IMH - 10

On the morning Peter returned to the capital, the assistant called early to offer driving Yu Qian to pick him up.

But Yu Qian declined; she wasn’t accustomed to troubling her assistant with personal matters.

However, the morning of the day she went to pick him up was indeed somewhat rushed.

Yu Qian received a call she didn’t really want to answer. At first, she planned to ignore it, but after the phone buzzed on the table for a while, she finally picked it up and answered.

Because of this call, time became slightly more constrained.

As she exited her hotel room, Yu Qian hurried toward the elevator.

She wouldn’t let Peter wait at the airport and would take him to eat some local breakfast specialties in the capital.

Peter was an important friend to her.

Actually, meeting Peter was all because of his wife.

She was an elegant woman. At that time, Yu Qian was only 18 years old and met Peter’s wife during a photography job. His wife liked Yu Qian very much and jokingly called her their eldest daughter.

Later, when Peter came to pick up his wife, she held Yu Qian’s hand and said to Peter: “This girl is so pleasing to the eye. If we have a child, I hope they’ll be as beautiful as her.”

At that time, Peter’s wife had some health issues and found it difficult to conceive.

Yet they both eagerly anticipated having a child in the future.

Thus, over the years, Peter had always been very kind to Yu Qian.

As Yu Qian approached the elevator, it was about to close. A hand reached out from the gap and stopped it.

It was a rather nice-looking hand, each phalanx long and delicate.

Under the cold light of the elevator, it appeared especially beautiful.

Yu Qian thought that if there was a handsome younger man inside, she could flirt a little.

The elevator doors slowly opened, and the beautiful hand retreated. Yu Qian looked up and saw Cheng Xiaonan.

In that moment, she felt a bit relieved that she was wearing sunglasses, which could conceal all the emotions in her eyes.

There were only two people in the elevator; the other man was slightly shorter than Cheng Xiaonan, with a wheat complexion.

When he saw her, his expression was the most exaggerated among the three of them.

“Thank you.”

Yu Qian stepped into the elevator, and Cheng Xiaonan naturally struck up a conversation: “Going down?”

“To the first floor, thank you.”

Cheng Xiaonan ignored the excessive politeness in her words, leaned against the elevator wall, and continued the conversation: “Teacher Yu, are you heading out?”

“Yes.”

Cheng Xiaonan stood slightly behind Yu Qian, taking advantage of her blind spot, suddenly snatched a glass bottle from Shen Shen’s hand, and handed it to her: “These days we’ve got the Indian summer; it’s too sunny outside. Be careful not to get heatstroke when you go out. Here.”

Yu Qian felt a chill on her forearm and slightly lowered her gaze:

It was a bottle of homemade mung bean and lily soup from the hotel. They must have added some secret recipe because it tasted great, somewhat like ice cream.

With the hot weather these past few days, the hotel restaurant often prepared it, chilled in glass bottles, convenient for guests to take away when going out.

“Take it, it’s an employee benefit.”

As Yu Qian took the glass bottle, she heard him ask with a hint of laughter in his voice: “Teacher Yu, remember to consider the welcome event time?”

After Yu Qian entered the elevator, Shen Shen was actually quite confused.

The scene of eating grouper fish hot pot suddenly flashed in his mind:

During that meal, they ended up talking about Yu Qian.

Ji Ran said she had seen sample photos at the company; she was truly a very beautiful woman. She also joked with Shen Shen, saying not to abuse his position by getting close to pretty sisters under the guise of work.

It wasn’t specifically referring to Yu Qian; the company had many contracted and temporary models, and Ji Ran often said such things, half teasing and half warning.

When sober, Shen Shen definitely kept quiet.

But at that time, he had already drunk two ounces of white wine. Alcohol gave courage to cowards, and he subconsciously muttered: “The one abusing his position isn’t me, and the one who likes older sisters isn’t me either.”

After saying this, Shen Shen suddenly looked up at Cheng Xiaonan, immediately feeling as if the air conditioning behind him was blowing icy winds from the underworld, chilling to the bone.

Shen Shen had only two thoughts in his mind:

That’s it, Ji Ran’s treat today is probably wasted.

And Ji Ran and Shen Shen were truly a couple, repeatedly dancing on Nan Ge’s last nerve.

But Cheng Xiaonan looked quite calm, even smiling and saying: “Not every older sister is liked.”

Since the topic had come this far, Shen Shen didn’t hide anything anymore and straightforwardly asked: “Do you have feelings for Yu Qian?”

“One could say so.”

The next question came from Ji Ran: “But in your heart, aren’t you still...”

She didn’t finish, but everyone present understood.

She wanted to ask, aren’t you still thinking of your ex-girlfriend? How can you be attracted to a beautiful woman at the company?

The base of the grouper fish hot pot was a combination of tomato and spicy broth, steaming with sour and spicy heat, colliding with the air conditioning’s cold wind, creating layers of white mist.

Cheng Xiaonan sat opposite Shen Shen, his eyebrows lowered, eating a piece of grouper fish.

His face was mostly hidden in the steamy haze, slowly speaking: “I’ve waited seven years. If I don’t take advantage of my position to approach her now, then when?”

Perhaps it was because Shen Shen had drunk too much.

He felt that his Nan Ge’s eyes were filled with complex, deep emotions.

The next second, Ji Ran dropped her chopsticks into the pot: “The new model at your company is the girlfriend you had outside school in high school?!”

“Yes.”

After Shen Shen learned that Yu Qian was the older sister from back then, he suddenly felt that it made perfect sense.

He had seen Cheng Xiaonan being dropped off at the back wall of the school by a red sports car, leaning against the car door, playfully saying, “Sister, no goodbye kiss?”

The beauty in the car wore sunglasses, didn’t respond to him, just revved the engine and drove away, leaving a trail of exhaust.

Upon reflection, it really seemed like Yu Qian.

Shen Shen was excited and asked Cheng Xiaonan if he needed help pursuing her.

Cheng Xiaonan waved his hand, telling him not to meddle.

So the moment Yu Qian stepped into the elevator, Shen Shen quickly lowered his head, pretending to play with his phone, but his mind was full of roaring thoughts.

Before he finished roaring, the mung bean and lily soup in his hand was snatched away by Cheng Xiaonan and handed to Yu Qian.

And what did he say? It’s an employee benefit?

What employee benefit!

Isn’t this what he specially got up early to buy for Ji Ran!!!

Yu Qian put the mung bean and lily soup into her bag. After exiting the elevator, she originally intended to say goodbye to Cheng Xiaonan.

But perhaps coincidentally, Cheng Xiaonan and his friend also seemed to be in a hurry, their steps no slower than hers.

His friend even spoke to her: “A Patek Philippe watch, it suits you well.”

Yu Qian nodded: “Thank you.”

“I heard that this model has been out of stock for a long time; even France doesn’t have it. It’s hard to buy.”

Yu Qian glanced at her wristwatch and smiled faintly: “I bought this watch a long time ago. The car’s here; I’ll leave first. Goodbye.”

She politely nodded to Cheng Xiaonan, lightly touched her sunglasses with her fingertips, took the car keys from the valet, started the car, and left.

After Yu Qian left, Shen Shen suddenly turned around: “Nan Ge! Yu Qian shouldn’t fail to recognize you, right? Is she pretending?”

“What do you mean?”

“A Patek Philippe mechanical watch almost needs daily time adjustment. My mom has one too, but she found it troublesome and gave it to my cousin. My cousin initially liked it, but later stopped wearing it, saying checking her phone was more convenient than adjusting it.”

Shen Shen draped his arm over Cheng Xiaonan’s shoulder: “People who persist in wearing a watch for many years are usually sentimental. You believe me.”

Cheng Xiaonan didn’t particularly believe or disbelieve it. Yu Qian’s watch was something he had accompanied her to buy.

It was already winter then, and the winters in the capital were unpleasant.

The sky was dark, the air dry, and it rarely snowed. The trees on both sides of the road were bare, offering no scenery.

Yu Qian hadn’t driven her sports car; they took a taxi to browse watch stores. She said she wanted to buy a watch.

Cheng Xiaonan was somewhat familiar with watches. Although he only wore a sports watch worth just over ten thousand yuan, his father, Lao Cheng, was a man obsessed with watches.

Not only obsessed with watches but also, vulgarly, obsessed with women. Since his mother passed away, he often had female companions.

At that time, Cheng Xiaonan chatted with Yu Qian, saying that when his father said goodbye to those female companions, it was always peaceful, and he would give them a watch.

He said: “If he buys more watches, when he goes bankrupt someday, selling them will at least allow him to survive.”

Later, when Yu Qian was choosing a watch, she hesitated in front of the display case.

She tried on a gold Rolex and turned to ask Cheng Xiaonan: “Does it make me look like a nouveau riche?”

Cheng Xiaonan’s gaze swept over her wrist—slender, fair.

Unintentionally, he recalled her placing her wrist behind his neck, slightly tilting her head up, her face less than a palm’s distance from his, her eyes flowing with soft light, asking him, “Does my lipstick taste good?”

At that moment, he coughed and then said: “Have you watched ‘Young and Dangerous’? Chen Xiaochun played Shan Ji Ge, who wore a gold watch. On him, it’s gangster-like; on you, it’s noble. I don’t think it looks nouveau riche; it’s quite nice.”

Yu Qian fixed her gaze on his face for half a second, seemingly reading something through him: “It seems your father is indeed a charming man. No wonder someone always wants to be your stepmother.”

“What does it have to do with him.”

After showing disdain, Cheng Xiaonan suddenly grew alert and leaned over to tell Yu Qian, “Don’t like those smooth-talking older men; they’re no good.”

That day, Yu Qian didn’t choose the gold Rolex but still bought a gold watch—a watch face encrusted with a circle of small diamonds, with a brown leather strap, looking classic yet luxurious.

During that period, it was probably the best time of their relationship.

When she returned to the country, the first time Cheng Xiaonan saw Yu Qian, he noticed her watch, but he didn’t think much of it.

Or rather, he didn’t dare to think.

Wearing a watch for so many years didn’t necessarily mean that every time she adjusted it, she would naturally think of the person who accompanied her to buy it.

It only showed that Yu Qian really liked that watch.

But just now, he successfully gave her the mung bean and lily soup and exchanged a few words.

Cheng Xiaonan was also willing to hear someone say that Yu Qian was sentimental.

It would be great if Sister was truly sentimental.

At this moment, Ji Ran called Shen Shen, asking if he had bought the cooling soup. Shen Shen repeatedly said he had, then looked mournfully at Cheng Xiaonan.

Cheng Xiaonan and Shen Shen went to the hotel restaurant again. After buying the soup and coming out, they happened to bump into Yu Qian’s assistant.

“Good morning, President Cheng! Good morning, President Shen!”

Shen Shen could chat with anyone: “Good morning, Assistant Sun. Not accompanying Teacher Yu today?”

“No, no, Teacher Yu doesn’t have any work today. She went to the airport to pick someone up.”

Sun Yue proudly lifted her head: “It’s too sunny outside. I’m afraid she’ll get heatstroke when she comes back, so I’m ordering some mung bean and lily soup for Teacher Yu and her friend.”

“So thoughtful.”

Shen Shen suddenly became interested and asked Sun Yue: “Is the friend Teacher Yu is picking up male or female?”

“It’s Teacher Peter Pan.”

Shen Shen dared not look at his Nan Ge.

Who Peter Pan was, even he had heard of.

Just after talking about how sentimental Yu Qian was, in a blink of an eye, she went to the airport to pick up her rumored boyfriend…