Xie Yucheng saw her turn away in embarrassment and anger. The corner of his mouth curled into a wicked smile.
“Little sister, I thought your skin was thick enough to rival a city wall.”
Shi Qing’s ears turned visibly red. In the small bedroom, the faint fragrance of her body lingered in the air.
For some reason, an inexplicable restlessness began to rise inside Xie Yucheng. He suddenly stepped forward and backed her against the door, trapping her there. Leaning down, he whispered threateningly beside her ear,
“Stop hanging around in front of me. Like your mother said, I’m not a good person. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do.”
He brushed aside the loose strands of hair at the side of her fair neck. His lips were almost touching her skin, and his hot breath brushed against the delicate flesh.
The sensation made her tremble involuntarily, while something inside her chest began pounding faster and faster.
The next moment, the man gripped her chin with one hand and turned her face toward him. Leaning closer, he spoke in an intimate yet cruel tone:
“Don’t expect time to make any of this fade away. I still hate you and your mother just as much as ever.”
I still hate you and your mother just as much as ever…
Her heart sank completely, as though someone had forced it into a bottomless black pool where she could no longer breathe.
If a moment ago Wen Shiqing had been carefree enough to feel as though she could float all the way to the rainbow, then in the next second, her heart and soul were shattered once again, leaving her utterly despondent.
Her body trembled slightly. She gripped the doorknob tightly. After a moment, she said softly, “Brother, I’m not afraid of you.”
What was this supposed to mean? What cruel things had she not heard from him since she was little?
She knew that the sharper Xie Yucheng’s words were, the softer his heart actually was.
Wen Shiqing touched the pale pink jade pendant around her neck. Xie Yucheng had given it to her five years ago, when he had returned from his first long-haul transport trip. It had happened to be just a few days before her birthday.
When he came home, he had coldly tossed a velvet box onto the table beside her without saying a word.
Wen Shiqing studied him for a while before cautiously opening the box.
Inside lay a round, translucent, plump piece of pale pink jade. Its design was simple, paired with a light beige braided cord. It was incredibly beautiful.
She happily took it out and held it up against her neck, grinning excitedly.
“Brother, is this for me?”
“I found it by the roadside. I’m a guy, so I can’t wear it.”
“Brother, you’re amazing. You always manage to find such good things.”
“Don’t tell your mom. Otherwise, I’ll have bad luck and won’t find anything anymore.”
It was only after she gradually grew older that Wen Shiqing realized those little things he claimed to have found here and there were actually gifts he had deliberately bought for her.
The pink jade around her neck was warm and smooth, carrying a faint trace of heat.
Behind her, the tall man’s body nearly covered hers, his strong masculine presence enveloping her.
Wen Shiqing steadied herself. Her voice was soft and lingering.
“Time really won’t make anything fade away, because I’ll always like you just the same, Brother.”
With that, she opened the door and walked out on her own.
The instant the door closed, Xie Yucheng clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth and muttered a curse.
He seemed annoyed that he hadn’t gotten the angry, sulky reaction he had been expecting.
He knew that when Wen Shiqing said she liked him, she meant the kind of affection a younger sister had for her older brother.
Every day, Xie Yucheng reminded himself not to forget his mother.
Being kind to this mother and daughter was a betrayal of his biological mother.
He wasn’t sure when exactly his father, Xie Guoli, had gotten involved with Yang Ying. Had it been before his mother died, or afterward?
In any case, less than three months after his mother’s death, Yang Ying had moved into their home and slept in the very same bed his mother had once slept in.
His father packed away everything that had belonged to his mother while she was alive and locked it inside a cabinet, forbidding any trace of her from remaining in the house.
What a cold and ruthless man.
Xie Yucheng had hardened his heart and sworn that he would never give either of them a pleasant look.
But that little Wen Shiqing—the ten-year-old younger sister his stepmother had brought with her—would secretly climb into his bed in the middle of the night after Xie Guoli had beaten him all over with a cane.
She would purse her little lips and gently blow on his wounds.
“Brother, let me blow on it. Then it won’t hurt anymore.”
That night, Xie Yucheng’s heart was like a melting cream cake, collapsing little by little.
It was a little after eleven in the morning when Xie Yucheng finished packing his clothes. He picked up a travel bag and was about to leave the house.
Yang Ying came over and said to him, “Your father is sick. His stomach hasn’t been doing well these past two years. He often feels nauseous and barely eats. When you’re home, you should spend more time with him.”
Xie Yucheng paused.
He had always thought that although the old man’s legs weren’t in good shape, his overall health was still fairly strong.
“Has he been to the hospital for a checkup?”
“Yes. The doctor said it’s a gastrointestinal problem and that he needs to take better care of himself.”
“I’ll go see him.”
He put the travel bag back in his room and pushed open the door to the master bedroom.
Xie Guoli was sitting by the bed reading. Because he hadn’t been able to eat much over the past two days, he had lost quite a bit of weight, and his cheeks had become slightly sunken.
“How are you feeling?”
He was still his biological father. It would be unreasonable not to ask after him.
“I’m fine.” Xie Guoli forced a smile. “My stomach just hasn’t been feeling very good lately.”
“When are you leaving this time?”
Xie Yucheng hadn’t told Xie Guoli that he planned to quit his job and buy a truck to work for himself. If he told him, Xie Guoli would definitely explode with anger and refuse to agree. So he simply kept it to himself.
“The factory gave me a long leave. Maybe I’ll leave in a few days.”
“Now that you’re back, stay home and get some proper rest. Have your Auntie Yang make you some good food. You’re always running around outside. Aren’t you tired?”
Yang Ying came over from the kitchen wearing an apron.
“Stay home for lunch.”
Xie Guoli added, “Have lunch before you leave.”
Xie Yucheng thought about it for a moment but said nothing.
The old man wasn’t feeling well these past few days. It was better not to upset him. If he made him sick, wouldn’t that make him the villain?
Seeing his son remain silent, Xie Guoli took it as agreement to stay for lunch. His spirits immediately lifted. He got dressed and sat in the living room chatting with his son.
A black-and-white silent film was playing on the television.
Wen Shiqing poured Xie Guoli a cup of honey water and made Xie Yucheng a cup of tea. She then quietly sat beside the dining table, picking through the vegetables.
Xie Guoli lifted his thermos and took a sip. The sweet warmth settled pleasantly in his stomach. He smiled at Wen Shiqing before turning back to his son.
“Have you found yourself a girlfriend while you’ve been away?”
The girl’s hands paused slightly as she picked through the vegetables. She pricked up her ears and slowly removed the yellowing leaves.
Xie Yucheng lounged carelessly in the single-seat sofa, his eyes not on his father. His gaze unconsciously fell upon those hands sorting the vegetables—slender, fair, and delicate, with neatly trimmed, rounded nails.
His throat felt dry.
He picked up his teacup and took two sips before lazily answering,
“No.”
“You’re not getting any younger. It’s time you started thinking about your personal life. Auntie Zhang from next door has come by several times saying she wants to introduce someone to you, but every time she comes, you’re not home.”
Xie Guoli reached into his pocket, intending to light a cigarette, but remembered Yang Ying had forbidden him from smoking anymore. He had put all his cigarettes away, and his fingers came up empty.
“I’m not interested.”
“Why not?”
“What’s the point of getting married?”
Xie Guoli spoke earnestly.
“When you reach a certain age, you should get married. At least you’ll have someone by your side. Two people living a steady life together is better than being alone.”
“Of course, if there’s a girl you truly love, you can bring her home and let us meet her. If she’s suitable, I can go speak to her parents and arrange the match for you.”
Xie Yucheng looked completely carefree. He ran the tip of his tongue around his mouth before meeting his father’s eyes and suddenly letting out a mocking laugh.
“Love? What is love? When you and my mother were deeply in love, you told her every day that you loved her. And what happened in the end?”
The words infuriated Xie Guoli. His breathing grew heavy as he struggled to contain his emotions.
“Don’t mention your mother.”
“Heh. We can’t even mention her now? Cutting off all emotion and loyalty—you’re really something, Xie Guoli.”
Yang Ying heard the father and son arguing from the kitchen and hurried over to mediate.
“Guoli, Yucheng finally came home to eat a meal with us. What are you doing?”
She then smiled apologetically at Xie Yucheng.
“Yucheng, don’t be angry. Your father is only worried about you. Men and women reach an age when they should get married. As for Nannan, she’ll be going on a blind date soon too. You’re both grown up now, so you should start thinking about your personal lives. If you two won’t think about it yourselves, then as your parents, we have to think about it for you.”
Xie Yucheng looked toward Wen Shiqing at the dining table as though he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
Her expression was flustered, and she hurriedly waved her hands.
“No, I—I’m not going on a blind date.”
Wen Shiqing turned to her mother.
“Mom, I told you already. I don’t want to go on a blind date. I’m still young. I want to work for a couple of years first.”
Yang Ying said, “Nannan, Mom is only doing this for your own good. If you settle down early, you’ll have a man to take care of and protect you later. A matchmaker has come to our house several times already. The boy’s family is very well-off. He’s about your age and handsome too. I agreed to let you two meet this Sunday. Whether it works out or not is another matter. Just think of it as making a new friend.”
“Mom, you…”
Xie Guoli also spoke up.
“Shiqing, you’ve always been the most obedient. Set an example for your brother.”
Wen Shiqing felt as though she had been placed on a roasting rack like a duck, already completely doomed.
She lowered her head, allowing Xie Yucheng’s intimidating gaze to bore into her.
After lunch, Yang Ying went into the kitchen to wash the dishes. Xie Guoli returned to his room, while Wen Shiqing absentmindedly wiped the dining table with a cloth.
The hem of her floral dress swayed with her graceful figure. Her slender arms and neck were exposed, their fair skin almost glowing. Her waist was so slender it seemed as though it could be wrapped in one hand, and her petite figure resembled a flower just beginning to bloom.
Xie Yucheng picked up his bag and was about to leave. After taking two steps, however, he turned back and walked over to Wen Shiqing.
A soft, sweet fragrance filled his nose.
He patted her shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.
“Little sis, remember to share your blind-date experience with me. If you happen to take a liking to some guy, your brother can help you check him out.”
Wen Shiqing’s hand froze.
After a long moment, she answered quietly,
“Okay.”
The muscles on Xie Yucheng’s face twitched. He gave a cold scoff, swung his bag over his shoulder, turned around, and walked away.
Outside the courtyard, the roar of the motorcycle was deafening.
With one loud vroom, the sound gradually faded into the distance until it disappeared completely.