TL: Hua
There were many people at the train station, but Xun was very conspicuous.
Across the crowds and the misty drizzle, his eyes found him immediately.
He seemed to be in a good mood today. Even from such a distance, Qi Xiaoyu could see his slightly curved mouth corners and his flying spirit.
He was talking to the person next to him with his head down and eyes downcast, holding an umbrella in his hand to shield himself from the drizzle. Qi Xiaoyu had never seen such an intimate look on him.
Is this lady a relative of Xun Qian or Jiang Jing, the daughter of Director Jiang, as mentioned in the newspaper?
He remembered that Xun Qian came to Shanghai alone, and his relatives were all in the three northeastern provinces. He had been to the commander’s mansion several times, but he had never seen any of his other relatives there, so could this be Jiang Jing?
When Qi Xiaoyu thought of this possibility, his heart suddenly sank, as if he was caught off guard by a layer of cold water. He quickly turned sideways, grabbed all the luggage in his hands, and said to Qi Wanrou with his head down,
“Master doesn’t seem to be here. Is there something wrong with the troupe? Let’s go back by ourselves.”
Qi Wanrou also turned around, with a look of worry and anger on her face, and said, “Yes, let’s take a rickshaw back.”
A row of rickshaws was parked across the street, not far from the exit.
Qi Xiaoyu, carrying the luggage, walked at a fast pace in front of Qi Wanrou, and in just a few hundred meters, he was bumped into by passers-by three or four times.
Seeing him like this, Qi Wanrou hurriedly caught up, grabbed Qi Xiaoyu’s arm, lowered her head for a moment, then asked, “Are you unhappy?”
Qi Xiaoyu pursed his lips without saying anything.
He couldn’t tell what he felt in his heart right now. He was unhappy, but it didn’t seem to be just that. It was another kind of inexplicable and very unfamiliar emotion that made him feel uneasy.
In short, he was unhappy ever since he heard what those people said on the train about Xun Qian taking a photo with someone else.
Perhaps because the weather was too hot, it was inevitable that such a lingering drizzle would make people feel uneasy.
He had already prepared himself mentally and knew that a daughter of a scholarly family like Jiang Jing was the one who was worthy of Xun Qian, but when he heard about it, his heart couldn’t help but sink to the bottom of the valley in an instant.
They walked to the side of the road.
Qi Xiaoyu looked up ahead, and what caught his eye was a black Lincoln.
The Lincoln drove over and stopped in front of them.
The car window rolled down and the door opened.
Xun Qian came down, holding the umbrella in his hand, and opened it above his head. “Why are you walking this way? Luckily I saw you.”
Qi Xiaoyu didn’t say anything.
Xun Qian said again, “I’ll take you and Senior Sister to have lunch, and then send you back.”
Qi Xiaoyu’s heart trembled slightly. Xun Qian still looked at him as if he was the only one in his eyes.
He was a little confused.
The driver followed down to take the luggage in his and Qi Wanrou’s hands, as if he had come to take them home.
Qi Xiaoyu didn’t let go. He thought of Jiang Jing, and his heart seemed to be grabbed by something. He quietly took a half step back. His expression was as obedient and respectful as usual, but his tone was unconsciously a little stiff: “The troupe has something to do; I have to go back immediately. Thank you for your kindness, Commander.”
Met with the sudden indirect rejection, Xun Qian seemed to be stunned for a moment. His gaze stopped when it touched Qi Xiaoyu’s pursed lips, and even the corners of his mouth that had been curled up all day collapsed.
But then, Xun Qian said softly, “I specifically brought my sister to meet you today and wanted you to get to know each other first.
If you don’t have time, then I will send you back first and then bring my sister to the troupe to find you and Master Qi next time. What do you think?”
“Yes.” Qi Xiaoyu listened to him with his eyes down and his heart in turmoil.
After listening, he grasped the key point, his lashes briefly fluttered, and he shifted his attention to the car.
The lady who was dressed modernly just now was sitting in the back seat, and she was also looking at him with her head tilted.
When he looked closer, he found that she and Xun Qian did look a bit similar, with the same delicate face shape and features, but her eyes were bigger than Xun Qian’s, and her temperament was slightly different.
Maybe because she grew up in a military family, while she appeared modern and fashionable, she also had a very generous and sassy temperament.
Their gazes met, and the elder sister very graciously nodded her head towards Qi Xiaoyu and smiled.
Just like the involuntary tightening of his heart just now, at this moment, Qi Xiaoyu’s heart relaxed again, and the cold water that permeated his heart gradually receded; even Jiang Jing’s matter was instantly thrown behind his mind, and even the drizzle in April became gentle.
Then, he blushed again, feeling very embarrassed for the loss, displeasure, and bitterness that inexplicably surged up just now.
He seemed to have a new understanding of his feelings at this moment.
Qi Wanrou, who was beside him, couldn’t help but lower her head, cover her mouth, and smile.
After a while, she stopped smiling and carefully looked inside the car. When she saw Xun Qian’s sister’s gentle and smiling expression, she felt relieved and took the initiative to suggest, “Since Commander Xun’s sister is here, let’s have a meal together first.”
Qi Xiaoyu did not refuse this time. After experiencing such big ups and downs in his mood, he actually wanted to stay with Xun Qian for a while.
Xun Qian was well prepared and took them directly to the Western restaurant on Xiafei Road.
He booked a table for four there.
Xun Qian and Qi Xiaoyu were seated opposite each other, as were his sister and Qi Wanrou.
After sitting down, the waiter served the appetizers. Then Xun Qian began to introduce the two parties with a smile.
As soon as the introduction was finished, Sister Xun Ran said to Qi Xiaoyu,
“Master Qi said that he wanted the elders of both sides to meet and discuss the betrothal gift. This is the right thing to do. Xiaoqian is to blame for being ignorant of the rules and not telling us clearly; otherwise, we should have met earlier.
But the situation in the north has not been good recently. My father is busy and couldn’t come over, so he asked me to come over first.”
After saying this, before Qi Xiaoyu and Qi Wanrou recovered from their surprise, Xun Ran took out a gift box wrapped in a light purple silk ribbon from her handbag and handed it to Qi Xiaoyu.
“I don’t know what you like, but when I saw this pocket watch, I felt it was very elegant. Thinking of the description Xiaoqian used every time he mentioned you, I think it would suit you very well.”
Xun Qian looked at him with a smile.
Qi Xiaoyu, after a moment of puzzled hesitation, accepted the item, held it close, and then smiled, “Thank you, Miss Xun. I just came back from Suzhou today and didn’t have time to prepare a gift. I will definitely invite Miss Xun to a meal next time.”
Seeing Qi Xiaoyu accept the gift, Xun Qian’s mouth curved very naturally.
Qi Wanrou was a little surprised, frowned, and lowered her head to think for a while, then she also showed a relieved smile.
At this moment, he wasn’t overthinking and analyzing everything or dwelling on Xun Qian’s reasons for liking him.
He forgot what Qi Fengjian said and forgot to measure the gap between their statuses. His mood was completely filled with the sweetness after the sourness just now. After experiencing the ups and downs, he admitted that he was a little self-indulgent.
What’s more, Xun Qian’s sister made him a little flattered.
He didn’t expect Xun Qian’s family to be so good to him, so good that it was beyond his expectations.
This made him feel helpless, relaxed, and moved.
Xun Ran watched him accept the gift and smiled, “From now on, you can call me sister like Xiaoqian.”
She also said, “I like to listen to opera very much. I studied abroad before and haven’t heard domestic Peking Opera for many years. Next time Xiaoyu is on stage, can you help me book a ticket in advance?”
Qi Xiaoyu agreed, “I’ll save the best ticket for you next time, sister.”
Xun Qian smiled while cutting a small piece of steak and put it on Qi Xiaoyu’s plate.
After the meal, Xun Ran looked at her brother and Qi Xiaoyu opposite and invited Qi Wanrou, “Miss Qi, I’m too full and want to go shopping in the clothing store next door. Will you go with me?”
Qi Wanrou also looked at her junior brother and Xun Qian and agreed happily.
After the two of them left, the table was now occupied only by Xun Qian and Qi Xiaoyu.
It was drizzling outside, which made the violin tune in the western restaurant even more melodious.
Qi Xiaoyu had just acted calm and generous in front of Xun Ran, but now that he and Xun Qian were the only ones sitting face to face, he felt a little embarrassed.
He seemed to have just remembered that he had accepted Xun Ran’s gift and called her sister. He had tasted a little bit of the joy of indulgence, and now he had to clean up the mess after the indulgence.
Xun Qian was in a particularly good mood, and the corners of his mouth never drooped.
He ordered a small portion of dessert and brought it to Qi Xiaoyu. “The suit I ordered last time is ready. When will you come to try it on?”
Qi Xiaoyu lowered his head and scooped ice cream into his mouth in small bites. “Let’s talk about it when we have time. I’ve been a bit busy recently.”
Xun Qian smiled again. “My sister came to Shanghai, and her classmates are going to hold a welcome dinner for her. Can you come to attend? You can wear the new suit.”
“They are all family friends and her classmates. You don’t have to be restrained.”
He glanced at Qi Xiaoyu and said with deliberate seriousness, “You’ve received a gift; don’t you want to get closer to your new sister?”
Qi Xiaoyu stirred the ice cream with a spoon while touching the smooth satin on the gift box. “Alright then.”
After the meal, Xun Qian and Xun Ran sent the two back to the old house on Aitong Road.
After returning to the troupe, Gu Zizhen had to recuperate, and Qi Xiaoyu naturally took on the responsibility and performed on stage every night.
“Spring Boudoir Dream,” “Soul Locking Bag,” “Farewell My Concubine,” “Jade Hairpin,” and “Drunken Concubine” were performed one after another.
He did not disappoint Qi Fengjian and the people of Red Moon Troupe. Since the last performance of “Drunken Concubine,” his fame on the laurel stage has risen. Now that his name is on the stage, tickets are sold out in advance every time. The more he performed, the louder his reputation became.
After leaving the stage one time, Qi Fengjian praised him, which was quite rare: “You have learned a little more than before. Your emotions are more abundant when you’re on stage, and you know how to get into the play better.”
When he appeared on stage, Xun Qian always came, still sitting in the middle box on the second floor, and brought Xun Ran with him a few times.
Qi Xiaoyu knew he was coming backstage, and every time the flowers sent by Commander Xun were delivered to the backstage by the theater manager alone.
At first, he did not dare to look at Xun Qian and always avoided looking at the second floor.
But once when his master was not there, he followed his heart, steadied his body, and looked up at Xun Qian on the second floor when he appeared.
Xun Qian’s eyes were beautiful, dark, and affectionate, and his eyelashes covered them, as if they were full of stars.
In the blink of an eye, Qi Xiaoyu’s heart moved violently along with his eyes.
After several times, he couldn’t help looking at the second floor.
His master said that he had made progress again, perhaps because he knew where to look.
A few days later, when the summer wind blew through sycamore trees and shook the green leaves, Xun Qian came to pick him up and said that he would take him to try the suit that had been made for a long time and had never been worn.
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