Ye Mingshen didn't ask any more questions and continued driving. Qian Duoduo was very familiar with the area, and her biggest fear when parking was that B2 would be completely full, forcing her to go down another level.
B3 all have electric lift parking spaces. Every inch of space here is precious, and all the lift parking spaces are so narrow that only one car can barely squeeze in. Qian Duoduo has a headache with these spaces the most. Every time she reverses, it is torture and a challenge for her.
After seeing an empty seat, she unbuckled her seatbelt and said, "I'll get out and watch it for you."
"No need." Ye Mingshen understood her mobility and used one hand to hold her down. "Duoduo, don't move."
In winter, his hands were warm and his movements were natural. When he pressed his hand against the back of hers, it felt dry and strong. Qian Duoduo was momentarily distracted when she saw him smoothly reverse into the parking space with his other hand. In less than a minute, he parked beautifully and perfectly.
Surprised, Qian Duoduo praised without reservation, "Such excellent technique, like Schumacher."
"I've been driving for five or six years now, why do I always tremble when I drive here?" Qian Duoduo walked side by side with him toward the elevator, continuing to tell the truth.
"Fifteen or sixteen years will be fine." Ye Mingshen pressed the elevator button.
Fifteen or sixteen years? Qian Duoduo looked at him with newfound respect; he was indeed a seasoned veteran with a long driving career.
The cinema was on the tenth floor, and the elevator stopped at several other floors. The space was cramped, and it eventually became packed. Qian Duoduo was forced into a corner, and Ye Mingshen, who was originally standing beside her, naturally turned around to face her.
Knowing that he was trying to avoid being squeezed, Qian Duoduo tried her best to hunch her body, but the elevator was cramped and their bodies inevitably ended up pressed together.
Ye Mingshen was wearing a cream-colored shirt today. The fabric was very nice, smooth and silky. When Qian Duoduo brushed it against her cheek, she could smell a faint fragrance that seemed familiar. Qian Duoduo began to wonder where she had smelled this perfume before, and what brand it was.
In the blink of an eye, the elevator doors opened wide, and a stream of people poured out. Qian Duoduo was still lost in thought when she was suddenly pulled out by a warm hand.
Having not held hands with anyone for a long time, her first reaction was surprise. She instinctively pulled back, but when she looked up and saw Ye Mingshen's profile, his expression was very natural, and his fingers were not very strong. He held her hand easily, which reminded her of the naturalness of holding hands and walking in line when she was a child.
A mix of emotions welled up inside her. Qian Duoduo secretly touched her chest; her heartbeat was calm. She then touched her cheeks and ears; there was no sign of her heart warming up.
But she didn't dislike holding hands, nor did she feel so disgusted that she wanted to shake off the hand. Was that enough? She knew in her heart that this wasn't love. Love was a different kind of feeling. Couples in love had a kind of craving for physical contact and wanted to be entangled with each other all the time. Holding hands was an unparalleled pleasure.
It's not like she's never been in love before. People in love often seem like neurotic patients to others. They start smiling like idiots when they think of their partner. Their best date is sitting and looking at each other for 72 hours straight. Their partner's skin seems to have a magnetic pull. As soon as they meet, their adrenaline surges, and their fingers and lips become uncontrollable, making them unable to resist touching and kissing.
They were all fools, but they were utterly blissful. "Duoduo, which movie do you want to see?" Her fingers were still in his palm, her heart as calm as still water. Qian Duoduo looked up and smiled, "You choose, I have no objection." What use is bliss? Can bliss bring her marriage? She's too old, she can't take any more turmoil, she doesn't want to fall in love again, she just wants a result.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
While Ye Mingshen was buying tickets, Qian Duoduo stood to the side studying the posters and 3D promotional images. There were many new movies released recently. She saw Garfield looking lazy and Superman pointing a finger to the sky with an air of superiority. She was out of touch and knew nothing about any of them.
Work takes up all my time, and when I get home I'm so tired I just collapse into bed. I haven't turned on the TV in my room in ages, and movies are something I haven't seen in ages.
Looking back at Ye Mingshen, he was selecting a seat. His profile was tall and slender, and his demeanor was impeccable. As if sensing her gaze, he turned his head and looked over from afar, smiled slightly at her, and then walked over.
"Ming Shen, is it really you?"
A joyful greeting broke the silence, and in a flash, someone ran up to Ye Mingshen and patted him hard on the shoulder, "Oh my, it really is you! I didn't even recognize you."
Qian Duoduo had just straightened up when she saw the two men in front of her meeting happily, so she stopped. It seemed that Ye Mingshen had run into an old friend, so she thought it best to remain quiet for the time being.
The gentleman who appeared out of nowhere was very enthusiastic, had a loud voice, and spoke with a distinct northern accent. "How long has it been? You must be surprised to see me."
"Back from England? Are you a resident or just passing through?" Ye Mingshen replied with a smile, then waved to her.
"These days, who isn't heading back home? They've brought their wives and kids back, settling down here. What about you? Still doing the same old thing?"
“Yes.” Ye Mingshen also looked over, while Qian Duoduo shook her head.
"What a waste of talent, buddy. Who are you calling?" Da Li looked in the direction of his gaze. They were quite far apart. He squinted and then laughed, "Oh, Qingqing is here too. Come over here quickly."
Qian Duoduo smiled and walked over. When she got closer, the man realized he had mistaken her for someone else and looked slightly embarrassed.
"Let me introduce you. This is Ms. Qian Duoduo, my girlfriend. Duoduo, and this is my old colleague Li Wei. Just call him Da Li." Ye Mingshen's expression was natural as he put his arm around her shoulder and introduced them.
"Hello." Qian Duoduo was very generous, grinning as she extended her hand.
After Li Wei left, the two of them went into the screening room. By the time they sat down, the commercials had already started. Qian Duoduo took out his glasses from his bag, put them on, and watched with great interest while holding popcorn. At the end, he pointed and said, "This looks good. When will it be released?"
"If you want to see it next month, let's come together then."
"Okay." She nodded, paused for a minute, and then spoke again, "Who is Qingqing?"
The lights went out, the sound system was great, it was an action movie, and the opening scene was a huge explosion that surrounded him. He didn't hear it clearly, and his response was a question, "Huh?"
As they were talking, more people walked in. The movie had already started, but the lighting was poor. The latecomer looked down to find a seat. During a tense scene, Qian Duoduo's view was obstructed, so she involuntarily turned her body to the side.
The explosions on the big screen continued, the light flickering. As Qian Duoduo saw the protagonist leap out, his eyes glanced at the newcomer who had finally sat down, and he suddenly froze for a second.
"What's wrong? Are you cold?" Ye Mingshen asked considerately.
Qian Duoduo shook her head, temporarily putting aside the previous topic, and did not utter a single word for the next hundred minutes.
Hollywood action blockbusters are known for their fast-paced plots and exciting scenes, eliciting gasps and bursts of laughter from the audience. Qian Duoduo loves watching these kinds of movies, but this time he just couldn't get into it.
While watching, he would occasionally steal glances at another audience member. The front row was empty, with a young man sitting alone in the middle, his posture casual, propping his head up and occasionally showing a smile.
The light from the screen flickered, making the expression on that profile face appear and disappear intermittently. Eventually, Qian Duoduo sighed.
No matter how you look at it, he's just a rather striking young man. She's prickly, but he acts like nothing happened. She deliberately avoids him, while he treats everyone the same, always with a businesslike attitude.
If she continues to take that matter too seriously, isn't she being overly neurotic?
As the movie ended, the theater lights came on. Xu Fei stood up and turned around to find Qian Duoduo walking out. She was a little surprised. Her gaze then swept over Ye Mingshen walking beside her. She raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything.
Qian Duoduo's glasses were still on his nose, so he could see Qian Duoduo's expression clearly. Even though they were several rows apart, he was looking at Qian Duoduo from a slightly upturned angle, revealing his long eyelashes and shadows under his eyes.
"How could a man look like this?" Qian Duoduo was furious. "And what was with that expression? Is it strange that she went on a date to see a movie?"
The two exchanged a glance, neither speaking. Ye Mingshen took a few steps and then turned back to look at her. "Duoduo?"
I originally intended to say hello, just like a casual colleague bumping into each other, but now Qian Duoduo has changed her mind, turning her gaze away and following along pretending she didn't see anything.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
After Xu Fei disappeared from sight, Qian Duoduo remembered another matter that troubled her. She was used to being straightforward and had wanted to ask Ye Mingshen directly before, but Xu Fei's sudden appearance interrupted her. Now that she wanted to continue asking, the time had passed and she didn't know where to start.
Qian Duoduo remained silent the entire way, deep in thought. Ye Mingshen didn't ask her what was wrong, and as usual, watched her go upstairs after dropping her off at home.
Qian Duoduo walked into the corridor and turned back. Ye Mingshen was about to get into the car when he stopped, looked at her, and raised his eyebrows.
Walking right up to him, Qian Duoduo smiled before speaking, "Ye Mingshen, what do you think is the foundation of a good business partnership?"
"Shared ideals and goals".
"Anything else?"
"you say?"
The two seemed to be playing a game of tai chi, but Qian Duoduo didn't back down, saying, "Be honest, what do you think?"
Under the moonlight, he looked down at her carefully, then a perfect smile returned to his lips. "Yes, honesty is also important."
“Okay,” Qian Duoduo nodded, “So who is Qingqing?”
"Qingqing?" he repeated softly.
"Be honest," Qian Duoduo emphasized again.
"Alright, alright." He laughed. "Old Li is such a blabbermouth. Qingqing was my ex-girlfriend. How about that? That's honest enough, isn't it?"
Qian Duoduo smiled, grinning broadly. Her teeth shone white in the moonlight, and she even held up her hand to compare them to her own face. "Looks alike? Is it my turn to say it this time? I'm honored."
Ye Mingshen hesitated for once, then reached out and grabbed the hand that was next to her chin. They had just held hands a few hours ago, so Qian Duoduo was still very familiar with the touch, but this time her fingers were a little stubborn and she tried to pull them back.
He laughed, and tightened his grip even more. "Want to hear the truth? You look somewhat like a lady when you're pretending to be, but as for the rest—let's not talk about it."
At this point, making such a joke—Qian Duoduo rolls his eyes upward.
Such discussions naturally yielded no results. After returning home, Qian Duoduo took a bath, filled a tub with water, and lay in it, lost in thought.
Now things are clear. Ye Mingshen had concealed some important information before. No wonder she vaguely felt something was wrong at the end of their first meeting. Although what Ye Mingshen said was the same as what she thought, and although this man also talked about a like-minded business relationship, no matter how charming she was, she shouldn't be able to make a man with such excellent conditions decide to spend his life with her at first sight, right?
Are the so-called shared goals, mutual respect, and mutual understanding just empty words and high-sounding excuses, and the real reason that Qian Duoduo, whether by fate or misfortune, looks a lot like his ex-girlfriend?
I feel like I've fallen into an unprecedented low, doubting myself and everything. Where has that confident, money-loving girl gone? Time really is a cruel mistress, each cut aging us prematurely.
Frustrated and unable to catch her breath, she simply submerged her entire face in the water to continue pondering. Should this collaboration continue?
But if she gives up, where will she find another like-minded person with amazingly similar ideas who can walk hand in hand with her on the road to a cooperative marriage?
To continue or to give up, Qian Duoduo in the water fell into a Hamlet-like contemplation.
In a fleeting glance at the movie theater, Qian Duoduo saw Xu Fei, and Xu Fei naturally saw her clearly as well.
He had originally planned to play basketball with Zhang Qian and a few old friends, but unexpectedly, all of those men's wives and girlfriends had gotten into trouble, and they all ran off, prioritizing their girlfriends over their friends. Since he was already out, he passed by a movie theater and saw a large action movie poster, so he casually stopped and went to watch a movie. Unexpectedly, he ran into Qian Duoduo. She was dressed very femininely in a dress, and when she first saw him, her eyes darted away, clearly indicating that she already knew he was sitting in the front row. He also noticed the man beside her, holding her coat, and as they walked forward, his left hand was outstretched behind him, a very intimate gesture.
She turned back before her own voice reached her lips, and even better, she turned and hurriedly left, completely pretending he didn't exist.
It felt complicated. At first, I found it a bit funny that two adults, both over fifty years old, were acting like children, arguing and pretending not to know each other.
But halfway through the drive, I suddenly started to feel stuffy and uncomfortable. I felt irritated by the cars in front of me, and as they passed by one after another, I unconsciously pressed the accelerator harder. The traffic lights on the elevated highway suddenly turned on, and I realized that the odometer had exceeded 100 km/h.
He slowed down, exited the ramp, and returned to his apartment. He went upstairs without turning on the lights, dropped his bag, took off his coat and threw it on the sofa, then reached for his iPod on the coffee table by the dim light from the window.
After putting on his headphones, he turned around, opened the door, and went out again. In the elevator, he looked down and searched for songs on his iPod. The sound of the knobs echoed monotonously in his ears. Finally, when the music started playing, he let out a long sigh of relief.
That night, Xu Fei went for a run alone on the street. He had no destination in mind, which was his usual way of relieving stress. He didn't care about the distance or whether he knew the way home. He would run until he couldn't run anymore. If he got lost, he could just call a taxi home.
It was very late. From the bustling avenue to the quiet alley, heading west, the streets gradually quieted down. The light of the streetlights was hidden among the sparse branches of the sycamore trees. In the winter midnight, there were few pedestrians on the street. My heartbeat rose and fell with my steps. The music played on repeat, and my shadow danced around my feet. Apart from these things, the whole world seemed distant.
He used to find peace during long runs like this, but tonight, he failed.
The evasive look in Qian Duoduo's eyes as she left kept replaying in my mind; her fake smile at the company; her fierce gaze that morning; the mutterings in the dark car; the feeling of fine teeth on my lips—
And even further back, on that sweltering afternoon, she sat on the stage, flashing a toothy smile that instantly dappled the sunlight. And there was that tree-lined path on campus, where she grinned at her younger self as he chased after her, a carefree smile on her face—completely different from now. Where was that smile? Zhang Qian remembered, he remembered it too. How could it have changed? How could it be gone?
He suddenly stopped, standing by the roadside, holding his knees and panting heavily. The surroundings were completely unfamiliar; he had been running for so long that he no longer knew where he was.
Was she the same? She ran hard for a long time, only to find herself lost. The world was unfamiliar, and she had even forgotten her past self.
There were lights at the end of the road, indicating a taxi. He flagged it down, got in, and gave them his address.
The driver picked up a male passenger who was sweating profusely during the midnight shift. He found it strange but didn't dare to ask too many questions, glancing at him in the rearview mirror every now and then. Xu Fei didn't say anything, staring intently out the window. He could see his own reflection in the window, where he saw himself frowning and thinking the whole way, but finally breaking into a smile.
Okay, there's no point in overthinking. If you're a man, just do it.
At this moment, Qian Duoduo had just finished taking a bath and was feeling weak all over. She was climbing out of the bathtub when a sudden chill ran through her, and she quickly tightened her bathrobe.
When she got back to her room, she jumped into bed as fast as she could, hugged her arms, and talked to herself in her mind.
Winter is here, I can't be so lethargic next time. The water's gone cold from soaking in it, and if I get sick, I'll have to bear it all myself.