Car accident
The "New Year's goods" piled up in the trunk refreshed Wen Dai's understanding of New Year's goods.
From a full set of skincare products to lipstick gift sets, even the saffron and bird's nest gift sets squeezed into a corner looked pitiful.
Her incredulous gaze slowly shifted to the man standing to the side, who seemed completely unconcerned. She turned her head, looked at Chen Sizhe with his arms crossed, and pointed to the gifts in the trunk. "For me?"
The man remained indifferent, his raised chin not moving an inch, and a sound escaped from his nose: "Hmm."
Snowflakes fell on his dark coat, sharing a pristine whiteness with his skin beneath his black hair. For the first time, Wen Dai felt he possessed a refined and gentlemanly air.
"I misunderstood you before, Chen Sizhe. I didn't expect you to be so human." Wen Dai rested her hand on her chin, her gaze reluctant to leave the rows of gift boxes. She hardened her heart, turned her head away, and said, "Thank you, but I don't have money to prepare the New Year's gifts for you, so you should take them back to your aunt."
If Chen Sizhe were to take these gifts, which had been approved by Qi Ya, back untouched, another farce would likely erupt at home.
Without hesitation, he refused: "Take it if you want it, you don't need to return it." In case Wen Dai went upstairs and ignored him, he reached in and took all the gift boxes out of the trunk.
Chen Sizhe gestured with his chin toward the building entrance, his eyelids drooping, his gaze always giving off a disdainful feeling. "Let's go."
Wen Dai, who was staring at him, shrank back, her strange gaze lingering on Chen Sizhe. She took two steps back and said suspiciously, "You wouldn't happen to have designs on me, would you, Chen Sizhe? Let me tell you, I won't stoop to such a lowly position for a pittance. Even though you're very rich, I won't like you. Forget about it."
Chen Sizhe flicked his tongue against his back teeth, then turned his face away, his gaze falling on Wen Dai with disdain. A cold laugh escaped his throat: "Wen Dai, you're being far too sensitive. Do you rarely interact with men? Giving you a New Year's gift is somehow related to liking you. Isn't it normal to give a New Year's gift to a business partner you've worked with for so long out of politeness? I haven't changed my gift-giving habits. Don't you think this behavior is disrespectful to the other person?"
Surprisingly, Wen Dai didn't immediately retaliate after being reprimanded. She lowered her head, twisting her hands together, and a hint of guilt appeared in her peach blossom eyes beneath her slightly furrowed brows. "Hmm... what you said seems to make sense. It was indeed quite disrespectful to the other person, making them feel like they were leftovers. Okay, it's my fault. I do rarely interact with men, and the key point is that you rarely acted like a human being before... alright, alright."
Wen Dai raised her head, her face which had been hanging low with a look of self-reflection, and said frankly, "I'm sorry, I misunderstood you. I didn't expect that you, as a business partner, actually have humanity." It sounded less like an apology.
She rolled her eyes briefly, but Chen Sizhe was too lazy to argue with her. He remotely closed the trunk, picked up the gift box, and followed her upstairs.
The open unit door creaked as the wind blew, and the dark gray rectangular space swallowed two people. Outside the door, cars were covered with fallen snow.
The door lock clicked as it was turned. Wen Dai opened the door and turned to gesture for him to go in first.
Feeling a bit embarrassed for accepting gifts for nothing, Wen Dai, once inside, adopted her clumsy way of hospitality—most of the time she was the one being entertained. She first hurried to fill a cup with lukewarm water; she had boiled water before leaving but forgot to pour it into a thermos.
She walked over with her water glass in her hand, and reached for shoe covers on the cabinet in the entryway with her other hand. "Would you like to come in and sit down for a while and have some water..." She didn't have a chance to finish her sentence.
The gift boxes were neatly arranged on top of the cabinet by Chen Sizhe. A red mark could be seen on his hand as he withdrew it. He raised his eyelids to look at her and said succinctly, "No need. I came to see you just to talk about something. My parents hope you can come and stay for a while during the Spring Festival. If you're willing, you can go and pack some things now."
"Huh?" The shoe cover that had just been hooked onto her finger fell off, and disbelief once again filled Wen Dai's face.
She felt both strange and bizarre, yet also normal—Chen's parents had shown her obvious affection.
She doesn't like leaving her comfort zone, but she still packed her bags in the end. Just like she doesn't particularly love being in the public eye, but she still went live to gain fame; she craves warmth and security, but her legs will still tread into the unknown; she doesn't like being a vine that depends on others, but because of the necessity at certain times, she extends her vines to climb up to them.
After driving several kilometers from Feng'an District, the Chen family residence, nestled in the snow, resembled a Western castle, exuding a sense of sanctity.
Chen Sizhe carried her suitcase, and Wen Dai, who was not far behind, enjoyed the service of having someone pull her suitcase, but the person serving her was simply a catalyst for her unease.
As Wen Dai passed the artificial lake in the courtyard, she subconsciously glanced at Chen Sizhe and then at the lake. The distrust between people made her wonder if he would suddenly throw her suitcase off the lake.
The moment the door opened, the warmth of the room wafted out, and her face instantly regained its sensation. Wen Dai composed herself, and the mask that had been hidden under her skin was imperceptibly put on. She smiled lightly and nodded to the maid who came to take her luggage.
Following Chen Sizhe into the living room, the rich aroma of milk tea wafted into her nostrils. Qi Ya, carrying a cup and plate, smiled happily. She placed the milk tea on the coffee table, reached out and took Wen Dai's arm, pulling her to sit down beside her. She sighed, "It's a good thing you were willing to come, otherwise I really wouldn't have had a happy New Year."
Although Wen Dai knew perfectly well that Qi Ya had a somewhat two-faced nature, online chatting was ultimately different from offline chatting. The online relationship had clearly progressed to intimacy, while offline, Wen Dai couldn't help but turn back to recall their first meeting with Qi Ya.
However, the once arrogant lady now warmly offered her a cup of milk tea, saying, "Here, have a taste. Oh dear, I didn't expect you to come today. I was thinking of practicing my skills first, since most young girls like milk tea and such. But I've already tried it and thought it tasted good, so you should give it a try." Her slightly upturned eyes shone brightly.
Enveloped by Qi Ya's expectant gaze, Wen Dai, who actually didn't like milk tea, glanced at Chen Sizhe. The person who brought her in was quite relaxed, leaning against the back of the sofa holding his phone, fiddling with something. In short, he didn't even spare a glance for her, let alone expect him to lend a helping hand.
"Haha, okay, it smells so good, it must taste amazing." Wen Dai, with a smile on her face, took the milk tea. She held the cup and took a small sip. The milk tea on her tongue was unexpectedly fragrant and mellow. She widened her peach blossom eyes and said, "It's delicious! Auntie's cooking is really good."
Qi Ya's eyebrows shot up, her face tilted upwards, a smile spreading across her lips and the corners of her eyes, her tone smug: "Isn't it delicious? I made this with imported milk and Phoenix Dancong tea."
Wen Dai's eyelids lingered for a couple of seconds before she blinked, her gaze finally settling on the milk tea in her cup. No wonder it tasted so good; it tasted like money.
She swallowed her thoughts of wasting food as she took another sip.
"Oh, Xiao Dai... Look at my son, is there any hope for him to get married before he turns thirty?" Qi Ya whispered in Wen Dai's ear, her voice dropping sharply, her eyes filled with even more expectation than when she had asked her about the milk tea earlier.
Wen Dai lowered her hand from the teacup to her thigh and glanced at Chen Sizhe, who seemed to be concentrating on something.
Qi Ya's question was relayed hopelessly to the immortals behind her, but instead of the usual "heavenly secrets cannot be revealed," she received—
"Around thirty, that's about right, we can get married then." She tilted her head and relayed the information she had received to Qi Ya, her heart inexplicably aching as she spoke. She lowered her eyes, her gaze vacant, and thought: Who would be interested in Chen Sizhe? Then, on second thought, he seemed to deserve the title of "unattainable beauty."
Clearing her mind and setting aside her preconceived notions, Wen Dai realized that her business partner was very likely the ideal woman many women could only dream of—possessing top-tier looks, wealth, and talent. His only flaw was his sharp tongue, but even that seemed unable to outweigh his many advantages.
It feels like the cavities from the milk tea are growing inside my teeth, and it's aching. It's so inexplicable.
Qi Ya's excited voice, unable to contain her excitement, jolted her out of her mind, which was caught in a mental struggle: "Really!? Oh my, it's like heaven has eyes! Thirty is fine, thirty is good too." With a huge weight lifted from her heart, Qi Ya momentarily forgot about Chen Sizhe's presence. She grabbed Wen Dai's hand and patted it, her cheeks beaming with joy, feeling just like it was New Year's.
Qi Ya, pushing her luck, widened her eyes and stared at Wen Dai with anticipation. "If he can really get married around the age of thirty, I'll definitely give you a big red envelope—can we do some kind of ritual to bring it forward? I think it's more appropriate to have a child at thirty, otherwise it's really too late. I want to see my grandson grow up and get married before I can hold my great-grandson."
Chen Sizhe had already overheard their conversation and could no longer pretend to be deaf. He put down his phone, shifted his gaze from the screen to the two people diagonally opposite him, and then fixed it on Wen Dai's slightly embarrassed eyes. He said expressionlessly, "Isn't it inappropriate to do my mother's business in front of me?"
"No, I didn't. Where am I doing business? I was just having a rational discussion with Auntie, and I didn't charge her. How can you say that's doing business? Mr. Chen, you can't just make baseless accusations." Considering that Chen's parents were unaware of her partnership with Chen Sizhe, Wen Dai maintained her persona in front of Qi Ya and subtly explained. She placed the teacup on the coffee table, her hand almost blurring out a shadow.
His gaze shifted to Qi Ya's face, and Chen Sizhe's eyes filled with helplessness. "Mom, can you please stop believing in these mystical scholars? Isn't it better to believe in science? Life is a personal choice. If I don't want to get married, how can I possibly get married at thirty?"
Qi Ya avoided Chen Sizhe's gaze with a shifty look, pretending not to hear him.
Just then, the door opened, diverting everyone's attention. Chen Wenkang's New Year's goods, which he had brought home, were taken by the maid. He was changing his shoes, his head still bowed. "I just went to deliver New Year's gifts to the Lin family. On my way back, I stumbled upon a car accident scene. I overheard a bit of what happened; they said the child was homeless, scavenging for food. They'd never seen his parents. Only a few shopkeepers nearby recognized him, and sometimes they'd give him some food. Sigh, everyone says he's a polite and sensible child. Life is so unpredictable."
He stepped out of the entryway, and when he looked up and saw Wen Dai, his expression showed a hint of surprise. "Little Dai is here."
When Wen Dai met his gaze, she also showed surprise, but only surprise.
Her gaze averted from Chen Wenkang's eyes and instead lingered on the area beside his legs.
"...Uncle Chen, did you see what the boy who was in the car accident looked like?"
Completely unaware of the object beside his legs, Chen Wenkang calmly sat down on the sofa. As he lifted one leg and crossed it over the other, his raised foot passed through a ghost that seemed to be stuck in a fixed layer. "No, I only heard that he was wearing a dirty blue cotton-padded jacket. The person who caused the accident was quite responsible; he didn't run away and immediately called 120 to take the person to the hospital. However, people nearby say that the kid won't survive. There's a saying: 'If you lose your shoe in a car accident, you're sure to die.' We'll see what fate has in store."
With an automatic tracking gaze, Wen Dai stared intently at the child following beside Chen Wenkang. She stammered, "This child... should be wearing a mid-length blue cotton-padded jacket, above the knee, jeans, and dark blue sneakers that have come unglued. His hair is almost up to his nose, messy and parted a little, and his skin is wheat-yellow."
The detailed description made Chen Wenkang and Chen Sizhe's expressions turn serious, while Qi Ya's eyelids lifted slightly, her pupils showing surprise.
"How do you know so much?" Qi Ya asked.
Wen Dai swallowed, her gaze still fixed on the side of Chen Wenkang's legs, in front of the coffee table. The others glanced curiously in the direction she was looking, but there was nothing there.
With a slight shift in his mind, Chen Sizhe, having opened his third eye, took in the child described by Wen Dai.
The boy in front of the coffee table seemed to still be aware of his presence, carefully avoiding Chen Wenkang's crossed legs. He caught the attention of Wen Dai and Chen Sizhe, his hands clasped together nervously twisting the outer fabric of his cotton-padded jacket. His dark eyes, hidden under his overly long hair, peered timidly through the gaps.
He had suddenly become a remnant soul; he must have been terrified.
“Because of that little boy… he came with Uncle Chen and is staying there now.” Wen Dai raised her chin, her eyes conveying a gesture of greeting.
Expecting a scream from Qi Ya, the lady instead frowned, glanced at the source, and then placed the cup of milk tea away from it. When she sat back down on the sofa, she still had a thoughtful expression with her brow furrowed. "I remember that lighting incense would let him taste it… but I'm afraid…"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
