The young man was skeptical, but later their team leader on duty arrived. He remembered Zhao Xiyin; the last time she went back, Zhou Qishen had asked him to arrange the vehicle.
"Miss Zhao, please go inside. Mr. Zhou's car will be back around six o'clock."
The doorbell rang for ages before Zhou Qishen slowly came to open the door. When he saw it was her, he was completely stunned.
Zhao Xiyin was carrying three large bags, the tightness of which made her fingertips pale. She pouted, looking aggrieved, "Zhou Qishen, my hand is broken."
Zhou Qishen took a while to come to his senses, his face darkening. "Why are you here so late at night instead of accompanying your father?"
Without a word, Zhao Xiyin stuffed the things into his arms, saying, "You can help others carry their bags, but you won't help me carry my groceries." Then she went inside by herself, changed her shoes, and her long hair fell across her face, revealing the tip of her beautiful nose.
Zhou Qishen looked rather dejected. He had changed into dark blue loungewear, and he appeared to have lost weight. His features were more defined, and his profile was sharper. When he wasn't smiling, he looked extremely serious.
He carefully placed the things in the entryway and said rationally, "Stop making a fuss, I'll take you home."
Zhao Xiyin suddenly sat up straight, her eyes bright and a smile on her lips. "Okay, I'll leave after I finish eating."
Zhao Xiyin took off her coat and scarf, revealing a V-neck solid-color cashmere sweater underneath that accentuated her curves. She had a great figure, and her legs, encased in tight jeans, were straight and shapely. Zhou Qishen noticed a very noticeable stain on her cuff.
"How did you do that?" he asked.
Zhao Xiyin took out the ingredients one by one, saying, "It's hard to get a taxi on New Year's Eve. An old lady tried to take my car."
Zhou Qishen frowned. "Were you bullied?"
Zhao Xiyin nodded. "Mm."
Zhou Qishen walked over, took the stained hand in his hand, and examined it carefully. "Where are you hurt?"
Zhao Xiyin suddenly felt a lump in her throat, "I'm heartbroken."
Zhou Qishen's hand trembled slightly.
Zhao Xiyin raised her eyes and smiled casually, "Hey! Zhou Qishen, haven't you always wanted to know your son's Chinese name? How about this, you cook a meal with me, and if you enjoy it, I'll show you a picture, okay?"
The atmosphere, which had just softened, froze completely again upon hearing the word "child." Zhou Qishen's expression worsened visibly, and he quickly released his grip, taking a large step back, his face contorted with pain.
Zhao Xiyin stared intently at him, not missing a single change in his expression. In that eye contact, her confusion and doubt gradually surfaced, dispelling the fog of uncertainty.
She lowered her head, then raised it again with a pure smile. "Zhou Qishen, shall we cook a meal together?"
Zhou Qishen nodded. "Okay."
The trash can, empty for months, was finally full, and the brand-new kitchen utensils were finally unpacked. Zhou Qishen, with his back to her, busied himself methodically. "How would you like the fish cooked? Braised or steamed?"
His kitchen is bright and clean.
The neon lights of the World Trade Center were exceptionally dazzling tonight, casting dappled shadows onto the refrigerator's surface, a gentle and tender interplay of red, orange, yellow, and green. Zhou Qishen rolled up his sleeves, revealing taut muscles in his forearms; when he exerted force, his bones were clearly visible—very masculine.
Zhao Xiyin's gaze was like water, calm as a mountain stream.
Zhou Qishen didn't get a reply and was about to turn around.
Her waist tightened as Zhao Xiyin gently encircled her. Her cheek pressed against his back, her breath shallow, and she said in a muffled voice, "I had such a terrible day. This morning, while helping Teacher Zhao clean, I got hit on the head by a Chinese dictionary from the bookshelf. I went to Walmart to buy groceries, and they were so heavy! I couldn't get a taxi, and it was freezing cold. Plus, I have a fever!"
Zhou Qishen's body stiffened.
"Don't move, let me finish." Zhao Xiyin hugged him tighter, her voice choked with emotion.
It was like a firework hitting my heart, a deafening roar that shook the earth.
"I don't want you to spend the New Year alone." Zhao Xiyin slowly placed the red envelope she had prepared into his palm, then pressed her forehead heavily against his back.
"Happy New Year, Zhou Qishen."
Chapter 59 If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain (1)
If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain. (1)
Zhou Qishen gripped the red envelope tightly, tears welling up in his eyes.
He didn't turn around, didn't struggle, and let her hold him, but there was no further response. She repeated the same question: "Would you like the fish braised or steamed?"
Zhao Xiyin felt a sudden chill, and most of her courage collapsed. She reluctantly let go and left the kitchen, turning back every few steps.
Zhou Qishen cooked quickly, serving two dishes and a soup all at once. Zhao Xiyin lay on her side on the sofa, casually pulling a cashmere blanket over herself, her eyes open, staring intently at him.
Zhou Qishen's eyes darted away noticeably. "Eat," he said, then quickly looked up again, his brows furrowing.
Zhao Xiyin's eyes were bright, almost unnaturally so.
Zhou Qishen walked over, reached out and touched her forehead. Good heavens, it was so hot you could boil an egg on it.
Zhao Xiyin pouted, "Did you think I was lying to you just now? You don't believe I really have a fever."
Zhou Qishen looked at her silently.
Zhao Xiyin tilted her head, opened her mouth and bit his hand. Her little teeth were so sharp. She was not satisfied and felt particularly wronged. "You bastard! Zhou Qishen, will you never trust me again in this life? Is everything I do for a reason, a lie? You son of a bitch!" As she spoke, tears mixed with her soaring body temperature, all of them boiling over.
Zhou Qishen remained unmoved, feeling neither pain nor numbness. Only when she bit down until her jaw ached and she released her grip did he slowly slide his hand from her forehead to her cheek, gently stroking her face with a mixture of pity and tenderness. "I'm sorry, I've wronged you."
Zhao Xiyin's eyes were streaked with tears, and her throat was burning with anger. She kicked him, cutting him off before he could finish his sentence. "Is your next sentence going to be, 'You'll never bother me again'?"
Zhou Qishen's lips twitched, and he lowered his head.
Zhao Xiyin held back her tears, "Then why did you come and provoke me after I went back to Beijing! If you had this idea from the beginning, you shouldn't have kept hanging around in front of me! Zhou Qishen, you apologize every time, but you always do hurtful things. How can you be so shameless as to treat people like monkeys?"
As she spoke, Zhao Xiyin kicked him repeatedly, hitting his shoulder and chest with brute force. Zhou Qishen gripped her ankle, his anger rising with pain, and said in a low voice, "You just keep kicking me like that! If you hurt your foot, will you still be able to dance?"