Jiang Man did not know how long Qi Zhicheng had been standing there.
She also did not know how much he had heard.
A wave of inexplicable panic surged up, and Jiang Man quickly averted her gaze, turning her head away from him.
The silence lasted for only a brief moment before Qi Zhicheng walked over slowly, stopping right in front of her.
Being stared at by him, Jiang Man’s heart rate accelerated for no reason. Believing he was going to ask about Chen Min, she was desperately trying to figure out how to phrase her response in her mind when Qi Zhicheng’s voice fell over her head.
“Is the soup done? Is it good?”
His expression was calm, so gentle that there was not the slightest hint of abnormality.
Jiang Man froze for a moment, somewhat surprised.
After a long while, she replied stiffly, “It is alright.”
Shen Yalan, who was busy at the counter, looked back, “Zhicheng is here, do you want a bowl?”
“Not right now,” he naturally picked up the insulated gloves, “I will help carry it out.”
Jiang Man stood in place and did not move, still holding her half-emptied small soup bowl.
The fact that he did not ask a single question actually made her feel a bit uneasy.
Qi Zhicheng picked up the earthenware pot, turned around, and walked toward the dining room. As he passed by her side, his footsteps paused slightly, and he looked down at her, saying with a smile, “Let’s go, time to eat.”
Several home-cooked dishes were laid out on the dining table, and the family gathered around the table, making the atmosphere warm and cozy.
Shen Yalan frequently put food into Jiang Man’s bowl, while Jiang Rongbai and Qi Zhicheng occasionally chatted about the Nancheng project.
Jiang Man drank the rib soup from her bowl, remaining somewhat distracted throughout the meal.
In the intervals of drinking her soup, she would occasionally steal glances at the man sitting beside her. From beginning to end, he behaved exactly as usual, showing not a single trace of care about the scene at the kitchen doorway.
Jiang Man pursed her lips.
She thought to herself that, perhaps, he really had not heard anything.
Otherwise, he should have at least asked a question.
Besides, she had always hidden her feelings for Chen Min very well, to the point that even her parents had not noticed, so Qi Zhicheng presumably did not know either, which would explain his lack of reaction.
Just now, she had merely expressed her longing for her brother in a normal manner, as a younger sister would.
Before the New Year, the Huai Ballet finalized the lead cast for The Fantasy of Saint Teresa.
Both Jiang Man and Xu Yining would play the role of Saint Teresa in the next performance season.
Before the official performance, they would rehearse together, and the artistic director and choreographer would determine the final principal dancer list for opening night based on rehearsal performance.
The opportunity for the opening night premiere was of utmost importance, and no one wanted to miss out on it.
As the global premiere of a brand-new original dance drama, Saint Teresa on that night would carry significant meaning, serving as the standard answer for how all future dancers interpreted the role.
During this period, Jiang Man was busy rehearsing the new production, so her gatherings with her parents grew fewer, only occasionally going shopping with Shen Yalan on her rest days.
On this day, it was seven o’clock in the evening by the time rehearsal ended again.
Only after coming out of the rehearsal hall did Jiang Man remember that she had not eaten dinner.
Glancing at the time, she did not intend to take a detour to a restaurant, so she casually ducked into a convenience store.
Just as she lowered her head to select a rice ball, a familiar voice came from beside her.
“We really run into each other everywhere.”
Jiang Man raised her head upon hearing the sound.
Xu Yining was standing right next to the refrigerated shelf, holding a carton of milk while also selecting a sandwich.
She too had presumably just come out of the rehearsal hall, her hair bun unraveled, her long hair loosely tied behind her back, her face bearing distinct traces of exhaustion.
Jiang Man replied without much emotion, “Who can help it when this is the only convenience store near the dance troupe troupe.”
“Regarding that competition in Beicheng, I watched the live broadcast, your dancing was slightly more pleasing to the eye than I imagined.” Xu Yining’s gaze drifted across the shelves, “Your move of forfeiting the award on finals night was rather unlike you.”
Jiang Man looked at the rice ball label on her own, “It seems Principal Dancer Xu is quite idle, paying so much attention to me.”
“Do you know why I have always disliked you?”
“Because I feel you do not take the stage seriously at all, nor do you treat your roles with care.”
Xu Yining closed her eyes, “Is ballet merely an optional pastime for wealthy wives like you, or is it just a tool used to gild your reputation and establish a persona?”
Jiang Man straightened her posture, turning around to look at her with a solemn expression, “I have never disrespected the stage, I love every single role I interpret just as much.”
“Is that so.” Xu Yining sneered, “I am only afraid Saint Teresa will be ruined in your hands.”
“I am afraid I will disappoint you,” Jiang Man picked up a rice ball to go pay the bill, not forgetting to turn back and give her a dismissive smile, “Not only that, I will also beat you and secure the lead role for opening night.”
Xu Yining quickly followed her, placing her items on the checkout counter and laughing mockingly, “You speak with quite a big tone, the car accident must have broken your head.”
The cashier nimbly scanned the barcodes.
It was only when the scanner gun aimed at Jiang Man’s payment code and scanned it, popping up an amount, that she realized the cashier had rung both of their items together.
“We are paying separately.” Xu Yining spoke up immediately.
The cashier froze for a moment, smiling apologetically, “So sorry, seeing you come in together, I thought you were together.”
Jiang Man withdrew her phone, glancing at her, “Forget it, my treat.”
“No need, I do not wish to owe you anything,” Xu Yining refused without a second thought, turning to ask the cashier, “How much is my portion?”
“Twenty-eight yuan and sixty cents.”
“I will transfer it to you via WeChat.”
Xu Yining took out her phone and opened WeChat, her finger sliding through her contact list a few times.
A few seconds later, her movement visibly paused.
Out of the corner of her eye, Jiang Man noticed that Xu Yining was quietly removing her from the blocklist.
She pretended not to see, looking elsewhere instead.
Xu Yining’s transfer request popped up, and just after she tapped send, her expression shifted slightly.
She discovered that she had also been blocked by Jiang Man.
Jiang Man coughed unnaturally and silently opened her blocklist.
The moment she slid open the list, besides Xu Yining’s avatar, she saw another familiar avatar.
She stared at that avatar, dazed for a second, but quickly collected her thoughts and removed Xu Yining from the blocklist.
Her phone received a transfer notification.
“Transferred.” Xu Yining put away her phone and left.
The convenience store in the evening was empty with few people, so Jiang Man found a seat by the window and sat down.
Unwrapping the rice ball, she found she had little appetite.
She took out her phone, opened WeChat, and re-entered the blocklist.
In the list lay an avatar of a young boy wearing a rabbit headband.
That was a photo of Chen Min when he was twelve or thirteen years old. The young boy already had a bit of a miniature adult look, yet a pink rabbit headband was crookedly perched on his head, a large smudge of cream stained his cheek, and he was looking at the camera with a fond, indulgent smile.
Jiang Man remembered that she was the one who had changed his avatar to this many years ago.
That night, she was packing her luggage at home to prepare to go abroad. She had accidentally dug up this old photo, and thinking it was amusing for a moment, she mischievously snatched his phone and set this embarrassing photo as his avatar.
She originally thought he would change it back after a few days, but unexpectedly, he had kept using it. In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed, and he had not changed it even until now.
Jiang Man felt perplexed in her heart.
Why would Chen Min be in her blocklist?
Was she the one who blocked her brother?
After hesitating for a few seconds, she still tapped to remove him from the blocklist.
Driven by curiosity, she clicked open Chen Min’s Moments.
He was not a person with a strong desire to share, his latest update was from two months ago.
The text consisted of only three simple words: Missing home.
The accompanying picture was a view from the backstage of a concert hall, presumably taken after a performance, the lens focusing on the snowy night outside the window, with an open piano score resting below.
Her old phone had been completely destroyed in the car accident, and in this new phone, there were no chat records with Chen Min whatsoever.
She stared at the screen, typing and deleting in the input box, deleting and typing again.
She did not know how to start the conversation.
In the end, she did not send a single character.
“President Qi, please taste this wine, an old vintage Grange, specially prepared for you.”
Zhang Xuming, the president of Guanghong Real Estate, actively stood up, bending his waist as he picked up the decanter, carefully pouring a small half-glass into the empty cup.
Sitting in the primary seat, Qi Zhicheng accepted the wine offered to him, but merely raised his wrist slightly, not drinking.
There was a business dinner gathering here tonight. Dressed in a black suit, he looked noble and refined, as if he were a natural-born ruler.
The person offering the toast maintained his posture, his movements so respectful that he dared not display the slightest carelessness.
Zhang Xuming kept his eyes on his nose and his nose toward his heart, the man in the primary seat would directly determine the capital injection amount for tonight’s project.
The private room fell into silence.
After a long while, Qi Zhicheng finally pinched the stem of the wine glass with his fingers, raising his wrist to bring it close to his lips, taking a shallow sip.
Seeing him drink this mouthful of wine, Zhang Xuming’s suspended heart finally settled slightly. He slowly straightened his body, respectfully saying, “Please enjoy at your leisure, President Qi,” before quietly returning to his seat.
The people beside him chimed in, their faces piled with flattering smiles.
Faced with the diligence of everyone at the dining table, Qi Zhicheng maintained a detached expression throughout.
From time to time, he would lazily raise his hand to acknowledge someone else’s toast.
He carried the casual indifference and sense of control characteristic of a superior.
This private room was styled in a new Chinese design, elegant and peaceful.
A hand-painted ink wash painting hung on the wall, the openwork carvings revealed an ancient charm, and several pieces of celadon rested on the antique display shelves.
By the wooden lattice window stood a grand piano.
In matte dark brown, its tone was steady, perfectly blending into the calm style of the new Chinese decor.
“President Qi, since you can consider us this time, our Guanghong Real Estate will definitely follow up with full strength for the subsequent implementation, and we will absolutely not let you worry.”
When the dinner conversation reached the important details of the project, Zhang Xuming picked up his wine glass again, moving half a step closer.
Qi Zhicheng’s eyelids lifted slightly, and he slowly raised his wine glass, appearing as though he were about to accept this toast.
Just as the wine glass was about to touch his lips, his movement paused slightly.
Seeing Qi Zhicheng suddenly stop his action, Zhang Xuming followed his gaze and looked back.
He saw that grand piano.
The door of the private room was pushed open from the outside, and a waiter walked in carrying a bowl of freshly stewed soup.
Having long navigated the business world like a refined spirit, Zhang Xuming quietly went to meet the waiter, blocking his movements, and leaned close to his ear to whisper a few words in a low voice.
The waiter nodded respectfully, and after setting down the soup bowl, retreated without a sound.
The topic at the dining table continued.
The person in charge was cautiously reporting the specific planning for the project’s implementation from the side.
The door of the private room was gently pushed open once more. This time, two waiters entered, followed by a man wearing a white shirt.
Qi Zhicheng did not even lift his eyelids, his attention remaining on the project report.
A moment later, the soothing sound of a piano slowly echoed within the private room.
It was a classic classical melody.
At this point, Qi Zhicheng finally raised his eyes slowly, following the sound of the piano to look over.
A man wearing a white shirt sat in front of the piano, his figure slender and upright.
His fingertips danced across the piano keys, a gentle smile resting on the corners of his lips, his entire being exuding a scholarly aura.
For a single moment, Qi Zhicheng thought Chen Min had returned.
He leaned back, his right index finger pressing against his temple, his eyelids slightly raised as he looked at the man in front of the piano.
Zhang Xuming said flatteringly, “The resident pianists here are all from professional academies, and it is said they have even won international awards, so I had someone come over to play a couple of songs to liven things up.”
As he spoke, he observed Qi Zhicheng’s expression.
Yet he caught sight of the man’s eyes slowly turning cold.
Zhang Xuming quickly sensed something was wrong, “President Qi, does this piano music perhaps not suit your appetite? If you dislike it, we can have them switch to someone else.”
Qi Zhicheng coldly withdrew his gaze.
After a long while, he uttered a gloomy sentence.
“I loathe the piano most.”
With that single sentence, the entire private room became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Zhang Xuming’s smile froze on his face, cold sweat breaking out and soaking his back.
The waiter hurriedly ran over to signal the pianist to stop, and the piano music came to an abrupt halt, leaving the room full of awkwardness.
By the time the dinner gathering concluded, it was already nine o’clock in the evening.
Qi Zhicheng sat inside the car, supporting his forehead as he massaged his temples.
Beside him, his phone vibrated once.
He picked it up and glanced at it, seeing it was a WeChat message sent by Jiang Man.
Upon opening it, it was a long string of emojis.
There were fully two or three lines.
A few punctuation marks were even interspersed in the middle.
Tonight she was having dinner over at Jiang Rongbai and Shen Yalan’s place, and two hours ago, she had even sent him a photo of the hairy crabs on the dining table.
Holding a plump crab claw, she had posed it next to her face, clearly wanting to tell him how large this crab was.
Qi Zhicheng directly pressed the voice call button.
The phone rang twice before being picked up, and a low, mumbled voice came through the receiver, “Hello?”
“What did you send?” Qi Zhicheng softened his voice.
“Huh?” Jiang Man seemed to daze for a moment, and then a rustling sound came through, as if she were looking at her phone.
A moment later, her voice came through the receiver again, “Oh, that, I sent it by mistake, I accidentally pressed it.”
Qi Zhicheng loosened his necktie, “Did you drink?”
“Mm, just drank a little bit.”
Having said that, she solemnly emphasized it once more, “Really only a little bit. Home-brewed bayberry wine, spicy, and a bit sweet.”
Qi Zhicheng let out a low laugh.
How was this drinking a little bit, she was clearly heavily drunk.
He did not pierce through her cover, asking along with her words, “Was the crab this evening delicious?”
“Delicious, super delicious.”
The moment crabs were mentioned, Jiang Man instantly gained energy, starting to chatter endlessly, “The crab roe was particularly abundant, and the meat was also super tender, I ate two by myself, no, it seems it was three.”
From time to time, the voices of Shen Yalan and Jiang Rongbai came through the receiver.
“Manman, do not stand by the window, be careful not to catch a cold from the wind.”
“Are you on the phone with Zhicheng?”
While mumbling a response, Jiang Man turned back to say to him, “I am telling you, Dad could not out-drink me, he drank two cups and his face turned red.”
“Secretly telling you, actually I cheated, I poured wine into his cup while Dad wasn’t paying attention.”
“Mm, and then?”
Qi Zhicheng changed his posture, crossing his legs as he leaned back into the seat, listening to her incoherent, fragmented rambling.
The corners of his lips curved up slightly.
“Then, mm, then I colluded with Mom and didn’t tell Dad, Dad didn’t notice a single thing.”
Not long into the chat, the sound inside the receiver suddenly vanished, leaving only faint breathing sounds.
Immediately following, Shen Yalan picked up the phone, “Zhicheng, Manman is drunk, she fell asleep face down on the table. We are currently preparing to send her back to Nanwan.”
Qi Zhicheng said, “It happens that my side has just concluded, I will go over to pick her up.”
Half an hour later, the automobile arrived at the Jiang residence.
The lights were on in the reception hall, and as Qi Zhicheng walked in, he saw Jiang Man curled up on the sofa sleeping sweetly.
To the side, Jiang Rongbai and Shen Yalan were speaking in low voices, and seeing him arrive, they went over to greet him, “Manman insisted that the wine was delicious, home-brewed wine has a high alcohol content too, she got drunk after just a few sips.”
Qi Zhicheng lightened his steps to walk to the side of the sofa, bending down to call out softly.
“Manman?”
No movement.
He touched her face, “Manman.”
Jiang Man opened her eyes blearily, her gaze not yet focused.
“Manman, time to go home.”
“Qi Zhicheng.” She did not mistake the person.
“Mm, I am here.”
“Why did you come?”
Qi Zhicheng supported her to sit up, “To take you home.”
“Oh.” She nodded quietly, standing up along with him, when she suddenly thought of something, grabbing his arm and saying, “You came just in time, let’s eat crabs together, I saved some for you.”
She pulled him toward the dining room.
The dining room had already been properly tidied by the servants, the tabletop perfectly clean.
Jiang Man pulled him around the dining table for a circle, then went to look under the table.
At the end, she pulled him to the kitchen again, pulling open the refrigerator to search.
“Mom, where did you put the crabs?”
Just as the words fell, her body went airborne, Qi Zhicheng had already picked her up in a bridal carry.
She was startled for a moment, and after reacting, she kicked her lower legs twice in his embrace, “Put me down.”
“I am taking you to eat crabs, do you not want to eat them?”
Qi Zhicheng looked down at her, “We will eat when we get home.”
Jiang Man blinked her eyes, stopping her speech, and obediently leaned into his chest.
Before leaving the house, Jiang Rongbai walked forward, saying with concern, “Zhicheng, it is hard on you to take care of Manman tonight, she loves to make a fuss when she is drunk.”
“As I should.” Qi Zhicheng accepted the remark.
Jiang Man nodded against his chest, mimicking Jiang Rongbai’s tone as she said with mock seriousness, “Mm, Zhicheng, you must take good care of Manman.”
“Okay, I will take good care of you.”
Returning to the Nanwan villa, Qi Zhicheng carried her to the master bedroom.
Jiang Man shrank in his embrace, perfectly quiet, one hand still clutching a piece of his shirt fabric at his chest.
Looking very dependent on him.
Qi Zhicheng set her down, calling a maid to bathe her.
Jiang Man, who had kept her eyes half-closed, opened them, sitting by the bedside with both hands placed on her knees, putting on airs as she mimicked Jiang Rongbai speaking, “Zhicheng, did I not tell you to take care of Manman?”
Qi Zhicheng bent his waist down, one hand clamping the back of her neck, the distance between them closing instantly.
His mist-shrouded dark eyes captured her eyes, “How does Manman want me to take care of her?”
Jiang Man thought for a moment, “Are we not supposed to take a bath?”
“You really want me to help you wash?”
“Mm.”
“Do you know what you are saying?”
“I know.”
The two were close, their breath tangling together.
Qi Zhicheng retreated slightly, his gaze shifting downward, falling onto her pale collarbone.
A thirst arose in his throat.
She was wearing a form-fitting white knit sweater, outlining her full bodily curves, perfectly proportioned and highly pleasing to the eye.
With just a hollow glance, that dry irritation pinched directly at his nerves.
He abruptly let go of her.
Straightening his body, he exhaled a heavy breath.
“Jelena!” He called out toward the doorway with irritation.
The maid waiting at the doorway immediately walked in with quick steps.
Qi Zhicheng paced a few steps in the room, tearing off his tie with a single pull, then turned back to look at Jiang Man who was sitting quietly on the edge of the bed.
She raised her head, staring at him without blinking.
“Take the Madam to take a bath.”
“Yes, Sir.”
The maid supported Jiang Man to go to the bathroom, and the room returned to silence.
The maid did things very meticulously. When Jiang Man emerged from the bathroom after her bath, she had already changed into pajamas, no scent of alcohol detectable on her body, even the strands of her hair floating with a faint fragrance.
Perhaps she was exhausted, for the moment she touched the bed, she fell asleep after a short while.
Qi Zhicheng did not leave, turning around to sit down on the sofa in the corner of the bedroom. He then rose to pour a glass of warm water to place at the head of the bed, also gathering hangover medicine and a towel to place on the bedside table.
He kept watch beside her, fearing she might vomit or feel uncomfortable in the middle of the night.
Having consumed alcohol, she was highly likely uncomfortable. In her sleep, she would frown from time to time, or murmur incoherently.
The night gradually deepened.
An unknown amount of time passed before he once again heard Jiang Man say something blearily, her voice very light and intermittent.
Vaguely, he seemed to hear her call his name.
He leaned closer, lightly stroking her hair, “Mm, I am here.”
But in the next second, he heard clearly those few words uttered from Jiang Man’s mouth.
“Chen, Brother Chen Min.”
It turned out that the name she had murmured in her dream just now was not the “Cheng” of Qi Zhicheng, but the “Chen” of Chen Min.
Qi Zhicheng’s temples throbbed uncontrollably twice.
The interior fell into a dead silence.
He raised his long fingers.
His finger pad pressed against her lips.
He applied a bit of force under his hand, slowly grinding along that lip line to the corner of her mouth.
The naturally pinkish-white lip color quickly turned to a vivid red.
Perhaps feeling uncomfortable, Jiang Man gave a low groan, her brow furrowing as she turned her head to dodge his finger pad.
Qi Zhicheng maliciously pursued her again.
He intensified his actions, his thumb pressing and grinding against her full lower lip, rubbing forcefully with a hint of punishment.
Jiang Man finally opened her eyes slowly.
Qi Zhicheng looked down at her with a sideways glance.
The dim yellow light of the night lamp shone on his profile, yet it seemed to have a cold tone.
His brow and eyes were hidden beneath the illumination, shrouded in a layer of gloom.
His face was freezing cold as he let out a laugh, “Whose name was Manman calling just now?”