He was handsome and had a way of talking that charmed girls, making Lin Yi's assistant laugh. Gu Heping smiled at her, "Little sister, please take good care of that stinky man inside. I'll come over tonight and bring you some milk tea."
Zhou Qishen slept until six or seven o'clock.
Gu Heping actually brought milk tea to pick him up. Zhou Qishen had slept all day and seemed to be in much better spirits. He opened the passenger door but didn't get in himself. Instead, he said to Gu Heping, "Dr. Lin, can I hitch a ride?"
He turned his head again and said, "Dr. Lin, get in the car."
Zhou Qishen was a gentleman; he went to sit in the back seat. Once there, he took out his phone, scrolled through his emails, picked out a few important ones to reply to, and then started playing Texas Hold'em.
He downloaded a gambling app from somewhere and deposited tens of thousands of yuan into it, losing more than he won. He watched hundreds of thousands of yuan disappear without even blinking.
When people are feeling down, they tend to seek solace elsewhere, not caring about good outcomes, just wanting something to distract them.
Gu Heping and Dr. Lin exchanged a glance. Dr. Lin was gentle and patient, as if to say, "It's okay, take your time."
Upon arrival, Gu He unbuckled his seatbelt. "Wait a minute, Lin Angel, I brought you something."
Gu Heping took a bottle of red wine from the trunk, sincerely thanking her for her help over the years. The two stood behind the car and politely declined. Zhou Qishen got out of the car and casually took the woman's handbag from the passenger seat.
"Take it." Zhou Qishen handed her the bag and stood beside her, looking at her like a handsome and gentle boyfriend showing concern for her well-being.
Gu Heping had just grasped this realization when his gaze swept over the scene, and he was completely stunned.
Behind them, at the mall entrance, Zhao Xiyin was carrying a handful of things, probably having just finished shopping.
She stood still, gazing wistfully at Zhou Qishen.
Gu Heping frantically winked at Boss Zhou. Zhou Qishen turned around, paused for a second, and then calmed down.
Zhao Xiyin walked over to him and said, "You didn't go on a business trip."
Zhou Qishen looked away and hummed in agreement.
"Then why did you lie to me?" Zhao Xiyin asked in a muffled voice.
Gu Heping didn't dare to explain at all and silently kept his distance.
Zhou Qishen silently extended his hand. "Give me the things, I'll carry them."
Zhao Xiyin stubbornly stood her ground and refused to give in.
Her eyes were bright, as if shimmering with water, and she stared at him intently, relentlessly demanding an answer.
Zhou Qishen withdrew his hand and told Gu Heping, "Take Xiaoxi back."
Gu Heping shouted, "And what about you?"
Zhou Qishen said, "I'll walk by myself."
Zhao Xiyin lowered her head, her eyes stinging and swollen. After hesitating for a few seconds, she took another step and chased after him, calling out, "Zhou Qishen!"
She grabbed his sleeve tightly, "Are you spending New Year's Eve alone?"
The girl's fingers gently brushed against the inside of his wrist, burning hot; he felt like his arm was going to be ruined. Zhou Qishen replied hoarsely, "I'm working overtime."
Zhao Xiyin didn't let go, her fingertips turning white from the force, her eyes moist like a deer in the forest, as she asked, "Zhou Qishen, you said the other day that after I finished dancing, we would have a proper talk... I'm asking you, are we still going to talk?"
Zhou Qishen stiffly placed his hand on the back of her hand, then slowly pried it away. "Xiao west, spend the holiday with your father."
Zhao Xiyin stood there, stunned, and shouted, "Zhou Qishen!"
The figure paused for a second before disappearing into the winter night.
Two days later, on New Year's Eve.
Zhao Wenchun originally wanted to cook a meal at home, but Zhao Lingxia said it was too much trouble and that she had booked a place to eat out. Zhao Wenchun said it was wasteful, but Zhao Lingxia scoffed and said she never indulged anyone, and that it was up to her whether she came or not.
While muttering about her sister's fierceness, Zhao Wenchun picked out a coat from the closet. "Xiaoxi, which one should I wear?"
After a long silence, Zhao Wenchun peeked out and saw Zhao Xiyin lying listlessly on the sofa, weakly saying, "Dad, I have a fever. Go have dinner with Auntie. I'll stay home and rest for a while."
Body temperature 37.7 degrees Celsius, low-grade fever.
With time running out, and knowing Zhao Lingxia's personality, being late would likely cause her to flip the table.
Zhao Wenchun poured her some warm water and said, "Get some sleep, drink plenty of water, and call me anytime if you feel unwell."
Teacher Zhao hurriedly went out. As soon as the door closed, Zhao Xiyin threw off the blanket, put on her coat, and ran outside as well.
It got colder in Beijing today, and the weather forecast says it will snow.
It was truly cold; the dry wind whipped against her face, and every breath Zhao Xiyin took felt like her lungs were burning. She rushed into Walmart and came out with two or three large bags of groceries. With so many events happening across the country on New Year's Eve, traffic was restricted in the city every year. Zhao Xiyin waited for ages to hail a taxi, and when one finally did, an older woman cut her way. Normally, she wouldn't have minded letting her pass. But not today!
Zhao Xiyin argued with the old lady for a long time, neither of them giving in.
The driver, growing impatient, said, "So nobody's going to take a ride? Fine, I'm leaving then."
Zhao Xiyin pointed and exclaimed in surprise, "Look! There's so much money on the ground!"
The moment the older woman turned her head, Zhao Xiyin pushed past her, jumped into the car with lightning speed, and slammed the door shut. "Driver, to Fanyue."
The security guards today were probably new. They checked the registration form and said Zhao Xiyin wasn't a resident here, so they wouldn't let her in. Zhao Xiyin said, "I really know the resident here, his name is Zhou Qishen. He lives in the middle building, on the 23rd floor."
The security guard asked, "Are you his?"
Zhao Xiyin calmly replied, "Girlfriend."
When she said those three words, she was particularly candid, making it sound so real: "We're in a long-distance relationship, and we only see each other once every six months. Today is New Year's Eve, so I came secretly to give him a surprise. Look, I bought so much food."