When Qi Weiran returned, Yi Qingju had just hidden the thermos containing the plaster doll.
One advantage of their large house was that it was easy to hide things without them being easily discovered.
After greeting Auntie Zhang to prevent her from mistaking it for trash and throwing it away, Yi Qingju went to see Qi Weiran.
"Sir, you're back."
She descended the staircase slowly, revealing a perfectly proportioned section of her slender, fair leg beneath her long skirt. Her bangs were slightly disheveled, and it was evident that she had been doing something earlier. Her pair of cat-like eyes were particularly serious when looking at people, carrying a soft sense of attachment.
With such an emotionally captivating appearance, it wasn't entirely Qi Weiran's fault for being unaware of her true nature for the past two years.
After all, her occasional lapses in acting skills could easily be masked by her face.
"Mhm."
He took off his coat.
Auntie Zhang went to prepare tea, so Yi Qingju took over her duties and took Qi Weiran's coat from him.
"Sir, I ran into Feng Yisheng when I went out today."
Qi Weiran didn't expect her to bring up this topic voluntarily.
"Is he bothering you?"
[Indeed, she is childhood friends with him. You really understand him.]
Yi Qingju nodded shyly.
Seeing that Qi Weiran fell silent and didn't say anything more, she continued, "I wore a hat and a mask when I went out, and I drove my own car. Even if someone took a picture, they wouldn't know it was me."
[Don't worry, it won't affect you.]
Qi Weiran knew that she misunderstood his concern, thinking that he was worried about her being involved in a scandal with Feng Yisheng.
"It's nothing."
Originally, Qi Weiran wanted to say "it's okay" or "don't worry" to reassure her, but after hesitating for a long time, he finally uttered two words.
Yi Qingju thought that after staring at her for so long, he must be holding back something significant, but it turned out to be just two words.
"Where did you go today?"
He sat down on the sofa, with one leg crossed over the other. He loosened his tie and leaned back, his black hair sinking into the leather sofa, becoming disheveled.
This was a relaxed posture for having a long conversation.
At that moment, Auntie Zhang arrived with the tea and even prepared scones as a snack.
Yi Qingju inexplicably took the opportunity to sit down opposite him.
"I went to the beauty salon and a few other places."
Upon hearing the three words "beauty salon," Qi Weiran wasn't surprised in the least.
It was exactly the same as what Wan Sui had investigated.
"You went with Feng Yisheng."
Yi Qingju nodded.
[To be precise, he had a massage and laser hair removal. Ah, this lucky little teddy bear.]
Laser hair removal...
Qi Weiran suddenly understood what Feng Yisheng's lament about losing his hair during their phone conversation meant.
For a man, losing his hair was no different from defecating in public.
"Any other places?"
That was what he cared about the most.
Yi Qingju felt a bit embarrassed and nodded, saying, "Sir, can we not talk about that?"
[Don't ask, unless you don't want a birthday surprise.]
His gaze, which was initially relaxed, suddenly focused, and a faint smile flickered in his eyes. It disappeared in an instant, just as Yi Qingju tried to capture it.
"Mhm." He nodded as if he wasn't very interested.
Yi Qingju thought that this was normal after all.
【You seem to have become as diligent as a young wife who reports her husband's schedule, Qi Weiran. Have you been too idle recently?】
Just when she thought there was no more topic between them, Qi Weiran spoke again, "Yu Du..."
Upon hearing these two words, Yi Qingju instantly became energized, as if she had just taken a gulp of invigorating tonic.
【If you want to talk about him, I won't feel sleepy anymore.】
Qi Weiran paused for a moment.
So, was she feeling sleepy because of their previous conversation?
"If I remember correctly, that should be his name."
"After that day, I checked his information and watched his livestream. He's highly adaptable, and it's a pity if we don't sign him."
【As Yu Du's birth mother, I must say, Mr. Qi, you certainly have good taste.】
'Mr.' Qi.
Qi Weiran: "..." He never admits his youthfulness under any circumstances.
"Is that so? It's good as long as it brings benefits to the Qi family," Yi Qingju replied with a flawless smile on her face.
But Qi Weiran's next words almost shattered that smile on her face.
"Do you like this type of person?"
A witty, humorous little wolf-dog who doesn't annoy people.
Tears welled up in Yi Qingju's eyes instantly. "How could you think that, sir? Are you negating all my efforts over these years?"
Qi Weiran remained unmoved. What he wanted to hear wasn't that.
Even on the day he took control of the Qi family's board of directors, he felt the suffocating sensation brought on by nervousness for the first time in his adult life.
【Well, I must admit that Yu Du is the type I like, and it's very comfortable to chat with him...】
Qi Weiran's breathing paused for a moment, and as if trying to hide something, he suddenly picked up the teacup in front of him.
In that instant, his mind was filled with the melodramatic love-hate relationships and the act of forcibly seizing love depicted in cheesy novels.
He completely forgot that Yi Qingju had been registered as a member of his household long ago.
【But if you're talking about the blushing-heart-racing kind of love, that probably doesn't exist.】
【However, if you were to die before me and if he's not married or doesn't have a girlfriend, I might pursue him, hehe.】
The crisp sound of the teacup and plate resonated, bringing Yi Qingju's wandering thoughts back. She looked at Qi Weiran's slightly darkened face and nervously asked, "Sir?"
【Damn it, did he catch me zoning out? Huh, why did my tears dry up all of a sudden? Wait for me, give me a moment to compose myself.】
He suddenly stood up, his broad-shouldered figure blocking her view, and his face was obscured in shadows, making it impossible to discern any expression.
"I'll be back for dinner later."
With that, he turned around and walked away directly, taking large strides as if there was an urgent matter.
After adjusting her numb buttocks, Yi Qingju finally realized that when Qi Weiran said that, it seemed like he was afraid she wouldn't save him any food.
"This person, why does he think so little of me?"
But it made sense. If he left without saying anything and Auntie Zhang came to ask her, Yi Qingju would definitely answer, "He left, he won't be eating here."
After thinking about it and feeling a bit amused, Yi Qingju reached out and brought over the plate of scones that Qi Weiran hadn't touched at all, and she enjoyed them together with her own portion.
...
Eighteenth floor, in the greenhouse.
She glanced at the sun that was about to set outside, then looked at the man with a cold and stern expression.
Xie Zhiyu stood up after finishing his work, his lightly colored eyes gazing at the person in front of him as he asked, "How did you end up here?"
The orange-red sunset glow behind him cast a faint dawn-like hue on his snow-white hair, giving Xie Zhiyu an exceptionally pure and sacred appearance.
"Medicine, I need to take it."
It's better to endure the pain than to see Yu Du getting too close to that fish even after death.
Xie Zhiyu raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
Only he knew how averse Qi Weiran was to this medication.
...
On that Saturday, as if they had planned it, Qi Weiran and Yi Qingju disappeared together from their home.
If it weren't for Qi Xinian personally witnessing them leaving at different times, one would think they secretly went on a date behind his back.
Only Qi Weiran and Yi Qingju themselves knew.
On that Sunday evening banquet, a fierce battle was about to begin.
