14 Chapter 14
As the car slowly stopped in front of the villa, its rumble was heard by Chu Wu, who was in the living room. Excited, Chu Wu ran outside and pawed at the glass window of the passenger door.
Shen Xi had no choice but to knock on the window, before gently opening the car door a crack to show Chu Wu that she was going to get out of the car. She was afraid of knocking onto Chu Wu if she opened the door all the way.
Chu Wu was very clever. As soon as the passenger door opened, Chu Wu moved back, his tail still wagging. When Shen Xi got out of the car, he jumped towards her. She Xi rubbed Chu Wu all over before turning towards Su Hang, who had walked towards her side. "He seems to like me."
Su Hang looked at Chu Wu, who was drilling his head into Shen Xi's arms. His mouth subconsciously pursed. Su Hang bent down and pulled at Chu Wu's collar to drag him out of Shen Xi's arms.
"Take it easy." Shen Xi couldn't help but say when she saw Su Hang drag Chu Wu a little roughly.
"..." Su Hang looked down at the silly dog happily panting with his tongue out. Suddenly, Su Hang felt a little regretful that he hadn't sent Chu Wu away. The two entered the house and walked to the living room.
Hearing noises outside, Mrs. Zhang came out of the kitchen. She was very pleased to see Shen Xi and Su Hang come back home together. It turns out that the wife went out to pick up the husband. This morning someone gave the Madam a gift from Sir, and later the Madam ran over to pick up Sir from work. How kind. It seems that Sir will be moving out of the guest room soon. Mrs. Zhang smiled. "Madam and Sir came back early today, so I'll go prepare dinner early." After saying this, she hurried back to the kitchen.
After Mrs. Zhang left, Shen Xi said: "Continue to play with Chu Wu, I'm just going to change my clothes."
Su Hang nodded. As Shen Xi walked upstairs, Su Hang immediately locked Chu Wu in his kennel.
"Arf, arf, arf..." Chu Wu looked at his father, hurt. How come his father immediately locked his baby up when he came back?
"Silly dog!" Su Hang coldly turned away and left.
Chu Wu walked two laps around the kennel and found that his father wasn't going to play with him today. After grumbling a bit, he lay down on the ground.
During the spring and autumn months, Shen Xi liked to wear loose and comfortable sweaters, especially at home. Casual pants and light-colored sweaters were almost always her preferred choice. After Shen Xi changed her clothes, she noticed the QH jewelry box on the dresser. After thinking for a moment, she reached for the box and walked downstairs.
Su Hang changed his clothes and had just come out of the guest room when he saw Shen Xi coming back down. He saw what Shen Xi was wearing and lifted a hand to touch his own sweater. It was the same color as hers. His heart started to thump happily.
Shen Xi didn't respond to her and Su Hang's accidental 'matching clothes'. Clutching the jewelry box, she went to the sofa and sat down. "Li QingYuan came looking for you this morning."
Su Hang frowned. This morning? Li QingYuan should've known that he would be in the company. Why would he come to the villa?
"Did he say anything?" Su Hang carefully asked.
Shen Xi looked at the calm Su Hang and gently put the jewelry box on the coffee table, pushing it towards Su Hang's direction.
"..." Su Hang looked at the familiar logo printed on the box and his jaw collapsed.
"He said that when you came back from HK, you left this in the hotel. Li QingYuan came by to give it back." Shen Xi pointed at the jewelry box.
"I forgot." Su Hang said.
"So...you bought it?" Shen Xi deliberately asked. She wanted to find out whether the QH jewelry was bought by Su Hang as Li QingYuan said, or if it was sent by a colleague like in her past life. She needed Su Hang to clarify this for her.
Su Hang thought back to Li QingYuan's words earlier that noon. He guessed that Li QingYuan this idiot took things to his own hands and told Shen Xi about the gift. Su Hang's heart dropped, but he still nodded at her question.
Seeing Su Hang admit to things, Shen Xi slowly opened the jewelry box. The exquisite and gorgeous diamond necklace sparkled under the lights and she couldn't help but squint. Shen Xi looked away and looked up at Su Hang.
Su Hang tensed.
Shen Xi slowly smiled and said. "Thank you. The necklace is very beautiful, but don't buy such a luxurious one next time."
Su Hang's eyes suddenly turned dim. Do you really not like it?
"Next time you want to buy something for me, buy a simpler style. I don't usually go to places where I can wear such luxurious things. It'll just be a waste." Shen Xi continued.
"Next time?" Su Hang blinked. He didn't think he heard that right.
"You're only going to give me a gift this one time?" Shen Xi couldn't help but crack a joke when she saw Su Hang hesitating.
"Of course not." Su Hang hurriedly shook his head.
"Pfft..." Shen Xi couldn't help but laugh at Su Hang's rare expression of panic. When Su Hang saw Shen Xi smile so happily, his mood couldn't help but rise too. Then Shen Xi suddenly looked up at him and asked: "Why did you suddenly think of giving me a necklace?"
You still need to ask?
Su Hang thought back to the winter of 15 years ago. It was snowing heavily and Su Hang had found Shen Xi standing alone by the school gate. He didn't know if her driver was delayed or something, only that he wasn't there. Being only nine years old, Shen Xi was freezing as she stood outside. Su Hang was very distressed when he saw her and couldn't help but feel the money pocket that he had saved from collecting garbage. He ended up buying a pair of gloves (a truly 'luxurious' item for him) in a nearby boutique and gave them to Shen Xi.
"Why are you giving me gloves?" Shen Xi looked at the strange older brother in front of her with caution.
"Do you have to have a reason for giving someone a gift?" The 14-year-old Su Hang, with his awkward limbs and changing voice asked.
"Yes, or I won't be able to accept it." The little girl replied very seriously.
The 9-year-old Shen Xi slowly overlapped with the Shen Xi now. Su Hang couldn't help but utter the same question he had said 15 years ago: "Do you have to have a reason for giving someone a gift?"
"Huh?" The Shen Xi now looked at him, stunned. Shen Xi blinked, then smiled. "If it's you giving the gift, then I don't need a reason."
Su Hang looked at Shen Xi's gentle smile and had a sudden glimmer of enlightenment. Compared to 15 years ago, had he had finally changed from a stranger giving her a gift, to someone she greeted every day?
Was he being too optimistic?
"Sir, Madam, dinner's ready." Mrs. Zhang called out as she set the table.
"Let's go eat." Shen Xi closed the jewelry box and walked towards the table.
Su Hang also stood up, shaking off his past memories. As Mrs. Zhang placed the dishes on the table, he said to her: "Mrs. Zhang, the wind looks a little strong today. You should go home earlier."
"Yes, there's no need for you to clean the dishes tonight. We can just leave them for tomorrow." Shen Xi said with a smile.
"Thank you, I'll go home after feeding Chu Wu then." Mrs. Zhang happily untied her apron, then went out to feed Chu Wu.
The two quietly had their dinner. The soup for today was white gourd and pork rib soup, and it was very delicious. Shen Xi couldn't help but drink a little more. She glanced at Su Hang, who was also drinking the soup. She suddenly remembered the milk tea she made for him this afternoon. She couldn't help but ask: "Did you like the milk tea this afternoon?"
Su Hang blinked, stupefied. He thought back to the milk tea with three marshmallows floating on top. He couldn't help but ask: "Did you make it?"
"Un." Shen Xi admitted, embarrassed.
"It was good." Su Hang decided that he really liked the milk tea he drank that afternoon.
"I heard that you always drink black coffee. You have a delicate stomach, so you shouldn't drink a lot." Shen Xi scratched her red cheek, still embarrassed, and continued. "I told the people in my shop to give you milk tea whenever you order black coffee."
"You..." Anyone who wasn't an idiot would be able to hear the concern in Shen Xi's words. Su Hang, who realized this fact, couldn't help but tremble.
But reason soon prevailed his fantasies. Shen Xi has always been a kind and gentle girl. She cares about anyone. He shouldn't think that he was someone special to Shen Xi.
"By the way..." Shen Xi felt that her words just now sounded like she was expressing her love for Su Hang. She was more than a little flustered and hurried to change the subject. "I also met Auntie Liu in my store."
"Liu Fang?" Su Hang's expression immediately cooled down.
"Un. She told me she wanted us to visit the Su family home." Shen Xi continued.
That afternoon, Liu Fang told Su Hang that Shen Xi didn't want to go to the Su family home. Liu Fang also mentioned to he would have to face up to his embarrassing identity. Su Hang couldn't stand his disgusting relatives, why would he even consider taking Shen Xi there?
"Are we going to visit?" Shen Xi was surprised by the horrible expression in Su Hang's face and had to clarify.
"No." Su Hang shook his head.
Shen Xi looked at Su Hang carefully, and said: "Auntie Liu said that your father doesn't seem to be very happy that we hadn't visited."
Su Hang couldn't react for a long while. Shen Xi had once heard her father call Su Hang's father 'Su BoNian.' Now that she thinks about it, Su Hang himself doesn't often call his father 'father'. She had never felt a sense of intimacy between the two of them. Does that mean...
"Do you want to go?" Su Hang finally asked.
"Ah...I want to do what you want to do." Shen Xi smiled.
"If we go to the Su family home...." as if he had made his mind, Su Hang looked at Shen Xi and began to explain: "You should know that I haven't been in the Su family home since I was 18."
"I know." Shen Xi nodded.
"Do...do you want to know my true origin?" Su Hang asked.
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Su Hang: Shen Xi said that I don't need to have a reason to give her a gift.
Li QingYuan: So?
Su Hang: Every day...
The first thing Shen Xi would do after waking up in the morning is to open an express delivery package...
