Chapter 7 007 Si Jingyan
Si Jingyan's fair fingertips slowly stroked the glass, his amber eyes appearing deep and unfathomable under the light. "I heard you borrowed Yingying's car to attend the wedding? You can come to me directly next time."
Xue Yi turned his head and quickly glanced at Guo Yingying.
The other person chuckled guiltily and stuck out his tongue: "You didn't want to take a taxi? So you asked Si Jingyan to pick you up and mentioned this matter casually."
Xue Yi retracted his gaze and said calmly, "Thank you for your kindness. This is a bit troublesome."
She had originally considered letting Si Jingyan, a man with good looks, temperament and good social skills, pretend to be her boyfriend and attend the wedding, but the favor was too important. After weighing the pros and cons, she chose Yu Zeyuan, who was easier to control.
But he didn't expect that due to some mistake, He Ziluo would fall flat on his face.
"Trouble?" Si Jingyan smiled as if he heard something interesting.
He leaned forward slightly, closing the distance between them. "You're Yingying's childhood friend, so naturally you're also my friend. It's no big deal for friends to help each other."
Xue Yi picked up the cup and the cold orange juice slid down his throat. The sour and sweet taste temporarily suppressed the restlessness in his heart.
"Come on, come on, let's play dice together!"
Guo Yingying interrupted their conversation, couldn't wait to take out the dice cup and shook it skillfully.
The other two people were a couple she met while hanging out in bars. They shook the dice cup very cooperatively.
Xue Yi was not interested in this and stood up: "You guys have fun. I'm just here to see you off and say hello. I'm leaving first."
"Ah?" Guo Yingying pouted and grabbed her wrist, looking reluctant. "Wait a little longer!"
"I'm a little tired today, let's do it another day."
Guo Yingying knew her temper very well. Once she made a decision, it would be difficult to change it. So she had to let go of her hand: "Okay, be careful on the road."
"Okay, have fun."
Xue Yi had just walked a few steps out of the bar when a clear voice called out from behind: "Wait..."
She paused and looked back.
Si Jingyan came up slowly with his long legs.
"It might rain later," he stopped, his eyes fixed on her, "I'll take you back."
In mid-June, the rainy season begins, and the air is hot and humid, wrapping heavily on the skin.
Xue Yi glanced down at the screen of his mobile phone and saw a rain alert.
"Don't bother, I can just take a taxi."
"No," he said gently, but with a firm tone that brooked no refusal. "I'm worried about letting such a beautiful girl go home alone."
Xue Yi was speechless. Refusing again would only make her seem hypocritical. "...Okay then. Thank you."
"My pleasure."
Not far away, a Bentley, all black and with sleek, imposing lines, sat quietly, almost blending into the night. Only the silver logo on the front of the car reflected a cold light.
Si Jingyan gentlemanly opened the passenger door for her, his left hand naturally protecting the door frame: "Please."
"Thanks."
Xue Yi nodded politely, and the car was filled with the refreshing scent of cedar wood.
After she fastened her seat belt, Si Jingyan walked around the front of the car, sat in the driver's seat, and started the engine.
The car drove out smoothly and disappeared into the street shrouded in darkness.
Si Jingyan held the steering wheel, looking intently ahead, but out of the corner of his eye he glanced at Xue Yi beside him without leaving a trace.
At first, when I saw her at Guo Yingying's party, I only thought she was beautiful and had an outstanding temperament. I was indeed attracted to her and I also sent her some signals.
But her personality was really dull, and she always liked to sit alone in the corner, so I soon lost interest.
He has always disliked this boring "wooden beauty" and has always maintained a friendly distance between them.
But after a few contacts, a strong curiosity arose in my heart.
She didn't seem as boring as he had imagined, and the unique insights revealed in her words and actions surprised him.
The so-called "not fitting in" is nothing more than being unwilling to force yourself into an atmosphere that you don't like.
It touched him even more.
It's the innate, relaxed feeling that comes with her.
This quality was something he had never seen in any woman before. It was like a magnet that attracted him to get closer and explore.
*
Xue Yi tilted her head and looked quietly at the night view outside the window.
Suzhou's greening is indeed well done, with trees lining the streets and the humid air filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees.
"Do you need some music?"
Si Jingyan's gentle voice broke the silence in the car.
"No need, we'll be there soon."
She lives not in the bustling city center, but in an old residential area within the Second Ring Road, which is quiet in the midst of the hustle and bustle.
Although the building is not new, it has a good environment and a strong atmosphere of life. There are supermarkets, convenience stores, and specialty food shops downstairs, which is extremely convenient.
At first, Xue Yi only wanted to rent the house for a year or two, but her father, who was far away in Haicheng, felt sorry for his daughter renting a house, so he secretly bought the house as a birthday gift for her 25th birthday.
Three years passed in a flash, and it had already become her most accustomed and relaxing harbor.
"How long have you been in Sucheng?" Si Jingyan didn't seem to want to remain silent, so he found another topic.
Xue Yi thought for a moment, four years of university plus five years of work: "Nine years."
Time flies.
"Do you plan to settle down here in the future?" Si Jingyan asked casually, but he was watching her expression through the rearview mirror.
Xue Yi recalled her parents' urging a few days ago and said frankly, "Probably not."
Si Jingyan didn't know her family background.
He nodded slightly, as if he was not surprised by the answer, and changed the subject to something lighter: "Then I suppose you have been to all the attractions in Su City?"
Suzhou is a famous water town in the south of the Yangtze River, with gardens that are the best in the world.
Xue Yi rarely showed a trace of embarrassment.
To be honest, apart from a quick trip to a few popular tourist attractions with her roommates during her freshman year, she later became overwhelmed with academic workload and busy with work after graduation, leaving her with no time to make a travel plan.
“I like staying home.”
Si Jingyan was a little surprised, "I thought... you were the kind of person who knew how to enjoy life."
Xue Yi looked at him with a hint of doubt, "Does this conflict with being a homebody?"
Some people's home life is characterized by laziness and laissez-faire attitude, but Xue Yi's home life is characterized by spiritual abundance under a high degree of self-discipline.
I get up at seven o'clock every weekday, go home after get off work, make dinner, do an hour of yoga or meditation, then walk the dog, and go to bed on time at ten o'clock.
On weekends, I sleep until I wake up naturally, write calligraphy in the sun-filled study, practice yoga, and then take Xiao Yudian for a walk in the nearby park.
When I come back, I will go to the flower shop at the entrance of the community and buy a bouquet of carefully selected flowers to decorate my room, or watch an interesting movie alone.
Days like this are peaceful, comfortable and relaxing.
Si Jingyan was slightly startled by her pair of dark eyes, and shifted his gaze and said, "If you want to go sightseeing around here someday, I can be your tour guide."
His tone was a bit self-recommended. "I promise to do my best to provide you with attentive service and make your trip worthwhile."
Xue Yi tilted her head, and her dark pupils reflected his profile.
She has a high nose bridge, long and distinct eyelashes, typical petal lips, and a smooth jawline, which is truly pleasing to the eye.
Her undisguised gaze made Si Jingyan's heart tighten inexplicably, and his hands gripping the steering wheel couldn't help but tighten.
He forced himself to remain calm, his Adam's apple barely moving, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I'm thinking about where to go for fun." Xue Yi's voice lacked any emotion, and it seemed that she was really thinking about a travel destination.
The red light ahead is on.
Si Jingyan didn't look back. He was afraid that if he accidentally met those lively eyes, he would reveal his uneasy heart.
"Then... think about it slowly."
He spoke in a low voice, deliberately softening his tone.
Xue Yi retracted his gaze and looked out the window again. Raindrops began to hit the car window sporadically, leaving tiny water marks.
He sighed softly.
I should think about how to deal with the issue of having a live-in son-in-law, otherwise I will have to go back this year to inherit the family business.
Her blueprint has only been half unfolded.
We must not let our previous efforts go to waste.
"arrive."
Si Jingyan's voice brought her back from her thoughts.
The car has stopped not far from the entrance of the community.
"Thanks."
Xue Yi unbuckled his seat belt, put his hand on the door handle, and pushed it outward, but it didn't move at all.
She turned sideways and looked calmly at the man in the driver's seat.
Si Jingyan pulled out a black umbrella from the back seat. The handle was made of warm wood and looked quite valuable. "It's raining, I'll use it first." Then he picked up his phone and said, "We've known each other for so long, but we haven't added each other on WeChat yet."
Xue Yi's lips curled slightly, "Guo Yingying has my WeChat, go find her."
Si Jingyan understood the calm rejection in her words and saw the boundary that could not be crossed in her eyes.
He pursed his lips and lightly pressed the door lock button with his fingertips.
With a slight "click", the door lock was released.
"Thank you for the umbrella." Xue Yi said no more, pushed the door and got out of the car, his back instantly swallowed by the rain.
Outside the car, heavy rain started to fall without anyone noticing.
The cold rain poured down, splashing onto the concrete floor and wetting the edges of her white high heels, leaving dark stains.
If I had known it would rain so heavily, I should have worn waterproof and dirt-resistant sneakers... What a pity for these lambskin shoes.
Just as I was feeling annoyed, a tall figure suddenly stood in front of the umbrella, blocking my way.
She frowned and moved to the left, and the figure moved to the left. She took a few steps to the right, and the figure followed closely behind.
Are you sick?
Xue Yi impatiently lifted the umbrella handle back suddenly——
The person in front of me suddenly became clear.
The black bangs were soaked by the rain, sticking wetly to the pale forehead and covering the eyes. The rain continued to flow down the ends of the hair and cheeks.
His skin was a sickly pale white, washed even more transparent by the rain. Crystal clear water droplets slid down his clear jawline, sank into his open neckline, and disappeared into the delicate hollow of his collarbone.
The white shirt, which was originally of good texture, was tightly attached to the body by the rain, outlining the tight lines between the waist and abdomen, as well as the faintly visible outline of the abdominal muscles.
Xue Yi tightened his grip on the umbrella handle, a hint of surprise flashing across his pupils.
How could it be... him?
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