Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Late in the morning.
The rain has lightened a bit.
The waiter brought a handkerchief to Ye Peixiu, who wiped the rain off his arm. Xia Qingwan took off his suit and folded it, saying, "I've worn this coat twice today. I'll wash it when I get home and return it to you."
"Will it be too much trouble for you?"
"No, no," Xia Qingwan shook her head, "I'll just take it to a shop that specializes in cleaning suits."
This suit is well-tailored, crisp and fit, with a high-end dark luster, but feels soft and warm to the touch. It must be very expensive, and an ordinary dry cleaner would probably ruin it.
Ye Peixiu handed the handkerchief back to the waiter, put one hand in his pocket, and seemed to find it funny. "But I need to wear it later."
"Then..." Xia Qingwan obeyed respectfully and handed it back to him with both hands, "Then I'll give it back to you."
An irrelevant thought flashed through her mind: just now, he put one hand in his pocket and smiled at her, and that look distracted her attention, distracting her from noticing the thin and sleek lines of his waist and hips.
The waiter came over with a bunch of water lilies tied with thin hemp ropes in his hands. They had just been cut from the pond. He handed it to Xia Qingwan with a smile, "The boss said that the fragrant water lilies in the pond are in their prime. I'm honored that you can take a closer look. Take it home and put it in a bunch. It will bloom early tomorrow morning."
Xia Qingwan was a little surprised. Ye Peixiu said, "Take it."
The boss and head chef, Old Tang, has been dealing with these young men in their circle for decades and is very good at observing people's expressions and guessing their intentions. He knows that Mr. Ye looks easy-going and elegant on the surface, but is actually unpredictable and the most difficult to serve.
On normal days, when Mr. Ye came alone, Old Tang would definitely come out to greet him personally. But today, seeing that he brought a strange girl with him, Old Tang thought that this was probably Mr. Ye's private matter, and such private matters were generally not to be known by others, let alone disturbed. Therefore, after making such a guess, Old Tang chose not to show up. In this way, it was tacitly stated that if Mr. Ye wanted to, then he, Old Tang, was completely unaware of the matter and would not let the news leak out.
Presenting the gift now would fulfill the proper etiquette and prevent Ye Peixiu from perceiving him as slick and meddlesome.
When dealing with these young masters, sometimes it is better to act clumsy than to be smart.
Xia Qingwan thanked him, took it and lowered his head to smell it.
Ye Peixiu asked, "What does it smell like?"
"It closes at night and doesn't seem to have any smell."
Seeing that Ye Peixiu had lowered his head, indicating that he also wanted to smell it, she gently pushed the water lily upwards.
Ye Peixiu did not take it with his hand, but lowered his head, pressed his nose down, and sniffed her hand lightly.
The scene made Xia Qingwan's heart skip a beat.
I didn’t expect that a man bending down to smell the flowers could be so pleasing to the eye.
It's no one else's fault but his good looks.
She looked away and took the water lily back into her arms. It was strange. He just lowered his head and moved closer to the water lily in her hand, but she vaguely felt her hand going numb.
"It should smell good tomorrow morning when it opens."
"Um."
Xia Qingwan calmed herself down and changed the subject, saying, "Let's go. The dormitory is about to close."
-
On the way back to Beijing University, Ye Peixiu mentioned her summer field research project. "When do you leave? How long will you be gone?"
"Probably early July, maybe a month."
"Tell me in advance and I'll send someone to help you settle in."
"Thank you, but don't bother me. We'll be with the professors and seniors, so we'll all be moving together. There's no need to make special arrangements for me."
Xia Qingwan turned her head and said to him seriously, "I know Grandma Liang feels sorry for me, but this matter is not as difficult as she thinks. If she asks about you, just say that you helped me find a place. I will thank her next time we see each other. Is that okay?"
Ye Peixiu looked at her for a moment, his eyes calm and his tone equally calm. He turned his head to look out the window and said, "Whatever you say."
After a while, Xia Qingwan received a call on her cell phone.
Lai Xian is a record store.
She picked up the phone immediately, her voice urgent, "Hello, have the records arrived yet?"
The voice on the other end sounded like a nonchalant Beijing accent: "Hey, the seller said someone else snatched it up halfway through, so it's no use. You'd better look for another one, girl."
"……oh."
The sound was very, very sad, and the two people in the car and the person on the other end of the phone noticed it.
The record store owner couldn't help but add, "How about this? I'll keep an eye on it for you, and if I have any news about this record, I'll leave it directly to you. How about that?"
"Okay, thank you."
After hanging up the phone, Xia Qingwan was lost in thought.
Because of Mr. Xia's machinations, Xia Xili was effectively blacklisted during his lifetime. After Xia Xili's death, very few of his records were available on the market. Furthermore, Mr. Xia had people collect and destroy them. As a result, more than a decade later, Xia Xili's records have almost disappeared from the market.
Xia Qingwan has been running around all the record stores in Beijing for two years. After waiting for two years, she finally got the news, but alas, it was left unresolved.
Wang Jingzi, who had been sitting in the driver's seat without making any impression, glanced at Ye Peixiu's face and then suddenly asked, "Miss Xia, what record is so hard to find?"
"My...Xia Xili's last one, 'Qing Wan'."
Wang Jingzi seemed to be lost in thought. "I think I've seen it somewhere before. I'll look for it for you when I get back."
Xia Qingwan thought he was just being polite and said casually, so she smiled and said, "Thank you, sorry for the trouble."
"It's nothing, don't mention it."
Ye Peixiu, who was standing to the side, remained silent.
When they arrived at the Peking University dormitory, Xia Qingwan got out of the car and thanked Ye Peixiu and Wang Jingzi in the driver's seat one by one, thanking Ye Peixiu for treating her to dinner and thanking Wang Jingzi for driving her.
Ye Peixiu just nodded lightly.
Only after Xia Qingwan entered the dormitory building did Wang Jingzi lightly step on the accelerator and drive away.
Not far from the car, Wang Jingzi looked through the rearview mirror at the back seat and said with a smile, "I think I saw that record at your place."
"No impression."
Ye Peixiu spoke indifferently, and it was unclear whether he really had no impression or was just too lazy to talk.
Wang Jingzi said meaningfully with a smile, "How could that be? I only saw it last time when you took it out of the record rack and looked at it."
Last time Ye Peixiu and Grandma Liang went to the Xia family, they met Xia Qingwan. On the way back, Grandma Liang told him in detail about Xia Qingwan's background, sighing repeatedly that the child was too lovable.
After sending Grandma Liang off, he went to the Ye family's old house and returned to the garden late at night. Without stopping, Ye Peixiu went straight to the study and found a stack of all the record albums released by Xia Xili during his lifetime from the corner of the record rack. He took the last one, titled "Qing Wan", and looked at it for a long time.
It was at that time that Wang Jingzi, who came to bring him tea, noticed the record.
How could he not remember it after only a few days?
“Meddlesome,” Ye Peixiu said lazily, seemingly uninterested. “Didn’t you see her? She’s saying ‘thank you’ every two sentences and ‘no need to bother’ every three. She even told me at dinner that ‘we’re not taking advantage of each other, so we’re even.’ If I told her now that I have her father’s complete set of records, wouldn’t she offer a high price to buy them from me?”
Not only that, she even wore his clothes for a while and then said she would wash them before returning them to him.
Hearing this, Wang Jingzi sighed, "Miss Xia has strict family rules, so she probably doesn't want to get involved with men."
These words hit exactly the spot in Ye Peixiu's heart.
The little girl had a clear and cool appearance, and seemed cold and distant. Although she was gentle and graceful in her dealings with others, she was also extremely polite, and not even water could get in her way.
-
Ever since Mr. Ye took her away in front of Deng Bin that night, Xia Qingwan has been keeping an eye on him, worried that Deng Bin would post some poems on his WeChat Moments that almost named names and exaggerated the situation.
Three to five days passed, and there was still no activity on her WeChat Moments, so Xia Qingwan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
That day, after class at noon, she and Shi Xiaoyu went downstairs together. Just as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Deng Bin came over and called her, "The dean wants to see you."
The dean was approachable and was also the honorary instructor for this summer's field research. Xia Qingwan had no doubts about it. She simply thought the dean wanted to give her some instructions, so she said, "I understand."
Shi Xiaoyu said, "I'll wait for you here."
Xia Qingwan walked towards the dean's office. After taking a few steps, she realized that Deng Bin was still following her.
She turned around, and Deng Bin immediately explained, "The dean also called me."
Xia Qingwan became suspicious.
In the office, the dean sat on the sofa with a smile and asked Deng Bin to close the door.
"Evening, sit down."
Xia Qingwan thanked him and sat down on the sofa opposite.
Deng Bin was still standing. The dean looked up at him, his smile vanished, and his expression turned serious. "Deng Bin, what did I just tell you?"
Deng Bin nodded immediately and half-bowed to Xia Qingwan. "Xia, I apologize for disturbing you before. I'm sorry. I won't be abrupt again. I hope you can forgive me."
Why would the dean of the labor department bother to concern himself with such trivial matters based on rumors?
Xia Qingwan's heart was pounding. Although she didn't understand the whole story, she didn't hesitate at all given the current situation. "You promise?"
"I promise, I promise," Deng Bin said repeatedly, "I won't do it again."
"Okay," the dean said, "Qingwan, you can go back. Don't worry, I will keep an eye on this matter."
Xia Qingwan left the office. Shi Xiaoyu saw that her face was a little pale and asked what happened. Xia Qingwan told her everything.
Shi Xiaoyu felt a sense of satisfaction. "That Deng Bin is such a gossip. Not only you, but several senior female students have been slandered by him. The dean finally couldn't stand it anymore and took action to teach him a lesson."
That made a lot of sense, so Xia Qingwan didn't think about it any further.
-
At the end of May, the weekend before exam week, Grandma called Xia Qingwan and asked her to come home for dinner.
"Your brother is coming back too, let's have a meal together."
When Xia Qingwan returned home, she saw Xia Mingzhou lazily lying on the sofa and complaining.
Judging from his tone, he probably wanted to invite some important guests but couldn't.
“A month! My dad made an appointment with him a month ago, but he didn’t give us any face at all. Every time, his secretary would send us away saying he didn’t have time.”
"Who is so hard to invite?"
Xia Qingwan asked with a smile.
“You’re back,” Xia Mingzhou said, sprawling on the sofa. “Who else in Beijing could possibly have such a big name? It’s Mr. Ye from the Ye family.”
Grandma came out from the side hall and immediately raised her eyebrows and scolded Xia Mingzhou, "You are sitting in an unbelievable manner. What a disgrace! Stand up and sit properly."
Xia Mingzhou sat up with a playful smile, "Grandma."
"If it's difficult to invite someone, then don't bother. Tell your dad to stop messing with you."
Grandma said.
"Well," Xia Mingzhou said, spreading his hands and shrugging his shoulders, "I now have a reasonable suspicion that the rumor that Mr. Ye likes this original painting is just a rumor spread by others. Maybe it's not true at all."
Xia Qingwan was preoccupied with her exams next week. While she was busy helping Grandma Xi arrange the dishes, she was also focused on recalling her study outline: the spirit of the Jian'an period, the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty, the desolation of the countryside...
Xia Mingzhou strolled over and, seeing her seemingly absent-minded and distracted appearance, decided to tease her out of boredom, "Hey, little sister, have you ever heard of the Ye family?"
After a few seconds, Xia Qingwan came to her senses, "...Huh? No."
Xia Mingzhou lowered his voice and said the names of several people from the Ye family, "You haven't heard of these people either?"
Xia Qingwan smiled, "Anyone who has watched the news broadcast should have heard of it."
No wonder they couldn’t invite him. How could such a family not take care of their reputation?
"I heard that Mr. Ye——"
Xia Mingzhou became more and more interested as he talked, but just as he got into the swing of things, his grandmother interrupted him sharply, "Mingzhou! Don't tell your sister these things."
"Instead of doing anything, you're bothering your sister." Grandma said, "Help us set the table."
Xia Mingzhou chuckled, "Okay, okay."
While hastily smoothing out the tablecloth, he said, "But Grandma, I think you've really overprotected Qingwan. She lives in this circle, yet she's completely clueless about the people and things in it. If this continues, she might get scammed without even realizing it."
"You think Qingwan is like you? A reckless troublemaker, making friends everywhere. She's honestly focused on her academic work, living a simple life. Who could possibly lie to her?"
"You're wrong. Only those who are experienced in the ways of the world can keep themselves out of trouble. Covering her eyes and ears like this will only make her someone else's prey."
This was a harsh remark. Xia Mingzhou reacted immediately after he finished speaking and hurriedly added with a smile, "But sister, good fortune will come to you. Maybe you are right."
Xia Qingwan smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "'Only those who are worldly-wise can remain virtuous.' Brother has indeed come into his own; his words have become much more profound."
"Sit down and eat."
Grandma gestured for the brother and sister to sit down.
After dinner.
Xia Qingwan was reading with her grandmother in the side hall when Xia Mingzhou, feeling bored, got up to leave after a short while.
Xia Huiqing called him over and gave him a warning, "Tell your father not to mess with families like the Ye family. If he gets into trouble, even if your grandfather were still alive, he wouldn't be able to protect him. Do you hear me?"
"I heard it."
Xia Mingzhou answered obediently, but looking at his expression, it was obvious that he didn't take it to heart.
This is why Xia Huiqing didn't want others to know about her friendship with Liang Xinwu: if her children and grandchildren knew that Liang Xinwu's ex-husband was the patriarch of the Ye family, and that the powerful father and son currently in power in the Ye family were Liang Xinwu's own children and grandchildren, and that she and Liang Xinwu were so close, the entire Xia family would be thrown into chaos.
Xia Mingzhou's father and aunt are both ambitious and pragmatic businesspeople. If they knew that such a powerful backer was so close, they would have used all sorts of tactics, including persuasion, flattery, and bribery, in order to gain access to his connections, money, and power.
If things really get that way, it's only a matter of time before the entire Xia family gets burned.
On this point, Xia Huiqing only trusts Xia Qingwan. Xia Qingwan's character is like her father Xia Xili, with a noble and upright character, and she disdains to make friends with the powerful.
Xia Mingzhou turned to leave, but was stopped again. Grandma Xia asked, "How are your parents doing recently?"
"The same as always."
"...Will your father come back for dinner this Mid-Autumn Festival?"
Xia Mingzhou's face froze for a moment, then he quickly put on a smile, "It's still early for Mid-Autumn Festival, I'll ask him when I get back and see his schedule."
Xia Huiqing took a deep breath, raised her hand, and said, "You can go now."
Not only Xia Mingzhou's father, Xia Changping, but Xia Changliu also hasn't been back to the old house for a long time. If you do the math, her eldest son and daughter haven't been home for a reunion dinner for more than ten years. Every year during the Spring Festival, they only make a brief appearance and don't say more than a few words.
Her children hold a deep grudge against her.
After Xia Mingzhou left, Xia Huiqing was lost in thought, the scene of Xia Xili and Grandpa Xia arguing loudly more than ten years ago kept replaying in her mind.
Now, both of them are long gone.
Xia Huiqing closed the book, rubbed her forehead, and sighed.
Seeing that her grandmother's face was not happy, Xia Qingwan put down her book and advised her to go to sleep.
Xia Huiqing held her hand, hunched his back and lowered his head as he walked towards the bedroom.
Having grown accustomed to her grandmother's domineering and stern demeanor, this was the first time Xia Qingwan had seen signs of aging in her grandmother, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in her heart.
After tucking the blanket around her grandmother, Xia Qingwan knelt down beside the bed, held her hand, and said gently, "Grandma, don't worry too much. Uncle is so old, he'll definitely know what's good for him. Although Mingzhou is usually unreliable, he knows what's important when something happens. Besides, Xiangyu is there for him too."
Xia Huiqing rarely showed any tenderness, and reached out to pat her head.
"I will study hard and will definitely get into graduate school in the future. Don't worry about me." Xia Qingwan patted her hand and smiled. "You should just take care of your health and read some books. When I graduate, I'll accompany you to plant flowers and relax every day. Is that okay with you?"
Xia Huiqing smiled and said, "Good boy."
A note from the author:
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