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Published at 21st of April 2023 05:30:18 AM


Chapter 46

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

Qi Yan took the initiative to slowly let go of Lu Zhiqiao, put her hands on her shoulders, and made her look at her. Those eyes were dignified, sincere and firm, having a hint of sadness in their depths, as if they were taking a risk.

This woman was a little stronger, and Lu Zhiqiao was shackled by her shoulders and couldn't move. She met her eyes unprepared, and didn't have time to hide the flustered emotions; wretched and embarrassed.

In just a moment, Lu Zhiqiao was captured by Qi Yan's eyes.

There seemed to be a vortex in the black pupils, sucking her in bit by bit, stirring in the depths, making a mess out of her.

Her heart became more inclined to believe Qi Yan. Even Though, from this early evening until this moment when she got out of the elevator, she is 90% certain that Qi Yan had secretly helped her, there was still a 10% of her hoping that Qi Yan didn't. She hoped even more that the woman knew nothing about this matter. So that she could calm her chaotic mood tonight and rebuild her collapsed belief.

Perhaps the impact of this incident was too great, and she can't help feeling uneasy. Compared with Qi Yan, she was inferior in everything, and her lifeline that could give her comfort is her job.

Her small self, her weak confidence, could not withstand this shock.

Although Qi Yan lied to her, it was a last resort, and she later confessed and apologized to her in time. Qi Yan cared so much about her feelings and thoughts, how could she lie to her?

Lu Zhiqiao realized that she knew it all, but she didn't know what kind of attachment she had, so she turned a blind eye to it all.

Calm down, she thought. She is indeed crazy.

The fact that Qi Yan could have said no directly, but was asking her this rhetorical question. Wasn't that implying that this person was sure that she would not believe her? The sorrow hidden deep in those eyes, now shaped like a question, like a barbed whip, hit Lu Zhiqiao's heart fiercely..

Twitching pain, even the flesh was torn out.

She remembered the scenes in the rainforest again. Qi Yan took off her shoes and tied her wound, but her hands were shaking so much that she couldn't tie the knot in one try. Qi Yan agreed to take care of her daughter without hesitation, but said that three of them would go back when three of them came. Qi Yan calmly drove them to the rescue area, but almost hit someone on the road. Qi Yan...

It's all Qi Yan.

After that, she still doesn't believe her, how sad this person must be.

Qi Yan would not lie to her.

Lu Zhiqiao took a breath, raised the corners of her mouth slightly, smiled, and said three words: "I believe you."

"Then will you listen to my explanation?" Qi Yan asked.

"I will."

Qi Yan curled her lips, then slipped her hands from Lu Zhiqiao's shoulders, held her hand, and said calmly, "Actually, I knew about this a long time ago..."

Last October, she heard her parents talk about the cooperation at home, and then around the beginning of November, she went to the company to find Chi Nian, and happened to meet Lu Zhiqiao who came out from the toilet, but the latter didn't see her at that time, and she didn't make a sound. Since then, she has been hesitating to help.

Later, when she saw the cooperation agreement at Lu Zhiqiao's house, she asked knowingly, her heart still wavering if she should intervene or not.

But in the end, she didn't.

Qi Yan explained clearly from the beginning to the end, without hiding anything, she thought she was not honest enough to make Lu Zhiqiao feel safe.

"The reason why I finally decided not to care about this matter are two reasons: first, the business world is only about profit, not about human feelings. The cooperation should be judged by my father, not me, a person who has not touched the family business. Secondly…

She paused, looking at Lu Zhiqiao with softer eyes.

"Although I didn't really know you at that time, I could feel that you are a person who doesn't play the emotion card at work, and you wouldn't be willing if I secretly helped and hid it from you, and I couldn't make the decision for you without permission."

This woman seems weak and soft-hearted, but she is actually stronger than anyone else. Otherwise, how could she raise her daughter by herself for more than ten years and succeed in her career?

Qi Yan couldn't say some things directly, so she was full of worries, she had to use tactful methods. She had met people like Lu Zhiqiao before, and felt that getting along with them will be very tiring, but now, because it is Lu Zhiqiao, she is willing to do anything.

"Qiao Qiao..." Qi Yan leaned over and hugged her, "Thank you for believing in me."

The truth is, there is a third reason.

She hoped that the relationship between them would be pure, at least not mixed with too many conflicts of interests, although at that time she was not sure what future the two of them would have.

"In my heart, you are the most perfect." Qi Yan tilted her head and kissed her ear, with her soft lips moving along the cheekbones to the mole at the corner of the eye, and sucked gently.

Lu Zhiqiao slowly closed her eyes, the heat spread from the tips of her ears to her neck, trembling intermittently, her hands couldn't help clasping Qi Yan's shoulders.

The kiss crawled all over her face, and finally landed on her lips. It was very light, as if she was hesitating, but she couldn't hold it back after all, and got entangled deeply with a strong breath.

She feels like falling into the bottom of the vortex. Thinking it was a hidden danger, she didn't expect it to be peaceful there.

In the past, when she had a crush on others, Lu Zhiqiao was always the humble one. She secretly liked, secretly had heart palpitations, and secretly watched the other person's every move. After a while, she gradually lost herself emotionally. It was only when she met Qi Yan that she realized that she could also be cared about, adored, and cherished, and it just so happened that Qi Yan was the person she admired and wanted to be the most.

Her heart calmed down because of those words, and then she felt a little unreasonable.

It's not her who is perfect, but Qi Yan. How can there be such a good person as Qi Yan in the world? She must be short-sighted and have little experience in relationships, to fuss over this.

She hadn't been able to be honest with Qi Yan, so why did she demand to explain everything clearly? Today, she questioned Qi Yan, and was inexplicably anxious. In turn, the other person showed how much she cared.

Like a slap, it slammed heavily on her face.

Lu Zhiqiao became remorseful, but a sweet warm current flowed through her heart, intertwined with the fire on her lips, and slowly burned all over her body. She was pushed against the wall, surrounded by fiery enthusiasm, and the dregs were swallowed by the taste between her lips. She surrendered.

"Qiao." Qi Yan called her hoarsely.

She hummed a bit as a response.

Qi Yan didn't speak for a while, lowered her eyes to hide her real emotions, then grabbed her chin, kissed her fiercely again, unable to part, and said in a low voice: "I'm so honest today, do you want to give me some rewards, hmm?"

After finishing speaking, she grabbed her coat with both hands, as if trying to take it off.

Lu Zhiqiao suddenly woke up, pushed Qi Yan away, fixed her clothes in panic, and lowered her head in embarrassment: "I'm tired, I'll go back first..."

"Don't—" Qi Yan grabbed her wrist and kissed her curtly, "I'm just kidding you."

Lu Zhiqiao raised her head and glared at her with embarrassment in her eyes. Suddenly, she stretched out her hand and pulled the hair tie off the back of her head. The low bun was already loosely tied, and it fell off with a light pull, and the long black hair fell down instantly, releasing a light fragrance.

Qi Yan: "?"

….

When she got home, Lu Zhiqiao covered her burning face and saw her daughter brushing her teeth in the bathroom. She urged her to go to bed early. She was about to go back to her room when the little girl, with her mouth full of foam, blurted out: "Mom, you're not going to fight with Teacher Qi, are you?

"..."

"Teacher Qi's mother doesn't like her making friends with students' parents, that's why I call her auntie." Lu Wei opened her eyes wide and looked at her mother seriously, as if protecting Qi Yan.

Lu Zhiqiao was indeed tired at the moment, and didn't have the heart to think so much, so she nodded perfunctorily: "Yes, I know, Teacher Qi explained it."

"Then you were at Teacher Qi's house just now?"

"…Um."

Lu Wei rolled her eyes, said nothing, turned her head and continued brushing her teeth.

Lu Zhiqiao sat in the room for a while, listening to the movement outside, and waited for her daughter to return to her room before entering the bathroom with her pajamas in her arms. She took a bath comfortably, and most of her thoughts seemed to be taken away by the hot water. When she came out of the bathroom, she felt very light.

She turned off all the lights in the house, but forgot to turn on the light in the bedroom first. At this moment, she walked to the door of the bedroom in the dark, and searched the wall for a long time without finding the switch.

She can't see her fingers, and it feels eerie and weird in the silence.

At that moment, Lu Zhiqiao was suddenly frightened.

She raised her hand and clapped twice, and the eggshell lamp on the head of the bed lit up, and the warm yellow light lit up a corner of the bedroom, faintly reflected in her eyes…

….

It was the third day of Lu Zhiqiao's business trip that weekend.

Qi Yan took Niu Niu to her unit for board and lodging, and supervised her homework. The teacher and the student got along happily. She reports the situation to Lu Zhiqiao on WeChat every day, and it always felt like a long, long time. She counted the days on her fingers, but it was only three days. She wanted to chat a few more words, audio and video, but that person was too busy and replies very slowly.

She has to restrain herself from disturbing her work.

Earlier asked Chi Nian to come over to play, and they had dinner together later that night, and the two chatted about photography.

Qi Yan has always helped a few magazines to shoot commercials, and occasionally accepts private work for celebrities, but it all depends on her mood, and she needs to be introduced by acquaintances. After all, she doesn't rely on this for food, the more low-key the better.

Apart from her parents, only Chi Nian knew about this.

This time, she wanted to discuss going to Africa with a few friends during the summer vacation to find some scenery that she hadn't photographed before. All over the world, except for the north and south poles, that is the only place that she has not visited.

"Isn't your company's heat allowance* exchangeable for vacation? It should be fine to exchange for four or five days." Qi Yan played a small calculation, peeled a milk candy and put it in her mouth.

*Heat allowance - paid by employers if the temperature of working conditions exceeds 35 degrees Celsius outdoors or 33 degrees indoors

Chi Nian frowned in thought, her face seemed to be fatter, she looked more loli, and she looked more like a student in casual clothes, "It's not a matter of time, it's just that it's not convenient for me."

"What's wrong?"

Chi Nian suddenly raised her eyebrows and smiled, and said mysteriously, "Don't worry, I have a good news and few bad news, which one do you want to hear first?"

Normally, one will choose good news first then the bad, but that isn't her style. Qi Yan smiled and said: "Bitter first, then sweet, bad news."

It was the first time she met Chi Nian since she ran into her in Lu Zhiqiao's office. Qi Yan told Chi Nian the truth on WeChat, except for the part that she and Lu Zhiqiao had an ambiguous relationship. Even so, being both her student's parent and next door neighbor was enough to shock Chi Nian, and she complained why she kept it a secret.

When she just moved, she wanted to invite Chi Nian over to hang out, but the other party was busy and never had time.

Chi Nian is free today, but she discovered that her boss lives right across. If Lu Zhiqiao hadn't been on a business trip for the past two days, Chi Nian would never have dared to come here.

"Bad news one, I lost my bonus for three months. Bad news two, our director is on a business trip this time, and I was going to go too, but because of the good news, I missed a good opportunity for promotion and salary increase. Bad news three, I went to see a client yesterday, and because of the good news, I overslept and was late, and then I couldn't help but vomit all over the client during the meal..."

"Stop, stop!" Qi Yan frowned.

The bad news that comes as a result of good news in a roundabout way is too tragic.

"Just tell me the good news."

Chi Nian raised her hand to gently cover her stomach, raised her  lips and smiled: "I'm going to be a mother. You're going to be a godmother."

Qi Yan's eyes widened, staring at her blankly, her gaze slowly moved to her abdomen, with an obvious surprise.

But soon, the joy was washed away.

She glanced at the study, her goddaughter—no, her own daughter, was doing homework inside. She already has an obedient and well-behaved daughter, who was "abducted" by her own selfishness. She doesn't have enough love for another one.

"How many months? Boy or girl?"

"It's only seven weeks." Chi Nian had a happy smile on her face, "I hope that the first child will be a boy, and it would be even better if he looks like my husband, and then the second child will be a daughter. The elder brother will spoil the younger sister.”

Qi Yan's smile was a little stiff.

She isn't fond of boys, not at all. Even for a sibling. Maybe it's because of her orientation, she instinctively pays more attention to the same sex. Hearing that Chi Nian is already planning to have a second child, she feels a little uncomfortable.

Only then did she understand the meaning of so much bad news.

"Then…what about your work?" Qi Yan asked with a frown.

"The bad news you said just now was all caused by pregnancy, right? One child is enough for you to suffer, even more with a second child. The way the discrimination in the workforce is so serious that one child will delay your progress for two or three years. You, yourself said that you don't want to be a full-time wife. What if you regret it? Two or three years is enough for others to overtake you, what should you do?"

"..."

Originally, she was expecting to be wished for blessings and be comforted, but unexpectedly, she received a basin of cold water, the smile on the corner of Chi Nian's mouth collapsed, and her face turned sour: "Yanyan, I know all this, but I can't just give up the child just because of work, after all, I'm not curvy, I can conceive naturally, I want to be a mother."

Qi Yan choked, and stared at her blankly, the uncomfortable feeling became stronger and stronger.

Chi Nian was not like this in the past, she was so ambitious and worked so hard. After getting married, her whole personality changed, and now she is even more——

"I'm worried about work now. Maybe it's because I'm not in good health. It's only been seven weeks and I can't ask for leave every three days. I'm afraid that Director Lu will have opinions on me." Chi Nian continued on her own.

After speaking, the topic changed again.

"Are you acquainted with the director that much? Do you know her well? She should not be the kind of person who does not show mercy, right? I have also worked in the company for three or five years, I contributed to it a lot. It's not like I'm cheating on my maternity leave. Besides, the director herself has a child, so there will definitely be times when she can't take care of her job because of her child..."

She chattered in bits and pieces, speculating about Lu Zhiqiao inside and out, and she didn't know if it was to comfort herself or to gossip about Lu Zhiqiao's private life.

The more Qi Yan heard it, the angrier she became, frowned, and interrupted her coldly: "I don't know what kind of person she is, but at least she won't cut her own back, and won't bet on others.*"

*ditch responsibilities and pass it on to others.

An unknown fire rose in her heart, burning out her reason, and her words were a little bit thorny.

She couldn't tolerate anyone saying anything bad about Lu Zhiqiao, even if it was the truth, let alone slander.

Chi Nian was taken aback for a moment, frightened by her. Feeling baffled, her face turned blue and white, neither was she able to refute, nor continue her litany. She was a little embarrassed for a while.

Qi Yan didn't speak any more, and ate the milk candy in silence.

And just sat quietly.

Because the atmosphere became so awkward, Chi Nian felt uncomfortable, couldn't sit still, and got up in a hurry to leave. Qi Yan was still angry and did not bother to send her out. She didn't move, just chewed toffee, and sat on the sofa blankly.

After a while, she got up and walked to the study.

....

Lu Wei was sitting in front of the desk with an exercise book spread out on the desk. Her back was facing the open door, she held a pen in her right hand, and a mobile phone in her left hand. She buried her head very low and was looking at something with interest.

She was so engrossed that she didn't even notice that Qi Yan came behind her.

"Baby...my hell...prince...?"

Qi Yan looked at the words on the screen and read them quietly. The little girl was startled, her arms trembled, and the phone fell on the exercise book with a bang. She picked it up in a hurry, locked the screen, and turned her head: "Teacher Qi...  "

The next second, the child pouted.

"Why were you walking silently? You scared me to death."

Qi Yan raised her eyebrows, put on a straight face, showed the majesty of a teacher, and scolded: "You still play with your phone while doing homework, be careful, I'll tell your mother."

"..."

"I'll confiscate your phone for the time being. You can only play after finishing your homework." Qi Yan took her phone away and went out without looking back.

"Don't tell mom—"

From behind came the pitiful pleading of the little girl.

Qi Yan pretended not to hear, closed the door behind her back and returned to the sofa and sat down. She stared at the dark screen of her mobile phone, saw her eyes full of conflicting emotions, and felt inexplicably anxious.

Reading unhealthy romance novels at a young age, if she isn't guided well, she'll really fall in love early.

What to do?

She really worries more than the mother herself.

Qi Yan frowned, pondered for a long time, picked up her phone, and opened WeChat...

At that time, Lu Zhiqiao had just woken up.

It was past eight o'clock in the morning. It's supposed to be dawn, but the sun is late.

The night outside the window was dark and silent, and there were as many stars in the sky as a cow's hair, densely embedded in the sky, shining brightly. The quiet street is covered with a thick layer of creamy new snow, dimly illuminated by street lamps, which is quite dreamy and warm on winter nights in the snowy country.

Lu Zhiqiao got up from the bed, sat by the window for a while, quietly staring at the exotic snow scene outside the window, thought it was beautiful, and suddenly thought of it, took a photo of it. 

A new message popped up on WeChat, it was from Qi Yan.

[Good morning.]

[Missing you on the other side of the earth.]

Lu Zhiqiao's heart trembled slightly, the corners of her mouth curled up unconsciously, and a joyful smile appeared in her eyes.

She didn't reply, but opened Moments, added the photo she just took, edited the text "Nordic morning", and was about to send it, she hesitated for a moment, and moved her finger down.

Set range.

It is only visible to Qi Yan.




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