Chapter 45
“Your son has a very good temper, and he’s smart and adorable.” Yu Shi adjusted his position to make Chen Zui on his back more comfortable. “You’ve raised him very well.”
Li Chian laughed, "He's been a very easy friend since we were kids."
“Then you must have given him a lot of love.” Yu Shi’s voice was especially gentle in the night breeze.
These words flowed into Li Chi'an's heart like a warm current.
As they approached the entrance to the residential area, Yu Shi suddenly asked, "When are you planning to go skydiving?"
"I need to confirm this with my friends."
“Okay, let me know when you’re sure. If you want to go to Dubai, I’ll help you make contact. I know the coach there; he’s very professional.”
"How far in advance can we do it at the earliest?"
"A month would be ideal, of course."
"Okay." Whenever there was something that troubled me, the other party always managed to arrange it properly. "Thank you for taking such good care of me. I don't know how to thank you enough."
"Your happiness and your enjoyment are the best rewards for me," Yu Shi said with a smile. "Don't feel pressured; these things are very simple for me."
This sentence seemed to have a double meaning. Li Chi'an couldn't help but glance at him, but only saw the resolute profile of his face in the dim light under the streetlight.
Upon arriving at his doorstep, Li Chi'an prepared to wake Chen Zui.
Yu Shi gently stopped him, "He's asleep, don't wake him. I'll carry him inside."
Li Chi'an raised his hand to check the time on his wristwatch. It was almost ten o'clock. He didn't know how long it would take to get his son back to sleep after waking him up.
"Then could you please carry him to the bed?" She opened the door and pulled a new pair of women's slippers from the drawer. "I'm sorry, we don't have any men's slippers."
"It's nothing." Yu Shi smiled, took off his shoes, and put on the off-white women's slippers that Li Chi'an had given him.
The shoes were too small; most of his heels were off the ground, yet he walked steadily while holding Chen Zui.
Without looking around, I still took in the layout of the house. It had a fresh and clean color scheme, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance of eucalyptus and lemon essential oil, which was refreshing and invigorating.
Soon, Yu Shi carried the child to the little guy's room. In order not to stimulate his son's eyes, Li Chi'an turned on a small lamp and lifted the blue quilt with the universe planet printed on it.
Without Li Chi'an even having to say anything, he gently placed Chen Zui on the bed.
Chen's youngest child was sleeping soundly, and the two quickly left his small room.
The living room was lit with warm, bright lights. Yu Shi stood beside him, as steady and calm as a mountain, which made Li Chi'an feel a sense of warmth and security. "I'll go get you a glass of water."
"No need," Yu Shi said with a smile, stopping Li Chi'an. "I've had enough to eat and drink just now."
Li Chi'an knew that he was just looking for an excuse to ease the slight unease in their relationship.
"I'll go back first, you get some rest." Yu Shi seemed to see through her thoughts and said softly, "See you at the gym next time? I can continue to guide your training."
"Okay, see you then." Yu Shi's thoughtfulness made Li Chi'an feel relaxed.
She escorted the other person directly to the elevator, and when she returned, the door next door had been opened from the inside.
Neighbor Ms. Liu looked at Li Chi'an with a smile, "What a handsome guy!"
Li Chi'an chuckled and said, "He's just a friend. My son was asleep just now, so I asked him to help carry him up."
She hadn't expected that the other party would happen to see Yu Shi come to her house so coincidentally; she hadn't noticed at all.
"OK, OK!" The other person wasn't one to meddle. After a brief chat with Li Chi'an, he winked and took the trash downstairs to throw it away.
Li Chi'an did not miss the gossipy look in the other person's eyes as they left.
He patted his forehead and secretly decided that he shouldn't let Yu Shi come to his house anymore; he was too attractive.
After entering the room, Li Chi'an took her clothes to the bathroom. The warm water cascaded over her body, but she couldn't calm down for a long time.
Yu Shi's appearance was like a ray of light shining into her peaceful life, stirring up ripples.
I don't know if it's good or bad.
She sighed deeply, then closed her eyes and immersed herself in the warm water.
As Li Chi'an emerged from the bathroom and settled onto the sofa, his phone lit up with a message from Yu Shi: "Arrived home. Had a great evening. Attached: Gym instructions have been sent to your email."
Wow, that was fast!
Li Chi'an was extremely surprised, but quickly replied, "Thank you, we also had a very happy night. Good night."
...
Gao Yinxi checked her makeup one last time in front of the mirror.
Her long hair was pulled back, revealing her round and full forehead and head, as well as her delicate and beautiful face. The diamond earrings perfectly complemented her graceful neck.
She chose a light pink silk dress, which was neither too flashy nor too dignified. Today was Yuan Ergeng's cousin's wedding, and she was to appear in front of all of Yuan Ergeng's relatives and friends as Yuan Ergeng's girlfriend.
"Yinxi, are you ready?" Yuan Ergeng pushed the door open and came in, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and gently resting his chin on her shoulder.
He wore a gray suit and a pink tie today, and he looked stylish and dashing.
"That's about it." Gao Yinxi turned around and straightened his tie. "It's your cousin's wedding; I have to make you look good, right?"
Yuan Ergeng smiled and kissed the top of her head, "You always make me proud. Let's go, we'll be late if we don't leave now."
In the car, Gao Yinxi was casually scrolling through her phone when she suddenly remembered something and asked, "Are your parents going today too? Will they arrive early?"
Yuan Ergeng's hands on his knees tightened slightly, a subtle movement that did not escape Gao Yinxi's notice.
"They'll go, they've probably already arrived." He said casually, but Gao Yinxi felt that something was off.
The wedding venue was chosen to be the banquet hall of a well-known five-star hotel.
When Gao Yinxi walked into the venue arm in arm with Yuan Ergeng, she was amazed by the decorations in front of her.
Crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling shone brightly, and each table was decorated with exquisite flowers. The huge screen in the center of the stage played the newlyweds' wedding photos on a loop.
"Brother Ergeng!" A young woman in a light purple dress walked quickly toward them, the "bridesmaid" corsage pinned to her chest indicating her identity.
She is Yuan Ergeng's other cousin, Yuan Xiao.
"Xiaoxiao, you look so beautiful today!" Yuan Er praised Yuan Xiao. "Where's Ahua?"
Ahua is the bride getting married today. She is another cousin of Yuan Ergeng. Her family runs a seafood wholesale business and is well-off, but not extremely wealthy. She is marrying the son of a well-known hotel owner in Xianghai City. This son's family business is famous throughout Guangdong Province, with assets of billions.
Therefore, this cousin has married very well, and many of Yuan's relatives will be present to witness the ceremony today.
"I'm touching up my makeup backstage, I'm so nervous." Yuan Xiao smiled and turned to Gao Yinxi, "Sister Yinxi, it's so good that you could come. My brother is so lucky to have found such a beautiful and capable girlfriend like you."
The entire Yuan family knew Gao Yinxi's name.
However, she wasn't very close to the Yuan family. Occasionally, when she met members of the Yuan family at business events, Yuan Er would introduce them to each other.
The Yuan family, from top to bottom, treated Gao Yinxi with courtesy.
Gao Yinxi accepted the compliment with a smile.
Just as they were exchanging pleasantries, Gao Yinxi's gaze suddenly fixed on the entrance to the banquet hall.
Her smile froze instantly, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on Yuan Ergeng's arm.
Yuan Er followed her gaze and his expression immediately became somewhat unnatural.
At the entrance, Mr. and Mrs. Yuan, both dressed in new clothes, walked in. Mrs. Yuan was wearing gorgeous, sparkling, fluorescent jewelry, which was not unusual.
Surprisingly, the people accompanying them were not any relatives, but Yuan Ergeng's ex-wife Meng Wan and their six-year-old son Yuan Lang.
The little boy was wearing a suit and a bow tie, holding his grandmother's hand in one hand and Meng Wan's hand in the other. They looked like a harmonious family.
Gao Yinxi felt a surge of heat rush to her head. She released Yuan Ergeng's arm, her voice icy cold, "What does your family mean by this?"
Yuan Ergeng was clearly caught off guard as well, "I, I didn't know they would come together..."
"You didn't know?" Gao Yinxi sneered. "Your ex-wife, your parents, and your son all showed up at your cousin's wedding, and you didn't know?"
Yuan Xiao hadn't left yet when she saw Gao Yinxi's expression change. She quickly tried to smooth things over, "Sister Yinxi, it might be a coincidence. Sister Meng Wan and Ahua are also friends, so they must have invited her too. That's why she came with Uncle and the others."
Gao Yinxi shook off Yuan Ergeng's hand, completely ignoring Yuan Xiao, and stared straight at him, "So you knew she would come all along?"
Yuan Er sighed, "Ahua did invite Meng Wan, but I didn't expect her to come with my parents..."
Gao Yinxi felt her cheeks burning and her heart pounding in her chest.
She watched as the "family" walked in, chatting and laughing. Meng Wan even affectionately linked arms with Yuan's mother, a display of intimacy that made her feel both stung and disgusted.
"Your family can go, but you can't let me and Meng Wan appear together. What kind of nonsense is this?" Gao Yinxi lowered her voice, but every word was as sharp as an icicle. "What is her identity? What is my identity?"
Yuan Er tried to take her hand, "Yinxi, calm down, it's just a coincidence. Ahua wanted her family to come, and Meng Wan is a friend of hers, so she invited them all, and they happened to be bringing their children..."
"Coincidence?" Gao Yinxi shook off his hand. "Yuan Ergeng, are you really stupid or pretending? This is blatant disrespect! On a occasion like today, your ex-wife showed up with your son and your parents, and I'm with you. What does this mean? In your family's eyes, she's still your wife, isn't she? What? Young Master, do you want to take a concubine or a secondary wife?!"
"Xixi, don't say such hurtful things."
Gao Yinxi was the one who upset her, and she showed her temper on the spot, not wanting to give Yuan Ergeng any face at all.
Their argument has already attracted the attention of some guests.
As the four approached, Mother Yuan seemed to sense the tense atmosphere. She said something to Meng Wan and then walked towards Gao Yinxi and Yuan Ergeng.
"Yinxi's here." Yuan's mother greeted her with a beaming smile, seemingly unaware of anything amiss. "You look so pretty in that pink dress today."
Gao Yinxi forced a smile and said, "Hello, Auntie."
Her gaze passed over Yuan's mother and fell on Meng Wan, who was squatting down to straighten Yuan Lang's collar. The sight was jarring.
After greeting Yuan's mother, Gao Yinxi stopped talking to her and continued to glare at Yuan Ergeng.
Yuan Ergeng pulled his mother aside and whispered something to her.
Gao Yinxi saw Yuan's mother's expression change from confusion to understanding, and finally to an apologetic look.
Just then, Meng Wan led Yuan Lang over.
The little boy saw his father and excitedly shouted, "Dad!"
Yuan Ergeng bent down, picked up his son, and kissed his cheek. "Langlang looks really handsome today."
"These are new clothes that Mom took me to buy." Yuan Lang hugged her father, her smile bright.
Meng Wan stood to the side, smiling as she looked at Gao Yinxi, "Miss Gao, it's been a long time."
Gao Yinxi nodded expressionlessly.
She noticed that Meng Wan was wearing a light blue dress today. The style was simple but the cut was appropriate, which made her look gentle and virtuous.
Damn it, I'm even angrier now.
"Sister Meng Wan is the groom's college classmate, so she was also invited," Yuan Xiao explained again, gripping her phone tightly, seemingly trying to ease the tension.
Gao Yinxi didn't buy it at all, "So it's just a coincidence that you came with your uncle and aunt?"
Meng Wan sighed softly, "Miss Gao, please don't misunderstand. We just happened to run into your aunt and uncle on the way here, so we came in together. I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable."
Mother Yuan chimed in, "Yes, Yinxi, it was just a coincidence. Wanwan and Ahua are good friends, so it's normal for them to come to the wedding."
"Wanwan?" Gao Yinxi caught the affectionate address, and the fire in her heart rose even higher.
Even after so many years of divorce, the Yuan family still affectionately calls his ex-wife "Wanwan". It's fine to call her that in private, but why do they call her that in front of her now?
Doesn't she have any pride?
Gao Yinxi's face remained cold, and her expression did not improve despite the explanations from Yuan's mother and Meng Wan.
She didn't even believe that Meng Wan and Yuan's parents had met by chance. They all lived in the same neighborhood, so they were most likely in the same car and had arranged to come together.
Yuan Ergeng spent a while being affectionate with his son, then wanted to put him down and let him go find his mother.
But Yuan Lang hugged him even tighter. "No, Dad, sit with us. I haven't seen you in so long. I miss you."
Yuan Lang, an eight-year-old boy, didn't want to let go, and Yuan Er couldn't tear him off even if he tried. Besides, he couldn't bear to use force on his son.
All I could do was patiently coax him, "Dad really has something to do today. You can go with Mom and Grandpa and Grandma, okay? Next time, you said you wanted to go to Ocean Park, right? I'll take you."
"No, no, I want to be with you today." Yuan Lang was spoiled by his grandparents and maternal grandparents at home, and he was so stubborn that he didn't care about the occasion, which made Yuan Er even more embarrassed.
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