The little girl has become clever; her analysis is quite logical and she's not easily fooled. Zhou Qishen turned his face away without showing any emotion, looked away, and said, "I really didn't lie to you; I'm going to Shenzhen to deal with the house."
Zhao Xiyin reacted a beat late, "You're bankrupt? You're selling the house?"
Zhou Qishen couldn't help but chuckle, and nodded seriously, "That's about right."
Zhao Xiyin quickly withdrew her hand, took a big step back with obvious disdain, and said in a high-pitched voice, "Hey, who are you? I don't know you."
Zhou Qishen's smile deepened as he slowly said, "I bought a house in Shenzhen, but the paperwork wasn't fully completed until New Year's Day when I went to sign the contract. After the New Year's holiday, I have to go abroad, and if it's delayed any longer, I don't know when it will be ready." Zhou Qishen explained patiently, as if to say that he really wasn't lying.
The apartment, located in Peninsula City, was offered at a discount by a long-time client of Zhou Qishen. It's a duplex of over 400 square meters. To be honest, Zhou Qishen wasn't particularly fond of the decoration or interior design. The main attraction was its excellent sea view; from the living room, one could see the Shenzhen Bay Bridge connecting directly to Hong Kong. Buying this apartment wasn't absolutely necessary for Zhou Qishen, but during a meal with the client, he overheard them mention that Shenzhen's temperature was pleasant and the air was clean, making it suitable for elderly people to recuperate. Zhou Qishen was immediately swayed.
The first person he thought of was Zhao Wenchun.
Teacher Zhao was frugal and hardworking his whole life, dedicating his youth to teaching. Conditions back then were far worse than they are now; the constant inhalation of chalk dust caused him to suffer from chronic bronchitis. He had pharyngitis that lingered for over a decade, and he would cough and become inflamed every autumn and winter.
Of course, Zhou Qishen wouldn't tell Zhao Xiyin these thoughts. He just tilted his head, looked at her, and remained silent, his eyes as dark as ink.
Zhao Xiyin suddenly felt a lump in her throat, and then said in a muffled voice, "Zhou Qishen, hug me, I'm cold."
Zhou Qishen didn't respond, but gently took her hand and pulled her into his arms.
The two embraced quietly in the cold night.
When Zhao Xiyin smelled his familiar perfume, she couldn't help but want to cry. She gripped his shoulders tightly with both hands, her heart pounding like a small boat adrift on the ocean, finally finding its harbor.
Zhou Qishen stroked her hair, supported the back of her head, and pressed her even harder against his chest.
When a car passes by, its bright headlights are on, which is extremely glaring.
Zhao Xiyin quickly got up from his arms and stood to the side, making way for him.
The black Passat stopped, the window rolled down, and Ye Tao, sitting inside, greeted her somewhat awkwardly, "Little Zhao, why aren't you home yet, it's so late?"
Zhao Xiyin's face turned bright red. Although she didn't have much contact with Ye Tao on a daily basis, anyone who knew them even slightly knew that Ye Tao had feelings for her. The hug just now had definitely been witnessed; she wasn't exactly guilty, just incredibly embarrassed.
Zhao Xiyin forced a stiff smile, "I'll go back, I'll go back."
Ye Tao, a man with a gentlemanly demeanor, nodded as if nothing had happened, "Okay, be careful."
He rolled up the car window, pressed the accelerator, and drove off.
Zhao Xiyin breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief. Zhou Qishen's voice was low and menacing. "Are you afraid of him?"
“A little.” Zhao Xiyin said honestly, “He graduated from the Department of Mathematics at Peking University and is now a math teacher at C University. When I was in school, my math grades weren’t very good, and I was dragged to tutoring every day, which left a psychological scar. Actually, Brother Ye is a really nice person.”
Zhou Qishen responded with an "Oh," and said, "Brother Xiaoye."
Zhao Xiyin understood immediately. She tilted her head and looked at him with particularly bright eyes. "I remember now. Last time you competed with Ye Tao in pull-ups, you lost to him, right?"
Zhou Qishen frowned and said, "Can you even compare? I was only discharged from the hospital a few days ago. Let's try it now."
Zhao Xiyin stuck out her tongue and chatted without any ulterior motives, "He's really good at solving Rubik's Cubes. I've seen him do it; he can solve them in about twenty seconds."
Zhou Qishen asked calmly, "Does Dad like him very much?"
"I like it," Zhao Xiyin said. "Teacher Zhao likes well-behaved children."
The conversation ended there. The two faced each other in silence for a while, then Zhao Xiyin scratched her nose and said, "I'm going upstairs."
Zhou Qishen glanced at her but didn't say anything.
Zhao Xiyin had barely turned halfway around when Zhou Qishen pulled her into his arms again, unlike the previous time. This embrace was proactive, intense, full, tender with love, and deeply regretful.
Zhou Qishen pressed his face against her neck, his tone unusually soft, a faint lemon scent lingering between his lips and teeth. He said, "Xi'er, I will be very good from now on."
Zhao Xiyin stumbled upstairs, feeling as if she were walking on clouds with each step. She floated and swayed, as if she hadn't yet recovered from the intense intimacy of their earlier encounter. She felt a little unsteady, yet also savored a touch of sweetness.
The key had just been inserted into the lock and hadn't even been turned yet when the door slammed open!
Zhao Xiyin was startled to see Zhao Wenchun standing menacingly at the door.
Teacher Zhao stood with her hands on her hips, looking fierce. It seemed she had been waiting for a long time, specifically to catch her. "Zhao Xiyin! Hugging and cuddling in broad daylight, aren't you ashamed, you young lady!"
Zhao Xiyin understood. "Teacher Zhao, you're peeking through the window again."
"That wasn't peeping!" Zhao Wenchun retorted angrily.
Zhao Xiyin suppressed a laugh, but the sweetness in her smile was hard to hide. She carefully explained, "It's not anyone else, it's Zhou Qishen."
"What's wrong with Zhou Qishen? Does Zhou Qishen get the right to hold my daughter? He's just an ex-husband, and an ex-husband is someone else!" Teacher Zhao said.
Chapter 62 If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain (4)
Don't let Teacher Zhao's fierce appearance fool you; he seems intimidating and authoritative, but he's just a paper tiger. Zhao Xiyin knows her father too well. See how his eyes are shining brightly? He's definitely more happy than angry.
Just as she was thinking it wasn't a problem, her gaze swept across and she saw Zhao Lingxia sitting calmly on the sofa.
This is unprecedented! My aunt actually came to her house and stayed until this late.
Zhao Xiyin realized what was happening and immediately deflated, hanging her head obediently as if facing a formidable enemy. Zhao Wenchun, on the other hand, was puzzled. "Hey? Why the sudden change of expression? I was just saying a few words, you don't need to be so afraid."
Zhao Xiyin wasn't afraid of him at all; she was clearly afraid of her aunt.
Zhao Wenchun dared not speak harshly, fearing that his daughter might misunderstand his meaning.
To be fair, he genuinely admired and liked Zhou Qishen, and wanted the two children to be together. For no other reason than that they both cared for each other; some feelings, once missed in this life, may never be encountered again.
When you have the opportunity to work hard, you should work hard.