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Published at 21st of April 2023 05:30:20 AM


Chapter 45

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The night is silent, and the street lights are mottled.

The middle-aged man was handsome, with kind eyes and brows, dressed casually, full of energy, with a cheerful smile on his lips. He turned his head when he heard the sound, and was taken aback when he saw Lu Zhiqiao: "Director Lu?"

The woman in front of her looked about the same age as Yan Yan, with cold eyes and the appearance of a professional manager. Of course he remembered that Director Lu was in charge of the cooperation negotiations and agreement signing with Xinbei Group last year. At that time, he was very impressed with her, and felt that this person was the material for great things. If it wasn't for the partnership between the two companies, he would have been jealous seeing Xinbei get such an executive.

"You live here too?" He asked with a smile.

As soon as the words fell, before Lu Zhiqiao had time to speak, Lu Wei suddenly called out to her mother, and then rushed over to hug her arm.

Father Qi was even more surprised. He looked at the little girl, then at Lu Zhiqiao, "Is this your daughter?" After speaking, he turned to look at his daughter.

He almost drew countless question marks on his forehead.

Qi Yan froze, her face was very ugly, as if she had done something shameful at that moment, she wished she could hide and run away. She looked at Lu Zhiqiao nervously, knowing that she couldn't hide anything today, so she simply turned her head to look at her father, "Dad, this is the neighbor I just told you about."

She spoke quickly, and then paused for a moment after speaking, as if she felt that something was wrong.

Neighbor?

This title is too distant, but, apart from neighbors, there seems to be no other suitable label for them. What about friends? The elders often have contacts with her circle of friends, her father certainly will not believe it.

Add that she is the parent of her student?

Her father will tell Ms. Lin when they go back and then Ms. Lin will bombard her like she did on the phone: "Yan Yan, do not get too close to the parents of students.It's fine until something happens, then they will blame the teacher, everything is the teacher's fault…"

She will be nagged for half an hour.

Perhaps….

Her girlfriend.

She is looking forward to this label but she didn't dare to think too much about it.

It's even more impossible.

Their relationship is far from that, and to say so without permission is disrespectful to Lu Zhiqiao. Even if they were, she wouldn't be in a hurry to introduce her to her parents in an informal setting. The first thing she would not allow is rush. But if Lu Zhiqiao was her girlfriend, she would have been the first to announce it to the world.

So subconsciously, only a rusty label like a 'neighbor' is the most suitable.

It was okay to tell her parents that, on the phone or at home, just to fool them first, but in front of Lu Zhiqiao...

Qi Yan felt inexplicably guilty, and carefully shifted her gaze to Lu Zhiqiao's face, observing her expression, the awkward smile on the corner of her mouth could not be suppressed.

Between the two street lamps, the light was not so strong. Lu Zhiqiao's expression was indifferent, and no emotion could be seen in her dark eyes. She suddenly heard the word "neighbor", her throat was blocked, and then she met Qi Yan's obviously disturbed eyes, and she smiled lightly. The corners of her mouth were raised slightly, which was the default.

Neighbor.

"What a coincidence!" Father Qi was overjoyed, and suddenly looked at her daughter with some reproachful eyes, "Yan Yan, why did you only bring the child here and not Director Lu? You didn't invite her to dinner either."

Lu Zhiqiao looked at the middle-aged man, and then at Qi Yan. Their eyes and brows are indeed alike, especially their noses. She was immersed in the unbelievable shocking coincidence for a while, and she never expected that the person who signed the cooperation agreement with her last year was actually Qi Yan's father.

Both surnamed Qi, they look alike.

She should have thought of it earlier.

She thought that Qi Yan was really the so-called "nouveau riche's daughter", with a little money in the family, or a few flats demolished, a higher education, and a bit of culture.  However, life began ever since meeting Qi Yan, and has never been able to leave this person. In the end, they went around in circles, and finally returned to the original point.

But compared to this, she realized something more serious.

Perhaps, the cooperation with Senyang is not because of her ability, but because Qi Yan is behind the scenes...

There was a bang in her head, as if something had collapsed. Before Lu Zhiqiao had time to think about it, her thoughts were interrupted by Father Qi's words. She put her arms around her daughter's shoulders and looked at Qi Yan blankly.

"She's busy, maybe next time." Qi Yan answered the old man first, then looked nervously at Lu Zhiqiao, and explained with a smile: "I'm going to eat at my parents' place today. I'm afraid that Niu Niu will be alone, so I brought her here with me."

If it was about the child, she didn't dare to challenge Lu Zhiqiao's bottom line, she confessed all of a sudden, feeling very disturbed. Moreover, she forgot to send a message on WeChat to report, in case Lu Zhiqiao blames her for taking her daughter out without permission. Their gap wasn't easy to close, she doesn't want it to revert.

Qi Yan thought pessimistically, the smiles in her eyes gradually faded away, covered with a strong sense of loss.

"Mom, I wanted to go out with Aunt Qi, don't blame her." Lu Wei said suddenly.

Lu Zhiqiao froze.

How come you changed your name to Auntie?

Qi Yan was tense all over, feeling more guilty, and was about to change the subject when Qi's father suddenly said with a smile: "We just finished eating, let's go for a walk, take a walk, and buy some fruit at the door by the way."  The girl glanced at her with a meaningful look.

"Why are you here?" Qi Yan continued to change the topic.

The father and her daughter talked together, Lu Zhiqiao's thought was interrupted, and subconsciously said: "My boss lives here, I came over for something."

"Boss Shu?" Father Qi laughed again, "It was a coincidence that I ran into her last time."

This community is very large, residents usually drive in and out, and there is enough space in front of and around their own doors. In this way, the two families living near the gate and in the back may not be able to meet each other for several years. Meeting naturally is very coincidental.

Lu Zhiqiao smiled politely: "What a coincidence."

Subconsciously, she still regarded this middle-aged man as Mr. Qi, and couldn't connect him with Qi Yan, so when she saw Qi Yan next to her, she felt a little awkward, and she couldn't help but treat each other with formal etiquette.

"Mom, will you go to Grandpa Qi's house?" Lu Wei tugged at her mother's arm and smiled sweetly.

Papa Qi nodded repeatedy in agreement, but Qi Yan's face changed slightly.

"..."

This child.

Lu Zhiqiao remained calm, looked at Papa Qi naturally, and smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mr. Qi, it's really inconvenient today. If you don't mind being disturbed, I'll bring my daughter to visit you another day."

"Hey, how could you be a nuisance? Yanyan has been talking about how well you neighbors get along lately..." Dad Qi was always cheerful and in a particularly good mood, but before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by his daughter.

Qi Yan interrupted with an awkward smile: "It's okay, you can come anytime next time. If you have something to do, go ahead and go. We're going to buy some fruit. I'll take Niu Niu back later."

There was panic in her eyes, and the smile on the corner of her mouth was also very stiff.

Lu Zhiqiao couldn't see it, but in just a few minutes, more and more doubts piled up in her heart, and she also needed to calm down and sort out her thoughts, so she walked down the steps, smiled and said goodbye to her daughter. "Niu Niu, you have to listen to Aunt Qi..."

The little girl nodded and returned to Qi Yan's side.

Qi Yan held the child with one hand and the old father's arm with the other, and continued to walk forward. Papa Qi emphasized worriedly: "Director Lu must come next time."

"Okay." Lu Zhiqiao smiled sweetly.

The figures of the three gradually moved away and disappeared around the corner of the gate of the community.

The street lights far ahead are still shining brightly, but they seem a little deserted. The surrounding vegetation was originally lush, for three or four months in the fall and winter, the trees have fallen out of leaves, revealing bare branches. The light was not exhausted from the darkness, but it looked empty and sluggish.

Lu Zhiqiao stood alone under the light, her slender shadow stretched and cast faintly on the ground.  Perhaps it was because of the sudden amount of information, her mind was empty at the moment, unable to make sense of it, and Qi Yan's face flashed back and forth in front of her eyes, sometimes clear and sometimes hazy.

Standing there, she had a sense of emptiness, as if she didn't belong to this world.

But she happened to see the person who should be in her own world.

Qi Yan is a stranger, and her daughter is also a stranger, only she is still her, isolated, excluded, and can only watch from afar.

A small black e-bike came from the end of the road, with lights making their way to her, and it stopped steadily in front of Lu Zhiqiao. Making her snap back to her senses, and saw Shu Minxi smiling at her from the side, and shaking her hand: "What are you thinking about?"

"..."

Lu Zhiqiao took a look at the electric bike, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised, she sat on it, holding Shu Minxi's shoulders with both hands for support. Then, the two drove towards the depths of the community, with the wind blowing in her ears

....

The building where Shu Minxi lived was the farthest from the gate, and also the quietest. It only took seven or eight minutes to ride a small electric bike. Lu Zhiqiao hadn't ridden an e-bike for a long time, and she became a little scared when they were going too fast. The hands that were holding Shu Minxi's shoulders unconsciously fell to the woman's waist, hugging her tightly.

The courtyard door was open, and Aoki Saki stood at the door and looked around, seeing the small scooter entering the courtyard, the corner of her mouth smiled until her eyes fell on the hands holding Shu Minxi's waist. The smile froze on her lips, and eyes dimmed in an instant. She frowned slightly, her legs walked forward uncontrollably.

"Miss Lu, I've been waiting for you for a long time, come in quickly." She smiled lightly, warmly held Lu Zhiqiao's arm, and led her away from Shu Minxi's range.

Just as Lu Zhiqiao got out of the vehicle, she gave her a little support to stand firm. Hearing the sound, she raised her eyes and smiled apologetically, "The road is too congested. I'm really sorry."

"You're just in time. I asked the nanny to cook dinner later. It's just done right now." Shu Minxi refuted Saki with a single sentence, without even looking at her, she parked the bike and came over to hold Lu Zhiqiao's arm, as if trying to steal her.

"Zhiqao, feel at home, it's just a regular meal, don't mind it so much. You are always so polite in private, and you are easy to be pinched as a soft persimmon*."

*easy to be bullied/teased.

Lu Zhiqiao smiled awkwardly, her left arm was held by Saki, and her right arm was held by Shu Minxi. The two seemed to be competing, and neither of them had any intention of giving in. She was unlucky, and now she became a sandwich cookie.

After entering the house, the two finally let go at the same time.

As Shu Minxi said, it was just an ordinary home-cooked meal. The table was round, and Saki wanted to sit next to Shu Minxi, but was repelled by the latter's warning eyes, but she didn't give up. Shu Minxi ended up just moving the chair away by a body distance, and sat down with peace of mind.

Shu Minxi ignored her, ate by herself, and chatted with Lu Zhiqiao from time to time.

Ever since Saki came, every time Lu Zhiqiao came into contact with Shu Minxi in private, she always felt that she was doing something disgraceful, like cheating, it's embarrassing and awkward. She vaguely knew something about the matter between the two of them, but she never asked. She didn't bother to understand.

But being caught in the middle, being treated as an imaginary enemy by one side, no one can stand it.

After dinner, Shu Minxi asked Sakii to make tea, and pulled Lu Zhiqiao to sit on the sofa. Lu Zhiqiao looked at the reluctant back and sighed softly: "After all, she is the client's daughter, is it really okay for you to be like this?"

"It's different now." Shu Minxi sneered, her slender eyelashes trembling, "We don't need to rely on the Aoki family now, but the old man came up on his own."

"Then don't use me to anger her anymore, it's childish."

Being seen through at a glance, Shu Minxi reached out and pinched her arm, turning her face away with a gloomy expression.

When Lu Zhiqiao first joined the job ten years ago, this person was her boss's boss, she was about the same level as Chi Nian now. At that time, she had outstanding abilities and was promoted very quickly. Within two years, she became Shu Minxi's direct subordinate, and was highly valued and cared for. After that, the two gradually developed a relationship of both mentor and friends.

Most of the time, Lu Zhiqiao regards her as her boss, with three points of friendliness and seven points of respect.

To say that the person Lu Zhiqiao admires the most in the company, besides the reclusive chairwoman, is Shu Minxi. Because they were also women, seeing them struggle for many years, and they are still strong and independent after heavy wind and rain, she's inspired and feels more powerful and can hold on.

But all the same, they are also that unfortunate

Like a curse, people who are successful in their careers always have bumpy roads when it comes to love.

Will she be the same?

"Are you feeling better?" Lu Zhiqiao asked softly.

"Um."

Shu Minxi moved her neck, turned her face, raised her hand to brush her hair, revealing a thin wrinkle at the end of her eyes. After all, the years have left marks on her face.

"But the chairman's condition is not very good. She was only discharged from the hospital last week, and was admitted to the hospital again yesterday... When I was away, she drank like crazy, and her stomach bled, but I really can't watch her 24 hours a day..." She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and said nothing.

Lu Zhiqiao frowned, and patted her on the shoulder lightly: "Don't push yourself, you are too busy, I...should have time."

She was just waiting for this sentence.

Shu Minxi raised the corners of her mouth, turned her head and smiled, and suddenly held Lu Zhiqiao's hand, her expression gradually became serious: "You are still in charge of the overall situation, I am more at ease when I am not in the company, I will trouble you, and Secretary Jiang, in special cases, I let her listen to you."

Lu Zhiqiao was taken aback for a moment, and looked into her eyes blankly.

At first, the words sounded like she's being entrusted with a country. She's not sure and also thought that something big happened. Although Lu Zhiqiao has ambitions to climb up, she has never played the emotional card, and she speaks with her ability. At this moment, she was caught off guard, as if she was hinted, and she didn't know how to respond

"Wait until the evaluation at the end of April, the board of directors..." Shu Minxi continued on her own.

Before she finished speaking, there was a soft shriek from the tea room, and then something was overturned and fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Shu Minxi paused, stood up suddenly, and ran over.

White porcelain fragments were scattered all over the ground, mixed with light yellow tea, Saki stood aside with her hands covered, her brows frowned, with a hurt expression. Shu Minxi's heart tightened, she hurried forward to grab her hand, and asked nervously, "What's wrong?"

The delicate white skin on the back of the hand was reddened, apparently from being burned. Saki looked at her aggressively, moved her mouth, but didn't speak.

Shu Minxi frowned tightly, and there was a hint of distress in her eyes, but it quickly disappeared, as if there was only anger. She grabbed Saki's wrist and walked out, pressed her on the sofa, then went to get the medicine box by herself, and dug out a burn ointment.

"Give me your hand." She said indifferently.

Saki obediently stretched out the hand that was scalded.

Shu Minxi held her fingertips, rolled up her sleeves, exposing her thin wrists, then unscrewed the ointment, squeezed out a lump of light brown ointment, carefully and gently smeared it on the reddened skin, and gently blew it away. Blow, and apply a thick layer.

There was a slight cooling sensation, and the burning pain was obviously relieved.

Saki looked at her, her nose suddenly became sour, dark eyes were covered with water vapor, and she couldn't help biting her lips.

"How many years have you been brewing tea, how can you still be scalded like this?" Shu Minxi twisted the lid, without raising her eyes, and scolded mercilessly in her mouth.

"I accidentally..."

"You did it on purpose."

"I did not…"

The two seemed to be arguing and arguing, but neither of them really lost their temper.

Lu Zhiqiao watched silently from the side, seeing the indifference on Shu Minxi's face and the unconcealed tension in her eyes, she immediately remembered the day when she was bitten by a snake in the tropical rainforest, Qi Yan was also like this, pretending to be so calm and collected. But in fact, her fingers were trembling in panic, and couldn't tie a knot, then she almost hit someone while driving.

For the first time in more than ten years, she tasted the feeling of being cared about and being nervous about.

But people's hearts are fickle, and feelings are such fragile things. The so-called vows of eternal love and eternal life are all people's beautiful fantasies, and even love itself has been overly beautified.

She looks so indifferent, but her heart is very soft, and she is always moved by the little warmth in life. If she falls into the emotional vortex and makes any mistakes, she will be doomed. Her daughter has not grown up yet, so she can't afford that risk.

But every person has weaknesses, and she knows where her weaknesses are, so she builds one solid defense after another to prevent anyone from attacking, so no one can really hurt her except herself.

But at this moment, the defense in her heart has been dilapidated, and the ruins are crumbling. Every time she thinks of Qi Yan, a corner collapses.

She must be a hypocrite.

By the time she got back to the complex, it was already past 9 o'clock

The night outside was dark and windy, with thick and heavy clouds covering the sky. There was no trace of the moon. Lu Zhiqiao parked the car, locked the door, and walked into the elevator with heavy steps. Watching the two heavy doors slowly close, a sense of suffocation suddenly spread in the small space.

The emotions that had been temporarily suppressed in her heart surged out like a flood at this moment, densely filling her overwhelmed heart, and she suddenly felt very tired.

She just wanted to go home, take a shower, hide in her room, bury herself in the bed, and cry happily.

--ding

The elevator door opened slowly on the ninth floor. Lu Zhiqiao was holding her breath, she walked out quickly. Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in her sight.

Qi Yan squatted in front of the elevator door, leaning her back against the wall, with her hair pulled into a messy bun, with her arms wrapped around her knees, both embarrassed and lonely. When she heard the door open, she immediately raised her head, her dark eyes filled with joy, she got up and grabbed Lu Zhiqiao's hand, "You're back..."

Her voice was a little hoarse, and her brows and eyes looked slightly tired.

There was a gust of cold wind in the corridor, and her hands became cold. She didn't know how long she had been waiting here.

Lu Zhiqiao looked at her quietly, seeing the tension and apprehension, loss and concern in her eyes, her heart softened instantly, she lowered her gaze, and said in a low voice, "Don't you think it's time to explain what happened today?"

In the next second, she heard Qi Yan's heavy and uncontrollable breathing.

"Well, I'm here to explain to you." Qi Yan nodded repeatedly, frowned and smiled. She realized that her hands were cold, so she quickly let go of her and grabbed her wrist instead, "Let's go in and talk."

Lu Zhiqiao pursed her lips and followed her into 902 without saying a word.

As soon as she entered the room, Lu Zhiqiao habitually wanted to change her shoes, but before she could move, she was grabbed by a force, and then fell into an embrace full of fragrance and warmth. Two thin and strong arms were wrapped around her waist, and she couldn't move for a while...

"Qi Yan—"

"Let's hug and talk." Qi Yan interrupted, "I'll feel scared if I don't hug you."

Lu Zhiqiao didn't struggle any more, her whole body softened as if she had died, she snuggled into Qi Yan's arms like a boneless one, and then slowly put her hands on her shoulders.

Her hair was loosely tied, and the strands were floating on Lu Zhiqiao's face, itching, mixed with a fresh fragrance, familiar and reassuring.

"My mother called me this afternoon and said she missed me and asked me to go home for dinner, but you have been busy working overtime these two days. I thought Niu Niu would be home alone, so I was worried, so I took her with me." Qi Yan put her cheek against her ear and said simply and slowly.

It was a completely unexpected situation at the time, so Qi Yan couldn't help but think more, but even so, she had to worry about Lu Zhiqiao's feelings, and made a compromised choice after consideration.

That's what she explained to Ms. Lin. The neighbor is busy, so she was asked to take care of the neighbor's child.

Ms. Lin watched too much social news, and in the past two years she was not allowed to have too much contact with the parents of the students. She was also afraid that talking too much would cause unnecessary trouble, so she had to discuss it with Niu Niu and made the child call her Aunt instead of Teacher Qi at home.

She didn't mention the rest, the simpler the better.

She didn't tell her parents the whole thing, who would have thought that the chance meeting would come so unexpectedly, they almost revealed their secrets.

Qi Yan explained everything honestly, closed her eyes, and waited for the person to free herself from her arms.

"I wasn't asking you to explain this." Lu Zhiqiao's tone was a little cold, with an indescribably complicated feeling in her heart.

It doesn't matter if she was introduced as a neighbor, because they are, in the first place, Qi Yan is not wrong, and there is no need to explain anything to her, but such an explanation, on the contrary, made her a little sad for no reason, and her throat choked up.

Apart from neighbors, there is indeed no other identity to introduce.

One night stand? Friend? Student's parent?  Neither was as good as 'neighbor' could give her.

Qi Yan is like a frightened bird at this moment, any slight change in the person in her arms can cause her to panic. She tilted her head and kissed Lu Zhiqiao's earlobe, coaxing: "Okay, what else, tell me."

"Are you acting stupid on purpose?"

"What?"

"You are not the daughter of an upstart at all."

"I am." Qi Yan quietly breathed a sigh of relief, "My dad really started as a nouveau riche. He used to do a small business, that kind of local boss...I swear I won't lie to you."

"You said it too, that was in the past." Lu Zhiqiao sneered.

She didn't know what she was obsessed with, or what she was trying to do, and the backlog of emotions completely overwhelmed her reason.

She is crazy.

Qi Yan, is not the Qi Yan she knows now, she is the daughter of a wealthy family, maybe she likes to play the seductive game of hiding her identity, and seeing other people being teased without knowing it. It must've been very fulfilling, and she is like that clown, being played around and struggling with herself, it's really ridiculous.

But soon, Lu Zhiqiao calmed down again.

That's not the point.

"Qi Yan..." She called her name softly, her voice weak, "Tell me, did you secretly help our company cooperate with your family?"

After speaking, all the strength in her body was drained, she buried her face in Qi Yan's neck and closed her eyes.

At that moment, Qi Yan understood everything.

"If I said I didn't, would you believe me?"




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