72 Qiao Xi X Shang Dan
◎My Banker's Daughter [Part Two]◎
"Adopting a monkey, isn't that hilarious?" Shang Xinuan said as she helped her into the car.
Qiao Xi followed Shang Xi into the car. Although she was smiling, she couldn't help but feel curious. "It's a little funny, but compared to raising a female celebrity, I feel like raising a monkey is better."
Shang Xinuan nodded, confirming her statement: "That's absolutely true. The monkey my brother adopted is named Mo Bao. He was rescued by a wildlife rescue station in Shanghai. I heard that the treatment costs were too high, and the rescue station was about to give up on him. After my brother saw the news abroad, he took the initiative to contact them to donate money and also arranged for Mo Bao to be placed in the Shanghai Zoo."
"So, my brother is actually quite kind," Shang Xinuan added after saying that.
Qiao Xi nodded. "Indeed...this requires a lot of love."
If this kind of stressful and mentally taxing thing happened at her home, her parents would probably be furious.
Shang Xinuan took out her phone and started showing her the chat history with Shang Dan. "This is Mo Bao."
Qiao Xi originally thought it was a dirty monkey with a red bottom, but the photo showed a small and cute black monkey.
Wearing denim overalls and a riding hat, it was placed in a bicycle basket by its keeper and posed for a photo with a grin.
"So cute."
"Whenever I exceed my allowance, I ask Mobao to pose me in a few ways. I affectionately call it the Shangdan Gold Coin Decoy."
Qiao Xi couldn't help but laugh out loud, "The little guy is quite useful."
"With Mo Bao in hand, Shang Dan's wallet is mine!" Shang Xinuan had just finished showing off when she seemed to suddenly remember something, and her smile immediately turned ugly. "Unfortunately, my brother has returned to China now, and he no longer needs me as a professional proxy photographer."
Qiao Xi was both amused and exasperated. "You're a professional at sabotaging your brother."
Shang Xinu pouted and snuggled into her arms, "Qiao Xixi, why are you taking my brother's side now! I'm your little darling, okay?!"
"You are you, you are the most important!" She patted Shang Xinuan's back, like coaxing a child, "Go and take a nap."
The two of them had always had the habit of taking a nap on their way to school, but since last night, Qiao Xi had been in a state of intermittent dreaming and waking, her heart filled with the unique girlish flutter.
Even now, when she closes her eyes, she sees the scene of seeing Shang Dan outside the Shang Mansion.
Qiao Xi remembers that during their late-night chats with her best friends, while Shang Xinuan and Ruan Songyi easily described their favorite types, she could only come up with a few general terms.
For example, being sunny and cheerful, gentle, and having sound values.
But it wasn't until she stood before Shang Dan for the first time that she finally found the answer in her heart.
Perhaps she prefers a mature and reserved type to a sunny and outgoing guy. He may not talk much, but he's willing to listen and understand others.
Most importantly, although he appears cold on the outside, he has not closed himself off emotionally.
On the contrary, he was filled with love for his family. And he was kind.
Qiao Xi glanced at Shang Xinuan, then quietly leaned back and typed "Shang Dan" into the phone's search engine.
The first headline was about the grandson of Shang's Capital, a Harvard graduate who joined the family business as an entry-level employee.
He stood in the crowd, dressed in a uniform black suit. But that didn't stop Qiao Xi from spotting him in the corner at a glance.
-
After that, whenever Qiao Xi went to the Shang family to do her homework, she would always subconsciously look around.
But spring had passed and she hadn't seen Shang Dan again. She wanted to inquire indirectly, but she was afraid of being too obvious and arousing Shang Xinuan's suspicion.
It wasn't until one day, when the two sisters were talking about Li Xiran, that she took the opportunity to bring up the fact that she had never seen Shang Dan.
Shang Xinuan, however, had an expression of being used to it. "My brother is a workaholic. He has a single-story villa next to the Shang Group building, and he lives there for work. He only comes home on weekends."
Shang Dan went home for the weekend.
But she spends most of her weekends in the design studio.
No wonder I never seem to run into them.
"I see..."
"That's just how my brother is, so cold and aloof. I don't know what kind of girl could stand this iceberg."
Qiao Xi pursed her lips and replied very softly, "It's fine."
"Pretty good?" Shang Xinuan looked surprised. "What's so good about him? You'd catch a cold sitting next to him in the summer."
Qiao Xi laughed until her stomach hurt. "Alright, Miss, you should hurry up and do your homework."
-
Qiao Xi had been looking forward to it all weekend, and finally, after dropping her parents off at the airport security checkpoint on Saturday, she found an excuse to call Shang Xinuan.
Hearing that her parents were away on a business trip again, leaving her alone at the Qiao family home, Shang Xinuan, unsurprisingly, urged her to quickly pack her schoolbag and go visit the Shang family.
This was exactly the suggestion Qiao Xi wanted, and she kept urging the driver to drive faster the whole way.
When she got really anxious on the way, she took out her phone and started checking the calendar. Only then did she realize that a whole month had passed since she last saw Shang Dan.
Over time, she even copied the designer's sketchbook that Shang Dan gave her twice.
So when she learned from Shang Xinuan's casual conversation that Shang Dan usually stayed home on weekends, she started planning this rare chance encounter from Monday.
The car finally arrived at Shang Mansion, and sure enough, Shang Dan's Maybach was parked in one of the parking spaces by the lake.
Qiao Xi was overjoyed and ran into the Shang family home, taking two steps at a time.
The gods seemed to sense her suffering over the past month, so as soon as she rounded the covered bridge, she looked up and saw Shang Dan standing on the second-floor terrace.
He was wearing a light gray-white loungewear set today, and his expression was much more relaxed than when he was rushing to start his new job last time. His long, slender hands rested on the railing, and he was answering a phone call with a smile in his eyes.
However, due to the distance, Qiao Xi couldn't hear the contents of the phone call clearly.
But then he heard Shang Dan say in a gentle tone, as if he were comforting the person on the other end of the phone, "I miss you so much, my beautiful lady. I'll come to Suzhou to see you tomorrow, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Qiao Xi froze, her arm, which she had just raised to wave at him.
Her lips began to feel slightly dry, and her heart was filled with a dark and oppressive feeling, almost like an abyss.
So, he already has a girlfriend...
Qiao Xi wanted to escape from the scene and even frantically tried to return the way she came.
Sometimes, that cold, empty house, where she lives alone, is actually quite nice.
"Is that Xixi?" Just as she turned around and took a step, she heard a voice floating down from above.
Shang Dan's uncertain question was more like cutting off all the branches and leaves from her body.
Qiao Xi slowly turned around again, "Brother Shang Dan, it's me."
“Nuan Nuan has been waiting for you for a long time,” he said.
The indifferent and distant tone of the voice left Qiao Xi speechless for a long time. She almost doubted herself, wondering if she had just imagined it.
But then again, even the most aloof person will have exceptions for them.
Unfortunately, she wasn't.
Qiao Xi quickly composed herself and ran towards Shang Xinuan's courtyard as if fleeing.
"Why are you running? Is a ghost chasing you?" Shang Xinuan was sitting in her garden when she saw Qiao Xi's flustered appearance and asked.
Qiao Xi slowed down when she saw Shang Xinuan.
She now wishes she were being chased by a ghost, rather than by a guilty conscience and loneliness after her fleeting girlish dreams had shattered.
"I'm clearly eager to see you." She pretended to be nonchalant and sat down in the rattan chair opposite Shang Xinuan.
"Try it, it's a Fei Zi Xiao lychee that was flown in this morning." Shang Xinuan pushed a plate of lychees in front of her over. "My brother knew you were coming, so he specially asked the kitchen to peel them and send them over."
Qiao Xi held the young lady's pretty and delicate fruit fork, picked up a piece of fruit, and put it in her mouth. The sweet juice immediately burst on her tongue, but the aftertaste became increasingly bitter.
"Doesn't it taste good?" Shang Xinuan asked, noticing her strange expression.
Qiao Xi shook her head. "It's delicious, and it's icy cold."
"This plate was also a gift from my brother. It has a layer for holding ice. He knows you like lychees, so he prepared a new one for you. It's in my room."
The fruit in Qiao Xi's mouth tasted even more bitter, and even her heart began to feel a strong sourness.
"Are you in a bad mood today?" Shang Xinuan put down her book. "Is it because your parents went on a business trip and left you all alone?"
Qiao Xi's eyes began to redden inexplicably, but she really had no other excuse, so she nodded, "Yes, you always leave me alone, it's really hard to be alone..."
When Shang Xinuan saw tears welling up in her eyes, she immediately dropped the book, ran over and hugged her, "Oh, don't cry! I already said that as long as your parents are away on business, you can pack your bags and come stay at my house."
"Nuan Nuan, but I'm still so sad." She choked back tears, gradually losing track of why she was crying. But she knew her heart ached, it ached, and she felt a deep sense of regret.
Most importantly, she didn't even have the right to be sad.
-
Twilight night.
As the light in the courtyard dimmed, the two sisters tidied up their desks and went to the front hall for dinner.
At the Chinese-style round table, Shang Zun sat in the main seat.
On either side were Shang Xinuan and Shang Dan. Qiao Xi sat down next to Shang Xinuan, and Shang Dan was sitting to her side.
"Where are your uncle and aunt?" Shang Xinuan asked.
Shang Zun: "Your aunt's brother has a new grandson, and they're going over to congratulate him today."
Shang Xinuan then looked at Shang Dan and asked, "Brother, aren't you going to Grandma's house?"
Chu Ling's brother, who is also Shang Dan's maternal uncle, should have gone along according to etiquette.
"The shareholders' meeting is this afternoon. Your uncle isn't here, so I have to accompany Grandpa," Shang Dan explained.
Shang Xinuan dislikes company affairs and has no intention of taking over any part of the family business, so she is basically unaware of what is happening at Shang Capital.
"Oh, is that so!" the young lady immediately said in a coquettish tone, "Grandpa, brother, you've worked so hard."
Shang Xin got up, first poured white wine for Shang Zun, and then ran over to pour red wine for Shang Dan.
He turned back and put a duck leg into Qiao Xi's bowl.
The master of impartiality, Shang Xinuan, is also known as the master of balance.
Shang Zun tilted his head back, took a sip of wine, and chuckled, "You're one to talk. The shareholders' meeting was halfway through, and you just arrived. What's so tiring about that?"
Qiao Xi kept her head down, eating her food without saying a word.
But their mental activity has already begun to stir.
The reason I was late was probably because I was busy trying to appease my girlfriend.
Tomorrow we're going to Suzhou, which means the two of us will be in a long-distance relationship.
"Why is Xixi so quiet today? She looks unhappy." Shang Zun's gaze skipped over Shang Xinuan and finally landed on her.
Qiao Xi didn't even fully lift her head, leaning to the side and using Shang Xi's warm shoulder to block her view, only looking at Shang Zun, "No..."
"No?" Shang Zun pressed.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Shang Xinuan replied directly, "Grandpa, Xixi's parents have gone abroad on a business trip again, so she's feeling a bit down."
Shang Zun suddenly realized, "Oh, I see."
Although it was a lie, it was plausible enough. It perfectly concealed her emotions.
But just as she was about to lower her head again, Shang Dan leaned forward and peeked out from Shang Zun's side.
He was looking at her, his eyes filled with unspoken concern.
When Qiao Xi met his gaze, she blinked subconsciously, then quickly lowered her head, not daring to look him in the eye.
She truly feels that whenever she sees Shang Dan, her heart clenches, a mix of sourness and bitterness.
Fortunately, Shang Dan only glanced at her and didn't speak to her.
After dinner, Qiao Xi said she was going to take a shower and slipped out of the living room ahead of time.
When she came out of the bathroom, Shang Xinuan had already returned and was watching the Dior Fall/Winter ready-to-wear show on her iPad.
"Are you feeling better?" Shang Xin asked with concern when she saw her come out.
Qiao Xi admitted that this kind of unrequited love is a kind of heartbreak, leaving her with an indescribable emptiness.
In particular, the person she has a crush on is her best friend's brother.
Even though she didn't mention it to anyone, she could still clearly feel the gap between the two of them.
From age to life experience.
Perhaps Shang Dan sees her as if she were his little sister.
There won't even be any extra thoughts.
She looked at Shang Xinuan again and nodded, "Much better, don't worry. After all, this kind of thing is perfectly normal."
Shang Dan is indeed a genius; he graduated with a PhD from Harvard at the age of twenty-four.
But at this age, dating and getting married is perfectly normal.
"Oh, don't think about it. Mom and Dad are away on a business trip, so you can come visit me. Ruan Ruan is even envious of you; she hates it when Mom and Dad watch over her every move."
Qiao Xi slipped on her shoes and fell into her arms. "Sigh, it's all fate."
Shang Xi smiled warmly and pushed her away, "My banker princess, don't be so sentimental. Show your usual energy, let's go out and have fun tomorrow."
Qiao Xi nodded, then stepped onto the sofa and jumped onto Shang Xinuan's bed. "You're right. It's just... Mom and Dad going on a business trip. Can that stop me from having fun in the future?"
"Then I'm going to take a shower." Shang Xinuan made sure she had coaxed her before heading to the bathroom.
Hearing the sound of water in the bathroom, Qiao Xi got out of bed again, pushed open the balcony door leading to the garden, and went out.
The moonlight in Shanghai tonight, for some reason, mirrors her mood—hazy and indistinct.
She walked around the archway and immediately saw Shang Dan sitting in the pavilion next to the water bridge.
Qiao Xi paused for a few seconds, and just as she was about to turn around and leave, Shang Dan happened to look up.
The two stood a short distance apart, their eyes meeting.
"Still unhappy?" This time, Shang Dan spoke first.
Qiao Xi had no chance to escape, so she could only walk over slowly. "No, I'm used to it."
Where is Nuannuan?
She's taking a shower.
Shang Dan pointed to the seat opposite him, indicating that he wanted to chat with her for a while.
"Your parents often travel for work, leaving you home alone?"
Qiao Xi swung her legs, desperately suppressing her emotions, "I've really gotten used to it."
"You're used to it, yet you're still sad?" Shang Dan closed his laptop, looking into her eyes as he spoke. "You've seemed unhappy ever since I saw you at noon."
He was referring to the time when she accidentally bumped into him talking on the phone with his "girlfriend" as she walked across the covered bridge.
Qiao Xi kept her eyes downcast and her voice barely audible, "I am indeed very unhappy, but I know this is normal. I should adjust my emotions."
Then she heard Shang Dan chuckle softly, "Still a young girl. If you're unhappy, you should speak up instead of bottling it up inside and processing it yourself."
Qiao Xi's eyelashes fluttered as she looked at Shang Dan.
He doesn't seem to be the person Shang Xinu described, the one who could catch a cold sitting next to him.
Moreover, he was earnestly trying to comfort himself.
However, her unhappiness is like a seed of grass hidden in a crack in the rock; it shouldn't be made public.
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