Grandpa Yan opened the pear wood box and took out a scroll painting.
As the scroll slowly unfurls, a freehand painting of a waterway is revealed on the paper, with the seal of contemporary painter Qiu Qian at the bottom.
"This painting is extremely rare."
Grandpa Yan said with delight, "Xi-mei, last time at the villa in the suburbs of Beijing, I praised the brushwork for its charm. I didn't expect your grandfather to remember it and send this painting over as soon as possible."
Jiang Hexi said politely, "Grandpa Yan, I'm glad you like it."
"I love it so much."
Grandpa Yan beamed with joy and immediately instructed the housekeeper, "Hang this painting on the wall of the study. I'll see it every time I look up from behind my desk."
The butler smiled and agreed, then took the painting and went out the door.
Yan Zhongqing asked, "Dad, do you remember what used to be hanging on the wall opposite the desk?"
Grandpa Yan said nonchalantly, "I don't care what it was before, anyway, what's hanging now is the water lane that Xi Mei gave me."
"It is a painting of flowers and birds by Toyama."
Yan Zhongqing looked at him expressionlessly and said, "It's still a birthday gift I gave you at great expense."
Mr. Yan and Ms. Chu exchanged a glance and laughed.
Yan Jie poured a cup of tea and offered it to Yan Zhongqing, saying provocatively:
"Second Uncle, your position in Grandpa's heart has changed hands. Don't you realize that at all?"
"nonsense."
Jiang Hexi slapped Yan Jie's hand, scolded him playfully, and then turned to Yan Zhongqing with a slight smile:
"Second Uncle is envious of Grandpa Yan for having new paintings, while he is always the one who delivers the paintings."
She cleverly shifted the logic, saying, "Solving this isn't difficult. I'll just pick another piece from my grandfather's collection and give it to my second uncle."
Yan Jie and Yan Zhongqing spoke at the same time:
"How could he possibly have the nerve?"
"How could I possibly accept that?"
Jiang Hexi grabbed Yan Jie's hand and dug it into his palm, signaling him to shut up:
“My grandfather’s study had so many paintings that there was no place to hang them all. I gave them to my second uncle, and it’s a good thing that the paintings have found a wise owner.”
Yan Zhongqing looked at Jiang Hexi with a smile in his eyes, nodded and said, "Xi-mei, I won't stand on ceremony with you. I also have something to give you later."
Grandpa Yan called Zhang, the kitchen maid, out and asked when dinner would be ready. Then he said to Jiang Hexi:
"Dinner will be ready in half an hour, Ximei, why don't you stay and have dinner with me?"
"Grandpa Yan, my grandfather and I have agreed to go back for dinner, so I won't bother you this time."
"Since we're already here, we can't leave without having dinner."
Grandpa Yan took out his phone and called Professor Zhou.
Seeing that she was about to be exposed, Jiang Hexi hurriedly tried to stop her, but Yan Jie held her hand tightly, making her afraid to make a sound.
"Old Zhou, Xi Mei is with me. I'd like to invite her to stay for dinner before she leaves."
"The whole family was there. The eldest son and his wife even rushed back home when they heard that Ximei was coming."
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, we're all family."
"I won't stand on ceremony with you this time. I'll make it up to you later. I'll have Ah Jie take Xi Mei home later."
After hanging up the phone, Grandpa Zhou said happily, "Xi-mei, Old Zhou has agreed to let you stay for dinner."
"Thank you... Grandpa Yan."
Jiang Hexi concealed her panic and smiled warmly.
When she gets back, her grandfather will definitely not let her off the hook; he might even punish her with family discipline.
She suddenly became afraid to go home.
"I have something to give to Ximei, Grandpa, Mom and Dad, Second Uncle, please excuse me."
Yan Jie stood up, pulled Jiang Hexi, and walked towards the backyard.
The rocks and greenery in the courtyard complement each other beautifully. On the heavy carpet, there are pear wood tea tables and chairs. Every step reveals a new view. Through the antique window frames, one can glimpse the beautiful crabapple blossoms in full bloom.
Yan Jie led Jiang Hexi by the hand and went straight up to the second floor.
He pushed open a carved door and pinned her against the white wall as soon as he entered.
The entire second floor was his suite. The four lattice doors facing the balcony were all open, the automatic curtains opened, and the sheer curtains slowly closed, but they still couldn't block out the restless wind outside.
Yan Jie pressed his forehead against Jiang Hexi's and asked her with a lingering affection:
"How long has it been?"
—How long has it been since we last got intimate?—
His hand slipped under the hem of her shirt, and she could clearly feel the roughness of his fingertips, the burning heat of his palm, and the bulging veins on the back of his hand, stretching out in a sexy arc.
"One hour?"
What she meant to say was that after she got out of the SUV, when his large hand covered hers, she quickly changed her words:
"Fifty...sixteen days."
Yan Jie never expected that she, who usually seemed so unassuming, would actually be like this... No wonder it felt so incredible when he hugged her, like he was holding a cloud.
His heavy breath fell on her face. "Sixty-three days, or rather, it has never happened before."
Yan Jie pressed his head against her neck, lowered his head and kissed her, giving her an intimacy she had never experienced before.
In the suite, there is a chaise lounge directly opposite the door, with a rosewood tea table in front of it. A thick Persian carpet is laid on the floor, and antique shelves next to it display cultural artifacts and porcelain. The next room is a study, and beyond that is the bedroom.
The phone on the bedside table rang once, then politely fell silent again.
Yan Jie pressed her against the pillow, kissing her passionately, calling her name in a low, husky voice:
"Xi Bao—"
Jiang Hexi took a deep breath and, unusually clear-headed, said, "My family...down there...is urging me—"
Yan Jie kissed the throbbing veins in her neck and said in a fit of rage, "I might as well just bite you to death."
After saying that, he got up from her and went to the living room outside to sit quietly and calm down.
Jiang Hexi pulled the bed sheet over her body, picked up her clothes that had fallen to the ground, and hurriedly went to the bathroom.
Five minutes later.
Yan Jie leaned against the bathroom door, watching her touch up her makeup in front of the mirror.
"Is this what you call the 'no-makeup makeup' look?"
"I have dewy skin, which requires constant maintenance to keep it looking radiant and hydrated."
Jiang Hexi was applying concealer to her neck, clearly to cover up a hickey, but she was talking nonsense:
"It's not a fake no-makeup makeup look. Anyway, you wouldn't understand even if I explained it. Just support my beauty and skincare."
"support."
Yan Jie thought for a moment and then added, "Strongly support."
When the two went to the front yard to eat, they were a full ten minutes late.
A group of people sat around the dining table. Yan Jie pulled out a chair and invited Jiang Hexi to sit down first, then glossed over the matter with a single sentence:
"My phone was on vibrate, so I didn't hear the call from my grandfather."
Everyone smiled but said nothing.
Jiang Hexi wondered if it was just her own mind playing tricks on her, but she felt that those laughs were somewhat indulgent.
It's like condoning their bad deeds.
Her feelings were incredibly complicated, and she ate her dinner with extra care. So much so that after leaving the courtyard and breathing in the fresh air outside, she felt completely liberated.
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