CH 27

Observing closely, the man has good skin. He looks upright and gentle. His whole persona exudes a gentle temperament, his eyes reveal sincere kindness, and the corners of his mouth are habitually slightly raised. He should be a modest gentleman.

It is said that people should not be judged by their appearance, because you'll never know what is in their hearts. Qi Yan has seen a lot of people who are not what they appear to be; they often wear a gentle and pure skin, but inside they are a cunning and wretched old fox. Her frozen smile slowly stretched, she did a good job of saving face, and then turned her gaze to Lu Zhiqiao.

Lu Zhiqiao didn't panic at all, on the contrary, she was very calm. The two met three times in a short period of time, they were destined to meet. Instead of covering up to attract prying eyes, it is better to introduce each other generously.

They are all adults and know how to behave.

"Uncle Wen, that's Teacher Qi." Before she could speak, her daughter stretched her neck and shouted.

Qi Yan's face changed slightly, Lu Zhiqiao smiled, and added a sentence naturally: "She's also my friend, Qi Yan, who lives at the opposite door." After speaking, she looked at Qi Yan, "This is my friend, Wen Zilong."

The man nodded in surprise, he took the initiative to stretch out his hand : "Hello, Teacher Qi."

"Hello."

Qi Yan smiled and shook hands with him, glanced at Lu Zhiqiao from the corner of her eye, a warm current flowed slowly through her heart, a smile melted into her eyes from the corner of her mouth, and she didn't feel like glaring at this man anymore.

"Then I'll leave first, let's get together some other day." Wen Zilong said goodbye to them, and waved to Lu Wei, "Niuniu, uncle will be going now." 

"Goodbye, Uncle Wen~" 

Seeing him enter the elevator, Qi Yan turned around, looked at Lu Zhiqiao and smiled, her lips moved, but remembered she has business with Lu Wei, she handed her the things in her hand: "Niu Niu's prize for participating in the performance, you forgot  to take it."

It is a set of exquisite cartoon ceramic mugs.

"What!" Lu Wei ran over with heavy makeup on her face, wowed softly, and took the cup, "Thank you, Teacher Qi."

The child said the words that the mother wanted to say but could not.

Lu Zhiqiao touched her daughter's head, and smiled at Qi Yan, her eyes reflected the other party's hesitant face, but she didn't say anything in the end. After she left and closed the door, she sighed softly, picked up the makeup remover cream to help her daughter remove her makeup.

"Niuniu, what do you want to eat tonight?"

"Barbecue! The kind you grill yourself."

"Okay." Lu Zhiqiao responded with a smile, "Shall we take Teacher Qi with us?"

The little girl paused, the makeup remover smeared her face, she didn't dare to open her eyes, "Mom, did you make Teacher Qi angry?"

"Why do you think so?" She wiped her daughter's face with a cleansing cotton.

"You were so polite, I thought you did something wrong, hehehe~"

"..."

This kid, really.

After wiping her face clean, Lu Zhiqiao stretched out her index finger and gently poked her forehead, and said with a smirk, "Wash your face." Then she got up and washed her hands, and called up the video on the phone, "I'll put the phone here, Mom, will go to 902."

"Oh, go show your courtesy~" Lu Wei stuck out her tongue.

Lu Zhiqiao frowned, pretending to be angry, and raised her hand to knock her on the head, but the little girl quickly ran away.

Knocking on the door of 902, it opened quickly, and Qi Yan's tall and handsome figure appeared in her sight, with black and soft long hair hanging down her waist, and a pair of slender and straight legs like chopsticks, she thought she would see a gloomy dark face but that was not the case, the corner of the other party's mouth is curled up, and the deep eyes are full of smiles, as if knowing that she will come.

Before she could speak, she was pulled in.

"What's the matter?" Qi Yan pointed to the slippers, motioning for her to come in and sit down.

Lu Zhiqiao didn't move, pondered for a moment, and said a little embarrassedly: "I'll take Niuniu out for dinner later, why don't you come with us?"

She never invited her.

At that moment, Qi Yan thought she was hearing things, so she stared in a daze for a long time. Their eyes seemed to be strung together by a thin thread, tightly sticking together, but then the thread broke, and there was an unspeakable feeling of loss in her heart.

"That's all? Is there... anything else?"

In fact, there is.

Lu Zhiqiao lowered her eyelids, seeming to be deliberating, then raised her eyes to look at Qi Yan's expectant but desperately restrained face, her heart beating a few beats faster, overflowing with something sour. She frowned, lowered her head and changed her slippers, walked to the sofa and sat down silently: "Yes."

Qi Yan also became nervous, and went to sit next to her.

"Zilong and I met at a charity event." She said straight to the point, her tone flat.

"It's not a company event, but a personal visit to a remote village to visit girls who dropped out of school, and gave some clothes and books. Many people attended, and he was also there. I was in the same group as him."

"After we met, we gradually got to know each other. He is indeed rich, but his family members have passed away, and he is the only one left..."

Lu Zhiqiao's expression suddenly dimmed, there were subtle wrinkles between her brows, and her voice dropped.

"Many times charity is just a gimmick, a show for others to see, but he is sincerely investing time, energy and money in doing this. The annual donations should be several million, excluding other materials, such as donations to the Children's Welfare Institute."

"We went to the orphanage that day, because we made an appointment to send some gifts there from time to time, which are not expensive, just a wishes from the kids."

Having said that, Lu Zhiqiao pursed her lips.

Many aspects involved personal stuff, so it's inconvenient for her to say more, besides, he is her friend, with a clear conscience, and they have no obligation to explain this to others, but Qi Yan is the only exception among them, but that's the only things she can tell her.

Qi Yan listened quietly, without the slightest wave in her eyes, but her heart seemed to be thrown into a blender, twisted to pieces, dense and violent dull pain rolled over her chest, her whole body was like a sculpture, motionless.

It doesn't matter whether she continues talking or not, it doesn't matter whether that man has ever liked her or pursued her, if so, how she deals with it is not important at all.

[I don't have grandparents...]

[Where are your grandparents?]

[None.]

[Other relatives, such as aunt? Uncle?]

[Never seen them before.]

Recalling what Niuniu said that day, and the little girl’s bewildered face, maybe in her world, the only family member is her mother, and the others are just unfamiliar terms, but who knows, when classmates talk about grandparents or grandparents, Did she ever have doubts and losses in her heart?

She thought that Lu Zhiqiao's family was in another city, but she lived here with her daughter, and would go back to reunite with her family every year during the holidays - just like the Spring Festival travel every year, so do countless families.

Unexpectedly, Jiangcheng is so big, but they are only mother and daughter.

The picture of the man in the closet, the age difference between Niu Niu and Lu Zhiqiao, the meeting at the bar that night...Mysteries follow one after another. She can't be sure.

After going around for a long time, she didn't take a step out.

She was still in place, but she had the illusion that the distance between them became close.

"Teacher Qi?"

With a soft call, Qi Yan was pulled back to reality, she looked up at Lu Zhiqiao, the tear mole at the end of her eyes was still gentle and vivid, and seemed more attractive, so she raised the corner of her mouth: "I'm ashamed to say that, I, a nouveau riche daughter has never donated a few dollars since she was a child..."

She didn't want to admit that she was jealous, and she was a person who couldn't lower her head in her bones, but these days, she didn't know how much she had lowered her head for this person. This gesture, the taste of going against nature is very uncomfortable, but she can't help herself but do it. Whenever she tried to stop, to restrain herself, this woman inadvertently threw more baited hooks, luring her into the trap.

Has she fallen in love with her?

She fell in love with a one-night stand. If she told her friends that, she was afraid that she would be laughed at severely.

"I don't like forcing my morals on you. It's supposed to be all voluntary. There's nothing to be ashamed of." Lu Zhiqiao said quietly.

"Aren't you curious about me at all?"

"..."

Lu Zhiqiao was taken aback, seeing the vague anticipation in Qi Yan's eyes, but before she could speak, the other party laughed: "I was just kidding, what's for dinner?

"Niuniu said she wants to eat barbecue."

"Then barbecue it is." Qi Yan stood up and stretched, "Shall we go now?"

Lu Zhiqiao also got up, accidentally touched her hair with the back of her hand, and hurriedly retracted: "Well, I'll ask Niuniu to change her clothes." 

After speaking, she went to the door to put on her shoes, and the scent dissipated like a wind.

She went out.

The smile on Qi Yan's face gradually collapsed, and she fell heavily back on the sofa, her mind was covered with messy fragments, and her heart seemed to be tightly entwined with rope, bit by bit strangling her out of breath. She flicked off her slippers, bent her knees, curled up, and grabbed her neck with her hands.

It was the same feeling many years ago.

…

On the first day of the new year, Lu Zhiqiao got up early, made breakfast for her daughter, and drove to the villas in Ninghu District.

She and Shu Minxi made an appointment to visit the chairman today. Since foreign vehicles were not allowed in the villa, she waited at the gate. At eight o'clock; around seven fifty-five, two figures appeared in sight.

The weather was warm, and Shu Minxi wore a calf-length platycodon blue sweater jacket, walking in front with hurried steps, followed by Aoki Saki; also wearing a long sweater skirt, only the style and color were different. She was  trying her best to keep up with Shu Minxi, her hair was a bit messy, her hand hanging by her side repeatedly tried to hold her, but she didn't dare, stretched out and retracted, and finally grabbed the handbag strap.

Through the windshield, Lu Zhiqiao sighed faintly, pretending not to know, got out of the car and greeted them: "Ms. Shu, Ms. Aoki."

"Take my car, the driver is going to drive." Shu Minxi nodded, and naturally held her arm.

On the side, Saki's complexion changed, she raised her eyes to look at her, then the woman's gaze fell on their entwined arms. She pursed her lips, and knuckles holding the bag strap were bleeding white.

Lu Zhiqiao: "..."

A bitter taste came out of nowhere.

A black car drove over slowly, the driver got out of the car and opened the back seat door, Lu Zhiqiao breathed a sigh of relief and wanted to free her arm, but Shu Minxi walked back with her arm, turned her head and said to Saki: "You sit in the front. "

Saki's eyes were a little red, she blinked, and turned to Lu Zhiqiao with pleading eyes.

"Ms. Shu, I'll sit in the front." She winked and made up an excuse, "I...ate too much breakfast, I'm a little dizzy."

Shu Minxi frowned slightly, glanced at her, then at Saki. After hesitating for a moment, without saying anything, she let go of her arm and got into the car.

Saki smiled gratefully at Lu Zhiqiao, and couldn't wait to follow.

It was very quiet along the way, no one spoke, the drive took about half an hour, halfway there, Lu Zhiqiao's cell phone rang, it was her daughter's call. The child was a little sad when she woke up and found that she was not there. She was whimpering and acting like a baby on the phone. She comforted her with soft words for a long time, and promised to go home to bring a small cake, then the little girl gave up.

She forgot for a moment that she was in the car, and the boss and the client's daughter were sitting in the back.

"Do you have a child too?" Saki asked softly.

Lu Zhiqiao was taken aback, put her phone into her bag, nodded and said: "Yes, my daughter is twelve years old."

"She must be a beautiful and cute little princess." Saki smiled with squinted eyes, her voice was soft, and expression was obviously relaxed. She couldn't help but say a few more words: "I also have a daughter, who will be six years old in two months, she..."

Suddenly, remembering something, her voice stopped, and she turned her head to look at the person beside her.

Shu Minxi's face was as cold as iron, and her eyes were frosty. She turned her face away calmly, and looked out of the window, a sneer that had disappeared from the corner of her mouth emerged.

An eerie silence.

Lu Zhiqiao sensed something was wrong, glanced at the rearview mirror, and saw that Saki lowered her head and did not speak, and Shu Minxi looked out the window and did not speak, vaguely understood something, and did not say a word.

....

After working for ten years, Lu Zhiqiao only met the chairman twice, once at the annual meeting when she first joined the company, and once when she was promoted to director. In her impression, the chairman is a woman that has a rather exotic appearance, with a high nose and deep eyes, glamorous and enchanting, like Medusa, a snake-haired witch in myths and legends.

Her name is Gu Shuning, and she is said to be of mixed race.

Nearly two decades ago, she started what is now the Xinbei Group from scratch - back then it was just a small company. She doesn't know much because the chairman started to retreat behind the scenes, and has been very low-key.

The bungalow complex she lives in has been built for more than ten years. It is a very old estate. Shu Minxi has her house key. All the way up the stairs and stepping into the house, there is a strong smell of incense and candles, mixed with the smell of alcohol. She saw two or three empty wine bottles on the coffee table in the living room, as well as on the ground.

There are plastic fake poppies everywhere, and the large swaths of red are bright and dazzling.

Shu Minxi's cold face was suddenly stained with compassion, she threw off her shoes regardless of her image, and rushed into the bedroom: "Sister Ning Ning—"

Saki also rushed in.

The two didn't come out for a long time.

Lu Zhiqiao looked at the wine bottles on the ground, and felt obsessed with cleanliness. She bent down and picked them up one by one. When she stood and looked up, she saw two memorial tablets on the TV cabinet, and two black and white photos next to them. She was almost scared to death.

There is no writing on the tablet, and the woman in the photo is unknown, and the whole room is filled with a strange and gloomy atmosphere.

After a while, people came out.

The chairman is still beautiful, but she is much older. She is in her early forties, but she seems to have stepped into the twilight years. She is dressed plainly, holds a string of Buddhist beads in her hand, her eyes are empty, and her words are always absent-minded. She got tired after a few minutes, so she told them she'd rest and not to be disturbed.

At that time, Lu Zhiqiao didn't know that this was the last time she'll see her former idol...

....

There is half a month before the Lunar New Year, and on Friday night, the company held its annual meeting in the banquet hall of xx Hotel.

The format of the annual meeting is similar every year. The bosses speak, the professional team performs, colleagues eat and drink, draw prizes and give out gifts, and then go home. She felt really tired. But this year, she doesn't know who came up with a bad idea. Every executive needs to perform a show on stage, the genre is determined by lottery, there is no repetition, and they cannot be interchanged.

Although the directors of various departments secretly complained, they were all willing to cooperate, preparing the program in private, and bit the bullet to go up.

Luckily, Lu Zhiqiao got the chance to sing.

The stage lights were shining brightly, and dazzling patterns rolled on the large screen in the background. She was wearing a black floor-length sleeveless dress, standing in the center with a microphone in her hand, and sang the song "We Met Too Late"* affectionately.

*A song by Julia Peng released in 1998, click to check out MV ←

It's a very old song with a catchy tune. Her voice is not as thick and powerful as the original singer, but gentle and soft, with no lingering sentimental taste.

After singing, there was thunderous applause, some whistled, and some shouted hello.

In the corner, Qi Yan watched the figure on the stage quietly, her eyes flickering on and off, she picked up the wine glass and took a sip, the sweet and sour liquid flowed down her throat into her stomach, the coolness made her trembling, her  heart is slightly cold.

The person she likes sang her most hated song.

That woman was confident, elegant, and generous on the stage. She smiled so hard that her eyes became crescents. She didn't look like the usual Lu Zhiqiao who was indifferent and reserved, and refused to give any more smiles. She was inexplicably jealous of everyone present.

The applause gradually subsided, Lu Zhiqiao returned the microphone to the host, and carefully walked off the stage with her skirt lifted. Instead of going back to the seat at the front table, she went straight to the bathroom.

Qi Yan narrowed her eyes, put down her cup and followed.

There was the sound of rushing water in the bathroom. Lu Zhiqiao was standing in front of the mirror, washing her hands. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of someone coming in. She turned her head and glanced casually. She froze suddenly and opened her eyes wide: "You...why are you here?" 

"Why don't you try to guess?" Qi Yan raised her brow and walked forward slowly.

Seeing Lu Zhiqiao's face with heavy make-up up close, a pair of watery pupil outlined with thick black eyeliner, the tear mole on the corner is vivid and pitiful, and the lips that are painted with reddish-brown lipstick are plump and moist, both enchanting and quite lustful. Going closer, she inhaled an unfamiliar aroma, not as calm and breezy as "Goddess of Hunting", but with a rich and flamboyant femininity.

Rich, mature, fierce.

Completely different from head to toe, she barely recognizes her.

Lu Zhiqiao straightened her back and took her hand away from the sensor faucet. When the water stopped, her face became a little embarrassed, and the roots of her ears turned red quickly. After a while, she asked, "Do you have friends or relatives working in our company?"

This year's annual meeting, each person can bring a family member or friend. She originally wanted to bring her daughter here, but thinking that the final exam will be next week, she asked the child to read and review at home.

Only this is possible.

Her world is small, there are no coincidences everywhere, but Qi Yan is everywhere.

"Yes, my friend works here, and her husband can't come and had to work overtime temporarily, and I was free." Qi Yan stared straight at her face, her eyes filled with anxiety.

"Who is it?"

"I won't tell you."

Lu Zhiqiao frowned, "Once you go out, I'll know when I see who you are sitting next to."

"Forgive me, Director Lu." Qi Yan raised her hands in a gesture of surrender, "In case you use your power for personal gain, my friend will be out of luck."

"It looks like someone who belongs to my department?"

"..."

This person is soft and coquettish in private, weak and easy to bully, who would have thought that there is such a fierce side, Qi Yan laughed dumbfounded, and her eyes became meaningful.

"Chi Nian, your regional manager."

"I won't use power for personal gain."

"You sang well just now." Qi Yan changed the subject lightly.

Once it was mentioned, Lu Zhiqiao was immediately shy, feeling that her face was burning badly, she hurriedly avoided her eyes, lifted her skirt and walked out quickly.

....

The two returned to the complex almost at the same time, with the black car in front and the white car behind.

Lu Zhiqiao wanted to go upstairs first, got out of the car as quickly as possible, locked the door, and entered the elevator room, but the elevator was upstairs, and while waiting for it to get down, Qi Yan had slowly come to her side, standing shoulder to shoulder with her. She was still wearing a dress, with heavy makeup, she became more beautiful at night, and her face was flushed under the light. She doesn't know if it was the effect of blush or embarrassment.

All the way up to the ninth floor, everything is in peace.

Lu Zhiqiao stepped out of the elevator first, and just took two steps when she was suddenly hugged from behind, turned around, and pressed her back against the wall.

Her shriek was overwhelmed by the passionate kiss, crazy and strong.

But unexpectedly, it didn't take long, Qi Yan quickly let go of her lips, gasping for breath: "Go out with me."

"Qi Yan..."

"You finally took the initiative to call my name."

The lipstick on her lips was smeared, and the mouths of both of them seemed to be swollen. Lu Zhiqiao's heart was beating fast, and her fingertips were itchy. She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and said softly, "I can feel your tenderness. You grew up in a good environment, in addition to the material things, your spirit is also very rich."

"Huh?"

"The way you speak and act, the way you dress and communicate, the way you handle things."

"Your eyes are filled with the whole world, your face is full of desire to explore, and the sense of security that comes naturally from your words and actions..." Lu Zhiqiao closed her eyes, as if talking to herself.

"These things are precious treasures that many people can't find in their lives. You are very happy, and I sincerely wish you happiness forever."

Qi Yan vaguely sensed something was wrong, and slowly let go of her: "What do you mean?"

"I think we are not good a good match."

Lu Zhiqiao slowly opened her eyes, and her icy face was reflected in her dark pupils. At this moment, she suddenly became calm, and the big stone in her heart finally fell down.

There was a long silence.

"Really? Do you mean this?" Qi Yan asked calmly, looking directly into her eyes.

"Yes."

The two were close together, their body temperature merged, their fragrance intertwined and lingered, the exhaled breath was inhaled into the lungs of the other, and the cycle went back and forth, and the atmosphere was suddenly full of ambiguity.

"Okay, I see."

Qi Yan bent her lips, let go of Lu Zhiqiao, and walked towards 902 calmly.

Suddenly, she stopped, and a faint voice floated over:

"One day, you will be willing."