"Not...familiar?" Qiao Anchen asked uncertainly.
"Yes. Look at you before, all you did was work every day. Did we have any other opportunities to spend time together besides in bed?"
“It’s the most familiar stranger!” Chu Yi said, increasing the pressure in her hand. Qiao Anchen frowned and quickly agreed.
"Yes, yes, we haven't been communicating enough. Now it's just right."
Chu Yi gave a satisfied hum, then carefully massaged his entire body again, asking, "Does it feel good?"
"Comfortable... to the left, a little further to the left."
"Here?"
"Mmm...yes." Qiao Anchen closed his eyes, his face full of enjoyment.
The second half of the year was noticeably busier than before. Qiao Anchen's illness hadn't been fully recovered when he started working again. After the first day of the Lunar New Year, he carefully researched the cause of his cold and fever, and the answer given online was that his body's resistance was weak.
So, while Cheng Li was abroad, she asked her to buy a bunch of health supplements for her.
She bought a whole box full of products she'd heard were good, such as vitamins, fish oil, and spirulina.
Chu Yi presented it to Qiao Anchen like a treasure, telling him about each of its effects and what it could supplement, as if eating it would make him live to be a hundred years old.
Qiao Anchen picked up each one and carefully examined the instructions and ingredients. In the end, she chose two or three to keep and gave the rest to her parents.
"Don't you want any of these?" Chu Yi asked expectantly. Qiao Anchen, who was still looking at a bottle of Australian health supplements in his hand, nodded in response.
"You don't need to eat those yet."
“But I heard that once people are over thirty, they should start taking care of their health, and they should start taking health supplements. You’re not…” Chu Yi wanted to say that she had just turned thirty a few months ago, but when she caught a glimpse of Qiao Anchen’s dangerous gaze, she swallowed her words.
"Is there something you're unhappy about with me lately?" Qiao Anchen emphasized, "Like, in terms of physical strength?"
Chu Yi immediately recalled the intense battle last night, and her waist was still slightly sore. She swallowed loudly.
"No, no, I was just scared by your fever last time. People say that you get sick and catch a cold when your immunity is low, so let's eat together! Let's stay away from viruses!"
Driven by a survival instinct, she spoke eloquently, smiling ingratiatingly at him and revealing a row of eight neat teeth.
Qiao Anchen withdrew his gaze, concealed the smile on his lips, and nodded.
"Oh, I see. Okay then."
Around the time of the Beginning of Winter on the calendar, Qiao's father's birthday falls within this period, and he begins preparing a gift on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
The old man doesn't have many hobbies except watching football, especially Chinese football, and he has a particular favorite athlete.
Chu Yi asked a college classmate who worked at the club for help, and through various means, managed to get the other party's autographed photo and a jersey.
In addition, she specially went shopping with Cheng Li and bought some health supplements. They brought back bags of them. Qiao Anchen happened to be home. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Chu Yi struggling to come in.
"Why did you buy so much stuff?" Qiao Anchen helped take the bags from her hands. Chu Yi relieved herself of the burden and rubbed her sore wrists. Before she could answer, she saw him pick up the gift box in his hand and examine it.
"Bird's nest? Deer antler?"
"Why are you buying these things? Are you planning to visit your parents?"
Chu Yi paused in her shoe-changing motion upon hearing this, and gave him a strange look.
"Don't you know... next week is your dad's birthday?"
"..." Qiao Anchen's expression froze for a few seconds before he realized what was happening and answered with difficulty.
"I've been too busy lately... I didn't think of it for a moment."
Chu Yi changed her shoes, looked him up and down again, and then nodded, showing no surprise and even a sense of entitlement.
"That's true, this isn't the first time something like this has happened to you, after all, you're a very busy person."
Qiao Anchen: "..."
He froze on the spot, a chill running through him, making it hard to breathe, as if his heart had stopped under the immense pressure.
Qiao Anchen swallowed hard, and said with difficulty, "I remember the date, but I didn't expect you to prepare a gift so quickly. I didn't realize it at first. Also, last time... it just happened to clash with other things, so..."
"Alright, alright, stop explaining. It's been so long." Chu Yi interrupted him, genuinely showing that she no longer cared.
"It's okay if you're busy, I'll remember for you." She laid out everything in her hands in front of him, showing it to him.
"Hey, I bought these. Oh right, and Dad's favorite soccer player too." Chu Yi winked at him, gave a sly smile, and turned to take a packaged bag from the cabinet.
"I got his autographed photo and jersey through a classmate! Isn't that amazing! He'll be ecstatic!"
“Chu Yi…” Qiao Anchen stared at her intently, a complex expression on his face, a mixture of emotion and guilt, and something else entirely.
"What are you doing, all of a sudden..." Before Chu Yi could finish her teasing words, Qiao Anchen grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. He held her tightly, his deep voice ringing in her ears.
"Thank you."
"It's okay." Chu Yi paused for two seconds, rested her chin on his shoulder, smiled gently, and patted his back.
“We’re family. I haven’t even thanked you yet, why are you thanking me?”
"Thank me for what?" Qiao Anchen released her, his dark eyes fixed on her as he asked. Chu Yi pursed her lips, feeling a little embarrassed.
"I realize that I'm sometimes quite immature, childish, and often lack common sense, yet I still have so many demands on you. I'm very grateful that you can be so tolerant of me."
After Chu Yi finished speaking, Qiao Anchen remained silent for a long time, staring at her with a complicated expression. The living room was quiet, revealing an atmosphere different from usual.
Chu Yi felt awkward at first and tried to ease the tension with a joke.
"Oh, is today Thanksgiving? Why are we suddenly thanking each other? That's strange."
"Perhaps, you feel very lucky?" Qiao Anchen thought for a moment, then slowly curved the corners of his mouth into a smile.
"I met the right person."
He doesn't know what other people's marriages are like.
But ever since he met Chu Yi, Qiao Anchen's life has changed from being monotonous to being colorful.
The simple, impoverished days gradually became sweeter, more sour, and seemingly even spicier.
A small orange lamp when I come home late, a warm glow when I sleep, a constant source of comfort and connection.
Joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness began to appear more frequently. My calm and uneventful emotions were often stirred up by her. There was helplessness, anger, but more often than not, a smile would involuntarily well up from the bottom of my heart.
Qiao Anchen felt that meeting her was wonderful.
Author's Note: I suddenly got sentimental, so sentimental that I almost cried, sob sob sob.
57. Chapter 57
When the two went back to celebrate Qiao's father's birthday, everything was fine. Sure enough, he received a gift and his face broke into a smile, showing great surprise and happiness.
Finally, as everyone blew out the candles and cut the cake, singing birthday songs with joy, he suddenly sighed softly, with a touch of self-pity in his expression.
"Sigh, I'm already sixty years old, when will I be able to hold my grandson?"
Chuyi: "..."
He finished speaking to himself, then put his hands together, closed his eyes, and began to make a wish, even murmuring it aloud at a volume that everyone could hear.
"I hope to hold my grandson soon in the new year."
After making the promise, he bent down and blew out all the candles in one swift motion.
The three stood there quietly, their faces, illuminated by the dim light, showed little expression as they watched him, as if they were enjoying a self-directed and self-acted personal film.
No one responded or reacted. After a few awkward seconds, Mr. Qiao spoke up to greet them.
"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up, turn on the lights and cut the cake!"
The switch was right next to Chu Yi. She turned it on, and under the bright light, her expression remained normal, as if the suggestive, almost explicit words from before had not been spoken to her at all.
After her father cut the cake, she ate two large slices with a good appetite. The reason was that the cake from this shop was so delicious. Not only was the fruit plentiful and sweet, but it was also made with animal cream, which was sweet but not greasy, and fragrant and delicious.
On the way back, Qiao Anchen kept glancing at her with a strange look, which Chu Yi caught him by raising her eyebrows and pressing him for answers.
"what?"
“Yeah, I feel like you’re different from before.” Qiao Anchen said, his hands on the steering wheel, pursing his lips. He glanced at her quickly before turning his head back to look at the road ahead.
"You're completely oblivious to being pressured to have children, aren't you?" Chu Yi said knowingly. Qiao Anchen smiled and nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Yes, I was quite sentimental for a long time when I went back last time." I even teased him.
"Because I've figured it out too." Chu Yi relaxed and leaned back in her chair, looking out the window at the scenery.
"Um?"
"Anyway, I'm not having any children, so let Dad do whatever he wants. He can say whatever he wants, and I can't control him anyway." Chu Yi sighed softly, resting her chin on her hand.
"Then I can only adjust my mindset."
Qiao Anchen shook his head after hearing this, smiled, and said nothing.
While things weren't going well here, Chu Yi received some fantastic good news on the other side.
After her comic was completed a few months ago, the film and television production team immediately began preparations. The screenwriter is creating a script based on the comic, and the casting process has begun.
The producer has contacted her and said the cast has been finalized.
The male lead is Ji Mubai, a currently popular young actor, while the female lead is a newcomer who has just debuted. Their appearance and temperament are very similar to the character.
The moment the message popped up, Chu Yi automatically ignored all other information, her mind completely filled with the three words "Ji Mubai". She immediately jumped out of bed, clenched her fists and screamed, jumping wildly on the floor barefoot.
My God, what incredible luck! To actually get Ji Bai's younger brother to act in her production! Chu Yi gasped for breath, clutching her chest, her heart almost stopping from excitement.
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to calm down. Then, staring at her phone screen, she read the message word for word. Only after confirming that the other party had indeed signed a contract with Ji Mubai's agent did she finally relax and enjoy the moment to herself for a long time before calming down.
After calming down a bit, Chu Yi immediately copied the message and sent it to Cheng Li and Xiao Gao.
Sure enough, within two seconds, the same screaming chicken appeared in the chat box, and Xiao Gao looked exactly like her just now.
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh, what amazing news! I'm so incredibly jealous, sis! Don't forget me when you're rich and famous! Remember to get me a few autographed photos!!!"
"Waaaaah, I still can't believe it! My sister, are you really going to let Ji Mubai star in your work? Are you going to become famous? Are you going to break into the entertainment industry? I really like Jiang Huan. Could you let her play your female lead next time so we can have a chance to meet?"
"..."
Before Chu Yi could reply, the other end of the line was flooded with messages, one after another popping up rapidly. The typing speed was practically superhuman; Xiao Gao seemed to have gone mad.
"Oh my god!!! I'm so excited! Can I come with you to visit the set?!"