybe you will really like me..."

Before she finished her words, Xie Yanli interrupted her impatiently, saying in a dull voice: "Qiao Wan, you are really annoying, do you know that? Don't you understand what I am saying? I don't like you, I don't like you now, and I won't like you in the future! You'd better not bother me in the future, if you make me angry, I will just close the door and refuse visitors!"

After saying that, Xie Yanli turned around and was about to leave. Before he took a step, his sleeve was grabbed by Qiao Wan: "I don't allow you to say that, I don't allow it! You will like me, you will..."

She lowered her head so her expression couldn't be seen clearly, but her voice was filled with anxiety and panic, and her tone was muffled, which made her sound particularly pitiful.

However, Xie Yanli sneered disdainfully after hearing this, and swung his arm hard, pushing Qiao Wan back a few steps. He looked her up and down with cold eyes and left.

Qiao Wan raised her head and looked at his back. Her almond-shaped eyes were slightly red, with tears welling up in them. However, she raised her head stubbornly to prevent the tears from falling, and murmured, "I will definitely make you like me, I will! I am not one of those delicate ladies who backs down after hearing a few words from you—"

The next moment, her body trembled violently, and two crystal tears rolled down from her eyes.

The wind seemed to still carry the cold, unhappy sighs coming from the front.

That's disgusting.

…

Qiao Wan was sitting alone and dejected on a swing on the lawn not far away, one foot kicking the ground randomly, the other foot on the swing, his hands around his knees, his head raised and staring at the sky in a daze.

In the quiet back garden, her low sobs and sighs could be heard from time to time: "Disgusting, disgusting..."

After saying that, she couldn't help but lower her head and laughed softly with a crying voice, and crystal tears rolled down one by one. At this moment, a dark blue plaid handkerchief was handed to him.

Qiao Wan was stunned, her crying and laughing all stopped. Before she could react, she saw a pair of bony hands holding a handkerchief gently covering her cheeks, gently wiping away her tears bit by bit.

The handkerchief was very soft, and the hand's movements were even more gentle. Occasionally, the fingertips accidentally touched her cheek, leaving a little warmth and numbness.

Qiao Wan felt as if her whole body was struck by an electric current. She froze, holding her breath and not daring to make a sound. She only vaguely felt that her heart seemed to be beating a little faster.

How could this happen?

Qiao Wan thought a little panickedly. She was sure that the man in front of her was not Xie Yanli, because the handkerchief had an elegant scent that did not belong to Xie Yanli at all.

It was very faint, but pleasant to the touch, a scent she had never smelled before - so, this was a stranger.

At some point, the handkerchief was stuffed into Qiao Wan's palm by its owner. Qiao Wan took a look at it belatedly, then slowly raised her head to look at the person who came.

Against the backdrop of the dim light behind him, Qiao Wan was immediately struck by the man's delicate features. She couldn't help but slightly open her red lips and stared at him in a trance.

"Do you want it?" While Qiao Wan was stunned, the man took out a lollipop from somewhere and looked at her with a pair of smiling, gentle eyes.

Qiao Wan came back to her senses and looked at the lollipop and then at the man.

Is this man treating me like a little girl?

While she was hesitating, the man handed the lollipop to her again. Qiao Wan took it as if possessed by a ghost, and even opened it and put it in her mouth.

The bitterness in my mouth was diluted by the sweet taste of the lollipop, and even the sadness and grief in my heart seemed to be much better.

Qiao Wan couldn't help but smiled with curved eyebrows and pursed lips.

"Is it delicious?" Xie Fei smiled faintly, took a step to the side and sat down next to her.

"Well, I haven't eaten it for a long time. I didn't expect it to be so delicious." Qiao Wan smiled and nodded, paused for a moment, and said in a low voice while holding the lollipop in her mouth, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Anyone who sees such a beautiful girl crying would do the same." Xie Fei smiled lightly.

Qiao Wan smiled bitterly and shook his head.

Everyone can do it except him. He hates me so much and avoids me as much as possible, so why would he come to me? The funny thing is, I clearly know it, but why can’t I let it go?

"What's wrong? Did you break up?" Xie Fei asked with a lazy smile, leaning his chin on the swing armrest with one hand.

"Not really. It's just my unrequited love." Qiao Wan shook her head again, with ripples in her eyes.

Maybe the moonlight is too gentle, maybe this moment is too beautiful, or even maybe I need to talk too much. At this moment, Qiao Wan couldn't help laughing at herself and slowly recounted the difficult journey of courtship that lasted for more than two months.

"Am I very annoying?" After saying this, Qiao Wan lowered his head in self-mockery.

The next moment, a warm hand gently rubbed his head twice, and a slightly cold voice slowly sounded in his ears: "There is nothing wrong with liking someone, but no one is worthy of your humble love."

Humble?

It seems so.

Qiao Wan looked up at him in a daze. The dim light in his eyes added a touch of warmth and gentleness to the cold night. He looked at her patiently and calmly, as if he would tolerate her no matter how willful or naughty she was...

"What do you like about him? Is there anything about him that makes you like him so much? Do you like him as a whole person or are you just infatuated with him for a while?" While Qiao Wan was still thinking, Xie Fei asked one question after another, and every question hit the point.

Qiao Wan began to think about his words in confusion. She moved her lips, but found that she didn't know what to say. Her mind was blank and her heart was very confused.

Xie Fei ignored her confusion and continued without question: "In my opinion, it is very likely that you are unwilling to give up. The reason you are pestering him now may not be because you like him so much, but his lukewarm reaction has aroused your fighting spirit."

Yes, he had doubts since Qiao Wan proposed the terms of the transaction. If she really liked Xie Yanli so much, the transaction would not have required Xie Yanli and Song Yuchen to be entangled for life, rather than her and Xie Yanli being together for life.

Of course, this is just Xie Fei's guess. Regardless of whether it is true or not, as long as a seed of doubt is planted in Qiao Wan's heart, it will take root and sprout sooner or later.

As he expected, Qiao Wan was already lost in deep thought. She listened to Xie Fei's words and wanted to say something to fight back against him, but deep in her heart there seemed to be a voice agreeing with him. She could only passively shake her head and mutter, "Impossible, no, it's not true..."

After a long while, she suppressed the entanglement and contradiction in her heart, and looked at Xie Fei hesitantly, with disbelief in her voice: "...Are you telling the truth?"

Xie Fei knew that he had achieved his goal. He stood up and walked to Qiao Wan, leaned down slightly and rubbed her head: "Think about it carefully, you will find the answer."

After saying that, he turned around and slowly left. Qiao Wan looked at his back and pursed her lips: "Hey, you haven't told me your name yet!"

After a moment, a voice came slowly: "Xie Fei, Fei Fei gentleman's Fei."

The author has something to say: PS: I didn’t mean to… I didn’t write about the online game part, I’ll start writing about it tomorrow QAQ~~

PPS: "Fei Fei Junzi" is Fei Ge's online nickname. I haven't thought of a good name for Qiao Wan yet. I hope I'll have a flash of inspiration before I go to sleep!