In the first - floor living room, Yuan Yiyun was sitting on the sofa, chatting merrily with Xiaomei. She looked like she had just returned from a long - distance trip, exhausted but excited. There was a huge suitcase lying at her feet.
Xiaomei was truly fond of Yuan Yiyun. She even took out her precious high - grade scented tea and brewed it for the young miss of the Yuan family. Yuan Yiyun held Xiaomei's hand, looking like two sisters confiding in each other.
Out of the corner of her eye, Yuan Yiyun caught sight of Gu Bei. Immediately, she stood up happily. "Gu Bei, I came to see you right after I got off the plane." Then she lowered her head slightly, showing a bit of sorrow. "I'm sorry. Uncle Xie has passed away. You must be very sad, but I couldn't be by your side..."
"Don't worry, though. I've sorted out the matters in Australia. I don't have to be a frequent flyer for the time being." Yuan Yiyun stepped closer, trying to hold Gu Bei's hand. But unexpectedly, Xie Bingxia popped up from behind and pulled Gu Bei's arm towards herself.
Xie Bingxia stared at Yuan Yiyun fiercely, as if silently declaring her sovereignty: This is my big brother. You can't touch him.
Yuan Yiyun's mouth twitched. She forced a smile and said, "You... must be Xie Bingxia. I've heard about you from Gu Bei..."
"Did you tell an outsider about me?" Xie Bingxia looked up at Gu Bei, with a rather complaining tone.
"How can you say I'm an outsider... Hehe." Yuan Yiyun's laughter couldn't have been more awkward.
Gu Bei immediately sensed the tense and delicate atmosphere between the two women. Although he was rather straight - laced and not very good at words, his intuition was quite sharp.
"Uh... Yiyun, you've just returned to China. Don't overwork yourself. Why don't you go home and rest first?"
"Miss Yuan came here especially to see you, and she doesn't look tired at all." When it came to adding insult to injury, no one could outdo Xie Bingxia.
Gu Bei gave Xie Bingxia a reproachful look, as if saying: Are you stupid? Isn't it better to let her go back?! But our smart Miss Xie simply ignored Boss Gu. She was determined to take on this malicious secondary female character who was both a white - lotus and a green - tea bitch. Before, as Xia Jingwei, due to the elders' feelings, she couldn't say many things. But today, she was going to have her say.
Seeing Gu Bei and Xie Bingxia exchanging looks, communicating wordlessly, Yuan Yiyun was immediately filled with jealousy. But she had to force a smile on her face and said, "What are you two discussing?"
"We're discussing how to entertain Miss Yuan." Xie Bingxia tugged at Gu Bei's sleeve. "Right, big brother? How about inviting Miss Yuan to stay for dinner?"
Yuan Yiyun nodded. "I haven't had a good chat with Gu Bei for a long time."
"I'll go to the kitchen first. I'll ask Uncle He to cook a few more dishes that Gu Bei likes tonight." Yuan Yiyun was about to head towards the kitchen when Xie Bingxia quickly stepped forward to block her. "Hey, how can we trouble Miss Yuan? You're our guest. Just sit in the living room."
First calling her an outsider and now a guest. Yuan Yiyun wasn't stupid. Couldn't she understand the implication in Xie Bingxia's words? She said with a smile, "Bingxia, just call me sister - in - law from now on. Calling me Miss Yuan makes it seem so formal."
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Xie Bingxia waved her hands hurriedly. "Big brother taught me that one should be honest. You're not my sister - in - law. How can I call you that randomly?"
"I'm Gu Bei's fiancée. Of course, I'm your sister - in - law."
"May I ask if you've registered your marriage with Big Brother Gu?"
"This..." Yuan Yiyun looked embarrassed. "We've just gotten engaged."
"Then have you slept with big brother?"
Yuan Yiyun blushed and whispered, "What are you talking about... We... haven't..." Not to mention sleeping together, they hadn't even held hands or kissed. If she said so, wouldn't it be like slapping herself in the face?
"See, nothing's happened. How can I call you that?"
ROUND ONE, Xie Bingxia won. But she wasn't satisfied. She turned around and pretended to scold Gu Bei. "Big brother, you're in the wrong. You've been engaged for two years, but you're neither willing to register the marriage nor willing to touch Miss Yuan. You're so irresponsible!"
"Have you found someone else?" Hearing what Xie Bingxia said, Yuan Yiyun trembled all over. She had also wondered why Gu Bei was gentle to her but always reluctant to be intimate with her. She had secretly investigated Gu Bei's whereabouts, and there was no sign of any romantic affairs. It was absolutely impossible for him to have found someone else.
"How could that be? Gu Bei is just too busy... busy with his work." Yuan Yiyun's defense was rather weak.
"Ah! I know!" Xie Bingxia made a small fist with her right hand and gently tapped her left hand wrapped in gauze. "Is it that Big Brother Gu is impotent? Is it erec— Waaaaaaaaah!"
Gu Bei pulled Xie Bingxia over from behind, then pressed her small head against his chest with one hand, preventing her from saying a single word, and slapped her round bottom hard with the other hand. Then he used his usual move: he picked her up princess - style and left.
"Sorry. This naughty girl is a bit too mischievous. I'll send her back to her room first."
"Waaaaaaaaah—Gu—Waaaaaaaaah—Can't bre—" Xie Bingxia pushed hard against Gu Bei's chest, but his strength was amazing. He firmly held her in his arms, making her unable to move.
"Huff huff huff..." Gu Bei finally let her go when they entered the room. "I'm... I'm suffocating!"
Xie Bingxia gave Gu Bei a very angry look. "Why didn't you let me finish? The second round hasn't even started yet!"
Gu Bei closed the door with his foot, put Xie Bingxia on the bed, and immediately leaned over. "What did you say about me just now?"
"Erec—" Meeting Gu Bei's sharp and deep eyes like a falcon, Xie Bingxia's heart skipped half a beat. Instinctively, she shrank back. "N... nothing."
"Nothing? I think you're quite happy slandering others. You even hit two birds with one stone!"
"Hehe, I'm still a child. Don't be so hard on me!" Xie Bingxia also used her usual move. Anyway, I'm young and I'm a minor. No matter how naughty I am, you'll still forgive me in the end.
Gu Bei gently lifted the hem of the lace dress with his finger and smiled wickedly. "You've even learned to dress like this to seduce people. Are you still a child? Children don't have as many tricks as you."
It seemed that Gu Bei was still bothered by the time she flirted with him. Tut - tut - tut, he was so petty.
"Okay, I'll be nicer to her next time." Xie Bingxia spread her hands.
"Even if you don't like her, you should still be polite to her." Just as Gu Bei was about to straighten up, Xie Bingxia grabbed his collar and pulled him towards herself.
"Do you like her?"
Their noses were almost touching. Xie Bingxia's serious look left Gu Bei speechless.
"..."
For a moment, there was complete silence. Only their heartbeats were gradually getting louder and faster.
"Sorry to interrupt you?" Yuan Yiyun appeared at the door inappropriately. Gu Bei pushed Xie Bingxia away like lightning, straightened his wrinkled clothes, looking a bit annoyed.
"I saw the door wasn't locked, so I..." Yuan Yiyun looked so pitiful, blinking her almond - shaped eyes.
You must have come in on purpose without knocking. Xie Bingxia could only grumble in her heart. She had just promised Gu Bei to be polite, so she had no choice.
"Actually, there's another reason I came to see you as soon as I got back." As Yuan Yiyun said, she took out a letter. "This is a letter of recommendation for admission to Qingya University. It can allow Bingxia to go to college."
Gu Bei walked over, took the letter, and looked at it carefully for a while. "Is Uncle Yuan the recommender?"
"Yeah, I asked my dad to help with this." Yuan Yiyun said with a bit of pride in her voice. "Look, Bingxia has been back from the US for a while. She can't just stay at home all day. Young people should go to school and make more friends."
Xie Bingxia pouted. You just want to get me away from Gu Bei!
Qingya University was a first - class private university. Many aristocratic families and business tycoons sent their children there to study. In particular, the top - notch School of Economics and Management had become a place that everyone was eager to get into.
Gu Bei nodded in agreement. "The School of Economics and Management is a great place. Studying there for two years will be very beneficial for herself."
"Right, right. The new spring semester has just started not long ago. Bingxia can still transfer in."
"What do you think?" Gu Bei turned to ask Xie Bingxia for her opinion, but he saw the little white rabbit with her ears pricked up, completely on edge, as if she was going to bite Yuan Yiyun to death with her rabbit teeth the next second.
Xie Bingxia gritted her rabbit teeth. "I... don't... want to!"