Chapter 34, "Xi" means the first rays of dawn (see author's note)...
At the solemn funeral, Cheng Hexi wore a long black dress, a white corsage, no other jewelry, and no makeup.
You Yue stood beside her, also dressed in black.
Although the old lady of the He family did not retire from the business world, many people came to pay their respects because of the He family's influence in Beijing.
As Cheng Hexi stood there, as her granddaughter and CEO of Xilin, she heard relatives, friends, wealthy businessmen, and business partners with whom she had business dealings say "please accept my condolences."
The old lady is over eighty years old and has always been in good health. She recently fell seriously ill, but I heard that she is still in relatively good condition.
In just one month, people died as quickly as a lamp goes out.
Cheng Hexi was shocked when she learned of this news from He Chongguang's phone call.
However, she and the old lady had never had a single day of harmonious coexistence before.
Even the decision to have a whirlwind marriage was made because the old lady was looking for playboys and wanted to match them up.
She doesn't want to be controlled by others, and she doesn't want to relinquish power. If marriage is a bargaining chip, then she'll willingly throw it away.
Cheng Hexi is He Chongguang's daughter. She has been the old lady's granddaughter for nearly 29 years, but she has never received a proper look from her.
Aside from disliking her mother, it was mostly because she was a girl.
Family scandals should not be aired in public. Even if many rumors are no longer secrets, it must be pretended that no one knows. Even Cheng Hexi's name change was initially explained by the old lady as "the son's remembrance of his deceased wife."
Cheng Hexi's plain face showed no sadness or other emotions, her expression blank as she played the role of an indifferent puppet.
She remained silent when no one spoke to her.
The crowd before her was a dense, dark mass, and everyone was speaking in hushed tones. Listening to these whispers, Cheng Hexi was reminded of the year her mother passed away.
August, a month of sweltering heat.
Cheng Hexi's birthday is also in August.
Mingming's maternal grandparents have already made arrangements with a hospital in the United States, and she will soon be going there to study and accompany her mother as she leaves this place of sorrow.
But just like that, unexpectedly, a few days before she turned eighteen, she lost her mother.
Cheng Hexi still remembers that day as gloomy and muggy, with dark clouds pressing down on the rooftops but no rain falling. The outside was shrouded in a gray haze with very low visibility, but the lights from the funeral home were extremely glaring.
She had been crying for too long, and her eyes were red, swollen, sore, and throbbing. Her eyelids were very thin, and even blinking caused intense pain.
Many people came to pay their respects at that time, and they looked at her with apologetic or pitying expressions.
Cheng Hexi was not yet an adult at that time, having just graduated from high school, and was not yet capable of pretending to be someone else.
Anxiety and sadness gripped her mind.
He Chongguang was busy receiving greetings and comfort from people and had no time to pay attention to her.
For the first time, she felt utterly alone and helpless.
Cheng Hexi has been strong for so many years, and she has glossed over the sadness and heartbreak she experienced on her journey, but she will never forget that day.
I feel sorry for my deceased mother, and I also feel sorry for her.
The ceremony has not yet begun.
You Yue was tall and straight, and stood very close to her, their clothes rubbing together.
Perhaps sensing her emotions, he suddenly reached out and took the hand of the person next to him.
Why are your hands so cold?
The room temperature was a bit low, even though it was the height of summer. You Yue frowned slightly when he asked her the question.
Cheng Hexi rarely saw him frown.
The feeling of being enveloped in the man's broad, warm palm was so wonderful. She took a deep breath and belatedly realized how comforting it was: "Maybe it's because my stomach isn't very good? My hands and feet are sometimes cold, but it's nothing."
You Yue knew she had a stomach ailment.
This was originally mentioned by Aunt Yao unintentionally.
Cheng Hexi had a sweet tooth and ate zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) for several days after the Dragon Boat Festival. Aunt Yao hesitated for a long time before finally bringing it up.
She said she has a sensitive stomach and shouldn't eat too much.
Cheng Hexi was very grateful and touched, and then asked Aunt Yao how she knew this.
Aunt Yao said: I could tell from her living habits, and I also saw the stomach medicine she kept on her bedside table.
You Yue was also having dinner at the table at the time, without saying a word.
When they first got their marriage certificate, his gentlemanly manners and politeness towards her stemmed from a sense of responsibility arising from their status, and to be honest, he didn't care about her much. You Yue has been reflecting on this since then.
Do you often have stomach aches?
He has been very healthy since childhood and has an extremely strong healing ability. Whether he stays up late or drinks alcohol, he has never had any physical discomfort and rarely even catches a cold.
"It doesn't happen often, it's fine."
Cheng Hexi reassured him.
It doesn't happen often, but every time it hurts, it's a lot of suffering.
Having just taken over Xilin last year, Cheng Hexi had so much to do and so many people to get to know. As the top leader, she was extremely busy every day, often missing mealtimes, and even had to go to the emergency room due to a sudden stomach spasm. She was on an IV drip all night that day, which terrified the entire president's office.
You Yue held her hand, his thoughts wandering as he considered how to help her recover.
Suddenly, a clear, gentle male voice called her name from behind.
It's not President Cheng, nor Cheng Hexi, but "Hexi".
You Yue was unfamiliar with the voice, but as he held Cheng Hexi's hand, he noticed a change in the aura emanating from the person beside him.
The two turned around almost simultaneously.
The man in front of them was also dressed in a solemn black suit, very tall, and about the same age as them.
He and Youyue are two completely different kinds of people.
You Yue exudes a powerful aura and appears aloof and dignified in front of outsiders, but the man before her has a gentle face.
You Yue's expression remained unchanged. Seeing Cheng Hexi staring intently at the person opposite her, he spoke two seconds later in a flat tone: "Yan Zhen."
Yan Zhen.
Thanks to his excellent memory, Yu Yue did not forget the name that had only appeared twice in the past.
He Zhouyan mentioned it once when he accompanied Cheng Hexi home shortly after they got their marriage certificate.
After getting on the bus, Cheng Hexi made a point of explaining to him that Yan Zhen was her neighbor.
You Yue hadn't paid much attention to it at first, and just let it go after hearing it, but now he was thinking: Why is it the neighbor again?
What kind of neighbor is this?
Did you teach her to dance when you were in school?
His mind raced, but his face remained calm and composed, You Yue maintaining his usual indifferent and arrogant demeanor.
A moment later, he heard Cheng Hexi speak, her tone somewhat cold.
She said, "You've been abroad for so long, have you forgotten that I changed my name?"
The man's calm and gentle face broke for a moment, as if he hadn't expected her to stop pretending to be polite.
Yan Zhen understood, and You Yue understood too; she was bothered by the way she had been addressed earlier.
Before Cheng Yuqing passed away, Cheng Hexi's name was always "He Xi".
This is the name her mother gave her.
She was born in the early morning.
Xi means the first light of dawn.
After Cheng Yuqing passed away and He Zhouyan returned to the He family, she loathed the He family blood in her veins and her surname. When she changed her name, she couldn't bear to part with the character "Xi" and the gentleness Cheng Yuqing showed when calling her name. In the end, she only changed one character and added her mother's surname in front of it.
Yan Zhen said "I haven't forgotten," and took the initiative to greet You Yue next to her, saying that he and Cheng Hexi were neighbors back then.
You Yue said "Oh" and said casually, "I've heard He Xi mention it."
This time, it was Yan Zhen's turn to be surprised.
Cheng Hexi actually felt that You Yue was doing it on purpose; she had mentioned it once.
Moreover, it was actually He Zhouyan who brought it up that time, and she offered an explanation out of respect for the marriage alliance.
"You flew back specifically for Grandma's funeral?" she asked.
"...No, I had planned to come back anyway."
Cheng Hexi sneered inwardly, thinking that even after ten years, the person in front of her was still so hypocritical.
-
After going through the funeral procession, Cheng Hexi took medicine early that evening because of an upset stomach.
Before going to sleep, she covered her stomach with her hand and draped the blanket over her shoulders.
You Yue had a meeting to attend, and when she went upstairs, she found that she had already fallen asleep.
He knelt on one knee on the bed, touched her hands and feet, and felt that they were better than at the funeral, not so cold. Only then did You Yue go into the bathroom and quickly take a shower.
He dried his hair, changed into his bathrobe, lifted a corner of the blanket, and got into bed.
The room temperature is just right.
You Yue usually slept lying flat, just like Cheng Hexi before she moved into the master bedroom, but because he was hot, Cheng Hexi would unconsciously snuggle into his arms.
Tonight, he didn't wait; instead, he pulled the person into his arms.
She was enveloped by body temperature and the familiar scent of shower gel.
-
Cheng Hexi suddenly woke up in the middle of the night.
You Yue was standing very close to her, and he noticed her every move.
Before she was fully awake, her subconscious returned first. You Yue reached out and patted her back. A moment later, she opened her eyes.
The person in my arms showed a rare vulnerability.
You Yue stroked her hair and asked her if she had a nightmare.
Cheng Hexi shook her head.
Her dream was still about her mother's funeral.
Everywhere she looked, people were dressed in black, creating an oppressive atmosphere that made it hard for her to breathe. The unfamiliar crowd made her uneasy.
She sat up, and You Yue got out of bed, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it to her.
Cheng Hexi drank half of it in one gulp.
After calming down for a while, she suddenly spoke, but didn't mention the reason for her sudden awakening. Instead, she said, "The reason I asked you last time if we could have the wedding next year was because August is the anniversary of my mother's death. I don't like getting married in the fall or winter; I think it's too cold..."
You Yue didn't know why she brought this up. He sighed softly, put the cup on the bedside table, got back into bed, and hugged her. "I guessed it."
He added, "It's alright, go to sleep."
At that time, he was just guessing what was in his own heart.
Cheng Hexi closed her eyes, surrounded by the scent of Youyue.
She thought that she probably really felt sorry for her eighteen-year-old self, and wished that someone would care about her back then, so she dreamed of You Yue when she was eighteen.
If Youyue were here, I might not feel so lonely.
Previously, Cheng Hexi had never thought of it this way.
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Author's note: First day of my period, lol
Updated Three Questions on Couple Compatibility!
10. What do you think is the most contrasting aspect of the other person?
Xi: She looks cold and aloof, but she is very well-mannered, thoughtful and gentlemanly.
Yue: Sharp and shrewd at work, but actually quite interesting in private.
11. What little-known facts does the other person have?
Xi: Seafood allergy? Left-handed? Don't like sweets?
Yue: She's a restless sleeper; no matter what she did before falling asleep, she'll always be in my arms when she wakes up. Also, I've developed a craving for sweets.
12. Do you prefer hugging or kissing?
Xi: to embrace.
Yue: I like them all.
Here's a supplementary message from the Xilin gossip group, based on yesterday's episode:
Mr. You was waiting for Mr. Cheng to get off work downstairs in his car; the two were wearing matching outfits. Mr. Cheng left early, suggesting a possible date.
Thank you for reading! Sending you all love! [heart emoji]
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