Chapter 50
Yuan Qi wasn’t surprised by Shen Yiqiu’s refusal, remaining remarkably calm, as if he had anticipated her response.
“Xiao Qiu, I know you’re comfortable with your current living situation. Frequent changes aren’t ideal, but we should also consider the future.”
The future? Shen Yiqiu thought, I also want to live with Jiejie in the future. Unless she starts her own family or changes her living situation, then I’ll have to step back.
The thought made her feel a pang of sadness. Just imagining it made her uncomfortable; she really didn’t want Qin Qianrou living with someone else.
Yuan Qi’s patience had improved considerably. He had grown a beard, but his tone was still as gentle and kind as before.
“I’ve made inquiries, I know you’re living with Qianrou now. Imposing on others for so long isn’t ideal.” He spoke casually, as if having already learned quite a bit before coming to see Shen Yiqiu.
He paused, then continued, “Besides, she’s so busy with work, she can’t really take care of you properly. When I’ve settled down in Meng City, you can come live with me, how about that?”
From his tone, he wasn’t in a hurry for Shen Yiqiu to move out. He must have just returned and still had many things to take care of.
However, this wasn’t Shen Yiqiu’s focus. She noticed that her cousin had called Jiejie “Qianrou,” which matched her memories from her past life. She immediately recalled the connection between her cousin and Qin Qianrou. Although she didn’t know the details, she understood they knew each other.
“Jiejie isn’t that busy.” And I don’t need her to take care of me anymore. I want to take care of her, Jiejie works so hard.
Shen Yiqiu didn’t voice her thoughts, feeling a complex mix of emotions towards her cousin. He was her only remaining close relative, and his concern and care were genuine. Shen Yiqiu couldn’t be indifferent to this, but his sudden appearance made her feel a little uncomfortable.
“She’s not busy? Working overtime so late every day, only coming home to sleep.” Yuan Qi shook his head, seemingly recalling something, then added casually, “But that’s just her personality, when she’s focused on something, she’ll dedicate herself completely, no matter the cost.”
It sounded like a distant memory, but Shen Yiqiu’s heart tightened, the discomfort growing.
She probed, “Cousin, are you very close to Jiejie?”
Yuan Qi collected his thoughts and looked at Shen Yiqiu, who had grown so much taller, his gaze filled with affection and tenderness.
“Why are you calling Qianrou ‘Jiejie?’ She’s the same generation as me, that’s not the right way to address her.”
The implication being that she should call her “Auntie.”
Not long ago, she had indeed done that. However, things were different now, and Shen Yiqiu wasn’t willing to change her form of address.
She pursed her lips and softly explained, “Jiejie is so young and beautiful, calling her ‘Auntie’ doesn’t sound right.” She smiled faintly, her tone warm. “Besides, Jiejie said we’re friends, so calling her ‘Jiejie’ is fine.”
Yuan Qi patted his forehead in exasperation. “Xiao Qiu, you’re truly amazing, managing to bring that ice queen Qianrou down to earth.” He suddenly became interested, a familiar mischievous look appearing on his face. “Tell me, how did she react when you called her ‘Jiejie’?”
Shen Yiqiu pursed her lips and calmly replied, “She didn’t react much. Just… normal.”
Yuan Qi thoughtfully stroked his neatly trimmed beard, deciding not to press the issue for now.
Shen Yiqiu couldn’t resist asking again, “Are you and Jiejie very close?”
Yuan Qi answered truthfully, “We used to be, but we haven’t been in contact these past few years. I’m probably not as close to her as you are now.”
Shen Yiqiu felt a sense of relief, the knot in her heart loosening slightly.
Knowing Shen Yiqiu’s stance, Yuan Qi understood he couldn’t persuade her today, but he wasn’t in a hurry. He planned to settle down in Meng City permanently, so he had to find a place first before bringing Xiao Qiu over.
“Alright, we’ll talk about moving later, let’s go eat first. By the way, Xiao Qiu, give me your number, so it’ll be easier for me to contact you.” With that, Yuan Qi led Shen Yiqiu towards a restaurant outside the university.
Shen Yiqiu called her advisor to explain the situation, then followed her cousin out of the campus. Zhang Meng and her classmates were just returning from outside and almost bumped into Shen Yiqiu. However, Yuan Qi had his arm around her, whispering something, so they didn’t see each other.
Zhang Meng turned back, puzzled, watching their retreating figures, then a classmate nudged her.
“What are you looking at?”
“Have you seen that man before?”
“No way, he’s clearly not a student. And with his attire and his age, he’s probably here to pick up girls.”
Zhang Meng’s expression turned serious. She hadn’t interacted much with Shen Yiqiu lately, but she was still concerned about her.
“Let’s go, why are you spacing out every time you see a man? Be careful, we’ll tell Gu Chao.”
Zhang Meng glared at them and said irritably, “Am I that kind of person?”
Although she started walking, she kept looking back, still feeling uneasy.
However, they were already gone, but the image of Yuan Qi’s arm around Shen Yiqiu lingered in her mind. Zhang Meng thought of Shen Yiqiu’s innocence, her kindness, her gentle and approachable nature. Such a sweet and lovely girl, she mustn’t be deceived by those bad men out there.
Yuan Qi wasn’t familiar with the area around the university, so he let Shen Yiqiu choose the restaurant. After ordering, he tapped his fingers on the table, seemingly in a good mood.
Although he had been devastated when he learned about the Shen family’s tragedy, thankfully, Shen Yiqiu was still alive. He had rushed back, filled with anxiety along the way, afraid of seeing a heartbroken and lifeless Xiao Qiu.
However, everything was much better than he had expected. He had always been optimistic by nature, sadness was just a fleeting emotion, as long as there was hope, the future was bright.
“Xiao Qiu, let’s keep my visit a secret for now, okay?”
Yuan Qi’s sudden request puzzled Shen Yiqiu.
“Don’t tell your Sister Qin yet.”
“Why?”
Yuan Qi’s expression turned strange, a hint of hesitation and reluctance in his eyes.
“She’s so busy, no need to bother her with such a small matter. When everything is settled, I’ll formally visit her.”
Shen Yiqiu felt her cousin’s excuse wasn’t very convincing, but she also didn’t want Jiejie to meet her cousin so soon. She didn’t even want Jiejie to know he was back.
In this regard, she and Yuan Qi were on the same page.
She readily agreed, and Yuan Qi, smiling, reached out to pat her head, like he used to when she was a child, but Shen Yiqiu dodged his hand.
“Cousin, I’m all grown up now, why are you still patting my head?!”
“Alright, alright, Xiao Qiu is all grown up.”
Yuan Qi lowered his hand, but the affection and pride in his eyes were evident.
However, this interaction seemed strange to the surrounding students. They couldn’t see their expressions clearly from their angle, but they could still get a general idea. Seeing such a pairing, their first thought was of an older man preying on a young girl.
Yuan Qi seemed reluctant to part with Shen Yiqiu, not only having lunch with her, but also wanting to have dinner together.
“Cousin, I have class this afternoon, at least two more hours until it ends. Let’s skip dinner, we can have it another time.”
“That won’t do, we just had a simple lunch, we’ll have a proper dinner in the city tonight. You have your cousin now, your life should improve.”
Shen Yiqiu thought to herself, My life is already pretty good. And she wanted to go to the supermarket to buy groceries and make a late-night snack for Jiejie.
Yuan Qi was insistent but not forceful. Shen Yiqiu was easily persuaded by gentle requests, and she knew he was trying to make amends. This feeling of regret and the desire to compensate were often strongest during the initial reunion, and Shen Yiqiu, unable to refuse him, agreed.
After her afternoon lecture, as she emerged from the lecture hall, she ran into Zhang Meng coming down from a classroom upstairs.
“Shen Yiqiu.” Zhang Meng hurried over. “Going to the study hall together later?”
They sometimes studied together, and Zhang Meng assumed today would be no different.
“Senior, I’m not going to the study hall today, I’m going home.”
Zhang Meng was surprised, and a little curious. “You’re going home alone?”
“Ah, I have plans with someone.”
Shen Yiqiu didn’t elaborate, she rarely mentioned her family. Having finally returned to a quiet life, she didn’t want her family matters to attract attention again.
Outside the university gate, Yuan Qi, having received her message, was already waiting. Seeing her emerge, he waved, signaling for her to get in the car. It wasn’t too late to go to the city center now, but later, the traffic would be heavy.
**
Qin Qianrou, as usual, worked until almost nightfall. The temperature had dropped significantly today, a cold wind blowing. Meng City became cold and damp after late autumn, and the cold waves were particularly unpleasant.
She left the television station with Li Wan. The team was preparing for a major program recently, and everyone had been working overtime frequently. This made Qin Qianrou seem less unusual, and naturally, no one questioned why she was always going home so late.
Li Wan huddled closer to Qin Qianrou, shivering. “It’s so cold today, thankfully, the team leader is humane and let us leave at dinnertime.”
“Then why aren’t you rushing home for dinner?”
“Sigh, I don’t want to go home tonight.”
Qin Qianrou looked at her with interest. Li Wan not wanting to go home most likely meant Zhuo Cheng was visiting again.
“Don’t ask, it’s just that annoying pest at my house again.”
Qin Qianrou chuckled knowingly and didn’t ask.
She got into her car, and Li Wan got in as well.
“Just a ride.”
Qin Qianrou glanced at her helplessly, not bothering to object. “Where are you going?”
Li Wan thought for a moment, then suggested, “How about we have a nice dinner before going home?”
Having dinner outside and killing some time would mean Zhuo Cheng would probably be gone by the time she got home. Even if he wasn’t, she wouldn’t have to entertain him for long, which was perfect.
Qin Qianrou wasn’t interested and was about to refuse when Li Wan interrupted her.
“We’ve worked hard all day, don’t we deserve a nice meal? Besides, you don’t have anything to eat at home.”
Li Wan knew Shen Yiqiu hadn’t been cooking dinner every day lately, assuming it was because she was busy with her studies. Qin Qianrou hadn’t told her about the late-night snacks; after all, Li Wan wouldn’t be around to share them.
Qin Qianrou parted her lips, but didn’t explain.
“It’s settled then, we’re having a nice dinner in the city center. By the way, should we invite Shen Yiqiu? She’s been studying hard lately too.”
Qin Qianrou hesitated, unsure whether to agree or not.
“Qianrou, are you listening to me?” Li Wan waved her hand in front of Qin Qianrou’s face, annoyed by her distraction.
“It’s fine, I’ll just bring some takeout back for her.”
Qin Qianrou thought that Shen Yiqiu was already sacrificing her study time to prepare late-night snacks for her every day. Calling her out for dinner would only be a further disruption; it would be better to bring food back for her.
They arrived at the restaurant a bit late, it was already the second seating, but thankfully, the waiting list was shorter. Many of the customers around them, still in their work attire, had also just finished work.
Li Wan sighed, “All pitiful workers.”
Qin Qianrou casually remarked, “It’s rare to see the team leader leave on time today, I’m not quite used to it.”
Li Wan snorted softly. “She has a date, of course she’s in a hurry.”
Qin Qianrou looked up from her phone, a knowing smile on her face as she looked at her friend.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Nothing, I just thought your tone was a bit… peculiar.”
Li Wan fidgeted, her hands moving from the table to her lap, unconsciously tracing circles.
“What’s peculiar about it?”
If Qin Qianrou couldn’t sense something was amiss now, she would have wasted all those years of friendship with Li Wan.
Now, it wasn’t just her tone; her entire demeanor was strange.
Such unusual behavior definitely meant something was up.
“Xiao Wan, is there something you want to share with me?”
Li Wan, for the first time, felt cornered by her friend. It was usually she who teased Qin Qianrou like this. However, now, her heart was in turmoil, she had finally figured out her own feelings.
Especially with that annoying Zhuo Cheng’s reappearance, it had made her realize who she truly liked. However, it seemed like a hopeless love, and she didn’t dare to act on it.
Seeing her struggle, her troubled expression, Qin Qianrou also felt a little nervous. She wasn’t one to joke around, and her rare attempt at teasing had unexpectedly elicited such a reaction from Li Wan.
“If it’s something you don’t want to talk about, it’s fine. Xiao Wan, I’m not trying to force you.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it has nothing to do with you, it’s my own problem, I just don’t know how to say it.”
Li Wan sighed softly, a stark contrast to her usual fiery and carefree personality, a hint of sadness in her voice.
“I’ve fallen for someone I shouldn’t have. I know it’s hopeless, but I can’t help it.”
Qin Qianrou was lost in thought, her heart seemingly mirroring Li Wan’s struggles as she listened to her confession.
Having opened up, Li Wan poured out the feelings she had been suppressing for so long. After all, she had no one else to confide in besides Qin Qianrou.
“I never thought I would fall for someone like this, I thought it was impossible, we’re on completely different paths. But after spending time with her, I realized that feelings… you can’t control them. When you fall for someone, you fall for someone, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Qin Qianrou looked at Li Wan, seeing the self-deprecating smile on her lips, the helplessness in her eyes.
“Xiao Wan, is the person you’re talking about…”
Qin Qianrou had already guessed, but it was still better for Li Wan to confirm it herself. If she was wrong, it might lead to further misunderstandings.
Li Wan looked at her helplessly, a hint of dejection in her voice. “Who else could it be?”
Qin Qianrou sighed softly. She hadn’t expected Li Wan to like the team leader. However, thinking back, it seemed inevitable.
“Does she… know?”
“No.”
Li Wan paused, then explained, “I don’t know if she knows. She’s a workaholic, practically lives in the office, I don’t think she knows.”
Recalling her recent overtime sessions with Lin Shuangzhi, Li Wan felt a surge of frustration, not knowing how to express it.
“What about Zhuo Cheng…?”
Li Wan quickly interrupted, “It has nothing to do with Zhuo Cheng, even if he hadn’t reappeared, I think I would still have fallen for her. It’s just that because of Zhuo Cheng, I finally realized the difference between liking someone and not liking someone, it’s so obvious.”
She had made herself clear, there was no doubt in Qin Qianrou’s mind.
They were both nearing thirty, and although their romantic experiences were limited, they had witnessed countless relationships. They were no longer seventeen or eighteen-year-old teenagers experiencing first love; they knew their own feelings.
Their hesitation stemmed from their clear understanding of reality, their fear of taking that step forward. In the adult world, love wasn’t everything, yet it was a powerful yearning, a desperate thirst for an oasis in the desert.
Qin Qianrou remained silent; Li Wan didn’t need encouragement right now. She had always been decisive in matters of the heart, what she needed was someone to listen, her overflowing emotions needed an outlet.
“Tell me, am I crazy? Falling for a woman, my superior, a workaholic who practically lives in the office, completely oblivious to romance!”
Having revealed her secret, Li Wan felt a sense of relief, and she couldn’t help but complain. She truly couldn’t understand Lin Shuangzhi’s mindset, how could someone be so devoted to work?
Then, the next moment, she looked at Qin Qianrou, realizing she was pretty much the same.
“Qianrou, tell me honestly, for workaholics like you, is it in your genes to prioritize work over everything else?”
Qin Qianrou hadn’t expected such a sudden shift in topic, but she didn’t avoid the question. “Work does give us a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, but not to the point of surpassing everything else.”
Li Wan, armed with this answer, tried to understand Lin Shuangzhi better, but she still couldn’t quite grasp it, so she returned to Qin Qianrou.
“So you often come home late because the joy of work surpasses the warmth of having someone waiting for you at home?”
Qin Qianrou’s heart skipped a beat, her hand holding the cup trembling slightly. Thankfully, it wasn’t full, so she didn’t spill anything.
“What does this have to do with me? Are you using me as a reference point for your analysis?”
“I just don’t understand the mindset of people like you. Isn’t having someone waiting for you at home appealing enough?”
Li Wan was still lost in her own thoughts, unable to understand. Qin Qianrou’s gaze deepened; she had an answer to this question, but she couldn’t say it.
**
Yuan Qi seemed truly out of touch with city life, especially the bustling nightlife, which seemed to excite him greatly. Shen Yiqiu, watching her cousin eat non-stop, couldn’t help but worry.
“Cousin, if you like it so much, we can come back tomorrow.”
“Let me enjoy today’s portion first, tomorrow has its own quota.”
What? A quota for eating? Shen Yiqiu was both surprised and amused, but seeing his continued enthusiasm, he must have been truly hungry.
Yuan Qi pointed to Shen Yiqiu’s bowl. “You’re only eating this much?”
Shen Yiqiu had actually eaten quite a bit, a large bowl of ramen, a few pan-fried dumplings, two fried chicken wings, and a few fish balls her cousin had insisted she try.
She was full now, but since Yuan Qi hadn’t finished, she couldn’t suggest leaving.
She discreetly checked the time a few times, calculating when she needed to leave to prepare the late-night snack.
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