Chapter 68. Don't underestimate him.
When Xia Qingwan returned to Nairobi after her trip, Ye Peixiu had already flown back to China on official business.
Wang Jingzi invited her to dinner.
The two sat facing each other in the terrace restaurant, having a long and intimate conversation.
From Wang Jingzi, Xia Qingwan learned that after Ye Peixiu was transferred back to Beijing, he had been promoted to chairman of the group, and his daily work was even busier, with people coming and going, which was exhausting.
Seeing the worry on her face, Wang Jingzi added, "However, to rise in the ranks, how can one avoid some trials and tribulations? This is already considered to be going very smoothly."
Xia Qingwan nodded, "...That's good."
"But you, how have you been all these years without any news?"
Wang Jingzi poured her a glass of water and said.
"I've always been fine."
Xia Qingwan seemed to still be lost in thought about Ye Peixiu's busy official duties, and her expression showed a hint of absent-mindedness.
"Did it go smoothly?"
"...I guess so. I did encounter some difficulties, but they were all resolved quickly."
"That's good."
Wang Jingzi said, "The academic circle is very complex, with intricate factional relationships. Some things can't be solved by making a few more trips. You need to seek help in time and talk to Professor Zhao more. He should help you, and he will."
"……good."
There was a moment of silence after that.
Xia Qingwan noticed Wang Jingzi's hesitation and guessed, "Do you want to ask about Meizhu?"
Wang Jingzi paused for a moment, "...No need to ask, I can see her updates on WeChat Moments."
Pei Meizhu is pursuing her master's degree in the UK. Her social media posts are filled with reports of deadlines, parties, shopping, and traveling during holidays. It seems like a busy and fulfilling life.
However, she used to love posting selfies, but she's hardly posted any during her year in the UK. She hasn't even posted about her manicures anymore; does she no longer like getting her nails done?
He actually had a lot of questions he wanted to ask.
It's hard to speak up.
The two of them fell into deep thought.
That night, before going to sleep, Xia Qingwan tossed and turned, thinking about many things.
After starting her graduate studies, she interacted with Professor Zhao and various academic luminaries, and gradually became aware of the unpredictable and treacherous nature of higher circles in this world.
Although they are descendants of the Xia family, they have fallen into decline. In the past, they could only linger on the periphery, but now they have only scratched the surface and occasionally feel dizzy as if they are standing on the edge of a cliff.
Recalling Wang Jingzi's description of Ye Peixiu's situation, although the words were vague and not very detailed, she could vaguely understand his perspective on the world.
In the past, she loved him and cared for him, and understood all the helplessness he had. But now, that understanding seemed to have deepened. She stood in his shoes, appreciating his planning and strategizing, and understanding his thoughts and actions, as if she were looking at the world alongside him.
Thinking about it over and over again, I couldn't help but feel that he was even more precious.
Despite being surrounded by such scheming and petty scheming in daily life, I remain calm and pragmatic, without becoming agitated, and I retain a corner of tranquility in my heart.
It is what is meant by being worldly-wise yet still pure and innocent.
She pondered this all night, longing to see him immediately.
Take a closer look at his face.
-
In mid-August, Ye Peixiu returned to Nairobi.
After the meeting that evening, he arranged to meet his guests at the hotel's second-floor coffee shop to discuss business.
Xia Qingwan had been reading in the coffee shop every night for the past few days when she heard a low voice approaching. She looked up and saw Ye Peixiu, dressed in a suit and tie, walking in the middle, surrounded by several people who were speaking to him earnestly.
Ye Peixiu listened with his eyes half-lowered, and inadvertently looked up and met her gaze.
She smiled.
Their large group settled down in a spacious double sofa area.
Out of the corner of Xia Qingwan's eye, across the spacious corridor, beside the sofa, were his shiny black Oxford shoes and the cuffs of his trousers, with socks of the same color encasing his slender, long ankles.
I wonder if his taste in clothing has changed?
As she was lost in thought, she looked up and met his gaze.
Ye Peixiu tapped his phone in his palm to signal.
She realized what was happening, picked up her phone, and saw a new message on the screen:
Mr. Ye: Wait for me.
Over the years, he's changed several phones, but he's always kept the chat history. The last message was four years ago, when he picked her up from a meeting at the Xia family's old house to go to a hot spring in the suburbs of Beijing.
"I've finished my meeting, I'll come pick you up now."
Due to the passage of time, the year and date have appeared above this line of text.
Those distant years, separated by mountains and rivers, now appeared vividly before her eyes, and a wave of bittersweet emotion surged in Xia Qingwan's heart.
The two lines of text are connected, with a blank space between them, yet there is none.
She replied:
"good."
After sending the message, I felt much better.
Xia Qingwan read her book while occasionally glancing up at him.
He sat with his legs crossed, relaxed against the backrest, a faint smile on his lips, talking to someone.
The translator sitting beside him kept translating his words to the person opposite him, and then translating the other person's words back to him. At this time, he would lower his head slightly to listen.
Just like when she first met him in Beiguanfang Hutong, he was at ease, and his every move was noble and refined.
About half an hour later, the group stood up, shook hands and said goodbye, and his subordinates escorted the guests out of the hotel.
Ye Peixiu spoke a few words to his secretary, then walked towards her.
Xia Qingwan immediately packed her things, closed the book, and picked up her bag.
I stood up straight and bumped into him.
Ye Peixiu gently supported her elbow to steady her, and asked, "Won't you two grab a coffee together?"
“…Let’s go to my place for a drink?” she added, “if you have time.”
"There's time."
-
The apartment and hotel belong to the same company and are connected by a corridor. The entrance is located at the side door of the coffee shop.
Ye Peixiu carried her bag with one hand, and the two walked side by side.
Xia Qingwan met him with a long-awaited courage and determination. Now, facing him and inviting him to her home, she couldn't help but feel the nervousness of a new recruit preparing for battle.
However, as they walked side by side through the connecting corridor, their eyes met a few times unintentionally. His eyes held their usual depth and gentleness, and her heart suddenly relaxed.
Upon reaching the apartment building, she cautiously inquired, "I'd like to know, have your clothing preferences changed?"
"No."
He answered crisply and relaxedly.
She relaxed more. "...I think so too," she thought for a moment, then asked, "What about your taste in food?"
No, not at all.
"...I think so too."
She said it slowly.
The lingering resonance of their words gradually spread, and both of them couldn't help but smile slightly—the unspoken understanding brought a sudden, hazy sense of happiness.
At such a moment that seems almost there but isn't.
When you laugh, turn your head to look at the other person.
As they walked, the dim light in the apartment corridor swept across their faces gently and slowly, like the fleeting years passing by.
Time may have passed, but they still look at each other.
Their eyes met, and Xia Qingwan's face inexplicably flushed.
By this time, we had reached her apartment door. She raised her hand to enter the password and then asked, "What are your hobbies?"
Ye Peixiu stood beside her and said, "Your hobbies have changed a bit."
"What is it?"
She looked up and asked.
"I've been playing golf a lot these past few years."
She opened the door and went in. "No need to change your shoes, just come in."
Ye Peixiu put her bag on the sofa, took off her suit jacket, and while washing her hands and making coffee, she asked, "Did you suddenly develop a liking for golf?"
He used to think the sport was boring and never played it unless it was for social reasons. But in recent years, he'd felt a tightness in his chest, so he went to play a few times with Sheng Junchi. Standing in the middle of the grass, with a wide view, it really helped relieve his mood. Gradually, it became a habit.
But it's not appropriate to explain this to her in detail.
"I guess so, just consider it a relaxation."
In Nairobi in August, the night air was cool. She made two hot lattes, handing one to him, only then noticing that he had already taken off his suit jacket, revealing a vest and shirt underneath. The vest cinched his waist perfectly, making his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs appear even more striking.
He leaned against the counter, while she leaned against the dining table. They faced each other, a step apart, each holding a mug.
"And you?"
Ye Peixiu asked, "Has anything changed?"
In which aspect?
She looked down at the tips of his shoes and her own, then looked up at him.
“In all aspects.”
There seem to be many.
I couldn't figure out the loose thread right away.
Xia Qingwan hesitated before saying, "...I think I've matured a bit." As she spoke, she looked into his eyes, as if seeking affirmation.
“I can feel it.”
He looked at her and said, "You're more calm and composed in your work, and much more relaxed in your interactions with others."
She nodded with a slight smile.
The apartment was small, and once silent, the surroundings were completely still, with only the faint sound of the elevator operating deep inside the building.
However, she always suspected that it wasn't the sound of the elevator operating, but rather some kind of rumbling excitement within her.
They were so close that his body almost filled her field of vision; her gaze had nowhere to settle. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see his chest, his legs, or his waist and abdomen...
She would occasionally turn her head, even putting down her mug, pretending to be interested in a small object on the table, just to find an angle that would make her less nervous.
Ye Peixiu silently observed her for a while, then walked to the dining table, stood beside her, placed the mug on the table beside her waist, picked up her mug, and asked, "Are ours the same?"
"...Mine had a little caramel added."
"May I try some?"
I've kissed countless times before. Given the current situation, there's nothing wrong with it.
Xia Qingwan said, "...Okay."
She was a little nervous: they were so close, she wondered if he would touch her.
Ye Peixiu took a bite of hers and said, "It's too sweet."
"Knowing you don't like things too sweet, your cup only has coffee and milk."
Perhaps due to nervousness, she added this somewhat unnecessary explanation.
"Um."
Xia Qingwan leaned against the edge of the dining table, turning her body to look at him beside her.
She was only about a fist's distance from him, and she could smell his scent. The deep sandalwood, warmed by his body heat, had a unique, familiar aftertaste.
His right arm hung down at his side, and she couldn't help but look down along the sleeve of his shirt, searching for his hand.
Found it.
With long, slender joints and prominent veins on the back of his hands, he possessed the large hands of a mature man.
"What are you looking at?"
He spoke in a low voice.
Xia Qingwan steadied her voice slightly and said truthfully, "Your hand, that scar..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Peixiu raised his hand, opened his palm, and presented it to her.
She looked down and examined it carefully.
The scar was short and shallow, and slightly whitish.
"...Just for looking? You can touch it."
His voice was low.
Acquiescence and invitation.
He always managed to catch all her emotions.
A bittersweet feeling of happiness welled up in Xia Qingwan's heart, and she couldn't help but raise her hand and gently stroke the scar with her fingertips.
In this cramped apartment, she and he explored together the deep-seated scars on his body.
It is rumination, it is recollection, it is renewed comfort.
"How does it feel?"
The voice was already so low it was almost a whisper.
"...It's a bit rough."
She spoke softly.
In my field of vision, the difference in size and skin color between his large hand and hers created a tension that made my breath catch in my throat.
Xia Qingwan didn't dare to look up at all, and her breathing almost stopped as well.
At that moment, she felt his fingers slowly hook around hers. Perhaps it was a test, or perhaps something else, but it wasn't too aggressive. He simply hooked the tip of her middle finger gently, his fingertip lightly rubbing against the pad of her middle finger.
The long-lost, delicate touch sent a jolt through her body, causing her to involuntarily close her eyes and feel her very soul tremble.
As she closed her eyes, his fingers slid inward along her fingertips, gently pinching her middle finger with two fingers, while his thumb slowly kneaded and caressed one of her fingers.
Waves of tingling sensations washed over her, and she was starting to feel overwhelmed. Yet, her body instinctively craved his touch.
She opened her eyes, lowered her eyelashes, and willingly placed her entire hand into his palm.
Her soft, delicate hand rushed into his palm. Perhaps because she had mustered up her courage and had never been so proactive before, she lost her sense of proportion and bumped into him headfirst, like a kitten nuzzling him with its head.
That long-lost tenderness seemed to suddenly crash into his heart.
Ye Peixiu felt a sudden tingling sensation in his heart, as if he were about to die.
He paused slightly, carefully feeling the warmth and texture of her hand, looking at her hands, her half-closed eyelashes, her flushed cheeks and the tip of her nose...
Are you cold?
My hands are very cold.
"...I'm not cold, you're just too hot."
Only after she spoke did she realize how soft her voice was.
He kneaded her hand, sometimes lightly, sometimes heavily, with a premonition that he might lose control at any moment.
At this moment when she was extremely tense, Xia Qingwan heard Ye Peixiu ask in a low, hoarse voice, "Have you thought about me?"
Even though he had already seen his handwriting, which she had brought all the way to Nairobi, he still longed to hear her say it herself and confirm it in person.
It is confirmed that during the countless days and nights he missed her, she would also toss and turn, unable to sleep because of him.
It was confirmed that the crescent moon was not shining on him alone, but on a couple who were sleepless.
He and his late Qing Dynasty.
Without a second thought, Xia Qingwan immediately nodded, and then, fearing he hadn't seen it, added softly, "Yes."
He tightened his grip on her hand, kneading it roughly without restraint.
It was just like how he used to knead her body.
Even though she hadn't done anything, she could feel her own breathing, and his breathing, so clear, so chaotic in the quiet, cramped apartment.
They collided and intersected.
His large, warm, and dry hands, with slightly rough edges at the base of his thumb, made her feel so warm and cozy as she was enveloped in his palm again after several years.
Such a thrill, such a comforting feeling.
"...late Qing Dynasty"
"Um."
"I miss you so much."
It was almost a whisper, a low, hoarse sentence.
As he said that, Xia Qingwan looked up at him.
Their eyes met, and their eyes reddened. Unable to hold back any longer, they reached out and embraced each other.
She straightened up and hugged his waist. The height difference between them, 1.9 meters and 1.68 meters, made her feel completely trapped in his arms.
Ye Peixiu tightened his arms around her, arching his back and burying his head in her neck.
They embraced tightly, as if trying to meld the other into their own body.
The familiar taste, the familiar temperature.
I wish I could embrace you until I die.
They hugged for a very, very long time.
It wasn't until Xia Qingwan felt her neck getting stiff from looking up that the hug gradually loosened.
Their gazes remained fixed, unable to look away.
In the small apartment in Nairobi, the bright overhead light illuminated him and her.
Her phone rang, but at first no one answered it.
However, the voice persisted, forcing Xia Qingwan to glance at it.
It's an alarm clock for taking a shower and going to bed.
Her life is incredibly structured, especially during her recent flight training, which demands a high level of concentration. Her schedule has become even healthier: she takes a shower at 10 pm, goes to bed at 11 pm, and gets up at 7 am.
She explained, "I have flight lessons tomorrow, and I need to practice takeoffs, landings, and transits, so I have to go to bed early and get up early to conserve my energy."
"Then..." Ye Peixiu said, "...should we get some rest?"
"Um."
She saw him to the door.
Those who saw them off were reluctant to leave.
Ye Peixiu walked to the door, then turned around and said, "I'm leaving."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
"Shall we have breakfast together tomorrow?"
"Okay," Xia Qingwan said. "I'll get up at seven and contact you then."
"good."
Despite saying that, Ye Peixiu did not take a step to leave. He just stood there watching her, his eyes filled with a deep, unfulfilled love and desire.
After a moment of eye contact, he moved closer, pushed open the door with one hand, and almost pressed down on her, pulling her into his arms again.
The door closed automatically behind him.
Many words welled up in his chest and rushed to his throat, but Ye Peixiu held back for a long time and only said, "See you tomorrow, Qingwan."
-
"Did you sleep well last night?"
After taking a seat in the restaurant, Ye Peixiu asked.
"It's fine, how about you?"
"I can't sleep."
He cut the bread roll open, spread butter inside, and handed it to her along with the plate.
He had endured so many years without touching her, relying on memories to get through it all. But after that embrace last night, it was as if he couldn't hold back any longer. His longing for her was overwhelming, making him thirsty and unable to sleep.
Xia Qingwan didn't ask any more questions.
She couldn't sleep either.
As was customary, Wang Jingzi would usually have breakfast with Ye Peixiu and report on his work there. However, on this day, when he arrived at Ye Peixiu's usual seat in the restaurant, he found Xia Qingwan sitting opposite him.
He wanted to turn around and leave, but he had work to report immediately, so he had to bite the bullet and greet her, "Mr. Ye, Ms. Xia."
Ye Peixiu and Xia Qingwan were talking, but when they saw him arrive, they both stopped talking.
"Secretary Wang," Xia Qingwan greeted him with a smile, "Have you had breakfast?"
"have eaten."
Wang Jingzi answered fluently, walked to Ye Peixiu's side, and bent down to report on his work.
Ye Peixiu said, "Sit down and talk, it won't bother you."
"……good."
Wang Jingzi could vaguely sense that Ye Peixiu's actions were intended to make him consider Xia Qingwan as a part of his life, just as before. After sitting down, he briefly recounted the matters he needed to report in a normal voice.
After listening, Ye Peixiu gave a few instructions.
Xia Qingwan initially wondered if she shouldn't have listened, so she focused on eating. Finally, she heard Wang Jingzi say, "There's a celebration banquet next Wednesday to mark the completion of a project. After the banquet, you'll be heading back to China. I'll keep you updated on the regular work here with the general manager at the Beijing headquarters. The general manager will compile a summary at the end of each month and then report back to you."
She raised her head.
Ye Peixiu was also looking at her. She asked, "Are you finishing your work here?"
"Um."
Ye Peixiu asked, "Are you planning to stay until October?"
"Yes, maybe early November."
If all goes well.
Wang Jingzi left the restaurant first.
After finishing breakfast, Xia Qingwan stood up and turned to get her schoolbag. Ye Peixiu walked around the table, took her bag, and said, "I'll take you to the club."
She nodded.
At this moment, I was thinking that we had broken up for almost four years before, but after that hug last night, it seemed that even a short separation was unbearable.
She had already begun to miss him.
Moreover, she had no idea what kind of storm he would face after returning to Beijing.
With her mind a jumble of thoughts, she looked up and met his gaze. He said, "I'll wait for you to return to Beijing."
"Wang Jingzi's term also ends in October. At that time, I will come to pick you up on official business."
Outside the hotel, it was a Nairobi morning in August.
Everything was crystal clear.
-
In fact, the project in Nairobi is overseen by the deputy general manager, and Ye Peixiu only needs to come once at most.
He personally instructed them to keep an eye on things.
Because it was a long business trip, he informed his family beforehand. After hearing his arrangements, his father, Ye Tingwen, and his mother, Pei Yaxian, remained silent.
Everyone in the Ye family knew his intentions behind this move.
In front of everyone, the old man didn't say much, only telling him to be careful and act with discretion, and not to neglect matters in the capital.
Back in the west wing of the study, where only the grandfather and grandson were present, the old man said, "You are being very irrational."
“If you want to pursue that girl, you can wait until she returns to the capital. It doesn’t matter when you act. Why go all the way to East Africa? This is a crucial time. Aren’t you worried about things in the capital?”
He would only be worried if he didn't chase after them.
“She said she wanted to see a world without walls, and I didn’t want to miss such an important moment for her.”
"You're such a Casanova."
After that conflict, the grandfather and grandson were able to have heart-to-heart talks.
Ye Peixiu said, "Then I'm still not as good as you."
"You'd better watch yourself."
"I know what's going on."
At the time, he simply replied with that.
-
At the end of August, Ye Peixiu returned to Beijing from Nairobi.
Kyoto was indeed quiet.
A kind of breathless, paranoid state.
Even Qiao Yingxue heard that something big might happen to the Ye family.
"Mr. Ye traveled all the way to East Africa, could it really be to win back Xia Qingwan?"
She's already engaged. Her fiancé is an ordinary fourth-generation rich kid who used to hang out with Xia Mingzhou all the time. In short, he's someone she used to look down on.
Time remains unchanged.
The industry has seen little change, remaining stagnant and uneventful for years. Right now, she's having afternoon tea with her old group of girlfriends.
"Looks like it," Jiang Mia said with a smile. "She even encouraged Mr. Ye to get your dad to slap you a few times before. You don't still hold a grudge, do you?"
However, time does not always keep things the same.
Jiang Mia got married to a man from a prominent family, and the entire Jiang family was transformed by her, gaining the confidence to swagger around.
Although it's still the same group of girlfriends, with no increase or decrease in the number of people, the core of the group has quietly changed.
No one will indulge Qiao Yingxue anymore.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Yingxue's smile remained on her lips, but her eyes were fixed on her.
Jiang Mia seemed oblivious, lowering her laughter and exchanging glances with the others, but none of them dared to respond.
Jiang Mia's eyes darted around, then she calmly looked away, as if suddenly realizing something, "...Oh, I remember, I not only slapped you, but I also made you and your brother kneel down, wow—"
Before she could finish speaking, Qiao Yingxue got up, walked around the coffee table, and slapped her across the face.
Jiangmiya jumped up.
The two women started fighting, and bystanders rushed over to separate them. However, no one could withstand Qiao Yingxue's fiery temper, and Jiang Mia suffered a significant loss.
After Qiao Yingxue left, the remaining few people gathered around Jiang Mia and asked her with concern.
"Mia, why are you arguing with her? You know who she is."
"It's really strange. She's been having a rough few years, and her temper has only gotten worse."
"It's alright, it's alright. We'll arrange a get-together another day and have her apologize to you."
Stepping out of the restaurant, Qiao Yingxue stormed towards her family car.
The driver, who had been taking a break and smoking, saw that she had come out early, so he quickly threw away his cigarette, stubbed it out, and turned on the car lights.
Seeing the driver smoking again, Qiao Yingxue, who was already angry, couldn't help but scold him again.
After getting on the bus.
She rolled down the car window to let in some fresh air.
As the late summer breeze subsided, Qiao Yingxue couldn't help but think that what had just happened was a repeat of how she had embarrassed Xia Qingwan on her birthday years ago.
However, Xia Qingwan did not do it herself.
Summer evening.
I haven't seen her for several years.
She already had little contact with people in the industry, and after Lin Xiangyu went abroad to study and she and Mr. Ye separated, she almost completely disappeared from contact with him.
On a late summer afternoon, with a breeze blowing in the back seat of the car, Qiao Yingxue remembered her good points.
I even envy her.
With a sense of melancholy.
Although she had suffered cold looks and disdain from people in the industry before, and was bossed around by that uncle, and later endured gossip in the industry even after being with Mr. Ye, Xia Qingwan seemed to have never been affected by anyone. She was independent, focused on her studies, graduated and went on to graduate school, took a four-month gap year in Nairobi, and it is even said that she is preparing to apply for a doctoral program.
Whether it was foul language or a man like Mr. Ye, she came alone and left alone, without a trace of her own.
If you think about it carefully without prejudice, what a tenacious and rock-solid character this must be.
At this moment, Qiao Yingxue looked at herself and suddenly felt a sense of emptiness.
Whether she was arrogant or sought the limelight, what did she ultimately gain or become?
-
Upon returning to Beijing, Ye Peixiu became the youngest head of the group.
He held this position for half a year, and after everything settled down, news broke at the end of August that the Ye family patriarch was about to retire.
In the eyes of many, this means that the Ye family's legacy has finally come to Ye Peixiu, who is about to turn 32.
His father, Ye Tingwen, was not in the same system as him, and in principle they should be unrelated. However, rumors in the circle say that Ye Peixiu may have a falling out with his father for the sake of the Xia family's girl.
At first, Ye Tingwen thought it was nonsense.
Even after Ye Peixiu returned from Nairobi at the end of August, amidst rampant rumors, he still felt the same way.
At the Ye family banquet to welcome Ye Peixiu, Ye Tingwen brought up his marriage in front of the whole family, and he just smiled and nodded, "I'm considering it."
After the family dinner, Ye Peixiu went to the west wing to play chess with the old man.
Each side is taking risky moves, which suggests a fierce competition.
Just as he was holding his breath, his grandfather suddenly said, "Pei Xiu, you have no chance of winning."
Ye Peixiu remained silent, holding his chess piece.
“Your father is more than twenty years older than you. He has accumulated over twenty years of experience and his influence is so deep that you can’t even imagine it. There are some things that I may not even know.”
Grandpa said, "...Furthermore, if you two fight to the point of mutual destruction, like in this game of chess, then our family might be in trouble..."
"I understand everything you've said."
Ye Peixiu made his move.
But it was too late to reverse the defeat.
Although he lost, he also decimated his grandfather's side.
The game was a complete disaster.
Ye Peixiu stood up, went to the desk, picked up the white cigarette case, shook out a cigarette, struck a match, and lit it.
The match's brief flash illuminated his features before going out in an instant.
He held a cigarette in his mouth and casually flipped through the 1982 edition of "A Long Talk on Peking Opera" on his desk.
“But,” he began almost calmly, “…sometimes what determines victory or defeat is who concedes first.”
"You're betting he'll give in first?"
"He will."
Ye Peixiu said, "I can give up everything the Ye family brought me, but he has painstakingly built up his wealth for half his life, and he can't afford to lose."
The old man felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.
“Your dad is ruthless; don’t underestimate him.”
"At worst, I'll die."
He said, and then laughed, “I was already aware of this when we first talked.”
The old man scolded him, "You unfilial son, saying such things in front of me."
He was never the type to have it all; back when he was with Xia Qingwan, he was already prepared to lose everything.
However, the shackles of wealth and privilege that surround one from birth have long been ingrained in one's bones and blood, and it is not so easy to break free.
The old man thought to himself, "Let him make a scene."
He's a man of courage; how could he be content if he wasn't allowed to go to the battlefield and fight personally?
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