Li Yifei had been in the bathroom for quite a while. Qian Fei, waiting outside, grew impatient and called out loudly, “Li Yifei, are you having stomach troubles?”
Li Yifei flushed the toilet, washed his hands, and exited the bathroom.
Returning to the table, he raised his glass to Qian Fei and said, “Sanitary Napkin, happy birthday!”
Qian Fei’s face, initially full of smiles, contorted upon hearing “Sanitary Napkin.” She tried to look angry but couldn’t suppress her joy at the birthday wish. At that moment, her expression changed so rapidly that she looked almost manic.
In the end, she chose “joy,” clinked glasses with Li Yifei, and said, “Thanks for the wishes, but I’m begging you, can you please stop calling me Sanitary Napkin?”
Li Yifei glanced at her. “Depends on my mood!” he said, then downed his drink in one go.
Qian Fei glared at him before following suit and emptying her glass.
While Qian Fei was drinking, Li Yifei sneakily took her phone and blocked the number that had sent the text message.
They quickly finished the bottle of red wine. Qian Fei smacked her lips and said, “This wine is delicious! Where did you get it?”
Li Yifei replied, “I stole it.”
Qian Fei wanted to scan the QR code to check the price but stumbled as she stood up.
“I didn’t think it would go to my head, why am I dizzy?” she said, shaking her head.
Li Yifei looked at her, his mouth twitching into a smile. “Look how stupid you are!” he teased.
Qian Fei was shocked when she scanned the QR code. The phone screen showed that when filled, this empty bottle contained wine from Romanée-Conti worth 120,000 yuan.
But she quickly realized that this must be a high-quality counterfeit!
Holding her head, she sighed, “These fakes just aren’t good enough, they make you dizzy!”
Li Yifei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This wine was what he had stolen from under his old man’s bed just before their falling out. It was anything but fake.
He bent down to retrieve a few cans of beer, placing them on the table. Opening one, he handed it to Qian Fei, “Have some beer to clear your head, you won’t feel dizzy anymore!”
Qian Fei took the beer, looking pensive.
Suddenly, she slapped the table and said, “Li Yifei, are you a rich second-generation?”
Li Yifei paused, his expression becoming blank as he looked at her.
Time seemed to stand still.
Qian Fei pondered for a moment, then rejected her hypothesis: “No, that’s not right. If you were really rich, and if this wine wasn’t fake, you could sell a few bottles and have enough for a house down payment. Why would you need to rent a room from me?”
Li Yifei wanted to hit her on the head with a mop handle as he listened to her reasoning.
Rich kids already have plenty of houses, why would they need to sell family heirlooms for a down payment on a new one? His renting a room was just a temporary measure. He wanted to prove a point to that old fart, so he didn’t want to ask him for money. But it wasn’t like he was cutting ties with Old Li forever, so why would he need to save up to buy a house?
Li Yifei chatted idly with her as they drank beer. After two cans, he got up and went to the kitchen. Qian Fei watched him curiously, wondering what he was up to.
Just before reaching the kitchen, Li Yifei suddenly turned off all the lights in the room. Qian Fei let out a surprised “Oh!” A moment later, to the tune of “Happy Birthday” playing on a phone, a soft, flickering light gradually moved from the kitchen towards the living room.
Li Yifei emerged from the kitchen carrying a birthday cake filled with candles, his phone playing the birthday song tucked into his shirt pocket.
As Li Yifei set the cake on the table, he saw that Qian Fei was already in tears.
He was startled.
“Isn’t this a bit much? Just because I didn’t sing ‘Happy Birthday’ myself, you’re this upset?”
Qian Fei was both laughing and crying. “No, it’s not that. I’m just so moved. I haven’t celebrated my birthday like this in years. Before, because I had a boyfriend, Yao Jing couldn’t celebrate with me. And that boyfriend of mine, if he managed to cook me a bowl of noodles, that was already impressive. I haven’t had my birthday cake in years!” She wiped her face with her sleeve and asked with a smile, “Am I being too sentimental?”
Li Yifei nodded, “You sure are. It’s just a cake, is it worth crying over like this?” Despite his words, he felt a twinge in his heart.
That Wang bastard treated her poorly.
Li Yifei patted her shoulder. “Alright, stop being so sentimental. Make a wish before the candles burn out!”
Qian Fei closed her eyes, clasping her hands in front of her mouth.
Li Yifei watched her in the candlelight. Her face was full of reverence as if she were performing a sacred ritual, serious and focused. Her long eyelashes curled slightly at the ends, casting small fan-shaped shadows on her cheeks. Her nose was straight and delicate, her face oval with a pointed chin. Thanks to his recent encouragement to take skincare seriously, her skin was fair and smooth, with barely visible pores.
She was becoming more beautiful the longer he looked. How had he ever mistaken her for an ugly tomboy?
As Li Yifei gazed at the peaceful face before him, he felt increasingly moved. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, which were bright with emotion. With a smile, she said to him, “I’ve made my wish!”
Li Yifei collected himself and smiled. “Then blow out the candles!”
Qian Fei said, “You put too many! I can’t blow them all out in one breath. Help me!”
Li Yifei agreed, “Okay!”
Qian Fei counted down from three, and they both leaned in to blow out the candles.
Darkness suddenly enveloped them. Qian Fei went to turn on the lights, then came back to cut the cake. She gave a piece to Li Yifei and took one for herself. As they ate cake, drank beer, and chatted, Qian Fei felt this was the best birthday ever.
“Thank you, Li Yifei,” she said softly.
Li Yifei looked up at her. “What are you thanking me for?” He paused, then asked, “What did you wish for just now? You looked like you were using every ounce of strength you had!”
Qian Fei said, “Not just every ounce of strength, I used all the energy I had coming out of the womb! I wished that this year I’d meet a good man and get married!”
Li Yifei’s eyes flickered with an indecipherable emotion.
“Are you that eager to get married? Why not have a good relationship first?”
Qian Fei shook her head, frowning. “What’s so good about relationships? Haven’t I been hurt enough? After this birthday, I’ll be twenty-seven. I’m not a young girl anymore, I can’t keep dreaming. Things like love are all illusory. Finding a suitable person to marry and spend the rest of your life with, supporting each other through thick and thin, that’s what matters!”
Li Yifei fell silent.
He felt his thoughts becoming muddled.
Since that night when they almost had a drunken encounter, he had been certain of one thing: he had genuinely developed feelings for this silly girl. But after that night, he had fallen into a state of conflict and confusion – he couldn’t be sure if the depth of his feelings was enough to sustain a lifelong marriage. Was he willing to enter the constraints of marriage for this feeling of attachment?
It was because of this conflict and confusion that he hadn’t actively reminded her about what had happened that night.
Qian Fei’s phone rang. She answered; that it was her father and stepmother wishing her a happy birthday. He listened to her happily chatting on the phone, talking about family matters, occasionally bantering with her father. He couldn’t help but smile along.
It was a family completely different from his own. In that family, everyone lived diligently and worked hard. They could be considered well-off among working-class families, but they had emptied their savings to buy her a house in Beijing. This silly girl worried about her father’s health, was grateful for her stepmother’s kindness, and lived each day with a bit of trepidation, always fearful of unforeseen events that she might not have the means to handle.
He could see the subtle worries hidden beneath her carefree laughter. He could also see how much effort she was quietly making to change her situation. She studied hard, worked on improving her professional skills, and wanted to take exams for an insurance agency and certified public accountancy. She wanted to change and control all the unpredictable things in life through her efforts and abilities.
She lived so diligently, so earnestly. He had always prioritized fun and enjoyment. Although he liked her, could he bear the weight of her seriousness? Could he bear the responsibility of the marriage she longed for?
Li Yifei’s mind was in turmoil.
Qian Fei ended the call and raised her beer can to Li Yifei, saying, “My dad asked me to have a drink with you on his behalf!”
Li Yifei also raised his beer can. As he was tilting his head back to drink, he suddenly heard Qian Fei let out an “Ah!”
He put down his beer and looked at Qian Fei.
Her face was flushed, as red as freshly fried chili oil. Her eyes were wide, her mouth agape, her entire face filled with horror.
Li Yifei frowned and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Qian Fei, her face still bright red, looked at Li Yifei with panic in her eyes. “I remember what happened that night after we drank beer together!”
It turned out that the erotic dream wasn’t a dream at all, but a real-life show, and the performers were herself and the man in front of her.
She stammered, her voice trembling, “H-h-how did we… w-w-we…” She stumbled over her words, biting her tongue several times, unable to finish her sentence.
Li Yifei just sat there looking at her, his face devoid of any expression, not saying a word, sitting there, silently watching her.
Qian Fei was so embarrassed she wanted to cry.
If only he would say something, even if it was that he regretted their drunken impulse, it would be better than this silent staring, as if he were enjoying her panic. It made her want to dig a hole and crawl into it.
“I-I-I’m very dizzy! I’m going to bed now, good night!” With these words, Qian Fei stood up and stumbled hurriedly back to her room.
Li Yifei watched as Qian Fei slammed her door shut, and then rubbed his stiff face.
When she suddenly said she remembered what happened that night, he didn’t know how to react.
Should he say it was an accident or a momentary impulse? Should he say he liked her but hadn’t thought about whether he wanted to marry her?
He dared not say anything, afraid that one wrong word would cause her, with her serious nature, to dramatically kick him out and end their friendship for good.
He rubbed his face as he returned to his room.
He thought he should take some time to cool off, sort out his thoughts, and decide what attitude and relationship he should adopt with that silly girl going forward.
Having made this decision, he prepared to sleep. Let’s leave everything to tomorrow, after all, tomorrow is another day.
Just as he lay down, he received a call from the company’s vice president.
The next day at work, Qian Fei discovered that Li Yifei had already left. A sense of unease settled in her heart; it was evident that he was avoiding her.
During the day, Liu Yifeng asked her to confirm some details from the previous due diligence with Li Yifei and his company. She tried calling Li Yifei, only to find his phone was turned off. Reluctantly, she called Zhao De.
Zhao De sounded somewhat lethargic on the phone. When Qian Fei inquired about him, he mentioned feeling a tightness in his chest. She then asked what Li Yifei was up to, as his phone had been off.
Zhao De’s voice carried a hint of surprise: “You don’t know? Aren’t you two living together? Yifei left early this morning on a business trip with another project team. He’ll probably be gone for a month. It’s the project he was borrowed for, the one related to the company’s bond issuance. He’s likely still on the plane. It’s strange, though; the team leader begged him to go on this trip, but he refused at first, saying he had something important to do this month that seemed to be related to you. But I heard this morning that after the Vice President called him last night, he agreed. You know, his personality is even more fickle than a woman’s!”
After hanging up, Qian Fei was utterly bewildered. She felt utterly humiliated. He was indeed avoiding her!
She regretted her impulsive words. Even if she had recalled that night, why did she have to mention it? She convinced herself that Li Yifei had merely been drunk that night; his actions were fueled by impulse. Deep down, he probably didn’t want her to remember that incident at all. Yet here she was, recalling it and voicing it, forcing him to confront it. So, he chose to escape through this business trip.
Embarrassment washed over her, making her feel small and exposed. It was as if she were compelling him to take responsibility for her feelings.
After the initial embarrassment faded, a twinge of discomfort settled in her chest, accompanied by a hint of sadness that made her eyes slightly misty. She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the hurt and sorrow, forcing herself not to dwell on it.
Whatever. If he wanted to move out when he returned, she would find a new tenant. If he preferred to stay, she would keep her distance, ensuring they didn’t make things awkward for each other.
Meanwhile, Li Yifei sat at the airport, gazing out at the misty clouds, his thoughts gradually calming.
Yesterday, the Vice President had pleaded with him in an unprecedented manner, practically begging him to join the bond issuance project team to handle the aftermath. The company’s owner was notoriously difficult to deal with; no one else could manage him, but Li Yifei could at least communicate effectively. The Vice President had insisted that if he didn’t go, the project would be completely abandoned.
With the stakes this high, Li Yifei had no choice but to agree.
After agreeing, he reflected that this business trip was quite timely. It would allow him to sort out his feelings for Qian Fei and determine how much he was willing to give up for her. Unlike the other women he had dated, who were satisfied with casual romances, Qian Fei approached every relationship seriously, aiming for marriage, despite having faced failures each time.
Ironically, it was precisely because of those failures that she could no longer afford to be hurt again. Therefore, he needed to be more cautious and understand his true feelings for her. Was he willing to consider a marriage-based commitment? If not, she would end up hurt, and he might as well stop pursuing her altogether. If he was willing, he would need to contemplate whether he might regret it in the future.
He resolved to take this month to clarify his thoughts.