Song Qingxin composed herself for a moment, then quickly said, "Mr. Yi, are you still at the company? I'd like to come and get my car now." As she spoke, she had already left the house.
"Okay, I'll wait for you."
At this point, he had forgotten that he was hungry and in a hurry to eat. He stared at a pair of small glass bottles strung on the keychain, inside which were two porcelain dolls, a man and a woman. They looked ordinary, but their expressions were quite interesting.
The man was tall and slender, with one hand in his pocket and the other hand casually holding a backpack hanging on his back. His long, loose silver hair hung down in a wild manner, and only one side of his face could be seen. Even so, overall, he had an expression that said he was the only one in the world and disdained everything else.
The woman, with her straight hair hanging down to her waist, her hands clasped obediently in front of her, her large eyes filled with longing and anticipation as she gazed at the boy doll in the other glass bottle, seemed somewhat strange.
With a sense of inquiry, Yi Zhengwei carefully examined the two glass bottles from top to bottom.
After a long while, he finally smiled faintly, like a little boy who had discovered a secret. It turned out that the separate glass bottle, upon closer inspection, showed signs of having been processed, and the porcelain stone under the doll's feet also had cut marks. Clearly, there were originally two items, which had been pieced together and placed in a single glass bottle.
He frowned, gently shook the glass bottle, and the inside instantly turned golden, as beautiful as falling snow, incredibly romantic.
Ten years ago, she was just a child, fifteen years old? Yeah, pretty much, definitely a child's child.
What was the purpose of this deliberate processing? Thinking about it, it was obvious. But she didn't throw it away; it seemed she was merely providing an excuse to keep it. Wasn't this self-deception? He was now trying to guess Song Qing's thoughts.
As soon as the elevator bell rang, he hurriedly put down his keys. There was a thumping sound in the hallway, indicating that the person walking was in a great hurry. If she wasn't in a rush, she wouldn't have called him at this time to pick up her car.
He smiled and went to open the door. Song Qing approached, about to knock, but bumped into nothingness; Yi Zhengwei had already grasped her slender wrist.
"It seems like every time you see me, something unexpected happens?" he said with a laugh, breaking the awkward silence.
Song Qing awkwardly withdrew his hand. "Yes."
"Oh, you haven't eaten?" She noticed the open lunchbox on the table.
Yi Zhengwei smiled, turned around and walked back, bending down to pick up the keys. "Miss Song, haven't you been working overtime until now? And now you still have to go out for a social event?"
She accepted it with a grateful and apologetic smile. She wasn't good at lying, so she simply didn't answer. The social engagements she had to attend to were purely personal.
"Miss Song, you always look so tired and rushed. Don't overwork yourself. If you need any help, just let me know." Knowing she was in a hurry, he considerately went out with her and saw her to the elevator.
Song Qing was about to say that he already owed him too many favors when a sudden pain shot through his stomach. He quickly leaned against the wall, pressed his stomach tightly, and kept taking deep breaths.
Judging from her appearance, Yi Zhengwei knew this wasn't the first or second time this had happened; she was clearly very familiar with it. She was constantly breathing heavily, her face already deathly pale with pain. He, too, was busy with work and often missed meals, having once been hospitalized for over a month with an acute stomach ulcer. Therefore, he knew the pain involved and quickly helped her back to his office, where the medication was.
He had just helped her sit down when he saw her cover her mouth and rush towards the break room. He frowned in surprise, amazed by her familiarity with the layout. Little did he know, Song Qing's office was almost identical to his own; she was in so much pain that she had lost all reason and thought she was still in her own office. Little did he know, it was a mistake.
Yi Zhengwei sighed and collapsed onto the sofa. Every time he saw her, it seemed that he had to exhaust himself.
Hearing the sounds of vomiting, he thought that her stomach pain was probably getting worse than his back then, and if it wasn't treated soon, there was a high chance of a perforated stomach.
However, back then, his father forced him to go to the hospital; otherwise, he would have endured it himself because of work. But clearly, now that she is the head of the Song family, she can only be at the forefront in everything, and has no right to back down. He thought worriedly, and couldn't help but feel a surge of sympathy for this strong and forbearing eldest daughter of the Song family.
Seeing her pale-faced, slowly emerging from the wall, leaning against it, and apologizing to him with a smile that looked more like a grimace, he rubbed his forehead, resignedly poured her a glass of water, and handed her the medicine.
Song Qing looked at the medicine in his palm, her face full of doubt.
He shrugged and said humorously, "We're all in the same boat."
She took it with a sudden realization.
"But that was then," he emphasized.
She smiled genuinely, swallowed the medicine with trust, and finished a glass of water in one gulp.
"You haven't eaten yet?" This was a statement of certainty.
She nodded, gently patted her stomach to catch her breath, put down the cup, and was clearly regaining some of her senses.
"Mr. Yi, I owe you another favor."
"Don't you like owing people favors?"
"Yes, nobody wants to owe someone a favor."
Yi Zhengwei shook his head. "You're taking this too seriously."
She looked up and smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Yes, I would feel very uneasy, so please don't make me owe you for too long."
His eyes darkened. At this moment, she seemed to have become one with that porcelain doll, and they could no longer be distinguished.
Being looked at like that, it would be hard to escape, like the man in the other glass bottle.
"Alright, Mr. Yi, I'm leaving now, thank you!" She took a deep breath, bowed slightly to him, waved, and turned to leave the office. The clinking of the glass bottles produced a crisp sound; the person was gone, but the sound lingered in the room for a long time.
"Song Qing, what you owe me won't be long," he murmured.
He turned around and ate the now-cold food.
Chapter Nineteen: Uncontrollable Emotions
"Qing'er, you must remember, if one day we have to be enemies, you must remember that it was not my intention."
Yan Xunan
The Yan family's villa is located on Dongming Mountain. It's not far from the city center, only a 40-minute drive away. Even so, once you drive up the mountain road, it feels very pleasant, as if you're far away from the hustle and bustle.
There are many villas here, all belonging to wealthy people, so the roadsides are lined with flowers, trees, and shrubs. The roads are also quite wide, so even at night, the mountain roads aren't pitch black. The beautiful and unique streetlights cast a soft, warm yellow glow. The mountain air is cool at night, and with the evening breeze blowing and the rustling of the leaves, it's quite refreshing. Song Qing simply opened the car window, letting the wind blow through her hair. She figured it was late anyway, so there was no need to rush. Besides, because of her stomachache, she wanted to take advantage of the fresh air to ease it down, so she wouldn't look pale and frighten Aunt Yan.
As she admired the beautiful scenery, she sighed, "The Yan family truly knows how to enjoy life." Unlike her father, who came from an ordinary background and had achieved everything he had today through hard work, he couldn't let go of anything and dared not relax in the slightest. This all stemmed from his insecurity and competitive nature.
Fuhua is the empire her father painstakingly built, and now it's in her hands. Only now can she truly understand her father's feelings. Her heart is closer to her father than ever before: business and personal matters, a house full of women—everyone depends on her father. He has worked tirelessly for decades, while she has only been in charge for a little over a month, and she is already almost exhausted.