Chapter 6
◎“What if I need it right now?”◎
The room fell silent. Three pairs of eyes turned to He Qingzhao, all waiting for him to reveal the answer.
He Zongxun, who was originally just joking, is now full of anticipation.
Under the watchful eyes of the three, He Qingzhao gracefully picked up the purple clay teapot and teacup from the rosewood tea table, slowly took a sip of Longjing tea, then elegantly put the teacup down, and asked with a smile, "Grandpa, who do you want me to like?"
If someone else asked their grandfather that question, he would definitely be so angry that he would jump up and down and curse.
However, Grandpa He remained unperturbed, casually toying with a pair of walnuts shaped like official hats, and said in a calm tone, "You've always been a person of your own mind since you were little, always smart and sensible, and never caused your family any worry. Grandpa was just asking casually, but no matter who you like or who you want to marry, Grandpa will support you."
Finally, the old man added one more sentence.
"Grandpa believes that you would never be like those good-for-nothing playboys who are obsessed with women all day long and keep female celebrities or female students as mistresses. You would never do such a thing, not even if Zong Xun were to keep a mistress in a golden house."
He Zongxun was displeased and glared at him, defending himself: "Grandpa, what do you mean I would keep a mistress? I'm in the army all day, who could I possibly keep? You can't slander me."
The old man patted his back to comfort him: "Alright, alright, Grandpa was just saying that. I was mainly talking about your brother, wasn't I?"
He Zongxun leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and said arrogantly, "You can talk about him, but don't drag me into it."
He Qingzhao stood up and said with a gentle smile, "It's getting late, Grandpa and Grandma, you should get some rest."
He Zongxun also stood up: "I'm leaving too. Take good care of yourselves, and call us anytime if you need anything."
After the two brothers came out of the house, they walked along the cobblestone path towards the front gate.
Both of their cars were parked outside the gate. There were no parking spaces in the yard, and the old lady wouldn't allow them to park there, saying that parking in the yard would pollute her flowers and plants.
Therefore, every time people come back, they park their cars outside the yard.
As they approached the door, He Zongxun stopped, took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, then pinched another one and handed it to He Qingzhao.
He Qingzhao waved his hand and continued walking out.
He Zongxun quickly caught up and asked with a smile, "Big brother, do you really have someone you like?"
He Qingzhao paused, turned to look at him: "Did you go crazy from being a soldier?"
He Zongxun was taken aback by the scolding, but after realizing what he meant, he shook his head and smiled.
He may have been in the military for too long and become stupid, otherwise why would he ask such a stupid question?
This is He Qingzhao, the eldest grandson of the He family, the confirmed next leader. Not only is he handsome and has a good temperament, but his personality is also top-notch. The key is that he has been doing very well in school since he was a child, always ranking first in the whole school. He could have been admitted to Peking University at the age of sixteen, but he insisted on taking the college entrance examination and entered Peking University that year as the top liberal arts student.
Besides his excellent grades, he is also very talented, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. He passed the piano level 10 at the age of twelve, and the piano is actually his least favorite skill.
His greatest talent is calligraphy. He began copying Wang Xizhi's Preface to the Orchid Pavilion at the age of three and won first place in a youth calligraphy competition at the age of six.
Painting and calligraphy have always been integrated. A landscape painting he painted when he was fifteen years old sold for more than six million at auction.
He is also very talented in Go.
He won the national championship in the Go tournament at the age of seven and broke the world record in the junior Go tournament at the age of nine.
In his great-grandfather's words, He Qingzhao was a chosen grandson whom his grandfather had been blessed with for ten lifetimes.
His great-grandfather's grandsons weren't very good; they couldn't compare to He Qingzhao, let alone to any of them.
The name "He Qingzhao" is a nightmare for He Zongxun and his brothers, and also a nightmare for all the young men in Beijing's entertainment circle.
The young masters and nobles of Beijing, from childhood, were most often scolded with "Look at He Qingzhao, and then look at your own filthy behavior," followed by a long lecture that would last for more than half an hour.
A group of pampered rich kids were criticized as worthless by their elders, while He Qingzhao was worshipped as a god.
It can be said that most of the young masters in Beijing's elite circles who are around the same age as He Qingzhao grew up in his shadow.
Kids hate it when adults compare them to others, especially when they praise other kids and then belittle them.
Over time, He Qingzhao became the public enemy of all the young men in Beijing's elite circles.
On the surface, everyone politely addresses him as "Young Master He," but behind his back, they form cliques and curse him, saying he is pretentious, insidious, and hypocritical, and they all hope that he will fall from his pedestal.
However, He Qingzhao never cared about other people's opinions. He was always clear-headed and independent. At a young age, he was calm and mature. As he grew older, his personality became more and more stable. He transformed into someone who could not show his emotions and was more experienced than a seasoned official.
Such a cunning and calculating person never liked any girl when he was young. Now that he is almost thirty years old, it is even less likely that he would like anyone simply. If he likes someone, it would be after weighing the pros and cons.
"Big brother."
Before getting into the car, He Zongxun sincerely advised him.
“A truly capable man can have both power and beauty. You don’t need to make yourself like an ascetic for the sake of your future. Even if you don’t have a woman you particularly like, you can find someone you have feelings for.”
"Someone as refined as you, after a long day, comes home to a gentle and beautiful woman waiting for you. You can write a few words, paint a few pictures, and have her by your side, adding fragrance to the air—how romantic! Besides, Grandpa came from humble beginnings; the He family has already achieved quite a bit. Even if we don't strive for higher positions, we'll still..."
He Qingzhao interrupted him: "You don't have to go up, but I do."
As he said this, he still wore a gentle and refined smile, but his eyes revealed a sharp glint, and his boundless ambition was undisguised.
He Zongxun stared at him blankly, his heart pounding.
He looked at this person who had grown up with him since childhood; he felt familiar yet strange.
It was only at this moment that he realized he had never truly understood He Qingzhao.
The two stood outside the door, neither of them speaking, only the sound of the rustling autumn wind could be heard.
The rain had stopped, but water had accumulated on the branches and leaves of the trees. When the wind blew, the water droplets hit the car and made a crackling sound.
This sound broke the quiet and dull atmosphere.
He Zongxun said, "Brother, I'm leaving."
He Qingzhao's voice was clear and crisp: "Let's go together."
-
It rained for most of the next day, and the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms was even stronger on the third day after the sun came out.
Cheng Jiamo had a full schedule of classes that morning, but only one class in the afternoon, which was the first period of the afternoon, so she decided to treat He Qingzhao to dinner.
After finishing her first class in the morning, she called He Qingzhao.
"Mr. He, I have a full day of classes this morning, and my afternoon class is the first one of the day, so I might not have enough time at noon. Would it be alright if I treated you to dinner tonight?"
He Qingzhao was very busy today. He had a project research and development meeting at 10 a.m., met with Tang Jingyao at 3 p.m. to discuss military science matters, and attended a charity gala at 8 p.m.
He didn't actually have any extra time to have dinner with a young girl. He was about to say that he would let it go today and talk about it another time when he had time, but then he suddenly remembered what He Zongxun had said: "A beautiful woman adds fragrance to the room, and a beautiful woman waits for you."
A sensual image flashed through his mind, his throat suddenly felt dry, and a surge of restlessness rose within him.
His prominent Adam's apple bobbed, and he lowered his voice, saying in a deep tone, "Okay, I'll pick you up tonight."
Cheng Jiamo hurriedly said, "No need, just add me on WeChat. It's the phone number I used to call. I'll send you the address in a bit. You can go directly to the restaurant after you get off work."
Add her on WeChat?
He Qingzhao was amused and laughed out loud in a deep voice.
Cheng Jiamo was already nervous, and hearing him inexplicably start laughing made her even more nervous.
"What are you laughing at?"
He Qingzhao suppressed a laugh and said, "I'm laughing because you're cute."
Cheng Jiamo's face flushed, her cheeks burning hot, and her whole face turned red, all the way down to her neck.
"Mr. He, please don't tease me," she said shyly in a soft, drawn-out tone.
He Qingzhao listened to her soft and sweet voice, which was like a spring breeze or a clear spring in a summer mountain stream, so beautiful that it made his bones melt and his heart itch.
He wanted to tease her a little more, but his secretary came over to urge him to start a meeting. He had no choice but to suppress his subtle desires and said seriously, "I have to go now, I have something to do."
"Okay, you're busy."
After hanging up the phone, Cheng Jiamo found that her palms were sweaty.
She wiped her hands on her trouser leg, opened an app, and searched for restaurants. It wasn't until the class bell rang that she finally chose a restaurant with an elegant atmosphere, reasonable prices, and good reviews. It wasn't far from her school; it was only three subway stops away.
She felt that simply treating him to a meal wasn't enough to express her gratitude, after all, He Qingzhao had helped her twice, and the time three years ago, he had essentially saved her life.
Such a great favor cannot be repaid with just a meal.
After class, she bought a box of red rope for making peace knots at the jewelry store on campus. During her lunch break, she made a simple peace knot and then went to a gold shop outside the school to buy two gold beads the size of soybeans, which she then attached to the bottom of the peace knot.
Even so, she felt it was still not enough to repay the kindness, but this was all she could do for now.
She put the knotted peace knot in her bag, waiting to give it to He Qingzhao that evening.
He Qingzhao didn't add her back all afternoon.
Knowing that He Qingzhao was busy, she took the initiative to add him as a friend, but He Qingzhao never accepted.
At five o'clock in the afternoon, after washing up and drying her hair, she changed into a white cotton gauze dress with an apricot-colored cardigan on top. She was about to call He Qingzhao to ask him what time he would be coming when she received a call from Li Zhuyue.
"Cheng Jiamo, I'm at the north gate of your school, come out for a moment."
Cheng Jiamo grabbed her things, slung her bag over her shoulder, and quickly headed to the North Gate.
Just then, He Qingzhao arrived at the North Gate. He was about to call Cheng Jiamo when he saw that she had already come out.
Cheng Jiamo glanced at the car next to her, but her attention was entirely on Li Zhuyue. She called out happily, "Zhuyue!"
Li Zhuyue coldly yelled at her, "Cheng Jiamo, are you an idiot?"
Sitting in the car, He Qingzhao frowned instantly, gripping the steering wheel tightly, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
Cheng Jiamo was taken aback by the shout, and the smile on her face instantly froze.
Li Zhuyue stormed up to her and shoved her hard, causing her to fall on her bottom.
In that instant, Cheng Jiamo felt as if she hadn't fallen on her bottom, but on her heart—a sincere heart—that had been shattered.
She didn't rush to stand up, nor did she speak, shout, or cry. She remained seated on the ground, looking up at Li Zhuyue with a calm expression.
Li Zhuyue let out a heavy sigh and said with an annoyed look, "Cheng Jiamo, the naked loan was my own choice, I don't need your kindness to help me."
Cheng Jiamo raised the corners of her lips and smiled sweetly before standing up and slowly patting the dust off her skirt.
“I know you did it voluntarily, and I know you did those things because you wanted to become a star.”
"So what? Whether you take out a nude loan or sell yourself, that's your business. But helping you is my business."
“During my most difficult years, in my junior and senior years of high school, I was so poor that I often couldn’t afford to eat. You supported me and helped me get through those two tough years.”
As she said this, she lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing the emotions within.
"Paying back debts is a matter of course."
“You helped me, so I have to help you too. Even if you don’t accept it, I still have to help you. I want to repay all the money and kindness I owe you.”
This time it was Li Zhuyue's turn to be stunned. She stared blankly at the gentle and quiet girl in front of her, as if she were looking at a stranger, as if she didn't recognize Cheng Jiamo.
In her memory, Cheng Jiamo was always well-behaved and sensible, a good student liked by all the teachers. She was so well-behaved that she was even a little dull, and she looked very soft and easy to bully.
But the gentle and quiet girl in front of me gave off a sense of calm madness, and even a coldness as sharp as a blade.
She suddenly fell silent, unsure how to respond.
The reason she was angry was because she was worried about Cheng Jiamo; she didn't want Cheng Jiamo to get into trouble for helping her.
The path she was going to take was completely unrelated to the path Cheng Jiamo was going to take.
Therefore, when she learned that Cheng Jiaming had gone to find Qi Yingjie alone to help her, she was both angry and scared. She rushed to M University and gave Cheng Jiaming a fierce scolding.
She wanted to take this opportunity to break off her friendship with Cheng Jiamo, keep Cheng Jiamo away from her, and never have anything to do with her again. Even if someone wanted to use her to threaten Cheng Jiamo in the future, they wouldn't be able to.
But now, she realizes she's overthinking things.
Cheng Jiamo had lived in Thailand for three years, in such a chaotic place, and she was able to protect herself and even return to China safely all by herself.
It's easy to see that she's not a pushover; she's a sharp sword covered in sugar.
“You’ve paid it all back now.” Li Zhuyue’s anger subsided, and she said calmly to Cheng Jiamo, “Jiamo, we’re not on the same path, and we’re destined not to be friends for long.”
Cheng Jiamo didn't speak, she just looked at her calmly.
Li Zhuyue continued, "In high school, I was very lonely and needed someone to accompany me. As for you, you needed a place to shelter from the wind and rain, and you needed to be able to eat three meals a day. At that time, you kept me company, and I gave you a bite to eat, so we became friends."
"But actually, we don't get along at all, we're not the same kind of people at all. You're quiet, you like reading, calligraphy, traditional Chinese songs, and listening to the rain while brewing tea. I'm active, I like rap, upbeat music, going to bars, and noisy nightclubs."
“Our personalities and interests are completely different. Once we left the ivory tower of high school, we were like two parallel lines that never intersected. And now, we are going in completely opposite directions.”
"Thank you this time. Naked loans are indeed not a glamorous thing. Even if I become famous in the future, they will be dug up and become my dark history."
Cheng Jiamo smiled gently: "You're welcome."
Li Zhuyue added, "But I'll only accept this once. There won't be a next time. From now on, we'll go our separate ways. Don't interfere in my affairs, and I won't interfere in yours either. Even if you starve to death, I won't help you anymore."
Cheng Jiamo has been adrift and wandering since childhood, like a rootless duckweed.
He left his birthplace, Lucheng, at the age of seven to study in Qucheng. At thirteen, he went to Southeast Asia to Thailand. At sixteen, he returned to Lucheng as if fleeing a disaster.
In just sixteen years, her life was full of ups and downs, more tumultuous than most people's lives.
Meeting Li Zhuyue in Lucheng was no different from meeting He Qingzhao in Taijing.
To her, they were all a ray of light in the abyss.
Therefore, she considered Li Zhuyue a friend, her best friend.
Upon learning of Li Zhuyue's naked loan scheme, she was willing to ruin herself to help Li Zhuyue.
However, Li Zhuyue said that she and Li Zhuyue were never on the same path and could no longer be friends.
Cheng Jiamo didn't cry, nor did she shout at the top of her lungs; she just felt sad silently.
She really liked a line from Liang Shiqiu's "Farewell": "If you leave, I won't see you off; if you come, no matter how strong the wind or how heavy the rain, I will come to pick you up."
Li Zhuyue didn't want to travel with her anymore, so she didn't insist.
That's life. At every stage, people will leave your life, and new people will enter your life. They come and go, but in the end, you're still alone.
She smiled gently and agreed.
Looking at her gentle expression and listening to her gentle tone, Li Zhuyue felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart.
Cheng Jiamo, as her name suggests, is a girl as elegant as jasmine, always gentle and quiet, yet she has a fierce edge to her core.
Li Zhuyue left, got into a black Audi, and drove away.
Cheng Jiamo acted as if nothing had happened, calmly taking out her phone and calling He Qingzhao.
He Qingzhao didn't answer, letting the phone buzz in the car.
He lit a cigarette and looked at the little girl outside the car through the hazy smoke.
Cheng Jiamo hung up, waited a while, and called again, but still no one answered.
Just as she was about to make her third call, she heard a noise, looked up, and saw He Qingzhao getting out of the silver car with a cigarette between his fingers.
"Mr. He." A sweet smile spread across her face as she quickly ran towards He Qingzhao.
She ran up to him, tilted her fair and rosy face up, and looked at him with bright eyes that seemed to hold a sky full of stars.
He Qingzhao witnessed the entire process of her "repaying kindness" and knew very well that the galaxy in her eyes could be lit up at any time, or it could fall at any time.
Suddenly, a vague, inexplicable feeling of blockage welled up inside me, a dull, astringent sensation.
He tilted his head and exhaled a puff of smoke, his voice hoarse from the smoke: "Would you do the same to me?"
Cheng Jiamo looked at him blankly: "What do you mean, Mr. He?"
He Qingzhao pointed out directly: "Like how you treat your friends, so eager to repay your kindness."
Cheng Jiamo said, "I didn't do that. She's the one who doesn't want me anymore."
After speaking, she pursed her lips and looked at He Qingzhao with sparkling eyes, trying to guess He Qingzhao's intention in asking such a question.
She thought about it again and again, and finally understood what he meant. She smiled at him.
“If Mr. He has any concerns, fearing that I might use the guise of ‘repaying a debt of gratitude’ to take advantage of you, then I can assure you that such a thing will never happen.”
"I'm treating Mr. He to dinner today, and I'll never appear in front of you again. If Mr. He needs me someday, I'll repay your kindness. If you don't need me, I'll never cause you any trouble."
He Qingzhao looked at her fair and delicate face in the autumn light, reached out and pinched her cheek, and said with a half-smile, "What if I need it now?"
[Author's Note]
Cheng Jiamo: Mr. He, don't worry, I will not linger with you. I will disappear after I finish this meal.
He Qingzhao (gritting her teeth): You're such a good girl!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
