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Wen Di slept soundly. Yan Heyu dared not move. He had been crouching for a long time, and his feet were numb. If he continued, he wouldn’t be able to maintain his balance.
He set his phone to silent and messaged the resort manager: [Send me a low stool.]
The manager replied instantly: [Okay, Mr. Yan, right away.]
He was the largest shareholder of this resort, and also of the one Wen Di used to frequent, but few people knew.
He had no interest in investing in resorts, but Wen Di liked to create at resorts, sometimes staying for months. So he simply invested, and whatever arrangements needed to be made were just a word away.
He had spent a considerable amount of money to channel the nearby stream, ensuring a continuous flow of water. The reservoir at the mountain top was also re-engineered.
The most troublesome part was the stones and vegetation on both sides of the stream; they couldn’t look out of place, nor could the stream instantly appear man-made.
Other shareholders initially disagreed, saying the cost was too high.
Later, he paid for it himself.
The low stool arrived, and Yan Heyu sat in front of Wen Di.
He looked up at her, his hand still clasped in hers. Remember the website https://www.google.com/search?q=m.xswang.com
He wanted her to hold it a little longer.
Wen Di slept in the same position for over an hour and was a little tired. She turned over in the lounge chair, her head tilting to the other side, but she didn’t release his hand.
Yan Heyu carefully tucked the blanket around her.
As if sensing when she would wake up, he carefully withdrew his hand from hers, little by little, afraid of waking her.
Wen Di seemed unwilling to let go. He had just pulled it out a bit when she tightened her grip again. Her head moved a few times, and she wasn’t sleeping as peacefully as before.
Yan Heyu sighed, then quickly pulled his hand out and tucked a corner of the blanket into her hand.
Wen Di didn’t grasp the blanket. Her hand suddenly felt empty. She instinctively raised her hand to search for his hand again, but her arm had no strength. She lifted it a bit, couldn’t quite raise it, and then it fell back in front of her.
Yan Heyu watched her series of movements, the feeling in his heart the same as when she had first clasped his hand.
She had clearly held on.
Then it was empty again, nothing.
The nearby stream still flowed, gurgling.
It didn’t affect sleep.
Yan Heyu took the low stool and sat back down beside the aunt.
There were finished dolls in the aunt’s weaving basket. He picked one up and examined it.
The aunt looked at him, vaguely guessing who he was.
But it wasn’t her place to ask too much.
In less than twenty minutes, Wen Di woke up.
She opened her eyes, taking half a minute to remember where she was and how she had fallen asleep here.
Wen Di rubbed her neck, then suddenly extended her hand and looked at it.
Feeling a bit neurotic, she continued rubbing her neck.
Her coffee had grown cold.
The water in the thermos was still warm. She unscrewed it and took a few sips.
As she drank, she picked up her phone from the table and opened it.
Kang Bo had sent her a message over two hours ago. She hadn’t heard it when she was asleep. He said: [Miss Wen, hello, Mr. Yan went to the lounge to find you.]
Wen Di finished reading and suddenly looked back. Even though she was mentally prepared, she was still startled. He was still there, watching the aunt knit.
Yan Heyu came over and sat on the chair beside her.
Wen Di sat up straight and folded the blanket on her body, placing it aside.
She took a bottle of soda water from the fridge, offering it to him as hospitality.
She had requested the meeting, so courtesy was still required.
Yan Heyu looked at her and said, “Don’t you know I don’t drink alcohol now, nor cold water?”
His stomach discomfort hadn’t subsided.
Wen Di put the soda water away, “Sorry, I forgot.”
She pressed the bell, asking the waiter to bring a cup of hot water and a cup of coffee.
Yan Heyu didn’t drink the water.
Wen Di was fully awake now. The nap she had just taken, she couldn’t tell if it was a dream or if she had subconsciously thought about something she shouldn’t have.
She said, “You should know why I’m looking for you.”
“I guessed you wouldn’t have anything good to say to me.” But he still came.
Wen Di looked at him, “The villa’s title deed, set a time, and let’s go through the procedures.”
“Let’s leave it as it is for now.”
“I don’t want to. It’s not necessary.”
The name on the title deed was their only remaining connection. Yan Heyu promised her, “If you get married, and it’s to someone else, I’ll remove your name before your marriage. It won’t affect you.”
“Regardless of whether I get married or not, you’ve already affected me. I have a boyfriend now and don’t want any more entanglements with other men. I even informed my boyfriend in advance about this meeting.”
Yan Heyu looked at the shimmering lake opposite him. The lake surface was dazzling.
Wen Di drank her coffee. Half a cup later, he still didn’t express his stance.
She didn’t have that much time to wait for him to consider, “If we can’t negotiate, then we’ll have to go through legal procedures. I don’t want to go that far.”
Yan Heyu looked at her again, “It’s not that I haven’t thought about removing your name after you started dating. Everyone has moments of fantasy, and I’m no exception. Though not many, there are some.”
Fantasia that she could forgive him.
That’s why he had been reluctant to remove her name.
She didn’t want to go that far, so he wouldn’t let her go that far. He paused for a few seconds, then said, “You contact Assistant Kang, he’ll cooperate with you through all the procedures.”
He finally picked up that cup of water. It wasn’t warm when he drank it, and even a bit cold.
“You invited me here, not just for the property title, right?”
Wen Di said directly, “Ming Jianjun’s company and his affair, are you involved?”
Yan Heyu didn’t deny it: “Yes. But it’s not what you think, and even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. If it’s about this, we have nothing to talk about.”
Even if there was nothing to talk about, Wen Di still wanted to make it clear to him.
If it weren’t for her, things wouldn’t have turned out this way today, and Qi Mingche and his mother seemed very passive now.
“Don’t get involved in their family matters anymore.”
“I’m already involved, and I don’t plan to stop.” Yan Heyu finished that cup of water. “It’s not that I don’t want to make you happy, but this is a separate matter from removing your name from the property title. I can’t always give in to your every wish.”
He stood up, “The sun is setting soon, and it’s getting cold outside. You should return to your room early.”
Yan Heyu left the lounge area. He was staying at the resort tonight, and Assistant Kang was also there.
Kang Bo was a bit shocked to hear that his boss had agreed to remove Wen Di’s name from the property title.
Yan Heyu lit a cigarette. This was the second time he had smoked since Guan Xiangmu offered him one.
Exhaling smoke, he said, “Otherwise, what? If I don’t agree, she’ll just be upset.” If he agreed, at most, he would feel uncomfortable.
Now, there wasn’t much he could indulge her in.
He would try his best to do things that made her happy.
He couldn’t be more miserable than Guan Xiangmu.
“You contact Wen Di. She can go through the procedures whenever she wants.”
“Okay.”
Yan Heyu held the cigarette over the ashtray, lightly flicked it, and then added, “Have someone arrange her security and meals at the resort.”
“It’s already arranged.”
“Mm.”
Assistant Kang inquired, “When it’s time to do the paperwork, will you go or...?”
“Let the lawyer go.” He had other things to attend to.
Yan Heyu found Guan Xiangmu’s number and called him.
Guan Xiangmu was not surprised to receive his call. His voice was smiling, “Are you calling to learn from me?”
Yan Heyu turned and leaned against the railing, saying, “What’s there to learn from your failed experience?”
Guan Xiangmu laughed loudly, “At least give me some face. Even though I didn’t succeed in pursuing her, I can at least help you avoid some detours. That’s also experience.”
“No need.”
Yan Heyu asked him if he was interested in going to Jiangcheng.
Guan Xiangmu was drinking wine, alone at home.
He put down his wine glass and rubbed his temples, “You certainly remember.”
The implication was that he wasn’t thick-skinned enough to brazenly go to Jiangcheng again.
Yan Heyu extinguished his cigarette, “Is your face more valuable than mine? If I can go, why can’t you?”
Guan Xiangmu: “...I’m different from you.”
He searched for a long time and found an excuse that wasn’t exactly an excuse: “You’re young.”
“Didn’t you say that the older you get, the less you care about saving face?” Yan Heyu scoffed, “Do you know why your outcome was so miserable?”
Guan Xiangmu explained, “Then you misunderstood. It’s not that I wasn’t thick-skinned when I was young.” But it was still the same, Wen Qizhen didn’t look back, she never looked back.
Even if she loved him, she never gave him another chance.
Jiangcheng was the place he least wanted to go. Both of her weddings were there.
Going there would be self-inflicted torment.
Yan Heyu said, “You were thick-skinned, but in the wrong way.”
Guan Xiangmu laughed in anger, “What do you mean? I’m more than ten years older than you, barely your elder. Give me some face.”
Yan Heyu asked Guan Xiangmu to wait. He took his water cup into the room.
“Stomach ache again?”
“Not necessarily the stomach.”
All sorts of examinations had been done, and his stomach was fine.
But he just wasn’t comfortable.
Yan Heyu poured a cup of hot water and returned to the balcony outside.
Guan Xiangmu poured himself another glass of red wine. Tonight, he intended to listen intently to what it meant to be thick-skinned in the right way.
“Between Wen Di and me, it’s not something that can be forgiven by an apology, a few regrets, and some gifts. You and your second aunt are even more so. Winning back someone requires sincerity, and you can’t be narrow-minded.”
“What do you plan to do in Jiangcheng?”
“Invest. And settle down there.”
“Are you investing personally or...?”
“Personally, and Jingyue Group, both plan to invest.”
Yan Heyu spoke about Jiangcheng’s investment policies and environment in recent years, saying they were well-done, at least he thought so.
Guan Xiangmu swirled his wine glass. Investing wasn’t as simple as buying a car or a house; it involved many factors.
Regardless of whether to invest or not, a long-term plan was needed.
Yan Heyu had recently asked Fan Zhisen to help buy a house. He asked Guan Xiangmu if he wanted him to set aside a villa for him, in the same villa area, for convenience when Wen Di and her second aunt visited each other in the future.
Guan Xiangmu said, “Qizhen doesn’t like villas; she prefers to watch the night view from high-rise buildings.”
“Just like Wen Di. I also bought a river-view flat.” He bought a villa because it had a courtyard for planting flowers and trees, so he’d know what trees were blooming and needed celebrating just by looking at the courtyard.
Guan Xiangmu took a sip of red wine, then suddenly laughed mockingly, “Don’t you think it’s ridiculous for us two? One aunt and niece, one just signed the divorce agreement and hasn’t gotten the divorce certificate yet, the other has a boyfriend and hasn’t broken up yet, and here we are planning to buy houses, as if they’re going to marry us tomorrow.”
Yan Heyu mocked him, “I told you you’re narrow-minded, and you still won’t admit it.”
Guan Xiangmu returned to the main topic, “Now everyone is flocking to Jiangcheng to invest.”
“Who else?”
“Xiao Donghan. Xiao Ning Group also plans to settle in Jiangcheng Industrial Park.”
Yan Heyu said, “That just shows that Jiangcheng’s investment environment is good.” Moreover, Xiao Ning Group and Jingyue Group had overlapping business areas.
Competition was inevitable.
“Don’t just focus on investing.” Guan Xiangmu kindly reminded him, “You should also pay attention to Wen Di.”
“She and Qi Mingche won’t last. They’re not a good fit.”
The landline rang in the room. Yan Heyu ended his call and went to answer it.
It was the front desk calling. The porridge and side dishes he ordered were ready. They asked if they should be delivered to his room or...?
Yan Heyu didn’t like dining in his room, “I’ll go to the restaurant.”
Today, a company was having a team-building event at the resort, so the restaurant was exceptionally lively.
Wen Di went downstairs to the buffet area to get some fruit and dessert. The aunt had made soup for her in the small kitchen and was reheating it.
Carrying her chosen fruit and a small piece of dessert, she met the restaurant manager and a waiter carrying a tray.
She greeted the manager and saw the side dishes on the tray, all of which she loved. However, she hadn’t seen these dishes in the buffet area just now.
“Manager Zhao, do these side dishes cost extra?” If so, she would order a portion.
The waiter was about to say that it was a meal ordered by a customer upstairs and there was no extra, and that the chef had already left at this hour.
The manager quickly interjected, “No extra charge. They haven’t been brought from the back kitchen yet. Please return to your room, and I’ll have someone deliver them to your room in a moment.”
“Thank you.”
After Wen Di walked away, the waiter was puzzled but said nothing more, only asking, “Should I call the chef back?” The chef shouldn’t have gone far.
The manager said, “No need. Bring the porridge down and deliver the side dishes to Miss Wen’s room.”
The waiter was conflicted, “But the one who ordered the meal... we can’t afford to offend him.”
The manager: “I’ll handle it.”
He brought the porridge to the dining area and told the waiter to deliver the dishes to Wen Di.
Yan Heyu arrived at the restaurant and only had a bowl of porridge.
The manager explained the whole story in a few words, then said, “Mr. Yan, please have some hot porridge to warm your stomach first. I’ll have someone prepare another late-night meal for you, it’ll take about twenty to twenty-five minutes.”
“No need to bother.” Yan Heyu said, “She won’t finish that much anyway. When she leaves leftovers, you can bring them to me.”
The manager: “...”
Silence filled the air.
Yan Heyu began eating his porridge, “At home, I always ate her leftovers.”
The manager was in agony, rubbing his hands. He didn’t want to know so many secrets.
________________________________________
Wen Di stayed at the resort for over two months, seeing snow several times.
During that time, Qi Mingche visited her once, saying he missed her.
Early that morning, she went downstairs to walk by the lake. As she walked out of the hotel, he was already outside.
They had been separated for over a month. She was happy to see him too, but for some reason, she didn’t rush over, didn’t run into his arms.
By the time she realized she should have run to him, it was a little late.
Running over now would seem intentional.
Qi Mingche shook the phone in his hand, “I was just about to call you, and you came down.”
Wen Di smiled, “We’re on the same wavelength.”
She walked over, and he also came to meet her, embracing her.
“Did you miss me?”
Wen Di nodded, “I did.”
Qi Mingche picked her up and spun her around a few times.
“Be careful, don’t slip.”
“It’s fine.” Qi Mingche put her down and asked, “Do you still remember what day it is today?”
Wen Di tried hard to remember, but still shook her head.
They had only been together for half a year, it certainly wasn’t an anniversary.
Qi Mingche said, “This day last year, ‘As If You Were Here’ first started filming.”
Wen Di suddenly remembered, realizing.
He took her hand and put it into his down jacket pocket. They walked towards the lake.
“Today marks our one-year anniversary of officially knowing each other.” This day last year, he first met her in person, and he remembered all the small details related to her.
He didn’t deliberately try to remember.
But he just remembered.
While walking by the lake, Qi Mingche also said “I’m sorry” to her. He said that during the filming of the first episode, she fell in the snow, and he didn’t turn back to help her up.
He had been feeling guilty ever since.
Actually, she had forgotten all about it long ago.
Perhaps, she simply hadn’t taken it to heart at all.
Qi Mingche accompanied her at the resort for two days. When he left, he asked her if they could postpone the concert they were going to attend together by another month.
He still wanted to call her for another month.
She nodded.
During that month apart, both she and he felt relaxed, without having to accommodate, flatter, or be cautious.
Perhaps being apart was more suitable.
She bought tickets for the January concert, which was also the final stop of the tour.
On the day of the concert, Qi Mingche came to pick her up early.
Wen Di put on exquisite makeup and tried on two outfits. Even though it was their last date, she still cared that much.
Qi Mingche leaned against the doorframe of the walk-in closet, watching her busily getting ready in front of the mirror.
“How about this one?” Wen Di asked for his opinion.
“Both are good, but this one suits your temperament better.”
Wen Di thought so too, “Then this one it is.”
Qi Mingche walked over and gently hugged her, “Let’s go, let’s get there early.”
Ten minutes later, they left.
Qi Mingche held her hand, leading her all the way to the car. They were wearing matching couple’s down jackets today, which Wen Di had bought in October. One for each of them, and now they finally had the chance to wear them together in a picture.
Today, Qi Mingche drove Wen Di’s car. He fastened her seatbelt and started the car.
“Wen Di.”
“Hmm?”
“In the future, if anyone asks about your ex-boyfriends, you have to put me before Yan Heyu. Don’t forget me.”
Wen Di didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, feeling deeply sad, “Okay.”
She opened her phone to look at tonight’s concert setlist.
That night, the grand spectacle of the concert made it onto two hot searches.
The third was Wen Di and Qi Mingche sending a topic to the top of the list: #WenDiQiMingcheLowKeyAppearanceAtConcert#.
Actually, it wasn’t low-key at all; they entered hand-in-hand without any hesitation.
Being in the sweet phase of a relationship, everyone understood.
Wen Di accompanied Qi Mingche to a concert he liked. They didn’t say the words “break up,” but they both knew it had come to an end.
When the concert ended, neither of them reached for the other’s hand.
Later, they were separated by the crowd.
After coming out, Qi Mingche subconsciously turned to look for her. There were people everywhere, but he couldn’t see her.
At another exit, Wen Di also turned to look, but didn’t see Qi Mingche.
She put both hands into her down jacket pockets. At some point, he had placed her car keys in her pocket, along with an orange-flavored hard candy.
He still remembered the candy she ate in Haitang Village.
Later, someone asked her if she had any regrets.
She said, “Yes, I did. I met someone I really liked and who was exceptionally good to me, but unfortunately, we couldn’t make it to the end.”
________________________________________
The hot search topic #WenDiQiMingcheLowKeyAppearanceAtConcert# was still at the top of the list in the early hours of the morning.
At Jingyue Building, an overseas video conference had just concluded.
Assistant Kang saw the hot search.
The boss had been busy with investment matters in Jiangcheng recently, and had also aggressively entered Ming Jianjun’s company’s board of directors, with no time to concern himself with entertainment news.
Kang Bo rubbed his temples, a headache brewing.
He chugged the coffee in his cup and stood up to find Yan Heyu.
Yan Heyu had uninstalled Weibo. He didn’t have any other platform apps, so he didn’t know Wen Di was at a concert tonight.
However, soon, Kang Bo knocked and entered, telling him that Wen Di was on the hot search again.
Yan Heyu squinted at him, “Why are you constantly monitoring her?”
Kang Bo: “...I’m just too idle.”
Yan Heyu tossed the documents in his hand onto the table and leaned back in his chair, “Your speaking skills have improved, and your ability to talk back has grown too.”
Kang Bo found it hard to defend himself. How could he intentionally talk back to his boss? Both professionally and personally, he had no standing and knew his place. He had just blurted it out in a moment of urgency.
“On the hot search with Qi Mingche?”
“Mm.”
After a few seconds of silence, Yan Heyu said, “Earlier, Wen Di advised me not to get involved in Ming Jianjun’s family affairs. Was she considering my well-being, or Qi Mingche’s?”
This question was too much of a soul-searching one.
Assistant Kang couldn’t answer.
Nor did he want to.
Yan Heyu didn’t push him. He held out his hand, “Weren’t you going to show me the hot search?”
Kang Bo unlocked his phone and handed it over.
Yan Heyu tapped on the video. Every time he saw Wen Di on the hot search, she was standing next to someone else.
After watching, he closed the video and handed the phone back to Assistant Kang, saying, “Wen Di doesn’t like this kind of music.”
Kang Bo nodded. This singer must be Qi Mingche’s favorite, and Wen Di had specifically accompanied Qi Mingche there.
There was a slow song at the concert, with delicate emotions, a cover of someone else’s song. That was the type Wen Di liked, but the singer messed up, sang off-key, and didn’t perform well on the spot, not even as good as the boss sang.
As Qin Xing put it, the boss’s scummy behavior and his good singing voice were both widely acknowledged.
Yan Heyu closed his computer and asked Assistant Kang to find Wen Di’s frequently used email address for him.
The Chinese New Year was approaching, and email was the only way he could contact her.
As the year-end approached, Wen Di finished all her work, had a meal with Qu Pei, and returned to Jiangcheng a few days early.
Her second aunt had been home these past few days, helping Grandma prepare for the New Year. The New Year’s Eve dinner was always cooked by Grandma personally, the most ceremonial meal of the year.
“Auntie, you’re on holiday so early this year?”
“Giving myself a break.”
Wen Qizhen said, “I thought you’d be back on the twenty-ninth of the lunar calendar. Why didn’t you take advantage of being less busy before the New Year to go on more dates with Qi Mingche?”
Wen Di chewed on a lemon slice, whispering, “We broke up.”
“What?” Wen Qizhen thought she misheard. A while ago, the hot search still showed them sweetly attending a concert. How long had it been?
“What was the reason?”
“No reason, we just couldn’t continue.”
Wen Qizhen sighed, trying to cheer her up, “Actually, I know the reason.”
Wen Di looked at her second aunt, curious, “What reason?”
Wen Qizhen pointed to the lemon slice in her hand, which she had only eaten half of after a long time, and said, “You eat too slowly. Qi Mingche couldn’t stand it.”
Wen Di was amused.
Wen Qizhen patted her niece’s head, “It’s nothing, if you broke up, you broke up.”
Grandma interjected, saying, “Breaking up isn’t a big deal. You and your second aunt have a common topic this year. You can sit together for New Year’s Eve dinner.”
The smile on Wen Di’s lips vanished instantly, “Auntie, what happened to you?”
Wen Qizhen said lightly, “I divorced.” She ended her six-year marriage a month ago.
Wen Di hugged her aunt.
Wen Qizhen hadn’t told her father about the divorce yet. If she dragged it out any longer, it would be Chinese New Year’s Eve, and she couldn’t hide it for much longer.
So, after her father finished eating and before he left the table, she confessed to him, saying that they truly couldn’t continue and had a peaceful divorce.
Old Master Wen didn’t react much, “If you hadn’t divorced, you wouldn’t have come back so early to help your mom with New Year’s preparations. In over forty years, you’ve only been diligent twice.”
Wen Qizhen: “...”
Those two times she was diligent were after her divorces.
Wen Di drank her soup, occasionally looking at her grandfather, wondering if she should tell him about her breakup.
Unexpectedly, her grandfather asked her, “Did you break up too?”
“...Mm.”
Grandpa said, “When you came back for New Year’s before, you always had your phone in hand, chatting for hours on the sofa. Now, you leave your phone for half a day without looking at it.”
So, Grandpa had judged based on this.
Grandpa told them to eat, “It’s just a small matter, eating is more important.”
“Dad, I’m sorry. I’ve made you and Mom worry again. Don’t be angry.”
“Not angry. I told your mom, if you divorce, you divorce. We need to be well and at ease, otherwise, no one will worry about the children, and there’ll be nowhere to go for New Year’s. Look how good it is now, you and Di Di have a place to go back to.”
Wen Qizhen sniffed. For how many years had she not known the taste of tears?
“Alright, eat, you’re grown up and still crying.”
Grandpa stood up, picked up Wen Di’s plate, and went to reheat the food on it for her.
These past few days, Wen Di stayed at her grandfather’s house. Her parents were still busy and only started their New Year holiday on New Year’s Eve. As for her second aunt, since confessing to her grandfather that day, she returned to work the next day and was so busy that she forgot about her divorce.
On New Year’s Eve, the entire family of her paternal uncle arrived. A little later, her paternal aunt’s family also came to join the fun.
They set up three card tables. Only New Year’s Eve was the liveliest night of the year, with games continuing until dawn every year.
Whoever got tired would go back for a nap, wake up, and continue playing.
When Wen Di was little, her family played cards on New Year’s Eve, and no matter who won money, it was all given to her as her New Year’s money. Now that she was older, they still habitually gave it to her.
Wen Di’s card skills were mediocre, and she rarely sat at the card table, mainly because she used to be busy sending messages and wasn’t in the mood to play cards.
This year, she was bored, so she sat beside her father and watched the cards.
At midnight, she sent Shen Tang a New Year’s greeting. She also received many midnight greetings herself, which she replied to one by one.
Her email showed a new email notification. She casually opened it. The email was from midnight.
[Happy New Year.
Couldn’t get through to you at midnight this year. No matter who you’re on the phone with, at this moment, I hope you’re happy.
— Yan Heyu]
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