107: Melancholy Little Qi

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Xiaoqi felt that she had spent far too long feeling melancholy today, to the point that she was beginning to think she really was a sentimental person.

She sighed as she headed back.

When she arrived at the restaurant, a mature-looking woman in her thirties was chatting with Auntie Fang.

“I’m telling you, Sister Yun, you can’t keep wasting your life like this. You should know that time is youth and beauty. If you find yourself a man now, you’d be doing society a favor. Wait another two years, and going out with someone will be tantamount to harming your fellow men. Besides…” The woman leaned over mysteriously and whispered, “You’re at the perfect age biologically, you know. Don’t you ever want to fall asleep at night in a warm embrace?”

Fang Yun lowered her blushing face shyly and swayed from side to side. “I’m only thirty-five. There’s no need to hurry.”

For some reason, Xiaoqi suddenly thought of Doctor Pan.

She immediately hurried over. “Auntie, I know a doctor who’s about your age. He’s pretty handsome, too. How about—”

“Xiyang.” Seeing that Xiaoqi was soaked through, Fang Yun immediately pulled her into the room. “Why didn’t you take shelter from the rain? Hurry up and change your clothes.”

Xiaoqi threw her arms around her aunt, her voice slightly choked. “Auntie really is the best person on Earth! But you’re not even my real—”

“Xiyang.” Fang Yun pulled her away, her expression suddenly serious. “What’s wrong? Is work not going well? Or is something going on between you and Yichen…?”

Xiaoqi instantly put on a bright smile. “Oh, nothing. I just felt like getting rained on. I only came back to pick up the takeout.”

Xiaoqi came every day at noon to collect the takeout, so Fang Yun did not doubt her explanation.

Still, getting soaked in the rain…

After eyeing her suspiciously for several seconds, Fang Yun suddenly said, “Xiyang, you scared me half to death. For a moment, I thought some man had abducted you.”

“…”

That was a classic auntie-style metaphor. Xiaoqi could not help laughing.

As long as she stopped thinking about things, shallow happiness was actually easy to find. She could laugh and joke around with the people beside her; if everyone else thought she was happy, then little by little, she would begin to feel happy herself.

All right. She had let her melancholy get out of hand.

Xiaoqi shook her head.

Getting caught in the rain and throwing herself into misery for the sake of one Earthling was truly ridiculous. She despised herself for it.

If Little Bai found out, he would definitely despise her even more.

Xiaoqi quickly changed into a fresh set of clothes.

Since she had lied just now, she had to make the lie believable.

After changing, she ran out and told her aunt, “Auntie, I think I’m a little dizzy from getting soaked in the rain, so I just called to ask for the afternoon off. I’m not going to work today. I’ll go tomorrow.”

“Dizzy?” Fang Yun repeated to the woman beside her, then took some medicine and handed it to Xiaoqi.

Xiaoqi knew that her aunt and her friend had been discussing her lifelong happiness.

So after taking the medicine, she sat down beside them and listened.

The woman introduced several men, showing them photographs on her phone, but Fang Yun did not seem particularly satisfied with any of them.

The woman continued enthusiastically, “Look at this one. He’s very well-known. He’s even appeared on television, so he has quite a reputation. But that’s not the important part. The key is that he looks fantastic. If you got together with him, wouldn’t that make you incredibly proud?”

Fang Yun studied the photograph carefully. The man was handsome and distinguished-looking, indeed quite impressive. “What does he do?”

“He’s a lawyer. He earns more in an hour than your restaurant makes in a month.”

Fang Yun thought she was exaggerating. “Lawyers make that much money?”

“Of course.” The woman laughed. “I heard that lawyers who work in criminal and civil litigation take this much from a single case.” She held up two fingers.

Fang Yun guessed in astonishment, “Twenty thousand?”

The woman shook her head.

“Could it be two hundred thousand?”

The woman gave a scornful laugh. “Multiply that by ten.”

Fang Yun drew in a sharp breath and fell silent.

Handsome, with such a high income—she knew her own limitations.

“Xiyang!”

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A man’s voice suddenly interrupted the woman.

Perhaps it was because she had been caught in the rain, or perhaps because of the medicine, but Xiaoqi was sitting there drowsily, half asleep.

She did not hear him call her.

Fang Yun, however, looked toward the entrance, and her eyes immediately lit up.

The sensation of love at first sight shot from her mind straight to her heart. She promptly said to the woman, “Little Tao, you don’t need to introduce anyone anymore. I already have someone in mind.” With that, she immediately walked over to Pan Sen.

One look was enough for Little Tao to understand.

What a waste of her breath.

Still, this man had a refined, scholarly appearance. Yes, he seemed perfectly suited to Sister Yun.

“Sir, are you looking for Xiyang?” Fang Yun asked, gazing at Pan Sen with undisguised fascination.

Pan Sen adjusted his glasses. He paid no attention to her stare and immediately spotted Xiaoqi dozing on the counter.

He gave Fang Yun a polite nod, then walked over to Xiaoqi and patted her lightly. “Xiyang?”

Half asleep, Xiaoqi seemed to hear someone calling her and opened her bleary eyes.

The face before her was one that made her both sorrowful and longing.

Her large eyes were hazy, carrying a hint of grievance.

It was obvious that she was still muddled from sleep.

Pan Sen waved five fingers in front of her face. “Can someone sleepwalk with their eyes open?”

“…”

Xiaoqi woke up completely. She was just about to speak when she noticed her aunt staring blankly at Doctor Pan.

Although Xiaoqi usually seemed rather oblivious, her instincts were remarkably sharp.

One look at her aunt’s expression told her that Fang Yun had taken a fancy to Doctor Pan.

When Xiaoqi had first arrived, she had mentioned Doctor Pan to her aunt. But since Fang Yun had never seen him in person, she had not shown much interest.

Now, however…

Xiaoqi immediately stood up and introduced them. “Doctor Pan, this is my beautiful aunt, Fang Yun.”

A blush immediately spread across Fang Yun’s face.

She remembered what Xiaoqi had said when she first came in.

“Pretty handsome”? He was far more than that—he was devastatingly handsome!

And he was a doctor, too. She had liked doctors ever since she was young.

This man was simply perfect for her.

But as for Pan Sen…

He was momentarily confused by Xiaoqi’s sudden introduction, but soon understood.

After all, this was her aunt. Xiyang was merely introducing them out of courtesy.

Pan Sen extended his hand in a gentlemanly greeting. “Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Fang Yun had not expected him to be so courteous. She immediately reached out and shook his hand.

Good heavens, he was handsome—and even his hands were exceptionally attractive.

She held his hand for quite some time, her expression resembling that of someone examining a work of art.

Pan Sen grew somewhat awkward, and Xiaoqi immediately pulled her aunt’s hand away.

She realized that her aunt was exactly like her.

The moment either of them saw a handsome man, they became lovestruck fools.

Yet thinking of handsome men inevitably made her think of a certain someone, and she lost herself in thought. A bitter ache unexpectedly welled up in her heart.

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Pushing away the feelings that made her uncomfortable, Xiaoqi forced a smile. “Doctor Pan, this is your first time here, and it’s lunchtime. Why don’t you stay for a meal? It’s on me.”

One had to understand that Xiaoqi treating someone to a meal was a once-in-a-thousand-years event.

There was no way Pan Sen could refuse.

After ordering their food, Fang Yun stood behind the counter and kept her eyes fixed on Pan Sen.

The more she looked at him, the more handsome he seemed.

Pan Sen asked Xiaoqi how things were progressing between her and Yichen.

Xiaoqi answered honestly.

“Doctor Pan, I really have done everything I can.” After a pause, Xiaoqi lowered her eyes. “I’m thinking of leaving this place.”

She could not even get close to him anymore, much less obtain the signal device.

Since she could not return, she might as well find somewhere else to live.

Pan Sen immediately grew anxious. “Xiyang, you can’t give up. If even you abandon Yichen, then he truly will be beyond saving.”

“...I’m beyond saving myself,” Xiaoqi muttered. Then she clearly stated her intentions. “From now on, I’m going to travel throughout the universe. I refuse to waste my time in one place.”

“…”

Pan Sen nearly felt like crying.

He knew that after losing her memory, Xiyang no longer had much affection for Yichen. But if she really left, then Yichen would…

A thought suddenly occurred to him, and Pan Sen glanced toward the counter.

His eyes met Fang Yun’s gaze, which was fixed on him. He froze for a moment, then, without giving it much thought, immediately said, “Xiyang, if you leave, what will happen to your aunt? She’s already at such an age and still all alone. Can you really bear to leave her even more alone?”

“…”

Xiaoqi heard only the words “at such an age.”

She instantly became indignant on behalf of the aunt who had always doted on her. “Doctor Pan, my aunt is about the same age as you—at most, she’s a few years older. And look at her: she’s graceful, beautiful, and elegant. She looks much younger than you. If you asked my aunt to be your girlfriend, she might not even want you!”

“…”

Had the conversation somehow gone completely off track?

“Xiyang, let’s get back to the point. Think about it. First, you’ve forgotten Yichen, but Yichen still loves you just as much as ever. Now he has forgotten you, and he also suffers from amnesia. That makes it even more impossible for you to leave. You need to stay by his side. Aren’t you worried at all that if you leave, his amnesia might worsen until he truly loses his mind?”

“If you have no feelings for him at all and do not care about him in the slightest, then fine. I have nothing more to say about your choice. Just don’t regret it later.”

Pan Sen left.

Fang Yun watched him walk away and murmured dreamily, “Look at that. Even the way he walks radiates confidence. He’s unbelievably handsome.”

Xiaoqi walked over and muttered, “Being too confident and attracting too much attention can easily make the people around you retreat.”

When Yiyang returned to his residence after work, he saw Anna getting out of a car. Dressed fashionably and carrying herself with effortless grace, she walked toward him.

“Yiyang, do you have some time? I’d like to take you somewhere.”

When they arrived at the place Anna had mentioned, Yiyang’s heart stirred. “When did you arrange all this?”

Anna smiled sweetly. “I started working on it the day after your exhibition hall caught fire.” She pointed at the paintings on the wall. “Fortunately, the fire wasn’t too severe, so restoring everything to its original state wasn’t too difficult.”

Anna looked at him and suddenly said, “I heard that your brother put that Ye Xiyang in your department?”

Yiyang was startled. “How did you know?”

Anna did not answer. She continued with what she wanted to say. “I also know that you found out long ago about Ye Xiyang’s relationship with your brother, yet you kept it from me all this time.”

A trace of disappointment flashed through Yiyang’s eyes. He said blandly, “That’s something between you and my brother. What could I say? And even if I had told you, I wouldn’t have been able to help you.”

“I know.” Anna smiled faintly. “You just didn’t want to hurt me. You were trying to protect me, weren’t you?”

Yiyang looked away from her and said nothing.