Chapter 29: Next To The Small Glass Bottle That Had Come To A Stop Under The Bed, Lay A Small Peach Basket Tied In An Intricately Woven Rope
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
The moonlight is beautiful tonight.
The waxing crescent moon hangs like a half-bow in the sky, bright stars emerge amidst the clouds, and they don't seem lonely.
There are few pedestrians on the road from the villa area to the commercial street, as few people from the villa area would go to the night market with such a questionable environment.
Ji Xiao and Wei Qingyu walked silently side by side on the road, even their shadows cast on the ground were separated by a considerable distance.
As they walked, Wei Qingyu heard the bustling noise not far away, and the hand tucked in her hoodie pocket couldn't help but clench.
She had never been to a night market before, nor did she have much interest in eating crayfish.
But when she saw Ji Xiao standing there, inviting her actively, she inexplicably agreed.
After crossing an intersection, the brightly lit night market suddenly entered Wei Qingyu's sight along with the noise. Hot oil was poured over skewered snacks, and pressed on the iron plate, rising smoke mixed with sizzling sounds, and the aroma of barbecue burst forth.
"Smells so good, it's making me hungry," Ji Xiao muttered quietly, then glanced at Wei Qingyu beside her. Her gaze also stopped at the grilled squid on the iron plate, and her turquoise eyes followed the crispy and fragrant squid tentacles silently.
Seeing this, Ji Xiao asked proactively, "Do you want to have a skewer?"
Wei Qingyu heard the voice but calmly withdrew her gaze. "Weren't you talking about eating crayfish?" Her tone remained calm as if she was not at all tempted by the delicious food.
Ji Xiao watched Wei Qingyu continue walking ahead, feeling puzzled. Just now, her eyes clearly showed a desire to eat, so why did she suddenly change her mind?
“Sister Xiao!"
With no answer to her thoughts, a familiar voice called out from afar.
Ji Xiao quickly looked up in the direction of the voice.
She saw Fang Yiming and Qi Qi standing at a table on the barbecue square with a sign hanging with red letters on a white background, waving at her.
Ji Xiao smiled and walked towards them, gesturing to Wei Qingyu following behind her. "I brought an extra person, hope you don't mind."
"Of course not." Fang Yiming waved casually, inviting Wei Qingyu to sit down. "I'll go tell the kitchen now. We have some excellent crayfish, guaranteed to make you full tonight."
"Don't rush, we haven't decided how many servings we want yet," Qi Qi restrained Fang Yiming.
"There are four of us, so two servings should be enough for some skewers on the hour," Ji Xiao estimated.
"Are they all spicy?" Fang Yiming asked.
"Just..."
Before Qi Qi could finish saying "yes", Ji Xiao interrupted, "One spicy and one garlic-flavored."
"Sister Xiao, are you changing your taste?" Fang Yiming looked at Ji Xiao in confusion.
Ji Xiao pursed her lips and gave Fang Yiming a kick behind her heel. "Just do what you're told, stop babbling."
Qi Qi, on the other hand, was much smarter than Fang Yiming. She quickly caught on and, seeing Fang Yiming still wanting to ask questions, she gestured with her eyes towards Wei Qingyu sitting beside them.
Fang Yiming instantly wore a look of understanding. "Coincidentally, we just developed a new recipe for our garlic-flavored skewers. You can try it out."
With that, Fang Yiming hurried into the house, and the small space became quiet.
Qi Qi, sitting across from the two, suddenly felt a bit out of place. As she stood up, she said, "I'll go over there and get some drinks. We can't drink alcohol, so let's have some chilled fruit juice!"
Now the small space became even quieter. Ji Xiao, unsure of what to chat with Wei Qingyu about, simply looked around at the lively crowd nearby, feeling bored.
People who had been busy all day were still wearing their work clothes, dragging their tired bodies out of the office, blending into the lively atmosphere of the marketplace on this night.
In fact, apart from the difference in the ABO attribute from Ji Xiao's original world, the other settings were basically the same.
There were bustling shopping malls and noisy night markets.
Ji Xiao couldn't help but think of the times when she used to sneak out of school with other interns to visit the night market.
She wonders how they're doing now, and if the little ones in the class miss her.
"Actually, you don't need to accommodate me."
A soft voice broke through the noisy chatter.
Ji Xiao turned her head to look at Wei Qingyu beside her and immediately understood that she was referring to Ji Xiao ordering garlic-flavored crayfish earlier.
To avoid exposing herself, Ji Xiao replied arrogantly, "Which eye of yours saw me accommodating you?"
Wei Qingyu remained calm, her eyes still, giving off an aura as if she could see through everything.
Silence spoke louder than words.
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Ji Xiao couldn't help but feel uneasy, and hastily added, "I didn't eat anything tonight, what if my stomach hurts from eating spicy food? Aunt Wu and the others will nag me endlessly if they find out, it's so annoying. So, stop being presumptuous here."
Wei Qingyu listened but still didn't respond.
She actually hoped she was being presumptuous.
Ji Xiao sat on the small stool, nervously tapping her foot.
She watched Qi Qi, who had already picked out the drinks and was chatting with Fang Yiming, stand up from her chair and say, “Stay here, don't wander around."
Under the dark night sky, the bright and dazzling lights of the night market flashed. The girl disappeared into the crowd, her footsteps swift.
At first, Wei Qingyu followed Ji Xiao's figure with some curiosity, but then her phone suddenly vibrated twice without warning.
Her contact list was sparse, and the only person who could message her was likely Chen Linji, whom she had just connected with today.
Wei Qingyu glanced at Qi Qi and Fang Yiming, who were still chatting, then cautiously opened her phone:
[Uncle Chen: Qingyu, the paperwork for the villa will be ready tomorrow. If you're free on Sunday, let's meet at the villa. Your Uncle Liu Hu and Aunt Liu Yue will also be there.]
When Wei Qingyu saw the names Liu Hu and Liu Yue, her eyes trembled slightly.
Liu Hu and Liu Yue were siblings. Before Liu Hu became her father Wei Lindong's bodyguard, he was a tough guy involved in some shady dealings, but he was always loyal to his friends.
The year Liu Hu was taken under Wei Lindong's wing, Liu Yue was doing her postgraduate studies at the best normal university in City B, interning at the best school in City B under Wei Lindong's recommendation.
When she was young, Wei Qingyu often played around riding on Liu Hu's shoulders, and Liu Yue, who worked in another city, would often come to visit her. The three of them had a very close relationship.
After that incident, she suddenly lost contact with Liu Yue, who was teaching in City B. Then one day, Liu Hu, who had always been by Wei Qingyu's side, suddenly disappeared.
Wei Qingyu firmly believed that Liu Hu and Liu Yue must have encountered something.
She believed that once they resolved whatever they were dealing with, they would meet again one day.
With hopeful anticipation, Wei Qingyu quickly replied with an "Okay."
At the same time the screen displayed the newly sent message, a figure approached.
Carrying a tray of crayfish, Fang Yiming sat down next to Wei Qingyu. "Who are you chatting with?" she asked.
"No one," Wei Qingyu replied, inwardly startled by the question. She nonchalantly flipped her phone screen down and placed it on the table.
Qi Qi and Fang Yiming exchanged smiles, noticing both Wei Qingyu's nervousness and the absence of Ji Xiao. They teased, "Hmm? No one? Who's no one?"
“Is it Sis…”
"Can you stop prying into other people's privacy?"
Before Fang Yiming could respond, a large iron plate of grilled squid interrupted the conversation.
Ji Xiao returned to her seat with the grilled squid she had bought from the stall moments ago.
As Wei Qingyu watched Ji Xiao sit back down beside her, she felt a sense of relaxation wash over her, as if having Ji Xiao around meant she didn't have to worry about being singled out again.
Unconsciously, Wei Qingyu had already marked Ji Xiao as a point of "safety" in her subconscious, a faint line connecting her to the word "security."
Qi Qi, intrigued by what Ji Xiao had brought back, asked, "Hey, Sister Xiao, what did you just buy?"
"Grilled squid, a huge portion," Ji Xiao replied before generously sharing the lavish iron plate of grilled squid with everyone.
Qi Qi and Fang Yiming, holding the fragrant and delicious squid in their hands, immediately stopped teasing Wei Qingyu and exclaimed, "Wow, thank you, Sister Xiao!"
The night grew late, and the night market became livelier. Several girls enjoyed the night breeze while eating crayfish.
Wei Qingyu looked at the portion of squid that Ji Xiao had separated for her, specifically avoiding the extremely spicy ones that were mixed with other skewers, her gaze unclear.
Others had the most ordinary squid, only hers had squid tentacles.
It was the same kind of squid tentacles that her gaze had just lingered on at that stall.
Wei Qingyu bit into the tender squid tentacles, secretly stealing glances at Ji Xiao, who was devouring crayfish beside her.
She felt like Ji Xiao really seemed different from before, but her actions still seemed to be the same old her.
Unrestrained, wild, and free.
….
After a while, Ji Xiao, who was focused on sucking out the crayfish roe, kept feeling her clothes being lightly tugged on, distracting her from competing with Qi Qi and Fang Yiming for the crayfish roe.
With a hint of annoyance, the girl lowered her head to look at her clothes, only to see a finger hooked on her hem.
The finger was slender and delicate, like meticulously carved jade.
Wei Qingyu pretended to innocently eat grilled squid tentacles while secretly hooking her clothes with her other hand.
Seeing Ji Xiao looking her way, she slightly pursed her lips and leaned closer to her.
A breeze swept through the barbecue square, bringing a wave of warmth.
The girl's fine eyelashes fluttered slightly as she said by Ji Xiao's side, "Thank you."
Her voice was soft, the simple two words sounding as crisp as the collision of glass marbles.
Perhaps it was the heat from the fiery crayfish, her fair face still carried a hint of blush.
Ji Xiao was slightly stunned.
This was the first time Wei Qingyu didn't express any disdain towards her since she came into this world.
She felt immensely joyful inside and awkwardly pushed the crayfish roe she had just peeled toward Wei Qingyu, saying, "W-why be polite with me, please, please have the crayfish roe."
Wei Qingyu looked down at the crayfish pushed in front of her, quietly smiling.
The night market was still bustling with noise, but some people's attitudes had quietly changed.
Sunday, with clear skies and fresh air, was a good day for going out.
Ji Xiao was lazily basking in the sun by the window when she saw Wei Qingyu leave the house with her school bag.
Today, she was wearing an exceptionally pretty long skirt with a white base and green floral patterns, paired with a white cardigan. The wind gently lifted her skirt, revealing a section of fair skin on her slender legs. Even in simple white shoes, she looked elegant and graceful.
Ji Xiao silently watched Wei Qingyu's departing figure, thinking she was probably going to the library to do homework.
But unknown to her, Wei Qingyu got into the car sent by Chen Linji.
Her purpose for this trip was to meet with Liu Hu and Liu Yue at the Wei family's residence.
Yanlu Lane, where the Wei family's house was located, wasn't far from the villa area where the Ji family resided. In just ten minutes, the driver dropped Wei Qingyu off in front of the red brick villa.
The villa looked completely different from how it had appeared on the Mid-Autumn Festival day. The overgrown weeds in the yard had been cleared out, making it look particularly bright and spacious.
The flower vines entwined around the distant pavilion seemed to have been removed altogether, perhaps for the sake of convenience.
Wei Qingyu looked from afar, this being the first time she had seen its original appearance since she could remember.
"Qingyu, you're here? Come on in."
At that moment, Chen Linji pushed open the door from inside and stepped out onto the porch.
He had changed out of his mysterious trench coat attire from the other day, wearing a dark blue shirt paired with a dark brown vest. The well-cut trousers outlined his sturdy figure.
He looked like a successful overseas Chinese returning home.
"Uncle Chen," Wei Qingyu politely greeted Chen Linji as she walked over.
"I took care of the formalities yesterday, and someone came to tidy up in the afternoon. But they only cleaned up the yard; nothing was touched inside the house. I thought it would be best for you to come back and take a look at the things inside before we hire a professional team to clean and maintain them," Chen Linji explained.
"Thank you, Uncle Chen," Wei Qingyu nodded slightly, feeling grateful to Chen Linji.
"It's nothing, Qingyu," Chen Linji said. "As I said, feel free to trouble me, as well as your Uncle Liu Hu and Aunt Liu Yue. Although we're all operating in the shadows right now, there are still people supporting you. Don't worry about bothering us; we're happy to help you as much as possible!"
"Mm," Wei Qingyu nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Accustomed to being looked down upon by others, she felt warm inside hearing such words now.
"Just now, Liu Hu sent me a message saying they encountered something on the way here. They'll be here shortly," Chen Linji glanced at his phone and suggested to Wei Qingyu, "Why don't you take a look around the house first, see if there have been any changes?"
"Okay," Wei Qingyu nodded. She had the same idea.
The quiet staircase echoed with the crisp sound of footsteps as Wei Qingyu, after less than half a month, stepped onto the mahogany staircase once again.
Her hand rested on the slightly cool wall, and the unpleasant memories from the Mid-Autumn Festival began to surface as she walked along the path.
Bright lights illuminated the dim corridor, and the door at the end of the hallway on the left was closed.
Wei Qingyu looked at her room with lingering fear, hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked to the other side, where her parents' bedroom was located.
As she pushed open the door, the enormous rectangular floor-to-ceiling window flooded Wei Qingyu's eyes with dazzling sunlight.
The girl grasped the cold iron doorknob, her turquoise eyes fixed on the two differently shaped single sofas beneath the window.
On the glass coffee table still sat her mother, Xu Manlin's favorite white porcelain teacup, and her father, Wei Lindong's book sandwiched between bookmarks.
Everything was as quiet as before as if Wei Qingyu could hear the sound of the door opening downstairs the next second, and Xu Manlin would come upstairs with their agreed-upon little cake to invite her down for afternoon tea.
Wei Qingyu looked at the framed photo on the bedside table on the other side of the room, her eyes slightly reddening.
Even though six months had passed, she still hadn't accepted the fact that her parents had left her.
The girl gently picked up the glass photo frame, which had gathered a layer of fine dust. With a slight tremble of her wrist, she accidentally knocked over a bottle of perfume placed nearby, and it rolled under the bed with a clatter.
“Thud, clatter, clatter..."
The sturdy glass bottle fell onto the brown wooden floor, which was not covered by the carpet, and rolled toward the edge of the bed.
Wei Qingyu hurriedly set down the photo frame and knelt on the carpet, her skirt trailing behind her.
The light from her phone followed the direction of the rolling glass bottle. However, Wei Qingyu's gaze froze when she looked under the bed.
The space under the bed hadn't been cleaned for a long time and was covered in dust.
Next to the small glass bottle that had come to a stop under the bed, lay a small peach basket tied in an intricately woven rope.
Two bright reds appeared in the girl's sight at the same time.
The small peach basket worn on her wrist emitted a "clink" in this tranquil space, kissing the dusty peach basket under the bed.
Author's Note:
Pigeon can kill people with just one sentence: There's·no·third·update~
