Chapter 64, "The Fragrance of Begonias."...
It was a cloudy day.
Xia Qingwan got up and went downstairs for breakfast. When she arrived at the dining room, she could see through the window that Ye Peixiu was sitting on a chair in the octagonal pavilion opposite the main house, leaning back and smoking and talking to someone.
On a chilly, foggy winter morning, he was wearing only a white shirt.
Won't you get cold?
Grandma Liang happened to walk over, followed her gaze, and sighed, "This child, so grown up, still doesn't know how to dress properly."
He then called over the butler, went upstairs to get a coat, and went out to deliver it to Ye Peixiu.
Xia Qingwan kept turning her head to look while eating.
Under the octagonal pavilion outside the window, Ye Peixiu did not take the coat, probably asking him to put it aside, so the butler placed the coat on the other side of the corridor bench.
Grandma Liang smiled, seemingly talking to herself, or perhaps to her, "Let him be. He's almost 30. Let him take care of himself."
Xia Qingwan ate with her eyes down.
Not long after, Ye Peixiu picked up his coat and walked towards the parking lot with the person he was talking to.
The butler came in with a message: "Mr. Ye has gone out to discuss some matters and won't be back at noon."
"Okay, let him be. We're still so busy during the New Year."
Grandma Liang said.
While eating, Grandma Liang remembered, "Oh right, Qingwan's birthday is coming up soon, right? She'll be 22."
"Um."
Xia Qingwan smiled.
"That's great! Let's get ready in advance and give you a proper celebration."
As they were talking, Xia Huiqing and Grandma Xi returned from their walk. "When are we leaving?"
Earlier, the group had agreed to go shopping together, so Xia Qingwan freed up her morning and arranged to meet Ruan Xu in the afternoon.
The four people rode together in a six-seater car to the city center.
After spending the morning browsing, the three elderly people took the opportunity to choose birthday gifts for Xia Qingwan. They had lunch together, and in the afternoon, the three elderly people took a car back to their suburban villa, while Xia Qingwan stayed in the bookstore, choosing and reading books while waiting for Ruan Xu.
Ruan Xu arrived much earlier than she had expected.
Not wanting to speak loudly among the bookshelves, we exchanged glances and headed to the bookstore's own café.
Ruan Xu placed the old book he had borrowed from her on the table and pushed it towards her, saying, "Here you go, thank you."
"You're welcome."
“What a coincidence,” Ruan Xu said as the waiter brought her coffee, pushing her Americano towards her. “I’m going to Nairobi next semester too.”
"Is it also an internship?"
Xia Qingwan asked.
“I guess so,” Ruan Xu smiled. “My dad does business over there, and I’m going to be his secretary for a while.”
"very nice."
"Have you packed everything you need?" Ruan Xu asked. "I need to prepare some things for the trip. I'll go back and organize them and send you the list. I'm familiar with the area, so it will save you some trouble."
“…Okay, thank you.”
She speaks as if she's imperfect, using only "thank you" and "you're welcome," leaving no room for anyone to get closer to her.
Ruan Xu wanted to say something, stared at her for a moment, but in the end, he just smiled and said, "No need to be so polite."
He has never pursued a girl before.
After observing for a long time, I finally had a legitimate opportunity to make contact while in Shaoping. However, no matter what conversation we had, it was like punching cotton – I got no response.
"Then you're busy, right?" Xia Qingwan picked up her book and stood up. "I'll read for a while and then go back."
"……good."
After she left the coffee shop, Ruan Xu sat in the same spot for a long time.
The bookstore was large, with cushions scattered on the steps by the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor, where many children were reading. It was a rare treat to visit a bookstore during the holidays, so Xia Qingwan didn't rush to leave. She picked out a few books and sat by the window, slowly flipping through them.
I went downstairs and bought some stationery in the cultural and creative products section.
As darkness fell, she took a walk alone to a nearby restaurant to eat scrambled eggs and curry rice.
After finishing my meal, I walked to the roadside and was about to hail a taxi when a car slowly drove up and honked its horn.
She raised her head.
Ruan Xu looked over from the driver's seat and said, "I'll give you a ride."
"No."
Xia Qingwan said.
Ruan Xu smiled, looking like he had something to say, "Let's chat in the car."
...
Xia Qing fastened her seatbelt when she got into the car that night.
After driving through two intersections, Ruan Xu asked, "Have you always been like this?"
"...What kind?"
Ruan Xu casually turned on the car stereo and played a piano piece softly to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
“It feels… I can’t quite put my finger on it,” he paused, “…it makes it hard to know where to start, how to pursue someone.”
Someone said something similar before.
"Probably," Xia Qingwan said. "I don't want to be in a relationship."
"Never talked about it?"
Xia Qingwan paused for several seconds, "...We talked about it once."
To lighten the mood, Ruan Xu asked with a smile, "You're not hurt, are you?"
"no."
Xia Qingwan smiled too, "It's just... I still like him."
Ruan Xu pretended to let out a soft sigh of relief, half-jokingly saying, "Thank goodness, I thought I had made you hate me."
Xia Qingwan smiled but didn't reply.
After driving onto the highway leading out of the city, the two chatted occasionally and soon arrived at the highway exit.
On the way to the villa area, I saw a car getting closer and closer in the rearview mirror.
A black Audi with a Nanhua license plate.
As it approached, the Audi honked its horn to signal that it would overtake from the left.
The two vehicles are traveling in the same direction.
They turned onto the road in front of Grandma Liang's villa, one after the other.
From a distance, I could see an Audi parked outside the villa, its hazard lights flashing, waiting there.
Ruan Xu asked, "Do you know them? Are they family members?"
“…Okay,” Xia Qingwan said, “Let’s stop here, thank you.”
"Okay, then I won't go down."
Xia Qingwan unfastened her belt and got out of the car. Before closing the door, she said, "Drive safely."
"good."
Ruan Xu watched as she walked a few steps before it suddenly started to rain.
The dampness that had been building up all day finally appeared before my eyes.
He reached into the back seat and touched the umbrella. Just as he was about to open the car door and get out to give it to her, he saw a tall man in a suit and overcoat get out of the back seat of the Audi in front of him, take an umbrella out of the trunk, open it, and walk towards her.
The two people walked under the same umbrella.
It's an ordinary scene, yet it inexplicably creates an atmosphere where no one else can get in.
Ruan Xu loosened his grip on the car door switch, slowly withdrew his hand, turned the steering wheel, and drove away.
It's quite a distance from the villa entrance to the main house.
The winter rain is damp and cold, and a thin mist hangs in the air, making the night seem somewhat hazy.
In the damp night rain, under the umbrella, she didn't snuggle closer, and he didn't mention it either; they simply walked side by side in silence.
Both were wearing black coats, their body types so well-matched, she could be completely enveloped in his arms, yet they maintained a respectful distance from each other.
The wind and rain were dark and gloomy.
A chill permeated the air with every breath, carrying faint wisps of the fresh scent of mountain forest vegetation; the cold seeped into my very being.
After walking under the eaves and putting away the umbrella, the driver followed and handed Ye Peixiu a box. Ye Peixiu then passed it to Xia Qingwan before speaking, "I ran into your cousin Song Yanzhang today, and he asked me to bring this over as a New Year's gift for you."
"Thanks."
She took it, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a few raindrops clinging to one shoulder of his suit jacket.
She turned to walk into the house, but stopped abruptly, turned back around, and said, "You..."
She wanted to say, "Take off your wet clothes, otherwise you'll easily catch a cold. You were only wearing a shirt in the morning. The South is not like Beijing; winters are damp and cold, and it's easy to get sick if the cold seeps into your body."
"I have something to discuss. You can go upstairs first."
"good."
Xia Qingwan turned around and went back to her room alone. As she went upstairs, she held onto the handrail and closed her eyes tightly.
The next day, the morning before her 22nd birthday, Xia Qingwan woke up to a message from the maid on the second floor that Mr. Ye was ill.
I caught a cold, and I heard it was probably because I smoked a lot the night before; my voice is also hoarse.
Her heart was in her throat, filled with anxiety.
As I drew back the curtains, I caught a glimpse of a car driving away from the parking lot in front of the building. Without giving it a second glance, I hurried downstairs.
As I went down the stairs, I was still thinking about how to phrase my concern for Mr. Ye's cold in a way that would sound natural.
However, just as one foot stepped into the restaurant, Pei Xiu said, "Something urgent came up at the Pei Xiu Group, and he had to return to Nanhua early. He just left."
Grandma Liang said.
Her breath hitched, and all the words she had prepared stuck in her throat.
Grandma Liang was still muttering, "I have to rush to do official business even when I'm sick, sigh."
Xia Qingwan's ears were ringing, and she felt like she couldn't hear anything. Her heart was overwhelmed by an overwhelming sense of exhaustion and emptiness.
Meeting again here after breaking up, and spending a few days together in a villa, is already a huge reward. Fate and opportunity are pressing, so of course there's no time to wait for her to finish crafting her words.
She didn't say anything, but walked to the kitchen counter and helped Grandma Liang serve soup.
So be it.
Every time we meet, it feels like we're breaking up again.
No one can endure such a prolonged and agonizing ordeal.
It's better not to see it.
-
For the next two years, Xia Qingwan did not see Ye Peixiu again.
-
After the start of the semester, Xia Qingwan went to Nairobi for an internship.
While busy with my internship at the United Nations, I also wrote my graduation thesis, held countless online video conferences with my supervisor, returned to China in the summer to participate in my defense and graduation ceremony, and officially graduated with my bachelor's degree.
Lin Xiangyu returned from her studies at NYU and started working for a foreign company in Beijing.
In August, Xia Qingwan joined the production team ahead of schedule, and in early September, the graduate students officially started their studies.
Her postgraduate life was busy and fulfilling. Her supervisor, Professor Zhao, valued her highly and, in addition to daily tutoring, also took her to many seminars and lectures.
Xia Qingwan was extremely busy, and her first year of graduate school flew by in this hectic pace.
During her first summer break from graduate school, Xia Qingwan visited Pei Meizhu in the UK, where she had just settled down and was preparing to begin her studies. Afterwards, she met up with Lin Xiangyu, and the two girls traveled around the UK together.
Finally, they were able to get together and chat. It was then that Xia Qingwan learned from Lin Xiangyu that Sheng Junchi, that Mr. Sheng, was already married.
I've heard that the bride and Miss Chen An'an are best friends, both from wealthy and influential families.
According to Qiao Yingxue, his wife is pregnant and due this winter.
Xia Qingwan laughed, "You even know such detailed things?"
"Qiao Yingxue is a big mouth; she'll gossip about even the smallest things."
Lin Xiangyu also laughed, "It's a bit difficult. When I went to New York to study, Sheng Junchi paid for my living expenses. It cost about 700,000 to 800,000 yuan in two years. I originally wanted to work for a year or two to earn some money to pay him back, but now, before I've saved enough, he's already married, so it's not easy to pay him back."
"Forget it, he's not short of money anyway. We can talk about it another time. At worst, we can just consider it as owing him."
She's quite open-minded.
Xia Qingwan remained silent for a long time before asking, "...Will there be any regrets?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiangyu first laughed and shook her head, then her smile slowly faded, and finally, she pinched her thumb and forefinger together, "...just a little bit."
The two sat on the hotel bed. Lin Xiangyu leaned back, lay down, sighed, and said, "We're not compatible. Neither of us is the type to stay for the other. I've had my fair share of relationships in New York these past two years, and I believe he's the same way in Beijing."
"Have you seen each other in the past year since you graduated and returned to Beijing?"
"No."
It's not that I'm not nostalgic.
She had spent a long time investigating Xia Mingzhou before she seriously decided to devote herself to him. However, looking back now, she finds it is Sheng Junchi, who she was with just for fun, who is more unforgettable to her.
He was the right person, but we weren't meant to be.
Speaking of which, Lin Xiangyu rolled over, propped her head up with her hand, and asked with great interest, "I heard that Mr. Ye is being transferred back to Beijing."
Xia Qingwan just smiled, "You're so well-informed."
Lin Xiangyu nudged her and winked at her, "...Don't play dumb with me, tell me honestly, do you guys still know how to—"
Xia Qingwan shook her head directly.
"It's over."
It's been too long since we broke up.
She had almost forgotten his temperature.
-
By the time Xia Qingwan started her second year of graduate school, she was already known as a "goddess" among the students of the Chinese Department at Peking University.
She studied diligently and was highly regarded by Professor Zhang from the time she entered undergraduate school. During her first summer vacation, she went to the countryside with the team to conduct dialect surveys. She maintained the first place throughout her undergraduate studies, presided over national-level innovation projects, and won numerous awards. With her indisputable achievements and outstanding resume, she was recommended for postgraduate studies.
It's well known that Professor Zhao has an eccentric and difficult personality, yet he has a special fondness for Xia Qingwan, his senior. He takes her to seminars and projects, making them a truly strict yet outstanding teacher and student.
At the beginning of her second year of graduate school, Xia Qingwan, under the guidance of Professor Zhao, successfully published her paper in AMI, a top-tier journal with two core journals in the north and south.
Her academic achievements are already so impressive, and she is clearly a rare beauty with a slender figure and a cool temperament, yet she herself has a low-key and otherworldly personality.
A group of freshmen came to her office to peek at her. She looked up and smiled, speaking softly and gently, making everyone hold their breath and not dare to speak loudly.
Several freshmen left the office building looking like they'd lost their souls. Someone said, "I heard that Miss Xia comes from an extraordinary family and has quite a background."
"How come they have such a background? A rich second-generation?"
"No, from a scholarly family, the kind you can't mention."
“So amazing.”
Xia Qingwan had, of course, heard about such discussions.
However, she always kept to herself, as if she didn't care about anything.
However, when I occasionally met Shi Xiaoyu for meals after graduating from university and she was already working in a large factory in Beijing, I could always see a faint melancholy in her eyes.
When Shi Xiaoyu tentatively asked, she didn't say anything, only that everything was fine.
Of course, everything is fine.
Xia Huiqing and Grandma Xi enjoyed a peaceful retirement, and her studies went smoothly. Whenever she encountered a small obstacle, she was always able to resolve it quickly and easily.
How could it be bad?
However, every night and morning, before going to bed and after getting up, when Xia Qingwan saw the elegant sky-blue jade vase with a slender neck on her desk, she would always be lost in thought and stare blankly for a long time.
The jade vase is always filled with flowers of the season. In March, it's the vigorous peach blossoms; in April, the pink and white crabapple blossoms; in June, the delicate and vibrant pomegranate flowers; and in winter, the winter plum blossoms are inserted at an angle.
She is making good use of this slender-necked jade bottle.
They are also living good lives.
And yet…and yet…
My heart always felt trapped at the bottom of that bottle, cramped and cold, yet also empty and desolate. It was as if a hole had been torn in there, and I could always feel a howling, cold wind invading my body.
Let's go to Nairobi.
The land of East Africa is scorching hot.
Just like in "Westward in the Night," when you leave a place, you must be resolute and never look back. The past is gone; only by stepping into the future can the fog dissipate.
Therefore, she had a heart-to-heart talk with her mentor, Professor Zhao, and decided to take a four-month gap year next summer to go to Nairobi to obtain her PPL license.
Having been in despair for too long, she must carry a desolate and bleak heart to heal herself.
-
Ye Peixiu originally planned to be transferred back to the capital that summer, but due to some policies, it was delayed for some time.
In the spring of the following year, Ye Peixiu, who had served in a local post for two years and eight months, was officially transferred back to the capital.
At the beginning of the year, Wang Jingzi had been transferred to Nairobi to serve as the head of the group's East Africa region. Upon learning that Ye Peixiu had been transferred back to Beijing, Wang Jingzi took his annual leave and returned to China.
He rushed to the group's headquarters, where Ye Peixiu, who had been promoted to chairman of the group, was in a meeting.
He sat on the sofa and waited. After a while, the door was pushed open and Ye Peixiu walked in, followed by a string of people, including a secretary who was reporting and subordinates who were waiting for instructions.
Ye Peixiu loosened his tie, and Wang Jingzi had already poured water and handed it to him. He took it and drank a couple of sips.
After everyone had left, Wang Jingzi smiled and said, "You're still so busy."
During his two years in the local area, he worked this hard.
Previously, Wang Jingzi would occasionally visit him in Nanhua, always finding him working overtime. Sometimes, he would arrive earlier than his secretary in the morning, and he would still be working at his desk after his secretary had left for the night.
The lamplight burning late into the night as Ye Peixiu works, and the first cigarette after a long day's work—this is the norm for him.
Every time Wang Jingzi visited him, he would also report on Miss Xia's affairs.
This time is no different.
Ye Peixiu lit a cigarette and listened to him finish his explanation.
"As previously planned, Miss Xia will go to Nairobi around June."
"You make the arrangements."
"no problem."
Before coming to the office, Wang Jingzi went to the Ye family's old residence in Xishan.
In the eyes of the older generation of leaders, Ye Peixiu was a promising young talent. He worked diligently and pragmatically in the local area for two years and made real achievements. Nowadays, there are very few young people like him.
Moreover, since returning from his hometown, Ye Peixiu's style of doing things has become noticeably more mature and composed than before. It seems that he will soon be able to replace the soon-to-retire old man and become the backbone of the Ye family.
However, only Wang Jingzi could see that beneath his calm and composed expression lay years of unease, anxiety, and worry.
After discussing official business, Wang Jingzi asked, "Should we have an expert take a look at that crabapple tree in Ye Garden?"
The crabapple tree in front of the master bedroom window bloomed only one spring, its pink and white blossoms so dazzling, and it never bloomed again after that.
Ye Peixiu flicked off the ash from his cigarette and said, "No need."
It's fine if it's not open.
The withered branches actually made him feel more at ease; otherwise, the clusters of pink and white blossoms on the tree would have made him feel even more suffocated and unable to breathe.
-
After a busy half-month of work reports and on-the-job meetings, Ye Peixiu finally managed to find time to attend the welcome party hosted by Sheng Junchi.
It was April, and the weather was still chilly despite the change in temperature.
Upon entering the private room, Ye Peixiu took off his coat, rolled up his shirt sleeves, sat down on the sofa, and lit a cigarette. Sheng Junchi leaned against the bar and smiled at him, "Haven't seen you for a while, you seem different again."
He has matured considerably, his eyes are deep and sharp, exuding an understated yet powerful aura. Upon closer inspection, however, there is a hint of weariness and dejection in his eyes and brows.
A group of friends laughed and joked around until midnight.
Someone joked, "Junchi, your wife just gave birth, this is a bit inappropriate."
Sheng Junchi stubbed out his cigarette, smiled, and said, "It's time to go back."
He glanced at his watch. "You guys have fun, I'm leaving now."
"You're really going back?"
Sheng Junchi came over and chatted with Ye Peixiu alone for a few minutes before waving goodbye to everyone, "I'm leaving now, let's get together another day."
He drank a little wine, walked out of the private room, and stood in the front yard for a while, trying to sober up in the wind.
Just then, I heard a series of familiar laughs.
He paused for a moment, slightly taken aback.
Looking up, I saw two girls coming out of the side room. The one with short hair was Lin Xiangyu, who was laughing heartily with her head tilted back. The one walking beside her was Miss Xia, with long, straight black hair, still looking as cool and aloof as ever, with a faint smile on her lips.
Two girls saw him.
Years of social habits had made Sheng Junchi smile the moment their eyes met, and he said loudly, "What a coincidence."
Lin Xiangyu brought Xia Qingwan over to greet him.
"Yeah, what a coincidence, you're drinking here?"
"Old Ye has been back in Beijing for several days now, and I've finally found the time to welcome him back."
Sheng Junchi said.
"Oh, that's good, that's good."
Lin Xiangyu was polite and courteous.
They exchanged pleasantries and said everything they could, but it all felt like scratching an itch through a boot; both of them had a hint of unspoken words on their faces.
Xia Qingwan noticed this and said, "I'll go check on the flowers over there first. You two can chat slowly."
After all these years, this is the first time she has returned to the clubhouse in Beiguanfang Hutong.
The crabapple blossoms in the courtyard are in full bloom.
She walked through the covered walkway. Perhaps she had grown a few years older, now 24, but this time, she didn't get close enough to smell it. Instead, she sat on a bench under the walkway, turned around, closed her eyes, and tried to catch the faint fragrance in the wind.
I had just caught a glimpse of it and couldn't help but tilt my nose up even higher when I heard the sound of leather shoes.
She opened her eyes and turned around, seeing the tall figure in white clothes and black pants.
Ye Peixiu stood a few steps away in the middle of the veranda, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a cigarette hanging at his side, watching her.
The encounter was so sudden that Xia Qingwan was a little dazed. She didn't even have time to carefully discern how he was different from a few years ago before the bitterness in her heart suddenly spread like a raging storm.
She had also learned some tricks to hide her emotions by then. She stood up, smiled, and said, "Mr. Ye."
"Can you smell it?"
"...Huh? What?"
"The fragrance of crabapple blossoms."
He was still the same as before, always able to break through all her polite formalities with a simple remark when things were neither going well nor going badly.
She forced herself to remain calm and smiled slightly, saying, "...I can smell it."
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