Chapter 37 "...Why are you back?"...
Xia Qingwan is a restless sleeper and always kicks off the covers, so every winter morning she wakes up to a chill that seeps into her body.
This day was different; before she even opened her eyes, she felt a warm, cozy feeling. This sensation was novel and comfortable, and she couldn't help but burrow deeper into the warmth.
As soon as she moved, the warmth around her tightened automatically. Half-asleep, she realized that she was in Ye Peixiu's arms.
The tip of her nose was touching his collarbone.
Xia Qingwan then remembered reading somewhere before that only lovers could recognize the scent of a loved one's skin. At the time, she thought it was too mystical; if it were true, wouldn't it be like pheromones?
Thinking this to myself, I couldn't help but bring my nose close, like a small animal, and take two deep sniffs.
Warm and comforting, like the scent of sandalwood.
like.
The smell went straight to my heart through my nasal cavity, and my heart felt like it was being electrocuted.
I couldn't resist moving up to his shoulder and smelling it.
Just as he was concentrating on taking a breath, Ye Peixiu suddenly rolled over and pressed down on him.
He held her hand in one hand, intertwined their fingers and pressed them against the pillow. He lowered his head and kissed her temple, his voice hoarse, "Good morning."
Hearing his soft, slightly hoarse whisper in the early morning, so intimate and natural, felt like a dream.
Xia Qingwan met his dark eyes and said softly, "...Good morning."
She was completely enveloped by him, his heat washing over her in waves. She involuntarily turned her face away, pretending to look out the window.
Her neck and collarbone formed a slender and beautiful line. The morning sunlight filtered through a layer of gauze curtain and fell unreservedly on her skin, which was as smooth as jade.
Ye Peixiu lowered his head and kissed her ear, then kissed her neck.
She felt itchy and twisted her body to avoid it, but he grabbed her lower back, lifted her up, and pressed her against himself.
She stopped moving.
The presence of the morning is very strong...
"...I'll go wash first."
Ye Peixiu got out of bed.
Xia Qingwan propped herself up and looked at his back.
He was wearing only a pair of loose trousers, with his upper body bare, broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and the lines of his back were smooth and powerful.
So sexy it takes your breath away.
She lay back down on the bed, her face pressed against the pillow, and looked out the window.
The snow has stopped.
But my heart felt full, light and comfortable.
-
When Xia Qingwan came out after washing up, Ye Peixiu had already changed his clothes and was standing in front of her desk, looking down and flipping through a book.
A white shirt and black pants, with a black coat draped over his arm.
He turned his head and looked her up and down deeply.
I had just washed up in the morning and changed into a loose, soft long dress for home, which gave me a fresh and cool feeling, like a small freesia blooming deep in the mountains in midsummer.
“So beautiful.”
She came over and looked closely at his watch, "When are you leaving?"
"Now."
He lowered his head to find her lips and kissed her softly, "I ordered breakfast for you, have some later."
"good."
She stood with her hands behind her back, as if waiting to be seen off.
Ye Peixiu chuckled, "...Will you miss me?"
She pouted, "We'll only know after you leave."
Ye Peixiu smiled, took her hand, and walked out together.
She walked him to the gate.
The Audi had been parked at the entrance overnight. The snow that had fallen last night had left a thin layer on the roof, glistening in the sunlight.
She said, "Bye-bye, drive carefully."
Ye Peixiu kissed her at the gate of the yard, walked to the car, opened the door, held the door with his hand, but still looked at her.
She had no choice but to say it again, "Bye-bye."
Ye Peixiu walked around the front of the car and came back, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her again.
They lingered reluctantly for a long time.
-
Xia Qingwan returned to her room, and breakfast was delivered shortly afterward.
She finished her meal slowly and went to the side hall to read.
The sun gradually rose higher, and the fresh winter morning sunlight came in, bringing a thin layer of warmth.
Ye Peixiu sent her a voice message:
"I've arrived at the old house."
She was about to type a reply when another text message came in:
"I miss you already."
She couldn't help but pursed her lips and lowered her eyebrows.
In the old Ye family mansion in Xishan, Ye Peixiu sat on the sofa in the living room on the first floor, having received her message:
"I miss you as well"
The corners of his lips unconsciously lifted up, and under his half-closed eyelashes, a dark tide surged in his ink-black eyes.
He locked the screen, leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
Pei Yaxian personally brought him tea and asked, "Why are you sleeping as soon as you get back?"
"I didn't sleep well last night."
He said it with his eyes closed.
"What were you busy with? Working so late?"
Ye Peixiu did not answer, his legs crossed, one hand resting on the cushion next to him.
It looks like it's fast asleep.
Pei Yaxian didn't say anything else. She put down the tray, waved to the servant to bring a blanket, and gently covered him with it.
Inside the mansion, the servants who came and went all moved with utmost care.
Actually, Ye Peixiu wasn't asleep. As soon as he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with thoughts of last night.
Her soft touch filled my arms, her warm and fragrant body seemed to still linger in my nose.
The more he thought about it, the more thirsty he felt. He reached up and loosened his collar. Continuing to think about it was truly unbelievable; his mind was already automatically simulating the feeling of sending himself inside.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed all his unfulfilled desires. He got up, drank a glass of water, and lit a cigarette by the window.
Pei Yaxian walked back from the direction of the flower hall and asked in surprise, "I was thinking of letting you go back upstairs to sleep, why are you up?"
Ye Peixiu looked over and asked, "Did Meizhu leave today?"
"Yes, they left early this morning, and they should have landed by now."
Pei Yaxian adjusted her shawl and sat down on the sofa. "Your grandfather and father are coming back this afternoon."
Ye Peixiu smoked leisurely and nodded.
"When your grandfather comes back, he might bring you a new candidate." Pei Yaxian said half-jokingly, "You are not satisfied with my choice. This matter falls entirely into the hands of your grandparents."
Ye Peixiu glanced at his mother but didn't say anything.
In the morning, the mother and son took a car to visit an old friend.
The old friend is an old friend of the Pei family. The old man lives alone in Beijing, and his children are all abroad. They never come back during the holidays, so his house is deserted.
Pei Yaxian is Madam Ye, and with her around, the procession is quite grand.
Two cars followed in front and two in back. The car in the middle had a small red flag on it. Ye Peixiu was sitting in the back seat, lazily looking out the window.
Remembering something, Pei Yaxian lowered her voice and asked, "...Have you been in contact with your Grandma Liang recently?"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I heard that she's going to the south for recuperation and has chosen Shaoping as her place. The old man is worried about her and has sent people to take care of everything."
Pei Yaxian said, "Your grandma found out about this and had a big fight with the old man."
The Ye family is a large and influential family, and many things within it are intertwined with years of grudges and conflicts of interest.
People outside the circle all thought that Ye Peixiu's father was the biological son of the old man's current wife, Cheng Fei. People in the circle only knew that the old man had a previous wife, but her name was a closely guarded secret. Only families like the Sheng family, which had close ties and marriage relationships, would know that the old man's ex-wife was Liang Xinwu.
However, even someone as close as the Sheng family would never know that Cheng Fei harbored a grudge against Liang Xinwu.
Pei Yaxian once advised her, "A woman who is almost twenty years older than you, if you think about it, she's over seventy now, she's an old lady, why do you still care about her? You're just making yourself unhappy."
Cheng Fei understood everything, but before she married into the Ye family, she had heard about the old man and Liang Xinwu's love story when they were young. At the time, she didn't think much of it, but after marriage, the more she thought about it, the more jealous she became.
Over the years, the old man had secretly taken care of Liang Xinwu several times, and even her husband's family, the Jiang family, had received his favor. Every time, Cheng Fei could only pretend not to know.
Her two sons were not as capable as Ye Peixiu's father. Seeing that Ye Peixiu's father and Ye Peixiu and his son had monopolized power, her children would become marginal figures in the Ye family. How could she not be anxious?
It was hard to say these words to Pei Yaxian. Cheng Fei was trapped by her old-fashioned thinking and was always complaining in her heart, complaining that she was a married woman, but she lived like a concubine in the old days. These resentments had been accumulating in her heart for a long time, and when they found a gap, they were bound to erupt.
Pei Yaxian never talked about these mundane family matters with Ye Peixiu. She knew he didn't like listening to them.
She has her reasons for bringing this up now.
Ye Peixiu remained silent.
His family couldn't help but hear about his affair with Xia Qingwan. Pei Yaxian was probably reminding him that even if a girl had a clean family background, she was still related to Liang Xinwu and probably wouldn't get the support of the old man and Cheng Fei. Furthermore, she had a restless uncle like Xia Changping. If Xia Changping went to jail, Xia Qingwan would probably be immediately blacklisted by the old man.
He half-closed his eyelashes and idly played with a lighter.
He thought to himself, perhaps it's too early now, but later, if Xia Qingwan is willing, then...
Nothing is irreplaceable.
Just like he has multiple ID cards and passports, he can still live well even if he abandons the surname Ye and tell others that he is dead.
At this time, he had already made such a decision in his mind.
He couldn't imagine losing Xia Qingwan; the mere thought brought him excruciating pain, like his skin being torn apart.
Just as someone who has never seen the moon will not be captivated by its light, once they have seen it and been bathed in its glow, they will crave it and find it unbearable. When they look up, all they see is a dark and empty night sky.
-
In the afternoon, martial law was imposed on the mountain. The old man returned to the old house and, as expected, mentioned Ye Peixiu's marriage.
It happened at the dinner table.
The old man spoke casually for a few moments. The other party was the granddaughter of his old comrade-in-arms, who had just returned from completing her undergraduate studies in Germany; a well-bred and refined young lady from a prominent family.
"I'm five years younger than you, so we're about the same age. Let's find some time to meet up."
The old man said.
The Ye family never chats at the dinner table. This time, the old man chose this moment to bring it up in front of the whole family, which shows he was sure Ye Peixiu wouldn't embarrass him in front of others.
Sure enough, Ye Peixiu said, "Okay."
Grandma Cheng Fei took this matter very seriously.
For the next few days, Ye Peixiu stayed at the old house, taking advantage of the holiday to spend time with his family, which could be considered a way of showing filial piety. Cheng Fei would occasionally bring him photos or videos of the girl, smiling, "She's very pretty, and she's a good match for you."
He then said to Pei Yaxian, "I heard that this girl likes steady and refined men. Isn't that just a description of Pei Xiu?"
Occasionally, she would squint her eyes kindly and smile at him, "Pei Xiu, do you want Grandma to help you with your date outfit?"
Even Pei Yaxian could see what she was thinking:
With the old man about to retire, the future of Cheng Fei and her two sons depends on whether Ye Peixiu and his father will take care of them. Now that such a suitable opportunity has presented itself, wouldn't it be a perfect opportunity to recommend a potential partner to Ye Peixiu?
Pei Yaxian remained calm, a slight smile playing on her lips, glancing at this person and then at that person.
She laughed in her heart.
This situation is very similar to that of a powerful minister in ancient times recommending his sister to the emperor, so that when one person gains power, even his chickens and dogs will benefit, making things easier for him in the future.
Pei Yaxian knew perfectly well that this was because she had the same idea before, but unfortunately, her suggestions were all rejected by the old man himself.
Thinking about this, a chill ran through her.
Born in such a family, each elder has his or her own standards when it comes to the marriage of children and grandchildren, and all they seek is profit.
Ye Peixiu remained calm.
No matter what grandpa or grandma said, he would respond calmly, with a faint smile always on his face. He was elegant and steady, and it was impossible to find fault with him, but also impossible to see through him.
-
As the Chinese New Year approached, Professor Zhao's training course was suspended for a few days.
Xia Qingwan stayed in the old house, reading and writing, occasionally cooking for herself, and spent a few days in peace and quiet.
Xia Mingzhou came over and talked to her about Xia Changping's situation and asked about her recent situation.
While the two were talking in the living room, Aunt Xia Changliu arrived.
She came even less often than Xia Changping.
Xia Qingwan and Xia Mingzhou stood up and greeted her, "Auntie, what brings you here?"
"I just started my vacation too, so I came to check out Qingwan."
Xia Changliu is tall, thin and serious, and his profile looks very much like Xia Huiqing.
Xia Qingwan had only seen her a few times, and they were very unfamiliar with each other. Xia Mingzhou was not close to her either, so the three of them, aunt and niece, sat there awkwardly for less than ten minutes before Xia Changliu got up and left.
Nothing much to say.
The day before New Year's Eve, Xia Qingwan set off for Shaoping.
She had originally planned to spend the New Year with her grandmother and Grandma Xi in Shaoping, and then return to Beijing when the junior high school training class started. However, she couldn't buy tickets for the first and second days of the New Year, and could only buy tickets for the afternoon of New Year's Eve.
Upon arriving in Shaoping, we were naturally treated as honored guests.
Her cousin, Chen Yuman, affectionately pulled her back to the bedroom. After not seeing each other for half a year, she poured out all the besties she had been holding back.
At noon on New Year's Eve, my aunt prepared a table of delicious food.
"Having New Year's Eve dinner with Qingwan in advance is also a way to celebrate Qingwan's birthday."
20th birthday.
Returning to Shaoping and spending time with her family was a great comfort to Xia Qingwan.
Thanks to Mr. Ye, the family matters have been resolved, and Grandma and Grandma Xi can now enjoy their retirement in peace, while she can focus on her studies.
It's so relaxing.
-
It snowed in Shangjing on New Year's Eve.
The old house of the Ye family in Xishan was bustling with activity. The lady named Chen, who was introduced by the old man, came with the elders of the family to pay New Year's greetings.
The flower hall was decorated with lights and the children of Uncle Ye Peixiu were making noises on the floor and sofa, making the whole house warm and cozy, with a typical New Year's atmosphere of peace and harmony.
Ye Peixiu sat on the sofa by the window, smoking. He was dressed in white shirt and black pants and seemed a little absent-minded, glancing at his watch every now and then.
Before long, Wang Jingzi also came to offer his New Year's greetings.
After greeting the old man and his wife, and saying hello to Ye Peixiu's father and mother, he walked over to Ye Peixiu and whispered in her ear, "The things are ready. They're in your car."
Ye Peixiu nodded.
"I don't think you'll be able to get away for a while," Wang Jingzi said. "How about this? I'll go to the high-speed rail station and pick up Miss Xia. What do you think?"
"Let's do it this way."
-
When Xia Qingwan met Wang Jingzi in the high-speed rail station parking lot, she smiled and said, "Mr. Wang, Happy New Year! I'm so sorry to have troubled you to pick me up during the New Year."
"Happy New Year," Wang Jingzi said with a smile as he helped put the luggage into the trunk. "Don't be shy."
Once in the car, he added, "Mr. Ye instructed me to take you to Ye Garden."
Xia Qingwan was a little surprised, "Go to his house?"
"Um."
She didn't think much about it, she just thought that Ye Peixiu was worried about letting her stay alone in the Xia family's old house, so he wanted to leave her in Ye Garden, where there were servants to take care of her after all.
It was New Year's Eve, so of course she thought he would celebrate with his family.
However, the car stopped steadily in the parking lot. She got out with her bag, entered the password as if she was familiar with the way, and just as she put down her bag, she heard the sound of the door in the hallway.
She hurried over, then stood frozen in place. "...Why are you back?"
Ye Peixiu, wearing a black coat, held a cake in one hand and a gift and bouquet in the other. He stood at the entrance, his eyes filled with deep warmth. "Happy birthday."
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