Part 2
Between long fingers, the base of a wine glass was held loosely, lazily swirling the deep red liquid.
The wineâs purpose was merely to heighten the mood, making the “feast” even more delicious and enjoyable.
What the man was truly tasting was the youth on the screen.
Deliberately magnified, with all distracting and irrelevant characters removed, until the entire screen was filled only with the youthâs face.
Every smile, every word and actionâeven every quiver of those long eyelashes was imprinted into the manâs heart by his deep gaze.
A long finger rose, resting between the youthâs eyebrows, stroking over them inch by inch.
The light from the screen, carrying the youthâs features, was reflected in the manâs eyes, swept up and consumed by the intense, terrifying emotions within.
“Xixi…”
A deep voice sounded, accompanied by a subtle sighâas if from longing, as if from sorrow, as if from hatred… yet also as if he had called this name countless times in the depths of his heart. All complex emotions converged into these two syllables.
…
Yu Xi, who was about to get into the car, paused and turned his head as if sensing something.
“Xiao Xi?” Pei Lexin called from inside.
Yu Xi snapped back to his senses and sat in the car.
On the way back to HuzĂ© JĆ«ntĂng, Pei Lexin kept pulling him to check him over, as if afraid he was missing a limb, and showered him with concern.
Yu Xi responded to her words softly, stealing a glance at the front. He happened to meet Pei Wangâs resentful gaze in the rearview mirror and was so startled he shivered and shrunk back.
“Are you cold? Xiao Zhang, turn the AC up a bit.” Pei Lexin immediately instructed the driver, then thought for a moment and said, “Forget it, turn off the AC. Open the windows; the ventilation will make it less likely for Xiao Xi to get motion sickness.”
Yu Xi: “No need to go to such trouble, Auntie Pei…”
Pei Lexin patted his hand to interrupt him. “Itâs a small thing. By the way, I brought you a gift from abroad; itâs in my suitcase. You can see it when we get home.”
Yu Xi felt warmth in his heart and smiled as he nodded. “Okay, thank you, Auntie Pei.”
On this trip home, with Pei Lexin talking and chatting with him the whole time, plus the driver deliberately slowing down and driving extremely steadily, Yu Xi didn’t experience any motion sickness.
Pei Lexin had returned overnight after completing her business, not closing her eyes for two days and one night. She had eaten on the plane but wanted to stay and have lunch with Yu Xi. However, Yu Xi saw the fatigue hidden under her makeup and successfully persuaded her to go upstairs to rest.
Due to the jet lag, Pei Lexin slept until evening. When she came downstairs, she followed the sounds to the kitchen. She saw Yu Xi holding a ladle in front of the stove, explaining the heat adjustments for the dish to Auntie Wan. His serious expression while wearing an apron made him look like the jade-pure and lovely child in her memory, yet he was also very different.
Yu Xi hadn’t just grown up in appearance; in the experiences that Pei Lexin hadn’t witnessed, he had forged a trait rare for his age group.
Like a gladiolus that remained resilient and upright despite being battered by wind and rainâthe leaves were like sharp swords, yet they were soft and fragrant.
Truly the child of her best friend, Qi Qingyun.
“Auntie Pei?”
When Yu Xi turned around and discovered Pei Lexin, he saw an expression of pure gratification in her eyes. He didn’t know how long she had been standing at the door.
Pei Lexin stepped into the kitchen. “What are you guys making?”
Yu Xi presented the freshly made dish to Pei Lexin like a treasure. “Itâs Stir-fried Pork with Preserved Mustard Greens!”
Pei Lexinâs eyes lit up.
Just now she was only focused on looking at Yu Xi and hadn’t noticed the food in the pan. She didn’t expect it to be this.
Whether it was the appearance or the aroma, it was no different from her memory, which brought her immense joy.
“Mom taught me. she said Auntie Pei loves this the most.”
The smile in Pei Lexinâs eyes was almost overflowing. “Is that so? I used to always pester your mother to make this for me, and Iâd even pack some to take home. Quick, letâs go to the table and eat!”
After the dishes were served, Pei Lexin looked at the empty seat, slightly knitted her brows, and asked Auntie Wan, “Has Xiao Wang not come down yet?”
“Iâll go call him again.” Auntie Wan went upstairs once more.
“Sigh…” Pei Lexin let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Just how long is that boy going to keep being difficult with me?”
Yu Xi sat beside her, not knowing how to comfort her, so he just poured a glass of fresh juice and handed it to her.
Pei Lexin: “Iâm also to blame. I got anxious this afternoon and scolded him in front of so many of his friends. He must feel like he lost face.”
Yu Xi shook his head. “Itâs not your fault, Auntie Pei. Itâs my issue.”
“How is it your issue?” Pei Lexin laughed helplessly. “Itâs because I neglected to accompany and discipline him in the past, which raised him to have such a stubborn temper, like a donkey.”
As she spoke, Pei Wang was coaxed down by Auntie Wan. However, his face was still sour as he took his seat without saying a word.
Pei Lexin intended to ease the tension, so before the meal, she brought out the gifts she bought abroad. For Yu Xi, it was a complete set of carving knives.
“I heard from your mother that you like making small wood carvings, so I bought this brand of tools. See if you like them?”
Yu Xi held the carving knives he had dreamed of, his eyes sparkling. He was so happy his voice even rose a bit. “I love them! Thank you, Auntie Pei! These must be very expensive, right?”
“Not expensive. Just think of it as a greeting gift.” Pei Lexin patted his head and took out another box, handing it to Pei Wang. “Here, I didn’t forget you. The limited edition Gundam you wanted.”
Pei Wang seemed surprised for a moment. After being awkward for a while, he squeezed out a low, “Thanks, Mom.”
Pei Lexin smiled and nodded. “Letâs eat.”
After this segment, the atmosphere at the dining table finally wasn’t as cold and hard, and Pei Wang no longer had a sour face.
Pei Lexin spoke about the events of the day: “Xiao Wang, Iâm not against you playing with your friends, and I hope you can take Xiao Xi and help him make more friends. But heâs in an unfamiliar place; you should take care of him a bit more and stop having those crooked thoughts…”
Halfway through the nagging, Pei Lexin remembered something and turned to ask, “Xiao Xi, I remember when you were little you made many friends here. The Sheng twins and Zhang Xingkuo used to come to the door all the time to find you. Do you remember?”
Yu Xi, whose cheeks were puffed out from chewing, paused. After swallowing unhurriedly, he replied, “Mhm… but Auntie Pei, that was when I was very small.”
“What does that matter? Your mother and I were also out of touch for many years, and now weâve reconciled just the same. During those first two years after your mother took you away, those little friends of yours often came to ask me about you. Especially the one from the Gu family, Chuanzhou; he persistently followed me and asked for several years before giving up.”
Before Yu Xi could react, Pei Wang let out a “Ha!” from the side.
He had a look of disbelief as he pointed his chopsticks at Yu Xi. “Him? With Gu Chuanzhou and that crowd??”
Pei Lexin arched an eyebrow. “Yes, why? Our Xiao Xi is very likable! During the two winter and summer vacations he spent here, I don’t know how many kids in this district were rushing to be his friend.”
Pei Wang still had a “is that for real?” expression on his face. He re-scrutinized the remarkably handsome youth sitting across from him and curled his lips. “You said it yourself, it was childhood. Itâs been how many years? Theyâve probably forgotten him long ago. They aren’t on the same level. They don’t even pay attention to me, so why would they pay attention to a country bumpkin like himâ”
At that moment, the villaâs video doorbell rang.
“Whoâs coming to the door at this time?” Puzzled, Pei Lexin had the butler go and check.
Soon, the butler returned to the dining room with somewhat hurried steps. “President Pei, itâs the Young Master of the Gu family. Gu Chuanzhou is here.”
Clatter.
Someoneâs chopsticks slipped and fell onto the floor.
Translator’s Note:
Talk about perfect timing! Pei Wang was just trash-talking when the Big Boss himself showed up. Gu Chuanzhou (饧ć·è) is the “Gu family one” they were talking about at the club. The name “Chuanzhou” (ć·è) literally means “River Boat.” And did you catch that creepy surveillance scene? Someone is definitely very obsessed with our “Xixi.”
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