Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Pressed Together, Feels Very Comfortable After several days of getting along, Huituichang and Guagua could finally coexist peacefully in the same room. Although Huituichang still looked somewhat unconvinced about it. Nan Shu slept all the way until noon today, and when she woke up, she saw the message Xie Zeyan had sent her in the morning. Xie Zeyan: [Temporary business trip, return date uncertain] Nan Shu brushed her teeth while slowly typing out her reply: [Okay] That night when Xie Zeyan had introduced Guagua to her, he'd mentioned that he would be going abroad for business soon to attend some global AI conference. She hadn't really understood much of it. Nan Shu opened her phone calendar, and as she exited, she glanced at it and saw that Friday was Liang Xubai's birthday. Friday afternoon, Nan Shu arrived early at the Mingyu lobby to wait for Liang Jiayi to get off work. They planned to head to the mall together first to pick out a birthday gift for Liang Xubai, then bring it to him at the dinner gathering that evening. This was Nan Shu's first time at Mingyu Group. The first-floor lobby was bright and grand. As it neared the end of the workday, people were steadily streaming out through the turnstiles, each holding a small bouquet of flowers. Nan Shu looked at the flowers—they seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite remember where she'd seen them before. "Tap, tap." Hearing the sound of high heels on the floor tiles, Nan Shu turned around. Liang Jiayi came through the turnstile after a face scan, and she too was holding a champagne rose. Nan Shu took the tote bag from her, then helped massage her shoulders, asking, "How come every employee at your company has a bouquet of flowers?" Liang Jiayi asked, "Do you remember that little girl selling flowers we ran into near our company?" Nan Shu had a vague memory of it—the little girl had even given them an extra chamomile flower for free. Liang Jiayi said, "I heard that after our boss learned about the little girl's family situation, he sponsored them. These flowers are also bought from the little girl's family's flower shop. Every department has some." Nan Shu nodded thoughtfully. Her company's CEO was the kindest capitalist she'd ever met. The two of them went to a mall in the city center. Nan Shu browsed two or three floors but still had no idea what birthday gift to buy for Liang Xubai. After all, he was completely devoted to his work. Liang Jiayi suggested buying a pair of sunglasses—practical and useful. As they came out of the store with the sunglasses, Nan Shu spotted the white shirts in the shop across the way. There was still some time before the agreed dinner gathering, so Nan Shu tugged at Liang Jiayi and said, "Want to go take a look inside? A couple days ago, Xie Zeyan's shirt got chewed up by Huituichang. I want to buy him a new one." Liang Jiayi looked up—it was indeed a fairly well-known designer brand. She asked Nan Shu, "Was the shirt Xie Zeyan had chewed up from this brand?" After Nan Shu had offered to buy Xie Zeyan a replacement shirt that day, she'd tried to take a look at what brand his shirt was. But before she could get a clear look, Xie Zeyan had taken it away, saying she didn't need to replace it. Nan Shu shook her head. "I don't think so." But the fabric had felt very comfortable to the touch. If she hadn't known that Xie Zeyan was currently in financial difficulty, she would have suspected the shirt was some kind of haute couture piece. The two entered the store, and a male sales associate came forward to greet them. Nan Shu asked him, "Could you recommend a few shirts?" The associate brought out two. Nan Shu didn't know much about shirt fabrics, but both pieces did look like they had excellent tailoring. Liang Jiayi picked up one of them to check the size, then recalled her ex-boyfriend's build. "My ex-boyfriend wears this size. Xie Zeyan should probably just need one size up. But Xie Zeyan's physique is clearly someone who works out—if he wants a fitted look, he'd probably need a custom order." Xie Zeyan had a perfect inverted-triangle build. If the shoulder width fit just right, the waist might not sit snugly enough; conversely, if the waist fit, the chest might not button up properly. The sales associate, quick on the uptake, stepped forward and said to Nan Shu, "Miss, our shirts can be custom-made. If it's convenient, you can leave us your contact information, and you can just send us your boyfriend's measurements when you're ready." Nan Shu thought it over—she really was worried about buying something that wouldn't fit well, especially since the shirts were quite expensive, and returns or exchanges would be a hassle. "Alright." She walked to the front counter and added the associate's contact information. Before exiting WeChat, she took another look at her chat interface. Her conversation with Xie Zeyan was still frozen at the day he left for his trip. She had no idea when he'd be back. Why hadn't he sent even a single message? • At nine in the evening, the private jet landed in Jingjia. He entered the passcode and opened the door. The house was pitch black. Xie Zeyan fumbled for the light switch, and Huituichang came out of the room, circling his feet with two "woofs." Xie Zeyan picked him up and set him on his lap. Over this period of time, he'd been taking Huituichang downstairs for walks every morning, and the dog had grown much closer to him. That day, he'd asked Nan Shu why Huituichang called him "brother." Nan Shu had been taken aback for a moment, then said, "Then should he call you 'uncle'? But wouldn't that sound too old? Though now that I think about it, 'brother' doesn't seem quite right either." Seeing her agonize over it, he'd thought, forget it. Uncle it is, then. Getting a place in her life first was what mattered. He stroked the fur along Huituichang's back while pulling out his phone to send Nan Shu a message. Xie Zeyan: 【Out having fun?】 It took Nan Shu a moment to reply. Nan Shu: 【yep, my secret brother's birthday; we're out eating noodles】 Xie Zeyan furrowed his brow. So many typos in one sentence. How much had she drunk? Xie Zeyan turned and sent a message to Zong Yi. Xie Zeyan: 【Where is Liang Xubai holding his birthday dinner?】 Zong Yi: 【?】 Zong Yi: 【He didn't invite me, how would I know?】 Xie Zeyan: 【Transfer of 100,000 yuan】 Xie Zeyan: 【If you don't know, go find out】 Zong Yi's attitude changed instantly: 【Sure thing, bro, I'm on it right away】 Before long, Zong Yi sent over the restaurant address. Zong Yi vaguely sensed something was off and kindly warned him: 【Take it easy, man. It's his birthday—don't go wrecking the place】 Xie Zeyan frowned: 【Do I look like that kind of person?】 Zong Yi: 【You weren't before, but now it's hard to say】 Xie Zeyan stared at the message and let out a scoff. Was he really that classless? He stopped wasting time on Zong Yi, glanced down at his watch—it was almost 9:30. Xie Zeyan grabbed his car keys from the table, put Huituichang back in his bed, and headed out the door again. • Liang Xubai's birthday also had a few colleagues in attendance, including two women a year or two older than Nan Shu and Liang Jiayi—nurses from his department. Nan Shu was socially anxious around strangers, but once she warmed up, she became talkative. After recognizing Nan Shu as an actress, the two women pulled pens from their pockets and asked her to sign their phone cases. The girls hit it off instantly, and by the end of their conversation, they'd come to a unanimous agreement: the night shifts at this hospital were inhuman. The moment Nan Shu won the Triple Crown for Best Actress, they'd quit on the spot and become her assistants, following their Sister Nan to a life of luxury. Nan Shu was in the middle of laying out her grand ambitions when the bottle in her hand was suddenly taken away. Liang Xubai said, "You girls should drink less—this is already the third bottle." Nan Shu snatched it back, hugging the bottle and refusing to let go. She was the type who couldn't hold her liquor but loved to drink anyway. Though it was fruit wine, the alcohol content wasn't low, and after a few glasses, she started feeling dizzy. Liang Xubai gave a helpless smile and told Liang Jiayi to take care of her. When the dinner ended, the girls were still clinging to each other, all drunk out of their minds, making plans to meet up again. Nan Shu could barely walk in a straight line, and Liang Xubai stepped forward to support her. Xie Zeyan saw the scene from a distance and instinctively furrowed his brow. Especially when he saw the hand on Nan Shu's waist—his brow knitted even tighter. He turned off the car engine and strode over. "I'll take her home." Liang Xubai saw the dark figure appear before him and recognized Xie Zeyan. His expression darkened. "Mr. Xie taking Nannan home—I'm afraid I wouldn't feel at ease about that." Xie Zeyan's eyes were deep and unreadable. "And in what capacity are you saying this to me?" Liang Xubai's throat tightened. "As her brother—I'm saying this as her brother." "Is that so?" Xie Zeyan let out a dismissive laugh, then looked at Liang Xubai's hand. "Since you know you're her brother, don't overstep a brother's boundaries." "And what about you, Mr. Xie? In what capacity are you acting, and how can you guarantee you'll get Nannan home safely?" Just then, Nan Shu groggily opened her eyes. Seeing Xie Zeyan, she said, "You're back? Did you come to pick me up?" The coldness in Xie Zeyan's brow softened slightly. "Mm. Shall we go home?" "Okay." Nan Shu's voice was soaked in drunkenness, soft and gentle, as she obediently leaned against Xie Zeyan. Xie Zeyan loosely wrapped an arm around her. Without sparing Liang Xubai another glance, he helped Nan Shu toward the car. Liang Xubai watched the two of them walk away, momentarily confused about what had just happened. Why did Nan Shu ask Xie Zeyan if he'd come to pick her up? Were she and Xie Zeyan already that close? He'd known Nan Shu for twenty years, and aside from that one time at the bar, she'd never once mentioned him. He snapped back to his senses and stepped forward to call out to her. "Nannan." His gaze fell on Nan Shu, his throat dry and tight, but his tone remained gentle: "The gift you gave me today—I really love it. I'll use it forever." ... Liang Jiayi's head was spinning and she hadn't caught what the two men had said. Seeing Liang Xubai return with a dejected look, she told him, "Bro, Nannan likes Xie Zeyan. Don't worry—Nannan told me Xie Zeyan is a pretty decent guy." A fleeting bitter smile surfaced in Liang Xubai's eyes. "Is that so?" Liang Jiayi patted her brother on the shoulder. "Yeah. I figure it won't be long before your second sister has a boyfriend. Don't worry—as your first sister, I'll work hard too. And of course, you need to bring home a sister-in-law soon." Liang Xubai said nothing. After a moment, he ruffled Liang Jiayi's hair. "You're drunk. Come on, I'll take you home." • Nan Shu's head was throbbing badly, and there was a constant buzzing in her ears like mosquitoes. After getting in the car, she rubbed her head in pain, eyes squeezed shut, and asked Xie Zeyan, "Did Brother Xubai say something just now? My head hurts so much, I didn't catch it." Xie Zeyan was adjusting the car's air conditioning. His hand paused briefly, then he said in a flat tone, "He didn't say anything. You misheard." "Oh, okay." Nan Shu had no suspicions. The air conditioning blew over her, and she leaned comfortably back into the leather seat, a few strands of hair clinging to her slender, fair neck. Xie Zeyan instinctively raised his hand, but just as he was about to touch the girl, he restrained himself and pulled it back. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he spoke up: "Nan Shu, buckle your seatbelt." The person beside him had already gone quiet. He looked at the girl's face reflected in the car window—her eyes tightly shut, her sleeping expression serene, her brow relaxed, her thick lashes like two little brushes casting faint shadows. Falling asleep the moment she sat down—if she ever rode in someone else's car, how could he ever feel at ease? Xie Zeyan smiled helplessly, took off his suit jacket and draped it over her, then reached over to fasten her seatbelt. As he leaned in, he could faintly hear the sound of her breathing in her sleep. She must have drunk quite a bit of fruit wine—even her breath carried a light fruity fragrance, and her red lips, moistened by the wine, looked even more alluring at that moment. Xie Zeyan swallowed, his lips feeling dry. He stared blankly for a few seconds before snapping back to his senses and re-fastening Nan Shu's seatbelt. With a soft click, the girl's face turned toward him. The distance between them was extremely close—so close that the tip of her nose brushed against half of his face, grazing across his cheek. Nan Shu's skin was delicate, her body temperature high. Xie Zeyan's hand on the seatbelt tightened. As if burned, he turned his face away, his chest feeling like something had been filled up. He held his breath, not daring to move an inch. Nan Shu groggily opened her eyes. Half-awake, half-asleep, she saw Xie Zeyan almost pressed right up against her, and for a moment she couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality. She rubbed her temple, which felt like it had been drilled through, and mumbled with a nasal tone, her words carrying a hint of reproach toward the man. "Why were you away on business for so long?" Xie Zeyan's heart felt like it had been scratched. His voice unconsciously softened as he asked tentatively. "Do you not want me to go on business trips?"