Chapter 23

Just as Xu Zhiyi was at a loss, he sent another message: 【Still at your grandmother’s house?】

Xu Zhiyi: 【No, I’ve gone back to the hotel.】

Jiang Sixun: 【Didn’t Qi Zhengchen forbid you from staying at hotels?】

Xu Zhiyi: 【He can’t control me.】

She would never speak to him in such a casual and carefree manner, as she usually maintained a formal tone and always sat upright in his car.

Jiang Sixun asked which hotel she was at. Upon checking the location, he realized it wasn’t far from him, but it was certainly not on his way.

【Do you want something to eat? I can stop by on my way.】

Xu Zhiyi responded: 【Did you not have dinner?】

Jiang Sixun: 【I had a bit.】

He must have rushed through dinner to deliver the access card to Xu Ningwei. Xu Zhiyi thought to herself.

She wasn’t hungry. She had almost eaten too much at her grandmother’s house, but replied: 【There are plenty of restaurants around the hotel. I’m familiar with this area, so I’ll take care of it.】

Jiang Sixun: 【Is this how you talk to Qi Zhengchen too?】

Xu Zhiyi: “……”

She rephrased: 【There are many snacks in the alley next to the hotel. If you want anything, I can go buy it.】

Jiang Sixun: 【I’ll be there in about twenty-five minutes. You decide what to get.】

Xu Zhiyi felt like he was picking a fight, but she also wondered if she was overthinking it.

One thing she used to dislike was having to change clothes after a shower to go downstairs. Today, not only did she not mind, but she also opened her suitcase and tried on all the clothes she had brought, one by one.

With only twenty minutes left to do her makeup, she figured it didn’t matter since he had already seen her without makeup.

Ultimately, she chose the beige cotton-linen outfit her mother had bought for her—a vest with wide-leg pants. Her mother said it suited her balanced arms and long legs.

Beijing was still hot at the end of August, so she only wore a black camisole under the vest. It had already been eleven minutes past, so she grabbed her bag and hurried downstairs.

She packed a few light snacks and went to the hotel’s dining area, which was on the first floor. There weren’t many people at that time; only two couples, like her, had packed late-night snacks to eat.

The dining area had soft, dim lighting, and the couples whispered to each other.

Jiang Sixun arrived after forty minutes, spending twenty minutes finding parking.

“Mr. Jiang.” When she saw him, Xu Zhiyi instinctively straightened her posture and put her locked phone aside.

Jiang Sixun opened the snacks and pushed them towards her: “Have something to eat.”

Xu Zhiyi: “These are for you. I’m not hungry.”

Jiang Sixun didn’t insist and slowly began to eat.

Xu Zhiyi propped her head up with one hand, trying not to stare at him. She occasionally glanced at the other couples, who soon finished and left with their takeout boxes.

The large dining area was left with just her and Jiang Sixun.

The front desk staff brought two glasses of water. “Thank you.” Jiang Sixun thanked them faster than she did and placed the glass of water in front of her.

He definitely didn’t come just for a late-night snack. Was there something he wanted to eat that he couldn’t find at home?

Xu Zhiyi pondered for a moment: “Mr. Jiang, you didn’t need to come. It’s only natural for you and my parents to help Xu Ningwei. After so many years, it’s not possible for you to just ignore her. I’m not that petty; after all, I’m here at my grandparents’ house.”

Jiang Sixun looked up. He had come just to have a late-night snack; it wasn’t as complicated as she thought.

He used this opportunity to ask: “Did you have conflicts with Shang Canran before? Did your family always favor your younger sister?”

Xu Zhiyi considered how to phrase her response.

Jiang Sixun quickly understood: “No need to reply. I get it.”

Xu Zhiyi: “……”

He seemed to be able to read her mind and know what she was struggling with.

The late-night snack was soon finished, and Jiang Sixun didn’t stay long.

Xu Zhiyi saw him out of the hotel.

Jiang Sixun turned around, “Go back up and get some rest.”

Xu Zhiyi, as usual, raised her hand to say goodbye. The vest was short, and when she raised her arm slightly, her waistline and belly button became partially visible, though she didn’t notice.

Jiang Sixun kept his gaze fixed on her face: “You say goodbye every day. How many times do you need to say it in a day?”

Xu Zhiyi: “……”

She stifled a laugh, “See you tomorrow.”

“Mm.”

Jiang Sixun lifted his chin slightly, signaling her to go inside.

As she walked through the glass door, he turned and headed towards the parking lot a mile away.

Jiang Sixun planned to ask Qi Zhengchen about Xu Zhiyi’s situation at her foster parents’ house. He called but couldn’t get through; the line was busy.

When he arrived at the parking lot, Qi Zhengchen still hadn’t called back. He drove home.

It took half an hour to get from the hotel to his house, and Qi Zhengchen was still on the phone.

Jiang Sixun parked the car and grabbed his phone.

His mother was watching an outdoor movie in the courtyard. The house had a dedicated cinema in the basement, which she rarely used. Since he could remember, his mother preferred to be alone after work, often spending quiet nights in the courtyard alone, dining and watching a movie by herself.

Most of the movies were art films, healing types.

He used to ask why she didn’t invite friends over.

His mother would say she was too tired after a long day and didn’t want to talk more.

Jiang Sixun dragged a chair over and sat beside his mother to watch the movie with her.

Jiang Yueru tilted her head and asked, “Did you take Ningwei home?”

“No, she’s not going back. Professor Shang will be going over later.”

“Well then.” Jiang Yueru sighed, “This child has so many resources around her but doesn’t use them well, still indulging herself.”

Jiang Sixun’s phone vibrated; Qi Zhengchen finally called back. He answered, “Who were you on the phone with for so long?”

Qi Zhengchen: “Xu Zhiyi, who else?”

“What happened with her?”

“Nothing much.”

Jiang Sixun looked at his watch: “Nothing much, and you were on the phone for over half an hour?”

Qi Zhengchen, while unpacking a gift, laughed and said, “What’s strange about that? When she first went to boarding school, she’d often talk for an hour.”

He had grown accustomed to it.

After unwrapping the gift, Qi Zhengchen carefully put the tennis racket away and asked, “What did you need me for?”

Jiang Sixun: “Just wanted to learn more about Zhiyi’s past.”

Qi Zhengchen’s first reaction: “Did Uncle Xu ask you to?”

“No, I’m curious myself.”

Such directness made Qi Zhengchen even more certain of his initial judgment—Xu Xiangyi wanted to know how his biological daughter had lived with her foster parents.

He knew Jiang Sixun well; he never meddled in other people’s affairs.

“Just tell Uncle Xu to treat Zhiyi better in the future and to favor her a bit more. The past should stay in the past. I think Zhiyi feels the same, which is why she didn’t tell Uncle Xu about her life in the original home. After all, regardless of anything, the twenty years of raising her are still there.”

There was no need for further questions; Jiang Sixun had already understood from the brief exchange.

Qi Zhengchen looked at the tennis racket and asked, “Want to play tennis tomorrow afternoon?”

Jiang Sixun probably wanted to show off the racket Zhiyi gave him, but he replied, “No time.”

Qi Zhengchen thought he had work commitments: “Okay, then you’re busy. I’ll take Zhiyi myself.”

Jiang Sixun: “……”

---

The next day, Xu Zhiyi woke up early, went downstairs to the buffet for breakfast, and also bought two extra portions to take to her grandparents. After finishing, she left the buffet as other guests started to come down for breakfast.

The hotel she was staying in was not far from her grandparents’ house—about a fifteen-minute walk.

With green trees and red walls, accompanied by the crisp sound of birds chirping, the alley in the early morning was quiet and leisurely.

Her grandparents’ place wasn’t very large but had its own small courtyard. They didn’t like living in an apartment building and moved here after retiring to enjoy gardening and the tranquility.

Less than two hundred meters away was Qi Zhengchen’s grandmother’s house; the two families were neighbors in the residential complex. After retirement, their children had bought them nearby houses for convenience.

When she arrived at her grandparents’ house, the elderly couple had just returned from their morning exercise.

“Why are you up so early?”

“I brought breakfast from the hotel. The sugar and oil are minimal, just to change the taste.”

Her grandmother set up a square table under the tree in the courtyard, and Xu Zhiyi helped by bringing three stools from inside the house.

The morning sunlight filtered through the dense leaves, casting dappled spots on the table, while the birds in the tree chirped merrily.

Xu Zhiyi sat at the table and arranged the breakfast on the plates.

“Zhiyi, your mother’s birthday is at noon. Come with us.”

Her grandmother had received a call from her son-in-law the night before, saying that Meihua’s birthday would be celebrated a day earlier, as Ningwei’s flight back to school was in the evening.

Her grandfather added, “Your uncle will come to pick us up later.”

Xu Zhiyi politely declined their invitation: “I won’t go. I promised to have a meal with my second brother and the others.”

Her grandmother sighed lightly, thinking about how chaotic things were at her daughter’s place: “Alright, if you don’t want to go, then don’t.”

Xu Zhiyi had breakfast with her grandparents and then helped her grandfather tidy up his study. She took a box of ice cream, specially prepared for her, from the refrigerator and walked back to the hotel while eating it.

The birthday gift for Xiaomei and Meihua had been prepared long before she found out about the mix-up, and she had written her message on the birthday card.

Back at the hotel, it was a quarter past ten.

At this time, Shang Tongxu was calling his younger daughter to get up, having knocked on her door twice already.

“Canran, wake up. Your uncle, aunt, and grandparents are coming over soon.”

Standing at the door of the eldest daughter’s room, he raised his hand to knock but then put it down again. Ningwei had come back from the apartment at seven this morning and might still be sleeping.

Xiaomei and Meihua were working in the study, so he went to the storage room to get two gifts to deliver.

The cup of milk on the desk had only been partially drunk and was already cold.

“Do you want it warmed up?”

Xiaomei and Meihua were reviewing project budgets and absentmindedly replied, “No need.”

Shang Tongxu closed the door behind him and placed the gifts on the desk.

Xiaomei and Meihua finally looked up, glancing at the gift boxes. Since their marriage, her husband had given her birthday gifts every year. Being a typical man, she didn’t expect any surprises this year.

“Thank you.”

Shang Tongxu stood in front of the desk, “These are from Zhiyi and Ningwei. Open and see.” The gift from the younger daughter was a handmade item, which had been given the night before.

He pointed to the box on top, “This one is from Zhiyi.”

Xiaomei and Meihua couldn’t believe it: “Zhiyi?”

“Yeah, I bought it the afternoon I took her to donate blood. She said she’d be interning for more than two months and wouldn’t make it back in time for your birthday, so she bought the gift to celebrate in advance.”

She had been so happy when buying the gift, but when she came back in the evening and discovered the blood type mismatch, everything turned upside down, and the birthday celebration got delayed.

Xiaomei and Meihua put down the mouse and stared at the gift box for a long time.

For some reason, she felt an inexplicable nervousness inside.

Shang Tongxu: “I’ll help you open it.”

It was a handbag, and there was also a card in the box.

Xiaomei and Meihua took the simple birthday card from her husband’s hand, feeling a weight in her heart as she opened it.

Mom:

Happy Birthday (heart)(heart)

I heard from Dad that you want to switch jobs to another company. You’re a rising star in the industry, and there are endless possibilities there, but the risks are also high. You’re worried that if your income doesn’t match up, it might affect my and your sister’s quality of life.

Mom, you should go. Don’t think too much. I can earn money now.

Your golden career isn’t going to last long. Don’t let yourself have regrets.

Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you and hope you stay as young as ever.

— Your daughter, Zhiyi

Xiaomei and Meihua took a moment to compose herself, but her heart still ached.

Shang Tongxu unwrapped the other gift, “This is from Ningwei.”

Xiaomei and Meihua glanced at it: “Put it away. It’s thoughtful of you, but she probably doesn’t appreciate it at all. You might have wasted your efforts. She might even get upset with you for taking the liberty to prepare a gift for her.”

Shang Tongxu was stunned, not expecting his wife to see through him.

This gift from Ningwei was something he prepared to smooth over their mother-daughter relationship.

He steeled himself and explained, “I chose it with Ningwei.”

“If she really wanted to celebrate my birthday, she wouldn’t have bought a flight for tonight. If she wasn’t willing to stay for a meal on my birthday, she wouldn’t buy a gift. Shang Tongxu, I’m not that naive.”

Xiaomei and Meihua picked up the mouse and pretended to work.

The biggest regret of her life was saying, “Don’t call me Mom; I’m not your mom!”

---

On the other side, Xu Zhiyi had just returned to her hotel room when Qi Zhengchen called, asking her to change into casual clothes and join him for tennis in the afternoon.

He had brought the tennis racket, but Zhiyi was only good at badminton. She had been hit in the face by a tennis ball when she was younger, and since then, she hadn’t touched a tennis racket again.

After hanging up, Qi Zhengchen waited patiently at the hotel lobby bar.

Ten minutes later, she came downstairs.

“Zhiyi.” Qi Zhengchen called out as he walked towards the lounge area.

Xu Zhiyi turned her head to find him, and upon seeing him, turned back around.

“I want to show you something.” Qi Zhengchen opened his email and handed his phone to her.

Xu Zhiyi zoomed in on the page. It was an appointment email, stating that from October, Qi Zhengchen would be in charge of the North American market.

Fearing she had misread it and got her hopes up, she checked it again.

“You’re practically diving into your email.” Qi Zhengchen took back his phone. “I’ll be based in Boston from now on.”

Xu Zhiyi was ecstatic: “I hope my application for the master’s program goes smoothly.” The schools she was interested in were all in Boston. She pulled Qi Zhengchen and asked him to explain how he persuaded his parents to agree to him taking over the North American market.

Qi Zhengchen: “With the trick of thick skin.”

Xu Zhiyi laughed, “When I get there, I’ll treat you to lobster to make it up to you.”

Qi Zhengchen exited the email: “Lobster doesn’t matter, what matters is finally being free. With the sky high and the emperor far away, my mom won’t be able to control me anymore.”

“I’ll take over from Auntie, make sure you work hard, keep an eye on your relationship, get married and have children soon, and I’ll help take care of the nephews and nieces.”

Qi Zhengchen gave her a gentle tap on the back of her head, “First, take care of yourself. Don’t dare to report me.” After hitting her, he worried it might hurt her, “Does it hurt?”

Xu Zhiyi: “It hurts, I have a concussion. If you threaten me again, I’ll cut ties with you.”

Qi Zhengchen laughed and asked, “Zhiyi, what would make you break off with me?”

“Never.”

“What if?”

“There’s no what if.” She was resolute, “Even if my husband has conflicts with you in the future, I’ll always stand by you, regardless of whether you’re right or wrong.”

“You’re still so young, talking about your husband already.”

“I’m just giving an example. Why are you taking it so seriously?”

“Alright, let’s not talk about this. If one day in the future, I do something that makes you unhappy, will you forgive me just once?”

What could possibly make her unhappy? If his wife and she were rivals, and he helped his wife? That was expected, she wouldn’t be angry or make things difficult for him, “I’d forgive you no matter how many times.”

“Remember what you said today.” Qi Zhengchen picked up the car keys from the bar counter, “Let’s go, find a place to eat.”

Xu Zhiyi caught up with a few steps, “Is Jiang Sixun coming too?”

“Just the two of us. He’s busy.”

By evening, Xu Zhiyi finally saw the busy Jiang Sixun at the badminton court. He was dressed in black and gray sportswear, and her brother Xu Heng was with him.

She greeted them and picked up the shuttlecock that had fallen to the ground.

Xu Heng looked at his sister with a hint of estrangement. He smiled and said, “I came to pick you up, and you don’t look surprised at all.”

Xu Zhiyi was surprised: “You came specifically to pick me up?”

“Why else?”

Jiang Sixun answered for her: “I thought you were coming to settle Ningwei in.”

Xu Heng was puzzled: “Ningwei is at her own home; what’s the issue?”

Jiang Sixun: “She had a falling out with her mother.”

Xu Heng’s tone was indifferent: “It’s common to have arguments; you get used to it.”

Jiang Sixun took a badminton racket and handed one to Xu Heng.

Xu Heng asked: “Shall we play?”

“Mixed doubles.” Jiang Sixun said as he headed towards Xu Zhiyi’s side of the court.

Xu Zhiyi watched the approaching figures, gripping her racket, mentally telling herself to just treat him as a boss.

Xu Heng rarely played badminton, so Qi Zhengchen was the main player, and he would coordinate.

“I’m also only at an intermediate level; Zhiyi plays well.” Qi Zhengchen had been playing for two hours and was sweating profusely. “I’m going to take a drink and rest.”

Xu Heng: “Give me a bottle.”

Qi Zhengchen walked over to the sports bag, bent down to grab two bottles of water, and tossed one to Xu Heng.

Noticing a tennis racket nearby, Xu Heng joked: “Why bring a tennis racket to a badminton court?”

Qi Zhengchen: “It’s a new racket Zhiyi gave me. I plan to try it out on the tennis court later.”

Xu Heng turned to his sister and teased: “I like playing tennis too. Why didn’t you get one for me?”

Jiang Sixun interjected: “She didn’t get one for me either.”

Xu Zhiyi: “……”