From west to east, it traverses the central axis of Beijing. By the time they reached the Third Ring Road, the traffic was already congested, with cars moving in fits and starts, their long taillights flashing in succession, resembling a rainbow of colors. Crossing the overpass, the light and shadow on his face shifted from bright to dark and then back to bright again. Zhou Qishen's profile was handsome and aloof, yet his eyes held a hint of affection.
From the moment I met her, Zhao Xiyin had always been gentle and lovely. Like a soft, juicy peach, so beautiful that one hesitated to take a bite.
Zhou Qishen put in a lot of effort to pursue the girl. At that time, Zhao Xiyin had just broken up with her first love and looked at everyone with a world-weary expression, especially towards him.
Every day, Zhou Qishen would have a bouquet of fresh roses air-freighted to his dorm room, which Zhao Xiyin would then distribute to his three roommates. Later, she got too lazy to distribute them anymore and just threw them in the trash to save time. Zhao Xiyin thought he was a real nuisance, so she deliberately took some pictures of the trash cans and sent them to him, saying, "Don't send them anymore, it's such a waste."
The next day, Zhou Qishen appeared downstairs.
That year, he was driving a Maybach, a striking black extended car. He had just received an evaluation team that afternoon, and hadn't had time to change out of his three-piece suit. His 185cm height was so stylish, and he leaned confidently against the car door, exuding the aura of a mafia boss. But when he saw Zhao Xiyin, his eyebrows shot up in a wide smile.
He held a bright red rose in one hand and casually crossed his arm around his waist with the other. He took off his sunglasses and said, "Come on, throw me in the trash can too. After I'm done throwing it in today, I'll climb out and go home to take a shower. I'll come back tomorrow for you to throw it in."
Twenty-one-year-old Zhao Xiyin was no match for this onslaught. Acquaintances and classmates passing by gave them knowing smiles. Zhao Xiyin quickly shoved the person behind the big locust tree, her face flushed red, and stamped her feet, stammering, "You, you, you..." After a long pause, she finally managed to come up with a powerful insult: "How can you be so shameless!"
Zhou Qishen relentlessly sent flowers for almost half a year, until Zhao Xiyin finally couldn't take it anymore and said to him, "Brother Zhou, I've calculated it."
"Hmm?" Zhou Qishen asked, "What have you calculated?"
"The flowers you sent could cover the down payment for a house in Moon Mountain City."
Zhou Qishen frowned. "Where is Moon Mountain?"
Zhao Xiyin pursed her lips and whispered, "If you stop sending flowers, I'll tell you."
The girl's aggrieved and confused look melted Zhou Qishen's heart. Even though he knew it was her silly little trick, he still happily played along, and said decisively, "Okay, see you out."
Zhao Xiyin breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou Qishen said, "But you'll have a meal with me."
Zhao Xiyin was taken aback, then her brows furrowed. The two looked at each other, and before they could help, they both laughed.
After one meal, there was a second, and a third. He always surprised her with different dishes at the best restaurants inside and outside the city. That day was a weekend, but Zhao Xiyin refused to come out no matter what. Zhou Qishen went upstairs and knocked on the door. Zhao Xiyin was pale and extremely weak. "I'm sorry, I stood you up, but I'm really not feeling well today."
Zhou Qishen understood the girl's situation immediately. He didn't say anything more and left. He returned a little later, carrying a large insulated box containing four or five small bowls, steaming hot chicken soup, asparagus and shrimp, tender white lotus root tips, and half a bowl of brown rice.
Zhou Qishen didn't say much. He placed the bowl and spoon in front of her and said, "Eat up, while it's hot."
Zhao Xiyin stood there, stunned, motionless.
Zhou Qishen smiled, his lips curving upwards and his eyes crinkling into a slight smile, a look that was both roguish and charming. "How about I feed you?"
Zhao Xiyin immediately frowned, which made him laugh out loud.
Unable to refuse Zhou Qishen's hospitality, Zhao Xiyin initially ate very ladylike, but later she stopped being so reserved and ate heartily. When she finished the last shrimp, she suddenly looked up and met Zhou Qishen's gaze. She asked seriously, "Brother Zhou, do you bring a meal to every girl you pursue?"
Zhou Qishen was furious, his face darkening further.
Zhao Xiyin, holding her lunchbox, quietly moved a little further away from him.
His mood worsened. "What?"
Xiao Zhao said in a muffled voice, "I'm afraid you'll hit me."
Zhou Qishen was both amused and exasperated. He reached out and gently placed his palm on her head. "Don't talk nonsense. I don't have that much free time. It's just you."
After saying that, he took out a bottle of warm soy milk from the bag and put it in her hand. Their fingertips touched, and sparks flew. Zhou Qishen was burned, and when he looked at Zhao Xiyin, her cheeks were redder than the sunset outside the window.
For the next two months, Zhou Qishen was busy with the project, spending most of his time abroad. After returning to China, it was summer, and the heat was intense. After making a few phone calls, he immediately decided to go back to Xi'an.
Zhao Xiyin had originally planned to go on her graduation trip with her roommate, but her roommate had to cancel at the last minute. The plane tickets were expensive, and she didn't want to waste the money. So she decided to explore on her own. The first day was the Muslim Quarter, the second day the Terracotta Warriors, and the third day she bought some souvenirs in the city.
Then, by sheer coincidence, they bumped into Zhou Qishen, who smiled and said, "Shall we go together?"
Such a perfectly legitimate invitation, and they didn't even give me a reason to refuse.
The two strolled through the ancient city streets, surrounded by a dazzling array of New Year paintings and paper-cuts. Amidst the bustling crowds, he gently shielded Zhao Xiyin, occasionally pressing his palm against her shoulder, a sensation that warmed her heart like flowing sand.
I walked in silence to the end of the alley and stopped in front of a handmade wind chime.
The craftsman explained the deeper meaning behind it: the wind chimes are all different colors, pink is given to friends, twilight blue is given to old acquaintances, and bright yellow is given to parents.
Zhao Xiyin broke the awkward silence by asking him, "Which one do you like? I'll give it to you."
She lightly flicked the small wind chime in front of her with her index finger and casually asked, "Do you like this?"
Zhou Qishen glanced at it but did not answer.
The boss was really funny. He spoke Shaanxi dialect with great intonation, like singing: "This is good. If you give it to your husband, he will make a fortune. If you give it to your husband, he will make a small fortune."
Zhao Xiyin remained silent for a long time.
Zhou Qishen smiled faintly, "The meaning is good, let's take this one."
When paying with WeChat, Zhao Xiyin's hands were shaking so badly she couldn't even scan the QR code correctly. Zhou Qishen held her hand, steadied the phone, and heard a "beep" as the scan was successful. They were close together, and Zhou Qishen's voice soothed her ear, deep and pleasant to hear.
He said, "Yinyin, I like you."
When leaving Xi'an, Zhou Qishen didn't want to embarrass the girl. He simply helped her change to business class and then drove her to the airport. Before going through security, Zhou Qishen said, "I've been pursuing you for over half a year, and I've tried every method I could think of."
Zhao Xiyin lowered her eyes, her white dress swaying gently at her ankles.
Even Zhou Qishen, a man of deep cunning and shrewd calculation, was at a loss for words. “Don’t get a boyfriend too soon. Give me some time. Okay, go in now. Send me a text message when you get there.”
A few words of honesty and candor were enough; nothing more needed to be said. Zhou Qishen handed her the suitcase and turned to leave.
I couldn't walk anymore; someone grabbed my sleeve.