Chapter 31 31 Longing in My Heart
The moment Sophia mentioned Gu Zhaoqian, He Peiru already knew the answer.
Normally, when Gu Zhaoqian was in front of her, he never did anything out of line, let alone anything excessive.
She never imagined that he would quietly cover her with a thin blanket after she had fallen asleep without her noticing.
As He Peiru accepted this reality, her memories returned, and she picked up her phone to send a message to Fang Xiaoxin.
He Peiru: [Xin Xin, I accidentally fell asleep just now.]
Fang Xiaoxin: [I knew it. When you didn't answer me, I thought you were busy.]
She calculated the time it took to talk to Fang Xiaoxin and couldn't help but worry whether Gu Zhaoqian had overheard their conversation.
If the topic is still related to the thesis, that's fine. But what if Fang Xiaoxin suddenly gets interested and brings up other things?
He Peiru: [Did you hear any other voices just now?]
Fang Xiaoxin: [No!]
He Peiru: [That's good.]
She let out a heavy breath.
This incident made it difficult for her to concentrate on preparing her thesis, and with little time left before dinner, she decided to leave the study now.
He Peiru had just opened the study door when she saw Jiang Yici coming in from outside. She said, "Uncle? Did you come home earlier than usual today?"
Jiang Yici knew that she was preparing her thesis in the study, and that it was purely coincidental that she asked Gu Zhaoqian to go to the study to get the documents. As for whether anything had happened, he did not intend to ask.
He nodded and replied, "I finished work early today, so I came back to tell you that your grandmother's birthday is coming up soon. This year, we're just planning a family dinner and will simply invite some close relatives and friends."
These were mostly Zheng Wanqiao's own ideas, and He Peiru simply followed them.
However, she could never shake off the presence of Gu Zhaoqian in her mind.
Since Jiang Yici said he was inviting close friends and family, he must be on the list.
He Peiru knew that Gu Zhaoqian's relationship with the Jiang family was such that they were destined to meet frequently, giving her no chance to escape.
Reality was forcing her to confront it.
But that's not the point.
He Peiru quickly came to her senses and asked Jiang Yici, "What kind of gift should I prepare for my mother-in-law?"
Jiang Yici was pleased to see her taking the initiative to seek advice, and he reaffirmed that she could do many things very well without him having to explain them clearly.
Perhaps because she was so easy to deal with, he couldn't understand her thoughts at all when it came to matters related to her and Gu Zhaoqian.
Jiang Yici smiled and replied, "I won't make the decision for you, but I think she'll like whatever you give her."
"Okay, I'll think about it myself."
This was, after all, her first birthday with Zheng Wanqiao since returning to the Jiang family, and she wasn't sure what gift would be most appropriate.
Fortunately, there are still about two weeks left, giving He Peiru relatively ample time to prepare.
My first thought was of the auction she attended last time; her first choice was still jade jewelry.
Although she seemed to have plenty of time, she could only choose ready-made products available on the market; if she wanted to customize something, there simply wasn't enough time.
However, the field of jade is almost a blind spot for her.
She could have asked Gu Zhaoqian for help before, but now she simply can't do that calmly, so she has to think of other ways.
He Peiru: [Besides auction houses, do you know where else you can find similar jade jewelry?]
She could only start with Fang Xiaoxin; if that didn't work, she would have to ask Jiang Yici for help.
Not every auction offers the chance to find jewelry you like. Even if He Peiru makes the most of her time to visit the auction house's preview, it's not always a coincidence that the auction is about to start.
Fang Xiaoxin: [What is it used for?]
He Peiru: [My grandmother's birthday is coming up, and I'd like to pick out a birthday present for her.]
Fang Xiaoxin: [I thought you would ask Gu Zhaoqian for help with something like this.]
Fang Xiaoxin: [Or is it because that person appeared that you feel this is inappropriate?]
He Peiru: [That's roughly the idea, but I don't think it's very good.]
Fang Xiaoxin: [...Have you forgotten that I studied jewelry design?]
He Peiru: [...]
He Peiru: [I can't recall it right now...]
She could only assume that Gu Zhaoqian's appearance made her forget the contents of the phone call.
Fortunately, Fang Xiaoxin assumed that she had forgotten because she was confused and didn't mind.
Fang Xiaoxin: [It's okay, I'm free this Saturday and Sunday, I can go with you.]
Fang Xiaoxin: [If you'd like to choose jade jewelry, I can arrange it through a contact person.]
He Peiru: [That's great! Any day is fine with me, whichever is convenient for you.]
Fang Xiaoxin: [Okay, I'll let you know after I've made the arrangements.]
Since she can ask other people for help, she doesn't have to rely on Gu Zhaoqian for everything.
Sunday.
Fang Xiaoxin directly sent the Fang family's driver to pick up He Peiru.
She had barely gotten into the car when Fang Xiaoxin began to chatter on and on: "We're going to a private jewelry store now."
This was a relatively unfamiliar place for He Peiru, but she knew that it was precisely in such places that it was easier to find suitable styles.
She didn't hold back and said frankly, "I've never been to a private jewelry store before. I know such places exist, but this is my first time."
She continued, "Xin Xin, you've really been a great help."
Fang Xiaoxin smiled shyly, a rare occurrence, and said, "We can take our time to choose. It would be great if it could help you."
He then added, "Sometimes you'll run into a lot of people from your circle at that private jewelry store, which indirectly shows that people really appreciate it there."
He Peiru felt a hint of anticipation growing within her.
The drive from Repulse Bay to that private jewelry store takes less than twenty minutes.
Fang Xiaoxin had contacted the person in charge of the liaison in advance, and as soon as they got out of the car, an employee came up to lead them upstairs.
Fang Xiaoxin had visited quite a few times, and asked familiarly, "Have you received a new batch of goods these past few days?"
The employee walking in front nodded and replied, "This new batch of jewelry is of excellent quality and comes in a wide variety. I'm sure you two ladies will find the style you're looking for."
This confidence made He Peiru eager to see the jewelry immediately.
It would be wonderful if Zheng Wanqiao could find someone suitable for her.
Although it's a private jewelry store, once you go up to the second floor, the number of employees alone is comparable to that of an auction house.
Not to mention there were so many display cases that she couldn't count them all in an instant.
This place is comparable in size to a small auction house.
Thanks to Fang Xiaoxin for leading the way.
If she were alone, she would never have known that such a place was hidden in the bustling streets.
While He Peiru was still sighing, Fang Xiaoxin spoke up for her, saying, "We'd like to see some jade."
The jewelry store employee, understanding the situation, replied, "The majority of the new arrivals are jade jewelry; you two are welcome to take a look."
The thought of Zheng Wanqiao having many jade bracelets made He Peiru more inclined to choose other jade jewelry, fearing that the jade bracelet she picked would be far inferior to the ones Zheng Wanqiao already owned.
If she chooses other jewelry, Zheng Wanqiao will wear it occasionally as well.
They were quickly led to a display case filled with jade jewelry.
Besides bracelets, it also has earrings, necklaces and other jewelry.
Without exception, these jade pieces are so translucent that you can see them even through the glass.
However, in terms of value, there are very few that can rival a bracelet.
He Peiru glanced at it briefly, then turned to Fang Xiaoxin and asked, "Which position of the jewelry do you think would be better?"
"I think you should just choose what you like." Fang Xiaoxin found it difficult to make a decision for her and could only express her thoughts: "For your grandmother, the most important thing is definitely the sentiment."
He Peiru could understand her point of view, but she hesitated: "But if it's not appropriate, it seems like it doesn't make much sense."
There were quite a few styles in the display case that caught her eye, but after looking at many pieces of jewelry other than bracelets, she still couldn't find one that truly met her expectations.
He Peiru frowned, then had the jewelry store staff bring out the bracelets that took up the most space, muttering, "Looks like I'd better choose a bracelet."
“I think so too.” Fang Xiaoxin changed her mind and agreed, “I feel that other jewelry is more or less not grand enough.”
She replied, "Yes, that's the feeling."
He Peiru first filtered out the jade bracelets that she was not satisfied with.
For example, if a ring of diamonds is added to a piece of jade as decoration, a layman might think it's just an embellishment, but it's often used to cover up flaws.
She wanted to choose a jade bracelet that was one in a million and impeccable.
"The more complete the cut of a jadeite, the more valuable it becomes. If you want something grand, choose a bangle."
A familiar voice suddenly came to my ears.
He Peiru mustered her courage and turned around, a name already appearing in her mind.
Despite her hope that it was an illusion, the reality still shocked her.
She never imagined she would run into Gu Zhaoqian here.
With Fang Xiaoxin by her side, even if He Peiru had other reactions, she didn't dare to show them too obviously.
"Brother Qian." She decided to take the initiative, trying to appear as normal as possible, "What are you doing here?"
"Pick a birthday present for your grandma," he replied. "What about you?"
He Peiru felt that even in a script, the relationship between her and Gu Zhaoqian might not have reached this point, and she was at a loss for words.
She replied somewhat blankly, "...Me too."
She had deliberately avoided contacting Gu Zhaoqian, yet they both happened to arrive at the same private auction house at the same time.
Not only did we run into each other, but it was also for the same reason.
It's not enough to simply describe her feelings at this moment as a mixture of emotions.
The employee who led Gu Zhaoqian in spoke up at this moment, saying, "Mr. Gu is also here to look at jade jewelry."
He Peiru noticed that the man's gaze had fallen on the bracelets in the glass display case, and then he turned to her and asked, "Would you mind if I helped you choose some?"
The unexpected politeness startled her. Not forgetting that Fang Xiaoxin was still beside her, she quickly shook her head and said, "Thank you for your help."
Gu Zhaoqian's movements didn't change much. After observing carefully, he quickly made a decision: "I think both of them are good."
He pointed casually, but He Peiru knew how much confidence was behind it.
She followed the man's gaze downwards. Apart from their naturally different colors and sizes, both bracelets were imperial green jadeite bracelets, and at a glance, they were clearly more translucent than the other bracelets.
Without further hesitation, He Peiru chose the larger bracelet and said, "This one will do."
Upon hearing the sound, the auction house staff immediately picked it up, inspected it, and prepared to pack it.
Gu Zhaoqian looked at her again and asked, "Are you going anywhere else next?"
She nodded and asked, "What's wrong?"
He replied, "Have the auction house staff send it back to the Jiang family for you."
Even if you can leave it in the car, if you don't take enough precautions, it's inevitable that it will get bumped or scratched.
It would be better to do as Gu Zhaoqian suggested.
He Peiru nodded as if in agreement, and then thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Brother Qian."
Gu Zhaoqian nodded: "You're too kind."
Having already chosen the jade bracelet, and with Gu Zhaoqian here, He Peiru just wanted to leave as soon as possible.
She turned her head and said softly to Fang Xiaoxin, "Shall we go?"
"Okay." Fang Xiaoxin nodded, seemingly puzzled. "I'm hungry anyway."
When He Peiru looked at Gu Zhaoqian, her expression inevitably froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered and said, "Then we'll be going now."
"Hmm," he replied with a single word, his face revealing no emotion.
Emerging from the auction house, Fang Xiaoxin was finally relieved that no one would overhear their conversation. She sighed softly, "Gu Zhaoqian is clearly of the same generation as us, but why do I feel such a strong sense of pressure in his presence..."
He Peiru smiled but did not respond.
Fang Xiaoxin looked over again and boldly asked, "I'm a little curious!"
She suddenly lowered her voice: "How does that person you're talking about compare to Gu Zhaoqian?"
This question startled He Peiru, who dared not show any sign of being stumped, and answered vaguely, "Maybe...more or less."
She was terrified that she might accidentally reveal the truth.
Before resolving her relationship with Gu Zhaoqian, He Peiru did not intend to let Fang Xiaoxin know more.
Fortunately, Fang Xiaoxin remained very sensible and did not press the issue further as their relationship grew closer.
She smiled knowingly and said, "No wonder you've been thinking about me so much."
What you've been longing for?
He Peiru thought the word described it well, but reality was beyond her expectations.
She chuckled and said, "Didn't you say you were hungry? Let's go have dinner. It's on me tonight."
"good!"
Fang Xiaoxin pulled her into the car.
He Peiru managed to relax.
In the end, she still ended up getting involved with Gu Zhaoqian again.
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Author's Note: There will be a random giveaway of red envelopes in this chapter. Thank you everyone for your support!
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