Chapter 102
◎The night is quiet and cool like water.
After finishing the book on the bedside, Bei Bitang opened the quilt and dragged her slippers.
The night is quiet and cool like water.
After finishing the book on the bedside table, Bei Bitang lifted the quilt, slipped on her slippers, walked into the study, bent down and searched on the bookshelf for a while, and found a book that interested her.
She was holding the book and was about to return to the bedroom, but suddenly her eyes stopped and she saw the unsigned letter on the desk.
She remembered that when she returned home, Hu Fener told her that there was a letter from her, and she was afraid that it would be lost, so she put it on the table in the study.
She was busy playing with Anna and forgot about the letter.
Who sent it to her? Could it be Gu Wangxi who did this?
Bei Bitang walked over with deep doubts, put down the book, picked up the letter, read both sides, but still couldn't make sense of it.
She had no choice but to tear the letter open, take out the letter paper inside, unfold it and see that strictly speaking, it was not a letter. There was only a long paragraph on the snow-white paper.
"Bei Bitang, I'm Zeng Linlin. Let me first say sorry. First, for humiliating you and letting Li Daqiang trip you up. Second, no matter what, I indirectly stole your boyfriend. You saw Xu Zeli parading around with his lover, so you should know how I've been doing these past few years. For ten years, I've been tortured by Xu Zeli's family and become the kind of woman I despised the most. If I had known this would happen, I would have preferred to live forever in the moment before we got married. I paid the price, Xu Zeli is in prison, and what he did will take more than a decade to heal, so you don't have to deal with him. These past ten years are retribution for what Xu Zeli and I brought upon ourselves. I'm sorry, and I hope you can forgive me, but the damage I did to you has already been done. Finally, I'm enclosing a property certificate as my belated apology."
Bei Bitang's brows first frowned slightly, then quickly relaxed, and the corners of her mouth curled up.
She tore up the letter and threw it into the wastebasket, her eyes full of smiles. She decided to take Anna to transfer the ownership tomorrow. Why wouldn't she want a property worth millions?
Zeng Linlin's gift of the property certificate was the most appropriate and quickest way to settle the feud between them. She wanted Zeng Linlin and Xu Zeli to pay the price before she would just give them a fake apology.
She believed that Zeng Linlin must have investigated her. If she did not have the status and position she has today, and was not successful, and was still a temporary worker in a small vegetable market, she would have been humble and unwilling to give up her job for a few dollars, and had not resolutely sold her job, taken the college entrance examination, and made a desperate bet to get into university, and finally got in.
Even though Zeng Linlin's family is now broken up, if someone sees her on the road, he won't even look at her, let alone say sorry.
Zeng Linlin would rather give away an old detached house worth millions than apologize in person. Miss Zeng's face is as valuable as ever.
Bei Bitang sneered and thought, it would be better for her to take the house than for Zeng Linlin to pretend to apologize in person in order to avoid retaliation.
Bei Bitang's guess was correct. From her clear voice, Zeng Linlin knew she had been living a happy and successful life these past few years. Too ashamed to see someone she had once despised, she heartbrokenly offered her a house to reconcile with Bei Bitang.
Bei Bitang lifted the quilt and sat down, but she could no longer read the book.
She looked thoughtful. She had returned Li Daqiang, Xu Zeli, Zeng Linlin, and even her own relatives one by one. From now on, she could leave the past completely. She was indeed feeling a little uneasy.
After a while, Bei Bitang hesitated, got out of bed, poured herself a glass of red wine, and sipped it slowly.
The wine tonight was too intoxicating. Bei Bitang walked to the phone in two or three steps and dialed a number. As soon as the other end picked up, she licked the wine from her lips and said softly, "Gu Wangxi, are you coming?"
With the moonlight streaming in from outside, Gu Qinghua poked his head out of the western-style kitchen and asked quietly, "Where are you going?"
Gu Wangxi's back suddenly stopped, and when the light came on, he turned around and looked at his mother who was holding the water cup in her hand with a look of surprise.
He couldn't help but touch his nose and said with a wry smile, "Mom, get up and drink some water."
Gu Qinghua smiled and asked again, "Where are you going?"
Gu Wangxi blushed and made small movements, like when he was a child and was caught secretly playing games. He touched his hair again and said vaguely, "Mom, I have to go out for something."
Gu Qinghua smiled without saying anything for a few seconds, then waved his hand and said, "Go ahead, hurry up, I'll just lock the door."
Hearing the sound of a car starting up in the front yard, Gu Qinghua was no longer in a hurry to return to his room.
She sat on the sofa in the living room, a smile on her face, drinking water and thinking, going out late at night and spraying perfume, she didn't believe there was no romantic connotation in this, it seemed like there was going to be a happy event at home.
Bei Bitang's heart was equally restless. She crossed her arms and walked back and forth in the entrance hall until Gu Wangxi sent a message: Bitang, it's me, I'm at the door.
Bei Bitang took two steps at a time and went to open the door.
As soon as the door opened a crack, Gu Wangxi came in.
Gu Wangxi put his arm around Bei Bitang's waist, kissed her pink lips accurately, hooked the door with his foot, and then gently pushed it closed.
“Woo…”
Bei Bitang placed her hand on Gu Wangxi's chest. In the dark night, she stared into his deep black eyes, panting and whispering, "Go to my room."
"I'll hold you." Gu Wangxi said softly.
The next second, Bei Bitang was caught off guard and carried like a princess. She let out a low cry and quickly covered her mouth with her hands.
A pot of weeping jasmine stands on the balcony of the master bedroom, blooming brilliantly like a beaded curtain, and its faint fragrance drifts into the room on the wind.
Bei Bitang half opened her eyes in a daze and found that Gu Wangxi was still teasing her. She was too lazy to kick him. She buried her head in the slightly damp pillow and fell into a sweet dream.
Bei Bitang woke up, squinting her eyes at the sunlight coming through the gap in the curtains. She reached out to grab the alarm clock and touched a piece of warm skin. She suddenly remembered what she had done last night.
There was another person beside her. Bei Bitang retracted her hand and said vaguely, "What time is it?"
Gu Wangxi touched her face and said softly, "It's half past seven."
Fortunately, it was only half an hour later than usual, Bei Bitang thought thankfully.
Gu Wangxi raised his head and kissed her soft red lips.
Bei Bitang pushed him away, wiped her lips with the back of her hand, frowned slightly, and said, "You didn't even rinse your mouth."
Gu Wangxi raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "I don't dislike you."
Bei Bitang raised her chin slightly and said unhappily, "But I despise you."
Gu Wangxi pretended to be disappointed, spread his hands, and said pitifully: "Okay, I'll go brush my teeth now."
The enemy doesn't move, but I do. Bei Bitang calmly watched Gu Wangxi pretend to get out of bed.
Gu Wangxi came back to his senses and said helplessly: "I knew I couldn't fool you."
After a pause, he picked up his suit jacket from the floor and pulled something out of his pocket.
His hands were covered tightly, so Bei Bitang couldn't see what Gu Wangxi was holding.
She asked curiously, "What are you going to show me?"
Gu Wangxi hesitated and opened his hands awkwardly. Bei Bitang's eyes flashed, and she remembered the box.
Gu Wangxi opened the box and handed it to Bei Bitang. He said nervously, "I gave it to you once before, but you probably forgot. Now I'm giving it to you again. I hope you can accept it."
Bei Bitang was silent for a moment, then with an unreadable expression, she said softly, "This is too gorgeous and not suitable for everyday wear. Please buy me a simpler one."
ah?
Gu Wangxi, who had already prepared himself for Bei Bitang's rejection, took a long time to wrap his head around the situation. He asked blankly, "What about this?"
Bei Bitang said with a smile: "Put it on the bedside first, and I'll see if I should put it in the safe later."
Gu Wangxi didn't care about his doubts. He put the heirloom ring on the bedside table and buried his head in the crook of Bei Bitang's neck. He kept rubbing it and said tenderly, "I'll give you ten of them. You can wear them on all ten fingers in turn. They are all part of your body and belong to you. You can't favor one over the other."
Bei Bitang's eyes curved, and she faked a cough before pushing Gu Wangxi's head away from her neck. She said calmly, "Gu Wangxi, I have something to tell you."
When he saw Bei Bitang like this, Gu Wangxi felt that something bad was going to happen. He really wanted to cover his ears, shake his head, and shout unreasonably, "I don't want to listen, I don't want to listen."
But under Bei Bitang's serious gaze, he swallowed hard and said with a fearless attitude: "Tell me, I agree to whatever you say."
Bei Bitang said seriously, "Gu Wangxi, we can try dating, but let me make it clear that I won't have any more children. Don't even think about asking me to have another one. If you still want children, you can find someone who's right for you. Our relationship ended last night. From now on, you'll only have one identity in my eyes, and that's Anna's father."
She wanted to give Anna a lot of money and a lot of love. One child was enough for her to experience the feeling of being a mother.
Gu Wangxi's expression gradually grew heavy. After Bei Bitang finished speaking, he said, "Bitang, I don't want another child either. I've been absent from Anna's life for so many years, and I haven't had enough time to make up for that loss. How can I bear to have another child and divide my father's love?"
He thought that this must be the reason why Xie Weiran was kicked out. He changed his mind at the last minute and wanted a child of his own. Otherwise, Bei Bitang would have broken up with him when they were about to meet each other's parents.
Call him despicable, he felt that God had been very kind to him by making him Anna's biological father. Bei Bitang didn't want to have any more children, which was a problem for Xie Weiran but not a problem for him at all.
But even if Anna was not his child, given how much he loved Bei Bitang, he would accept Bei Bitang's conditions without any hesitation and would prove it to her.
Bei Bitang's expression relaxed, and she smiled and said, "Then you can stay overnight."
After saying that, Bei Bitang shyly turned her head slightly and got up to brush her teeth and wash her face.
Gu Wangxi, excited, grabbed Bei Bitang's arm and pulled her into his arms. He gently rubbed her hair with his chin and said softly, "Lie down for a while."
Bei Bitang didn't respond, but she also struggled.
The whole room was in champagne tones, gorgeous and clean, with a white six-door wardrobe and a black-brown dressing table... Gu Wangxi had never dared to imagine that he would be able to enter Bei Bitang's boudoir so soon, but at this moment he had no time to focus on observing the room.
Gu Wangxi stretched out his strong and warm hands to Bei Bitang's waist and gently rubbed her waist. His hands were often used to draw, and his fingertips had a thin layer of calluses, which caused him to tremble.
Bei Bitang's eyes slowly became covered with a layer of watery film. She quickly grabbed Gu Wangxi's hand, her earlobes reddening as she tried to put on a tough face and said, "It's getting late. Anna is already up. Hurry up and get up."
As soon as she finished speaking, she escaped from Gu Wangxi's arms like a nimble little deer and jumped off the bed.
Bei Bitang looked at the mess of clothes, sheets, and quilts on the floor, glared at Gu Wangxi, and said unhappily, "You clean up the mess."
The curtains were drawn back, and bright sunlight streamed into the room.
After they finished washing up, they left the room.
Both of them had dark circles under their eyes, but Bei Bitang looked drowsy, while Gu Wangxi was as excited as if he was going to take the college entrance examination and it would be no problem for him to get into a key university.
Hu Fener had already prepared breakfast and was serving it to the table when she saw Gu Wangxi coming out of Bei Bitang's bedroom. She smiled normally and greeted him, "Mr. Gu is here. Good morning."
Gu Wangxi nodded and smiled, saying, "Good morning."
As soon as he looked away, he unexpectedly met Anna's big dark eyes. The teasing and spring breeze on Gu Wangxi's face disappeared instantly. He put on a serious and gentle smile. He reached out and touched Anna's bangs, and said softly, "Anna, good morning."
Anna looked at Bei Bitang behind him and said in a honey-like tone: "Mom, good morning. I haven't seen you for a night. Anna missed you so much."
Then, she turned around, looked at Gu Wangxi, and said politely but distantly, "Good morning, Uncle Gu."
Bei Bitang immediately ignored her waist and quickly stepped forward, hugged her baby daughter tightly, and said, "Anna, my baby, I miss you too. Come, give me a kiss."
The mother and daughter were kissing each other, and no one paid any attention to Gu Wangxi, a living person.
Hu Fener said at the right time: "Mr. Gu, please sit down and have breakfast."
She brought the soup bowl to where Bei Bitang usually sat and said with a smile, "I learned how to make this red date, wolfberry, and codonopsis chicken soup from Ah Zhen upstairs. Bitang, try it and see if I made it well."
When Hu Fener woke up early in the morning, she saw men's shoes at the entrance. She did not knock on the door to ask Bei Bitang if she wanted to make breakfast for one more person. Instead, she silently took out half an old hen from the refrigerator and stewed a nourishing soup.
Then, Hu Fener explained to Gu Wangxi, "Ah Zhen is the nanny hired by the upstairs neighbor. She's from Guangdong and is the best at making soup."
Gu Wangxi said meaningfully: "Aunt Hu is thoughtful. Bitang should drink more. Don't let Aunt Hu's kindness go to waste."
Bei Bitang rolled her eyes at him rudely.
Gu Wangxi looked at the chicken soup in front of Bei Bitang and wanted to say, "Let me feed you," but there are both elderly people and children here.
If he said this, Bei Bitang would definitely be annoyed. He didn't dare to provoke her. He suddenly had an idea and said, "Anna, Mom is tired from exercising last night. How about you feed Mom breakfast and Uncle will feed you, okay?"
When Anna heard this, she innocently took Bei Bitang's hand and said innocently, "Mom, if you are tired, tell Anna. Come, Anna will be the mother and you will be the baby. Mom will feed the baby."
Bei Bitang was feeling embarrassed and annoyed by Gu Wangxi, but her anger was immediately calmed down by her daughter's caring and soft words.
A family of three, you feed me, I feed you, we form a circle and feed each other breakfast.
Hu Fener was so amused that she lowered her head and laughed secretly.
After finishing breakfast, Hu Fen'er asked Bei Bitang, "Is Mr. Gu going to have lunch at home today?"
Bei Bitang blushed slightly and said, "Well, I guess so."
Gu Wangxi continued, "We'll have dinner here too."
Hu Fener then asked, "What does Mr. Gu like to eat?"
Gu Wangxi said, "Aunt Hu is going to the market to buy vegetables, right? I'll go with you. I'll cook today."
Hearing this, Anna and Bei Bitang, mother and daughter, looked at him questioningly.
Gu Wangxi snorted, raised his chin, raised his finger and said, "Just wait and see, I want to show off my skills today. I can't make a full banquet, but six dishes and a soup are no problem."
It was because Bei Bitang said she wanted to find a husband who could cook that he gradually learned the cooking skills over the years.
Because Bei Bitang and Anna didn't like the smell of cigarettes, he even quit smoking and gave his favorite lighter to Huo Shixun.
The white printed curtains in the living room flutter in the wind.
Anna sat on Bei Bitang's lap, and the two of them sat cross-legged on the ground, looking at the picture book together.
Hearing the door open, Bei Bitang turned around and looked at Gu Wangxi, who was carrying a large shopping bag. She asked softly, "What did you buy?"
Gu Wangxi smiled and replied, "Some common meats, as well as seasonal vegetables and fruits."
Hu Fen'er behind him added, "Mr. Gu knows how to buy. The vegetables he picked are fresh and juicy."
The sun gradually rose to the center of the sky. Bei Bitang was lying on the sofa, watching TV programs. When she smelled the fragrance, she couldn't help but walk into the kitchen.
Bei Bitang looked at the spacious countertop, where a dozen or so bowls of various sizes were placed. Inside were chopped garlic, garlic sprouts, green onions, cilantro, green and red peppers, carrots, and diced ham...
The kitchen countertop was not very high, and both stoves were on. Gu Wangxi bent over and used chopsticks to flip the quail eggs in the pan one by one. On the stove next to him was a white casserole with two handles, in which was boiling pork bone, soybean and peanut soup.
Bei Bitang rested her chin on Gu Wangxi's back, tilted her head slightly to look at the golden quail eggs in the pan, and said softly, "Don't fry them for too long. Anna loves tiger-skin quail eggs, and children will get hot if they eat too many."
Gu Wangxi laughed loudly, showing off his Cantonese and teasing Bei Bitang, saying, "Hot? I know. I'll make herbal tea tomorrow."
Bei Bitang gently hit his shoulder.
Gu Wangxi said, "It's very fumy here, go out and accompany your daughter."
Bei Bitang shook her head and said, "Anna is doing her homework in the study. You don't need me to accompany you. I'm here to supervise you and make sure you don't make anything that's not suitable for children."
Gu Wangxi's heart softened instantly. He pointed at the quail eggs in the pot and said, "Would you like some braised pork?"
Bei Bitang raised her voice and said clearly, "Yes!"
Gu Wangxi said with a smile: "We also need to add Baijie and bamboo shoots. I know you like them."
Bei Bitang snorted and retorted, "Nonsense, you and Anna both like to eat bamboo shoots in braised pork, I only like to eat Baijie."
The clay pot gurgled with steam, and plump, round quail eggs slithered around in the pot. The kitchen window was open, letting in the aromas of every household. Her own aroma wasn't the most pungent, but in Bei Bitang's heart, it was the richest, most lingering, and most fragrant.
Bei Bitang put her arm around Gu Wangxi's waist and watched him cook. She wanted to let go, but Gu Wangxi wouldn't let her.
As soon as a dish was ready, Gu Wangxi reached back with his chopsticks and picked up some for Bei Bitang to taste first. By the time the six dishes and one soup were ready, Bei Bitang's stomach was already half full.
After lunch, Hu Fener took Anna to bed, and Gu Wangxi washed dishes in the kitchen.
Bei Bitang lay on the sofa with her head supported by one hand, drowsy.
Gu Wangxi came out wiping his hands. Seeing her like this, he couldn't help but invite her, "Take a nap with me."
Bei Bitang shook her head and refused. She had a business trip in the evening to visit a factory in Shenyang and had plenty of time to catch up on sleep on the plane.
After last night, she had a deeper understanding of Gu Wangxi's physical strength, and she was afraid to lie in the same bed with him for a short period of time.
Gu Wangxi said disappointedly: "Okay, I'll go pack your luggage for the business trip."
Bei Bitang, looking like a typical househusband, smiled and hooked his finger at Gu Wangxi, saying softly, "Don't worry, come here, I'll show you a picture of Anna when she was little."
She only showed Gu Wangxi a few photos of her daughter, but in fact she had four thick photo albums of her daughter.
Bei Bitang entered the study, opened the drawer, and came out holding four photo albums. She flipped through them in chronological order, starting with the first one. On some of the photos were written the time, place, and event in black ink.
But most of them didn't, because Bei Bitang kept everything about her daughter in her heart and remembered everything clearly, so she told Gu Wangxi about it.
This is when, where, and what Anna was doing when the photo was taken.
Most of the photos are solo photos of Anna, photos of mother and daughter, and some photos of friends.
Anna, from a baby in swaddling clothes, slowly learned to roll over, sit up, walk, talk, and go to school... Gu Wangxi looked at the pictures one by one with a focused expression.
There are usually both men and women taking photos with mother and daughter, but when Gu Wangxi turned the page, his fingers suddenly stopped.
Twenty-six-year-old Bei Bitang stood in front of Cologne Cathedral, next to a refined foreign man in his early thirties. He held Anna in his arms and smiled at the camera. If you didn't look closely at Anna's eyes and hair color, you would have mistaken this photo for a family of three.
Bei Bitang saw the photo, glanced at Gu Wangxi's somewhat unpleasant expression, and said slowly, "This is an uncle that Anna is very close to."
If she had gotten together with John back then, there would have been no chance for Gu Wangxi.
She and John were compatible in every way. He worked in the banking industry. When they were about to make things clear and officially start dating, John suddenly had to go to a work appointment. Neither she nor John wanted to have an overseas relationship, so the matter of dating was never mentioned again.
Gu Wangxi let out a long "Oh" and couldn't help but ask pettily, "Who is he?"
Bei Bitang said calmly, "No one. You wouldn't know him even if I told you. I'll introduce you two to each other if we have a chance to meet in the future."
Meeting again? Gu Wangxi gritted his teeth secretly and turned to the next page with a bit of a big movement.
Bei Bitang said with a smile, "I didn't bother with you, but you did. But someone told you that he was flirting with a young girl in Beijing, acting very intimate."
Gu Wangxi's eyes widened, his expression as if he had been wronged. He hurriedly explained, "How could I? I am a chaste woman, innocent!"
Bei Bitang would not disbelieve her friend's words. If her friend had not seen it with her own eyes, she would not have waded into the muddy water and come to remind her.
Bei Bitang looked at Gu Wangxi with a smile in her eyes and said, "Think about it carefully."
Gu Wangxi was silent for a while, then slapped his head and said regretfully, "Yes, but she is Huo Shixun's biological sister. I regard her as my sister. She was in a bad mood and drank a lot in broad daylight. I can't just ignore her."
Bei Bitang knew that Gu Wangxi was only half-truthful. She smiled, shrugged, and said, "I understand, that's why I never asked you. I heard she's getting engaged, so you're definitely going to her engagement ceremony, right? Take me with you, so I can watch the fun too."
Gu Wangxi raised his eyebrows and smiled, then said complacently, "Are you jealous?"
Bei Bitang did not refute, but smiled and said, "As long as you are happy, it's up to you what you think."
She could not forget the woman whose bold colors looked like a Western painting and she wanted to make friends.
Gu Wangxi slapped his thigh and said firmly: "You must be jealous! Don't worry, you are the only one in my heart!"
Bei Bitang nodded perfunctorily and said casually: "Yeah, yeah, I'm jealous."
After looking at the photos, Gu Wangxi packed Bei Bitang's luggage for her business trip. Anna just woke up from her nap, so Bei Bitang went to the piano room to watch her daughter practice. The two of them were in the same room, but they were both busy.
Gu Wangxi also cooked dinner. Although Bei Bitang and Anna did not praise his cooking skills, the mother and daughter ate a little more than usual, which showed that Gu Wangxi was a good cook.
Hu Fener also joked that she was going to be unemployed.
After dinner, Bei Bitang prepared to go to the airport. She stood in the hallway, bent down, touched her daughter's face, and said gently, "Baby, Mommy will be back in three days. Uncle will take me to the plane, and then he will go home to be with you."
Many children in the kindergarten have recently contracted the flu, so Bei Bitang asked for a few days off for her daughter and will let her go back to school after this wave of flu is over.
Originally, Bei Bitang wanted Wei Bili to come and see her daughter from time to time. Now that Gu Wangxi was there, Bei Bitang felt at ease to leave her daughter to him and did not call Wei Bili.
Anna waved understandingly and said, "Mom, bye. Remember to call Anna. Uncle, drive slowly and be careful."
Bei Bitang was reluctant to leave her daughter. She hardened her heart and said with pursed lips:
"good."
Gu Wangxi stood aside, carrying a suitcase, and said to ease the atmosphere: "Anna, do you want to eat sugar-roasted chestnuts? When your uncle comes back later, I will buy you a bag of sweet sugar-roasted chestnuts, okay?"
An hour later, Gu Wangxi returned with some sugar-roasted chestnuts. He disinfected himself before walking into the children's room. He gently said to Anna, who was sitting at the desk, "Anna, look, what did your uncle bring you?"
Anna turned her head and looked at him quietly, her eyes full of scrutiny.
Gu Wangxi said awkwardly, "Anna is angry. Is uncle back late?"
Anna stretched out a palm, breaking off her little fingers one by one, and said crisply: "Once, twice, three times... Including this time, it's six times in total. Mom never lets any uncle take care of me, even with the invited aunt. Uncle Gu, you are my father, right?"
After saying that, Anna looked at Gu Wangxi with her clear eyes that saw through everything, and Gu Wangxi was stunned.
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