Chapter 55: Do You Have to Play Such Word Games with Me?
After Lu Xianyue finished speaking, she waited for a long time but did not get a reply from Huai Xing.
After she finished scrolling through Chu Wantang’s six-month visible Moments, she realized this and turned her head to stare at Huai Xing’s profile, pressing, “Hello? Answer?”
“What?” Huai Xing glanced at her in the middle of driving, looking as if she hadn’t heard the question just now.
Lu Xianyue rubbed her brow. “I asked if you and President Chu knew each other before.” She stated her basis. “I feel that your attitude towards her is a bit too cold. It was like this last night, and it’s still like this today.”
“Before our two companies cooperate, do I need to be very enthusiastic?” Huai Xing turned the steering wheel and made a turn. “Wasn’t I like this before?”
“But you’re obviously much more uncomfortable. Otherwise, why would you ask me to call you when I was buying crutches? I had to think of a reason.”
“We do know each other.”
Huai Xing’s long lashes fluttered slightly. She still decided to admit it, but she wouldn’t say too much. “She was my former superior.”
Not just a superior, and not very pure.
“No wonder your reaction was so calm when I mentioned ‘Lan Ling’ to you,” Lu Xianyue said, suddenly enlightened, and did not ask for more details.
The next moment, her brows furrowed, and she felt that the truth was gradually emerging.
Why was Huai Xing’s attitude towards Chu Wantang so cold? Why did Huai Xing feel uncomfortable? It must be because Huai Xing had had a conflict with Chu Wantang in the past, or that Huai Xing had been bullied by Chu Wantang.
Wasn’t Huai Xing’s act of calling her and asking her to call her a cry for help?
She recalled the time when she had just met Huai Xing five years ago. Huai Xing was far from as happy as she was now. She would often stare at the sky in a daze, and it was unclear what she was thinking. Now everything made sense. It must have been a bad experience at her previous company, so the current Huai Xing did not want to give any reaction to “Lan Ling” and Chu Wantang.
Thinking of this, Lu Xianyue looked at the WeChat message bar.
Chu Wantang’s profile picture was a bouquet of withered flowers. She couldn’t recognize the variety, but that wasn’t important. What was important was that Chu Wantang had sent her a message at this moment: [Little President Lu, I’m already at home. Thank you so much for today, you and President Huai.]
[I also wanted to ask when you two are free? I’d like to treat you to a simple meal.]
[President Chu, please take good care of your injury. We probably won’t be free in the short term.]
Lu Xianyue felt that she was very decent. If it had been the old her, she would have deleted the person without a word. But her aunt had said that in the business world, “profit” was the most important thing. If “Silk Season” wanted to continue to expand its territory, cooperating with “Lan Ling” in the future would be a good choice.
Chu Wantang replied very politely: [Okay, thank you for your concern.]
…
In the afternoon, Huai Xing appeared in the exhibition hall.
Lu Xianyue had gone to see other clients, and after she had finished the summary meeting with her team about this exhibition in the morning, she still decided to come to the exhibition hall to see the situation.
Chu Wantang’s foot was injured like that, so she probably wouldn’t be coming.
Today was the second day of the exhibition, and the exhibition hall was still crowded. There were many people around the major booths, and the whole venue was noisy, with various languages being switched.
Huai Xing stood at the “Silk Season” booth, seriously looking at the real-time data for today that her subordinate had presented.
Just as she finished looking at the data on the tablet, she heard a slightly familiar female voice in the noise. “Xingxing.”
Huai Xing looked up, showed Su Cheng a just-right smile, and went up to greet her, calling out, “Sister Su Cheng, long time no see.”
On the night she had heard “little pet” many years ago, Su Cheng and Wan Yi’s attitudes were clear. She would continue to be pleasant to Chu Wantang’s two good friends, but they were not in the same camp after all. Now, after so many years, she could no longer be as she was before, and there would be more politeness.
“I thought I saw you wrong yesterday, and I didn’t have a chance to say hello to you at night,” Su Cheng said with a helpless smile. “You’ve changed a lot. I almost didn’t recognize you. I should call you President Huai now.”
“Don’t laugh at me, Sister Su Cheng. Just call me Xingxing,” Huai Xing said with a smile in her eyes. “And it’s been five years, Sister Su Cheng. You even have a child.”
As she spoke, she knelt down and looked at Su Qiao at eye level, waving her hand to greet her. “Hello, little Qiaoqiao. We meet again.”
Su Qiao was not shy at all, and Huai Xing’s face had no aggressiveness. She immediately called out in a childish voice, “Hello, Auntie.” She even reached out her hand. “Auntie, can you hug me? I’m so tired from walking…”
Hearing this complaining tone, Su Cheng’s eyelids twitched. “…”
A smile bloomed on Huai Xing’s face, and her voice unconsciously softened. “Of course I can.”
As she spoke, she reached out her arms, gathered the little girl, and then adjusted her posture to pick her up, even asking, “Are you uncomfortable?”
Su Qiao wrapped her arms around Huai Xing’s neck and shook her head.
She kind of liked this newly met auntie. She had a faint fragrance on her, and she was very gentle. But she also felt that she was familiar, but her brainpower was limited, and she couldn’t remember where she had seen her.
“I’m sorry to trouble you, Xingxing,” Su Cheng said, pressing her forehead. “Will I be disturbing your work?”
“No, Sister Su Cheng. But the booth is not suitable for chatting. Let’s go to the lounge in the exhibition hall. It’s quieter there, and Qiaoqiao can sit down if she’s tired.”
“Okay.”
Pushing open the frosted glass door, the lounge here was like the mute button had been pressed compared to the exhibition hall, isolating everything outside. The space was large, and the smell of coffee was everywhere. Some people with ID badges and in formal attire were resting here, and there were still some seats left.
Huai Xing held Su Qiao and sat down on the sofa, taking the menu from the side.
There was a coffee station in the lounge, and they also sold some small desserts. She pointed to a dessert on the menu that looked pretty good and asked, “Do you want this, Qiaoqiao? Auntie will treat you.”
Su Qiao glanced at her mother’s face and slowly shook her head. “I can’t eat too many sweets. I’ll get cavities.”
“Are two egg tarts okay, Sister Su Cheng?” Huai Xing asked, rubbing the little girl’s head and asking the person opposite her.
Su Cheng: “That’s fine.”
Huai Xing smiled, scanned the QR code to order, and Su Qiao, like a boneless animal with no strength, fell on her.
At this moment, Su Cheng spoke. “Xingxing, actually… I’m a little bothered that you left without saying goodbye back then.” She propped her chin on her hand and said slowly, “We’ve known each other for several years, and we didn’t even see each other for the last time. And Wan Yi, she even said that she hadn’t even officially met you, and then she couldn’t see you again.”
“I’m sorry, Sister Su Cheng. The situation at that time could only be like that,” Huai Xing said, not planning to say any more. “Qiaoqiao is really cute. She looks a bit like you.”
This was a way to change the subject. Su Cheng stopped there and also played along. “Then I have to ask now, teacher. Can our child be a child model?”
“She’s more than enough to be a child star.”
At this moment, the atmosphere of their reunion was subtle, as they both knew. Su Qiao was just slowly nibbling on her egg tart, occasionally turning her head to look at Huai Xing, trying hard to think where she had seen this beautiful auntie.
But there were still some things to do in the exhibition hall, and this meeting could not last too long.
When Su Qiao had finished her two egg tarts and was getting sleepy, Huai Xing took the initiative to end it. “Sister Su Cheng, there’s still something I need to take care of at the booth. I’ll go over in a bit.”
Su Cheng held her phone. “Is it convenient to add you on WeChat? Qiaoqiao seems to like you very much.”
“It is.”
After adding her on WeChat, Su Cheng stood up first to hold her daughter.
Su Qiao was drowsy. After being picked up by her mother, she suddenly woke up again. She looked at Huai Xing and said, “Auntie, I remember now.”
Huai Xing gently pinched her cheek. “What do you remember?”
“You’re in the photo at Tangtang Mommy’s house…”
Before she could finish, Su Cheng covered her daughter’s mouth and gave Huai Xing an embarrassed smile. “Xingxing, go on with your work. If Qiaoqiao misses you later, I’ll have her send you a video invitation.”
“Okay,” Huai Xing said, rubbing the little girl’s head again. “See you next time, Qiaoqiao.”
Su Qiao nodded. “See you next time.”
But before the three of them had left the lounge, Su Cheng received a call from Lin Youmeng. She held her daughter with one hand and answered the phone with some difficulty with the other.
“What? A fever?”
“I’ll be right there. Which hospital?”
Hearing this, Su Qiao burst into tears. “Mommy, I don’t want to go to the hospital… I’m scared…”
“It’s your Tangtang Mommy who has a fever. We have to go see her, right?”
“I’m still scared…” Su Qiao was a little weak, and children get a lot of shots, so she was always very resistant to going to the hospital.
Su Cheng wiped her tears. “It’s okay. We’re brave little girls…”
“Sister Su Cheng,” Huai Xing said at the side. “If she’s really scared, you can leave her with me. You can pick her up after you’re done, or I can take her over.”
Su Cheng hesitated. “She’s a bit naughty. I’m worried…”
“It’s okay. Just tell me what I need to pay attention to.”
Hearing this, Su Qiao immediately reached out her arms and hung on Huai Xing, her tears smearing Huai Xing’s neck, looking pitiful.
Su Cheng had no choice but to take off her bag. “Here are some of her things…”
After the introduction, she reminded her daughter, “Remember to listen to Auntie Xingxing. Don’t run around. I’m going to see how your Tangtang Mommy is doing.”
“I know.”
A few minutes later, the two sides separated.
Huai Xing took the little girl to the booth and put her down. Su Qiao was no longer sleepy, and she was really cute. Her two big eyes were like grapes. Many passersby would look in when they passed the “Silk Season” booth. Huai Xing’s subordinates couldn’t stand it even more. Every once in a while, when they were free, they would go and say a few words to the little girl, and then clutch their chests, looking as if they were about to faint.
And half an hour later, Su Cheng also arrived at the hospital in Nancheng.
In the morning, she had found that her friend, who had been fine before she left, had come home limping. She had been very surprised. Now, facing her friend’s fever, she was not so surprised. Sometimes, a wound can cause inflammation, leading to a low-grade or high-grade fever, which is very normal.
She came to the ward and looked at her friend, who was on an IV and had her eyes closed, looking listless. She sighed. “I saw Xingxing.”
Chu Wantang’s long lashes trembled slightly, and she asked weakly, “Is that how you address her?”
“What else?” Su Cheng sat down in the chair at the side. “I said, ‘Should I call you President Huai now?’ and she said, ‘Just call me Xingxing’.”
Chu Wantang’s mind thought of the “don’t call me that,” and she just felt that all the pain in her body added up was not as much as the pain in her heart.
On second thought, she was much more “special” to Huai Xing than Su Cheng and the others. The corners of her lips couldn’t help but press down. She didn’t want this specialness now. She just wanted Huai Xing to be able to respond to “Xingxing.”
“Then what was her attitude when she saw you?” she asked with difficulty.
Su Cheng said slowly, “We added each other on WeChat.”
Chu Wantang immediately looked at her friend, her eyes fixed. The light outside the ward was clearly shining, but at this moment, the paleness on her face seemed to have lessened a little.
In the past few years, she had changed her phone several times, and each time she would migrate her WeChat chat history.
And each time, she would face the pinned “deleted WeChat user.”
She had tried to send a message again, and each time her hopes had been dashed. In the end, the screen was full of red exclamation marks, stinging her eyes.
“Do you want to see?” Su Cheng took out her phone and held it, waving it.
Chu Wantang: “Mm.”
“Then I’ll reluctantly let you take a look…” Su Cheng opened Huai Xing’s Moments, but found that there was nothing. She was stunned for a moment, then looked at her friend. “She probably set the permissions. I can’t see anything.”
Although she said that, she still handed the phone to her friend.
Huai Xing’s WeChat profile picture was a watercolor painting of a young girl riding a bicycle. The colors were strong, and she looked very free. Her ID was just “lucky.”
Coincidentally, Huai Xing had just sent a message. It was a photo of Qiaoqiao.
Chu Wantang was stunned for a moment. “Qiaoqiao is with her?”
“Mm, Qiaoqiao likes her very much,” Su Cheng said, taking back her phone.
“She should,” Chu Wantang said with a smile, as if it were a matter of course.
Su Cheng: “…”
When today’s exhibition was almost over, Su Cheng had just left the hospital and said she was driving over to pick up the child.
Huai Xing agreed and took the little girl to sit on a chair in the square to wait.
Before long, Su Cheng appeared, but she was walking a little slowly, because next to her was Chu Wantang on underarm crutches.
From a distance, Su Cheng waved to them. Su Qiao immediately got off the chair and ran over with small steps. “Mommy!”
Huai Xing squinted her eyes, stood up, and slowly followed with her bag.
“Xingxing, thank you so much for this afternoon,” Su Cheng said, taking the small backpack and smiling.
Huai Xing shook her head. “No, she was very good.”
Chu Wantang at the side pressed her lips together and also called out softly, “Xingxing.”
“…” Huai Xing looked at her with confusion.
“Little President Lu can’t hear now…” Chu Wantang’s expression was gentle. “Did I misunderstand the meaning?”
Huai Xing’s face turned slightly cold. “Do you have to play such word games with me?”
