Lady's Home

Chapter 8

"Yes."

"Which vase did you put the key in?" Jian Dongping asked.

“That’s it.” Fang Qi pointed to the white porcelain vase carved with plum blossoms on the windowsill.

Jian Dongping glanced at the vase. It was of medium size and located by the window. As long as the window was open, someone outside could easily throw the key into the vase.

"You probably went to look at the vase after you finished the phone call, right?" Jian Dongping said with a smile. "I'm really curious, what else did she say on the phone?"

"Then she hung up," Fang Qi said coldly.

"Is it just a simple goodbye? Or..." Jian Dongping hypothesized, "Sorry, 'I have guests at home, someone rang the doorbell, I have to go open the door,' 'Sorry, I have something to do right now, someone called me,'... Many people end the phone with such a sentence. When Zhou Jin called me, he would often find an excuse to end the call, such as having to go out or having something to do later."

"Dongping, you're such a hassle, making me think so much. Do you think I'm a computer?" Fang Qi complained with a smile.

"People who are good at analyzing sales reports with numbers usually have excellent memories. Fang Qi, I believe you can recall it with just a little brainpower." Jian Dongping flattered her at the opportune moment, and this tactic immediately worked.

"I'll have to think about it and get back to you when I remember," Fang Qi said, glancing out the window at the courtyard. Jian Dongping followed her gaze and saw a couple walking toward the house. The young woman was holding the man's arm, and they seemed to be having a friendly conversation. He heard Fang Qi say, "That's my sister Zeng Yushan and her husband Xiang Bing. They've just been married for a little over a month."

"Do they live here now?"

“No, they live at Xiang Bing’s house and only visit my mother once a week,” Fang Qi said with a smile. “They’re very loving, aren’t they?” Her eyes were filled with laughter, and her voice was full of envy.

“It seems so,” Jian Dongping replied.

“Yushan loved Xiangbing very much, and her mother always opposed their relationship, but she eventually married him anyway. Actually, once they were married, her mother couldn’t do anything about it,” Fang Qi said.

Jian Dongping detected another sigh in Fang Qi's tone.

Was she envious of her sister's happiness? Did she have her own love? Did she have a lover? Did she, at 28, dedicate all her time to work? As he pondered this, he suddenly heard Ling Ge ask Fang Qi.

"Fang Qi, do you have a boyfriend?" she asked. Although Jian Dongping thought her question was abrupt, he was genuinely curious to hear Fang Qi's answer, so he encouraged her further:

"Ling Ge, is that even a question? Fang Qi is a beautiful and talented woman, and one of the female heirs of a large enterprise. How could she not have a boyfriend? There must be a long line of suitors behind her."

Fang Qi smiled faintly.

"Dongping, you're wrong. I don't have a boyfriend, and I don't have any suitors."

Jian Dongping was still somewhat surprised.

“You’re being too modest; you probably just don’t want to talk about it,” he said.

"No, it's not modesty, I choose to remain single," Fang Qi said frankly. "The only thing I want to do now is to run Miaolin Company, the culmination of my mother's life's work, well. My mother is getting old, and although she is very strong, she will have to retire someday."

Jian Dongping looked at Fang Qi and wondered, "Is this the truth? Would such a beautiful woman really willingly waste her youth on endless company affairs? Is there something else behind this dedication? Does Shen Biyun really want to see this situation? If Shen Biyun is truly indifferent to Fang Qi's dedication and lets things slide, then she is truly a very selfish mother."

"Single? You're the same as me." Ling Ge suddenly replied, startling Jian Dongping.

"How come you're just like me? You have Dongping, don't you?" Fang Qi smiled faintly.

"Don't listen to her, Fang Qi. She just loves to join in the fun." Jian Dongping wanted to express his dissatisfaction to Ling Ge with his eyes, but found that she wasn't looking at him. Instead, she was staring at Fang Qi with a melancholy gaze, as if Fang Qi were a character in a TV drama, performing a scene that she found incredibly interesting. What's wrong with her now?

Jian Dongping changed the subject.

"Who else will be coming today?" he asked Fang Qi.

“Xiaoxi is coming back. She’s my eldest sister’s daughter, and she’s in a private high school now. She should be home today.” Fang Qi’s tone suddenly turned cold. “She’s my mother’s darling. In this family, she’s the one my mother dotes on the most.” She suddenly stood up. “If you have no further questions, I have to go. In this house, talking behind closed doors for too long will arouse suspicion. Dongping, I hope you won’t tell anyone what I said to you today. I don’t want people to gossip, and I don’t want my mother to worry.”

“Of course. I understand,” he replied, pulling Ling Ge’s wrist to stand up with him.

"Do we really have to have dinner here?" she asked.

"Don't be shy, it's just a simple meal," Fang Qi said politely as she walked to the door. Her tone now carried a hint of a professional woman's. "You can go to the living room for tea and snacks. I need to go to the kitchen to keep an eye on things." It seems she really is the head housekeeper of this house, Jian Dongping thought. Just as she was about to open the door to leave, she suddenly turned back and said, "Oh, right, I remembered Zhou Jin's closing words on the phone that day. She said my time was up, then said goodbye and wished me happiness."

If Fang Qi remembered correctly, Zhou Jin should have said this that day: "My time is up, goodbye, I wish you happiness."

That's a truly thought-provoking conclusion.

"Thank you." Jian Dongping said with a smile, but he was thinking, "Time's up? What time's up?" He forgot that Ling Ge's smooth wrist was still in his hand.

After Fang Qi left, Ling Ge suddenly shook off Jian Dongping's hand.

"Why did you say that?!" she asked angrily.

"Are you trying to tell her you're a police officer? Or a suspended one? Why should she listen to your questioning?" Jian Dongping said in a low voice.

"Then you can say I'm your sister! I'm not your girlfriend."

"Keep it down! What kind of man takes his sister out in public like that?" Jian Dongping scolded. He looked at her face, which was slightly flushed with anger, and said calmly, "Fine then, don't come out with me anymore, so people won't misunderstand, okay?"

Ling Ge looked up at him for a moment, then leaned closer and, in a whisper, said sternly:

“Jian Dongping, I’m not like you. I’m not a cold-blooded animal; I’m someone who’s easily moved by emotions. If you keep saying that, I’ll misunderstand and think you like me. I don’t want that. If we’re going to be ordinary friends, we should be good friends. Today is the last time I’m playing the role of your fake girlfriend.”

"I'm a cold-blooded animal?!" Jian Dongping was surprised to hear someone describe him like that for the first time.

"Actually, I think you're more like a big refrigerator. It's full of good things, but everything you take out is cold. You have no human feelings, and you never consider other people's feelings when you speak or act. I hate people like you!" After Ling Ge finished speaking, he snorted coldly, flicked his ponytail in a huff, opened the door, and walked out.

A giant refrigerator! Could this metaphor be interpreted as a compliment to my depth? People with depth are usually rather cold, but am I really that cold? Jian Dongping felt wronged.

Dinner was much more lavish than expected, a fusion of Chinese and Western dishes. It included jellyfish with scallion oil, braised shiitake mushrooms and gluten, grilled pork belly, cod with pickled mustard greens, braised eel, fresh salmon slices, and a uniquely flavored potato and shrimp salad. Jian Dongping's mouth watered at the sight of the neatly sliced salmon on ice, but unfortunately, it was placed at the other end of the table, making it inconvenient for him as a guest to enjoy it. Just as he was lamenting this, Fang Qi considerately brought him the salmon slices.

"I just asked Attorney Jane and learned that you love sashimi, so I went to the nearby supermarket to buy some. I don't know if it suits your taste." She smiled politely at him and placed the small dish of wasabi in front of him with a "thud".

"Thank you," Jian Dongping said, feeling both grateful and puzzled.

"Don't be shy, nobody eats salmon here, it's all yours," Fang Qi said.

"Was it bought specifically for me?" Jian Dongping asked.

“Yes. This is your first time visiting our home, so we should treat you well,” Fang Qi said.

Jian Dongping smiled and picked up his chopsticks.

"Fang Qi, you are so understanding," he said, thinking to himself that she was so warm and considerate. Was she like this to everyone?

As he put the sashimi into his mouth, he glanced at Ling Ge sitting next to him. Ling Ge made a face at him and mouthed a curse: SARS!

Fang Qi seemed to sense something and quickly picked up two pieces of charcoal-grilled pork belly and placed them on Ling Ge's plate: "The grilled meat smells delicious, you should try it."

"Oh, thank you." Ling Ge smiled awkwardly at Fang Qi.

"Don't be shy, make yourself at home," Fang Qi said.

Jian Dongping noticed that Fang Qi was completely acting as the hostess, while the real hostess, Shen Biyun, was constantly whispering to her father, Lawyer Jian, with her head down, occasionally letting out a soft sigh. The others at the table remained silent, their expressions indifferent, eating listlessly. Jian Dongping thought that not making a scene at the dinner table was probably the family rule.

This was Ling Ge's first time dining in such an setting, and she appeared quite reserved.

"May I spit the eel bones onto the table?" she asked him quietly.

He glanced at the pretty tablecloth and answered her softly, "Spit it into the plate."

"Shall we go back a little earlier?" she pleaded in a low voice, having already forgotten that she had just scolded him.

“I want to live here,” he lied gently, but she immediately exclaimed.

"Living here?!" Her loud voice shattered the silence at the dinner table, startling everyone present. Everyone stopped and stared at them.

Jian Dongping quickly tried to smooth things over.

“Xiao Ge, we can’t stay here. You’ll disturb other people, and I have to go to work tomorrow.” He said, freeing one hand to pat her back, deliberately avoiding looking at the angry expression on her face, and said to Fang Qi, “It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re just a naive girl.”

"Hmph!" Ling Ge rolled her eyes at him and stirred the vegetables in the plate with her chopsticks.

Jian Qiming frowned and gave him a reproachful look. He knew that his father would always be on Ling Ge's side.

“It’s alright, we have a big house here. You can come and stay for a few days if you have the chance, or you can come here to take wedding photos. Many of my classmates have borrowed my house to take wedding photos.” Zeng Yushan suddenly spoke up. She was a slightly plump young woman with an ordinary appearance. She looked almost nothing like her sister Fang Qi, but her smile gave people an exceptionally warm feeling.

“This place is indeed very suitable for taking wedding photos.” Jian Dongping nodded in agreement, then turned to Ling Ge and asked in a mocking tone, “How about we take our wedding photos here in the future?”

Ling Ge ignored him and angrily continued eating.

Jian Dongping glanced at her, then leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I was just kidding, don't take it too seriously."

Ling Ge raised an eyebrow, pretending not to hear him, and pointed to a large porcelain pot in the middle of the table, asking:

What is that?

"It's homemade rice wine, would you like to try some?" Fang Qi said enthusiastically.

"Okay, give me some." Ling Ge said without ceremony. Jian Dongping knew that her mood had soured, and he began to regret teasing her too much. He was really afraid that she would cause trouble.

Ling Ge downed the half-glass of rice wine in one gulp and immediately showed a delighted expression: "It's delicious!"

“I heard that rice wine is good for joints, and my mother drinks a cup every day.” Zeng Yushan said, then turned to Xiang Bing sitting next to her and asked softly, “Would you like a cup too?”

Xiang Bing shook his head. He was a thin man with delicate features and a somewhat gloomy face.

"It's really delicious, very sweet, and not bitter at all," Ling Ge said to Xiang Bing, sounding like a rice wine salesman. Fang Qi poured her another glass.

“I don’t drink,” Xiang Bing said coldly. Jian Dongping noticed that his eyes were unfocused as he spoke, as if he were lost in thought. “Actually, it doesn’t taste like alcohol at all, more like a sweet rice wine soup. It’s delicious…” Ling Ge sighed.

"This wine has a strong aftereffect," Jian Dongping said softly to her.

Ling Ge ignored him.

“If you’re drunk, I’ll just leave you here!” he threatened, leaning close to her ear.

"I'm so scared!" Ling Ge patted his chest in response.

Fang Qi poured Ling Ge a full glass of rice wine. Jian Dongping found Fang Qi's behavior a bit strange. Knowing that the wine was strong, why did she keep pouring it into Ling Ge's glass?

"Thank you." Ling Ge seemed surprised that Fang Qi would keep pouring her wine, and felt flattered.

"If you like it, drink more," Fang Qi said kindly.

“Yes, Auntie made some new ones. Just drink as much as you like. Your boyfriend will take you home after you finish,” Zeng Yushan said with a smile. She looked at Jian Dongping and asked, “I heard you work for *The Letter* Weekly?”

“Yes, I’ll do the travel section.” Jian Dongping decided to ignore Ling Ge.

"So you work on the travel section!" She smiled excitedly and turned to look at her husband. "It's even somewhat related to your job."

Xiang Bing cast his unfocused gaze upon Jian Dongping's face.

"I'm currently a planning and scheduling coordinator for a travel company; we're in the same industry but different sectors," he said.

“Xiang Bing used to run his own travel company, which was very successful, but he had to close it down later because of his poor health. It’s such a pity,” she said gently. Jian Dongping felt that her eyes, actions, and every word she spoke were filled with tenderness for Xiang Bing, but the latter reacted coldly. In Ling Ge’s words, he seemed like a cold-blooded animal.

At this moment, Shen Biyun suddenly raised her voice:

"Qiming, today's young people are really not comparable to us back then. When they fail in their business ventures, they complain about this and that at the drop of a hat. But in the end, it's still a matter of ability and willpower. Don't you agree?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clearly mocking Xiang Bing.

"Alright, Biyun, let's not concern ourselves with the affairs of the young people," Jian Qiming advised calmly.

"Hehe, yeah, they won't listen to anything I say." Shen Biyun gently wiped her mouth with a tissue.