The two girls ate happily, and Yanluo and Xuanyuan Changhong exchanged a smile.
Tu Luoxue and Xuanyuan Chenxi stayed there to eat, while Yanluo and Xuanyuan Changhong went downstairs for some fresh air.
Watching the people coming and going at the party, Xuan Yuan Chenxi asked Tu Luoxue, "Xiaoxue, don't you feel guilty being with Brother Yan?"
Hearing this, Tu Luoxue felt a little stifled. She forced a smile and replied, "It's alright. Actually, I got together with him a little later. He had a girlfriend, and my two younger sisters and I lived with them."
The news that Yan Luo was Tu Luoxue's boyfriend was already explosive enough, but there was something even more shocking to come.
Xuan Yuan Chenxi stared wide-eyed at Tu Luoxue, speechless for a long time. The two fell into silence for a while, until Xuan Yuan Chenxi broke the awkward atmosphere first.
"A person only lives once in a hundred years, so just live happily."
Tu Luoxue nodded. "Yes, that's always been my opinion. As long as everyone is safe and happy, that's all that matters."
Xuan Yuan Chenxi felt a bit full, so she pulled Tu Luoxue to say goodbye to the elders and leave the party. When they came downstairs, it was snowing lightly. The two girls changed out of their dresses, put on their everyday clothes, and then put on warm down jackets, otherwise they would have frozen to death in the sub-zero Beijing.
Walking down the street, Tu Luoxue breathed on her cold hands to warm them, then stuffed them into her pocket.
Xuan Yuan Chenxi beside him remained silent, only looking up at the slowly falling snow.
"Xiaoxue, is Xuanyuan really that important?"
Tu Luoxue remained calm. Instead of directly answering Xuan Yuanchenxi's question, she reached out and caught the falling snow.
"As long as I'm happy, that's all that matters. It's just a pity that even if we're together, we can't have children."
Xuanyuan Chenxi nodded gently.
"I know that, but as long as I can stand by his side and stay with him, I'll be very satisfied."
The two women found a coffee shop and sat down. The warm interior was filled with the rich aroma of coffee.
While waiting for her coffee, Tu Luoxue understood everything she had asked Xuan Yuanchenxi.
Have you confessed your feelings to him?
Looking through the glass at the deserted street, Xuan Yuan Chenxi turned to Tu Luoxue and replied, "No, I'm afraid that if I say it out loud, I won't be able to stay with him anymore."
Tu Luoxue understood her concerns. If Xuanyuan Changhong disagreed and distanced himself from her because of it, it would be better to never speak up.
"So, are you planning to say it out loud?"
This question made Xuan Yuan Chenxi fall into deep thought; she wanted to speak but dared not.
Xuanyuan Changhong is a very traditional person and doesn't like to talk much. If he were to actually say something, it would be completely impossible, which is why Xuanyuan Chenxi is so troubled.
There was no one around her who could talk to her about this, but meeting Tu Luoxue gave Xuan Yuan Chenxi an outlet for her emotions. In a sense, Tu Luoxue and she were the same kind of people.
But they are not quite the same. Tu Luoxue can do it without any relation, but Xuanyuan Chenxi is different.
Regardless of whether Xuanyuan Changhong agreed, they still couldn't get past their fathers and elders in the clan.
The fact that she had been living a secretive and cautious life would eventually be discovered made Xuan Yuan Chenxi even more afraid to speak out.
The girl was very distressed because she had too many things to worry about.
Tu Luoxue had no advice, or rather, she couldn't offer any advice, because whatever advice she gave would inevitably hurt some people.
Xuanyuan Chenxi breathed a sigh of relief. Although she didn't get any good solutions, it was still nice to have someone to listen to her.
The two picked up the coffee brought by the waiter, and the warm coffee dispelled most of the chill they had felt outside.
Tu Luoxue took out her phone and sent her location to Yanluo. When she left the party, she told Tu Xing that she would be going home with Yanluo later. Tu Xing also had to deal with some company business after the party and couldn't go home with them.
A short while later, Yanluo and Xuanyuan Changhong walked into the coffee shop, each holding a hot roasted sweet potato.
Xuan Yuan Chenxi was a little afraid to look Xuan Yuan Changhong in the eye. Xuan Yuan Changhong didn't notice anything, and simply put the roasted sweet potato into her hand, hoping to warm her hands.
After finishing their coffee, the four returned to the Tu family's building. Assistant Xiao Huang arranged for someone to wait there to pick up Yan Luo and the other person and take them home. Xuan Yuan Chang Hong and the other person happened to hitch a ride home with them.
Throughout the journey, Xuan Yuan Chenxi remained mostly silent, which made Xuan Yuan Changhong wonder if she was feeling unwell. He gently inquired, "Xiao Xi, are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Xuan Yuan Chenxi, who had been lost in thought, was startled by the sudden question and stammered, "No, I'm fine, I'm perfectly fine, how could I be uncomfortable?"
Xuanyuan Changhong was relieved. He was unmarried and had no children, so he treated Xuanyuan Chenxi almost like his own daughter. Whatever Xuanyuan Chenxi asked for, as long as he could do it, Xuanyuan Changhong would agree.
Xuan Yuan Chenxi was very clingy to him, and Xuan Yuan Changhong spent most of his vacations with her. Xuan Yuan Changhong was completely unaware of the girl's feelings for him, simply assuming that they got along well.
Since it wasn't on their way, the driver, at Tu Luoxue's instruction, took Xuan Yuan Changhong and the others home first.
As she got off the bus, Tu Luoxue held Xuan Yuanchenxi's hand.
"We need to think everything through carefully. You can come visit me when you're free. I'll be in Beijing until the second year of junior high. You can also text me."
Xuanyuan Chenxi looked at Tu Luoxue with gratitude.
"Okay, I understand, thank you."
After saying goodnight to Yanluo and Xuanyuan Changhong, Xuanyuan Chenxi stood outside the courtyard gate watching the red taillights grow farther and farther away until they disappeared from sight. Xuanyuan Changhong looked at the girl beside him. As soon as they got out of the car, the cold wind blew and Xuanyuan Chenxi's face turned a little red.
"Let's go, Xiaoxi, hurry inside, don't catch a cold."
Xuan Yuan Chenxi composed herself, smiled, and took Xuan Yuan Changhong's arm, walking into the house with him.
After washing up, Xuan Yuan Chang Hong, dressed in his pajamas, was in his room, sitting at his desk reading. He was not talkative and loved reading, as if he could only find common ground with others in books.
Xuanyuan Chenxi would often come to him to borrow books, and the contents of the books often became topics of conversation between the two of them.
"Knock knock knock".
There was a knock on Xuan Yuan Chang Hong's door. He said "Come in," and the person who entered was none other than Xuan Yuan Chen Xi. The girl, who had just taken a hot bath and changed into her pajamas, walked into Xuan Yuan Chang Hong's room with her hair down and a smile on her face.
A pleasant fragrance immediately wafted into Xuan Yuan Chang Hong's nose. Xuan Yuan Chen Xi casually wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and leaned forward to look at the book he was reading.
Is this a new book?
Xuanyuan Changhong nodded and showed her the cover of the book, which was a very ordinary martial arts novel.
"Why are you reading novels? You don't usually read novels, especially martial arts ones, that's quite rare." Xuan Yuan Chenxi released her arms from his neck and turned to pounce on Xuan Yuan Changhong's bed.
Xuanyuan Changhong still didn't notice anything amiss. After all, these were just ordinary interactions between them, so it was understandable that they were a bit casual.
——————
(That was too direct; a more subtle approach would have been fine.)
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