#23 (Wanting to See You)

As compensation, Qi Mingche treated Wen Di to a meal. If he hadn’t mentioned the small fish in the well, she probably wouldn’t have leaned over the edge to look down.

He had also told her, “It’s just a breakup, not like you lost your phone. What’s the big deal?”

Now that her phone was lost, that was worse than a breakup.

They returned to the city around two o’clock. Qi Mingche asked the restaurant owner to have the chef prepare a few dishes for him on short notice.

It wasn’t his first time asking the owner to reserve a table. The owner frowned, “What’s wrong with you today? Feeling down?”

“Do I look like I’m feeling down?”

“You ordered all the dishes you don’t like today.”

“I like them now.”

Wen Di had never been to this restaurant before. When she ate out with Qi Mingche, she always got to go to places she had never tried, and the decor was refreshing.

The restaurant was in an alley, not easy to find, so it seemed to cater to regulars.

The driver stopped at the alley’s entrance, and Wen Di and Qi Mingche walked the rest of the way.

Qi Mingche’s phone received a message. The sender said: [Got it out. I’ll have someone send it to you.]

He asked with concern: [The screen isn’t cracked, is it?]

[No, a little muddy. Not sure if water got in, but the waterproofing should be okay.]

Qi Mingche: [Thanks, you’ve worked hard.]

The other person laughed: [I didn’t work hard, your money did.]

To pump water and retrieve the phone, Qi Mingche compensated every household in the village. The villagers said it was nothing, no need for money; they didn’t use the well water much anyway, and even if the water was pumped dry, it was the rainy season, so it would quickly refill.

But Qi Mingche insisted on paying.

Several villagers had water pumps and pipes at home, and a dozen people enthusiastically helped, quickly getting the job done.

Retrieving the phone from the well took some time, but with professional personnel going down, it wasn’t too much trouble.

Wen Di turned to talk to Qi Mingche, but he was far behind her. “Watch your step.”

Qi Mingche said, “It’s fine.”

He replied to the sender and exited the chat.

He caught up to Wen Di in a few steps.

“See? She’s living a very exciting life and hasn’t even taken that jerk to heart at all.” Ding Yi retracted her gaze, signaling Tian Qinglu to drive.

They had also eaten at this restaurant for lunch today. They had just finished eating and returned to the car when they saw Wen Di getting out of an SUV, with a handsome man beside her.

Tian Qinglu recognized the handsome man, Qi Mingche, the photographer who had participated in “Like a Shadow” with Wen Di.

Qi Mingche, based on his face alone, attracted countless fans.

Ding Yi also thought he was handsome.

“Sister, drive,” Ding Yi urged again patiently.

Tian Qinglu buckled her seatbelt, then leaned back into her seat, showing no intention of starting the engine.

She looked towards the alley entrance; Wen Di and Qi Mingche were no longer in sight.

“He still decided to break off the engagement.”

From June 10th until now, mid-July, more than a month has passed. He gave the Jiang family some time to withdraw their investment, and although the Jiang family lost a lot, they at least managed to withdraw a portion.

He still hasn’t changed his mind. Last night, he had Assistant Kang call her to ask about her conditions. He wasn’t going to wait indefinitely; if she dragged it out any longer, it would mean she was actively giving up.

Seeing that she had no intention of leaving, Ding Yi adjusted her seat and reclined halfway.

The car was parked under the old pagoda tree, completely in the shade. The air conditioning was on in the car, making it very cool.

She turned her face to Tian Qinglu. “I know you don’t like to hear it, but I still want to say, you should learn from Wen Di.”

Tian Qinglu spoke to herself, “Before the engagement, I should have listened to my family, listened to your advice.”

But she insisted on hitting her head against the wall, smashing it until it bled before she was willing to turn back.

Only she was crazy. Her father was clear-headed and calm from beginning to end, and he was still angry with her for insisting on getting engaged to Yan Heyu, which not only made him lose face but also left her with no dignity.

Two years ago, her father arranged a blind date for her, but she didn’t like the man and refused to even meet him.

Her father said, whether she liked him or not wasn’t important; what mattered was whether she could live with him after marriage.

Her father also said, if you want to marry Yan Heyu, you must have the ability to do so.

The so-called ability was the ability to control Yan Heyu.

Because of that blind date, she had a very tense relationship with her father. Later, she simply left Beijing to start her own business in the south.

Her father wouldn’t compromise, so she certainly wouldn’t.

The two had been at odds for several years. She only went home once a year during the New Year and wouldn’t speak to her father when she was home. The father and daughter just sulked like that.

Her mother felt sorry for her, worried that she was suffering outside.

So her mother gave her father the cold shoulder for almost a year. Her father finally compromised. He went to the Yan family to see Old Mr. Yan, deciding on an arranged marriage between the two families.

After the engagement, her mother regretted it.

At the engagement banquet, Yan Heyu wouldn’t even wear the ring. Her mother was angry for several days, but Aunt Ye had tried her best. She really couldn’t control her son; they couldn’t force him to wear it.

So her mother had nowhere to vent her anger.

Her father dropped a line: They won’t last.

That night, she argued with her father again, simply because of that sentence: she and Yan Heyu wouldn’t last.

She never expected her father’s words to come true.

Last night, she made it clear to her family that Yan Heyu insisted on breaking off the engagement.

Her father had been so angry these past six months that he had lost his temper, now only feeling relieved.

She thought her father would be furious, but then he just patted her head and said, “You’ll learn your lesson next time.”

She asked her father: “What compensation conditions should I ask for?”

Her father said: “As for conditions, just tell him to be a good person in the future.”

Her father had given up on financial compensation. She speculated that her father didn’t want to completely fall out with the Yan family because of this. Even if he disliked Yan Heyu, people from Yan’s father’s generation had connections with the Tian family.

Ding Yi asked her, “What conditions are you planning to propose? If you ask me, just give up. Be graceful, like Wen Di.”

Tian Qinglu snapped back to reality, dissatisfied, “Can you stop mentioning Wen Di every three sentences?”

Ding Yi said, “Yes, when you can be as open-minded as her, I’ll mention you three times a day and bow to you before meals.”

Tian Qinglu: “Shut up!”

Ding Yi was not someone who would shut up just because she was told to. “Hey, to celebrate you getting out of a bad situation, I’ll treat you to karaoke. You can cry as much as you want.”

Tian Qinglu shot her a sidelong glance, ignored her, started the car, and drove away.

“When are you planning to propose conditions to Yan Heyu?”

“I don’t know. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow.”

________________________________________

Wen Di hadn’t expected to get her phone back.

After eating, Qi Mingche said he’d drive her around, and they ended up at a phone repair shop.

The owner said the phone hadn’t gotten wet, and the mud in the earpiece had been cleaned out, so it wouldn’t affect use.

Stepping out of the phone repair shop, Wen Di pressed again, “How much did you pay to have someone retrieve my phone?”

Qi Mingche leaned against a tree trunk. “Didn’t cost any money, just owe a favor.”

He gestured with his chin. “Try the call function to see if it’s affected.”

Wen Di didn’t look at her phone, simply stuffing it into her bag. “The phone shop owner said it’s fine, no need to test it. I don’t plan to use this phone anymore.”

She was still very grateful to Qi Mingche. Some things on her phone weren’t backed up, and if she had lost them, she really wouldn’t have been able to recover them.

“You owe someone a favor, and I owe you. Add the magazine cover, that’s two now.”

“Don’t talk about owing. I did it voluntarily, so it’s not owing,” Qi Mingche said. “Come on, let’s go buy you a new phone.”

Wen Di shook her head. “I have old ones at home; they’ll work fine.”

“I’ll take you back.” The two walked towards the car.

Wen Di’s sunglasses had been left in the car, and she’d forgotten to bring them down. Qi Mingche took off his own sunglasses, placed them on her nose bridge, and then shielded her forehead with his hand to block the sun.

Wen Di said there was no need to block. “My skin is good. During university military training, I was the only one in my class who didn’t get tan. Some classmates even said I got whiter the more I tanned.”

Qi Mingche still shielded her. “You still need sun protection.”

Wen Di pointed to the car not far away. “It’s only a dozen meters; it’s fine.”

Qi Mingche didn’t listen to her and only removed his hand when they reached the car.

On the way back, Wen Di received a call from her mother.

Zhao Yueling had come to Beijing to see her daughter. Her daughter had gone through a breakup, and she was always worried. She finally found some free time to come and accompany her daughter.

“Mom just came out of the airport. Are you home or somewhere else?”

“I had work this morning; I’m on my way back.” As she spoke, Wen Di looked out the car window, estimating the time it would take to drive home from there. “I should arrive around the same time as you.”

After Wen Di hung up, Qi Mingche asked her, “Was that Auntie?”

“Mhm.” Wen Di laughed, teasing herself, “My mom is afraid I’d get too down after the breakup and came to see me.”

Qi Mingche smiled. “Tell Auntie I won’t let you get down.” He timely stopped the conversation and asked her if she wanted to listen to music, then turned on the music.

Wen Di leaned back in her seat, listening to the unfamiliar melody, imagining Ming Jianjun and Mrs. Ming from thirty years ago within this melody.

Unconsciously, the car stopped at the entrance of the residential area.

Wen Di turned to look at him. “Why did you stop here?”

Qi Mingche unbuckled her seatbelt. “I saw Auntie’s car.”

Wen Di looked out the window first; her mother’s car was parked by the roadside, waiting for her to return.

Qi Mingche and Zhao Yueling had eaten together once. They weren’t very familiar, but not strangers either.

He went over to greet her, “Auntie, hello, long time no see.”

Zhao Yueling smiled and said, “Are you two filming again today?”

Qi Mingche: “No, I shot a cover for Wen Di.”

Zhao Yueling’s first impression of Qi Mingche wasn’t great. After all, he had misunderstood Wen Di to be his father’s mistress and had been sarcastic and cold towards Wen Di.

Later, Ming Jianjun arranged for the two families to have dinner. During the meal, his attitude was quite good, and her opinion of him changed.

She politely invited, “Would you like to come upstairs for a cup of coffee?”

“No, thank you. I still have photos to edit when I get back.”

After greeting her, Qi Mingche bade farewell to Wen Di. “I was out in the sun all day today; I’ll go back and put on a face mask.”

Wen Di nodded, waved to him, “Drive safely.”

Wen Di got into her mother’s car to return to the apartment complex. Zhao Yueling stated directly, “Qi Mingche is pursuing you.” Qi Mingche’s gaze at her daughter was gentle, completely different from before.

She estimated that a confession wouldn’t be far off.

Zhao Yueling advised her daughter, “More than five months have passed. Others have their own lives, and you should have yours too.”

“This ‘other person’ referred to her ex-boyfriend.”

Only her mother didn’t know her ex-boyfriend was Yan Heyu.

Wen Di smiled, “Mom, you don’t have to worry. Your daughter won’t wallow in tears and neglect a good life. If someone suitable comes along, I’ll definitely date him.”

Her tone was light: “Mom, how long are you staying this time?”

“One or two weeks, maybe. The exact time is hard to say.” Zhao Yueling wanted to spend as much time with her daughter as possible.

Back at the apartment, Wen Di first took a bath and removed her makeup. Her hair had been styled for the cover shoot this morning, and now it was a bit messy and uncomfortable.

She went to the wardrobe to find her pajamas. Among a row of pajamas, she rummaged for the color and style she wanted to wear recently and inadvertently found a man’s white shirt.

She paused.

She had packed and disposed of all his belongings. This shirt might have been one she wore as pajamas before, and after washing, she casually hung it with her other pajamas.

For that instant, her breath felt like it was being cut by a knife.

But it was only for that instant.

Afterward, her breathing returned to normal.

Wen Di found a tote bag, took the white shirt out of the wardrobe, laid it flat on the sofa, carefully folded it, and put it into the tote bag. She carried it to find the auntie.

The auntie was in the living room, tidying up the coffee table for her.

“Auntie.” Wen Di handed over the tote bag. “When you go downstairs tomorrow, please throw this into the old clothes recycling bin.”

The auntie glanced at it, saw it was a white shirt, and understood. “Okay, I’ll throw it away in a moment.”

Wen Di found a bottle opener and took out a bottle of red wine from the wine cabinet.

She hadn’t drunk for several months. “Mom, do you want a glass?”

“I don’t drink,” Zhao Yueling said absentmindedly, watching the latest episode of “Like a Shadow.”

Wen Di poured a glass of red wine, then took two roses from the fridge and returned to her room.

When Qu Pei called her, she was lying in the bathtub, enjoying the red wine.

“Are you busy?”

Wen Di said, “No, I’m at home.”

Qu Pei discussed with her, “Shall I give you another month off? Two months is fine too. Many shows have been looking for you recently, and I haven’t replied yet, unsure of your condition.”

Wen Di sat up straight. “Taking work is fine; I can start anytime.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m drinking red wine. Do you think I’m sure?”

Qu Pei knew Wen Di never touched alcohol when she was upset, saying that she felt even worse after waking up from being drunk. Drinking red wine meant she was in a good mood, at least no longer so bad, which relieved her.

After a hot bath, Wen Di changed into a comfortable nightgown and went out, her hair still wet, with a dry towel draped over her shoulders.

Zhao Yueling was still watching TV. Seeing her daughter’s wet hair, she went to the bathroom to get a hairdryer.

Wen Di adjusted her sitting posture, making it easier for her mother to blow-dry her hair.

She put down her phone and casually picked up a magazine from the coffee table to read.

On the coffee table was a glass vase with five or six flowers of various kinds, including white Eustoma grandiflorum, which didn’t look like they were from someone pursuing her.

Zhao Yueling found it strange: “Why did you only buy a few flowers?”

Wen Di said, “The hotel sent them. Didn’t Uncle Fan order half a year’s worth of meals for me? The hotel manager said they give a small gift to VIP customers when delivering meals and asked if I wanted fresh flowers or small ornaments.”

She didn’t lack ornaments, so she chose fresh flowers.

Every time the delivery person brought food, they would also bring a small bouquet, sometimes five flowers, sometimes six.

They weren’t expensive or valuable flowers, but they were fresh, which made people feel good.

Speaking of Fan Zhisen, Zhao Yueling said, “He didn’t just treat you; he also treated your father and me, and sent some books to your grandfather. He’s overjoyed; that project has been dragging for over two years, and it was almost hopeless.”

“Didi.” She asked her daughter, “What do you want for dinner tonight? Mom will cook for you.”

“No need, the hotel is delivering food.”

The hotel manager contacted her at noon, asking when she would be home, saying they received so much money from President Fan, and if they didn’t deliver a few more times, they would feel bad.

She asked them to deliver in the evening.

Coincidentally, her mother was visiting her, so she could taste their cooking.

Wen Di checked her phone for the time. “They should arrive in half an hour at most.”

At this moment, the delivery person was waiting outside a flower shop one kilometer away, waiting to pick up fresh flowers.

Inside the flower shop, Yan Heyu chose a pink rose and a champagne rose. Staring at the room full of fresh flowers, he then picked a multi-headed rose, adding some eucalyptus and acacia plum.

He didn’t know how to arrange flowers and simply went by feeling.

Finally, he took a white Phalaenopsis orchid from a flower bucket.

“That’s all,” he said, handing the selected flowers to the clerk.

Kang Bo hurried in from outside the shop and handed his phone to the boss. “It’s Ms. Tian.”

Now, no matter what, if Tian Qinglu wanted to reach Yan Heyu himself, she would directly call Kang Bo and have him transfer the call.

Kang Bo stayed in the flower shop, waiting for the clerk to wrap the flowers. Yan Heyu took his phone and went outside.

Getting into the car, he asked, “What are the conditions?”

Tian Qinglu: “No conditions. The compensation you gave before is sufficient. Asking for more would be too greedy.” She had also had extreme thoughts; if she was miserable, she didn’t want him to be happy either.

But suddenly, it felt meaningless.

Ding Yi said: “Have a clean break for once. Don’t push yourself to be so bitter because of a man.”

She decided to listen to Ding Yi’s advice for once.

Yan Heyu’s tone was calm as he advised her, “You should go home and discuss it with your family.”

Tian Qinglu gave him her answer right away: “No need. My decision reflects my parents’ wishes.”

However, she also had a small request. “I plan to go out and relax, mainly because I don’t want to be talked about. But I can’t leave suddenly. I can finish my current project by early August at the latest. Please give me some time, and tell people in the industry that we’ve broken off our engagement at the beginning of next month.”

She asked, “Can you do that?”

Yan Heyu readily agreed: “Yes.”

Even though Tian Qinglu didn’t propose any compensation conditions, he still instructed Assistant Kang to ensure she received every bit of what she was due.

He didn’t like owing people.

“Have the flowers been delivered?” he asked Assistant Kang.

Kang Bo nodded. “The delivery person just left.”

Every time they delivered food to Wen Di, they would also send a few extra flowers. In the past few times, the shop assistant just casually put together a small bouquet. Today, their car happened to pass by the flower shop, so the boss got out and personally selected flowers for Wen Di this time.

________________________________________

The flowers in Wen Di’s vase were replaced again and again. Sometimes the auntie changed the water, and when she had nothing to do, Wen Di occasionally changed it herself.

Early that weekend morning, Wen Di had just finished changing the water for the flowers when she received a call from Qi Mingche. He said he would bring her the well water.

Ten days had passed since they went to the small village for the cover shoot. Her mother had stayed with her for ten days, and of course, during that time, she didn’t miss out on discussing collaborations, and in the evenings, she came home to watch dramas with her.

It had been a while, and Wen Di was worried the well water might not be drinkable anymore, as being in the well was different from being in a bottle.

Qi Mingche said, “This morning, before dawn, I just drew the water from the well for you.”

That day, he met Zhao Yueling at the entrance of the residential area. He was so busy greeting her that he forgot about the well water. By the time he remembered, it was already evening, and it wasn’t convenient to bother her.

Wen Di came out of the bathroom holding the vase. “Why are you still taking this seriously?”

“I promised to make tea for you with well water.”

Wen Di put down the vase. “Wait for me; I’ll be right there.” She went downstairs to get the water.

Qi Mingche had prepared two large bottles and instructed her, “Have Auntie filter it through the water purifier first. After the tea is brewed, let it cool completely, then refrigerate it for half an hour. It tastes better chilled.”

The two chatted briefly, and Wen Di went upstairs.

Zhao Yueling saw her daughter carrying two large bottles of mineral water. “We have plenty of water at home. Why did you go downstairs to buy more?”

Wen Di put down the water and told her mother the whole story.

Zhao Yueling praised Qi Mingche. “He’s not bad, quite thoughtful.”

“Mhm, he’s good.” Wen Di walked arm-in-arm with her mother towards the dining room. “After we eat, I’ll take you to the airport.”

Zhao Yueling planned to return to Jiangcheng today. She had stayed with her daughter for about ten days and felt that her daughter was in good spirits.

She had originally booked a flight for noon, but something came up, so she rebooked for the evening, meaning her daughter didn’t need to see her off.

Wen Di heard her mother had changed her flight and asked with concern, “Is there something urgent at the company?”

“No. It’s about Fan Zhisen’s company.” Zhao Yueling asked her daughter if she wanted a vegetable salad.

Wen Di nodded. “Add more chicory.”

She asked, “Is Uncle Fan in Beijing?”

“Mhm. Didn’t he partner with Jingyue to build a factory in the Jiangcheng park?” Zhao Yueling put some chicory on her plate, then continued, “Some procedures are complicated and require Jingyue to handle them.”

“Then why did Uncle Fan ask you to go?”

Wen Di took a piece of purple cabbage, put it in her mouth, and chewed slowly.

“He had a lunch appointment with Mr. Yan, Yan Heyu, today. You saw him and his fiancée at the restaurant last time you came home, didn’t you?” Zhao Yueling saw her daughter eating purple cabbage, then added some more purple cabbage to a plate, drizzled it with salad dressing, and handed it to her daughter.

Wen Di hummed in acknowledgement, mixing the salad dressing.

Zhao Yueling prepared her own vegetable salad. She didn’t add salad dressing, only a little vinegar. “Our company has a partnership with a subsidiary of Jingyue. Uncle Fan meant that since I didn’t attend the dinner in Jiangcheng last time, I should go this time to get familiar with them, which will be convenient for future collaborations.”

Wen Di didn’t want her mother to meet Yan Heyu, but her mother had already agreed to go. This was a perfectly normal networking maintenance, and if she said anything more, her intelligent mother would definitely suspect something.

Zhao Yueling chatted casually, “Your second aunt called me last night and asked if you had a new relationship.”

“Not that fast.”

“Fast or slow doesn’t matter. Mom just hopes you start your next relationship because you’re happy.”

“That’s for sure.”

Zhao Yueling said, “Your second aunt and I have the same idea. She hopes you find someone who can make you happy and have a relaxed relationship.”

Speaking of someone who could make her happy, she thought of Qi Mingche...

Wen Di had no work today and watched dramas all morning at home.

Before noon, her mother went to a social engagement.

Feeling bored alone, she fell asleep on the sofa.

She had only slept for half an hour when she was woken by a message from Qi Mingche.

He said: [I’m taking you somewhere.]

Wen Di picked up the blanket from the floor and asked him: [Where?]

[A place you’ll definitely like. I’m downstairs.]

Wen Di changed into her outdoor clothes and found a sun umbrella.

“Going out?” the auntie asked.

Wen Di put on her sunglasses and nodded. “Yes. Going for a stroll.”

“What do you want for lunch?”

“No need to cook for me. I’ll just grab something while I’m out. You just focus on knitting the doll ornaments for Qi Mingche; he’s in a hurry.”

The auntie joked, “I should’ve known not to take his order.” She pushed up her reading glasses. “This doll isn’t very easy to knit; the colors are complicated.” She had already knitted several, but the details weren’t right. This was the fourth one.

Wen Di went downstairs. Qi Mingche was waiting for her by the elevator, holding a bottle of soda water.

He held out his hand. “Give me the umbrella.”

“I can hold it myself.”

Qi Mingche still insisted on taking the umbrella. Stepping out of the building, he held the umbrella open and handed her the soda water. “I bought it at the store. It’s not the brand you usually drink.” “It’s fine, I’ll drink it.”

Wen Di turned to look at him. “Aren’t you busy today?”

“Busy.” After a pause, Qi Mingche tilted his head and met her gaze. “Because I wanted to see someone, I finished my work early.”