When she returned to the living room again, there was an extra person in it.
She stepped forward and politely greeted, "Brother Chi Yu."
Chi Yu looked up in response. He put down the teacup in his hand. Those amber eyes behind the gold - rimmed glasses stared intently at Qing Mian.
Qing Mian felt uncomfortable under his gaze. Just as she was about to turn around, the man's voice came slowly, "Little crybaby, long time no see."
Chen Yu'an frowned and gave him a side - glance. "Don't call her that randomly."
Chi Yu wasn't angry. He just smiled. "You're a 29 - year - old man. Why are you still such a sister - spoiling maniac?"
Qing Mian didn't like Chi Yu. Although this man had a handsome and delicate appearance, beneath his good looks was a super scheming man. She had been bullied by him a lot when she was a kid. When Qing Mian saw him, it was no different from a rabbit seeing a wolf. She instinctively wanted to run.
Chen Yu'an ignored him. His good brothers all knew what kind of character the only heir of the Chi family was. Although he looked like a gentle and polite intellectual in public, his temper was not that good in private. If you really offended him, you might not even have ten lives to spare.
He turned to Qing Mian and instructed her with that doting look on his face as before, "Next week, A Yu will take you to register at school. He's a physics professor at your school now and is quite familiar with the school. If you have any problems at school in the future, you can go directly to him."
Qing Mian agreed. "Okay, brother."
Although she agreed verbally, the three years of independent life had taught her that only by relying on herself could she avoid being abandoned at any time.
She wouldn't go to Chi Yu.
Chi Yu seemed to see through her thoughts. The corner of his mouth kept curving up at Qing Mian intentionally or unintentionally.
Qing Mian averted her gaze. She hated most about Chi Yu those all - seeing eyes. It seemed that he could see through everything she said. There was no way she could have any secrets.
Chi Yu stood up and patted the wrinkled black windbreaker on his body. "I'm leaving."
"Stay for a meal before you go," Chen Yu'an said.
Chi Yu stopped in his tracks. Those charming eyes glanced at Qing Mian indistinctly.
After a moment, he smiled and said, "Alright. Since Aunt Zhou has already cooked, I'll stay for the meal. It's been a long time since I've had Aunt Zhou's dishes. I really miss them." His gaze fell on Qing Mian.
Qing Mian didn't understand him and didn't want to have too much communication with him. So she simply went back to the dining room.
Aunt Zhou had cooked a lot of her favorite dishes.
Qing Mian sat at the dining table. A slight sense of sadness welled up in her heart. It had been a long time since she had felt this sense of "home". Her eyes gradually turned a little red. She quickly blinked to force back the tears that were about to fall.
Just then, Chi Yu's voice rang out.
"Why is the little crybaby about to cry again?"
Before Qing Mian could say anything, she heard him turn to Chen Yu'an and ask, "What did you do to your sister?"
Chen Yu'an didn't say a word.
His eyes lightly swept over Qing Mian's still - red eyes.
He noticed something was wrong with Qing Mian right away. She wasn't as confident as before and didn't like to smile anymore. She used to love smiling.
Chi Yu's words made Chen Yu'an focus on Qing Mian. She was a bit resistant to this feeling. She put down the untouched rice bowl in her hand.
In the past, she had longed for Chen Yu'an's attention on her. Now she hoped that Chen Yu'an couldn't see her.
"Brother, Brother Chi Yu, you two eat slowly. I'm full."
Seeing her put down the bowl, Chen Yu'an frowned. "You haven't eaten much."
"I ate something outside at noon. I'm not very hungry yet. I'll go upstairs first."
Chen Yu'an stared at her with a solemn look. His face didn't look good. She was lying.
When Tan Si picked her up at noon, she was just coming out of an interview. She had been to more than a dozen companies for interviews in the morning. When would she have time to eat?
She just didn't want to stay in the same space with him.
Chi Yu's gaze had been following Qing Mian. His eyebrows were slightly knitted.
Chen Qing Mian seemed... different from before.
It wasn't until her back disappeared around the corner of the stairs that he slowly withdrew his gaze and put down the chopsticks and bowl in his hand.
"I'm full too. I'll leave first. I have a class tonight." He could make up lies easily. It was the holiday now. What class could there be?
Chen Yu'an was used to his lies. "Be careful on the way."
...
A week later.
Chen Yu'an specially cancelled his morning meeting today to take Qing Mian to school.
In the quiet car, Chen Yu'an and Qing Mian were sitting in the back seat. Qing Mian was sitting close to the car door.
Chen Yu'an sensed her resistance and sighed in his heart. "Erbao, I have work this afternoon, so I won't accompany you to register. I'll drop you off at the school gate. I've told Chi Yu. He'll take you to go through the enrollment procedures."
Qing Mian was a bit reluctant. If it had been before, she would definitely have acted coquettishly with Chen Yu'an and asked him to take her to school. But now was different. She agreed. "I know, brother."
The car soon stopped at the gate of Hanlin University. From afar, Qing Mian saw that familiar figure. She couldn't help but frown and tried to squeeze into the crowd beside her.
Chi Yu was standing at the school gate, surrounded by a group of people.
It was the day for freshmen to register. There were many students and parents coming and going. Those who passed by would intentionally or unintentionally strike up a conversation with Chi Yu. Some asked for directions, some asked about classrooms, some asked about dormitories, and some even directly asked for his WeChat ID.
After getting out of the car, Qing Mian said goodbye to Chen Yu'an. She didn't turn to walk into the school until the car had driven away. She deliberately avoided Chi Yu and walked through the other gate.
Hanlin University was very lively today. It was just as Qing Mian had imagined it to be when she was 18. But now she was 21, and even the air didn't have that sweet smell it used to have when she was 18.
The students around her were all carrying big and small luggage, while she was only dragging a 20 - inch suitcase. Chen Yu'an didn't allow her to live in the dormitory, so there was nothing extra in the suitcase except a few sets of change - of - clothes.
After walking for a while, she saw the sign for the freshmen's registration area. She followed the sign and found the registration desk for her major. There was no one there at the moment. She walked forward with her documents. "Hello, classmate. Is this where the music department freshmen register?"
The classmate who was in charge of registering looked up. What came into view was Qing Mian's fair little face. There was no anticipation in her eyes like the other freshmen. He stared at Qing Mian in a daze.
"Classmate?"
"Oops, sorry, sorry." The classmate came back to his senses. His face blushed in embarrassment. "Yes, this is where the music department freshmen register. Please give me your documents."
Qing Mian handed her documents to him.
He carefully registered her information. His finger searched for her name in the list of freshmen. "Chen Qing Mian, right?"
Qing Mian replied, "Yes."
The classmate quickly found her name, completed the registration, and returned the documents to Qing Mian. "Chen Qing Mian, my name is Shu Yi. I'm also from the music department, two years ahead of you. If you have any questions in the future, you can come to me at any time." Shu Yi smiled brightly. Looking at him, Qing Mian seemed to see her 18 - year - old self full of anticipation.
She nodded. A faint smile curved up on her lips as she smiled back at him.
Not far from the school gate, under the shade of the trees, a black Cullinan was parked.
"Sir, the meeting time is almost here," Tan Si looked at the man through the rear - view mirror and reminded him in a low voice.
Chen Yu'an's gaze had been fixed on the direction of the school gate. His lips moved. "Erbao... doesn't have me, her brother, in her heart anymore."