Chapter 27 Autumn Night.
Her hair swayed with her movements, strands rippling like water onto his lips and nose.
It brings a refreshing, cool fragrance.
Caught off guard, Xia Qingwan frantically supported his shoulders with both hands and said in a low voice, "What are you doing? Wang Jingzi will be back soon."
Ye Peixiu leaned back in his chair, casually placing one hand on her waist, and said, "We're not going to do anything, just stay here for a while."
Perhaps it was the position and atmosphere that were too agonizing, but her buttocks were pressed tightly against his thighs, her whole body enveloped by his heat, as if she were too close to a fire source, making her nervous and sweating. So she kept looking out the window, as if wary of Wang Jingzi returning at any moment.
Ye Peixiu found it amusing, "Do you think Wang Jingzi is so clueless?"
Hearing this, Xia Qingwan slowly turned around.
She probably didn't understand how devastating it was when her beautiful face looked at people with such a cold and aloof expression.
Ye Peixiu's gaze moved from her eyes to her lips, and then up to her eyes.
Under his aggressive gaze, Xia Qingwan relaxed and instead supported herself on his shoulder with one hand.
Her attention was drawn to the hand he placed on her thigh, the side of the thumb and forefinger facing the palm, as if something was amiss.
She took his hand, stretched out his fingers, and noticed for the first time a faint scar there.
"This is……"
She looked at him questioningly.
"Left from a fight when I was a kid."
During adolescence, I was restless and had a bad temper. When I picked up broken glass, I cut my hand.
"Who are you fighting with?"
Ye Peixiu smiled, "My dad."
At that time, he was sent abroad to study. When he returned home for vacation, he heard that his father was having an affair. Such things were common in their circle, but he never thought it would happen to his own family.
He had been brought up in a strict family, taught to be humble, to cultivate his character, and to be a gentleman as upright as jade. But when he grew up and opened his eyes, he saw that the world before him, both near and far, was as black as a crow. He even thought that he would inherit such a career and live in such a filthy quagmire for eternity.
The impact was probably no less than the complete collapse of a belief system.
He had grown to 1.87 meters tall by then, and when he got serious, his father was no match for him.
Later, they were pulled apart by the guards who heard the noise.
Xia Qingwan lowered her eyes and gently stroked the shallow scar with her fingers.
No wonder I felt he was aloof when I first saw him. No wonder Grandma Liang said he was actually a warm-hearted person on the outside but cold on the inside.
The turmoil of adolescence cannot be completely eliminated by growing up; that bone-chilling coldness and weariness will be sealed away, frozen deep in the heart. Just like this scar.
He is a man of passion and ambition. His usual amiable and refined demeanor, or his playful and carefree attitude, are all the result of his self-cultivation.
Ye Peixiu looked at her quietly, feeling the touch of her fingers.
She felt closer to him than ever before.
Feeling a tingling sensation in her heart, Xia Qingwan changed the subject and asked, "...What did my grandma say to you?"
"It's nothing serious."
"...Will it be difficult for you?"
"Won't."
Xia Qingwan knew that this was not a lie and there was nothing he couldn't handle.
A powerful yet aloof man.
She called his name softly, "Ye Peixiu".
"Um."
She got off Wang Jingzi's lap before he returned.
Ye Peixiu accompanied her out of the car. She turned to leave, but Ye Peixiu pulled her back by his wrist.
She pressed her palms against his chest, Ye Peixiu lifted her chin with his fingers, lowered his neck slightly and kissed her forehead gently.
-
After Wang Jingzi left, Xia Huiqing sat in the side hall for a long time.
After many twists and turns, we finally got to this point.
Originally, the relationship between the Xia family and Mr. Ye could not be made public, and she had to try her best to hide it. However, things are unpredictable, and now in order to protect Xia Mingzhou, she has to ask Mr. Ye for help.
With just one word from him, the matter can be settled.
Grandma Xi came over personally to bring her tea.
Xia Huiqing looked at her walking and asked, "...What's wrong with your leg?"
Grandma Xi acted innocently and said, "I'm fine."
"You're walking so cautiously, like you've just learned to walk. Do you think I'm blind?"
Grandma Xi sat down on the sofa, just smiled and didn't say anything.
She remained silent, and Xia Huiqing did not press the matter further. The two sat facing each other, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, remaining silent and unspoken.
Grandma Xi also had a lingering doubt: was there anything unusual between Qingwan and that Mr. Ye?
That Mr. Ye clearly had a strong interest in the late Qing Dynasty.
When Xia Huiqing glanced over nonchalantly again, Grandma Xi finally couldn't help but say, "...Actually, I broke my leg in July."
She told the whole story about how Mr. Ye sent people to visit Xia Qingwan every now and then when she went south for field research in July, and how she fell to the ground and was unable to move, and how Mr. Wang happened to find her, sent her to the hospital, and ran into Xia Mingzhou.
“Our Xiaoxuan who lives here is not actually a nanny I hired; she was a professional caregiver that Mr. Wang helped me find.”
Following this, we talked about Xia Changping again.
"I reckon Changping had already heard the news, so when Mingzhou got drunk and was brought back by Mr. Ye, he rushed back to the old house and pretended that he had accidentally bumped into Mr. Ye at our house."
Xia Huiqing's expression was solemn.
"Why do you have to hide this from me?"
"I was just afraid you'd worry."
Xia Huiqing raised her hand and said, "Go and have a rest. Take it easy and don't get too tired."
"Eh eh."
Grandma Xi stood up and went back to her bedroom.
Xia Huiqing remained silent for a long time and sat on the sofa until midnight.
-
On the day Xia Mingzhou was discharged from the hospital, he was still taken back to the Xia family's old house.
Xia Huiqing asked, "Has your father contacted you?"
“No,” Xia Mingzhou said uninterestedly. “Who knows what he’s busy with.”
Xia Huiqing personally drove to pick him up, cleared out a bedroom for him on the first floor, and after settling him in, said, "Call your dad and ask him to come over when he has some free time."
"good."
Three to five days later, Xia Changping finally arrived.
He looked tired, but he was in high spirits and seemed quite pleased with himself.
He glanced at Xia Mingzhou briefly, as if going through the motions, then came out of the bedroom, sat down on the sofa in the living room, and asked, "Where's that little brat?"
He's always been so ill-mannered. Xia Huiqing didn't respond. Grandma Xi was a little angry and said, "Miss is in school and doesn't live at home."
Xia Changping lifted his eyelids and gave her a cold, indifferent look, then sneered, "You still know she's a young lady? I thought you considered yourself her grandmother."
"I treat her as my own granddaughter, isn't that okay?"
Grandma Xi angrily threw down the rag and turned to leave.
The living room was silent in the afternoon.
After a long while, Xia Huiqing finally spoke, "Changping."
Xia Changping lazily draped his arms over the back of the sofa, crossed his legs, and swung them around, as if he hadn't heard anything.
"What have you been busy with lately?"
Xia Changping remained silent.
"A man like Mr. Ye is not someone we should provoke. You—"
Before he could finish his words, Xia Changping interrupted him irritably, "Are you annoying?"
“After Mingzhou’s injuries heal, let him stay at the old house. I wonder what he will learn from you.”
"Whatever you prefer."
Xia Changping didn't care much.
"I don't care what you've been busy with lately, you'd better listen to me this time and don't tell Mr. Ye—"
Xia Changping interrupted again, saying, "What can that guy surnamed Ye do? He also needs our help. What can't we do by using his reputation in return?"
Xia Huiqing keenly caught the key words and frowned, "What do you mean he also needs something from our family?"
Xia Changping chuckled meaningfully and shook his head without answering, "You'll definitely know later."
After a long standoff, Xia Huiqing tried to bring it up again to warn him that she had angered Xia Changping. She snapped, "Before, all the good resources and connections in the family were given to Xia Xili. Now, even with this connection with the Ye family, you still have to keep it hidden. From childhood to adulthood, you've always treated me like a thief—"
He stood up and said, "Take care of yourself."
After saying that, he slammed the door and left.
Xia Huiqing's tense body collapsed back onto the sofa, exhausted.
-
Leaf Garden.
Sheng Junchi laughed and said, "He's just a kid, why would I really hold a grudge against him?"
Ye Peixiu knew that this was just empty talk.
He slowly placed the teacup back on the coffee table, chuckled, and said, "Are you feeling guilty? Now that you know the whole story, you don't want to make a fuss about it."
Sheng Junchi paused, gave him a knowing look, and said with a smile, "I can't help it, I just felt sorry for that little girl."
He suddenly remembered something and said, "To be honest, it's all your fault."
Ye Peixiu laughed out loud, very interested, "What do you mean?"
"I invited those kids over for drinks that day in order to create an opportunity for you and Miss Xia. The more we drank, the angrier I got. How could such a straightforward girl be won over by that silly boy Xia Mingzhou?"
"It's not 'taken down,'" Ye Peixiu said calmly, "Have you ever thought that the girl just likes Xia Mingzhou?"
Sheng Junchi seemed to be choked and couldn't speak for a long time.
"It won't be too late for you to intervene after they've dealt with the matter," Ye Peixiu said, "otherwise, if Xia Mingzhou becomes restless, the entire Xia family will be in turmoil."
Sheng Junchi just sighed.
Ye Peixiu lit a cigarette and lowered his eyes in thought.
The old lady of the Xia family came to him personally, so he couldn't just ignore it. But if he did, there was no guarantee that the news wouldn't get out. Then everyone would think that he was protecting the entire Xia family... Xia Changping, who was bullying others with his power, was not difficult to deal with. The difficulty lay in Xia Qingwan's situation.
-
A few days later, Xia Qingwan called Ye Peixiu.
She asked, "Do you know when Mr. Sheng will go to the hospital to change his dressing? Sister Xiang Yu wants to talk to him at the hospital."
"The doctor went to his house."
Xia Qingwan paused for a moment, then said, "Oh."
"You still have the time to do such a good deed?"
Also help others pass messages.
"Sister Xiangyu is my good friend. Besides, even though I'm busy with my studies, I don't not have time to make a phone call."
She explained.
Ye Peixiu smiled, "Really? Then have you chosen my birthday present?"
Xia Qingwan paused for a moment, then said, "...If I choose and send it to you, will you stop coming to see me?"
What do you want me to do?
Xia Qingwan remained silent.
Intellectually, she certainly hoped he wouldn't come looking for her, and preferably never have anything to do with her again. Furthermore, if the same situation happened again in the back seat of the Maybach, she would probably lose everything.
These past few days, during breaks from studying, or when she was spacing out, she kept thinking about the scar on the side of his hand near his palm.
Now, she is closer to him than ever before.
Letting reality remain as it is is probably the best option.
She has something to look forward to, but not enough to cause her excessive worry. Her future path in life should be lighter.
-
Until November 2nd.
After get off work, Ye Peixiu went back to his old house in Xishan.
The old man personally held a birthday party for him and only invited relatives and friends within the family.
There was a lot of chatting and laughing during the meal, and it was very lively.
Ye Peixiu didn't drink much. During a break, he read books in the old man's study.
He stood in front of the desk, a cigarette dangling from his lips, one hand behind his back, the other casually flipping through the pages of a book.
The old man pushed open the door and came in, smiling, "Even when you were little, I knew that you were the most promising one in our Ye family."
He was also a little drunk.
Ye Peixiu took off his cigarette and said with a casual smile, "Just lying on the ledger and flipping through the books of merit."
"Maintaining a business is harder than building one."
The old man sat down in the armchair behind the desk and said, "You're not young anymore, you're 27. It's time to think about getting married."
When your dad was your age, you were already born.
Ye Peixiu smiled nonchalantly, "Looking at it this way, my dad is more promising."
The old man feigned anger, "You brat! You have no sense of propriety."
"That Shanghai young lady your mother mentioned last time, I don't think she's a good fit. Her family is restless," the old man said. "I've been choosing someone for you recently, and your grandmother is helping with the consultation."
More than just an advisor, Cheng Fei was even more enthusiastic than him. He didn't know if she was just trying to please him.
The best candidates were the descendants of retired veterans. The old man already had several options in mind, waiting for the final decision.
Ye Peixiu's eyelashes were half-closed, and his two long fingers pressed down on the pages of the book.
"If you really have nothing to do, just go to Beidaihe and avoid talking about this all day long."
The old man knew that bringing this up would displease him, so he feigned being seven parts drunk, which made it seem natural for him to speak. Hearing him say this, she wasn't angry. What young man wants to get married so early?
However, the words still need to be said.
It can also be regarded as a reminder to him.
The old man leaned back lazily, then, as if remembering something, added, "I've recently heard that someone is using your name..."
Ye Peixiu didn't say anything.
The old man said, "Is it a descendant of the Xia family? The old lady of the Xia family used to have a good relationship with your grandmother, right?" He paused here, "...I know you might be hesitant to act because of that relationship. So, do you need me to send someone down to handle it?"
Xia Changping will never know the enormity of the mess he has made.
Even without Ye Peixiu taking action personally, his father, his grandfather, would be even more displeased than he was. The Ye family valued him most as their eldest grandson, so how could someone tarnish his reputation?
If the old man really sends someone down to handle this, this matter will become too big, and the Xia family's ship will definitely sink.
"Never mind that."
Ye Peixiu said calmly, "He can't come up with anything too complicated."
He's waiting to strike at the root of the problem.
"Okay, as long as you know what I mean."
Ye Peixiu raised his wrist to check his watch. "You should rest well, I'll be going now."
-
Xia Qingwan did not expect that Ye Peixiu would come directly to the Xia family's old house to find her.
Wang Jingzi went in to borrow someone from Grandma Xia.
Wang Jingzi said with an apologetic smile, "My cousin has some problems with her schoolwork, and I'd like Miss Xia to take a look. Is that convenient?"
Xia Huiqing readily agreed, but Grandma Xi's heart skipped a beat.
It was Friday and Xia Qingwan had just returned home from school.
"Qingwan, go and take a look."
Xia Huiqing said.
Hearing this, Xia Qingwan paused for a moment and said yes in a low voice.
It was late at night, and the sky was as black as ink.
She walked through the courtyard and saw Ye Peixiu, dressed in a suit and tie, leaning against the Maybach, looking at her with his arms folded.
On an autumn night, she wore a long skirt and a thin windbreaker, her long hair swaying gently in the breeze.
So clear and serene, walking towards him step by step, it makes one feel that the chaotic and noisy reality, rising and falling, becomes clear and transparent in that instant.
Like the cool autumn night breeze.
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The author has something to say: Here it comes, ah ah ah
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