Lin Qianxi cried her eyes out, looking as pitiful as a pear blossom bathed in rain. Seeing this, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her, and I grabbed Ye Xiaofei and ran.
Along the way, many boys who admired the school beauty, Lin Qianxi, saw this and were so filled with envy and rage that they glared daggers at Ye Xiaofei. If looks could kill, Ye Xiaofei would have died countless times over.
Not only did Ye Xiaofei not tone it down at all, but he also wore a smug smile, radiating arrogance as he lazily glanced at others with his chin raised high, as if he wanted to write the words "The school beauty is mine!" all over his face.
This was just too hate-provoking!
Lin Qianxi's mind was occupied with her grandfather, and she had no time to pay attention to Ye Xiaofei's and the other boys' petty behaviors as she dragged Ye Xiaofei along in a mad dash.
"Lin Qianxi, slow down! Be careful not to fall."
"Shut up, I don't have time for you," Lin Qianxi said coldly, her voice tinged with tears.
Ye Xiaofei was left speechless. If it had been any other time, he would have seized the opportunity to exchange a few pointless sweet nothings with Lin Qianxi. But seeing how anxious she was now, he felt pained and naturally wasn't in the mood.
He wanted to offer some words of comfort, but he didn't know how to begin. After all, the pain of losing a loved one cannot be erased with just a few words, especially when those words come from a stranger.
Doing so could very well have the opposite effect!
The two of them got into the car that Lin Qianxi's mother had arranged for her school commutes. Lin Qianxi practically shouted at the driver to go find her mom, giving no damns about class or anything else. How could she care about such trivialities right now?
The driver was a seemingly honest and steady middle-aged man. Seeing Lin Qianxi, who rarely ever lost her temper, acting like this, he didn't dare to ask any questions and just focused on driving.
On the way, Ye Xiaofei watched Lin Qianxi through the rearview mirror. She was crying silently, looking like pear blossoms drenched in the rain, or begonias with dew. Feeling a pang of heartache, he couldn't help but think to himself: This school beauty is really something else; even her crying is so beautiful. If I could have a taste of her charm, I'd be willing to give up ten years of my life.
Remembering the wonderful sensation of Lin Qianxi holding his hand and the lingering warmth and fragrance, Ye Xiaofei couldn't help but be moved. He secretly resolved to definitely win Lin Qianxi's heart.
A beautiful school beauty like her shouldn't be wasted on those jerks, absolutely not!
Ye Xiaofei clenched his fists unconsciously.
After a half-hour drive, the driver finally arrived at the famous Haitian Hotel in Shaoyang City. Ye Xiaofei looked at the grandeur of the place and felt a tinge of sadness. As a poor student, he wondered when he would ever get to enjoy such luxury.
Since Lin Qianxi had informed her mother, Qian Xiaoyun, beforehand, Qian Xiaoyun had made some time for her daughter and was now waiting in her office.
Without saying another word, Lin Qianxi pulled Ye Xiaofei and ran inside, not even having the time to respond to the greetings from the other staff members along the way.
The staff at Haitian Hotel all showed surprised looks—although Lin Qianxi was the boss's daughter, she had never been so impolite before. What was happening today?
"Bang—"
On the eighteenth floor, Lin Qianxi forcefully pushed open the door to Qian Xiaoyun's office.
Qian Xiaoyun had been busy before but furrowed her brows upon seeing Lin Qianxi bringing in a strange boy. She said to the person on the phone, "President Han, I'm sorry, but I have an emergency here and need to attend to it. Would you mind if I call you back later? Yes, thank you for understanding! I'll treat you to a meal next time."
During this exchange, Ye Xiaofei curiously observed Qian Xiaoyun. She had delicately arched eyebrows, a light makeup on her face, and was wearing a black, tight-fitting office-lady outfit that accentuated her well-maintained slender figure, not losing out to any young girl.
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In her heart, she thought: As expected, the mother of the school's beauty queen is also a beauty. Mature, charming, and a shrewd career woman's aura—indeed very attractive.
Ye Xiaofei couldn't help but recall that spring dream. Compared to Little Elegant's corporate beauty cosplay, Little Elegant indeed lacked a bit of that aura.
This is what a true mature professional woman looks like!
"Lin Qian, why aren't you in class? What brings you here at this time? Speak up, I'm busy!"
Qian Xiaoyun glanced at Ye Xiaofei and saw that the two were still holding hands; she shot Lin Qian an inquiring, sharp look, "Who is he? You came to see me because of him?"
"Uh, that, Auntie, you've misunderstood. I came with Miss Lin Qian, it's not because of me, the issue between us..."
Ye Xiaofei felt somewhat embarrassed and tried to explain, steering his mind away from distractions, but he was interrupted by Lin Qian's high-pitched voice.
"Busy, busy, always busy, you never care about me, you don't care about your family!"
The resentment that Lin Qian had been harboring in her heart erupted like a volcano; her eyes reddened as she yelled at Qian Xiaoyun, "You liar, you deceived me. You said my grandfather had died a long time ago, didn't you? But he said that my grandfather just died yesterday. What's going on? Why did you hide it from me? Why?"
Qian Xiaoyun, bewildered by her daughter's sudden frenzied scolding and feeling a surge of anger, suddenly heard the news of Professor Qian's death and was momentarily stunned; her gaze gradually dimmed as she lost her voice, "What, what are you saying? Your grandfather... is dead? Who told you that? Was it him?"
"Alas, blood is thicker than water. No matter the grievances of the past that seemed insurmountable, one can never be utterly heartless," Ye Xiaofei mused to himself, as he recalled the warm memories of Qian Xiaoyun stored in Professor Qian's recollections, feeling a pang of sorrow.
He took a step forward and said solemnly, "Yes, Auntie. I was hospitalized in Nan Shui City due to an illness and happened upon your father. At that time, he was on his deathbed and asked me to deliver a message to you. Now that he has passed away, if you hurry, you might still be able to see him for the last time."
Ye Xiaofei had to put it that way; he certainly couldn't tell Qian Xiaoyun: what I encountered was your father's soul, and it was his soul that told me.
In this world dominated by atheistic mainstream thought, that would be too far-fetched. If he were to say that, it would be all too normal for him to be seen by Qian Xiaoyun as someone intending to use that as a pretext for extortion or ill-intent.
Hence, regarding his ability to see ghosts now, he must keep it absolutely secret.
Upon hearing this, Qian Xiaoyun seemed to lose all her strength gradually, having to support herself on the desk to stand steady.
Indeed, Qian Xiaoyun's phoenix eyes showed a scrutinous and skeptical gaze, intensely intimidating; any ordinary student would feel their spirit tremble.
But Ye Xiaofei remained composed, with a hint of grief. Qian Xiaoyun still believed most of what he said.
"My father, what did he say?" Qian Xiaoyun agonized internally. The hatred and notions she had previously held began to collapse, and the memories she had sealed away within herself, like tender sprouts in spring, forcefully pushed through the soil and began to grow robustly.
"Your father asked me to tell you that he was wrong about what happened in the past, and he hopes you can forgive a father who's no longer here. Because no matter what, he has always wanted the best for you, and everything he did was in the role and instinct of a father."
"It's just that he was a clumsy man, unable to express his feelings and used the wrong methods, leading to the wrong outcomes. These years, he too suffered greatly, and even at his time of death, he had no family by his side."
Ye Xiaofei spoke these words, which in fact went beyond what Professor Qian had entrusted him with, because he held Professor Qian's memories and knew the whole story. He felt it was his responsibility to resolve the longstanding enmity and the separation between kin for the professor.
This, too, was a way of repaying Professor Qian, after all.
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