Chapter 158: Extra Chapter: Five Years Missed (6)
This year’s New Year’s Eve is particularly cold.
In the dark night, a black Maybach stopped outside the cemetery. Xie Peizhou, wearing a long black windbreaker, opened the car door and walked towards the cemetery step by step under the cold light of the street lamp.
He held the offering in his hands.
According to the agreement between him and Wen Ci, Wen Ci will not return to China in the next three years.
Naturally, it is impossible to pay homage to the parents buried in the cemetery.
Xie Peizhou used his gloves to sweep the snow on the tombstone of Xuewen Zhenghua and his wife, put down the small wrinkled chrysanthemum and the offerings one by one, and whispered: "Brother and sister-in-law, it's the New Year, I came to see you."
"Wen Ci is in Washington this year and won't be back for the New Year. Don't miss her too much."
"I'm so sorry. I failed to live up to your trust and didn't take good care of Xiaoci. I let her develop the wrong feelings for me. And it happened on my birthday half a year ago..."
Xie Peizhou's eyes were filled with remorse and apology as he knelt on one knee in front of the tombstone. "Brother and sister-in-law, I swear, I will spend my whole life making up for this mistake. She is still so young, this mistake will not become a stumbling block to her happy life. I will take good care of her and help her return to health."
The night is dark and the winter wind is particularly cold.
Xie Peizhou was alone in front of the tombstone, muttering to himself.
He looked up, his dark eyes gazing at the twinkling stars in the night sky, and Wen Ci's cold and stubborn little face appeared before his eyes again.
There is a 12-hour time difference between Washington and Beijing.
At this time, Wen Ci should be having breakfast in her apartment in Washington, right?
I don't know if her twisted feelings for him have faded.
When Wen Ci first went abroad, he arranged for a housekeeper to take care of her daily life, but since Xie Yiyi passed away, the housekeeper was dismissed and the two sisters lived together.
He never contacted her in the past six months.
Even when he spoke to Xie Yiyi, he would never mention her or talk to her. He could only guess at her life situation based on Xie Yiyi's living conditions.
However, Xie Yiyi has been doing very well in the past six months. He is always in high spirits every time we call or video chat.
Xie Peizhou thought that Wen Ci must be doing okay.
“Zizi—”
The phone vibrated in my pocket.
It was Miss Cao, who I had dinner with tonight. [Peizhou, thank you for treating me to dinner tonight. Are you free tomorrow afternoon? Do you want to go to the movies together?]
Xie Peizhou: [Sorry, Miss Cao, it's been a pleasure chatting with you, but I don't think we're suitable to be lifelong partners. I wish you the best and hope you can find a better partner.]
After the message was sent, the other party was silent for a moment. "What do you think is incompatible? Our families are well-matched, our personalities and hobbies are similar, and we get along very well. Uncle Xie said that I completely meet your criteria for a partner. What makes you think we're not suitable? Or do you already have someone you like?"
Xie Peizhou looked at the question sent by the other party.
Indeed, Cao Ying almost completely fits his ideal image of a wife.
They are gentle, well-educated, of similar age, and well-matched. They also have similar hobbies and interests and can talk to each other.
They had a very pleasant conversation at the dinner tonight.
He couldn't find any fault with Cao Ying.
But he just wasn't interested in Cao Ying.
Intuitively, I don't love her and don't want to marry her and spend the rest of my life with her.
Cao Ying's question also made him stunned for a moment, and the cold wind blew his eyelashes.
He asked himself, what are his criteria for choosing a partner?
What kind of wife does he want?
Xie Peizhou still hadn't found the answer until he returned to Xie's house late at night.
When he returned home, Mr. Xie had already learned from the woman that the two of them had failed to reach an agreement.
The old man looked at him while leaning on his cane, shook his head and sighed, "Why don't you like her? What kind of girl do you want to marry and have children with?"
"Where did you go after dinner? Why did you come back so late?"
Xie Peizhou took off his windbreaker and replied, "I stopped by the cemetery to visit Xiaoci's parents."
Mr. Xie took over the conversation, "Speaking of Xiaoci, Yiyi came back tonight, and I even spoke to Xiaoci."
Xie Peizhou's breathing tightened, his tone remained calm, but his ears pricked up, "Really?"
Old Master Xie said with pity, "Look at the video, the little girl's chin is so pointed. It's all your fault. You insisted on arranging for her to study abroad in Washington, D.C. It's so far away, but you don't feel sorry for her at all. If you don't miss her, the Xie family can support her. Wouldn't it be better for her to go to college in Beijing?"
Xie Peizhou pursed his lips and said, "I'll go upstairs first, Dad, you should get some rest early."
Mr. Xie sighed.
He leaned on his cane and shook his head again.
Upstairs, Xie Peizhou came out of the bedroom after taking a shower, and all he could think about was his father's words, "The little girl's chin has become pointed. It's all your fault. You insisted on arranging for her to study abroad in Washington."
Xie Peizhou looked at the family photo on the bedside table. When this photo was taken, Wen Ci was only sixteen years old.
The face is oval in shape, a little pointed, but not too thin.
Xie Peizhou pinched his brows when he thought of her sudden "crazy display of love" half a year ago.
He always felt that he only treated Wen Ci as a junior and a child.
Therefore, he would never develop any romantic feelings for Wen Ci, even though there was no blood relationship between them, only family affection.
But that night, Wen Ci appeared in his dream again.
The chin is pointed.
She has a thin and slender figure.
Her small hands clasped his shoulders and her soft lips covered his ears.
"Xie Peizhou, I am already your woman, you can only marry me."
He suddenly woke up, his heartbeat was disordered and his face was flushed.
He slapped himself twice in embarrassment.
I lifted the quilt and went to the bathroom.
But even so, he didn't dare to tear off the thin veil and face the desire for Wen Ci deep in his heart.
Reason was like the cold shower water on his head, reminding him to stay awake again and again.
Wen Ci didn't love him, she was just too young to tell the difference between love and dependence.
When she grows up and meets someone of the same age whom she truly loves, she will regret it and hate him.
His personality, the years of upbringing he received from the Xie family, and the kindness shown to him by Wen Zhenghua and his wife would not allow him to drag Wen Ci to hell.
But Xie Peizhou still didn't understand that the principle of "everything will turn into its opposite when it reaches its extreme" also applies to emotions.
The more restraint there is, the stronger the love becomes.
For the next four long years, he struggled in the sea of longing every minute.
It was not until four years later, when Wen Ci returned to China, that he understood a truth - the sea of suffering has no end.
It is never too late to turn back.
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