Afternoon tea at the University of Deutsche Welle
The afternoon breeze swept through the bustling streets, gently lifting the hems of the women's skirts, eliciting laughter and playful jostling as they entered the restaurant.
It's not even dinner time yet, but the number of customers coming to the restaurant for afternoon tea is endless. Ordering a cup of coffee and a triangular cake is the most fashionable thing for ladies these days.
As soon as Gao Junxiao stepped onto the inlaid floor, he immediately saw He Qingcheng peeking out from behind the sofa. She was holding someone else's child in her arms and was waving to him while holding the child's chubby little hand. This heartwarming scene made the floor feel softer, and the sweet aroma of cake in the air made him even more happy.
He strode to the table, intending to take the girl away, but Kiyosumi silently gave him a wink. Only then did he realize that there were two other people sitting opposite him. One was a policeman he had met at the party, and the other was a brown-haired, blue-eyed Western woman. The coffee cups on the table were mostly empty, and the plates were nearly bare.
Looking back closely at the child in Qingcheng's hands, her fair skin was as smooth as mutton fat, her curly black hair was tied into two small braids, and she had a pair of bright blue eyes.
He immediately understood that this was like sowing Chinese seeds in foreign soil, yielding a fruit that combined Chinese and Western elements. Gao Junxiao thought to himself, "Awesome!"
Qingcheng got up, put the child in the child seat, took his arm, and happily introduced him to the two people: "Come on, let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend, Gao Junxiao."
"Excuse me, excuse me. My name is Fei Ming, and I am Qingcheng's college classmate. This is my wife, Liya. She is from Malaysia and is also our junior from college." Fei Ming also stood up and shook hands with Gao Junxiao.
When Liya, who was in the corner, saw a stranger, she excitedly opened her arms like a child, intending to give a warm French greeting. However, under the double warning gazes of her husband and Kiyosumi, she awkwardly changed to a handshake.
After shaking hands with Mr. and Mrs. Fei, Gao Junxiao said, "Hello, Mr. Fei. We met at Mr. Tang's party last time. You work in the French Concession police station, right?"
“Yes, yes, Mr. Gao, you have a good memory. I was a translator at the French Concession police station.” Fei Ming was pleasantly surprised that the man remembered him.
"This is your daughter. How old is she? What's her name?" Gao Junxiao guessed that the child was a little girl based on her lace floral dress and pigtails.
"She's turned one year old, but we haven't chosen a formal name yet, so we'll just call her Nannan for now." Fei Ming proudly picked up his daughter and kissed her, making the little girl giggle.
"Come on, shake hands with your uncle. You're such a good boy." Gao Junxiao took advantage of the child's happiness and extended his index finger to tease him. The child wasn't shy at all and grabbed the finger, his pigtails swaying with laughter, which was quite adorable.
"Waiter, another Blue Mountain coffee, please." Qingcheng showed no sign of leaving and even ordered him a new coffee.
However, Gao Junxiao quickly understood Qingcheng's intention. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Qingcheng got down to business: "Feiming, look at the son-in-law you are. Liya's father has never even had a sip of your wine."
"Nonsense! I specially bought the best Lafite to see my father-in-law, but foreigners have different customs than us," Fei Ming retorted promptly.
“Indeed, the customs and manners of those foreign countries are different from those of our country. Even in such a large country as ours, there are huge differences between the north and the south. Your brother-in-law did quite a few stupid things when he came to visit, didn’t he?” Qingcheng teased, taking a sip of coffee.
"Hahaha, now that you mention it, I can't help but laugh. My second brother-in-law is from Xi'an. The first time he came to visit, he brought a whole sheep, still alive, saying it had to be slaughtered fresh for the best taste. My dad's eyes almost popped out of his head. Luckily, our family eats mutton." Fei Ming covered his mouth and chuckled.
"Don't people in Shanghai like to eat mutton?" Gao Junxiao squinted, somewhat doubting his own existence. There were actually people who didn't like to eat mutton.
"It's about half and half. Actually, sending some cigarettes, alcohol, and tea is fine. It depends on the person. As long as they have a legitimate job and know proper etiquette, it doesn't really matter what you send," Fei Ming said honestly. Perhaps this is what Qingcheng wanted to say to Gao Junxiao.
"You Chinese etiquette is so troublesome. One minute you're saying this, the next you're saying that. You can't call your mother 'Mom,' and you can't call your grandmother 'Grandma,'" Liya complained, pouting.
“Of course you can’t just call her that. I need to clarify this: the bigger the family, the more rules there are.” Fei Ming put down his cup and explained, “My father had two wives, and my grandfather had four. You can’t call the second wife ‘Mom.’ That would be slapping my own mother in the face. She is the head of the household, and there is a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children.”
"So, the second concubine is just a mistress. I don't even need to call her that." Liya seemed to have figured something out and replied disdainfully.
“We can’t not call her that, after all, she’s a concubine we brought in, and she’s also an elder,” Fei Ming earnestly instructed.
"Liya, don't worry about it. Just call her Auntie or Great-Auntie, since you only see each other a few times a year anyway." Qingcheng stopped the two of them in time.
Right now, Gao Junxiao is playing with the child, which has attracted the little cutie's attention. Fei Ming and his wife don't seem to realize the situation; what if they start arguing right there and make the little cutie cry?
"Yeah, I don't want to pay attention to it, but they keep coming to me and asking what I do all day. I just stay home taking care of the kids and doing housework. Even when I go out to see a movie with Ming, my mother-in-law criticizes me. I'm not a machine," Liya said softly.
“I’m still on my wife’s side in this regard, so I’m moving out despite the huge financial pressure. Mr. Gao, I sincerely suggest that you buy a house before you get married. It will make things much easier after marriage. Of course, if you are the eldest son, then forget it.” Fei Ming, as a married man, offered his advice.
Suddenly called out, Gao Junxiao turned his gaze away from the child and looked at Qingcheng gently, saying, "I am not the eldest son, and my father only has one wife."
“That makes things much simpler. Let’s save money to buy a house. It doesn’t matter if it’s small. I don’t think Qingcheng will mind the size of the house.” Fei Ming looked at Qingcheng with a grin.
"Hehe, don't speak for me." Qingcheng rolled her eyes and retorted to Fei Ming.
"Oh, so you mean you absolutely need a grand mansion or a small villa?" Fei Ming deliberately misinterpreted Qingcheng's meaning, blinking as he said to Gao Junxiao, "Mr. Gao, is your salary as officers enough? Our dear Miss He has made a clear request."
After a moment's thought, Gao Junxiao calmly replied, "A grand mansion would be a bit of a hassle, but a small villa would be fine."
“Okay! Just tell her that in a bit, and I guarantee her family will pack her up and send her to your house.” Fei Ming was even more excited than Qing Cheng.
"That's what you said to Alpha back then. How many times have you tried to package Cheng? She's not a commodity." Liya bluntly stated a name, and Fei Mingfang coughed violently upon hearing it, almost coughing up his lungs.
The name sounded familiar. Gao Junxiao glanced at Qingcheng with a puzzled look, only to meet Qingcheng's bright black eyes. Qingcheng wasn't in a hurry to explain, as if she was waiting for him to ask. But would asking on the spot make him seem petty? In the end, he didn't ask anything and could only bury his head in his coffee, which became more and more bitter.
After chatting for a while, Qingcheng made an excuse to send them away, perhaps because it was about time: "Sorry, we have something to do. Let's get together again next time."
"Oh, you can go ahead if you have something to do," Fei Ming replied politely.
"Cheng, next time you bring Mr. Gao to our house, I'll make you black pudding (blood sausage)." Liya's tone revealed reluctance.
"Okay, remember to bring along some baked apples, and also make a crème brûlée with a crispy crust." Kiyosumi didn't hold back and made a series of requests, but fortunately, Liya wrote them down carefully in her notebook, so it seemed she wasn't just being polite.
Gao Junxiao was still in a daze, wondering who Alpha was, when Qingcheng jokingly pulled him along, saying, "Come on, we still need to get the relief painting later, or we won't let you in."
"Hmph! Why can't I come in?" Gao Junxiao solemnly declared, "Not only will I come in, but I will also take you away in a grand procession with eight sedan chairs."
"Where are we taking you? To the little villa?" Kiyosumi asked innocently.
“You only remember the little villa. Let’s go buy a house first.” Gao Junxiao said, and immediately took Qingcheng to the real estate agency.
"We don't think we've reached the point of buying a house together yet. It's still far from certain." Qingcheng tilted her head and looked at him, as if she wanted to laugh but didn't want to provoke him anymore, but her trembling shoulders quickly betrayed her.
Seeing that Qingcheng was almost in tears, Gao Junxiao was furious. He was already nervous about meeting the parents today, and the little girl dared to laugh at him. He was heartbroken and snorted coldly before ignoring Qingcheng.
In the sunlight, her clear eyes darted around and she leaned close to his ear, softly calling out "Brother Xiao." Gao Junxiao still kept a straight face, but the blush rising on the tips of his ears revealed his inner thoughts.
Qingcheng was not discouraged. She called out to the left and then to the right, calling out "Brother Xiao" several times in a row, each time softer and sweeter than the last. Finally, Gao Junxiao was so annoyed by her antics that he laughed so hard his mouth almost reached his ears. He suppressed his laughter and stopped her, saying, "Stop calling me that, or I'll give you my life."
"Why would I want your life? I'd definitely take your most valuable possession." Kiyosumi smiled and tapped his chest.
Gao Junxiao grabbed the woman's wrist and placed it on his chest, awaiting her reply: "You want this, but you don't want the little villa?"
"That's true, it's like trying to have your cake and eat it too. Let me think about it." Kiyosumi turned to the side as if thinking, her eyes darting around like clouds in the sky.
Gao Junxiao muttered in dissatisfaction, "This still needs to be considered."
"Oh dear, this is so hard to choose. Why don't you help me choose?" Qingcheng suddenly changed the subject and passed the buck back to Gao Junxiao.
Not getting the answer he wanted, Gao Junxiao was slightly disappointed. But Qingcheng continued, "After all, they are all precious items, so I have to prepare a return gift. As the Book of Songs says, 'You give me a peach, I return you a precious jade.' You choose."
Gao Junxiao smiled knowingly after hearing this. "Reciprocity?" he thought. "Of course not. The essence of this poem lies in the next line, 'It's not about repaying you, but about deepening our friendship.' Helping each other, rather than expecting a return for what you give, is a sign of a lower level of understanding."
Although Gao Junxiao understood, he still leaned closer and said, "'It's not a repayment, but a promise of eternal friendship.' Can I interpret that as you confessing your feelings to me and wanting to be friends with me forever?"
"How vulgar!" Qingcheng scolded, perhaps not knowing how to respond, or perhaps not wanting to pay attention to Gao Junxiao's startled reaction, and turned to leave.
"The mundane world as seen by ordinary people is not necessarily mundane. Let's enjoy everything in this mundane world." Gao Junxiao suddenly seemed to have an epiphany. "Oh, I know how to choose now."
Before she knew it, Qingcheng was pulled into a narrow alley by Gao Junxiao. The two were so close that Qingcheng's face immediately flushed red. She didn't know where to look and stammered, "What does this mean? What are you thinking?"
"I have many ideas, are you willing to listen?" Gao Junxiao frankly expressed his feelings.
Qingcheng chuckled and shifted her body slightly to create some distance between them, asking in return, "My dear Xiao-gege, you didn't have any thoughts before, but now that you've grown up, you do. Do you regret it?"
"Hmm, I regret it now. I should have taken Xiaohua back to be my wife first. After raising her for a few years, I could have had a beautiful and lovely flower as my wife." Gao Junxiao pressed closer and closer, and suddenly grabbed Qingcheng's soft waist. Qingcheng was caught off guard and pressed against the man's hard chest.
Kiyosumi trembled and warned in a panic, "Don't be a hooligan in broad daylight!"
The soft touch against his chest made Gao Junxiao's heart race. Looking at her blushing, pink lips, Gao Junxiao felt as if a whirlpool was spinning in his head, making it impossible for him to think clearly. He took a deep breath and replied, "I wasn't being a pervert. Since you said so, I have to play along..."
As Gao Junxiao's face drew closer, Qingcheng seemed to lose her composure. The more she struggled, the tighter he held on, and she was so ashamed and angry that she almost cried.
At that moment, Gao Junxiao quickly brushed Qingcheng's cheek and whispered in her ear, "I want them all."
The noise of the street seemed to be shut out, the leaves trembled gently in the sunlight, and Qingcheng bit her lip, feeling the warm breath with the aroma of coffee by her ear, her mind blank.
“You asked me to choose for you, so I’ll choose all of them. It’s not like I can’t afford them. I have the ability.” Gao Junxiao held Qingcheng and gently stroked her back. “A gentleman’s word is his bond. Remember what I said today. You are welcome to come and get them anytime.”
Suddenly realizing she had been played by the man, Qingcheng angrily shouted, "Don't be so confident!"
"Darling, don't be angry. But are you angry that I'm a rogue or not?" Gao Junxiao put one arm around her and casually stroked Qingcheng's hair with the other.
Qingcheng pressed against his chest. This was a logical trap. If she said that a man who wasn't a rogue would be on cloud nine, but if she denied it, she would seem guilty. Damn it, he just wanted to see her make a fool of herself.
However, she couldn't break free from him, and Qingcheng said in a serious tone, "Could you please be normal? Change the way you address me back."
"No, I don't want to be called the same as everyone else." Gao Junxiao smiled and played with a strand of hair in his hand. "If you don't let me call you darling, I'll go to the dictionary and find a more ambiguous and disgusting word to call you."
"Heh, what kind of threat is this?" Qingcheng laughed at the man's shamelessness and could only change the subject and persuade him gently, "Mr. Gao, aren't you hot in the middle of summer? Hurry up and leave. You're feeding the mosquitoes."
"Oh my, now you call me Mr. Gao. You ran into someone's house without even saying hello that day, and you tried to run away after taking advantage of them." Gao Junxiao looked incredulous. "My body has only been seen by my mother and sister since I was a child. I suffered a huge mental shock after that incident. How do you think you can make it up to me?"
Honestly, she swears she really didn't see anything, just his abs and stuff, nothing else. He was wearing only his underwear. Where did she lose out?
But ever since that day, Gao Junxiao has become even more clingy to her, as if he had opened Pandora's box. He seemed determined to keep her until she took responsibility, and she had reason to suspect that this man and his brothers were extorting her.
Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence!
"I don't believe it. Your aunt, your maternal aunt, and even Grandma Wang next door might have seen it. It's just that your mother didn't tell you." Qingcheng still gave Gao Junxiao some face. She hadn't forgotten how he came out of Si Ma Road reeking of alcohol and disheveled before, trying to chat her up. Who knew he had a few lovers before?
"Alright, alright, even if they've all seen it, they're still my elders, I accept that. Who are you to me?" Gao Junxiao followed her words and asked a question that touched the soul.
A faint smile crossed Qingcheng's face as she retorted, "Am I an outsider?"
"Oh, so you're my wife." Gao Junxiao squinted and grinned mischievously.
"Hmph! You're taking advantage of me again." Qingcheng was caught up in Gao Junxiao's rhythm again and turned to leave, but was pulled back by the man.
"I can't help it, you're just too cute. I feel like I'd be missing out if I didn't take advantage of you." Gao Junxiao had a sincere smile on his lips, and his clear black eyes sparkled with a burning light.
Kiyosumi glanced at him sideways and couldn't help but ask, "Does Your Majesty have a mental illness?"
"I am afflicted with lovesickness, and everyone I see resembles you," Gao Junxiao replied sincerely.
"Even if Bian Que were alive today, he couldn't save her," Qingcheng asked helplessly. "What exactly do you want?"
“You’ve always advocated for gender equality, so you can’t let an honest guy like me suffer. Otherwise, you can walk around in front of me in your pajamas.” Ignoring Qingcheng’s cold glare, Gao Junxiao added, “Preferably a silk camisole with lace trim, color and length are up to you.”
Ugh, so disgusting! Even if all the men in the world died, it wouldn't be your turn, Gao Junxiao, to be an honest man!
Qingcheng punched the man, gritting her teeth and cursing, "In broad daylight, in broad daylight, how can you be a gentleman to flirt with me like this?"
"I really don't want to be a gentleman, but you've forced me to the point of almost becoming a saint." Gao Junxiao said pitifully, shaking Qingcheng's body.
The tactic of gaining sympathy works on all ages. Qingcheng lowered her head shyly and reminded Gao Junxiao, "You have to put away your filthy thoughts in front of your elders. Whether you pretend to be a gentleman or a saint, you have to behave properly or you won't succeed."
"Darling, if you want to do it, then do it. I'm at ease now." Gao Junxiao was so excited by her words that he hugged Qingcheng and spun her around twice.
"It's so hot, put me down!" Qingcheng pushed her boyfriend to make sure he was aware of the time, afraid of being seen.
Not daring to delay, Gao Junxiao went to the gallery alone to pick up the relief painting, while Qingcheng waited for him in the rickshaw, fanning herself with a sandalwood fan. Unexpectedly, Old Wang returned, and she didn't want to see Wang Renyong and have another awkward conversation. Fortunately, Gao Junxiao didn't want to waste any more time with Old Wang either, so he took the painting and came out.
It got dark quickly, and the two of them took a rickshaw back to the red brick house. Unexpectedly, it was her younger brother who opened the door. Qingcheng thought to herself, "This is bad, I'm doomed."
"Hello, brother-in-law." Sure enough, that clueless idiot called him brother-in-law directly. If she didn't want to act like a lady in front of her boyfriend, she would have rushed up and given him a good beating to teach him a lesson for calling her that. Look how embarrassed he is.
Fortunately, her younger brother tapped her younger brother on the forehead to avenge her, and then stepped in to smooth things over: "My brother is ignorant, Mr. Gao, please don't mind him, please come in."
"Your family is all here today," Gao Junxiao said casually.
"Yes, there are quite a few today, probably because it's the weekend." Qingcheng also found it strange. Her older cousin was obsessed with medicine and usually wouldn't come home no matter how much she was urged. It wasn't even summer vacation yet, so why did he suddenly decide to come back?
As they passed through the entryway, their elders were already sitting on the sofa waiting for them. Qingcheng straightened her back and solemnly introduced them: "Come, let me introduce you. This is my aunt and uncle. This is Gao Junxiao, Mr. Gao."
"Hello Auntie, hello Uncle. This is a gift." Gao Junxiao, just as he said, acted like a respectable person and handled the situation calmly. Of course, Qingcheng felt that the clothes she chose for Gao Junxiao also played a decisive role. Clothes make the man, after all.
"You're too kind. This is a relief painting, isn't it? It's perfect for decorating the garden. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Please have a seat." The uncle handed the painting to the servant with satisfaction and led the two of them to sit down and chat.
After a few polite greetings, Auntie got straight to the point: "Mr. Gao, you're eating lychees? May I ask where you first met Qingcheng, Mr. Gao?"
"At the welcome banquet for me in Shanghai, I asked Miss He to dance, and that's how we met." Gao Junxiao's story was so airtight that Qingcheng wanted to applaud him. Sometimes, a white lie can avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble.
"Our Cheng-jie is hard to pursue, isn't she?" Her little cousin suddenly interjected, oblivious to the danger.
"Children shouldn't interrupt adults," the uncle scolded sternly, while gesturing for him to go upstairs. "Mr. Gao, please don't mind my son; I haven't taught him proper manners."
"Haha, it's alright. A girl as outstanding as Qingcheng definitely needs to be carefully chosen." Gao Junxiao looked at Qingcheng knowingly.
"The fact that Qingcheng chose Mr. Gao is enough to prove that you are outstanding. You are a perfect match." Uncle seemed to have a very good first impression of Gao Junxiao and praised him lavishly.
"Oh, I heard from Qingcheng that Mr. Gao is an active-duty military officer. So, do you want to pursue a career in politics or the military?" her aunt followed up with her own question.
"He's currently in the military; it's hard to say what will happen later," Gao Junxiao said as soon as he finished speaking.
Ring ring—the doorbell rang, and the housekeeper, Aunt Wu, came out of the kitchen to open the door.
"Are there any more guests coming?" Qingcheng asked her aunt with a puzzled look.
When Qingcheng saw the person who came, she felt like she was about to have a heart attack. Then she saw Gao Junxiao's stiff body with his legs tightly pressed together. It seemed that a big shot who knew about his dirty secrets had arrived. Hahaha, he probably also felt that his performance was full of loopholes.
Her godparents walked in smiling, carrying gifts...
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