IMH - 28

After bidding farewell to Han Chu, Yu Qian went alone to a bar.

This bar was recommended by Peter. He had only been back for a few days, but he had already visited several bars. He said this one had exceptionally handsome bartenders, all younger men, and strongly recommended Yu Qian go there.

Having a little drink on her day off was a habit Yu Qian picked up abroad.

Or rather, it was a habit she developed after Qu Liwen’s death.

Many foreign media reports, aiming for sensationalism, claimed her relationship with Qu Liwen was extremely poor, almost to the point of never speaking to each other.

They said that from the time Qu Liwen discovered breast cancer until her death, Yu Qian never appeared at the hospital.

Until her mother’s death, she was abroad, happily cohabiting with Peter, right up until her mother passed away.

They also said she didn’t arrange a funeral, only entrusted someone to cremate Qu Liwen’s body, and finally, the ashes were sent to Yu Qian and then scattered into the sea by her.

Sometimes, Yu Qian would read foreign newspapers, lighting them with a lighter while smoking.

It was her way of showing Qu Liwen what the outside world was saying about their mother-daughter relationship.

Qu Liwen was indeed not a gentle and meticulous mother.

And Yu Qian was not an obedient, docile daughter.

But their relationship was not as bad as the foreign media portrayed.

Facts and rumors are always vastly different.

When Yu Qian chose to go abroad, Qu Liwen disagreed. However, Yu Qian was already 21 years old then. Qu Liwen had no right to restrict her freedom, nor could she tie her down forever to make money for her.

So Qu Liwen made a demand: Yu Qian had to leave her car and savings behind, and then she would allow her to go abroad.

Yu Qian did as Qu Liwen said, and she was very poor when she first went abroad.

At that time, she wasn’t picky about jobs, taking on any work, no matter how hard. Later, when her income became more substantial, Qu Liwen called.

She said, “Daughter, Mom has breast cancer and won’t live much longer.”

Yu Qian also thought about returning to China to be with Qu Liwen, but Qu Liwen refused.

Her mother was an extremely vain and beauty-conscious woman. She said that she was losing a lot of hair and looked haggard now, so she forbade Yu Qian from returning to China. Her exact words were, “You’re growing more beautiful now. I don’t want you to come back and see me as a joke. Just give me money; don’t appear in front of me.”

But they would talk on the phone.

During that period, Yu Qian learned that after she went abroad, Qu Liwen, eager to manage her finances, was taken advantage of, and almost all her money was swindled away.

It was also then that she heard the story between her parents over a weak transatlantic phone call with Qu Liwen.

Yu Qian didn’t return to China, but she arranged for someone to set up an independent treatment room for Qu Liwen. Knowing that Qu Liwen loved flowers and luxurious things, she would order a dozen bouquets to be sent every week, and occasionally send diamond necklaces and beautiful clothes.

Then one day, the hospital caregiver said, “Miss Yu, there’s no need to send anything more.”

Qu Liwen left a will, expressing her wish for her ashes to be scattered into the ocean.

During that time, Yu Qian often suffered from insomnia, unable to sleep all night.

Peter, who lived under the same roof, tried to persuade her several times to no avail. Later, he simply accompanied her in drinking, sometimes red wine, sometimes spirits, whatever they had at home. After drinking, it was easier to fall asleep.

She never shed a single tear.

Yet, in the sleepless nights, she would hum the nursery rhymes Qu Liwen used to hum to her as a child.

Yu Qian finished the last bit of brandy-based cocktail in her glass, picked up her bag, called a taxi on her phone, and returned to “Wutongli.”

________________________________________

In the late autumn of Imperial City, days were short, and by 5 PM, the sky was already hazy.

Through the car window, the city silhouette was hidden within the rouge red rising from the horizon and the deep blue adorned with an upper crescent moon.

Yu Qian tapped the bridge of her nose with the side of her index finger, recalling Han Chu’s words about her past “dating standards.”

Find someone who loves her very, very much?

Yu Qian smiled, thinking such a person wouldn’t exist.

By the time she returned to the hotel, it was dinner time, but she wasn’t very hungry and went straight to her room.

Cheng Xiaonan, during his stay last night, probably slept on the sofa all night; the bed didn’t even have a wrinkle. Only the trash can held an empty medicine box, and there was a disposable water cup on the coffee table.

Yu Qian picked up the paper cup, about to throw it away, when someone knocked on her door.

The knocking wasn’t hard, just three times.

She paused slightly.

This boy couldn’t be so easily thought of, could he?

She just thought of him, and he showed up?

She opened the door, and sure enough, it was Cheng Xiaonan.

He was holding several large bags, leaning casually against the doorframe, and handed the bags to her: “Sun Yue bought these for you on her business trip. I just got off work, and she asked me to bring them to you.”

Yu Qian took them and glanced inside. Besides the large twists and several pastries with the name of the business trip location printed on them, there were also two familiar-looking patterned bags.

Only one chain pastry shop had that specific pattern, an old local brand in the Imperial City. Sun Yue, of course, wouldn’t go on a business trip to another province to buy pastries from the Imperial City as local specialties.

And pastries of this brand weren’t cheap. Two bags this big...

Yu Qian looked up in confusion, meeting Cheng Xiaonan’s smiling gaze.

He said, “I bought these for you. You helped me get my wallet from the company yesterday, remember? It’s a thank-you gift.”

“That’s too much of a thank-you gift.”

“Not at all, not at all. Just eat them. You’re the company’s star model now; many photography teams treat you like a precious jewel. You often skip meals. What if you get too thin? Wouldn’t people think our ‘Eleven’ company is exploiting its employees?”

Cheng Xiaonan tapped the doorframe twice with his fingertips, his tone persuasive, “Do me a favor, eat more.”

Yu Qian, holding several bags of pastries, uncharacteristically asked, “Feeling better from your cold?”

“Much better.”

As Cheng Xiaonan said this, Yu Qian’s phone suddenly vibrated in her hand, twice in quick succession.

Yu Qian took out her phone; it was a voice message from Han Chu.

She tapped to listen. Han Chu’s voice was always gentle, and not loud, but the hotel corridor was extremely quiet, so Cheng Xiaonan clearly heard Han Chu’s words—

“Qianqian, have you returned to the hotel already? I was chatting with a colleague on my way back to school just now, and a colleague recommended a quiet bar. Next time you’re free, I’d like to go have a drink and try it out. Shall we go together then?”

“Also, I have a friend who came back from abroad and brought some ham. After I attend the event at ‘Wutongli’ tomorrow, I’ll send it over to you. I’m not used to eating these.”

Yu Qian listened to both voice messages and felt that Han Chu was unusually verbose today. She simply replied to Han Chu with a “.”.

When she looked up again, Cheng Xiaonan had already returned to his own room.

________________________________________

The next evening, when she went downstairs and met him in the elevator, Cheng Xiaonan was on the phone, looking very busy.

He only nodded to Yu Qian as a greeting.

His voice was still a bit hoarse from his cold. He stood slightly behind Yu Qian in the elevator, telling the person on the phone, “That childhood friend of yours, your childhood sweetheart...”

A childhood friend who’s a childhood sweetheart?

Yu Qian glanced at Cheng Xiaonan behind her reflection in the polished metal elevator door. His expression was normal, his eyes downcast, and he continued—

“You haven’t seen each other for so many years. Do you even know what kind of person he is to go drinking with him? He used to be a straight-A student, but that doesn’t mean his character is fine. What if he has ulterior motives towards you?”

Yu Qian always felt like these words were meant for her. She turned her head and glanced at Cheng Xiaonan.

Cheng Xiaonan held his phone away a bit, earnestly covering it: “A friend of mine always goes out to eat with a childhood friend, says he’s a straight-A childhood sweetheart. You tell me, could they be interested in each other?”

Yu Qian quietly looked at Cheng Xiaonan for a couple of seconds, knowing what he was up to.

She could have ignored him, but she couldn’t resist teasing him: “Maybe. A straight-A childhood sweetheart sounds like the best candidate for a son-in-law.”

As she finished speaking, the elevator arrived at their floor. Yu Qian smiled: “I’m here.”

Cheng Xiaonan watched as Yu Qian waved to Han Chu, who was waiting in the hotel lobby, and then walked over.

Han Chu was wearing a warm-toned jacket and smiling warmly. He was holding a gift box of ham. Seeing Yu Qian, he quickly handed it over.

He really brought it?

Shen Shen’s voice came through the phone: “Brother Nan? Hello? Brother Nan? Why are you calling me? Did you get in the elevator? Why is there no signal? Hello? Hello?”

“It’s fine, hang up.” Cheng Xiaonan stared at the two people chatting together outside the elevator, saying exasperatedly.

“What did you just say? I didn’t hear anything, just ‘straight-A student.’ What straight-A student?”

Now, every time Cheng Xiaonan heard the words “straight-A student,” his temple throbbed with pain.

He took a deep breath and pressed the elevator close button: “Hanging up.”

________________________________________

Han Chu stood in the hotel lobby, smiling as he handed the ham to Yu Qian: “A friend bought it. I don’t really eat it, and it’s quite expensive, so I was reluctant to give it to just anyone. I brought it to you. You’ve been abroad for so many years, so you should be more accepting of it than I am, right?”

Yu Qian didn’t take it: “I rarely cook for myself. You can keep the ham.”

“You could keep it to give to someone else, to smooth things over or something?”

“No need.”

“...Actually, you said on the phone yesterday not to send it, so I won’t force it.”

Han Chu smiled and withdrew the hand holding the ham. “Qianqian, I didn’t just come to give you ham. There’s something else I want to ask you.”

“Go ahead.”

“You currently don’t have a boyfriend, do you?”

Han Chu seemed a little embarrassed, nervously pursing his lips: “Last time you said those rumors weren’t true, and that you and that fashion designer aren’t... not that kind of relationship, right?”

Yu Qian often heard Qu Liwen say that Han Chu had been excellent since childhood, always maintaining a calm and composed demeanor during various exams.

Because he had a mother who loved to show off, he was also quite “thick-skinned,” sometimes hearing exaggerated compliments from neighbors without batting an eyelid.

She rarely saw him this nervous.

Catching the underlying meaning in Han Chu’s words, Yu Qian was slightly surprised.

She hadn’t realized that besides her mother, Qu Liwen, having intentions to set them up, Han Chu would actually have feelings for her too.

He clearly didn’t before yesterday.

Was it because she said there was nothing between her and Peter?

So she was categorized into the “pursuable” range?

Inopportunely, she suddenly recalled Cheng Xiaonan’s phrase “ulterior motives” from the elevator.

Yu Qian smiled: “What if I said yes?”

“What... what do you mean?”

“I mean, what if Peter and I do have that kind of intimate relationship? After all, we lived together for seven years. If we had that kind of relationship, would you still intend to continue what you were going to say?”

Han Chu’s face turned pale, his brows furrowed, his lips slightly parted, as if he wanted to speak but couldn’t.

Yu Qian didn’t say anything more, only that she was going to have dinner and told him to drive slowly on his way back.

As she walked towards the elevator, she suddenly found it interesting.

She could distinguish the change in Han Chu’s attitude towards her, and she could also distinguish whether other men’s courtesy towards her was out of genuine affection or merely their sense of chivalry.

But she couldn’t distinguish her own attitude towards Cheng Xiaonan.

Just as her fingertips touched the elevator button, Yu Qian received a call from Sun Yue, who said that the boss had instructed her to pick Yu Qian up and bring her to the company for an important matter.

Sun Yue said, “I’ve already left, Qian. Get ready; I’ll be at the hotel in 3 minutes.”

“What important matter?”

“...I, I don’t know either. Maybe we’ll find out when we get there. Should I pick you up first?”

Yu Qian withdrew her hand from the elevator button, walked out the door with her phone, “Come over, I’m on the first floor now.”

Before hanging up, she asked one more question: “Which boss’s instruction?”

“Ah? Oh, CEO Cheng said so.”

________________________________________

Yu Qian didn’t know why Cheng Xiaonan called her to the company. She was simply led to photography base C.

Area C was where they conducted portrait interview series photography. As Yu Qian sat on the lounge sofa outside the floor-to-ceiling glass, she saw Cheng Xiaonan sitting inside the glass window.

He looked relaxed, while across from him, a woman held a manuscript, appearing to be a journalist preparing to interview him.

The journalist was rather petite, sitting properly in high heels opposite Cheng Xiaonan. Her high heels rested on the footrest of a high bar-like stool, and she was meticulously preparing.

Her formal posture formed a stark contrast with Cheng Xiaonan.

Cheng Xiaonan’s shirt sleeves were rolled up and folded at his forearms. His long legs were stretched out leisurely, his arm resting on the table behind him. He glanced at his shiny diamond watch and said, “Let’s begin.”

Sun Yue flipped through her phone for a long time, then leaned over, her voice almost a whisper: “Qian, it seems this magazine journalist is new. CEO Cheng said he wants her to practice interviewing people. After CEO Cheng’s mock interview, you might have to go in and do a mock interview too...”

Yu Qian nodded knowingly.

The area where they were sitting outside the floor-to-ceiling window wasn’t exactly a lounge. Perhaps during actual interviews, planners or department heads from the company would sit there.

Sitting here, they could clearly hear what Cheng Xiaonan was saying inside.

Sun Yue felt that this new intern journalist, practicing on their CEO Cheng, might find it quite exhausting.

When the journalist asked him about his favorite historical figure, Cheng Xiaonan lazily replied, “Consort Yu.”

“Why do you like Consort Yu? Is it because the story of ‘Farewell My Concubine’ moved you?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

“Consort Yu, good surname.”

“Uh, then, then I heard you’re a Capricorn, and your lucky flower is the tulip...”

“My lucky flower is the opium poppy, thank you.”

The journalist paused for two seconds, immediately employed a conversational tactic to salvage the situation, chatted for a few sentences, and then asked Cheng Xiaonan: “CEO Cheng, I heard you currently don’t have a girlfriend. May I ask what your ideal partner standards are?”

After asking, the journalist was so nervous she almost held her breath, perhaps fearing that this “ancestor” in front of her would say “no.”

Cheng Xiaonan’s attitude was languid, but he didn’t refuse to answer any questions.

He smiled, revealing his endearing dimples: “I like older sisters, preferably 3 years older, 170 cm tall. Not too lively, the ‘cold beauty’ type.”

The journalist found the answer strange and couldn’t immediately formulate a follow-up.

However, Cheng Xiaonan slowly added: “It would be even better if her surname was Yu...”

Sitting outside, Sun Yue’s heart was practically pounding in her throat.

She had been diligently working on Yu Qian’s upcoming work plan at her workstation when she received a call from Cheng Xiaonan, insisting on dragging her into his “evil scheme.”

Over the phone, her boss’s voice sounded squeezed through clenched teeth—

“That person you mentioned, the childhood friend of Yu Qian, not an outsider, the neighbor’s older brother, is currently in the hotel lobby having an emotional conversation with Yu Qian. Go there and bring Yu Qian to the company.”

Sun Yue recalled CEO Cheng’s expression after she uttered the words “not an outsider” yesterday. She shivered and stammered, “But CEO Cheng, what reason should I use?”

“You go first, tell her I need to see her for something. I’ll text you the reason later.”

Sun Yue had just helped her boss lie to her good friend and was sweating profusely from guilt.

Now, seeing her CEO Cheng speak so unreservedly, almost explicitly saying that the person he liked was Yu Qian, she was even more nervous and couldn’t sit still.

She secretly turned her head and glanced at Yu Qian.

Fortunately, Yu Qian seemed not to have heard, remaining engrossed in watching a yoga instruction video on her phone.

Sun Yue breathed a sigh of relief.

________________________________________

The intern reporter inside, after being frustrated a few times, spoke more fluently. She even managed to laugh a few times during their conversation, and finally, with a relaxed demeanor, asked, “CEO Cheng, one last question: Do you have any regrets?”

Regrets...

The smile on Cheng Xiaonan’s face inside faded. He lowered his gaze: “Regrets, ah, there is indeed one.”

The glass was one-way transparent; he shouldn’t have been able to see Yu Qian outside.

But the moment he looked up, he precisely looked in Yu Qian’s direction.

Sun Yue also quietly looked over, seeing Yu Qian still with her head down, seemingly engrossed in the yoga video.

“I didn’t know what regret was before. I thought everything was still possible.”

Cheng Xiaonan smiled, but his smile was no longer as casual as before: “Once, I went barbecuing with a friend by a reservoir in the suburbs. It was spring then, and the woods in the Imperial City were filled with Chinese violet cress, like an oil painting, quite beautiful. I thought at the time, if she had time, she should also go see it. So for a period, I genuinely hoped she would be free.”

At this point, Cheng Xiaonan paused.

The journalist pressed on: “And then?”

“Then? Then those flowers passed their blooming season, and she went abroad. She stayed for seven years, not giving me any chance to take her to see them.”

The Chinese violet cress bloomed on time every spring.

She never came back.

Cheng Xiaonan stood up, apparently preparing to end the mock interview.

After standing up, he straightened his sleeves and smiled towards the floor-to-ceiling window: “I wonder if she’ll have time to come with me to see them next spring when the Chinese violet cress blooms.”