The drinking gathering didn’t last long before it ended.
Chi Yang had only had one Caribbean Sunset, well within her tolerance, so she wasn’t drunk.
Ji Fengting had arranged a designated driver for himself.
Coincidentally, Jiang Li and Xue Rang were heading in the same direction, so they immediately abandoned their friends and eagerly hitched a ride.
Chi Yang had only gone to the restroom for a moment.
When she came out, she found the private room empty.
Only Xie Youci remained, lazily leaning against the sofa with a cigarette between his lips. He lowered his gaze, casually flicking the lighter’s wheel, and the flame suddenly ignited the cigarette.
He raised his hand to hold the cigarette, exhaling smoke, his distinct knuckles appearing sharp and sensual in the crimson glow of the flame.
“Click—”
The sound of a door opening suddenly echoed.
Xie Youci glanced up with little interest, visibly pausing for a moment when he saw Chi Yang. “Haven’t left yet?”
He quickly removed the cigarette from his lips, turning his head to exhale the smoke to the side. After fanning it away with his hand, he bent his knuckles and extinguished the cigarette with his fingers.
“Where are the others?” Chi Yang looked around.
Xie Youci explained about the designated driver and the shared ride, then tossed the unfinished cigarette into the ashtray.
“Those traitors!”
Chi Yang crossed her arms in annoyance. “How did they know I wasn’t going the same way?”
Indeed, they weren’t.
As childhood friends who were practically inseparable, everyone knew where Chi Yang lived.
Xie Youci rose leisurely. “I’ll take you.”
“You’re not planning to take me to the marital home, are you?” Chi Yang eyed him suspiciously.
Xie Youci let out a low, faint scoff.
He bent down to pick up Chi Yang’s shawl, air-conditioned cover-up, and bag from the sofa. “Some people seem to prefer watching male strippers. I suppose they have little interest in married life or their newlywed husband. Do you think I enjoy making a fool of myself?”
Chi Yang found Xie Youci a bit strange.
He kept his eyes lowered, avoiding her gaze, but she stared at him with curiosity.
The next moment.
A face, still exquisite even when magnified and slightly out of focus, suddenly appeared before Xie Youci.
Chi Yang tilted her head up, leaning closer to him.
Her sudden movement nearly bumped into Xie Youci’s nose, but she managed to stop just in time, maintaining a safe distance where they couldn’t quite kiss.
“Xie Youci.”
But as her lips parted, her soft breath inadvertently brushed against Xie Youci’s cheek.
He lowered his gaze to look at the woman before him.
Aside from her previous bold actions—biting his collarbone, his chin, and touching his abdominal muscles—this was the first time they had been this close, face to face.
So close that he could see the fine, soft down on her face and his own reflection in her pupils.
And Chi Yang had just realized—
Xie Youci seemed a bit drunk. His eyelashes were thick, lightly drooping, and the corners of his long eyes carried a tipsy hue. She could even smell the alcohol on his breath.
But he was still lucid.
When Chi Yang suddenly leaned in, his heartbeat skipped a beat in response.
“Do you know?”
She blinked at him with amusement. “Right now, you look exactly like a resentful husband left alone in an empty room.”
Xie Youci bowed his neck.
The posture allowed his tousled bangs to half-cover his eyes, casting a sensual shadow in the flickering light of the private room.”So, Mrs. Xie, who left her resentful husband alone in an empty house, have you considered moving back to the marital home with me?”
“No consideration.” Chi Yang replied with an air of haughty pride.
Xie Youci’s deep gaze swept over her face before he straightened up with a mocking smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
He slipped his hands into his pockets with a seemingly nonchalant attitude. “That’s fine. Just as well, since I’m not interested in you either.”
Chi Yang nodded as if suddenly enlightened.
“Alright,” she said cheerfully. “Let’s go then. Hold my coat and bag for me, will you? Thanks for the hard work, Little Xie.”
Xie Youci: “…”
Miss Chi strode ahead proudly in her high heels. Xie Youci draped her shawl over his arm, let out a soft snort, and followed after her.
Like him? Not a chance.
She couldn’t stand him one bit.
Chi Yang was still sent back to her small villa.
Several days passed after this separation, and the next time they met, it was surprisingly Chi Yang who took the initiative to return to the marital home.
Her current work at the National Museum was relatively relaxed.
Before officially starting the project of painting Dunhuang relief murals, the team still had preparatory and planning work to do, including collecting materials and sketching some design elements.
But just as she was about to leave work on Wednesday evening.
Chi Yang suddenly received a call from her mother, Chi Qing. “Er Er, have you had lunch yet?”
Chi Yang, who was about to head home for dinner, was momentarily stunned.
It took her a while to process the question. “Lunch?”
“Yes,” Chi Qing said, pulling the phone away to check the time. “I calculated that it should be noon in Italy right now. Don’t tell me you’ve been so busy with graduation that you forgot to eat lunch?”
Hearing this, Chi Yang understood.
Standing by the faceted floor-to-ceiling window in the museum corridor, she lowered her eyelashes slightly. The refracted light cast a small shadow in her eyes. After a long pause, she finally spoke. “Mom.”
“I’ve been back in the country for a while now.”
“And, three months ago, I already told you that I completed my master’s graduation exhibition.”
“I even sent you photos of my work.”
Chi Qing fell silent for a moment.
Even over the phone, an awkward atmosphere that shouldn’t exist between a mother and daughter began to linger.
The silence stretched on.
It was a long time before Chi Qing spoke again, slowly. “I’m sorry, Er Er. Mom was too busy with work and forgot…”
But perhaps it wasn’t really forgetting.
She had never cared about when Chi Yang would return to the country, so she didn’t know in the first place, let alone forget.
Chi Qing did care about her daughter.
But her concern was different from that of other mothers. It seemed that as long as she provided enough money and ensured a high quality of life, she had fulfilled all her duties as a mother.
Chi Qing tried to show more concern. “So you’re in Jing City now? Since you’re back, try to find some time soon to go with Youci and get your marriage certificate.”
Chi Yang: “We already have.”
There was another long silence on the other end of the line.
Chi Qing sighed, rubbing her forehead. “I’m sorry, Er Er…”
“It’s fine.” Chi Yang had heard enough of her apologies. “Is there anything else, Mom?”
“Not really. I just wanted to check in on you when I had time, but I didn’t expect…”
Chi Qing’s voice sounded somewhat guilty. “How about this? After I finish work tonight, I’ll come over to your marital home, and we can have dinner together?”
Although Chi Qing rarely showed affection toward Chi Yang and hardly gave her what could be called maternal love, Chi Yang didn’t dislike her mother and didn’t mind her occasional attempts at concern.Even hearing her mother mention having a meal together, Chi Yang’s earlier disappointment vanished completely. After a moment of stunned silence, she felt a surge of delight and immediately responded, “Okay.”
It was as if she feared that if she answered even a second too late, her mother would have another last-minute work arrangement and cancel the plan.
After hanging up the phone, Chi Yang returned to her office.
She picked up her carving knife and continued shaping the final details of the divine deer relief element she was responsible for.
Thinking about her mother coming over for dinner that evening, she felt somewhat cheerful. Her mind wandered, considering what to prepare for the meal and wondering whether her mother’s tastes had changed over the years. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her fingertip.
“Ouch—”
Chi Yang gasped sharply, the carving knife slipping from her hand and clattering to the floor as a bead of blood welled up from her fingertip.