76 Qiao Xi X Shang Dan
◎My Banker's Daughter [Part 6]◎
At Shang Xinuan's graduation banquet, all five of them got completely drunk.
The Shang family sent drivers to safely send each person back.
When arranging for someone to take Qiao Xi home, Shang Dan said he was going back to his apartment next to the company and would drop her off at home on the way.
After watching Mr. Qiao carry his daughter into the house, Shang Dan started the car again and drove away.
A black Maybach cruises through the summer night.
Shang Dan wandered aimlessly until the car lights finally went out on the shore of Lupu Beach.
In Shanghai at night, both banks of the river shimmer with dazzling golden light. He leaned against the railing on the shore, experiencing for the first time the leisurely tranquility of the night breeze.
His fast-paced life in the past always propelled him forward.
Studies, career, and the responsibilities on one's shoulders.
Everyone envies him as the sole heir to Shang's Capital, but no one knows that such a title is also an invisible shackle.
His grandfather was a business tycoon in Shanghai, and although his father was low-key, all of the Shang family's overseas industrial chains were run by Shang Chenxi.
An excessively high starting point implicitly requires him to be more outstanding than ordinary people in order to match his status as the sole heir of the Shang family.
Years of self-discipline and adherence to propriety have made him exceptionally mature. Even his personality is more reserved than that of his peers.
So after Shang Xinuan was brought back to the Shang family, the whole family tacitly focused their attention on her.
So when he saw Qiao Xi, the girl who was often overlooked by her parents because she was sensible, he couldn't help but think of himself.
However, in a sense, Qiao Xi is a kind of redemption.
He also longed to be cared for by the goddess, to have his heart, which had been dark and lonely for so long, touched by her.
Shang Dan didn't know how long he sat on the Lupu Beach until dawn broke, when he finally opened his sleepy eyes.
Even he himself found it very unusual that he would actually fall asleep in the car.
He rubbed his eyes, went home to wash up and change into clean clothes, and returned to the Qiao family's gate before daybreak.
Around 8 a.m., Shang Dan's assistant called to remind him that the management team was going to London on a business trip today and asked whether to pick him up at Shang Mansion or Jiangshan Shang Mansion.
Shang Dan pinched the bridge of his nose. "No need to pick me up. You all get ready in advance. We'll meet at the company and set off."
Only after receiving a clear answer did the assistant hang up the phone.
He rested his head on his arm again and continued to wait for the call.
However, time flew by quickly, and when he received another call from his assistant, he realized it was almost nine o'clock.
"Mr. Shang, is there a traffic jam on the way?" the assistant asked. "There are still two and a half hours before we reach the airport security checkpoint."
Shang Dan sat up and glanced at the still silent Qiao family gate. "I have an important matter to attend to. Take your men and head straight to the airport. We'll meet there."
The assistant, of course, had no doubts and readily agreed.
Looking at the phone screen that had gone black again, Shang Dan was not impatient at all.
He remained seated in the car, glancing sideways at the corner where Qiao Xi had disappeared the previous night.
-
In contrast to Shang Dan's sleepless night of tension, Qiao Xi, thanks to the effects of alcohol, slept until after seven in the morning.
Of course, upon waking up, those memories immediately surged and overwhelmed her heart.
It turns out that being drunk does not erase a person's memory.
Qiao Xi tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep again, and didn't have the courage to call Shang Dan.
Looking back on last night, her actions were indeed impulsive and reckless.
She hadn't even figured out whether Shang Dan had feelings for her.
Qiao Xi hung her head, spending more than an hour just mentally preparing herself.
Then, just as she finally mustered the courage to call Shang Dan, her fingers froze a second before dialing.
She still lacked the courage to take that step filled with uncertainty.
But when she decided to pretend she didn't remember what happened last night, she hesitated, wondering if Shang Dan might also have some feelings for her.
After all, someone like Shang Dan is very reserved when it comes to any emotion.
He also feared that he might have simply been drunk yesterday, and that his mind had wandered off and he might have done something unrelated to love.
Put yourself in their shoes; if someone is suddenly confessed to by a close friend of a family member, the person being confessed to would also have reservations.
In particular, there is an age difference between them.
Qiao Xi gritted her teeth, still feeling the need to be brave.
When she dialed Shang Dan's number, it was already 9:30, but she could hear that Shang Dan sounded a little tired.
"Shang Dan, it's me, Qiao Xi." She clutched the hem of her pajamas tightly, her hair falling down to cover half of her face. Although her emotions were not visible, her nervousness was still palpable.
"I know," the other end replied quickly.
"I..." Qiao Xi's voice trembled. She wanted to ask a question, but when she heard Shang Dan's answer, she didn't dare to ask it.
"Xixi, you remember what happened last night, right?" After listening to her stammering for a while, Shang Dan finally spoke first.
Qiao Xi bit her lip and replied in a very soft voice, "I remember..."
"You also know the meaning behind your actions, right?"
"Yes, I know."
She liked him from the very first time she met him.
A long sigh came from the phone receiver, as if the person on the other end was finally at ease. "I'm at your doorstep. Let's talk face to face."
Qiao Xi was stunned for a moment, "At my doorstep?"
Shang Dan hummed in agreement.
Upon learning that Shang Dan was at her doorstep, Qiao Xi quickly changed her clothes and ran out of the yard.
Outside the carved, golden iron gate, Shang Dan was seen leaning against the car door, waiting for her.
He had a faint smile on his face, but his eyes held a deep tenderness.
That tenderness was something Shang Dan himself didn't even realize; it was instinctive, a tenderness that seemed to overflow with love.
Qiao Xi jogged over, her face flushed and slightly out of breath.
"elder brother."
Shang Dan opened the car door for her, saying, "Get in and tell me, it's hot outside."
In Shanghai during the summer, even in the early morning, the air is already enveloped in a layer of sticky, scorching warm wind.
"Brother, I like..."
"Qiao Xi!"
Shang Dan interrupted her, and although Qiao Xi was puzzled, she stopped what she was about to say.
It seems that a certain answer is already quite clear.
Her mood instantly plummeted, and she even began to regret making that phone call that morning. She should have pretended that nothing had happened and stayed by his side a little longer, slowly infiltrating his life.
But since she had already done something impulsive, everything seemed helpless and futile.
“Xixi, I’m 24 years old this year. Compared to your age, there’s still quite a gap between us,” Shang Dan said softly.
Qiao Xi lowered her head, almost guessing his words of rejection.
First, point out the differences between them, then reassure her that everything is fine, believe that she will meet someone better than him, award her a "good guy" card, and politely turn the page on the matter.
Just as Qiao Xi was figuring out how to respond tactfully to Shang Dan's words, Shang Dan continued, "However, I don't think that age difference will be an obstacle in a relationship."
These words were like a torpedo thrown into the deep sea, instantly creating a huge wave.
“Xixi, confessions shouldn’t be made when you’re drunk, nor should they be said into a phone, and certainly not by a girl.” Shang Dan looked into her eyes. “Yesterday you asked me if I liked you, and what kind of liking I had for you.”
"Although I really wanted to answer then, I chose to wait another night until you were sober enough."
"Xixi, you don't need to guess or doubt. I like you. It's the kind of liking a man has for a woman."
In that instant, Qiao Xi felt as if the air itself had stopped, with only Shang Dan's words echoing in her ears again and again.
"You...you like me?" As if her unrequited love had finally seen the light of day, Qiao Xi's eyes became moist and red.
Her nose felt both sore and numb, with a suffocating sensation.
It turns out that when a girl wakes up from her dream and finds herself in a fairy tale world, her heart automatically activates its defense mechanism.
She desperately wanted to know the truth, that Shang Dan's confession just now wasn't just a misheard tale due to her excessive nervousness.
"Xi Xi, although I don't want to admit it, this is indeed the first time I've liked someone this much." He wanted to express his feelings openly countless times, but he was always afraid of startling the quiet and gentle butterfly, so he chose to like her silently.
For him, life had many things to prioritize. Love had never been his top priority until a moment when his soul was touched, and he realized that life doesn't have a fixed order.
"I lack confidence, so I dare not imagine that a girl like you would like me. Being nice to you silently and remembering your preferences seems to be the only thing I can do. For me, rather than scaring you away, staying at a distance seems more in line with my style."
“But last night you stumbled and ran over, and at that moment I felt that God had finally smiled upon me.”
It brought a ray of light into his dull and rigid life.
"I wanted to confess my feelings to you after you sobered up, and I waited all night. Fortunately, the girl didn't forget."
Qiao Xi could barely contain her excitement and looked at him, asking, "Is it true?"
Was the confession real?
Is it true that you like her?
Shang Dan looked directly into her eyes and said each word with utmost seriousness, "It's true, my feelings for you are real."
Qiao Xi's lips trembled, and the next moment she was pulled into the arms of the person in front of her.
A warm and strong embrace; she could feel Shang Dan's strong heartbeat. "Can you feel it?"
Qiao Xi sniffed. The moment her crush came true, she felt both joy and loss. "I still think it's too unbelievable."
Shang Dan wasn't in a hurry. He just held her like that, gently stroking her back with his hands. "If you find it hard to believe, then hold me a little longer, until you feel it's real."
The warmth of an embrace doesn't lie, and the heartbeat between two people doesn't lie.
The sense of unreality she felt stemmed from Shang Dan's consistently overly composed and reserved demeanor.
The sudden, public confession left her feeling dazed.
But everything seems to suggest that even the most composed person will break free from their inhibitions when facing someone they like.
However, Shang Dan did not make any other moves, but simply held her gently.
"Shang Dan-ge," Qiao Xi said, "I really like you."
Since they were going to establish a relationship, she still wanted to tell him her true feelings.
Shang Dan's palm was warm as he rubbed her head and replied, "I know."
"girlfriend."
A note from the author:
They're together!
If nothing unexpected happens, the storyline of Xixi and her brother will end in the next chapter.
The final side story is about the romance between Bai Quesi and Li Yuzhan, a couple with an age gap, featuring a billion-dollar auctioneer on stage and a judge in court who delivers the final verdict.
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