Chapter 17 Qian Zhaoye visits again
Hearing this, Xiao Zhuangxi exclaimed "Huh?" and tilted her head to ask, "Sister Qu, don't you like eating bayberries?"
Qu He put down her spoon, rubbed her little head, and smiled, "Of course, your sister likes to eat bayberries."
Her voice softened unconsciously, carrying a hint of nostalgia.
“When I was little, there were bayberry trees next to my sister’s maternal grandmother’s house. Every summer when the bayberries were ripe, my sister would climb the tree to pick them.”
Xiao Zhuangxi's eyes lit up instantly, and she gave two thumbs up with admiration. "Sister Qu is so amazing! Next time, Xi'er wants to climb trees and pick bayberries too!"
Qu He was taken aback.
We're doomed!
They've corrupted the children!
She quickly waved her hand, trying to make amends with a serious expression: "Children shouldn't climb trees, it's very dangerous to fall."
Xiao Zhuangxi shook her head, "But Xi'er's family has a bayberry tree, planted by her uncle. It's been there for many years, and it's even bigger than Xi'er!"
Qu He: "?..."
She subconsciously looked at Zhuang Bieyan, never expecting that the dignified and jade-like Zhuang family had a hobby of planting trees.
Zhuang Bieyan remained calm, but his eyebrows twitched slightly when Qu He looked over. "Yes, it's been planted for ten years."
ten years?
Qu He paused, taken aback.
Ten years ago, Zhuang Bieyan was only...18? ...19?
Before she could think it through, Zhuang Xi leaned closer and said, "Sister Qu, when the bayberries ripen, why don't you come over and pick them with Xi'er?"
Qu He: "....?"
Going to Zhuangzhai?
Her pupils dilated.
She glanced at Zhuang Xi, who had excitedly started counting down the days since extending the invitation to visit.
She shook her head frantically in her mind.
reject!
Qu He was pondering how to politely decline when she heard Zhuang Bieyan suddenly speak from across the table, his voice deep yet incredibly clear:
"When the bayberries ripen, Miss Qu is welcome to visit our home."
Qu He: "..."
This is really hard to refuse.
She forced a smile and nodded.
But in my heart I was thinking that kids forget things easily, and they'll probably forget about it in a few days. Then I can just find an excuse to cancel it.
But she never expected that this trip would lead to her own demise.
Outside the glass window, the setting sun gradually sank into the tall buildings.
The desserts on the table had all been eaten, but the black coffee in front of Zhuang Bieyan remained untouched.
The shop assistant came upstairs and politely reminded them that they were about to close.
The three got up and left.
After Zhuang Xi found out her address, he wanted to take her home, but Qu He politely declined his offer twice, so he had to give up.
Qu He waited for a ride-hailing car by the roadside.
As if sensing something, he turned around and looked back.
Zhuang Bieyan was helping Zhuang Xi into the back seat of the car, his tall figure standing beside the vehicle.
As the city lights came on, their glow outlined his tall and straight figure.
Qu He's heart skipped a beat for no reason. She quickly looked away and got into the ride-hailing car that had just stopped in front of her.
...
Late at night, Qu He had that dream again.
In her dream, she returned to her childhood and climbed the bayberry tree next to her grandmother's house.
After she regained her balance, she tiptoed to reach the ripe bayberry above her head, but slipped and fell off the tree.
The expected pain did not come; instead, she fell on someone.
She looked up, trying to see the other person's face clearly, but everything in her dream was blurry, as if her vision was veiled by a layer of fog. Only that person's embrace felt solid and warm.
But this time, a gust of wind blew in from somewhere, and the fog in the dream gradually dissipated.
The face gradually became clearer.
Amber eyes, a high-bridged nose...
It's a farewell banquet for the estate!
Qu He suddenly woke up.
The first rays of dawn shone through the gaps in the curtains.
She sat on the bed, stunned, waiting for her heartbeat to return to normal.
She had this dream before, but the face in the dream was always blurry.
Why did this time... turn into a farewell banquet?
Qu He slipped on her slippers and walked to the bathroom, splashed water on her face, and patted her cheeks.
It must be that bayberry cake from yesterday that's causing the problem.
It must be!
...
Heyuefang hosted a small group of twenty people over the weekend.
On Monday, Boss Siyue took pity on him and finally decided to take a day off. The two of them arranged to have barbecue at Quhe's house.
The weather forecast says that the northern part of the city has entered the plum rain season.
As expected, a torrential downpour struck around noon, forcing the nearby subway lines to shut down. The rain subsided slightly after the two finished their barbecue, and Si Yue quickly hailed a taxi to go home.
Qu He was clearing the table when she heard the doorbell ring.
"What did you leave behind..." She thought Si Yue had forgotten something, so she ran over to open the door.
She froze the moment the door opened.
Qian Zhaoye stood in front of the door, dressed in a suit and tie, holding a bouquet of roses in one hand.
It's not cappuccino, it's pink lychee.
Qu He was momentarily dazed.
"So unexpected?" Qian Zhaoye chuckled, switched the hand holding the flowers to the other, and reached out his other hand to take her hand.
Qu He took a step back and dodged it.
Qian Zhaoye's eyes darkened, he gritted his teeth, and stepped directly into the room.
"Why are you here?" Qu He asked as she closed the door.
Qian Zhaoye did not answer, his gaze sweeping around the room before finally settling on the dining table.
His eyes darkened when he saw the two servings of barbecue utensils still on the table, which hadn't been cleared away yet. He casually tossed the flowers into the entryway and asked with a hint of displeasure, "Can't I come?"
Qu He looked at him and suddenly found it ridiculous.
“You almost never came before.”
The house in Baiyuwan was bought for her by her parents after she graduated from university. It has two bedrooms and a living room. It's not big, but it cost the elderly couple most of their life savings.
She knew all too well the hardships that two ordinary teachers had endured to save enough money to buy this apartment within the Third Ring Road of the northern part of the city.
When they handed her the keys, they only said that it wasn't safe for a recent graduate like her to rent a place in the north of the city, and that having this house would at least give her a home in the north.
However, during the years she was with Qian Zhaoye, he complained that "the house was too small" and "the location was too remote," and he visited very few times.
But now he stands here so brazenly, as if it were his right.
Qian Zhaoye's expression froze for a moment, but he quickly put on his gentle mask again: "It's a bit far from here, but I've already discussed it with my family. We can move into the bridal chamber first."
He deliberately emphasized the words "wedding room," his words carrying a hint of seduction.
Wedding room?
Qu He forced a smile: "It's quite nice here."
A hint of impatience flashed in Qian Zhaoye's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and reached out to touch her face: "Ahe, you've been on vacation for a long time, it's time to come back."
Qu He turned his head away, his fingers hovering in mid-air before he awkwardly withdrew them.
A sense of irritation welled up in Qian Zhaoye's heart.
During Qu He's vacation, he initially felt free, and he and Qiao Mian were no longer so worried. Anda's work ability was also not bad, but he always felt that something was missing.
Qiao Mian wasn't as meticulous as Qu He, nor did she arrange documents in order of importance like Qu He did. She wouldn't offer him a cup of honey water during meeting breaks, nor did she know his preference for single-serving milk in his coffee and his aversion to cilantro.
He even... only found out a few days ago that he was allergic to flax.
The linen shirt Qiao Mian prepared for him that day almost made him look foolish in front of his clients.
Qian Zhaoye then realized that Qu He had long since ingrained his habits into his very being, and he had long been accustomed to Qu He being by his side, taking care of his daily needs.
But the reason he came to see her in the rain today was because of the rumors he heard at the company.
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