Chapter 101
Seeing that they were about to leave, Huo Youcheng gave some careful instructions. Qing Qing laughed and responded cheerfully. Once they were in the elevator, Qing Qing said, “The Second Young Master is treating you so well now, it’s a world of difference from before. To be honest, I used to be quite afraid of him. Among my husband’s friends, he always seemed the scariest.”
Ye Zhi never knew how to respond when the topic was Huo Youcheng. He was not good with words and could only smile in response.
“But he’s also the most charming. Tall, handsome, from a good family, and very capable. My husband always consults him before making any investment, and every investment he’s analyzed has made money.” Qing Qing was sincere in his praise. “Whenever it’s about stocks or something, I secretly invest some of my own money too. I’ve saved up quite a bit now—enough to open a shop in the future.”
Ye Zhi was curious. “Do you want to open a shop?”
Qing Qing nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, my dream is to open a small shop. I used to be unsure of what to sell, but now I’ve decided. I want to sell milk tea and cakes. Milk tea is very popular in the central city, but it’s not available in our remote town yet. I want to be the first to open one there.”
“Are you planning to go back?” Ye Zhi was a bit surprised. “Don’t you want to stay here?”
Qing Qing seemed a bit downcast. “This isn’t my home. Even though my husband bought me a house, I know I can’t stay here forever. He’s an excellent match and his family is already arranging marriage meetings for him. In a year or two, he’ll get married, and there won’t be any place for me.”
Ye Zhi wanted to comfort him, but Qing Qing’s words were so logical and clear that he couldn’t find anything to say.
The sunlight was indeed pleasant, warm and comforting. Since it was an exclusive hospital area, there weren’t many people around, making it very quiet. They sat on a bench and chatted. Because of his wound, Ye Zhi sat very straight.
They talked about their pasts. Ye Zhi found his own story unremarkable and didn’t say much, while Qing Qing shared detailed stories, including the names of the dogs he had, and that he had a younger sister.
“My sister is twelve years younger than me. My parents had a hard time conceiving, probably because my mom is a male beta,” Qing Qing said, laughing. “In our area, it’s rare for two male betas to be together, so I always had to explain why I call my mom ‘mom’ instead of ‘dad.’ They went through a lot to have me, taking all kinds of bitter medicine and praying to deities. When I was born, it turned out I had some congenital issues.”
Ye Zhi felt a pang in his heart, suddenly realizing that he too was an “unwanted” child in his parents’ eyes. He couldn’t help but ask, “Were they good to you?”
“They were very good,” Qing Qing said, smiling with undeniable happiness. “They always gave me the best they had, even though we didn’t have much. After my sister was born, they didn’t favor her over me. They worked hard to send me to study in the central city. Later on… I went down the wrong path.”
Being kept by someone wasn’t something to be proud of, and Qing Qing felt insecure because of it. He spoke softly, “But I had no choice. I wasn’t a good student and couldn’t get a scholarship. I didn’t want to burden my parents. I also wanted my sister to go to a good school and wear pretty dresses…”
Ye Zhi felt a bit envious. “I didn’t have your kind of luck.”
Qing Qing laughed. “But now your hardships are over. The Second Young Master cares so much about you. Your future will be very happy.”
Ye Zhi lowered his head, a faint bitter smile on his lips. Qing Qing noticed this and tried to comfort him. “Are you afraid he’ll change his mind again? I don’t think he will. My husband knows him well and says this time, it’s real love.”
But even these words couldn’t ease Ye Zhi’s expression. Qing Qing was about to say more when they heard a voice calling, “Zhizhi.” They looked up to see a little girl running towards them, with a tall man following behind.
Qing Qing instinctively glanced at Ye Zhi and saw the light in his eyes.
Although Qing Qing and Ye Zhi hadn’t known each other long, Qing Qing was perceptive and could tell that Ye Zhi’s current mood was mixed with excitement and trepidation.
Does he like children that much? Qing Qing wondered.
Huo Ran hadn’t seen Ye Zhi for a few days and excitedly ran to him, forgetting about his injury. Just as she was about to leap into his arms, the man behind her called out, and she stopped abruptly in front of Ye Zhi.
Ye Zhi quickly steadied her.
“Zhizhi, I got a prize!” she announced, barely catching her breath. Her kindergarten had a performance today, and parents were invited. Huo Ran sang and danced on stage. After the performance, she had eagerly asked her father to bring her to visit Ye Zhi, so much so that she hadn’t even removed her stage makeup.
The heavy blush and bright red lips made Ye Zhi pause for a moment before he smiled. “What prize did you get?”