Chapter 74 "There are ways not to go."...
That day, after class, Xia Qingwan went to the office with her schoolbag slung over her shoulder.
She was busy until 8 p.m., when it was completely dark. After Professor Zhao left, she packed her things and went downstairs.
Ye Peixiu picked her up for dinner.
Sheng Junchi and his wife treated everyone to a meal.
Although Sheng Junchi eventually sent someone to contact Lin Xiangyu and return the money, along with a message, he still had to keep his promise to treat her to a meal.
"Let's get together more often."
Sheng Junchi said this.
The restaurant was located on the rooftop of an old clubhouse.
When I got there, I found out that Sheng Junchi and Ji Shuyu had brought their children with them.
Ji Shuyu said that she had eaten here a few times with her parents when she was a child, and this time, she wanted to bring her child to revisit the place.
Before the meal, Ye Peixiu let the child play in the outer hall for a while.
I held her as we looked at the night view.
After receiving a phone call from her grandmother, Xia Qingwan went out to look for him.
But he ran into Lin Xiangyu at the corner of the restroom.
"Late Qingming Festival! What a coincidence."
"Sister Xiangyu, you're eating here too?"
"Yes, I have a new boyfriend. He said he ate here a few times when he was a child, so he brought me here to see it."
The two hadn't seen each other for a long time and were overjoyed, chatting for a few minutes.
Finally, Lin Xiangyu said half-jokingly, "You came with Mr. Ye? He would come here to eat? It's not up to his standards."
"And Sheng Junchi and his family."
Xia Qingwan said with a smile.
"Oh," Lin Xiangyu smiled, "Then I'll head back to my private room now. See you another day."
Xia Qingwan went to the hall and saw the child lying on Ye Peixiu's lap on the sofa, while Sheng Junchi squatted down beside him, playing with the child.
At this moment, Ji Shuyu also came out. The two looked at each other and smiled. Ji Shuyu said, "Why did you all come out?"
Several people led the children back to the private room.
The child staggered across the carpet, with Ji Shuyu and Sheng Junchi flanking him. Xia Qingwan lagged two steps behind, and when she looked back, she saw Ye Peixiu, who was at the very back, answering a phone call.
On the other end of the phone was his father, Ye Tingwen.
The father and son rarely speak on the phone more than twice a year. Today was a rare occasion, as it was Ye Tingwen who called.
"Aren't you coming back for dinner?"
"I'm having a get-together with friends, so I won't be going back."
"With whom?"
"Old Sheng and his family."
As they were talking, the child in front of them must have tripped and fallen, because he started crying loudly. Ji Shuyu picked him up and kept comforting him.
Ye Tingwen heard the loud crying on the other end of the phone.
A pause, "...Sheng Junchi's child?"
"Um."
We chatted for only a couple of minutes before the call ended.
Ye Tingwen let out a long sigh.
Ye Tingwen had been busy for more than two months, attending the National Day holiday, the conference, and local inspections. Today, he finally had half a day of free time, so he went back to his old house in Xishan and was having tea and playing chess with his grandfather in the west wing.
Seeing his movement, the old man asked first, "That young man from the Sheng family already has a child?"
"yes."
This time it was the old man who sighed, "Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, I've grown so old."
Friends are leaving one after another, and some numbers in my phone book can no longer be dialed. The next time we meet, it will be to kowtow at their tombstones.
"What are you saying? The doctor just said the other day that you are in good health."
Ye Tingwen was raised in a free-range manner from a young age and spent his childhood gaining experience in various places. Therefore, his relationship with the old man was more like that of a superior and subordinate than father and son.
Ye Tingwen always treated the old man with utmost respect and deference.
"Are you still looking for someone for Pei Xiu?"
The old man picked up a piece and made a move, then asked a question.
Ye Tingwen paused for a moment, then said, "...I don't actually have time to worry about these things."
“That’s right. After what happened with the Chen family a few years ago, you must have learned a lesson from observing it,” the old man said. “You should talk to them first. Pei Xiu might disagree later. With his personality, he might give you face the first time in front of others, but if you go too far, he’ll flip the table, and you won’t even be able to be friends with him anymore.”
“Your Aunt Cheng Fei is an outsider in this matter and has no say; as for Ya Xian, she has been the villain several times because of this. Just because she met that girl in private, Pei Xiu has made things difficult for Pei Xiu’s uncle’s side. It was only because of Mei Zhu’s matter that the two sides gave each other a way out and the relationship eased. Even now, Ya Xian is still very cautious, so it’s not good to let her take the lead again.”
"So, I can probably understand your difficulties."
After speaking slowly and deliberately, the old man glanced at Ye Tingwen's expression.
Ye Tingwen remained expressionless, smiling faintly as he said, "...It is indeed a bit difficult."
The old man said, "It's easy to make a name for yourself, but hard to keep it. I've already completed my mission. From now on, you two will support and help each other. No matter how much we talk about the details, the core is still you two."
The implication was clear: the old man didn't want any conflict between him and his son, and he wanted to prevent the son from acting rashly.
"Yes, I understand."
Ye Tingwen said with a smile, "You're going to enjoy your retirement."
"I can't handle this anymore."
The old man said bluntly, "I had already thought it through back in Beidaihe years ago, and I had also made it clear to Pei Xiu."
Ye Tingwen felt deeply isolated and helpless.
If he doesn't interfere, Ye Peixiu's marriage is indeed related to his interests, and he can't ignore it; if he does interfere, Ye Peixiu had a major conflict with the old man before things were even settled, and compared to the old man, Ye Peixiu has even less affection for him. If something really happens, Ye Peixiu will probably be even more ruthless towards him.
Is it really going to escalate beyond control?
Ye Tingwen leaned back in his chair, lit a cigarette, shook his head and sighed, "It's because I spent my early years in the countryside that I didn't have much of a father-son rapport with Pei Xiu."
"You're wrong. That's not the point."
The old man said.
“Pei Xiu is actually a kind and filial person. According to you, his relationship with his mother is even weaker. However, he knows that his mother is caught in the middle between the Ye and Pei families, so no matter how much Ya Xian tries to scheme, he has never used his current power to speak harshly to her. If I give the order, he comes to me; if the Pei family gives the message, he goes to the Pei family. He is very clear-headed.”
The old man stood up, walked to the window with his hands behind his back, and sighed, "Tingwen, I should have told you this a long time ago. You should have some respect for your wife and children. If you respect them, they will respect you in return. Otherwise, like Yaxian, they are only afraid of you. Like Pei Xiu, who dared to fight with you when he was young, now that he has grown up, he has his own power and his own circle. If you offend him now, he will no longer show you any mercy."
“I’m not saying that he can definitely bring you down, or that you can definitely suppress him. What I’m afraid of is that within a family, there’s a mutual desire to see who can get ahead. The downfall of a family ultimately begins with internal strife.”
"Not worth it."
“It’s already quite remarkable that Pei Xiu has made steady progress over the years, taking each step correctly and steadily. Marrying a woman from the Chen family or the Ji family at this time would not be of any help. On the contrary, it would only create more nepotism and make things too big to handle, and he would easily be dragged down.”
After speaking, the old man turned around and glanced at Ye Tingwen.
Ye Tingwen remained expressionless, seemingly unconcerned.
Too.
He is a man obsessed with fame and fortune. His own career, his son's career, and the future of the Ye family are the most important things in his life. Now, how could he possibly agree to lay down his butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot?
The old man withdrew his gaze and sighed, "Well, after saying all this, the only thing I really want to tell you is this: Don't treat everyone in your family like superiors and subordinates."
"The end of the year is approaching. Take advantage of the New Year to have a good talk with Pei Xiu."
After saying that, the old man specially called his secretary over in front of Ye Tingwen and instructed him, "Tell Pei Xiu to arrange his Spring Festival holiday in advance and set aside a few days to come to the old house to play chess with me."
The secretary accepted the order and went to make a phone call to Ye Peixiu.
Ye Pei was eating when he answered the phone and said okay.
After hanging up the phone, he turned his head, leaned close to Xia Qingwan's ear, and whispered, "What are your plans for the Spring Festival holiday?"
"Go back to Shaoping."
Ye Peixiu laughed, "You've already made a decision so quickly?"
"Of course I'm going back to Shaoping. Grandma Xi said she misses me a lot."
Ye Peixiu stared at her, his eyes deep and unfathomable, without saying a word.
Xia Qingwan sensed a subtle sense of aggression from him. She tilted her head up and whispered in his ear, "We still have a long time ahead of us."
As she spoke, Ye Peixiu put one arm around the back of her chair, loosely encircling her, and listened with his head slightly lowered.
At the dinner table, the two acted intimately, oblivious to everyone else.
This prompted Sheng Junchi to laugh and say, "You two have to drink a penalty shot."
As they were talking, at the small table next to them, the nanny was serving the child food when the child started crying again, waving his hand and scattering the food all over the floor.
Ji Shuyu stood up apologetically, "She's usually very well-behaved, but she doesn't like to eat. Every meal is like a battle."
The child pushed Ji Shuyu away and called for his father.
Sheng Junchi pulled out a chair, stood up, walked over, and picked up the child.
Ji Shuyu smiled and said to Xia Qingwan, "That's how it is when you have a child. Even if someone helps take care of the child, it's hard to have a proper meal."
"Hey, you can't say that. You're just adding unnecessary worries for Qingwan. What if she doesn't want it later? Wouldn't Pei Xiu come after us?"
While coaxing the child, Sheng Junchi made some inappropriate jokes.
"No," Xia Qingwan smiled, "I have my own plans."
Ye Peixiu smiled faintly, turned his head and kissed her temple.
Taking advantage of this moment, the meal was simply called off.
The four people walked out of the private room.
As soon as we stepped into the lobby, the child, who had been crying incessantly, gradually stopped. Seemingly interested, he opened his big eyes and pointed here and there.
Sheng Junchi held the child, and Ji Shuyu coaxed him repeatedly.
Xia Qingwan and Ye Peixiu waited for them for a while.
She held one of his hands with both of hers, talking and occasionally shaking it. Ye Peixiu kept looking down at her with a smile, and occasionally, he would lean down and kiss her.
As they were talking, Xia Qingwan caught a glimpse of two figures, one in front of the other, near the elevator.
She looked up and saw Lin Xiangyu holding her boyfriend's hand, turning her head to look behind her. Xia Qingwan turned around in the direction of her gaze.
There, a family of three was gathered together. Sheng Junchi held Ji Shuyu's head with one hand and pulled something from the child's hand with the other, saying, "Little darling, don't pull your mother's hair."
Xia Qingwan turned her gaze back to Lin Xiangyu, who met her eyes. Lin Xiangyu raised his hand and waved slightly at her, mouthing, "Bye-bye."
Xia Qingwan waved to her as well.
Lin Xiangyu and her boyfriend chatted and laughed as they got on the elevator.
Just then, Sheng Junchi happened to look over, but he seemed oblivious and casually turned his attention back to the child.
Ji Shuyu felt very guilty, her eyes darting around. Sheng Junchi wiped the child's hands while glancing at her indifferently.
He didn't say anything.
In January, Xia Qingwan took the doctoral entrance exam and completed her master's thesis. She finally had some free time and saw Ji Shuyu again. She then learned that she and Sheng Junchi had a big fight that night when she got home.
As she said this, Ji Shuyu poured her tea, a smile on her face, and said softly, "I did something unnecessary and made Junchi angry."
She spoke of it casually, but in reality, the conflict that night was far greater than that: Sheng Junchi's anger, her crying, and finally, it ended with the bedroom in ruins.
After that, Sheng Junchi didn't go home for half a month.
A while ago, Ji Shuyu called him twice under the pretext of discussing family affairs during the Spring Festival, and that's when he finally returned home.
"Fortunately, the elders don't know."
Ji Shuyu smiled and said, "It can be considered that a big problem has been turned into a small one, and a small problem has been resolved."
Xia Qingwan asked, "How do you plan to celebrate the New Year?"
"First, we'll go to Beidaihe to see our grandparents. We'll stay at the Sheng family's house on New Year's Eve, then visit my family on the second day of the Lunar New Year, and then return to our own home."
"It's great, they've taken care of everything."
"And you?"
"I'm going back to Shaoping to live with my grandma."
Xia Qingwan said.
Ji Shuyu smiled and said, "I have a feeling that Mr. Ye will probably go to find you."
Anyone could see that Ye Peixiu simply couldn't live without her.
As expected, Ye Peixiu called the old man as the holiday approached.
"During the holiday, I'll go to Shaoping for a few days to keep Qingwan company and visit my grandma."
The old man paused for a moment, then asked, "...When do you plan to talk to your father about this?"
"I have nothing to talk to him about."
Ye Peixiu said, smoking a cigarette.
"Isn't this ridiculous? We'll have to sit down and talk sooner or later, won't we? Do you really think you're causing a huge uproar?"
The old man said.
Ye Peixiu sat on a round chair by the pond in Ye Garden, flicked off his cigarette ash, and chuckled, "You know him, he's the kind of person who listens to what people say, doesn't he?"
By the time he was 32, he and Ye Tingwen had never had a single real father-son conversation.
Aside from official business, all that's left is perfunctory work.
"Don't think I don't know what you're up to. I don't care what you're planning, you'd better stop now!" Grandpa roared. "If you want to fight with your father, wait until I'm dead! As long as I live, I won't allow you two to go this far."
Ye Peixiu sighed deeply, and after the old man had caught his breath, he said, "...Grandpa, I'm telling you this: you can scold me or get angry, I'll take it all. This is my way of showing respect to you. As for my father, he insists on obstructing us, so this is the only way we can go between him and me."
"You're really going to drive me crazy."
Grandpa was so angry his eyes were seeing stars. He sat back on the sofa. "...That brat from the Sheng family already has a child. You don't plan to let me see this day? You don't plan to let me hold my great-grandchild?"
Ye Peixiu was so angry he laughed. "You really are... you haven't even met your granddaughter-in-law yet, and you're already thinking about your great-grandson."
“I didn’t see him,” the old man took a sip of tea, cleared his throat, and calmed his tone. “...But I heard Wang Jingzi mention to me that the young girl told him: Mr. Ye is just too clear-headed, too aware of his responsibilities, so no matter how difficult or tiring things are, he won’t complain. He’ll just feel that it’s what he should do, and he lives his life like a form of asceticism. So, ask him to take good care of you…”
He paused for a moment, then sighed, "...At the time, I thought to myself, this young girl, despite her young age, is quite sensible and caring."
Ye Peixiu held his breath, lowered his eyes, and listened in silence.
He even forgot to smoke the cigarette between his fingers.
Hearing this made my heart swell and overflow, and my nose tingled with tears.
The old man on the other end of the phone was still saying, "...That's the problem with your father. He doesn't understand how rare it is to find a true confidant. What you need most in your position and on this path is a true confidant, not some powerful in-law from a wealthy or influential family. Relationships based on power will crumble when power is gone. Life is unpredictable; how can you protect yourself like that..."
The old man seemed to have had a few drinks; as he spoke, it sounded like he was talking about himself.
"Is there anything you'd like me to bring to Grandma?"
Ye Peixiu interrupted.
The old man suddenly stopped, and after a moment he said, "It seems that one of her husband's grandchildren got into a fight recently. The other party is very powerful. You can pass on a message and have the Jiang family go to your Uncle Jiao. Your Uncle Jiao can handle it."
"good."
"Well, as for anything else, don't act rashly. Think it over carefully first," Grandpa said. "If something really happens, won't that little girl be living in fear because of you?"
“I know,” Ye Peixiu said calmly. “I’ll talk to my dad when I go back to the old house during the Spring Festival.”
"good."
Hang up the phone.
Ye Peixiu sat by the pool for a long time.
If it was because of her that he fell out with his father, she would probably suffer a lot of psychological pressure in the future.
She was such a sweet and lovable girl, and she cared so much for him. She probably didn't want to see him at odds with his father.
He wanted to talk to his father peacefully.
-
This holiday, my cousin Chen Yuman is going back to Shaoping with Xia Qingwan.
Chen Yuman's holiday started two days earlier, so she simply stayed at the Xia family's old house and waited for Xia Qingwan's holiday to begin.
After dinner, while the two were chatting at home, Xia Qingwan received a call from Ye Peixiu.
He said, "Aren't you coming tonight?"
"I have to stay with my cousin."
"She's a grown woman, does she still need you to sleep with her?" Ye Peixiu said, "...You have to go back to Shaoping as soon as the holiday starts, there are only a few days left before the holiday, aren't you going to come and talk to me?"
There's a young woman named Chen Yuman at the Xia family's old house. It's not appropriate for a man like him to come in late at night.
It's not that she doesn't miss him.
In particular, the thought of being apart for more than a month during the holiday makes me even more reluctant to part.
Xia Qingwan hesitated for a moment, then asked, "...Then, will you come pick me up?"
"Pack your things and come out, I'm already inside the compound."
This person.
Xia Qingwan immediately stood up, told her cousin, and went upstairs to pack her schoolbag. "Are you so sure you can pick me up? What if I don't go?"
"There are ways not to go."
He laughed as he turned the steering wheel and drove onto the road where the Xia family's old house was located.
In the dead of winter night.
Xia Qingwan, carrying her schoolbag, walked out of the courtyard.
Ye Peixiu walked around the front of the car to greet her.
In the darkness, withered leaves chased and danced on the ground, stepping over his shiny leather shoes and the fluffy slippers she had forgotten to change into in her haste.
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