58. The Moon Hides the Egret
"You still have to be jealous."
The Parisian night is a tapestry of nebulae.
With just a slight turn of the body, one can see the shimmering Seine River through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
That week, Li Xiran shut down all work. Whenever Shang Xinu looked at him, she could see the man's gentle gaze with a slight smile.
Sometimes it's the cool breeze of early morning, sometimes it's the passionate and magnificent kiss of the afternoon, or the quiet flow of light under the Eiffel Tower as the city lights come on.
Shang Xinuan stood in the Louvre, with Li Xiran's arm around her waist, a position he often used.
My heart is filled with the thought that Paris, this romantic and artistic city, truly complements Li Xiran's temperament.
It is dazzling, and he is magnificent.
My week-long trip to Paris came to an end in many moments, along with the regrets I couldn't let go of.
Back in the cabin of the plane in Shanghai, Shang Xinuan was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open.
While she was feeling drowsy, Li Xiran sat down next to her, dimmed the computer screen to its lowest setting, put on his headphones, and resumed his role as the chairman of the Li Group.
She blinked a few times, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
I laugh at myself for not daring to ask for eternity; a few moments at the spring harbor, exchanged for a damp midsummer night, seem enough.
But when the plane landed again on the dazzling and decadent Lupu Beach in Shanghai, she was led by this man onto the land that had nurtured her. Her selfish desires, like the lush harbor of her youth, yearned to possess it.
After figuring it out, the spoiled young lady decided she didn't want to live only for a few moments.
She wanted to stitch all the vibrant brightness into the tiny, endless gaps in time between the two of them.
Human beings have already endured wind and rain; if the gods are merciful, love will endure forever, whether in light or darkness.
-
Back in Shanghai, it was time for Qiao Xi and Shang Dan's engagement ceremony.
Shang Xinuan and Li Xiran represent many roles. However, Li Xiran, as the elder of the maternal family, seems to be much busier.
The day before the ceremony, the Shang family gathered together with all the elders.
Li Xiran and Li Yuzhan, as the uncles, sat in the elders' section. Shang Xinuan, on the other hand, could only sit in the relatives' section across a scenic stream.
As a member of her husband's family and Qiao Xi's best friend, she also had to serve as a guest.
The Chinese-style round table was occupied by her classmates on one side and Shang Dan's friends on the other.
The young lady, usually a social butterfly, seemed absent-minded today. She rested her chin on her hand, glancing at Li Xiran across from her as they clinked glasses, and then gave a cold snort.
"What's wrong?" Ruan Songyi sat down next to her and asked in a low voice, "I've noticed that your brother's good friend has been fawning over you."
Shang Xinuan put down her chopsticks, her gaze still lingering on Li Xiran's figure. "Look how happy he is, even happier than his own uncle, Li Yuzhan."
It was as if he was the main character at the engagement; every elder at the table who raised a glass to him was toasted back.
"Miss, he's the bride's elder today, and tomorrow he'll be the youngest son-in-law in the Shang family. Otherwise, why do you think he'd be so drunk and forgetful of you?" An outsider's perspective is clear, and Ruan Songyi succinctly pointed it out with a smile.
Shang Xinuan's furrowed brows relaxed a little. "I want to go and rescue him."
Ruan Songyi pressed down on Shang Xinuan, "New sons-in-law all have to go through this hurdle. Look at your brother, he got all drunk..."
Given Li Xiran and Shang Dan's status in Shanghai, there were very few occasions where they would be forced to drink by various people like this.
Today, we are fortunate to have Li Xiran, who has shared half of the pressure from the elders with Shang Dan.
"When you and Li Xiran get engaged, I'll have your brother return it." Qiao Xi, dressed in a red cheongsam, suddenly appeared behind the two of them.
"How much have you drunk?" Ruan Songyi quickly helped Qiao Xi to a seat. "Did your elders force you to drink?"
Qiao Xi shook her head, "I put on too much blush. This way I can shield Shang Dan from drinking."
Ruan Songyi looked on with a hint of envy, "Look at them, they're all so distressed."
“Li Xiran had heart surgery…” Shang Xinuan felt a pang of heartache every time she thought of that moment.
Ruan Songyi glanced at the time. "I think this banquet will last for at least another half hour. In ten minutes, I'll call Chairman Li out for you."
Shang Xin nodded, "Good sister."
"She's really my wife. She's not even married into the family yet, and I already care about her so much."
Ten minutes later, Li Xiran rushed over.
A man who has drunk too much alcohol has his shirt collar slightly open, and even his usually meticulously styled hair has a few strands hanging down.
"You've had too much to drink?" His voice was hoarse and slightly slurred from the alcohol.
Shang Xin sat up. "Yeah, I drank too much."
The two of them left early in such a blatant manner. Shang Dan, from a distance, mouthed "traitor."
Back in Shangxin's warm courtyard, Li Xiran sat back on the sofa, pinching his brows, his eyes red from the alcohol.
"Knowing that you had heart surgery and shouldn't drink much, you still kept drinking one glass after another..." Shang Xinuan handed over the hangover tea that Aunt Hui had prepared in advance, "Drink it all."
Looking at the full glass of tea, Li Xiran leaned her head against the sofa cushions and smiled wryly, "Miss, there are elders at the table, I really can't refuse a single cup."
The fact that the two were in a relationship was common knowledge ever since Li Xiran transferred the Li family's business empire to England when Shang Xinuan went to study there.
Given the current strength of the Li family, turning to Britain is not the best option.
After this got out, countless people secretly laughed at him for being love-struck.
“There’s no reason to drink like that.” The young lady was genuinely distressed. “Even Li Yuzhan, as his uncle, wasn’t forced to drink.”
“I’m going to marry you someday.” Hearing this, Li Xiran put his arm around Shang Xinuan’s waist and pulled her into his arms. “Besides, it’s just a little wine.”
There was no more precious young lady in all of Shanghai than her; he wished he could pluck the stars and the moon from the sky and give them to her.
"Don't worry, I haven't had too much to drink,"
"Really not?"
Li Xiran drank the hangover tea and began unbuttoning his shirt. "Shall we go take a shower together?"
"At a time like this, you're still being a pervert." Shang Xinuan slapped away his hand that was climbing up her waist to her chest.
"Weren't you worried about me drinking too much?" Li Xiran persisted, reaching into a drawer on the table and taking out a square box. "Try it, and you'll know."
-
The next day, Shang Xinu woke up again with sore body that she couldn't lift her arms.
She shouldn't have doubted Li Xiran's drinking capacity, much less his abilities.
Those few drinks didn't get him drunk; instead, they added to the fun.
She was tormented back and forth until the early hours of the morning before finally being released amidst her sobbing pleas for mercy.
Shang Xinuan looked at the empty space beside her and angrily punched the pillow that still smelled of Li Xiran.
Just then, Aunt Hui knocked on the door, so she got up as well.
"Where is he?" Shang Xin asked.
Aunt Hui came to clean and replied, "They're probably all at the golf course."
Many of Shang Dan's friends stayed overnight at yesterday's banquet.
So early in the morning, before the engagement ceremony even started, I took advantage of the cool weather to go for a few rounds of golf.
"You really have a lot of energy." Shang Xinuan has a delicate body that can't tolerate even a little bit of sun exposure, and she's sensitive to both cold and heat.
"If you ask me, you still lack exercise." Aunt Hui was very concerned about her health. "Xi Xi and Ruan Ruan are both at the court, why don't you go for a walk too?"
Shang Xin rubbed her head and said, "I know, my Aunt Hui."
Yesterday, Li Xiran nearly broke her bones, but the fact that she can still open her eyes today is already a testament to her physical limits.
So when she appeared on the golf course fully armed, her steps were unsteady.
Li Xiran was the first to put down his golf club and jog over, asking, "Why are you up?"
When he woke up, Shang Xinuan had been clinging to him and acting coquettishly for a long time, whining that she didn't want to sleep alone. But when he came out of the bathroom, the young lady had fallen into a deep sleep again, as if it had all just been a dream.
"No one's sleeping with me, I'm lonely and cold, so I got up," Shang Xinuan said confidently. "The main characters aren't here, it's just the few of us playing!"
"Your brother was just here, but the person in charge of the flower arrangement called him away." For this engagement banquet, Shang Dan bought all the roses in Shanghai. Still feeling it wasn't enough, he monopolized roses from surrounding cities as well.
Shang Xinuan took Li Xiran's arm and sat down under the shade of the pavilion. "It's really rare. My brother has never done anything romantic since he was a child."
Normally serious people only show exaggerated emotions when they are with Qiao Xi.
"Yes, that's all the romantic things I've ever done for you." Li Xiran rested his arm naturally on the back of the chair behind her, his eyes full of tenderness and love.
The young lady was wearing sunglasses, but the smile in her eyes was still overflowing.
At this moment, the group of people who had just been playing golf also sat back down under the tent. Some of them were Shang Dan's good friends and had met Shang Xinuan a few times.
"Speaking of which, Lao Lu came all the way from the United States this time because he heard that Nuan Nuan was at home. He didn't expect that Nuan Nuan already has a boyfriend." The one making the joke was a brother from a collateral branch of the Shang family, who is Shang Xinuan's cousin.
The "Old Lu" mentioned is Lu Xibai, Shang Dan's college classmate.
A Chinese-American, I stayed at the Shang family's house for a while after I graduated.
Shang Xinu looked over with some confusion; she had almost forgotten about this person.
Perhaps, this person never even appeared in her memory.
"Brother, what nonsense are you talking about?" Shang Xinuan was still playing with Li Xiran's elbow with one hand.
"Little sister, you're the only one who didn't notice."
Looking at Lu Xibai again, he simply nodded and smiled, "It's been so many years, Chairman Li is still here, so let's not talk about it."
The topic arose out of nowhere, and was both awkward and ambiguous.
"Old Lu, just tell me, did you ever have a crush on Nuan Nuan?" His cousin teased, still oblivious to the situation. "Chairman Li isn't that petty."
Lu Xibai pursed his lips and said, "It's a pity, we missed it."
These words carried a tacit agreement, making Shang Xin's scalp tingle with embarrassment.
"Chairman Li, we were just joking, don't take it seriously." The cousin seemed to be deliberately trying to annoy Li Xiran. "Our Nuannuan has had no shortage of suitors since she was a child."
Shang Xi rubbed her forehead, finally understanding what her cousin meant. If she wasn't mistaken, he was concerned about the previous rumors of Li Xiran's engagement.
This was her family supporting her, and Shang Xinuan couldn't refuse either side, so she could only remain silent.
"Yes, Nuannuan has a good personality and is beautiful, so it's only natural that many people like her." Li Xiran's tone even carried a hint of pride.
All those present here are relatives and friends of the Shang family, so this statement is so polite that it is impossible to find fault with it.
Especially the way Li Xiran looked at the young lady, his eyes were full of love.
Shang Xinuan rubbed her hands together, thinking that she shouldn't have shown up. "Um, I didn't rest well yesterday, so I went back first. You guys have fun."
As if fleeing, the young lady didn't even glance at Li Xiran's expression before getting up and walking into the blazing sun.
Before she could disappear from everyone's sight, a familiar hand wrapped around her waist. "Miss, why are you running so fast?"
Shang Xinuan said in a low voice, "I have absolutely no impression of that Lu Bai."
Actually, Lu Xibai appeared a few months earlier than Li Xiran.
But she was so focused on the college entrance exam that she didn't even notice there was another person in her house.
Li Xiran's voice was gentle and slow. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he embraced Shang Xinuan even more intimately, as if silently retaliating against what had just happened.
"I know. After all, in everyone's world, there are some insignificant people who you don't even realize exist."
Shang Xin shrugged. "Aren't you jealous?"
The two walked out of the golf course, and the lively and noisy sounds from the courtyard came with them.
Li Xiran suddenly grabbed her and pinned her against the wall in a secluded corner, saying, "You still have to be jealous."
A note from the author:
The main story will be completed by next Wednesday!
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-06-14 23:53:36 and 2023-06-17 23:54:27!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: 30672006 (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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