Chapter 68 Did he want to get involved in something related to their long-awaited reunion...?
When her colleagues discussed wedding rings, Fu Qingli naturally learned about it from Zhou Qi.
This is not fair. Even Zhou Qi couldn't help but complain: "Brother Fu, you're not taking this seriously. No matter what, you can't skimp on the three gold pieces, but you should at least prepare a suitable ring. Now look what's happened, making Xiaoxi a laughing stock."
Ji Jiali was also there, and after hearing this, he immediately gave her a flick on the forehead: "What are you saying? Is Brother Fu that kind of person? Don't talk nonsense!"
Turning his head, he frowned and asked Fu Qingli, "Is Gu San still not done?"
Fu Qingli frowned slightly, but didn't answer. Instead, she picked up her phone and dialed a number.
The call was quickly answered, and a nonchalant voice came from the other end: "Brother Fu, what brings you calling me at this hour?"
Fu Qingli was too lazy to exchange pleasantries with him: "Gu Keli, where's my ring?"
"What ring?" Gu Keli paused for a few seconds, then feigned surprise, "Oh, you mean that set of pigeon blood rubies?"
Fu Qingli clicked her tongue lightly and gave an impatient "hmm".
“The designer still needs to refine it, how can it be done so quickly? Besides, Brother Fu, the design and craftsmanship of your jewelry set is too complicated, so it will naturally take longer than usual.”
"I said I'd make the rings first. It's been two months. Have you made even one ring yet?"
Fu Qingli's voice already carried a hint of anger.
Gu Keli understood but wasn't in a hurry, his tone still nonchalant: "How about I urge them for you? But I can't guarantee how long it will take, after all, we designers are quite busy."
Fu Qingli clenched her teeth, her jaw muscles tensing, and squeezed out a "Okay" through her teeth.
“Gu Keli, I know you’ve always wanted to raise fish in the sea. Recently, Zou Song took on a non-material cultural heritage project in Nanqing. I was thinking that since Xiaoxi is from Nanqing, she could temporarily take charge of this project, which would be a good opportunity to take her back to stay for a while.”
Fu Qingli tapped the table rhythmically with her knuckles a few times. "But I can't even get a wedding ring now. I think she'll definitely be angry with me and won't want to come back to Nanqing with me. So we'll just have to give up on that project."
The other side fell silent.
Fu Qingli didn't indulge him, "I'll hang up now."
After saying that, he actually raised his hand and hung up the phone.
As Fu Qingli expected, the phone rang again immediately after she hung up.
Fu Qingli remained relaxed, waiting until the call was almost disconnected before slowly answering it without saying a word.
The person on the other end of the line completely lost their previous arrogance, their voice now warm and unwavering, a stark contrast to their earlier perfunctory tone: "Brother Fu, no, Uncle Fu, I was wrong. I'll have them deliver the entire set of jewelry to you within a week, okay?"
"Three days."
The fact that they could still negotiate meant there was still hope for things to turn around, and Gu Keli breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, three days, three days it is."
"Um."
Noticing that Fu Qingli was about to hang up again, Gu Keli disregarded any psychological tactics and asked directly, "Could you be the chief planner for that intangible cultural heritage exhibition in Nanqing?"
Because of the anniversary celebration, Linxi's reputation soared, and people who follow the planning industry naturally heard about it.
Gu Keli put a lot of effort into assessing Lin Xi's abilities and also spent time learning about her previous works, realizing that she was the best candidate for the intangible cultural heritage exhibition in Nanqing.
However, according to what he knew, Nanqing held the deepest memories of Lin Xi and her father. Therefore, after her father passed away, she rarely returned to Nanqing, fearing that the sight would trigger painful memories.
Given how much Fu Qingli cherishes her, he wouldn't force her to do something she doesn't want to do, so the possibility of persuading her to take on this project is very small.
Unexpectedly, Fu Qingli took the initiative to extend an olive branch.
Gu Keli naturally wanted to seize such a good opportunity.
"It depends on your performance."
“Okay.” Gu Keli conceded instantly. “I’ll personally deliver it to Haicheng the day after tomorrow.”
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Qi couldn't help but ask, "What ring? And it's even related to Gu San?"
Do you know about those pigeon blood rubies that were auctioned two months ago?
"I know. I heard from them that those gems originally belonged to Gu Sanding, but during the auction, someone offered an astronomical price, reaching the highest price in nearly twenty years, and the gems changed hands directly."
This is a major event in Beicheng. Gu Keli, the heir of the prestigious Gu family, couldn't even keep the gem he had his eye on.
It quickly became a topic of conversation among everyone.
Ji Jiali gestured angrily towards Fu Qingli: "Look, he did it!"
Fu Qingli neither confirmed nor denied this.
Zhou Qi couldn't help but blurt out a curse: "Holy crap, Brother Fu is this crazy too! He'll spend a fortune on a beauty, Gu San must be furious! How come he'd even help Brother Fu make gemstones?"
Gu Keli's businesses include jewelry design and processing, and many high-priced gemstones from auctions are made into jewelry by him.
It's not surprising that he had those rubies, but he was known for his arrogant and eccentric personality, never playing by the rules.
What Zhou Qi found strange was that he couldn't swallow the humiliation that Fu Qingli had caused in front of everyone and accept the business deal.
"He was quite angry, but not because the jewelry was stolen, but because of what you said, the rumors."
Because those pigeon blood rubies weren't snatched by Fu Qingli; Gu Keli gave them up after the hammer fell.
However, whether it was intentional or a genuine misunderstanding, the rumor spread that Fu Qingli had stolen his gemstone.
In recent years, Gu Keli has been buying all kinds of gemstones like crazy, acquiring all the high-quality ones in China, and he is not willing to give way to anyone.
Fu Qingli didn't have any particular preference for this; she just wanted to give Lin Xi the best she could see.
Ji Jiali asked Fu Qingli curiously, "Brother Fu, how exactly did you convince Gu San to give up these gems?"
"It's nothing, I just asked him if he wanted to share in the joy of getting married after a long separation."
"..." Ji Jiali silently gave him a thumbs up.
As expected, Fu Qingli knows how to manipulate people's hearts.
Gu Keli kept his promise and took an early flight the next morning to deliver the jewelry. After handing it over to Fu Qingli, he flew to Nanqing without stopping for a moment.
It was a weekday, and it wasn't until evening that Fu Qingli picked up Lin Xi from the scene, and the two met again.
When she got on the bus, Lin Xi picked up a package with the logo of a high-end jewelry store printed on it.
Lin Xi only wears one pendant all year round, which is a Buddhist amulet that Lin Fengyuan got for her from a temple when she was a child. She is rarely seen wearing other jewelry.
Fu Qingli assumed that she had recently developed an interest in jewelry, and thought that the gift she had prepared would suit her taste, so she was even happier and asked curiously, "What did you buy?"
Lin Xi shook the box, and a dull thud came from inside as something collided with the cardboard box: "Guess?"
"Bracelet?"
"necklace?"
Lin Xi shook her head, looking mysterious: "I'll tell you when we get home."
However, she was more proactive than those who wanted to know the answer.
As soon as she got back to the hotel, she asked Aunt Tao for a box cutter to open the box, and waved to Fu Qingli, who had just changed into her pajamas in her room: "Come here quickly."
On the days when Fu Qingli picks up and drops off Lin Xi from get off work, Gun Gun doesn't need to come along.
This morning, Fu Qingli finally managed to leave first, but Lin Xi insisted on going with her. However, as soon as they got home, it wanted to sleep again, throwing a little tantrum and lying down next to Lin Xi, refusing to budge: "Little Xi, I want to see too!"
It always knew how to manipulate Lin Xi's heart, knew that she was most susceptible to this kind of cute and coquettish behavior, and that as long as she agreed, Fu Qingli would not force it to rest.
But this time it miscalculated.
Lin Xi gently stroked its round head: "Good boy, Gun Gun, this time it won't do. This is for Fu Lili, you have to give him your spot."
Fu Qingli had just walked over when she heard this, so she grabbed Gun Gun by the back of the neck, put him on the ground, and sat down next to her: "A gift for me?"
When he came out, he was carrying a large, square, dark blue brocade box with auspicious cloud patterns on it, which looked very exquisite.
Her gaze was drawn to the box, and she pointed at it: "What's this?"
"I'll tell you after I demolish yours."
This sounds familiar.
Lin Xi thought for a moment and realized that he was imitating her speech.
Lin Xi playfully punched his arm, embarrassed: "Don't mimic me!"
Without further ado, I picked up the box cutter and prepared to open it.
Fu Qingli's brow twitched as she looked at him: "I'll take it apart."
He then took the knife from her hand, saying, "From now on, I'll take care of these. Don't take them."
Although he knew she wasn't a child and was capable enough to handle things, deep down he was still worried about her using these potentially unsafe items.
"hold head high."
These days, Lin Xi has gotten used to his attentiveness and no longer finds it annoying; on the contrary, she feels a sweet warmth in her heart.
Fu Qingli cleanly and efficiently ripped open the cardboard box, finally revealing its contents—a ring box.
“This is—” Fu Qingli took it out and held it up in front of Lin Xi, her face full of surprise.
Lin Xi opened it and showed it to him: "Hmm, these are our wedding rings, do you like them?"
A thought flashed through Fu Qingli's mind: "So, you asked for 20,000 yuan before, just to buy this?"
“Hmm,” Lin Xi nodded, “I think… what my colleague said makes sense. We’re married now, so we should wear wedding rings. The last one was too big, and there was only one, so I was thinking of buying a pair that fit. I want to buy such a special item with my own money.”
Speaking of this, Lin Xi explained somewhat awkwardly, "I don't know anything about jewelry, so I asked Zhou Qi. She recommended a brand to me, which was a new model that was released the day before yesterday. But I didn't expect it to be so expensive, and I didn't have enough money on me."
Fu Qingli's heart swelled, and he didn't know how to describe his feelings at this moment. He could only vent by kneading the tender flesh on her face: "These things should be done by men."
"It was my oversight that caused you so much trouble. If there's anything I haven't considered in the future, please let me know and I'll correct it."
"No need for that, I really enjoy buying you gifts. It's just..."
Lin Xi hesitated for a moment, then cupped her hands in front of Fu Qingli's eyes and said, "Actually, I really like the ring you gave me before. It's just a little big. I can wear it when I gain some weight. Can you give it back to me?"
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, so bright that it was impossible to refuse them.
But Fu Qingli really couldn't figure it out.
“The ring was sent to have its size adjusted, but they couldn’t find a suitable diamond, so we can’t get it back for a while,” he explained patiently. “You remember the project I did in college? I bought it with the money I earned from that project. It was made to fit your college size, so it should fit you perfectly. I was in a rush when we got married and didn’t consider that your hands would get so thin.”
It was a small game that Fu Qingli made during her sophomore year. Not long after the project ended, they broke up.
But he used the money he earned to order a ring.
Thinking of this, Lin Xi's eyes welled up with tears: "Back then, why did you think of buying me a ring?"
"Because I was always thinking that I would propose to you as soon as I graduated, and that was the engagement ring I prepared."
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Author's Note: Gu Keli is the male protagonist of my upcoming novel, "Keli's Little Fish." If you're interested, please add it to your favorites; I'll be starting it in the next book!
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