Chapter 57
The tie binding her eyes was Fu Bei’s—ascetic pure black, silk fabric, excellent texture and drape, clearly demonstrating the owner’s taste.
With darkness before her eyes, her reactions slowed significantly. Being in a passive state and unable to see the other person, while the car heater provided warmth and comfort, her blocked vision made her other senses exceptionally clear and sensitive.
At that time, there was no one else by the suburban river. From the outside, the scene inside the car was invisible. In the distance, there was only the slow-flowing river and the outline of mountains under the thick night. The moon hanging in the center of the sky was round and white, like a pearl inviting to be plucked. Stacked clouds drifted, soon moving towards the center, wrapping that tender white pearl, biting and swallowing it bit by bit.
When the moon completely disappeared into the thick clouds, the ground became even quieter. The cold river surface no longer shimmered with waves, and even the flow seemed to slow down. The gloomy atmosphere was completely different from inside the car.
Fu Bei leaned over, gently sniffing Qiao Xi’s neck—greedy, yet restrained. Lifting her head, her thin lips planted a kiss on Qiao Xi’s temple.
Qiao Xi couldn’t help tightening her lower abdomen, catching her breath. Her red lips parted slightly, chin raised a bit, involuntarily moving closer to the other party. The pad of Fu Bei’s index finger pressed on her smooth chin, grinding gently with little force. Lowering her head, she kissed the rosy lips, warm breath transferring between them, soothing each other.
Actually, as early as five or six years ago, the two of them had come here. That day, they also went to see a movie together, but everything that happened was the exact opposite.
At that time, high school studies had entered the most intense period. Overwhelming academic tasks pressed breathlessly. Seeing classmates around her either going abroad, getting recommended for admission, or devoting themselves to exam preparation, Qiao Xi inevitably felt anxious and lost, unable to see the direction forward.
Mother Qiao and Qiao Jianliang had also reached the period of truly being strangers. Matters that needed handling were settled, no longer relevant to each other. The two originally wanted to wait until after Qiao Xi’s college entrance examination to get the divorce certificate. But Mother Qiao was unwilling to wait any longer, discussing with Qiao Jianliang to get the certificate first and hide it from Qiao Xi, confessing only after filling out college applications. The couple hit it off immediately and went to get the divorce certificate the next day.
The couple was officially liberated from then on, each going their own way. On the day of the divorce, they ate alone at a Western restaurant without any reluctance or unhappiness, chatting openly and peacefully, discussing their daughter’s upbringing.
Having drunk two extra glasses of wine, Mother Qiao revealed her true feelings at the end of the meal: “I’m relieved Little Xi is with you. In the future… I probably won’t come back much.”
Qiao Jianliang paused. “Where are you going?”
“Haven’t decided yet, but definitely not in Jiang City,” Mother Qiao said truthfully.
Qiao Jianliang was silent for a long time, finally saying, “Take good care of yourself.”
Mother Qiao laughed. “No need to be so sentimental.”
Their love was built on the foundation of daily necessities. After satisfying all material needs, it lost to romance. In this decade-long tug-of-war, the two standing on the perilous tower didn’t wrong each other; they were just no longer suitable.
The world is vast; from now on, each heads their own way. The start of new lives was very rapid, with no more ties to the past.
At a private gathering, Fu Bei met the radiant Mother Qiao. Well-maintained, Mother Qiao dressed glamorously in a floor-length goose-yellow gown, elegantly holding the arm of her new Italian boyfriend, their behavior incredibly intimate. Later at another banquet, Fu Bei met Qiao Jianliang again. The female companion Qiao Jianliang brought wasn’t Mother Qiao, but a mature woman in her thirties.
Qiao Xi seemed completely unaware, still troubled by her studies, sometimes so stressed she suffered insomnia in the middle of the night.
During that period, Fu Bei went back every day. Qiao Xi ran to the Fu house every night, staying there almost every night.
Pre-exam anxiety was normal. Fu Bei insisted on helping her review and guide her, occasionally taking her out to relax.
Qiao Xi said she wanted to watch a movie, but not at the cinema. Instead, she asked Fu Bei to drive to the riverside. The two sat cross-legged on the car hood, holding a phone together to watch Chungking Express. Wong Kar-wai’s filming technique was as romantic as ever, burying filth in bizarre lights and shadows. Qiao Xi watched half-understandingly. The most profound impression was Takeshi Kaneshiro’s monologue—”I don’t know starting from when, everything has an expiration date. Saury will expire, canned meat will expire, even plastic wrap will expire. I’m starting to suspect, in this world, is there anything that won’t expire?”
The riverside wind was gentle, blowing slowly in gusts.
Before the movie finished, Qiao Xi suddenly said, “My mom is learning Italian recently.”
Fu Bei was stunned, then turned her head to look.
Qiao Xi didn’t turn back to meet her gaze, continuing, “Studying quite seriously, holding a book even late at night. Working harder than me, a high school senior.”
Fu Bei didn’t know how to start speaking. Her thin lips moved, but ultimately she said nothing more, raising her hand to rub the back of Qiao Xi’s head.
“Don’t overthink it.”
Qiao Xi lowered her head, looking at the phone screen.
In the movie, Takeshi Kaneshiro was running on the street, searching everywhere. Hong Kong blurred behind him, the background changing rapidly.
After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly tilted her head to rest on Fu Bei’s shoulder and caught the other’s hand.
Usually, Fu Bei would definitely shrink away, but this time she didn’t. Qiao Xi barely watched the ending of the movie, paying no attention to what happened later. Back in the car, she suddenly hugged Fu Bei. Fu Bei didn’t stand still or push her away like before, but instead embraced her waist and back.
That winter, it snowed heavily in Jiang City again. Goose-feather snow fluttered down, covering everything in a thick layer, making it difficult to go out. Fu Bei returned home tipsy after drinking too much at a friend’s gathering. Qiao Xi was already waiting in her room. Slightly intoxicated, Fu Bei helped her mark key review points.
“Why did you drink?” Qiao Xi asked.
Fu Bei said, “They insisted I drink, wouldn’t let me leave otherwise.”
The gathering was supposed to end at 1:00 AM, but she insisted on leaving after ten. Her friends wouldn’t agree, cheering for her to drink, and she actually did.
Qiao Xi wasn’t used to the smell of alcohol but still leaned into her embrace, moving a bit, pressing subtly against the other person. Fu Bei sensed it but made no move to resist. Instead, she casually picked up a pen and started explaining the problem.
That night, it was really too late. The Fu family members should have been asleep. Qiao Xi and Fu Bei also thought they had all rested. Plus, they were just studying at first, so the room door wasn’t closed.
Qiao Xi got closer and closer to Fu Bei, finally pressing directly into her embrace, tilting her head slightly, her lips barely brushing past the side of this person’s face.
Hot, carrying the scent of alcohol.
She pursed her lips, stopping her movement.
Fu Bei only lowered her eyes, as if truly numbed by alcohol, too slow to feel it, making no move.
Qiao Xi boldly reached out to wrap her arms around this person’s waist, excessively overstepping. Usually, Fu Bei would have pushed her away long ago, maybe even lecturing her a bit. But not this time, allowing her to be presumptuous, not reacting even when Qiao Xi pressed her cheek against her neck.
It was still snowing outside, falling in bursts. Snowflakes landed in front of the window, piling up a wall of white.
Because of the alcohol, she was somewhat weary and lazy, her voice sounding tired, hoarse, and suppressed. Fu Bei turned her head and asked softly, “Wearing so little, cold?”
The warm breath fell entirely on Qiao Xi’s earlobe, brushing past faintly. Qiao Xi shrank back, almost leaning completely on this person. After a long while, she replied in a low voice, “Not cold…”
If she hadn’t been so greedy, the warmth of this moment could have continued. However, she couldn’t hold back. While Fu Bei was explaining the problem, she leaned over and quickly kissed the corner of the other’s lips.
Fu Bei couldn’t dodge in time, not expecting her to be so bold, so unscrupulous.
And this scene was caught by Liang Yuzhi, who happened to pass by.
The gathered clouds dispersed, revealing the round moon. The riverside breeze blew gently, wrinkling the river water into circle after circle of ripples.
Fu Bei’s thin lips finally stopped at the corner of Qiao Xi’s mouth, advancing no further.
Qiao Xi’s shirt was still worn neatly, just a bit messy. Three buttons were undone, and the one below was also precarious.
…
When it ended, Qiao Xi lay on Fu Bei, her fair, slender legs half-kneeling on either side, her arms wrapped around Fu Bei’s shoulders. After resting for a while, she said weakly, “Haven’t thanked you yet for Boss Ji’s matter.”
Fu Bei tidied her messy hair, pulling out two tissues casually. Lifting her eyes, she asked ambiguously, “Thank me for what?”
Qiao Xi said, “What else? It was all thanks to your help last time.”
These words were polite enough. Clearly so intimate just a moment ago, now so distant in a blink of an eye, separating things clearly. Wiping her hands clean, Fu Bei threw the tissues away casually. Leaning back against the seat, she stared straight at Qiao Xi, her gaze overly sharp, as if to see through Qiao Xi completely. After a long while, she said, “Teacher Li helped; not my credit.”
Qiao Xi didn’t argue. Sitting in one position for too long made her legs sore, so she got up to sit on the other side. But as soon as she rose, she was blocked by Fu Bei again and pulled directly onto her lap.
She subconsciously struggled, but Fu Bei clamped her into an embrace. “Don’t move; wait a while.”
The heater was strong. The windows on both sides were only cracked open for ventilation. Even with the strong wind outside, the car remained warm and comfortable. Perhaps greedy for the warmth of the embrace, Qiao Xi really didn’t move, allowing herself to be held, even raising her hands to encircle Fu Bei, resting her head in the crook of her neck.
After a long time, Fu Bei asked, “How is Uncle Qiao?”
Qiao Xi said, “Didn’t you just visit him a couple of days ago?”
“Didn’t go these past two days; don’t know the specific situation.”
“Not bad. The doctor said he should wake up soon if it continues like this,” Qiao Xi replied. Inadvertently seeing the faint mark she left on Fu Bei’s collarbone inside the loose shirt, she paused, lowering her eyes, and added, “What have you been doing lately? Always at school?”
Fu Bei said, “Went back to the compound a few days ago; had something to do.”
Not saying specifically what, probably not wanting to tell the truth. Qiao Xi didn’t ask more, lying on her shoulder as if boneless, leaning limply. Before long, probably a bit tired, she closed her eyes lying there, quietly listening to the sound of the river flowing outside.
Under the night curtain, the water flow wasn’t rapid, reflecting the sky’s scenery. In the distance were dim lights, vaguely showing the outline of the bustling city.
This spot by the river had many visitors during the day, and scattered people at night. Tonight, there was no one, so quiet only the sound of water could be heard. Qiao Xi was overly gentle today, lying docilely, somewhat weary and lazy.
“Free for dinner this weekend?” Fu Bei asked.
She didn’t make a sound, keeping her eyes closed and motionless, as if thinking.
—This was a refusal.
Fu Bei didn’t mind. After a while, she said, “Come find me at school in a couple of days; introducing someone to you.”
This meant helping again.
Qiao Xi remained motionless, unknown if she heard it. After a long time, she gave a hum as light as could be.
The light in the car was turned on for a few minutes, then turned off again. The shirt on Qiao Xi remained worn neatly throughout, only the tie was completely ruined, unusable in the future.
That night they ended up at Qiao Xi’s place. Waking up, it was already noon.
The curtains were drawn, the room dim. The bedside lamp was on but not bright enough. Fu Bei emerged from the quilt, hooking Qiao Xi up to kiss her, claiming all the interest at once.
Qiao Xi supported herself with her hands behind her back, accepting the kiss.
Fu Bei didn’t leave until past 2:00 PM. This time she didn’t go directly back to school but went to her apartment first.
**
Everything at the company was orderly. As long as the senior management wasn’t chaotic, there were no major problems below. With Secretary Chen’s strong support, Qiao Xi could handle many things well. However, she didn’t participate in contract negotiations or dinners unless necessary, leaving them all to other senior executives.
Zhou Meihe wasn’t behaving herself, always wanting to use the last incident to find fault, but daring not make big moves. She still came to the company. Before, she wanted Qiao Xi to apologize to Boss Lu for peace, acting as if holding an imperial decree. But after Qiao Xi facilitated the cooperation between the company and Boss Ji, she never mentioned these things again. Most of the senior executives who sided with her before either defected or became neutral, with a small part observing in secret, waiting to see how things would unfold next.
Qiao Xi firmly prevented the Zhou family and Zhou Meihe from interfering in company affairs. Anyone with even a slight connection to the Zhou family was dealt with immediately.
She knew her current situation and how heavy the burden on her shoulders was. Whether she was willing or not, she had reached this step; there was no other way.
On the other hand, Qiao Xi was also meticulously preparing to meet the person Fu Bei mentioned.
However, before that, a small accident occurred—she found a document in the safe in Qiao Jianliang’s office, a document no one else knew about and unrelated to the company. This small accident was too coincidental. Opening the safe was unintentional; she just wanted to find some old materials to look at. Secretary Fang reminded her there were some in the safe. Qiao Xi knew the password, but rarely came here before, so she never paid attention, let alone discovered the contents. When she opened the document and saw the contents, she couldn’t calm down for a long time.
The events of the past were too strange. Qiao Jianliang had discovered clues at some point and started investigating without anyone knowing. What he found was far deeper than what Qiao Xi knew, involving more people. Turning to the last page, there were names of companies related to the Fu family, and these companies had all “competed” with the Qiao family’s companies.
Before, Qiao Xi couldn’t figure out who was suppressing them behind the scenes; now it was clear at a glance.
Qiao Xi had thought of this possibility, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be true.
Her palms were sweating, unable to calm down for a long time.
The malice under a smiling face is the most fatal.
The next day, Qiao Xi went to Jiang University as agreed, arriving early.
Fu Bei was still in class. She went in during the break, sitting in the last row to wait. At that time, Fu Bei was surrounded by several students asking questions and didn’t discover her immediately. Only when the class bell rang did she see her, stunned for an instant.
Qiao Xi sat quietly, not disturbing. The students around noticed her, looking over curiously one by one—surprised at first, then listening attentively to the class as the bell rang.
Until the class ended and most students left, Fu Bei packed up her books and came over.
“Why so early?”
Qiao Xi stood up, hanging her bag on her right shoulder. “Nothing to do, so came early.”
Because it wasn’t off-work time yet, and there was still a bit of work, Fu Bei took her to the office first.
The professor’s office was a single room, cleaned and tidy, not even a page of paper out of place—simple, very much her style. While Fu Bei was busy, Qiao Xi unceremoniously made tea to drink, pouring a cup for this person in passing.
“Off work at 6:30?” she asked.
Fu Bei said, “Leaving at six.”
“Still a few minutes.” She pushed the hot tea in front of this person, not finding a place to sit, looking down, waiting with rare patience.
As soon as six o’clock arrived, before even drinking two sips of the brewed tea, the two set off. Qiao Xi didn’t even confirm who they were meeting, just following along. She was very unusual today, but concealed it too perfectly, showing nothing at all, looking no different from usual.
The person Fu Bei took her to meet was a distant relative of Chen Shuo. This relative did big business and was also involved in health food. The other party was kind and enthusiastic, but it was just a meeting; not enthusiastic enough to reveal intentions of cooperation immediately.
On the way back, Fu Bei drove directly towards the university town, assuming Qiao Xi would come along.
But Qiao Xi said, “Turn around to Qijing Street.”
“To your place?” Fu Bei asked.
“Send me back,” she said.
Thinking she misunderstood, Fu Bei frowned. “Is something wrong?”
Qiao Xi didn’t answer.
At the next intersection, Fu Bei didn’t turn around.
Looking at the rapidly changing night view outside the car window, Qiao Xi asked indifferently, “Zhihe Company acquiring Azure Fox—was it Grandpa Fu’s idea, using your studying abroad as a condition?”
