Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Green mountains shrouded in clouds and mist.
The Maybach pulled up in front of the house. Ye Peixiu got out first, holding an umbrella, and walked around to this side to pick up Xia Qingwan.
Xia Qingwan adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag and said, "Thank you for bringing me back."
The drizzle fell silently, and everything around was shrouded in an endless dampness. In the small space under the umbrella, Ye Peixiu looked down at her and asked, "Do you still have online classes tonight?"
"Um."
"Don't overwork yourself, remember to rest early."
“Yes,” she said softly, “I’ve always gone to bed early and woken up early.”
"So regular."
Ye Peixiu said in a low voice with a hint of a smile.
She nodded. "...Then I'll go in."
Ye Peixiu didn't say anything.
She could feel him looking at her. When it was time to leave, his eyes were glued to her face and body, unable to be pulled away.
It wasn't just that I couldn't bear to let her go; I even had a feeling that I wanted to take her with me.
Xia Qingwan didn't dare to look up at him.
The two of them stood there in silence. I don't know how long they stood there.
Grandma Xi's leg cast has long been removed. Lately, following the doctor's rehabilitation advice, she walks around the yard for half an hour every day with crutches.
As she walked to the end of the path, she could vaguely see two people standing under an umbrella through the wrought iron gate.
One wore a loose cotton dress, the other a suit; both were tall and had long legs. They stood facing each other under an umbrella, and in the misty, damp night, they looked like a perfect match.
The umbrella partially obscured the view, revealing only the girl's long hair draped over her shoulders and arms—it was Xia Qingwan, of course. The man held the umbrella in one hand and had the other in his pocket, the other hand revealing a glimpse of his wristwatch and the cuff of his white shirt, the watch reflecting a cool, subtle light. Even in a silhouette, he exuded an air of composure and nobility.
Who is it?
Grandma Xi hesitated for a moment, then called out, "...Qingwan?"
The umbrella tip lifted slightly in response, and Grandma Xi saw clearly that the man had an exceptionally handsome face. In the darkness, his features were striking and his bone structure superb.
It’s Mr. Ye.
Grandma Xi's heart skipped a beat.
She quickly composed herself and smiled, "Mr. Ye, you brought Qingwan back?"
The two pushed open the door and walked in. Xia Qingwan looked worried and said, "It's raining, why did you still come out? What if you slip and fall?"
The caregiver, who had been holding an umbrella for Grandma Xi, explained with a smile, "Grandma Xi felt it was too stuffy inside, and she also wanted to check if the roses planted outside would be damaged by the rain, so she decided to come out for a walk."
Ye Peixiu smiled politely and said, "We just happened to run into each other. We're going the same way."
"Oh, that's too much trouble for you. Can you come in and sit down? Let Xiaoxuan make a pot of tea."
Ye Peixiu said, "I haven't had time to visit you yet. How is your recovery going?"
As they talked, the group walked along the path into the house.
As they reached the entrance and put down their umbrellas, Wang Jingzi caught up with two boxes of things. He smiled and said to Grandma Xi, "The rehabilitation phase is exactly when you need to nourish your body. Your husband bought you two boxes of supplements a while ago, and they've been sitting in the trunk of the car. He hasn't had time to come over yet, but today is a perfect opportunity."
"You're so worried," Grandma Xi asked the nurse Xiaoxuan to make some tea and then asked the two guests to sit down. "I went for a checkup a few days ago, and the doctor said I'm recovering very well. If I take a short walk every day, I'll be fully recovered in less than two months."
He thanked her again, saying, "Thank you for your concern. If it weren't for you arranging for Mr. Wang to visit me every few days, I don't know how long I would have been lying there."
Everyone in the room burst into laughter.
Grandma Xi said to Xia Qingwan, "Qingwan, go upstairs and see if the windows are closed."
This was the wording used to send her away, and Xia Qingwan was completely clear about it.
Xia Qing went upstairs in the evening. Wang Jingzi said he was going out to smoke a cigarette. The nurse Xiaoxuan was busy in the kitchen. For a moment, only Grandma Xi and Ye Peixiu were left in the living room.
Grandma Xi, with her sharp eyes and keen mind, saw it clearly: when Xia Qing went upstairs that evening, Mr. Ye's gaze followed her back the whole time.
Such a composed and dignified man, sitting relaxed on the sofa with his legs crossed, made one inexplicably nervous just by sharing a space with him. Yet, in the way he followed Xia Qingwan, there was a deep affection that he couldn't hide.
Grandma Xi faked a cough and said with a smile, "Qingwan still has many shortcomings in her interpersonal skills and can be quite stubborn at times. Did she cause you any trouble?"
Ye Peixiu retracted his gaze and said with a smile, "How could that be? I think she's a very well-behaved child."
Grandma Xi's words were meant as a test, but Ye Peixiu's response left her confused. "Such a well-behaved child," did he mean to treat her as a junior?
"It's rare that you value her so much."
Grandma Xi said with a smile.
Ye Peixiu smiled slightly and did not deny it.
"Our whole family is so grateful for your and Grandma Liang's care..." Grandma Xi said, expressing her gratitude. "As you know, our Grandma has always been very strict with Qingwan. In recent years, she has been taking care of both her studies and the family. It has been hard on her."
Ye Peixiu didn't reply. After a moment, he said, "I have a cousin who is studying at Peking University. Qingwan is about the same age as her and they seem to get along very well." He paused for a moment, "...So, I'll have to trouble Qingwan to help her study with me for a while."
So there is a reason behind this.
Grandma Xi breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Of course that's good. It's rare that you can use us."
Ye Peixiu nodded, "Then I won't stay long. I'm going up to say goodbye to Qing Wan. Is that convenient?"
Grandma Xi paused for a moment, then said, "...Of course it's convenient. Shall I call her down?"
"No, I just have something to say to her."
...
When there was a knock on the bedroom door, Xia Qingwan had just finished taking a shower and was drying her hair with a bath towel wrapped around her.
The low hum of the hairdryer made the sound seem unreal. She turned off the hairdryer, listened carefully, and then heard a knock on the door. She quickly tossed her hair and said, "Coming."
She naturally assumed that Ye Peixiu had already left and that Grandma Xi had sent Aunt Xiaoxuan to call her downstairs, so when she passed the window, she peeked out.
In the gloomy night with wind and rain, nothing could be seen clearly, and there was no way to tell whether the Maybach had left.
As soon as she opened the door, she smiled and said, "I'll be right there—"
The ending sound stuck in the throat.
Standing outside the door was Ye Peixiu, dressed in a suit and tie.
Her face flushed red and she instinctively covered the upper edge of the towel with her hands.
Ye Peixiu appeared quite calm. "...You took a shower?"
You are asking this question even though you already know the answer.
Xia Qingwan immediately pushed the door open, leaving it slightly ajar, and hid on one side of the door for a long time before finally speaking, "...Why did you come up here?"
"I want to say goodbye to you in person."
"goodbye."
She spoke immediately, her voice soft and quick.
This caused Ye Peixiu to chuckle softly, as if he thought she was too cute.
"...Then I'm leaving."
"Let's go quickly."
She couldn't wait.
After speaking and waiting a moment without hearing any footsteps, she tentatively asked, "Have you left?"
"No," he said, "...let me take a look at you."
"Haven't we already seen it?"
Ye Peixiu did not answer.
He seems to have a habit of remaining silent if he doesn't get the answer he wants, which creates a sense of oppression.
How could an ordinary person withstand his silent power?
Xia Qingwan peeked out from behind the door. "Is it okay now?"
That face, as clear and beautiful as a lotus emerging from clear water, was like the crisp rain of early spring, possessing a refreshing and invigorating coolness.
But the body hiding behind the door was clearly exuding a warm, soft fragrance.
-
Xia Qingwan stood in front of the window, watching two beams of car lights light up at the gate, the light piercing through the rain curtain and slowly driving away.
Grandma Xi asked Aunt Xiaoxuan to call her downstairs.
After sitting down, Grandma Xi chatted with her for a few words, then asked with a smile, "How did you meet Mr. Ye today?"
“At school,” Xia Qingwan said truthfully, “Meizhu and I left the library together. Mr. Ye happened to be picking Meizhu up for dinner and then dropped me off on the way back.”
"Meizhu?" Grandma Xi asked, "Is she Mr. Ye's cousin?"
Xia Qingwan nodded. "Did he tell you?"
"I said, I said, I'll trouble you to help her study more during this period."
Xia Qingwan paused slightly, lowered his eyes and said nothing.
"Then why haven't I seen Miss Meizhu?"
Grandma Xi asked as a matter of course.
"...She must have had something urgent to do. I don't know where she went."
Grandma Xi nodded thoughtfully. After a moment, as if remembering something, she sighed, "I never expected Mr. Ye to care so much about our family."
"What's wrong?"
"You don't know, back then, your Grandma Liang said that this grandson of hers was a cold-hearted person on the outside and a cold-hearted person on the inside. He seemed to be steady, refined and elegant, but in reality, he didn't really care about many people."
Grandma Xi sighed as she spoke, "So, every time he comes, your grandma and I are very considerate, for fear of offending him."
"No wonder. Born into such a wealthy family, one naturally has to be ruthless and decisive. Otherwise, how could one keep up with people begging him for favors as soon as he opens his eyes?"
Xia Qingwan smiled and said, "Don't think about it. Just take care of yourself."
"I was thinking, since your grandma isn't home, we owe them such a huge favor, how are we ever going to ever pay it back?"
It's probably impossible to pay it off.
Xia Qingwan thought to herself, lowered her eyes and said nothing.
-
When we returned to Ye Garden, the rain had stopped.
Ye Peixiu sat on a nanmu chair by the pond and smoked a few cigarettes. The air was fresh and pleasant after the rain, and the night was as clear as water.
But in his heart there was a green mountain shrouded in clouds and mist.
The forests in the mountains are deep and dense. Hundreds of birds fly into the woods, roaring and croaking, shaking the earth, yet there is complete silence.
He put out his cigarette and went to take a shower.
I took off my clothes and went into the shower room.
I remembered her saying that she had cried while taking a shower in this shower room.
Warm water poured down, and in my hazy state, all I could see in my mind was the image of her opening the door.
Her tall, slender body was wrapped in a bath towel, her entire body was in a cool white tone, her face was flushed with confusion, her long hair was half wet, and there were still some water droplets on her shoulders.
The warm, fragrant, and soft scent after a bath irresistibly pounced on me.
Before this, he had been deliberately restraining himself from imagining her body.
At that moment, he let himself think.
The water flows down from the broad shoulders and back along the well-defined muscle veins, and also meanders along the blue veins on the backs of the arms and hands, just like the roaring desire, boiling in the blood of every limb.
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