Chapter One: Poem (1)

"It wasn't a delivery; a man personally brought it over and even asked what time our company starts and ends work," Xu Jia said, then added with a smile, "Oh, he is really handsome."

seven o'clock

Xu Linlang could not help but tease: "You two have been together day and night during the Spring Festival, hasn't anything happened?"

The call was disconnected before I could finish speaking

You appeared before me

I remember that wonderful moment

Strange, this person never gossips about others' private lives, and of course, he also refuses to let others gossip about him. Why is he asking this so early in the morning

Tong Xi still thought it was a delivery, but then she saw Xu Jia handing her a long pine-colored paper box. Upon opening it, she found several branches of wax plums lying horizontally, about to bloom, with a fragrant aroma wafting through the air

These small habits that he changed often remind her, causing her to involuntarily think of him, which makes her very unhappy. Her intention was to completely and forever forget him, even to the point of not dreaming about him at all. However, contrary to her wishes, she dreamt last night of stargazing with him on the stone bridge in Xizhen.

8:50. Xinghui Building

His twin sister, Mo Dan, who is also a friend of Tong Xi, has recently just gone through a divorce

There was a two-second pause on the phone before saying, "It was me who did it."

There is no need to be polite. You are not going alone, are you?

Under the flower branch lies a piece of autumn fragrance colored paper, on which are written four lines of Russian, a poem by Pushkin

Even in a room with sufficient heating, breakfast is likely to have cooled down a bit. The maid approached and asked with concern, "Shall I warm up your breakfast?"

In order to shorten the height difference between himself and his mother and to bolster his own stance, Xu Yan stood barefoot on the sofa and said with righteous indignation: "Don't you often tell Grandpa and Grandma that you are the master of your own life? Then I am also the master of my own life! I do not want to practice the piano, I do not like practicing the piano, just as you do not like blind dates and do not like getting married!"

Mo Fei slapped his forehead, forgetting that this person was protective of his own. Even if it was an ex-girlfriend with whom he had broken up, he could not say a single bad word about her. When they broke up, rumors were rampant, and Fu Xingzhi, not understanding the situation, spoke up for him, saying, "What’s so good about Tong Xi?" Nie Xiu immediately turned hostile and walked away. Since then, among a few friends, the name Tong Xi was no longer mentioned in front of him, regarded as a forbidden zone.

Mo Fei remained silent for a moment, then sighed: "If it were Tong Xi, you might as well pray for your own fortune and leave it to fate. After her sister's incident, she gave up on the idea of marriage, and now that my sister has also divorced, she doesn't even want to talk about dating anymore"

"The Shawshank Redemption" is Tong Xi's favorite film, which she has watched countless times and can almost recite the lines from memory

Xu Linlang is currently arguing with her son Xu Yan. Due to the winter vacation, the piano lessons Xu Linlang arranged for him are quite intensive, which has angered the little one

a fleeting illusion like a night-blooming cereus

Tong Xi ruffled his messy hair and said, "Move quickly, after we finish eating, I will take you to Xu Yan's house."

Xu Linlang and Tong Xin had a whirlwind marriage and divorce, and Tong Xi only had time to call her sister-in-law a few times; thereafter, when they met again, she changed her address.

Xu Jia exclaimed, "Wow, it smells so good. This flower doesn't seem to be from a flower shop."

Although the voice was slightly hoarse, the tone remained as calm and composed as ever, not suggesting that anything was amiss

Tong Xi smiled tightly, but still responsibly said: "Absolutely not. You are still a goddess, a fiery goddess."

The little boy, rubbing his eyes in a daze, pouted and said: "I haven't slept well yet"

Dazed and confused, I saw the name on the screen, my eyelids twitched, and I was momentarily stunned

Xu Linlang has met Lu Kuan, a handsome and taciturn veteran, who is also Shen Xiquan's driver and possesses remarkable skills. Last year, he accompanied Tong Xi on a trip to Lushan Township.

Hmm

As Xu Linlang pointed to the sofa to invite Tong Xiluo to take a seat, she smoothed out the skin that had been wrinkled all morning due to anger with her palm, her expression filled with deep sorrow: "Sigh, since having a son, I have transformed from a goddess into a shrew"

However, what he just said is also the truth. In just fourteen days, wanting to win back an ex-girlfriend who neither wants to get married nor wants to be in a relationship, especially one who was the one to initiate the breakup, is absolutely an impossible task!

It is common for beautiful girls to receive flowers as a form of pursuit. In university, it was manageable, as everyone knew that Tong Xi had a boyfriend of god-like status, whose abilities, education, appearance, and family background overshadowed others by a wide margin, leaving no one foolish enough to challenge him. It was not until after graduating from university and entering the company that she gradually received a few bouquets, mostly roses. This was the first time she received plum blossoms, and it was even anonymous, which made it quite rare.

What the film and television company lacks the least is beautiful women and handsome men. Among the artists signed by the company, there is no shortage of various handsome men. It is quite remarkable that this man who is giving flowers can make Xu Jiahua, who is accustomed to handsome men, become infatuated.

This person has not returned to the country for two years, becoming a hidden figure due to their busyness. During the Spring Festival, when I tried to call to extend my greetings, I was unable to reach them eight out of ten times. Today, they took the initiative to call, and it was very early in the morning, which must indicate that there is an urgent matter or something has happened

Nie Xiu, who hurried home in the early morning, stood by the window. Dressed only in a shirt during the cold winter months, his silhouette was as upright as a cedar tree

I would like to visit Lushan Township during the Spring Festival and have Tonghua stay with you for a few days. I will come to pick him up when I return. What do you think?

Nie Xiu was silent for two seconds and said, "I have fourteen days of vacation"

The indoor heating was too strong, so he opened half of the bedroom window. Even in the bleak winter, the view remained lush and green, with memories mingling in the faint scent of plum blossoms, drifting like smoke in his mind. Many things cannot simply be forgotten by mere words, nor can they be erased by the desire to forget. The phone numbers he had once deleted with his own hands still linger in his memory; the physical act of deletion is merely a self-deceptive trick.

After the breakup, many of his habits subtly persisted in her life. For instance, after he finished cooking, everything had to be returned to the cabinet without any changes, leaving the countertop completely clean and free of any items. As a result, her kitchen was also spotless

A word that conveys no emotion, yet is responded to swiftly and without hesitation

Xu Yan is the son of Tong Xi's older cousin, one year older than Tong Hua, and they both attend the same kindergarten. They are very good friends. A week ago, the kindergarten started winter vacation, and Xu Linlang invited Tong Hua to her home to keep her son company. In the morning, Tong Xi took him over, and in the evening, he picked him up after work

After boiling, turn off the heat and let the hot water sit for three minutes. At this time, the egg yolk will solidify to a suitable texture, neither overcooked nor undercooked

She scooped two eggs out of the pot and immersed them in cold water. At the moment she picked them up, a figure flashed through her mind.

Xu Yanru saw her savior, rushed to Tong Xi, called her "Auntie," and quickly pulled Tong Hua away. The two children chattered as they ran up the stairs, like two doves released into the wind

Then the difficulty of reconciliation becomes quite significant. Has she blocked you

The nanny brought over the tea, and Tong Xi took the cup in her hands, feeling a bit embarrassed as she said: "Sister Linlang, I have a favor to ask of you."

Just as the mother and son were embroiled in a fierce argument, Tong Xi and Tong Hua arrived

The nanny cut a few budding wintersweet branches from the flowerbed to place in a vase. Passing by the restaurant entrance, she noticed that the breakfast, which had been set out for fifteen minutes, showed no signs of having been touched.

Xu Linlang smiled and asked again, "What about Nie Xiu?"

Xu Linlang was so choked that her eyes were smoking, wanting to hit someone. Before she could raise her hand, Xu Yan, with her beautiful little face tilted up, reminded her: "A gentleman uses words, not fists. My grandfather is upstairs"

Mo Fei twitched the corner of his mouth and said bluntly, "Fourteen days of vacation is quite long? It took me a month and a half to win back my naive little girlfriend, alright? Don't think that just because you're a top student, you can handle everything; it also depends on what it is, boss. My girlfriend is at most a junior sister Yi Lin, but you are on the level of the ruthless master..."

She originally had no curiosity at all about who the sender of the flowers was, as she had long given up on the idea of love. However, at this moment, her curiosity was successfully piqued, as very few people knew that she understood Russian and had a fondness for poetry

Nie Xiu extinguished half a cigarette in the crystal ashtray and left the dining room to go upstairs. His parents were still asleep, and the second floor was quiet without a sound. This was a private villa located at the foot of Meishan Mountain, where the Nie couple came to reside every winter for the convenience of soaking in hot springs

Xu Linlang readily agreed, "Sure, I couldn't ask for more. With Tong Hua around, Xu Yan won't be pestering me every day. So, don't come to pick him up tonight."

Tong Xi lowered her eyelids, brushed her fingers against the teacup, and smiled slightly as she said, "I would have forgotten about this person if you hadn't mentioned it."

A clever child naturally makes one proud, but being too clever can also be quite difficult to manage. Whenever Xu Linlang finds herself unable to argue with her son, she can't help but inwardly grumble about his biological father. Like father, like son, indeed. They are both equally stubborn.

At six thirty in the morning, Mo Fei was awakened by his phone.

Mo Fei was taken aback for a moment and asked uncertainly, "Are you referring to Tong Xi?"

Tong Xi was concerned that the topic would continue, and she would be unable to handle it, so she quickly stood up to take her leave. Xu Linlang also needed to go to the company for work and offered to give Tong Xi a ride along the way.

Tong Xi understood that this was Xu Linlang indirectly helping her. Otherwise, she would have to find a temporary nanny to look after Tong Hua

Xu Jia shook her head: "I would like to, but his aura is too cold, and his gaze is quite intimidating, so I didn't dare to."

Breakfast is ready, she went to wake up Tong Hua

Tong Xi blinked her long eyelashes and asked seriously, "Are your eyes a lie detector, Mr. Xu?"

Thank you, Sister Linlang

Xu Linlang chuckled softly

Xu Linlang extended two fingers to lift her chin, "Look into my eyes"

He has called several times recently, and each time it has been the message that the user you dialed is powered off. It is neither a disconnection nor a busy signal. Clearly, the number is still retained; she simply no longer uses it

How to recover it

No, Shen Xiquan said that Lu Kuan would also drive me there

Mo Feisong let out a sigh and said, "Yes, what is it?"

Upon hearing Xu Yan's name, Tong Hua immediately sprang up from the bed, full of energy

Tong Xi, like countless mornings, was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Her perfectionist nature was fully manifested while taking care of her four-year-old son, Tong Hua. Bread, milk, and a small platter of fruits and vegetables were prepared, ensuring not only comprehensive nutrition but also delicious taste.

Tong Xi just entered the company when he was stopped by the receptionist, Xu Jia, who said that someone had sent her a gift

It was as if freshly cut from the branches, the flower branch exuded a chill. Tong Xi asked if there was a delivery slip.

Amidst the busyness, the timer on the kitchen countertop rang. Three minutes have passed

You can just speak your mind

8 o'clock, Xu's home

I hurriedly answered the phone and heard a familiar, cool voice, "I remember you mentioned last time that you broke up with your girlfriend and then got back together?"

Nie Xiu did not respond to his inquiry, directly skipping over his gossip topic, and asked the next question: "What if all contact information has been deleted?"

I was surprised that this great person actually lowered themselves to seek advice. At that moment, Mo Fei became spirited and excitedly said while hugging a pillow: "Call to apologize, send a WeChat red envelope, buy gifts and flowers, pick you up and drop you off from work. Are you in a relationship? Did you break up? Who is it?"

Being in a romantic relationship with someone will inevitably lead to some influence from the other party. That person has a strong sense of time and plans everything meticulously, even the way of boiling an egg resembles a program.

Tong Xi chuckled: "Sister Linlang, do you think this is Whitney Houston's 'The Bodyguard'? I have no such intention. Besides, even if Lu Kuan were here, or even Andy standing in front of me, I would not be moved."

Like a pure and beautiful fairy

Xu Linlang was amused

Xu Linlang silently clenched her outstretched fingers into a fist. I endured

Tong Xi jestingly asked: "Did you not steal | take a photo?"

7:30. Xingyuan Community

No need, thank you