Chapter 71 How annoying!
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Sunday was Ye Peixiu's 32nd birthday.
Xia Qingwan gave him a pair of sandalwood paperweights with openwork landscape designs, which could also be used as pen rests, and added a note wishing him well:
"Look at the green mountains and the moonlight, and watch the bright sunshine"
"It means I hope you can have an easier time in the future."
When I picked her up that evening and we went to the alley club together, she said the following in the car.
"What else?"
"I hope you can teach me calligraphy in the future."
Ye Peixiu laughed and said, "I'm an amateur when it comes to calligraphy."
"Then let's just write whatever comes to mind."
She looked up at him with sparkling eyes.
It means that being together is fine no matter what.
Everyone had already arrived at the private room in the club.
Besides Sheng Junchi, there were two others who were also married, each with their families.
Sheng Junchi, abandoning his usual carefree attitude, smiled solemnly at Xia Qingwan and said, "Long time no see."
"haven't seen you for a long time."
"Good, good, everyone is doing well."
Sheng Junchi sighed and first introduced his wife to Xia Qingwan, then she introduced Xia Qingwan to the other women.
It was still Ye Peixiu's original group of friends, only the women had all been replaced.
They were all elegant and poised, and came from prestigious families.
Sheng Junchi's wife is named Ji Shuyu. Upon seeing her, Xia Qingwan remembered that Lin Xiangyu had once said that she and Chen An'an were best friends.
She and Chen An'an have a very similar temperament: gentle and graceful, and adorned with jewels.
Ji Shuyu was very kind to her.
After introducing everyone, he smiled and said to her, "There's plenty of time in the future, and we'll have many opportunities to meet. Let's get to know each other gradually."
Xia Qingwan smiled and sat down with them.
Besides Ji Shuyu, there was another woman who had just given birth and another who was trying to conceive. Therefore, the conversation inevitably turned to topics such as the preconception period, pregnancy, and raising children.
Xia Qingwan barely listened, focusing intently on sipping her wine.
When they had a gathering of friends, they were served all good wine.
It has a pleasant aroma and a smooth texture.
The men chatted for a while, then a waiter pushed in a cake cart.
Everyone in the private room gathered together.
Sheng Junchi volunteered to light the candles, but the lighter wouldn't light no matter what he tried. Someone next to him pushed him away and said, "Are you sure you can do it?"
Ye Peixiu held Xia Qingwan in his arms, watching his friends joke around with a smile.
They tried a different person and a different lighter, but it still wouldn't light.
Finally, Ye Peixiu took out a box of matches from his pocket and threw it over, and the man successfully struck a match.
The flame touched the candle, lit it for a moment, then flickered and went out in the blink of an eye.
Someone remarked, "What's wrong with us today? Are we possessed?"
Ye Peixiu seemed completely unconcerned, pulling out and throwing away the candle, laughing and saying, "I don't do this kind of feudal superstition stuff." He beckoned to the waiter, "Give me the knife."
The waiter was stunned for a moment, then quickly handed it over with both hands.
Ye Peixiu immediately started cutting the cake.
Sheng Junchi's heart was pounding.
Xia Qingwan's heart sank inexplicably, and she felt somewhat unsettled.
While everyone was sharing the cake, the waiters pulled back the confetti cannons, and everyone chatted and laughed, creating a lively atmosphere.
Ye Peixiu doesn't like sweets, so he only tried a little before putting it down.
Sheng Junchi pulled him to the window to chat.
On two single sofas facing each other, the two men each lit a cigarette and chatted as they smoked.
Xia Qingwan was being chatted with by Ji Shuyu. In the middle of the conversation, she went to the coffee table to get some snacks. As she got closer, she heard Sheng Junchi say, "If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know."
She paused, turning to look at Ye Peixiu.
Ye Peixiu rested his elbow on the sofa armrest, a faint smile playing on his lips, "It's nothing serious."
Between his fingers, the flame slowly rose upwards, engulfing the smoke.
The party ended at 1 a.m.
Just as he stepped into the courtyard, Ye Peixiu received a phone call.
The others stood in twos and threes, waiting for him.
At this moment, Ji Shuyu smiled at Xia Qingwan, walked closer, and said with concern, "It's getting cold, wear more clothes when you go out."
Xia Qingwan smiled and nodded.
Sheng Junchi probably went to the restroom; I couldn't see him anywhere.
Xia Qingwan thought the small talk was over, but Ji Shuyu was still looking at her, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn't. Finally, she said, "...I envy you. You've experienced more than any of us."
Xia Qingwan didn't understand the meaning of those words at first, so she just smiled and didn't reply.
After hanging up the phone, Ye Peixiu had urgent business to attend to at the company.
Maybach drove her back to the Xia family's old house and then took a detour to the company headquarters.
While washing up, Xia Qingwan received a message on her phone.
This message comes from Ji Shuyu, whom I just added as a friend tonight.
"Qingwan, you must have seen plenty of women around Junchi, right? Do you know what kind he likes?"
At this moment, Xia Qingwan finally realized that Ji Shuyu was saying that she envied her for spending so much time with Ye Peixiu, unlike the other women who only appeared at the last minute before their weddings.
She carefully considered her reply:
"I don't have much contact with Pei Xiu's friends, and I don't know much about their daily friendships, I'm sorry."
While brushing her teeth, she placed her phone on the sink and could see that the message "The other party is typing" changed several times at the top of the chat window, as if the person was typing and deleting.
Finally, a message pops up:
"I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to learn more about Junchi. Thank you anyway."
Xia Qingwan did not reply.
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Xia Qingwan did not see Ye Peixiu for the next two days.
He called twice, saying that someone in the group had committed a crime and that he needed to handle it and write a report.
While busy writing application materials for her doctoral program and working on the project she was leading, Xia Qingwan patiently awaited news from Ye Peixiu.
During this time, Sheng Junchi also called her and told her, "If you have nothing to do, hang out with Shuyu and the others. Don't stay at home and overthink things."
Xia Qingwan knew that he was looking after her out of concern, when Ye Peixiu was not taking action.
She smiled and said, "Okay, thank you."
"Don't be so polite."
Not long after she hung up the phone, Ji Shuyu called again, inviting her out for tea.
Xia Qingwan thought that Ye Peixiu might feel more at ease if he knew she was with his friends, so she messaged Ye Peixiu to tell him that she would be going to the appointment that evening.
The agreed meeting place was Sheng Junchi's home, a large red-gate mansion deep in the alley.
When she arrived, everyone was already there.
In the reception room, several women sat scattered about, dressed simply and wearing discreet jewelry. They chatted and laughed, yet the whole room was adorned with jewels and filled with a faint fragrance.
Ji Shuyu warmly invited her to sit down.
After exchanging pleasantries, Xia Qingwan sat on the sofa with a cup of hot tea, listening to their casual conversation.
These past few days, Xia Qingwan has been reading literature and writing papers, using words that are sometimes sophisticated and sometimes difficult to understand. Suddenly, she overheard some casual gossip, and her mind wandered. The words passed by her ears without leaving a trace.
It was only when she heard a familiar name that she snapped out of her daze.
"The youngest daughter of the Qiao family, is her name Yingxue? I heard she broke off her engagement and has now run away abroad."
"They called off the wedding? I remember the wedding was originally scheduled for mid-November?"
"yes."
"So how does the Qiao family plan to handle this?"
The other person shrugged.
This brief episode went largely unnoticed and ended there, with no one mentioning it again.
Xia Qingwan had a very shallow impression of Qiao Yingxue.
Although we had met several times before, in recent years, her own life has been so full that she has no extra space in her mind or heart for others.
Looking back, the only deep impression she had of Qiao Yingxue was that when her father kicked her down to her knees, her brother Qiao Yingxuan quickly kowtowed, while she gritted her teeth and refused.
Quite stubborn.
Then I overheard them talking about a woman who, right after giving birth, stormed into a club to catch her husband cheating. Instead, she got a scolding from her own father.
After that, they behaved themselves.
Although the topic of conversation was romantic gossip, they spoke in a very restrained tone, as if they weren't particularly interested, had just heard about it, and were casually mentioning it without taking it to heart.
After finishing their conversation, he smiled faintly and still picked up his teacup with proper decorum.
Ji Shuyu smiled and lowered her voice to Xia Qingwan, "Since we're all quite close, do you ever get bored when we chat casually?"
Xia Qingwan vaguely understood that important matters should not be discussed casually. Therefore, when she was relaxing, she would at most chat about other people's trivial gossip.
It's not that they only wanted to talk about these things.
She shook her head and said with a smile, "I've been so busy these past few days that I have a headache, so this is a good time to relax."
Ji Shuyu continued her conversation and asked about her studies.
After listening to her brief explanation, Ji Shuyu sighed, "I had thought before that I would go to graduate school after giving birth, but unfortunately, my parents were urging me to prepare for a second child when my first child was just one year old."
For a family like this, the more children the better.
Only when the family branches out and grows up to become leaders in various fields can the family prosper forever.
At this time, someone else interrupted and asked, "Shu Yu, you recovered so quickly."
Xia Qingwan naturally turned her head to one side and looked out the window.
The evening air is cool with the approach of autumn.
The sky was overcast.
An hour later, Lao Ke came to pick him up.
Several people stood up and escorted Xia Qingwan to the parking lot.
As the Maybach drove onto the main road, Xia Qingwan leaned forward and asked, "Uncle Ke, is Pei Xiu still busy?"
Lao Ke smiled in the rearview mirror and said, "I don't know much about Mr. Ye's official business."
"Oh, okay."
Xia Qingwan leaned back and sat up straight. Just as she settled in, the car suddenly braked hard, and she was thrown forward by the inertia. In that critical moment, the passenger in the front seat quickly leaned over, grabbed her shoulder with one hand, and placed the other hand on her forehead. Her forehead bumped hard against the person's palm.
The Maybach turned onto the auxiliary road and stopped.
Lao Ke asked, "Miss Xia, are you okay?"
"...I'm fine."
Xia Qingwan sat up straight, shook his head slightly, and then noticed the person in the passenger seat.
A young man in a suit sat upright, completely unnoticed, so much so that she didn't notice him at first.
"Thank you."
She said.
The young man nodded in acknowledgment and said, "You're welcome."
"Let's just turn and go to the hospital."
Lao Ke discussed it with the young man in the co-pilot seat.
"Need not."
Xia Qingwan said, "Really, it's not necessary. I'm perfectly fine. I didn't bump into anything."
"……good."
Back in the compound.
Xia Qingwan took a bath and changed her clothes.
Downstairs, Lao Ke called Ye Peixiu to report the situation.
"Suddenly a motorcycle cut in front of us..."
"Yes, yes, I understand."
After taking a shower, Xia Qingwan read literature and wrote a paper at the desk.
When he got tired of writing, he took a book to relax and went downstairs. He leaned back on the sofa, flipping through the pages while waiting for Ye Peixiu.
He said he'd be right back.
The weather was getting colder, so she took a blanket and covered herself with it, and kept pulling it up while reading until even her shoulders were covered.
As night deepened, well past her usual bedtime, she gradually became drowsy.
After an unknown amount of time, a man's footsteps were heard approaching outside the house.
A pair of shiny Oxford leather shoes stepped onto the floor from the entrance and went straight to the stairs. He paused for a second, turned around and walked towards the living room, stopping beside the sofa.
He knelt on one knee, brushed her hair aside with one hand, and carefully examined her forehead and face.
Finally, perhaps feeling relieved, he walked a little further away and lit a cigarette in front of the window.
Xia Qingwan was half asleep and vaguely felt a tall figure in front of the window. However, she was too sleepy to open her eyes. She moved slightly and fell asleep again.
The man in front of the window finished smoking, walked back and sat down on the single sofa.
I gazed intently at her across the low coffee table.
When Xia Qingwan woke up, half an hour had passed.
His eyes moved up from the shiny leather shoes and he saw Ye Peixiu sitting there without even taking off his coat.
"...How long have you been back?"
She propped herself up.
"Half an hour."
He went over, picked her up, and carried her upstairs.
He put her on the bed, dimmed the lights, and went to take a shower.
After washing up, I thought she would be asleep, but I saw her standing by the desk, almost in high spirits. On the desk, there was a small strawberry cake with a thin candle on it, the candlelight was dim and trembling.
Xia Qingwan gestured with both hands, making a grand entrance for the cake, "You can make one more wish."
Ye Peixiu lowered his eyes, a warm smile appearing on his lips.
"It's almost the beginning of winter," she said. "It's not really a birthday wish, but a small wish for winter."
He walked over, as if he was warmed by her childish behavior, his heart filled with joy. He touched her hair, took her hand, and held it under his lips.
Close your eyes.
"…I've made the promise."
He leaned slightly forward and blew out the candle.
When they got to the bed, he held her in his arms, lowered his head and kissed her ear, whispering, "Thank you."
Ye Peixiu didn't want to tell her that just now, downstairs, sitting there, watching her lying asleep on the sofa, he really wanted to take her somewhere no one could find her.
A place with mighty rivers flowing in the distance and dense forests and mist nearby.
Just her and him.
Xia Qingwan remained silent, her breathing even and gentle. Ye Peixiu assumed she had fallen asleep and reached out to turn off the lamp.
The bedroom was plunged into pitch-black darkness, but at this moment she leaned into his arms, groped for his lips, and gently kissed him. Almost whispering, she whispered, "Don't worry about me. Just go ahead and do what you think you should do. I will take care of myself. Taking care of myself is the biggest help I can give you, right? I understand."
These words made Ye Peixiu laugh out loud.
On weekdays, she always looks quiet and cool, taciturn and bookish. Perhaps she herself doesn't even know that she is actually a little sweetheart.
Xia Qingwan didn't expect him to react like this. "...Why? I'm telling you the truth."
Ye Peixiu couldn't help laughing and pinched her cheek, "I know."
"How annoying."
She turned away, pretending to ignore him.
Ye Peixiu pulled her close from behind, wrapped her arms around her waist, and smiled as he leaned down to kiss her. "Qingwan is the best girl."
She twisted her body to avoid him and said, "I'm going to sleep." Ye Peixiu chased her face and kissed her.
After a while, their bodies rubbed back and forth, their breathing became heavier, and he pressed his hand on her lower back and pushed in.
“Ye Peixiu,” she said, her breath ragged, not forgetting to accuse him, “you are the most lustful person in the world.”
Ye Peixiu naturally accepted the blame.
He lowered his neck and blocked her lips with his kiss, which gradually moved to her ear. He whispered something, which made her blush and want to curse. But as soon as she opened her mouth, she suddenly lost her strength and her whole body went limp.
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