As they left the eting room, Zheng Guofeng called out to Xue Yue.
"If Zhao Yinglan asked you to go, then just go. Relax, it has nothing to do with work."
"I understand, Uncle Zheng." Xue Yue thought, ’It wouldn’t have anything to do with work anyway. After all, at my level, I can’t make any decisions.’
Xue Yue went to the east wing of the Beijing Hotel and told the front desk she was looking for the Reynolds couple from Country Y. Most foreign guests stayed at this hotel.
The receptionist glanced at Xue Yue, then made a call to the room. Soon, their assistant, Ezra Rosen, ca down.
He walked straight over to Xue Yue and said in halting Chinese, "Miss Xue, Madam has invited you up."
Xue Yue nodded and followed him to the third floor.
The room’s door was ajar. The assistant knocked.
"Co in, the door’s unlocked." It was Zhao Yinglan’s voice.
Rosen pushed the door open for Xue Yue, letting her in while he remained standing at the entrance.
When Xue Yue entered, she saw Zhao Yinglan was the only one inside. She was in her pajamas, standing in front of the wardrobe picking out clothes. Several outfits were already piled on the bed.
Zhao Yinglan waved Xue Yue over. "Yue’er, co here. Help Aunt Zhao decide what I should wear. I’m going to visit so old haunts today."
Xue Yue glanced over. They were all business suits or formal gowns.
"Do you have anything more casual and comfortable? You’ll probably be doing a lot of walking, after all."
Zhao Yinglan looked at the clothes on the bed and in the closet, then shook her head. "No."
Xue Yue smiled. "How about I take you out to buy so? I know a clothing store that should have sothing suitable for you."
Zhao Yinglan imdiately nodded and agreed.
She then grabbed a random outfit and went to the bathroom to change.
Once she had changed and grabbed her bag, she linked arms with Xue Yue and headed out.
"Let’s go. We’re going shopping."
Xue Yue was a little taken aback by her straightforward and decisive nature. "Um, is it just the two of us?"
Zhao Yinglan raised an eyebrow. "Of course. We’re not bringing anyone else; it’s just us today." She then sighed. "Your mother should have been the one to accompany for this sort of thing, but she... well, never mind. Let’s not talk about it."
The assistant drove them to the clothing store Xue Yue had ntioned.
"Madam."
Zhao Yinglan waved at him. "You can go back. Tell Zaven I’ll be back tonight."
"Alright."
Zhao Yinglan looked at the storefront for a mont before entering with Xue Yue.
The staff inside saw Xue Yue and greeted her respectfully, "Boss Lady, you’re here."
Xue Yue nodded.
Guan Wenwen also ca out from the back. "Boss Lady."
"Mhm."
Hearing the staff call Xue Yue "Boss Lady," Zhao Yinglan was a little surprised. "You own this shop? Not bad. The style is very fashion-forward."
Xue Yue said, "My husband is the one who put it all together. I barely helped. Aunt Zhao, please, look around. There are shoes and accessories on the second floor. We can go up in a bit."
Zhao Yinglan nodded. Guan Wenwen was very perceptive, following behind and offering occasional suggestions.
"We have fitting rooms here if you’d like to try anything on."
Zhao Yinglan picked out several outfits in one go. "Bag all of these up for , except for this one. I want to change into it now."
Guan Wenwen: "Alright, the fitting rooms are this way."
Zhao Yinglan had chosen a simple long dress with a short knit cardigan. When she ca out after changing...
Xue Yue nodded. "It looks great. Very vibrant."
Zhao Yinglan laughed. "Vibrant at my age? I’m over fifty! HAHAHA! But I like it." Then she said to Guan Wenwen, "I’ll wear this set. Please bag up the clothes I was wearing."
Xue Yue took her to the second floor.
There, Zhao Yinglan changed into a pair of white sneakers on the spot and picked out a bracelet to wear.
When they ca down from the second floor, Zhao Yinglan was about to take out her money to pay, but Xue Yue stopped her.
"Aunt Zhao, you’re making lose face. It’s just a few pieces of clothing. How could I possibly take your money?"
Zhao Yinglan said, "This is a small business. Don’t worry, I’m not short on money."
Xue Yue held onto Zhao Yinglan’s arm and said firmly, "You and my mother were good friends. Even though my mother is no longer here, it’s only right that I host you. And to be honest, I’m not short on this bit of money either."
Hearing this, Zhao Yinglan raised her eyebrows. ’It seems I’ve underestimated this young lady,’ she thought.
"Alright. Since you’ve put it that way, I won’t insist." She then looked at the bagged clothes. "I still want to visit so old places today, and it’s not convenient to carry all this."
Xue Yue said, "Just leave them at the store. We can co back to pick them up on our way back."
"That works."
After leaving the store, the two of them boarded a public bus, with Xue Yue following Zhao Yinglan’s lead.
They transferred to another bus midway and then got off at East Fish Alley.
Zhao Yinglan stood at the entrance of the alley, gazing inside without speaking for a long ti.
Xue Yue looked at the surrounding buildings and didn’t disturb her.
After a long while, Zhao Yinglan spoke. "Have you ever been here before?"
"No." Xue Yue indeed hadn’t been here before, though it seed to be not too far from Uncle Zheng’s house.
Zhao Yinglan looked into the alley and let out a soft sigh. "We used to play here all the ti—, your mother, Li Wanqing, Zheng Guofeng, and Wen Yuanbo."
The na Wen Yuanbo sounded strangely familiar to Xue Yue, as if she’d heard it sowhere before, but she couldn’t imdiately recall where.
Zhao Yinglan started walking into the alley, speaking as she went. "My family and your maternal grandfather’s family were both in business. Zheng Guofeng’s parents were in education, and the Wen Family were doctors for generations. But because we all lived close by and our parents knew each other, our families were always in touch. The few of us went to the sa elentary school."
Xue Yue finally rembered who Wen Yuanbo was. Wasn’t he the orthopedic surgeon from Peace Hospital who had treated her father-in-law? Yes, and it was Uncle Zheng who had introduced him. She never expected him to be one of her mother’s friends too.
"Your mother and Zheng Guofeng were engaged. We all envied them back then. Later, because of the war, my family and the Zheng family went abroad. I never thought they would end up separated. Fate is a cruel trickster."
They walked up to the entrance of a siheyuan. Zhao Yinglan stood at the gate for a mont, then went up and knocked.
"Who is it?" a voice called from inside.
Zhao Yinglan didn’t answer.
Soon, the door was opened from within by a middle-aged woman. She stood just inside the doorway, sizing up Xue Yue and Zhao Yinglan.
"Who are you looking for?"
Xue Yue looked at Zhao Yinglan, who gave a bitter smile. "Sorry, wrong address."
The woman gave them a puzzled look before closing the door again.
Zhao Yinglan remained standing at the gate, not moving.
"Aunt Zhao, was this your ho?" Xue Yue asked tentatively.
Zhao Yinglan nodded. "It used to be."
They had left in a hurry back then, and while they had taken the deed to the house, decades had passed. It was perfectly normal for the house to have changed owners.
Zhao Yinglan walked up and touched the door, then the wall, and said slowly, "I rember there used to be an apricot tree in the courtyard. Around this ti of year, it would bear very sour fruit. You could see it from the gate. It’s gone now."
Xue Yue looked into the bare courtyard. There was indeed no tree.
Zhao Yinglan stood at the gate for a while longer, then continued walking down the alley, and Xue Yue followed.
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