Chapter 16

Xitang walked through the airport terminal. The Beijing sky in summer was a vast blue, but now, looking out of the huge glass window of the airport, she could only see a hazy gray sky. It had been many years since she had last come to Beijing.

She had once loved Beijing so much. She thought she would settle here with the man she loved. But when she left, she was on a stretcher, unconscious, and on the verge of death. There was nothing left to care about.

In the past five years, Xitang had only come to Beijing once. She had gone straight to Zhongqiao’s tomb at the Jiugongshan Cemetery without going anywhere else. She knew that Beijing was no longer a place for her.

A man in a casual suit met her at the passenger exit. He asked for confirmation, “Ms. Huang Xitang?”

Xitang nodded.

There was a slight surprise in his expression, but he quickly adjusted. He politely said, “Hello, my surname is Gong, and I’m Mr. Zhao’s assistant.”

Xitang had just finished filming her last movie, and her hair was starting to grow back. It was about two or three inches long and fluffy. The stylist had given her a trim. She looked a bit like a cute boy.

She looked a little dazed, “What happened to him?”

Gong Qi said, “The car accident was serious, but he’s fine. Mr. Shen is busy, so he specially asked me to come.”

At the hospital, Zhao Pingjin woke up from his nap and saw a small figure curled up on the sofa opposite the bed, holding a pillow and dozing.

Zhao Pingjin called her name, “Hey, why are you here?”

Xitang wasn’t really asleep. She stood up when she heard him, “You’re awake? Do you want some water?”

Zhao Pingjin nodded, and Xitang handed him the water cup. Zhao Pingjin reached out to take it, but couldn’t help but frown. He had broken two ribs in his chest, causing a pneumothorax and hematoma. Fortunately, his internal organs were fine, but his chest was bandaged, and he couldn’t bear the pain, so he had to take painkillers every day.

Xitang saw that his face had turned pale, “Should I call the nurse?”

Zhao Pingjin replied impatiently, “Can’t you just hold it for me?”

At dinner time, Xitang fed him. Zhao Pingjin, who had been feeling irritable from lying in bed all day, suddenly felt his mood improve when he saw her. He looked at her and said with a slight smile, “Hey, you’re so gentle and submissive. Are you going to be in a costume drama for your next role?”

Xitang stuffed a spoonful of rice into his mouth, “Just eat your food.”

When the night shift doctor came to check on him, he was an old friend of Zhao Pingjin’s. When he saw Xitang, he winked and said in a serious tone, “You’re recovering well today, Zhouzhou. Let’s reduce the painkillers tonight, shall we?”

Zhao Pingjin introduced them formally, “This is Xitang, and this is Dr. Zhou Ziyu.”

Xitang greeted him politely, “Dr. Zhou.”

Zhao Pingjin said, “Ziyu is from Shanghai, and Xitang is very good at making Shanghai cuisine. You’ll be lucky, she can make hairy crab and spring bamboo shoots. You’re on duty tomorrow, come over for lunch.”

Xitang knew how to cook. She had helped her mother in the kitchen since she was young. After coming to Beijing, a girl from a city known for its delicious food, she started to learn how to make various types of noodles for him. Zhao Pingjin was a picky eater, but he never complained about anything Xitang cooked. He remembered the most vivid time was when they had just moved in together, and Xitang had started learning to cook for him. That night, he came home from work, and she came out of the kitchen, looking proud, and brought him a bowl of zhajiangmian (noodles with a savory sauce).

The noodles looked very good. The meat was stewed until it was tender and the sauce was rich and flavorful. The bean sprouts and chives on top were bright green.

Perhaps it was an illusion, but he felt like he tasted the flavor of his old nanny’s cooking.

She sat at the dining table, looking a little nervous, and kept asking him if it tasted good.

He simply put down his chopsticks and said indifferently, “It’s not bad.”

Even so, Huang Xitang was overjoyed and jumped up to kiss him.

He had almost forgotten those times. She had cared for him so much.

Now, when she heard him mention cooking, she just glared at him.

The VIP ward of the expensive private hospital in Beijing was like a five-star hotel, with a fully equipped kitchen.

Zhao Pingjin smiled innocently at her.

The handsome doctor in white coat laughed, “Really? I’m looking forward to it. I’m from Shanghai too.”

Xitang spoke Mandarin, politely and formally, refusing to speak in Shanghainese, “My mother is from Shanghai.”

That night, after Zhao Pingjin finished his IV drip, he felt sleepy. After all, he was still a patient. Xitang tidied up his clothes and when she returned to the room, she saw that he was still awake. “Go to sleep,” she said.

Zhao Pingjin looked at her and suddenly asked, “Why did you come to Beijing?”

There was a clause in the contract signed with Ni Kailun stating that she would never come to Beijing to see him.

Xitang looked at him too, and replied indifferently, “Shen Min said, for more money.”

Zhao Pingjin cursed.

Seeing his face turn pale with anger, Xitang smiled and left.

The next morning, Gao Jiyi came to visit. As soon as he entered the ward, he saw Xitang feeding Zhao Pingjin breakfast, and he laughed, “Yo, Zhouzhou, where did you find this little maid?”

Xitang instinctively turned her head, then looked away again, slowly putting down the bowl.

Zhao Pingjin’s expression was a bit strange, but he maintained a nonchalant demeanor, “You’re here? Come have some breakfast.”

Gao Jiyi hesitated for a few seconds, pondering how to address her. It was difficult to gauge her position in Zhao Pingjin’s heart, so he finally chose the safest option, “Ms. Huang?”

As if she hadn’t heard him, Xitang didn’t respond. She got up, wiped her hands, and quietly walked away.

Zhao Pingjin called out to her from the bed, “Hey, where are you going?”

Xitang ignored him and walked away without a word.

Zhao Pingjin ate half of his breakfast and had to do it himself. His left hand was inconvenient, and moving his right hand hurt his chest wound.

Gao Jiyi pressed the call button, “Hey, how do you take care of your patients here?”

A young nurse came in to feed him. As she picked up the spoon, she glanced at Zhao Pingjin, then glanced again, and couldn’t help but smile.

Gao Jiyi pulled up a chair and sat beside him, looking up and down at the nurse, “The nurses in foreign hospitals are so beautiful. Sister, do you have a boyfriend?”

The nurse’s cheeks turned red.

Zhao Pingjin barely ate a few mouthfuls and had no appetite. He told them to leave.

Gao Jiyi sat beside him, eating an apple, and suddenly said without preamble, “Is she really that good?”

Zhao Pingjin knew what he was talking about. He lay on the bed, his expression calm, “With her around, life seems a bit more interesting.”

Gao Jiyi nodded, sounding pitiful, “You’ve only been played by her once, and you’re already so down.”

Zhao Pingjin’s eyes were filled with weariness, “It’s in the past. Let it go.”

Gao Jiyi smiled, “If you could really let it go, you wouldn’t be Zhao Pingjin. Just hold onto this grudge. It doesn’t matter. Just play with it for now. Eventually, you’ll find out that she’s just like that.”

Zhao Pingjin didn’t respond.

When Gao Jiyi went out, he saw Huang Xitang standing by the flower bed in the courtyard, smoking.

Gao Jiyi walked over and took a cigarette from his pocket, saying, “Can I borrow a light?”

Xitang handed him the lighter.

Gao Jiyi lit the cigarette and took a puff, then said, “You and Zhouzhou have quite a fate. After so many years, you’re together again.”

Xitang still didn’t speak, and a faint mocking smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Gao Jiyi looked at her and said, “Are you still acting?”

Xitang finally spoke, “Mr. Gao, I’m not worth your concern.”

She extinguished her cigarette and turned to leave.

Gao Jiyi said slowly behind her, “Xitang, you want fame and fortune. You’ve pushed him outside the rules of our circle, and he’s taking too big a risk.”

Xitang laughed silently, “Mr. Gao, you think too highly of me.”

Gao Jiyi looked down at her and said, “Do you think Zhouzhou is really that good? Do you think he still has feelings for you? Don’t dream. He’s grown up in this circle and is doing very well. What kind of rules doesn’t he know? Do you think he would ruin his relationship with the Yu family for you? Don’t be naive. He’s going to marry into the Yu family soon. You think he cares about you?”

Gao Jiyi said coldly, “Xitang, I advise you to take the money and leave.”

Xitang stood still, stunned for a moment. Then she turned around, her eyes as bright as stars, and stared straight at his face, “Mr. Gao, did Zhongqiao really jump off the building herself?”

Gao Jiyi stood by the flower bed, a sinister smile on his face, “Xitang, you’re still so naive.”