Chapter 39

Translator: Larbre Studio

Editor: Larbre Studio

Shen Qinglan looked away, ignoring her.

Yan Xi seemed to have caught on to Shen Qinglan’s indifference. She proceeded to eat the pastry on her own. It tasted great! She had not taken her dinner yet. Having gone through a scary situation and a good cry just now had deprived her of energy.

Yan Shengyu arrived soon after. Yan Xi spotted his car at the corner of the street. She pointed at it and called to Shen Qinglan, “Big sis, do you see that blue car over there? That’s my brother’s. I’m telling you, my brother’s really handsome. You’ll like him. Big sis, since you don’t want me to pledge myself to you, why don’t you become my sister-in-law?” 

Shen Qinglan looked in the direction she pointed, and indeed saw a blue car. She calculated the distance between here and there, which was only a minute or two. Nothing could happen.

She waved and managed to hail a taxi. “Since your family’s here to get you, then I’ll take my leave. Next time, don’t come to places like this alone.”

Shen Qinglan closed the door firmly, regardless of Yan Xi’s desperate patting on the window, “Big sis, don’t go.”

Yan Xi stamped her foot as she watched the car leave.

“Xiao Xi, what are you doing here? It’s dangerous.” After parking the car, Yan Shengyu approached Yan Xi and reprimanded her with a straight face.

Yan Xi was already upset when she watched Shen Qinglan leave. Her brother’s scolding just made her tear up on the spot.

“Ah, it’s all your fault. You’re too slow. Big sis left because of that. It’s your fault. Your fault!” Yan Xi burst into tears, not caring what she looked like.

Yan Shengyu just wanted to freak her out so that she would not leave the house so often. He merely kept his eyes off her for one day and she had gone missing. It frustrated him to no end.

They were in unfamiliar territory at the moment. If anything happened to her, he would not be able to explain to the family. Yet the girl began to cry when he barely said anything. That was when Yan Shengyu panicked and, in a flurry, proceeded to coax her.

“Xiao Xi, don’t cry. It’s my mistake. I shouldn’t scold you like that. Can you forgive me?”

Yan Xi cried even louder. In truth, she was really terrified today. She was barely seventeen after all. Previously, her family had been overprotective of her. She had never experienced something like this. Then, Shen Qinglan showed up and saved her. She had been so immersed in the joy of seeing Shen Qinglan again that she did not register her terror. Now that Shen Qinglan had left and her brother had arrived, Yan Xi’s emotions completely collapsed.

She squatted on the ground, hugging her knees, as she cried her heart out.

Yan Shengyu knelt in front of her anxiously, but he did not know what else to do other than repeatedly coaxing her to stop crying.

The makeup that had been ruined previously only got worse as tears streamed down her face.

Finally, when she had let it all out, she got up from the ground, still choking. Yan Shengyu heaved a sigh of relief. If she had continued crying, he might just break down too.

“Xiao Xi, let’s go home. We’ll be heading back to the capital tomorrow.”

Yan Xi took Yan Shengyu by the hand and looked at him pitifully, “Can we not go back first? I want to look for big sis.”

“Xiao Xi, there’s thousands of people out there. How am I supposed to help you look for her?”

“Just try, alright? Maybe you really can find her! Big sis is really pretty, I’m sure it’s easy to look for her!” Unwilling to give up, Yan Xi really wanted to track down Shen Qinglan.

Yan Shengyu was no match for Yan Xi’s pitiful look. He finally relented. “Fine, fine. I’ll help you find her, but you have to tell me what her name is.”

Yan Xi felt like crying again when she heard that. She had forgotten to ask for Shen Qinglan’s name.

Even so, the next day, Yan Shengyu requested his friend in Hangcheng to look for Shen Qinglan based on how Yan Xi’s description of her. But, by then, the woman in question had left Hangcheng and had returned to the capital. Their search was fated to be fruitless.

Yes, Shen Qinglan did not go to Yuecheng according to what she originally planned, but instead she returned to the capital, all because of the small boxes of osmanthus cakes in his possession.

She did not want to disappoint the old woman who baked those for her late at night. If she had gone to Yuecheng first and returned to Jingcheng later, the cakes would spoil, so she changed her course at the last minute.

She took a flight back. If Yan Xi seriously wanted to look for her, maybe they might have met again at the airport. Destiny had been written in the stars, for once again they missed the opportunity. 

The first thing Shen Qinglan did when she returned to the capital was stow her luggage at home, then she rushed to school. Coincidentally, her roommates were there when she got back to the dorm.

“Ah, Qinglan, you’re back!” Yu Xiaoxuan greeted her excitedly. She rushed to her, wanting to give her a bear hug, but Shen Qinglan avoided it as usual.

“Qinglan, Qinglan, have you brought presents for us?” Yu Xiaoxuan held out her fair hands and asked impatiently.

Shen Qinglan handed her the few bags she was carrying.

“Wow, Qinglan, you’re so good to me! You actually brought me so many gifts, I don’t know what to say,” Yu Xiaoxuan said that with a huge smile plastered on her face. 

“Those are also for Fang Tong and Wu Qian,” Shen Qinglan spoke flatly. When she did so, the smile on Yu Xiaoxuan’s face faded, while Fang Tong snickered with glee.

“You heard that? Mine’s there too. I knew Qinglan won’t forget about me.”

As she said so, she came forward and pushed Yu Xiaoxuan aside, then took over the bag which Shen Qinglan had given them. Inside, other than several samples of snacks, there were three exquisitely wrapped boxes.

Fang Tong picked one up and waved it in front of Shen Qinglan, “Qinglan, is this for me?”

“The red one’s for you, the pink one’s for Xiaoxuan, and the blue one’s for Wu Qian.”

“There’s one for me?” Wu Qian exclaimed in exclaimed. She did not think Shen Qinglan would get her a present.

Shen Qinglan nodded. “There are also some specialty pastries from Hangcheng. They taste great. You should try them out.”

Yu Xiaoxuan did not need to be told. She had unwrapped the box of osmanthus cakes and had begun eating.

“Qinglan, you’re right. This is good! Where did you can it? Is it available online? I want to get some more of this. The taste is awesome!”

Shen Qinglan recalled the little shop hidden deep in the alley and the old shopkeeper. She shook her head.

“I don’t think you can buy them online. If you like them, have some more while you still can.”

Yu Xiaoxuan felt sorry when she heard them. As Fang Tong went ahead and took another one, she hurried to grab two more.

Wu Qian savored the pastry in her hand. She watched enviously as Fang Tong and Yu Xiaoxuan fooled around with each other.

“Qinglan, you must have spent quite a lot on these silk scarves, haven’t you?” Fang Tong unwrapped the gift box and took out a beautiful red scarf.

The scarf was made of top-grade silk. Fang Tong could tell at a glance that the scarf must have been costly. Keeping Shen Qinglan’s financial background in mind, she felt bad to have asked her for a souvenir.