Chapter 61

Sixty-one

Qiu Yunzhi walked to the center of the venue in high heels in full view of everyone, only two or three meters away from Qiu Yi.

Qiu Yunzhi stood still, her high heels making sharp clicking sounds on the marble floor. He sneered at Qiu Yi and said, "I didn't expect to see you here."

Qiu Yi stood behind Qiu Mingde with a cold face, and said nothing. Although there were many guests around, no one dared to step forward to persuade them to make peace, and the atmosphere in the meeting place dropped to freezing point.

Tao Luanxi stood far away. The pastry chef pointed at the woman who came and whispered, "Here, the person you want to find."

Qiu Yunzhi is in her 40s, and probably because she takes good care of herself and wears proper makeup, she is still an exquisite young lady from a wealthy family. Although she is beautiful, she does not show the gentleness and kindness of a mother at all.

Once such a person has his delicate outer skin torn off, he will accuse his own children with a ferocious face of ruining his own life... Thinking of this, Tao Luanxi felt a chill on his back.

The atmosphere was already tense. Qiu Yi held back and kept silent. Qiu Yunzhi wanted to say something but was stopped by Qiu Mingde: "It's fine if you were late, but as soon as you arrived, you only cared about quarreling with your own son. You are a mother worse than a child!"

Qiu Mingde was the head of the family, so once he spoke, Qiu Yunzhi naturally didn't dare to say anything. She took the glass of wine from the waiter, sneered and left.

Qiu Mingde patted Qiu Yi on the shoulder and said, "You are grown up now. Your mother is working part-time in the company. You have to learn to get along with her even if you don't like her. Since you are willing to come to this birthday party, you should understand what I mean."

Qiu Yi's thin lips were pursed into a cold arc, and the hand on his shoulder increased its strength. After a long silence, Qiu Yi nodded slightly: "Yes."

Qiu Mingde nodded with satisfaction.

"But your promise to me must also stand."

Lin Fan was startled, and looked at Qiu Yi calmly. He raised his lips smartly: "You know how to negotiate with me, not bad!"

Qiu Mingde turned around and left: "Go eat something and take a rest. We can talk about that matter after the banquet is over."

The banquet ended quite late. Tao Luanxi stood in the dining area, eating while watching Qiu Yi greeting and chatting with all kinds of people. It was the first time that Tao Luanxi realized that someone who looked so good could also smile so ugly.

The nose is still the same nose, the eyes are still the same eyes, but that smile always seems to lack the rebellious and ruffian look that it usually has when the corners of the mouth are raised.

Tao Luanxi watched for a while and felt sad for Qiu Yi.

The fruit wine at the banquet tasted good. Tao Luanxi drank a few more glasses and wanted to open the door to flush water soon. After finally following the waiter's instructions, he found the bathroom. After flushing the water, Tao Luanxi came out. The alcohol he had just drunk began to take effect, and it floated all over his body. It felt like he was stepping on cotton.

After walking only two steps, in front of the huge French window in the corridor, a slim woman was hugging a man and playing the game of feeding him wine with her mouth. Tao Luanxi was familiar with the black dress, and his mind exploded. This was Qiu Yi's mother!

Tao Luanxi's rationality was bombarded by the scene in front of him. He just wanted to leave, but his drunken body kept making trouble. He turned around and kicked the vase in the corridor.

This sound was enough to attract the attention of the two people in front of the French window. Qiu Yunzhi tilted her head and frowned at the strange handsome boy in front of her: "Where is this child from?"

Tao Luanxi froze in embarrassment, not daring to move, not knowing whether to leave or stay.

"I'm asking you a question. Whose child are you from? Why haven't I seen you before?" Qiu Yunzhi raised her voice, her tone clearly filled with impatience of having her good intentions disturbed.

"Maybe someone gave it to you as a gift." The boy who was holding Qiu Yunzhi's waist leaned over to her ear and said half-jokingly.

Qiu Yunzhi sneered: "When will you ever see me being careful with this half-beaten kid?"

Tao Luanxi's face flushed, half angry and half ashamed, and her whole body began to tremble slightly.

"He is a distant cousin of mine. He asked the Qiu family for help before, and this time he came to me to express his gratitude."

A clear-headed boy appeared in time and helped Tao Luanxi out of the predicament.

Tao Luanxi turned her head and saw Shen Tan, dressed in a suit, walking towards her.

"Hello, Aunt Qiu, happy birthday!" Shen Tan nodded slightly and smiled politely at Qiu Yunzhi.

Qiu Yunzhi still had a bad face. She pushed the man away and straightened her clothes: "Don't bring children from poor families to the Qiu family. The Qiu family doesn't care about such a small matter. Let them not think about repaying the favor."

After saying that, Qiu Yunzhi left the boy behind, glanced at Tao Luanxi, and left on her own.

Shen Tan was not in a hurry to leave. He turned around and smiled at the man. The man felt bored and hurriedly chased after Qiu Yunzhi.

Tao Luanxi swallowed and turned to look at Shen Tan: "Thank you, teacher."

"Thank you. I just happened to be passing by." Shen Tan shrugged, "I just didn't expect to see you in the venue."

Tao Luanxi felt a chill on her back and quickly explained, "I originally wanted to come over and say happy birthday to Qiu Yi and leave. I didn't want to stay."

Shen Tan nodded in understanding, pretending not to notice that Tao Luanxi was wearing a white suit that had obviously been prepared in advance.

"You have met the adults in the Qiu family, what do you think?"

"Mr. Qiu - Chairman Qiu is very dignified, Miss Qiu..." Tao Luanxi thought of the scene just now, and for a moment he couldn't think of any words to evaluate this Miss Qiu.

"Just get used to it. The Qiu family has long been accustomed to this kind of thing."

Tao Luanxi always felt uncomfortable when she thought of Qiu Yi.

"It's getting late. I have to go home. Come with me. I'll take you home."

"No, thank you, teacher," Tao Luanxi waved her hand, "Qiu Yi told me to wait for him, I'll stay a little longer."

Shen Tan looked at him steadily, and after a few seconds he smiled: "You listen to him very much now."

"I have to wait until he is free, then I can say hello to him before leaving."

"Okay," Shen Tan nodded, "Go back early and be safe."

When Tao Luanxi returned, Qiu Yi was looking for him everywhere.

"Where did you go?" Qiu Yi frowned, with a strand of hair hanging down on his forehead. He was probably really anxious.

"I went to the restroom and got lost on my way back. I took a detour before I found my way back."

"Call me next time if you can't find me." Qiu Yi held his hair with his hand and let out a long sigh: "I'm sorry I don't have time to accompany you. It must be boring, right?"

"Not bad." Tao Luanxi smiled and said, "Looking at you makes me less bored."

Qiu Yi reached out and rubbed his hair: "Let's go, I'll take you back."

"The guests haven't left yet. Is it okay for you to leave first?"

"Why am I still here now that my grandpa is gone? Let them have fun on their own. To me, you are the only one who matters."

Qiu Yi was smiling, and this time it wasn't an ugly smile.

Half an hour later, Qiu Yi's car stopped at the gate of Tao Luanxi's residential area. Qiu Yi glanced out the window and asked, "Do I really not need to take you in?"

"That's all." Tao Luanxi clasped her hands together, thankful that the lights in the car were not on, so her slightly red face could not be seen in the dark.

Tao Luanxi lowered her voice and said, "You, close your eyes."

"What?"

"Shut it up when I tell you to!"

Qiu Yi closed his eyes obediently, but Tao Luanxi was worried and reached out a hand to cover his eyes.

"I said I'd celebrate your birthday, so I have to do something." Tao Luanxi cleared her throat. "Time is too tight, and you, a big liar, don't want to tell me, so... I'll sing you a happy birthday song! But I have to make it clear that I'm tone-deaf, so I made up the tune on the spot and you can't complain!"

Qiu Yi smiled: "I'm all ears."

There were no candles or cakes. This was the first time that Tao Luanxi sang Happy Birthday to a single person in such an occasion. Even if Qiu Yi couldn't see anything, he shouldn't have raised his head. He stared at the control lever of the car, singing without any tone and his voice trembling.

"Happy birthday to you."

This was already the third sentence. Tao Luanxi's hand was pulled to Qiu Yi's lips and kissed gently. With her palms itchy, Tao Luanxi half sang and half recited the last sentence: "Happy birthday, Qiu Yi."

"No more." Tao Luanxi coughed: "It's a bit simple, but you should accept it!"

"How can it be shabby? This is the best birthday present I have ever received!"

The author has something to say: With such a beginning, I feel that writing a happy ending would be too Stockholm, so let's just leave it as an open ending, neither good nor bad, after all, it's forced love, damn!

Four

Qiu Yi was awakened by the pungent smell of disinfectant in the air. After a long pause, he realized that he was in a hospital. The private ward was empty. Under the open hospital gown, a thick layer of gauze was wrapped from shoulders to chest.

The high fever had not completely subsided yet. Qiu Yi lay on his back on the bed, and then he recalled what happened before he fell into a coma.

Was it Tao Luanxi who sent me to the hospital?

Qiu Yi smiled self-deprecatingly. Given the current condition between him and Tao Luanxi, it was already polite of Tao Luanxi not to stab him again while he was unconscious.

There was a knock on the door. When Qiu Yi heard it, he immediately sat up without caring about anything else, and looked eagerly at the door that was gradually opening.

This was the scene that Tao Luanxi saw when he came in. Qiu Yi was staring at the door with all his might, as if he had just woken up from amnesia.

Tao Luanxi retracted her gaze and silently placed various receipts from the hospital on the bedside: "I have completed the hospitalization procedures for you. I'm leaving first."

Before Tao Luanxi turned around, Qiu Yi grabbed his wrist and asked, "You sent me to the hospital?"

There was too much surprise and unexpectedness in this voice, but Tao Luanxi was not in the mood to savor it.

"I just don't want you to die at home!"

Home.

Tao Luanxi didn't know that this word had greatly pleased the person in front of him. Qiu Yi lowered his eyes and smiled gently in the spring light: "Thank you."

This smile was very different from Qiu Yi's usual smile, but Tao Luanxi didn't care. The person had been sent to the hospital and it was none of his business.

"Xixi, I need someone to take care of me."

Again?

Tao Luanxi had long been fed up with Qiu Yi's painstaking step-by-step approach to him. This kind of words and actions that seemed like discussions but were actually orders really made him extremely angry.

Qiu Yi looked at him and said, "Don't worry. If you don't want me to, I can hire a nurse while I'm in the hospital. But could you please send some of the school's documents and my computer to me?"

After settling for the next best thing, I have to say that Qiu Yi learned a lot smarter this time. Tao Luanxi sneered in her heart and turned around without saying yes or no.

The next day after class, Tao Luanxi brought Qiu Yi his computer. When he arrived, Qiu Yi was cleaning the wound. The top layer of rotten flesh was about to fall off, leaving only the fresh wound below, waiting to heal slowly.

Tao Luanxi accidentally glanced at the bright red flesh and frowned. However, Qiu Yi seemed unaware of it. When he saw Tao Luanxi appear in the ward, he smiled like a child who had received candy.

"Xixi, thank you!"

The intimate nickname caused the nurse to chuckle twice. Tao Luanxi blushed and turned to leave. Qiu Yi tried to pull her away in a hurry, but the doctor's forceps went straight into the flesh, and everyone around them gasped.

"Why are you moving? Don't you know it hurts? Why are you moving?"

Qiu Yi seemed not to have heard anything. He tried hard to get out of bed and pull Qiu Yi. The nurses could not stop him and had to persuade the other person: "Why don't you wait a little longer?"

Tao Luanxi couldn't refuse bluntly, so she had to wait with a frown.

This kind of thing happened frequently. Tao Luanxi came every three or four days, and each time she was forced to stay for several hours. The last time she struggled so hard that the two of them were pressed tightly together. Qiu Yi's desire, which had been suppressed for a long time, was finally aroused. He didn't want to hear anything else and just did it with Tao Luanxi again on the bed in the hospital.

"Are you okay?"

Qiu Yi wanted to feel relieved, so he stepped back and reached out to stroke Tao Luanxi's hair, but what he got was a pair of hateful eyes.

It was the first time that Qiu Yi felt pierced by such a look. Although he was physically happy, his heart was cold.

"If you don't like it, I'll just put up with it in the future."

Tao Luanxi sneered. He had long since stopped believing Qiu Yi's so-called promise.

But this time, Qiu Yi actually held back. It has been nearly two months since Qiu Yi was discharged from the hospital. He has never forced Tao Luanxi even once. He has even been considerate in everything and has never forced Tao Luanxi to do anything again.

Just on the point of living together, Qiu Yi never gave in.

Some people even asked Qiu Yi half-seriously whether he was serious about this. Qiu Yi nodded seriously, "Of course it's true."

This sentence shocked Tao Luanxi. He just thought Qiu Yi was just trying to be novel and never thought he was serious.

"I heard that you applied for an exchange program with the professor?"

Tao Luanxi's heart sank. He had obviously done this very secretly, so why did Qiu Yi still find out?

Qiu Yi smiled knowingly, and walked slowly in the campus with Tao Luanxi holding hands.

"Country B is a good place. There are several good universities there. If you want to go, I can help arrange it."

Would you be so kind?

"Then we'll go together."

really!

Tao Luanxi didn't say a word from beginning to end, and let Qiu Yi hold his hand and walk around the campus. He looked at the college students passing by, and his heart was confused.

Today is Valentine's Day. There are many couples on the street, all with happy expressions on their faces. Qiu Yi is very interested in watching them. He turns to Tao Luanxi and whispers, "Do you like that?"

Tao Luanxi remained silent.

"I haven't experienced it before. In my vocabulary, there are only "want" and "don't want". But if it were you, I'd be happy to try it with you."

Does it make sense? No matter what the outcome is, you will always make it what you want to see.

"I know we didn't have a good start, but we can start over."

In the busy campus, Qiu Yi walked up to Tao Luanxi, knelt on one knee, and said affectionately: "Baby, give me another chance."

People around looked at him sideways. Tao Luanxi looked at her right hand which was still held by Qiu Yi, and she felt tired in her heart: "Do whatever you want!"

"Thank you, Xixi, I will try my best to give you the best." Qiu Yi smiled and kissed Tao Luanxi's hand devoutly.

He knew that Tao Luanxi was reluctant, but it didn't matter. As long as Tao Luanxi stayed by his side, one day he would make Tao Luanxi forget the past and truly accept him.