Suddenly, a thunderbolt flashed across the horizon. Dark clouds billowed in and soon blotted out the moonlight. Bean-sized raindrops pelted the windowpanes, and outside was an airtight wall of rain.
The spring rain was really cold! Xie Bingxia dried her wet hair with a dry towel when suddenly her nose tickled, and she let out a loud "achoo".
Just now, she rushed downstairs to the pool at once. But at the moment of diving, she hesitated. Reason told her to jump in the water to pick it up and appease Gu Bei. However, her emotions were like vines twining around her legs, shouting at her to leave it alone. All that had happened between them in the past should sink to the bottom of the pool with the little white rabbit sculpture, never to resurface and never to bring back a single bit of memory.
She just stood there stupidly in the rain for a long time until Xiao Mei dragged her into the house.
"Miss Xie, I've brought you some soup to ward off the cold." Xiao Mei knocked on the door with her finger.
Xie Bingxia quickly got into the quilt, leaving only her two eyes exposed, and shouted, "Oh, come in."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm f-fine. Achoo!" The petite body in the quilt trembled.
"Why do you have to do this..." Xiao Mei was both heart - ache and angry. Before she could start her long - winded consolation, Xie Bingxia interrupted immediately, "Sorry, I've made him angry again."
Yes, she regretted it deeply now. She should have been like the revenge - seeking female protagonist in online novels, with a heart of stone, coming up and punching the heartless scumbag hard, then shouting how satisfying it was.
She used revenge as a spark to burn her heart red. But she still underestimated their twenty - plus years of feelings. As long as there was a shred of flesh left in her heart, it would tear off her well - disguised obedient persona. Her words would turn into needles, stabbing Gu Bei and also trying hard to erase the lingering attachment.
Alas - now their relationship had reverted to square one, or even deteriorated further. Xie Bingxia sighed silently. Xiao Mei sighed with her and said, "The young master has ordered that as a punishment, you're not allowed to leave your room for a week."
"Miss, just rest in your room obediently. Remember to drink the soup." Xiao Mei instructed finally. "Also, don't worry about the little white rabbit. The butler will drain the pool water tomorrow morning and throw it away."
"Throw it away..." Xie Bingxia repeated Xiao Mei's words. Her heart ached slightly.
She had thought that Gu Bei had kept it all this time because he still had some lingering feelings. It seemed she had thought too much. Maybe he was also trying hard to erase something.
The spring rain lasted for many days. The sticky dampness deepened the gloom between Gu Bei's brows. He was a very clean - loving person. For as many days as it rained, he stayed in the company.
He casually flipped through the materials on his iPad, obviously absent - minded. "Chen Laojiu's activities are too clean. Apart from meeting a few regular clients, going to nightclubs to drink and pick up girls, going back to the hotel for a SPA and finding prostitutes, there's nothing else."
"Yes, they're just his usual activities." Secretary Zhang nodded. "I sent a few girls he likes to inquire, but there's nothing special."
"It's okay as long as he hasn't connected with Xie Shuwen," Gu Bei took out a cigarette from the cigarette case, lit it, and took a deep puff. "But we can't be careless. He came all the way from Hong Kong. He must not be here for entertainment."
If Chen Laojiu had any private dealings with Xie Shuwen, it would be unfavorable to Gu Bei. Although the Xie Group was still nominally the Xie family's, the actual person in power was Gu Bei. Those relatives and old subordinates of the Xie family who were dissatisfied with Gu Bei were just waiting for Xie Shuwen to lead them to turn the tables and take back the company's equity.
Speaking of Xie Shuwen, he couldn't help but think of that little girl. After locking her up for several days, would she have become a bit more obedient? Gu Bei wasn't sure. Even though Xie Bingxia looked like a little white rabbit on the outside, she was still a rabbit that could bite.
"By the way, boss, the white daisies you ordered have arrived, and the car is ready." Secretary Zhang reminded him.
"Okay, I know." Gu Bei put out the cigarette and rubbed his throbbing temples.
Today, he turned off all his communication devices and drove alone straight to the cemetery. On a quiet hillside, Xia Jingwei's tomb lay there silently.
Gu Bei didn't hold an umbrella. He gently placed a bunch of white daisies in front of the tombstone. "Jingwei, I've come to see you."
This tombstone was set up by Gu Bei. Even though there was no ashes of Xia Jingwei inside, this tombstone was like a haven in the storm. Whenever he encountered anything unsatisfactory, as long as he stood in front of it, no matter how hard and difficult it was, he dared to move forward.
"Two years have passed in a blink of an eye." Gu Bei covered his face. His well - defined fingers were trembling slightly. "I miss you so much."
"Sorry, it's my fault that I killed you." He had a lot to say, but after swallowing hard for a long time, this was the only thing he could utter. All the bitterness welled up in his chest and finally turned into sobs.
Gu Bei just stood quietly in front of the tombstone for a long time. It was not until it got dark that he walked slowly like a staggering old man towards the car parked not far away.
Then the car started. The taillights left a bright red trail in the thick fog as the car sped towards the bar he often went to.
Gu Bei was drunk when he got home at around one or two o'clock in the morning. Secretary Zhang supported him into the house. When the butler saw this, he quickly wanted to prepare a hot towel and sober - up soup, but Gu Bei stopped him.
"Don't bother me. Everyone go about your own business!" Right now, he didn't want to sober up.
Gu Bei staggered up the stairs while holding on to the railing. Before going upstairs, he didn't forget to grab a bottle of whiskey from the bar counter in the dining room. He walked towards his bedroom while drinking.
The numbness of alcohol rushed to the nerve endings. Gu Bei didn't turn on the light and groped his way to the bed. He threw the wine bottle on the coffee table and fell onto the bed with his suit jacket on. Suddenly, something moved in the quilt.
"Who's on my b - bed?" Gu Bei was about to lift the quilt. He shook his muddled head and looked around - something was wrong. He had gone into the wrong room!
The little thing beside him moved again. Getting closer, he could hear heavy breathing, and the body was trembling slightly.
"You..." Gu Bei dug out Xie Bingxia's scrunched - up face from the quilt. The skin his hands touched was burning hot. "You have a fever?!"
"Um..." Xie Bingxia murmured. "It's okay. I'll be fine after a s - sleep."
"How long have you had the fever? Where's Xiao Mei? Why didn't she take good care of you?"
Xie Bingxia's nose twitched. She was burning all over but couldn't stop shivering. "Cold, so cold..." Seemingly craving Gu Bei's warm embrace heated up by alcohol, Xie Bingxia squeezed into his arms with her last bit of strength.
"I'll go and call Xiao Mei."
"No, don't leave me." Xie Bingxia grabbed Gu Bei's corner of the clothes tightly. Her furry head pressed against Gu Bei's chest, looking for a comfortable position.
Half of Gu Bei's drunkenness immediately faded away. He was at a loss for a moment. He had no choice but to move his arm to let Xie Bingxia rest on it, and then he lifted her head with his hand to adjust the position. Xie Bingxia stopped moving obediently. Soon, even breathing sounds came out, and it seemed that she had fallen asleep again.
Looking down, he saw that under Xie Bingxia's long eyelashes, her eyes were closed, but her eyeballs were trembling slightly under the eyelids. It was obvious that she was not sleeping very soundly.
Gu Bei reached out his hand to take off the glasses on her nose and muttered, "Why are you still wearing glasses when you're sleeping..." When his hand touched the frame of the glasses, Xie Bingxia instinctively moved backward.
Forget it. Why was he worrying about the glasses now? Gu Bei retracted his hand, covered the quilt, and hugged her tighter.
It was so amazing. Just now, he was extremely irritable and wanted to drown his sorrows in alcohol. But when he hugged this small and soft body, his emotions gradually calmed down.
"Do you have some kind of magic?" Gu Bei whispered quietly. Of course, Xie Bingxia couldn't answer him. She just groaned a few times. Gu Bei also closed his eyes and sank into a deep dream.
...
"Gu Bei... Gu Bei..."
"Gu Bei, lazybones, get up! The sun is shining on your butt!"
"Jingwei, is that you..." Gu Bei moved his aching arm. "I'm so sleepy. Let me sleep a bit more."
"No way. If you sleep any longer, I'll kiss you!"
"Okay..." This dream was so wonderful that Gu Bei didn't want to wake up at all. He was waiting for Xia Jingwei's kiss in the dream.
Then a pair of cold lips touched the corner of his mouth. It was not a passionate kiss, just very light and fleeting.
Gu Bei struggled to open his tired eyes. In the early - morning light, he saw clearly the person in front of him - Xie Bingxia showed her sleepy face, holding his cheeks, and said, "Good morning, Gu Bei..."