Chapter 123 N-Gifts
The man glanced at Chu Beiling out of the corner of his eye, a hint of provocation in his gaze.
The person in front of me was dressed very casually: a striped T-shirt, blue jeans, high-top black sneakers, and a burlap bag slung across his shoulder. I couldn't tell which brand it was.
Aside from being better looking, he's inferior to me in every other way. I guess Xing Yu only glanced at him because of me, it's nothing at all.
Chu Beiling has always been a keen observer since he was young, and those little schemes could not be hidden from him at all.
In addition to dealing with various partners, the board of directors, and playing psychological games with those cunning old foxes over the years, the man in front of him was far too inexperienced to him.
Chu Beiling had no intention of getting involved in a pointless competition with him; there was no need.
Even if something were to happen, he would only cause trouble for Xing Yu and settle accounts with him.
Little did they know that the other party would take advantage of their kindness.
“President Xing,” he began, his gaze fixed on Chu Beiling’s face with a scrutinizing and comparative air, “no wonder you’ve been so busy lately, it turns out you’ve found a new friend to keep you company.”
She paused, then turned to Xing Yu: "We do look a bit alike. If you get tired of it, you can still come to me. My Marco and Polo like you a lot too and would like to go out with you."
The names of Marco Polo's two dogs.
The two dogs seemed to agree with this, baring their mouths and wagging their feather-dust-like tails as they tried to get closer to Xing Yu to show their goodwill.
Xing Yu frowned, just about to speak.
Chu Beiling glanced at him and smiled slightly: "It's delicious, thank you for the bagel."
Chu Beiling beckoned the other person closer with his finger, but the other person refused. He shrugged indifferently and moved closer himself: "Do you know what to give him that will touch his heart?"
The other person looked up at him, puzzled.
Chu Beiling smiled and replied seriously, "Nothing is possible, but I can kindly tell you that you can talk to him about the cello; he'll be interested."
After he finished speaking, he stepped back a little.
The man glanced at Xing Yu subconsciously, and seeing him nod, he felt a little pleased.
"Do you know what Xing Yu likes to eat?" Chu Beiling beckoned, gesturing for the other to come closer.
Having received a definite answer, the man, wanting to get more information, consciously moved closer.
Chu Beiling whispered in his ear, "He doesn't like bread, he likes..." He paused, then continued, "Eat me."
Xing Yu chuckled almost inaudibly, then quickly suppressed it, leaving only a faint upward curve.
The young man's smile froze, replaced by disbelief and embarrassment.
He subconsciously turned to look at Xing Yu, seeking an answer or comfort.
Chu Beiling had already pressed the elevator button for the next floor. "Go down in a bit and wait for the next one."
When Chu Beiling put away her smile, her face was even more expressionless than Xing Yu's, exuding an imposing aura without anger. Few could withstand the coldness and oppressive feeling emanating from her very bones.
The man instinctively shrank back, and the dog beside him, probably sensing its owner's fear, instinctively moved forward, barking loudly.
Being pet dogs, and a gentle and friendly breed at that, Chu Beiling lowered his eyes, and the two large white dogs shrank back, not daring to move again.
But the man was still not giving up. He looked at Xing Yu pleadingly, and when there was no response, he wanted to say something more.
The elevator doors opened.
Chu Beiling didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, only coldly uttering a few words: "Get down."
Men in the entertainment industry, after all, even if their eyesight isn't great, they still have some ability to read people and things, and by now they've figured things out.
Xing Yu, dressed in a white shirt and trousers, stood behind Chu Beiling, who was dressed plainly and had nothing to offer except for his face. He hadn't said a word so far, but would occasionally glance at him.
Clearly, Chu Beiling, who spoke first, had more authority.
Xing Yu works in animation and has some connections to the entertainment industry, wielding considerable influence within it. If even he doesn't dare to speak up, then this low-key man likely possesses even greater resources than Xing Yu, commanding his respect.
Chu Beiling seemed easy to manipulate with a smile, but it turned out he was not someone to be trifled with. If you really displeased him, he could use his resources to subtly blacklist you.
That would be a losing proposition.
Thinking of this, the man had no choice but to lead his two dogs and awkwardly move out.
The moment the elevator doors closed, Xing Yu reached out his hand.
The man's eyes lit up, but before he could even feel happy, he heard him say, "The reason I glanced at you at the banquet was because you look like him."
After saying that, Xing Yu took Chu Beiling's hand, which was hanging by his side, with his other hand, and at the same time released his hand that was blocking the door frame.
The elevator doors closed again, shutting out everything, and continued upwards.
Chu Beiling shook off his hand, put it behind her back, and wouldn't let him hold it.
Xing Yu walked around and took his hand again, explaining, "When I saw him at the Starry Night Banquet, for a moment I thought I was seeing you, but I quickly realized it wasn't you."
He paused, his tone somewhat helpless: "I hate him the moment I see him, how could I possibly develop anything with him? I accepted his bagel on the first day of the Lunar New Year just to see if you still cared about me, that's all."
Chu Beiling's Adam's apple bobbed, and he asked with a cold face, "Why do you hate seeing him?"
Xing Yu: "Because he looks like you, but he's not you."
Chu Beiling was taken aback, then blinked: "That's it?"
Xing Yu raised his hand and pinched the soft flesh of his chin: "In this world, there is only one Chu Beiling, unique and irreplaceable. The good and the bad are all mine. If others are even a little bit like you, I will hate them a little bit. If they are ten times like you, I will hate them ten times."
It was a kind of physiological aversion. Xing Yu felt that anyone like Chu Beiling was a disturbance and a desecration to him, which made Xing Yu even more convinced that he was incomparable and irreplaceable.
Chu Beiling was finally satisfied with this answer.
Xing Yu ran her fingertips over his soft red lips: "President Chu was so fierce just now~ I was scared by you."
Chu Beiling raised her chin, neither confirming nor denying: "So don't mess with me, I'm even afraid of myself when I get fierce."
The elevator arrived at their floor, and the two of them got out one after the other.
"If you really like animals, we can get one too. Cats aren't a good option, I'm allergic to cat fur, so I can't keep one. As for dogs, we'd have to walk them..."
Chu Beiling thought about it for a moment, and the scene of walking the dog on time and in chaos made her too lazy to do it and unable to accept it: "Forget it, if you like it, don't keep it. If you really like dogs, you can walk me! Woof woof woof."
Xing Yu was amused by him. He almost dropped the bag of packages he was holding: "Honey, can you stop being so funny?"
Chu Beiling unlocked the door with her fingerprint, turned her back to him and watched him walk backwards: "Isn't it because President Xing is too charming that even people and dogs are eyeing you?"
He pretended to wipe away tears: "What else can I do? I'll just have to suffer and let you take me for a while~ Waaah, it's so unfair."
Xing Jiao raised his head slightly, tried to hold back, but couldn't help laughing out loud. His chest vibrated slightly, and a low, pleasant chuckle rolled out from his throat: "How could I possibly wrong you?"
He reached out and pinched Chu Beiling's cheeks: "I don't need to keep pets. Taking care of you alone is enough to keep me busy for a lifetime."
The room lights were warmly lit, and after dinner, the two sat cross-legged on the soft cushions in the living room.
Chu Beiling arranged all the gifts in chronological order and had Xing Yu open them one by one.
There were eight in total. For the first three years after they separated, he couldn't send gifts back to China and had to give up temporarily. But he didn't miss a single year after that.
21 years old is like a cello string and a piece of rosin.
The message card read: "Happy 21st birthday! I saw this at a music store and thought you might need it, so I prepared it for you."
The moment Xing Yu's fingertips touched the strings, his fingers trembled. He looked up at Chu Beiling and asked with difficulty, "Why did you prepare this for me?"
Chu Beiling said, "I just felt you needed it."
That year, Xing Yu really needed it.
After Xing Jiale cut his cello strings, his cello was sent to Xu Tunan's house without being re-stringed. At that time, he had already planned to repay all the money to Xing Xiaoshu with interest, as re-stringing was a bit too expensive for him.
Xing Yu's cello could not be checked in as luggage, so he had to buy a separate plane ticket and couldn't take it to Beijing. It took him three years to finally bring the cello to himself and replace the strings.
22 years old - a professional graphics card.
Happy 22nd birthday! Studying animation must be tough. Wishing you all the best in your creative endeavors.
That year, he and Xu Tunan interned at an animation company. He worked as an assistant, but his secondhand computer was really unusable, often lagging and crashing. However, he couldn't bear to buy a better graphics card.
The gift says: I've always remembered your dreams, and I wish you all your dreams come true.
...
24 years old - a white shirt and black trousers of excellent quality.
Happy birthday! You're already working now, right? May this outfit accompany you to your first important occasion and witness the start of your new journey.
That year, he started his own business, hoping to attract investment for his film. He frequented various high-society circles, and his attire stood out among the group of bigwigs.
The gift says: In my heart, you deserve both dignity and pride, and I believe you will shine in the end.
25 years old - a pair of limited edition white sneakers.
Happy birthday! Don't sit for too long; go out and run on the court occasionally.
—This year, he experienced trials and tribulations, witnessed the warmth and coldness of human relationships, and shed all his naivety.
The gift says: May you, who have been tempered by wind and sand, remain forever young.
...
The gift he gave me when I was 28 years old last year was the bamboo-shaped jade pendant that he gave me when the whole school organized a shouting competition.
Happy birthday, I'm back. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I hope you'll still want to see me.
That year, they reunited at Faxi Temple, and he returned his most precious keepsake along with himself.
Xing Yu sat on the carpet, looking at this gift that spanned eight years, unable to calm down for a long time.
No matter the year, the gifts were always perfect, tailor-made for him. During those eight years, he was lonely and hopeless, witnessing the coldness and warmth of human relationships. Looking back, he found himself surrounded by warmth.
Chu Beiling was calm and genuine, participating in his life year after year, as if she had never left.
Xing Yu's fingertips caressed the cool jade, the icy touch reaching straight to his heart.
“Chu Beiling,” he raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed, his voice broken and incoherent, “have you been living more like me than I have all these years?”
Chu Beiling couldn't answer, she just looked at him quietly.
The answer, however, was already contained in the silent gift, transcending vast stretches of time and space, and now resounds deafeningly.
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