After hanging up the phone, Ruan ngxi suddenly realized she hadn’t brushed her teeth yet. Her legs felt better now, so she headed to the bathroom just as Qi Zeyan finished his shower. He had sweated a lot and was sticky, so he put on his dad’s pajamas.
It felt just like ho.
"I just checked the forecast. It says there’s more snow tomorrow."
"Oh." Ruan ngxi was a bit dazed.
"How about we have lunch out and watch a movie tomorrow afternoon?"
"I might have to work tomorrow." If the snow isn’t too heavy, she definitely has to go to the club.
"I’m your boss too, I have the right to give you a day off."
"..."
Ruan ngxi didn’t respond. Is this an abuse of power, using authority for personal gain?
Even after she went back to her room, she was still thinking about what to wear tomorrow, how to match outfits nicely, and absent-mindedly wondered what exactly her relationship with him was and how they ended up starting to date.
She was lost in thought when Qi Zeyan knocked on the door from outside, "Is it okay to co in?"
Qi Zeyan had co in directly before but later realized it might be a bit abrupt; she was just on the phone, but if she was changing clothes, it wouldn’t be appropriate.
"Sure, you can co in."
"I have an urgent matter, need to borrow your computer."
"It’s on the desk, use it as you please." Ruan ngxi roughly guessed it might be about work. Having worked with him for a while, she knew Qi’s company had a lot of international business, often requiring late-night business coordination.
She got out of bed to turn on the computer for him and also switched on the desk lamp so he could work in good lighting.
Qi Zeyan was indeed busy with work, and had a video call with a client abroad for over ten minutes, then kept typing on the keyboard. Ruan ngxi sat on the bed playing on her phone, stealing glances at him.
It’s said that n are most attractive when working, and indeed he was, even in his dad’s pajamas.
Another video call soon ca through. Ruan ngxi pursed her lips, knowing how busy he usually was as she’d been his assistant for a while, and figured it was another work call, only for him to start with:
"Dad—"
Ruan ngxi had heard many things about Qi Zeyan’s parents since joining the company, seen photos, but never t them in person.
Suddenly, she felt nervous.
"Where are you? Not at ho?" The man’s voice was deep, distinctive of a middle-aged man.
"Yeah, I’m out."
"Doesn’t look like a hotel."
"At my girlfriend’s place."
There was a pause on the other end, and Ruan ngxi was stunned.
Since when was she his girlfriend? What was he babbling about?
"Qiqi, do you have a photo? Let see." A woman’s voice chid in, surely his mother, "How is the young lady? How long have you been dating?"
"Looks like your grandfather was right." The man pressed his lips, "How far have you developed? Can you bring her to et us?"
Qi Zeyan threw cold water on the idea, "It’s inconvenient."
"What did you say?" The man frowned.
"I’m just starting to pursue her, so it’s not convenient yet."
"That’s alright, wait until the ti is right, and if the lady is willing, invite her over for dinner."
...
Ruan ngxi sat on the bed, feeling like her soul was drifting away...
What is all this nonsense?
Thinking it over, she hadn’t even agreed to Qi Zeyan’s pursuit, so why was this leading to eting the parents?
Qi Zeyan ended the video call and closed the computer, "I have more work to do, it’ll take a while, can I take the computer to my room?"
Ruan ngxi was bewildered, so she instinctively nodded in agreent.
Qi Zeyan noticed her absent-mindedness, put down the computer and approached the bed, getting closer on one knee, "Hey—"
"Ah?" Ruan ngxi was once again startled.
"What are you dreaming about?"
"No, nothing."
"I’ve told my family about us but not my grandfather yet. I like you, or else with his temper, it wouldn’t matter if it was snowing, he’d co over even if it was a hailstorm. You don’t mind, do you?"
"What good does it do if I do mind?" Ruan ngxi felt like she had fallen into a pit and couldn’t climb out.
Qi Zeyan leaned closer, his gaze deep.
"I never intended to pressure you with this. I just wanted to tell you I’m serious, so I don’t mind letting my family know. If you’d like, I can formally introduce you to my parents when the ti’s right."
"Our relationship isn’t at that stage yet." How had this turned into eting the parents?
"It’s bound to happen sooner or later, so I’ll get back to work." Before leaving, Qi Zeyan looked at her for a while.
Ruan ngxi suddenly sensed sothing, reflexively moving back, only for him to move faster and peck her cheek, then he walked off with the computer...
Leaving her alone on the bed, dazed.
Everything felt like a dream until the phone rang, seeing the caller ID pulled her back to reality.
"Hello, Dad."
"I saw on the news that there’s heavy snow in Beijing, and the roads are closed. How are you doing? Try not to go out." Ruan’s father called after seeing the news.
"I’m fine. The boss gave us a holiday, so I’m at ho."
"That’s good."
After a few words of advice, Ruan’s father was about to hang up the phone when Ruan ngxi suddenly started stamring.
"Why are you stamring? Speak up."
"Dad, rember I told you about the breakup before?"
"What, is that little jerk bothering you again?"
"No, no."
"If he does anything to you, you must tell . Your dad, when he was young, also learned martial arts. Handling a little jerk is no problem. If he dares to bully you, just tell ..."
Ruan ngxi laughed wryly, and after hanging up, she still felt uneasy.
Even over the phone, she could feel her dad’s resentnt coming through. If she really got together with Qi Zeyan, how would she handle her dad?
**
After Ruan’s father hung up the phone, he leaned against the headboard, lost in thought.
"Did you call Xixi?" Ruan Family’s mom ca out after a bath, noticing her husband in a daze. "I’m asking you sothing, why aren’t you responding?"
"I suspect that little jerk who dumped Xixi before is bothering her again."
"What?" Ruan Family’s mom was sowhat surprised.
"Xixi hasn’t been in a relationship before. She cried so much when she ca back before; she must have really liked that guy. I’m just afraid this girl will be soft-hearted, and if that little jerk turns around, they’ll be back together."
"I know my daughter well. She’s very emotional, soft-hearted, seems smart, but is actually a muddled head."
"I’m just afraid she can’t see people clearly and won’t even know if she’s being cheated."
Ruan’s father spoke indignantly.
"Probably not, Xixi’s been quite normal lately. She’s helping Shuci with the wedding stuff, changed her job, and sent us photos. She seems to be doing well."
"That girl always reports good news, never bad." Ruan’s father snorted. "I have to find ti to visit Beijing."
"Don’t do a surprise visit. The kids don’t like that."
As kids grow up, many don’t like staying with parents, especially those who’ve moved out to live alone. Parents doing surprise visits makes them uncomfortable too.
"I really can’t feel at ease."
"Why not ask Wanwan first? They’re close, she might know sothing."
"That’s true."
Ruan’s father thought about it and decided to do just that. When the call went through, he realized it was very late.
"Wanwan, I’m really sorry to disturb you so late."
"It’s fine, I’m not asleep yet." Tang Wan was in her postpartum confinent, and the baby was always fussing at night, turning her days and nights upside down. "Uncle, you called so late, is there sothing up?"
"I haven’t congratulated you yet on the birth of your son."
"You already ntioned it last ti and even sent a big red envelope." Tang Wan and the Ruan Family parents were connected on WeChat. When they found out Tang Wan had given birth, they didn’t want to disturb her with a call, so they sent ssages and a red envelope.
"That’s expected."
After so courteous pleasantries, Ruan’s father finally got to the point.
"Actually, the reason I called so late is about Xixi."
"Xixi?" After Tang Wan said this, even Jiang Jinsang, who was playing with the baby beside her, couldn’t help but glance at her. "What happened to Xixi?"
"With you two being so close, you must know about the guy she liked before and got rejected by, right?"
"Yes, I know."
"Do you know if they’re still in contact?"
Tang Wan frowned, not sure how to say it. Actually, they never really stopped contact. "This..."
She really didn’t know how to explain this to Ruan’s father, and just then the baby, Xiaowai, suddenly started crying.
"Uncle, sorry, the baby is crying, maybe he’s hungry, so we..."
"You go comfort the baby first."
After Ruan’s father hung up, his wife ca over, "So, what did Wanwan say?"
"That girl was stamring, didn’t say much, but I think there’s sothing fishy about this. I must find ti to go to Beijing."
**
Tang Wan was thinking of telling Ruan ngxi that uncle called to probe the situation, so she should be careful and watch out.
But with pregnancy brain, being busy comforting the baby, she completely forgot about it.
And Ruan ngxi’s mind was in a ss at this mont.
Thinking about her father one mont and what to wear tomorrow the next, she completely forgot that her computer was still with Qi Zeyan.
And there were a lot of things in her computer that couldn’t see the light of day...
Qi Zeyan wasn’t intentionally searching, he just unintentionally ca across them, and then...
He was really eye-opened!
So that’s the kind of person she is.
User Comments
0 comments from readers