Chapter 27
Having learned the address of the daily rental villa from Qiao Jianliang, Fu Bei had expected that Qiao Xi wouldn’t wait for her. She arrived two minutes later than Zhao Shihuan. Just as she got out of the car with her gift, she saw the scene from afar.
The three of them had grown up together, each with a different personality. They used to be close, but as time passed and circumstances changed, even if they appeared peaceful on the surface, rifts had formed.
In the past, Zhao Shihuan was always the one caught in the middle, but now she showed bias; otherwise, she wouldn’t have met Qiao Xi privately first.
Qiao Xi hesitated for a moment but didn’t push her away, replying softly, “Thank you.”
Only then did Zhao Shihuan let go, returning to her usual self. She stuffed the gift into Qiao Xi’s hands and said a few simple words of blessing.
After all, it was a happy occasion. In front of her friends, Qiao Xi appeared calm and composed. When Fu Bei came over to give her gift, her expression didn’t change much, only shifting slightly.
Fu Bei also said, “Happy Birthday.”
Taking the gift, Qiao Xi didn’t know how to respond for a moment. Fortunately, Tang Yi said excitedly, “Since everyone’s here, let’s go inside first; don’t just stand outside.”
The group agreed, helping to move all the birthday gifts into the living room.
The rental villa wasn’t big, but it had everything from a billiards room to a back garden. The second and third floors were all single rooms where they would rest for the night. As for whether Zhao Shihuan and Fu Bei would stay, it depended on their wishes and schedules.
Fu Bei seemed not to have seen Zhao Shihuan hugging Qiao Xi, showing no reaction. Since she knew almost no one present and didn’t fit in, while everyone played and drank surrounding the birthday girl Qiao Xi, she stood apart.
It was Zhao Shihuan who poured her a drink. She took it but didn’t drink, setting it aside.
“You could get to know Qiao Qiao’s friends; don’t just stand alone.”
Fu Bei’s nature had always been like this, unchanged since childhood. In her original social circle, people would proactively approach her because of the Fu family’s background, so no matter how cold she was, others were willing to flock to her. But here, no one knew who she was, treating her merely as Qiao Xi’s friend.
Qiao Xi was in the center of the crowd. As today’s protagonist, her friends fawned over her, asking her to play pool one moment and chat the next. The atmosphere was very harmonious. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Fu Bei and Zhao Shihuan chatting about something unknown. Zhao Shihuan smiled occasionally, but Fu Bei had no smile on her face, even frowning.
Perhaps sensing her scrutiny, Fu Bei looked over, their gazes meeting.
Qiao Xi immediately looked away subtly, gazing elsewhere.
Someone called via WeChat; it was Qin Si.
She excused herself to everyone and went to the quiet back garden to answer the call.
Fu Bei watched her hurrying figure retreat.
Qin Si seemed to have just woken up, her voice slightly hoarse from staying up late. It was impressive she remembered what day it was, calling as soon as she woke.
However, she didn’t speak first. Qiao Xi heard rustling on the other end and asked, “What are you doing?”
Qin Si replied slowly, “Getting up.”
Qiao Xi was amused. “What time did you sleep?”
Having learned under this person for two or three years, she knew her quite well. Qin Si was unreliable all day long, lacking stability. She had been back in the country for a while but was nowhere to be seen, probably looking for her scoundrel friends in some other city. Qiao Xi couldn’t be bothered to care or ask. Qin Si didn’t mention these things either. After a while, she said, “Had something to do yesterday, went out for a bit.”
Whether she slept last night was uncertain; maybe she pulled an all-nighter, otherwise she wouldn’t be this tired.
Qiao Xi hummed and found a chair to sit on.
Qin Si seemed to remember why she made the call. “Today’s your birthday. Where are you celebrating?”
Qiao Xi said, “Rented a villa in the suburbs.”
“Who did you invite?”
“People you know.”
Qin Si suddenly laughed, amused by something unknown. She couldn’t help coughing on the phone, sounding like she had caught a cold, followed by the sound of running water, presumably washing up.
The other party didn’t offer birthday wishes or anything similar, chatting about irrelevant topics instead. Finally, she said she would give Qiao Xi a birthday gift after returning.
Knowing her, she probably hadn’t bought a gift yet; otherwise, she would have sent it long ago. She cared about Qiao Xi yet didn’t care, raising her apprentice like raising… something wild. Hearing her cough again, Qiao Xi couldn’t help but say, “Go buy some medicine. Don’t let a small illness turn into a big one. A fever will make you suffer.”
“Just coughed twice, and you’re cursing me.”
Qiao Xi smiled without responding, leaning back against the chair. She continued only when the person on the other end spoke again. The call lasted nearly ten minutes without hanging up. Focused on chatting, she didn’t notice someone had been standing behind the door for a long time.
Her relationship with Qin Si was like this—sometimes distant, sometimes close, always separated by a distance but not too estranged. Interpersonal relationships are mutual; as long as Qin Si showed a little concern, she would naturally treat her gently.
Qiao Xi didn’t think much of it, but to that person’s ears, it sounded like something else.
Fu Bei could guess who she was calling—none other than that so-called master. She had asked Qiao Jianliang, who didn’t know Qin Si particularly well but knew her name and some basic information.
Qin Si wasn’t a Jiang City local but a second-generation rich from City S. She was also a student at Jiang University, in the same year as Fu Bei, but studied in the Finance Department. After graduation, she stayed in Jiang City to open a tattoo parlor near the university town.
As for how Qiao Xi met Qin Si and interacted with her, Qiao Jianliang knew nothing. Qiao Jianliang had a good impression of Qin Si. She treated him decently, without cold words, and sometimes invited him for tea when they met. Considering her care for Qiao Xi and various performances, Qiao Jianliang revealed appreciation and didn’t spare praise when talking about these things with Fu Bei.
Qin Si hadn’t done much, yet she satisfied everyone around her.
Qiao Xi suddenly laughed and said, “Then I’ll come pick you up. High-speed rail or plane?”
The expression on Fu Bei’s face changed, becoming somewhat solemn and carrying other deep meanings. Qiao Xi glanced accidentally and saw her, instantly stunned, subconsciously tightening her grip on the phone.
“Who are you calling?” Fu Bei asked calmly, her tone relatively peaceful, betraying no emotional change.
She walked closer and sat down next to her.
On the other end, Qin Si heard her voice. Frowning instantly, she also asked in a deep voice, “Qiao Xi, who are you with?”
Caught in the middle, Qiao Xi didn’t know whom to answer first. Hesitating for a moment, she spoke to the phone first: “A friend.”
After saying that, she looked at Fu Bei beside her, which counted as answering Fu Bei’s question too.
Fu Bei also looked at her, her gaze scrutinizing.
Qin Si asked, “Who?”
Qiao Xi was speechless, feeling extremely uncomfortable under the scrutiny.
The call ended with Qin Si hanging up first. Perhaps guessing the situation here, Qin Si finally said, “You’ve got some nerve.”
That was her temper; she couldn’t spit out many nice words, stinging whenever things didn’t go her way. In the past, she would definitely have gotten to the bottom of it, but this time she didn’t. As if expecting the situation or perhaps not caring, she hung up without even saying goodbye.
Inexplicably, Qiao Xi’s heart tightened, but not for Qin Si.
If a few friends hadn’t come to the back garden, the scene would have stagnated. She didn’t want to explain too much to Fu Bei beside her, so when friends came over, she just chatted casually.
Perhaps because today was special, Fu Bei remained relatively calm and steady. Only when fewer people were around did she ask nonchalantly, tilting her head, “Friend from where?”
Qiao Xi didn’t react immediately. “What?”
“The one you were calling just now.” Her tone was rippleless.
Qiao Xi paused, then replied, “You don’t know her.”
“Maybe I do.”
Fu Bei was a bit persistent, seeming particularly concerned about that call.
Qiao Xi felt she was innocent with Qin Si. Hearing this, she only felt Fu Bei asked too many questions, so she didn’t answer.
The birthday party involved cooking themselves. Several people busied themselves in the kitchen, cooking a large table of dishes. The cake was delivered around five in the afternoon, picked up by a friend. By nightfall, no one had left. They went to the back garden to set up a stand for barbecue, cut the cake, and play around.
Neither Fu Bei nor Zhao Shihuan joined in much. Being twenty-seven or twenty-eight, more mature and steady, they couldn’t really frolic with a group of girls in their early twenties. One helped with the barbecue, the other mixed drinks, chatting with others occasionally. However, due to their different personalities, Zhao Shihuan was more popular.
Someone remembered wrongly and asked Zhao Shihuan, “Tang Yi said you teach at Jiang University. What do you teach?”
Zhao Shihuan laughed, “Not me, it’s her. She’s a professor at Jiang University.”
Getting this wrong, and in front of the person involved, was inevitably awkward. Unexpectedly, Fu Bei didn’t mind and replied, “Teaching mathematics.”
In university, except for a few majors that didn’t study math, basically everyone had to learn it—Advanced Mathematics, Linear Algebra, Probability Theory… Advanced Math had the highest failure rate; for many, it was their first failed course in university. Those present had just graduated a year ago and still had deep impressions of math back then. They gathered around curiously, asking questions all at once.
“Teaching freshmen?”
“Can direct hires supervise graduate students, or do you have to wait a few years?”
…
Qiao Xi wasn’t over there, sitting on a chair with Tang Yi. Seeing her friends chatting enthusiastically with Fu Bei, she was stunned.
Her friends were ordinary people, different from those in the compound. Without prominent backgrounds or wealthy families, they were all unremarkable. Most of the people here were former classmates, completely different from someone like Fu Bei from a wealthy intellectual family—worlds apart. Their lives were two parallel lines that should never intersect.
This Fu Bei had a bit more of a human touch, no longer high above.
Tang Yi looked at Qiao Xi, then glanced at Fu Bei over there. Wanting to say something but stopping, she nudged Qiao Xi with her elbow after a moment and asked, “Want to go over and sit?”
Qiao Xi lowered her eyes. “No, I’ll just sit here for a while.”
Birthdays meant making noise. A bunch of people drank and chatted until late at night. Zhao Shihuan, who had originally decided to stay, received a phone call. It seemed urgent, so she had to leave first.
Qiao Xi wanted to see her out, but Zhao Shihuan waved her hand. “Don’t send me off; I can find the way myself. You guys keep playing.”
Unable to drive after drinking, the Zhao family’s driver was already on the way. Qiao Xi still insisted on walking her to the gate, waiting with her for the car. It didn’t take long, just about ten minutes.
When she went back in, it was almost 2:00 AM. Several people couldn’t handle the alcohol and went upstairs, including Tang Yi. Fu Bei was still there, sitting alone on the bench Qiao Xi had sat on earlier.
Qiao Xi didn’t go over immediately. Seeing it was late, she helped clean up the mess. Only when everyone else had returned to their rooms upstairs did she go sit next to Fu Bei.
The person seemed to be waiting for her. As soon as she sat down, Fu Bei asked in a low voice, “She left?”
Asking about Zhao Shihuan.
Qiao Xi nodded. “Driver came to pick her up.”
Didn’t know what it was about, calling someone away in the middle of the night. But looking at Zhao Shihuan, it didn’t seem too urgent; maybe not a big deal.
Fu Bei didn’t drink much tonight, but Qiao Xi drank a lot, toasted by friends one after another. Although the alcohol content wasn’t high, drinking too much made her dizzy. Now the alcohol was hitting her, and her consciousness wasn’t very clear.
She leaned against the back of the bench, cheeks red, not speaking, instead feeling drowsy.
“Drunk?” Fu Bei asked, reaching out to touch her face.
But she was blocked by Qiao Xi. “No, just a bit dizzy.”
The tension from the past two days was gone, replaced by a strange peace. She turned sideways to look at Fu Bei, her gaze direct, thoughts unknown.
Fu Bei asked softly, “What is it?”
“Nothing,” Qiao Xi said, moving her waist. “Is the matter between your uncle and Second Master Tan resolved?”
Meeting at Huating Hotel yesterday, it didn’t look like what others said, not seeming like peace had been restored. Not that she cared about this person, but Qiao Xi was curious about this Second Master Tan. She hadn’t known about him before, wondering what kind of person he was. After all, Liang Jincheng wasn’t a small character. She still remembered how ruthless Liang Jincheng’s methods were in acquiring similar companies over the years, almost driving those bosses to suicide.
Fu Bei withdrew her hand. “Still talking. Going again tomorrow.”
She didn’t hide anything from Qiao Xi, answering truthfully whatever was asked.
Qiao Xi didn’t care about this and asked again, “What trouble did your uncle cause?”
Everyone was talking about Liang Jincheng offending Second Master Tan, but no one knew exactly how. Of course, thanks to Fu Bei; otherwise, if everyone knew, Liang Jincheng would definitely be in deep trouble.
“The project he did failed inspection. He wanted to take a crooked path but was caught red-handed by Second Master Tan,” Fu Bei said, her tone flat. Liang Jincheng was clearly her biological uncle, yet when saying this, she had no emotional fluctuation, as if stating a stranger’s affairs.
Running around helping to wipe his ass, yet speaking like this now—Qiao Xi couldn’t understand what she was thinking. Moreover, in her memory, Fu Bei and Liang Jincheng weren’t close.
As for the meaning of “crooked path,” it wasn’t hard to figure out—nothing more than spending money to make all relevant personnel change their tune. The real estate industry was a big cake; nowadays in Jiang City, anything related to housing made big money. Wanting to sell substandard houses to ordinary people for black-hearted money—Liang Jincheng was wicked enough, not afraid of retribution.
“Then he’s quite shameless. Deserves it,” Qiao Xi said, scolding unceremoniously. Tilting her head to look, she paused and added, “Helping him like this, aren’t you afraid of going to jail together when things come to light?”
What a thing to say…
Fu Bei turned around, saying with certainty, “Won’t happen. That’s his business.”
Liang Jincheng was Liang Jincheng, and she was she—clearly distinct.
Qiao Xi didn’t believe it. “If you go to jail, I’ll try to apply to visit you once a year.”
After all, they were family; how could they be completely separated? Especially taking the risk to help. Although the Qiao family once cooperated with Liang Jincheng, Qiao Xi had always looked down on his character, feeling he was too black-hearted and lowly, terrifyingly ruthless. This extended to her being impolite to Fu Bei, having few nice words to say. Actually, she knew Fu Bei didn’t have much to do with Liang Jincheng. When the old lady was alive, she always blocked Fu Bei from having too much contact with those in the Liang family. If not for giving face to Liang Yuzhi, she probably wouldn’t have even let her step into the Liang family’s door.
“I have no involvement with him,” Fu Bei said, disliking Qiao Xi’s slightly mocking tone.
Qiao Xi raised an eyebrow, too lazy to argue. Perhaps in a good mood tonight, coupled with the alcohol making her dizzy, she became talkative, seemingly deliberately stinging Fu Bei: “Do you know how your uncle got rich all these years? Probably no one told you. You were studying abroad, far away, probably didn’t pay attention either.”
Her voice was very light, enunciating every word clearly.
“The year you went abroad, he set his eyes on a piece of land in the Southern District. Many people were competing then. The ones who persisted to the end were him and a boss named Yang. Boss Yang was slightly better and looked set to win, but ended up losing miserably. Do you know why?”
Fu Bei didn’t make a sound, eyelids half-drooping, looking like she knew perfectly well.
That Boss Yang kept a young and beautiful mistress outside, a golden house hiding a beauty. Liang Jincheng used this to threaten him. Unexpectedly, Boss Yang didn’t buy it at all. Liang Jincheng was truly ruthless, sending all the evidence to Boss Yang’s wife and family, and even posting it online, causing rumors to run rampant. In the end, the two men were fine, but Boss Yang’s wife couldn’t bear the blow and jumped into the river; her body was never found.
Right and wrong were hard to clarify, but disaster shouldn’t affect the innocent. Doing business still requires a bottom line.
“Auntie Liang tells you to go, and you go. You’re quite obedient,” Qiao Xi said lightly, glancing at this person.
She had many dissatisfactions in her heart, venting through Liang Jincheng—towards the Liang family, the Fu family, and Liang Yuzhi. Was this sentence because of dissatisfaction with Liang Jincheng? No.
Fu Bei’s departure back then was inextricably linked to these people. Qiao Xi could guess. This was also why she didn’t demand an explanation from Fu Bei. Ultimately, it boiled down to the word “hardship.”
However, hardship isn’t enough to make one let go.
Fu Bei lowered her eyes. Seeing Qiao Xi gripping the front of the bench tightly until her knuckles turned white, she grabbed her wrist, slowly removing her hand. Without defending anything, she only asked gently, “Angry?”
Qiao Xi pulled her hand away. “Why would I be angry? Your family’s affairs have nothing to do with me.”
The light in the back garden seemed to grow brighter, illuminating this corner in the pitch-black night, casting a blurry halo over her. She looked so gentle, in stark contrast to the aggressive words coming from her mouth.
Fu Bei didn’t mind, still saying, “I have nothing to do with him. Finding Second Master Tan was just to test the waters. If something happens to him, our family won’t care either.”
“Don’t tell me this.” Qiao Xi didn’t want to hear it, even though she was the one who started the topic.
Sometimes, the truth is within reach, just a couple of sentences away. However, that’s not what you want. Knowing these things long ago, the more you delve into the details, the more it feels like cutting open flesh with a knife. No matter where you cut, the result is a bloody mess.
After playing all night, her hair was a bit messy. Fu Bei helped tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. After a long time, she said ambiguously, “Some things happen because there’s no choice, beyond control.”
