Wen Xian subconsciously grabbed the innocent-faced Qiuqiu beside her and stuffed it into her arms. The Qiuqiu in her arms blankly looked at Wen Xian, then opened its big watery eyes to look at Shen Lingge leaning against the door.
Wen Xian probingly asked: “Gege, didn’t you go to sleep?”
Shen Lingge unhurriedly walked towards her, sat down next to her on the sofa by her side, watching her with a leisurely manner: “Didn’t you say in the restaurant you’d tell me after coming home? Forgot already now?”
Wen Xian hugged Qiuqiu tightly. After hesitating for a moment, she lowered her voice and said: “Because yesterday… yesterday afternoon I saw Xu Chuwei and Qin Song coming out from the airport together, they…”
Wen Xian didn’t say it that clearly, but Shen Lingge still understood.
He slightly raised his eyebrows: “Xu Chuwei, the one who called you this morning? Your friend?”
Wen Xian pressed her lips together, she softly said: “En, my only friend these four years.”
Shen Lingge carefully looked at her complexion. Seeing her mood was as usual, he then continued asking: “Why did you go to the airport?”
Wen Xian’s hand unconsciously pinched Qiuqiu’s paw, her speaking volume lowered a bit more: “I thought she came back to accompany me for my birthday, I went to the airport to pick her up.”
So it was intentional.
Shen Lingge lightly sighed. No wonder she cried so pitifully last night. He fixedly looked at her for a second, “Just because of this reason you don’t want to cancel the engagement with him, so as not to let your friend get what she wants?”
Wen Xian muffled a sound in response.
He sighed, rubbing her hair, saying in a low voice: “Tomorrow aren’t you going to the Qin family? You hint at this matter to Qin Huai, then bring up the matter of canceling the engagement to him.”
“Qin Huai won’t agree with you, then you need to think of a way to find out the reason behind it.”
“Your parents still have some things they haven’t had time to tell you.”
“The only one who probably knows about this is Qin Huai.”
Wen Xian listened dumbfounded, she looked at Shen Lingge in astonishment, “Gege, how do you know about these things? Did you go look up the news from four years ago?”
Shen Lingge answered with a sound, then said again: “Did you remember my words?”
Wen Xian and Shen Lingge looked at each other for two seconds, then she nodded to show she remembered.
Seeing Wen Xian nod, Shen Lingge stood up and walked toward the room, speaking while walking: “Call me when you come back tomorrow, I’ll come pick you up, then we’ll go buy a bed to bring home.”
Wen Xian froze, “Buy a bed?”
Shen Lingge turned his head, looking down at her from above: “Want to keep sleeping on the sofa?”
She touched Qiuqiu’s chubby head and said without much confidence: “Aren’t you going to Mingcheng in a couple of days? Buying a bed and putting it there is just taking up space, you’re not coming back to live long-term.”
Shen Lingge found that this girl really didn’t treat him as an outsider. He reminded: “Wen Xian, men and women have distinctions.”
Wen Xian stubbornly retorted instead: “You don’t count, you are my boyfr… no, I am your master!”
Shen Lingge’s mouth corner slightly twitched, compromising: “Buy a sofa bed, doesn’t take up space. In the future I sleep on the sofa, you sleep on the bed.”
Wen Xian hadn’t touched her small bed for two days already. Normally she would say goodnight to her dad and mom, so she softly requested: “Gege, when you sleep tonight, remember to say goodnight to my dad and mom.”
Shen Lingge: “…….”
He turned and walked into the room. Not long after, his neither too big nor too small voice came out along with the sound of the door closing: “Got it.”
Half an hour later, Wen Xian’s small apartment fell into darkness.
In the living room, Wen Xian was curled up on the sofa covered with a small quilt, Qiuqiu nestled in her arms, and the always quiet Yu boredly flying back and forth in the air, scaring the mosquitoes in the dark into trembling.
This was also one of Yu’s advantages; Wen Xian was never afraid of mosquitoes biting her in summer.
She pinched the quilt corner and softly said: “Qiuqiu, Yu, I have family again. He seems to be as good as Dad and Mom, will he always protect me?”
Hearing this sentence from Wen Xian, Yu started pretending to be dead again, flopping onto the tea table and not moving.
It didn’t know anything, it was just a small helpless pen.
Inside Wen Xian’s room.
Shen Lingge turned his head and glanced at the photo on the bedside table. He stared at the innocence between the little girl’s brows and the smile at the corner of her lips for a long time before withdrawing his gaze and turning off the wall lamp.
He softly said towards the darkness: “Good night.”
—
The next day, when Qin Song called, Wen Xian was lecturing Shen Lingge with reason, because early in the morning when she checked her messages, she saw the deduction notification sent last night.
She sternly scolded him: “I just gave you one hundred thousand, and you spent it all at once. What about later? How can I feel at ease letting you go to Mingcheng alone like this?”
Shen Lingge, who even if he spent several hundred million at once no one would question: “……”
He was silent for a while, then only said: “I took it to play stocks.”
Wen Xian froze. Wen Tianlin usually liked playing stocks too, but afraid of being found out by Chang Shuang, he would always secretly borrow money from her to play. Her family life was actually very ordinary and also very happy.
Not quite the same as everyone imagined, Wen Tianlin was a very frugal person, and Chang Shuang also never spent unnecessary money. But they treated Wen Xian differently—everything Wen Xian used since she was young was the best.
Every new release, she must be the first to own.
And those things were all left in the Wen family villa, carrying the memories of the past on them.
These four years, she hadn’t gone back even once; she still seemed like that little girl hiding behind Wen Tianlin.
Shen Lingge thought Wen Xian would be angry, because she had worked hard earning money these years.
But she only glanced at him, then transferred another one hundred thousand into his card. She glared at him: “Not allowed to take it to play stocks again! Because you spent recklessly, your pocket money for next month is deducted!”
Before Shen Lingge could speak, Wen Xian’s phone rang. She didn’t even look and picked it up, her tone still carrying the aggressive momentum from just scolding Shen Lingge: “What is it?”
The person on the other end was stunned, then immediately said: “Xian Xian, it’s me.”
Wen Xian also recognized it was Qin Song’s voice, so she took the phone and walked into the room: “You arrived? I’ll come downstairs now.”
Today Wen Xian didn’t have time to make lunch for Shen Lingge. She had been focused on educating him not to spend money recklessly, so before going out she reminded him: “Remember to eat lunch, either order takeout or go out to eat, if anything happens call me.”
Yesterday she had already registered Shen Lingge’s fingerprint on the smart lock, so she wasn’t worried he wouldn’t be able to get back in after going out.
Shen Lingge lazily answered with a sound, indicating he knew.
Today Wen Xian was still wearing a simple white T-shirt and short skirt when she went out, not at all looking like someone about to visit her fiancé’s family.
Shen Lingge walked to the balcony with one hand in his pocket, looking at the bright yellow flashy Ferrari below. He lightly snorted, then took out his phone and called the butler.
At this time, the butler was already very calm: “Good noon, Young Master.”
Shen Lingge: “I’m hungry.”
Butler: “Young Master, please wait a moment.”
—
While Shen Lingge was quietly tasting delicious food alone, Wen Xian arrived at the Qin family. During the process, Qin Song even suggested taking her to buy a new skirt; Wen Xian refused.
Qin Song felt somewhat dissatisfied in his heart. Although Wen Xian looked good in anything, dressing like this to meet the elders of her fiancé’s family was truly too disrespectful.
Qin Huai, who was sitting in the living room drinking tea, immediately put down his teacup and waved at her with a smile when he saw Wen Xian enter: “Xian Xian, quickly come sit beside Grandpa.”
Wen Xian smiled at Qin Huai: “Grandpa Qin.”
She obediently sat down beside Qin Huai. Qin Huai glanced at Qin Song who was going upstairs, then gave her an ambiguous look with his eyes, lowering his voice to say: “Xian Xian, did A’Song prepare a birthday gift for you?”
Wen Xian nodded, speaking directly: “He gave me a bottle of perfume.”
Qin Huai’s face instantly darkened. He had clearly instructed Qin Song to properly prepare a birthday gift. This year Wen Xian was graduating; it was the most crucial year. Qin Song, however, dropped the ball on this matter.
He knocked his cane against the tea table, his voice carrying hidden anger: “Where’s Qin Song? Tell Qin Song to get down here!”
The Butler Qin hurriedly went upstairs to find Qin Song.
Even Qin Zan upstairs was alarmed.
As the study door opened, the man who walked out was tall and handsome, the color of his eyes under his sword-like brows showing a faint amber color. His face was full of coldness.
Seeing the hurried Butler Qin, he slightly frowned, his voice low and ice-cold: “What happened?”
The Butler Qin stopped his steps, slightly bent his waist: “Young Master, the Old Master is angry and looking for Young Master Qin Song. Miss Wen has arrived, don’t know what she said, the Old Master is now throwing a fit downstairs.”
Qin Zan gave the Butler Qin a warning glance, his gaze cold: “Watch your wording.”
A slight layer of sweat seeped out on the Butler Qin’s forehead. His body slightly trembled: “Yes, Young Master.”
Qin Zan turned around and went back into the study. The Butler Qin suddenly let out a breath.
By the time Qin Zan went downstairs, Qin Song was already in the living room. Perhaps because he was being scolded by Qin Huai in front of his fiancée, he felt humiliated, so Qin Song’s expression didn’t look good.
At this moment, Qin Zan was wearing a white shirt, his tie meticulously tied. On the bridge of his nose was a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
One hand in his pocket, the other holding a mint-green gift box.
Qin Huai took out a document and handed it to Wen Xian. Unlike the harshness when scolding Qin Song, his tone now was gentle: “Xian Xian, this is the birthday gift Grandpa prepared for you. The house over at Licheng Garden is too small. Since you’ve graduated, there’s no need to live near the school. Grandpa bought you a villa by Dongming Lake.”
“Grandpa will also make the decision to compensate you on behalf of A’Song with a convertible car. That California Butterfly, you won’t find a second one in all of Licheng. Grandpa remembers back then your dad even specially went to try and buy that car.”
“Xian Xian, you’ll definitely like it.”
As soon as these words came out, both Qin Song and Wen Xian’s faces changed. Qin Song’s was out of fear, while Wen Xian’s was pretending.
Wen Xian’s face suddenly turned pale as she looked at Qin Song. A watery glint suddenly appeared in her eyes. She asked with a trembling voice: “Brother Song, was the person who came out of the airport with Chuwei that day really you?”
Qin Song blankly met Wen Xian’s gaze. He swallowed, momentarily speechless.
Before Qin Huai could ask, Wen Xian already wiped the corners of her eyes in a concealing manner. She choked and said: “Grandpa, I know these years you’ve treated me well, but Brother Song and I really aren’t suitable.”
“I… I’ll leave first, Grandpa. Sorry I can’t accompany you for a meal today.”
After saying that, Wen Xian got up and was about to leave. But just as she was about to walk out of the living room, an ice-cold hand suddenly grabbed her wrist. She instinctively struggled a bit.
But the person let go of her in the next second.
Wen Xian raised her eyes to look—Qin Zan was blocking in front of her, his expression gloomy and unreadable.