37. The bright moon hides the egret.
Can you be serious for once?!
Li Xiran cupped Shang Xinuan's cheek, and lately he had been staring intently into her eyes, then gently stroking her with his fingertips.
Sometimes it's the face, sometimes the wrist or elbow, sometimes the palm.
He was always very emotional and gentle, as if touching her would prevent him from getting lost in this world.
The young lady, on the other hand, began to become shy, suppressing the feeling of being pursued by the person she liked, her heart constantly burning with passion for her.
Even the corners of her mouth, which she couldn't help but smile, made her expression start to look unnatural.
"You'd better be serious for once!" Shang Xinuan tried to dodge his hand, but found that she couldn't. "Xixi will be staying with me tonight, and I'll be going home in a bit."
For half a month straight, the young lady has been guarding this place.
The day before yesterday, an elderly woman in the next ward, who was about the same age as Shang Zun, suddenly came to visit and chat.
The young lady was condescendingly feeding fruit to Li Xiran when he took the opportunity to tease her, saying, "The jackfruit isn't very sweet today."
"How could that be? These are all air-freighted from my kitchen every morning, and Aunt Hui personally selects and cuts them."
"Perhaps it's because you're sweeter that the other fruits feel inferior."
Shang Xinu forced a smile and pinched his arm. "Can you be serious for once!"
The two were playing around when they realized that their grandmother was watching them.
"Hello, how can I help you?" Shang Xinuan asked, slightly embarrassed.
Grandma smiled and waved her hand, "No, I just happened to be passing by and saw that your place was very lively."
Elderly people always like to go to lively crowds.
"Are you a newlywed couple?" Grandma asked. "I always see this girl busy taking care of things; it's like something a real daughter-in-law would do."
Perhaps because she was too shocked, Shang Xinuan was completely stunned.
"Young man! You've found a good wife. She's beautiful and so considerate."
Li Xiran glanced at her, and without even offering an explanation, she said with a mischievous grin, "Yeah! I'm lucky."
"How long have you been married?" It's a common old habit of older people to chat with young couples who seem to have a good relationship. "But you two look quite young, you must have just gotten married, right?"
After all, the two of them seemed to be deeply in love, but they also looked shy when teased by their elders.
"You have a good eye." Li Xiran even whispered in Shang Xin's ear, "If we calculate it from the time we made up."
Shang Xinu glared at him fiercely, then secretly reached under the covers to pinch his arm as punishment. "Li Xiran, you only injured your heart, not your brain." So she warned him to be careful about talking nonsense.
"How come you're in the hospital right after getting married?"
This time, it was the young lady's turn to spout nonsense. She preemptively said, "Grandma, you don't know, he's ten years older than me. I was thinking of not letting him have a child so late in life, but who knew that the pre-pregnancy checkup revealed..."
As she spoke, her face even showed a sorrowful, tearful expression.
He didn't say a word, yet it was as if he had said a thousand words.
The grandmothers who were visiting were too embarrassed to chat with them anymore, saying, "That's really a bit of a shame..."
After saying that, he immediately said goodbye and left with a face full of apology.
Having a child late in life? Or being unable to have children?
"Nuan Nuan, this is spreading rumors."
The young lady raised an eyebrow. "Then where's your child? You should at least bring the child with you for me to admit I'm spreading rumors!"
Li Xiran smiled, his eyes narrowing like a cunning old fox, "Wait a few more years, and I'll bring the child to you to see."
"It also proves to Nuannuan whether I'm capable of having children."
When it comes to having children, the young lady doesn't even need a science lesson; she already knows the hidden meaning.
Perhaps she was fed up with his constant ramblings, which is why Shang Xinuan complained to Qiao Xi and asked her to stay with her at the hospital for one night.
"Xi Xi is coming?" Li Xiran grabbed her hand again. "She's too noisy, chattering like a sparrow spirit. Only Shang Dan can stand her."
"She volunteered to come, so I couldn't refuse." During the time she was taking care of Qiao Xi, quite a few people had already asked her if she was dating Li Xiran. If she refused Qiao Xi again, she was afraid that people would suspect her even more.
"Warm..." This person started pretending to have a heart attack again.
“After all, Xixi is your niece. If you think she’s noisy, just say so and remind her. She’ll definitely listen to you.”
"I remember you used to call him 'Uncle' all the time. Now that I'm suggesting you come with me, I'm sure you'll listen, right?"
The young lady wouldn't listen and pulled her hand away, "No uncle would hold his niece's hand when she's over twenty! I won't let go!"
“That’s true.” Li Xiran stopped trying to pull her away and chose to let go. “No wonder I always felt that it was taboo for you to call me that.”
"..." This person is starting to act inappropriately again.
"But Nuannuan, isn't it a bit impolite of you to always call me by my full name?"
Shang Xinuan used to call him "uncle" simply because of their family's generational hierarchy. Later, when she got angry, she called him by his full name because she wanted to treat him like a stranger.
While the two are not overly intimate, most people generally view their relationship with an open mind.
"Then what should I call you?" The young lady puffed out her cheeks, deliberately mimicking the affected tone of the business partner manager who had visited him a few days ago, "Chairman Li. Chairman Li Xiran? President Xiran?"
She drew out the words, and even her feigned alluring gaze was perfectly imitated.
I also remember that Li Xiran looked indifferent at the time. In the end, the female manager felt that she had made a fool of herself and left after sitting for a short while.
“It’s too formal for us to call him Chairman Li.” Li Xiran raised an eyebrow, his refined demeanor tinged with a hint of roguishness, and said, “Calling me brother is just right.”
Seeing her incredulous expression, he pressed on, "Say it, let me hear it?"
The young lady had no choice but to resort to her recently catchphrase, "Can't you have any shame?!"
"Is this shameless?"
"You have an even more shameless side!"
Li Xiran leaned against the cushion and gently touched the tip of her nose. "Yes. But given that our relationship hasn't reached that point yet, we need to hold back for now."
In that instant, all sorts of forbidden yet thrilling scenarios flashed through her mind, and her pretty face immediately flushed red.
"I'm leaving. You're being indecent here!" As if fleeing, Shang Xinuan grabbed her small bag and disappeared around the corner from the ward door.
-
Li Xiran was not officially discharged from the hospital until mid-August.
However, he did not rest at home for two more days before returning to Li's company to start work.
When Shang Xinuan heard about it, she knew it was his job and couldn't say anything.
So I would deliver meals prepared by a nutritionist to his home every noon to supplement his nutrition.
When I visited today, Li Xiran was still in a meeting in the conference room.
Shang Xinuan couldn't help but stop and look at his serious expression through the glass.
The room wasn't very big, but it was filled with shareholders from the board of directors.
It's obvious they're discussing the handling of Chen Shaoyi's case.
Recently, in particular, Li Xiran's large-scale acquisition of shares by the Empress Dowager's faction shareholders has aroused dissatisfaction and apprehension among some people.
The crowd was in high spirits, glaring at Li Xiran, practically ready to point their fingers at him and slam their fists on the table.
Shang Xin felt an indescribable heartache in his chest; his heart hadn't even fully recovered yet!
Whether it was a telepathic connection or not, Li Xiran also happened to look out the window at that moment.
The moment he saw her, the person who had just been frowning immediately had a faint smile on their face.
Shang Xinuan pointed to his office, indicating that she should go back and wait for him.
After all, she simply couldn't stand there and watch him be bullied; otherwise, she would have wanted to rush in at any moment.
The spoiled young lady wouldn't hold back when talking to those old scoundrels.
But not wanting to make things more difficult for Li Xiran in the future, she knew that some things were not to be done.
Lost in thought, I walked back to Li Xiran's office and found that the flowers on her desk had been replaced with blooming flowers again.
Since she's clearly not coming to work here anymore, why bother putting a flower up for her?
Shang Xinuan placed the vase on Li Xiran's table.
Let's just consider it a generous consolation gift from the young lady.
Just as she finished tidying up and sat down on the sofa, her phone in her bag made a muffled ringing sound.
She checked her phone and found a message from Qiao Xi: "[How's your decision about the modeling job going?]"
Qiao Xi joined a well-known fashion company in Shanghai. The end of the month is the debut exhibition of the new designer, and they have been making appointments with her and Ruan Songyi since the beginning of the month.
Ruan Xiannu has no private life other than painting every day, and she agreed to it a long time ago.
Snow in a Silver Bowl: [I've thought it over, I can participate.]
Qiao Xi: [Why did you suddenly see things differently this time?]
Silver Bowl Filled with Snow: [Li Xiran has been discharged from the hospital, so I don't need to go to the hospital every day anymore, and I naturally have more time.]
Qiao Xi: [Oh~ so that's why you hesitated to agree before, it was because of my uncle. Taking care of him was more important than being my model.]
Qiao Xi said she was very jealous, extremely jealous.
Silver Bowl Filled with Snow: [After all, he got hurt because of me, and I know that when you're hurt, you feel very wronged.]
It was during the time she was injured that she became completely disillusioned and decided to forget him.
Qiao Xi: [Are you two dating now?]
Silver Bowl Filled with Snow: [No. It's just that seeing him alone dealing with the mess left by the Li family made broke my heart, and I wanted to stay by his side.]
Qiao Xi: [You're in trouble! Feeling pity for someone is far more terrifying than falling in love with them.]
Shang Xinu stared at her phone screen, pondering Qiao Xi's words repeatedly in her mind.
Unfortunately, when facing Li Xiran, she just couldn't stay rational and clear-headed; even the firmest ideas became fragile and easily shattered.
A single tender look from him, without even a few words or any intimate gesture, was enough to make her heart flutter.
So even the deliberate indifference that she had been so firmly restrained was instantly shattered.
She understood that people can never go against their own hearts.
Seeing that she hadn't responded for a while, Qiao Xi asked again, "So when do you plan to get together?"
This was the answer Li Xiran had given her long ago: [When she'd had enough of being pursued and wanted to kiss and hug him.]
Qiao Xi: [So cheesy!]
Li Xiran finished his meeting and just then pushed the door open and came in.
The young lady also put away her phone, ignoring the messages Qiao Xi sent later.
"It's so hot, you don't have to come every day."
"Is it hot?" She took the elevator directly from her home to the underground parking garage, and then the car dropped her off at the main entrance of the Li family's residence.
Before the young lady could even feel the heat, she was greeted by the cold air.
"If you're not afraid of the heat?" Li Xiran sat down next to her and naturally began to unpack the lunchbox she had brought. "Would you be willing to come back as my assistant?"
The young lady immediately shook her head, "You evil capitalists, I refuse."
"That capitalist's daughter?" Li Xiran smiled, resting her chin on her hand. "Does she need an assistant?"
"I'm good at driving, carrying bags, and swiping your card."
A note from the author:
Which story would you like to see next?
1. "The Night Grows Deeper in Hong Kong" - A story of marriage before love blossoms in Hong Kong.
2. *Wild Crows* (also known as *The Wild Crow*) - Beijing, a story about powerful officials and female students.
The text is as follows:
As the night deepens in Hong Kong
Huo Xinglai, a powerful figure in Hong Kong, and Shen Yanqing, a wealthy heiress in Beijing.
Humanitarian aid without borders X Wall Street financial genius
1.
Shen Yanqing first met Huo Xinglai when she was eighteen years old and had just received an offer of admission to MIT. She was traveling alone to Hong Kong.
She was cornered in a bar by someone with ulterior motives and found herself in a predicament. In the nick of time, a handsome man pulled her into a private room and held her in his arms.
To evade the pursuers, they even staged a passionate scene between them, pretending to be a couple deeply in love.
Later, the man introduced himself as Huo Xinglai, saying that she had offended the local tyrant and that she might not be able to leave unscathed without a man by her side.
The naive girl believed him and asked him to play her boyfriend for a week, promising him a generous reward afterwards.
During the week-long contractual relationship, Shen Yanqing almost fell for him, only to discover that the biggest local bully in Hong Kong was the man who was currently holding her and calling her "baby."
2.
Shen Yanqing comes from a prestigious family in the capital and is known as the "White Swan of Wall Street" for her financial talent. Her signature look is a plain cheongsam with a white jade hairpin.
However, beneath her seemingly gentle exterior lies a deep love for targeting unscrupulous businessmen, which has offended a group of powerful figures in Yijing.
Huo Xinglai was a notorious scoundrel in Xinggang. Born out of wedlock, he had never attended school. His mouth was full of foul language, and his murderous aura shook the surrounding area.
He loves to wear a suit and act like a refined gentleman when he's fighting, but deep down he's fierce, valiant, and untamed.
Both are evenly matched, and both are capable of forcing others to kneel down when they stir up trouble.
Originally, they kept to themselves, until Shen Yanqing extended his reach into the port city area...
Huo Xinglai, the newly elected president of the Xinggang Chamber of Commerce, in an attempt to quell public anger, resorted to street robbery, bringing the person from the capital to Hong Kong.
When they met again after many years, the man still introduced himself as Huo Xinglai, saying that she had offended the local powerful and influential people, and that if she didn't marry the biggest local tyrant, she might not be able to leave unscathed.
Wild Crow Camellia
Wealthy young master X female college student
Long-awaited reunion X Broken mirror mended
1.
Lin Yujing's teenage years were filled with love letters, paint, and poverty.
In his senior year of high school, in order to pay for the high cost of training for art exams, he shamelessly agreed to help a powerful figure in Beijing find his son.
In Penghu, a town known as a paradise for art exam takers, she stayed at the home of a gentle and reserved young man.
At first, the boy did not react to her subtle flirting.
Later, on a hot night filled with the chirping of cicadas, she would place her feet under the table on the boy's lap.
Anyone who looks down can see Chen Jingshu ambiguously caressing her ankle.
It was just a heart-fluttering story of youth, which ended with the girl's disdainful and indifferent remark: "I like Chen Jingshu from the Chen family of Yijing, not Chen Jingshu from Pengzhen No. 1 Middle School."
On a stormy night, the boy's fist missed her cheek and landed on the old locust tree. He roared fiercely, "Get out, and don't let me see you again."
2.
Lin Yujing met Chen Jingshu again at a business investment reception in Yijing.
At that time, he was already Chen Jiagui's sole and unspoken heir, while she was just a student representing the Academy of Fine Arts of Tsinghua University to solicit investment.
Given their vastly different social statuses, Lin Yujing didn't even dare to entertain the thought of humiliating herself.
Just as she was being relentlessly harassed, Chen Jingshu suddenly appeared.
"I'll give you one minute to convince me." The man's tone was icy.
Having long since toned down her boisterous nature, she became somewhat cautious, saying, "My project to protect endangered animals..."
"Jingjing, you should know what I'm interested in." Chen Jingshu's eyes were red, as if suppressing surging hatred, or as if unable to dissipate love.
After that night, the news spread throughout the elite circles of Beijing that Chen Jingpeng had kept a beautiful female con artist by his side.
At first, everyone thought that Young Master Chen was a gentleman who would take revenge even after ten years, but later they watched as he poured all kinds of resources into Lin Yujing.
They held an art exhibition for her at Yintai Centre and even set up a personal studio for her outside Hepingmen, where land is extremely valuable.
My friend joked, "Young master, your method of retaliation is quite clever. First, you lift someone up high, then you throw them down hard."
The man looked tenderly at the person walking towards him and pondered, "The person I support is not someone who will fall."
Forget about the phrase "destined to meet but not to be together." If you just nod, I have the power to unleash a torrent of emotions. — Chen Jingshu
Reading Guide:
1. SC, 1V1, clean everywhere!
2. The school period is presented in flashbacks and is not very long.
3. The "Beijing-Shanghai-Hong Kong-Suzhou Rich Family Series"—Sweet Romance Novels set
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