Chapter 75: Extra 5-2
A few days later, Yuli was in the company, sorting out the annual report.
The receptionist brought a person to the president’s office. He was wearing a black suit and a solemn badge. He reached out to her in a friendly manner.
Yuli hurried up to greet him and shook his hand.
The other party stated his purpose and took out an invitation. “May I ask Miss Song to take me to see Mr. Xie?”
Yuli glanced at the invitation. It said, “China Securities and Exchange Commission Primary Market Entry Mechanism Seminar and Expert Demonstration Meeting.”
Thinking of the conversation between Xie Yao and his father a few days ago, this was to re-demonstrate the entry mechanism that Xie Yao had mentioned. But why had they come to her? Whether Xie Yao went or not, could she have any influence?
Xie Yao had always been clear about public and private matters and had never talked to her about business. Yuli also only did her duty as an assistant in the president’s office and planned to lead the person to the door of Xie Yao’s office and then slip away.
Unexpectedly, after opening the door, the staff member actually raised his hand and let her go in first.
Yuli had to brace herself and lead him in, and made a simple introduction.
Xie Yao stood up to greet him, with proper etiquette. After a few words, he took the invitation.
The other party said a lot of flattering and polite words, and finally glanced at Yuli and said, “Creating a stable and prosperous employment environment is the responsibility of the government and also the duty of entrepreneurs. With an outstanding entrepreneur like Mr. Xie to offer advice, we will surely be able to help the country create more opportunities for citizens like Miss Song, who are trapped in a family quagmire, to escape their predicament.”
Yuli was stunned for a moment. What did inviting Xie Yao to such a high-level meeting have to do with her?
Xie Yao, on the other hand, saw through the intention of the person behind it at once.
He was impassive and nodded. “Alright, I will attend on time.”
The person who had come was relieved, shook hands with Xie Yao, and then with Yuli, and then left.
Yuli also came to her senses. It was Xie Yao’s dad who had arranged this.
It seemed that Du Hongyun had told him about her family background. The elder who had looked so fierce and unapproachable that day was not only so meticulous but would also use these details to put pressure on Xie Yao, regardless of whether it was useful or not. Yuli found it a little funny.
“Your dad really wants you to go. You will go, right?” Yuli asked with a smile.
“He has made the right decision. I will go.”
“Then you should hint at him not to look for me anymore. I’m just a small clerk and can’t bear such high expectations.”
Xie Yao smiled. “If I were to say it, he would only think that your role is even greater.”
Yuli smiled bitterly. “Do I really have a role?”
“What do you think?”
He stared at her, his eyes bright, but deep and dark.
Yuli was a little flustered, but this was in the company. Outside was a glass curtain wall, and the office door was also just ajar.
Xie Yao leaned against the desk, watching Yuli’s eyes dart around, and was very happy in his heart.
From the looks of it, he had a role, but Yuli couldn’t figure it out. Where did she get such a role? According to the original novel, didn’t both his parents look down on her? Where had it changed?
Just as Xie Yao was about to close the office door, Yuli’s phone rang. It was a number she had saved, Du Hongyun’s.
Yuli was a little nervous. She adjusted her breathing and answered.
Du Hongyun was talking about family matters, asking if she liked Western or Chinese food, and wanted to hire a cooking auntie for her and Xie Yao.
Yuli was completely dazed but still replied, “No need. We usually cook for ourselves.”
The other end of the phone asked again, “I saw that you ate little that day. Is it that the Chinese food Xie Yao made is not to your taste? Do you prefer Western food?”
“No, I can eat anything. I’m not a picky eater,” Yuli said.
The other end of the phone was silent for a moment, then laughed, said that she would invite her to dinner another day, and finally hung up without setting a time.
Yuli found it inexplicable. Was this concern? But it was a little strange.
“You don’t have to take them to heart. Just be yourself,” Xie Yao comforted her.
Yuli wanted to go out to work but found that the door was tightly closed. Xie Yao held her.
Yuli was extremely shocked. She wanted to push him but was held tightly.
Yuli’s soul was about to fly out.
Xie Yao just held her, his lips against her forehead.
“How about it? Are you willing to marry me now?”
Yuli pondered for a moment and asked, “Do you have any other brothers or sisters in your family?”
“Just me.”
“Is that so? No sisters or anything?” Yuli’s tone was a little sour. In the original novel, their family had an adopted daughter, who was the vicious female supporting character in the original novel, and was very doted on by his parents, and was also very close.
And this adopted daughter liked the male lead, and had caused a lot of trouble with all kinds of immoral entanglements, causing the most direct harm to the original female lead. Yuli was most afraid of meeting her.
Xie Yao was very calm. “There is an adopted daughter, but she was always compared to me when she was young. She couldn’t take it and went abroad to study. She came back last year to go through the immigration procedures. My parents don’t recognize her anymore.”
Yuli was shocked.
Xie Yao: “What’s wrong? Even if she were still in the country, she would only stay far away from me. She didn’t dare to talk to me before.”
Yuli was taken aback. Xie Yao kissed her lips.
Yuli quickly pushed him away. “I still have to think about it.”
“What other concerns do you have?” Xie Yao smiled.
Yuli looked around his office, and finally, her gaze fell on him. To have such a huge asset at such a young age, it was impossible for him to have earned it from scratch at the age of eighteen. There must have been some transfer of benefits, collusion between officials and businessmen, or something.
Although he had not gone into politics, he should have many second-generation friends.
Yuli wanted to say something but held back. She couldn’t just persuade him to stop for no reason. After all, she had no evidence, and people who are on a roll will not listen to advice.
Yuli said seriously, “I’ll observe for a while longer.”
Xie Yao couldn’t see what was in her head. He couldn’t hold her. She quickly left the office.
From not wanting to at the beginning, to observing for a while longer, it was also a huge progress. Xie Yao was a little relieved.
*
During the Spring Festival, Yuli took two days off and went back to her hometown in advance.
Xie Yao had originally wanted to go with her, but he still had work to finish. She had taken leave suddenly, and he was caught off guard, which had caused some unpleasantness.
Yuli comforted him, “The Spring Festival is only a few days off. I still have to see you every day when I come back.” She saw him at work and at home. Wasn’t that enough?
Xie Yao was a little appeased and let her go.
When Yuli reached the county town, Li Meijuan came to the station to pick her up.
They had not seen each other for more than three months, and both of them looked much better than before.
Li Meijuan talked about what she had been doing since she had come back, from her home to the vegetable market, and then from the vegetable market to the kitchen, and the dining table.
To sum it up, without her gambler father, everything was good.
With a daughter who worked in the capital, she was also very respected.
Yuli also felt the vitality of Li Meijuan and was very happy for her.
Li Meijuan asked about Xie Yao, and she vaguely said that it was still the same.
Li Meijuan could see the light in her eyes when she mentioned Xie Yao, but she had no heart to care about these things. She had been seriously ill and had survived. Now she worked part-time every day and went dancing at night. Her life was very fulfilling.
This two-bedroom apartment, Yuli didn’t like it very much. The days she had lived here, not a single one had been peaceful.
Although the house was cleaned very clean, and the sheets and quilts were all new ones that Li Meijuan had bought, and they were very dry after being washed and sunned, her heart was uneasy, and she tossed and turned and couldn’t sleep.
In the middle of the night, her phone suddenly vibrated. She immediately picked it up. It was Xie Yao. She immediately answered.
“Are you asleep?” his voice came from the other end of the phone.
Yuli’s heart instantly settled.
It was very late. She said, “Not yet.” She wanted to say that she missed him a little, but she was not used to saying such things and was silent for a while without saying it.
“It’s very late.”
“Mm.”
“Let’s hang up.”
“Wait—”
“Come downstairs and get me.”
Yuli immediately got up, pulled open a corner of the curtain, and saw Xie Yao downstairs, holding his phone. The taxi beside him was turning around and driving away.
The light gradually grew distant, and in the end, only a dim street lamp fell on him. In the quiet night, he was like a shining statue.
However, the statue looked up at her and smiled at her.
Yuli’s heart was pounding.
She ran downstairs in her slippers, unable to remember anything, and threw herself on him, holding him tightly.
Xie Yao’s arms wrapped around her, and he rubbed the slightly messy ends of her hair. “I miss you too.”
Yuli rubbed against his shoulder, her eyes a little hot. At this moment, she really didn’t want to let him go.
After the intense emotions had passed, she remembered that they had only not seen each other for less than a day. Yuli let him go.
Xie Yao looked normal. Yuli belatedly realized that she had overreacted.
But he didn’t laugh at her either.
Xie Yao had originally wanted to stay in a hotel, but now he was staying in Yuli’s home.
He was quiet and did not wake Li Meijuan. He and Yuli slept in each other’s arms.
Yuli pressed against him, her heart calm and at ease, and she fell asleep not long after.
The next day, when Li Meijuan saw Xie Yao, she was both surprised and happy. She went out early to buy groceries and treated him with twelve points of enthusiasm.
Xie Yao was not idle either and helped to pick the vegetables.
Li Meijuan was more and more satisfied with him.
Almost at noon, Xie Yao answered a phone call, and his face darkened a little. He hummed in agreement. “I’m not in the capital. Don’t come.”
Then he hung up.
Not long after, Yuli’s phone rang. It was Du Hongyun.
Yuli answered. The other end of the phone said directly, “Little Song, I’m downstairs at your place. My son is ignoring me. Can you come and get Auntie?”
Yuli was a little embarrassed. “We’re not at home.”
“I didn’t make myself clear. I’m downstairs at your old home.”
An extra set of bowl and chopsticks was added to the lunch table.