Chapter 16: Pitch Black Night (1/2)

Ye Xiyan smiled.

Qian Dailan noticed that he had a very faint dimple, only half of it, on the right side.

It was usually invisible when he spoke, only appearing as a faint shadow when he smiled broadly.

“I understand,” he said. “In that case, we can wait until next time to give it to me.”

Ye Xiyan’s answer caught Qian Dailan off guard.

He definitely understood.

“Brother Xiyan,” Qian Dailan said tactfully,

“I feel like it might not be appropriate for me to go tonight.”

“Why not?” Ye Xiyan looked down at her, the faint dimple still visible on his right cheek as he lowered his gaze and said,

“It’s perfectly normal for Ye Xijing’s girlfriend to visit her boyfriend’s home.”

“But,” Qian Dailan said, “the reason I came today was actually to break up with Ye Xijing.”

As she spoke, she kept an eye on Ye Xiyan’s expression, feeling uneasy and unsure if he would still offer his help.

After all, until now, the strongest bond between them had been Ye Xijing.

When she mentioned “breaking up,” Ye Xiyan showed no surprise, though the faint dimple on his right cheek disappeared.

Qian Dailan couldn’t discern his emotions from his face.

Except for that night’s awkwardness, this man always seemed calm and composed, like a pot of freshly steamed white rice pure and fragrant, without any sourness or bitterness.

“So,” Qian Dailan said, “it feels a bit awkward.”

“So,” Ye Xiyan echoed her tone, repeating the word, the faint dimple reappearing on his cheek.

“Dailan, do you want me to help you?”

Qian Dailan asked, “Can you?”

“Can I what?” he asked knowingly.

“How do you want me to help you?”

Qian Dailan said, “I want you to help me decline… Achoo!”

Before she could finish, a cold breeze blew, and her sleeveless dress left her arms exposed, causing her to sneeze.

One sneeze means someone is thinking of you, two sneezes mean someone is cursing you, and three sneezes mean you’re catching a cold.

Qian Dailan was sure Ye Xijing was thinking of her.

But right now, she just wanted to break up with him as peacefully as possible.

“What?” Ye Xiyan bent down, leaning closer, tilting his head slightly to press the side with the dimple down, bringing his right ear closer to her and asked,

“Sorry, what did you say? I didn’t catch that.”

“I want you to help me decline,” Qian Dailan said.

“It feels strange to go to the home of the boyfriend I’m about to break up with.”

“I can help you decline this time, but what about after?” Ye Xiyan straightened up.

“Have you thought about what comes next?”

Qian Dailan looked dazed.

It was late, and behind him was an intricately designed vintage streetlamp.

Above it, the colorful stained-glass window of the Western restaurant shone brightly, resembling the small round stained-glass window of Shenyang’s Catholic Church.

Somehow, on this increasingly chilly night, Qian Dailan suddenly felt homesick.

Ye Xiyan looked at the genuine confusion on her face.

“I don’t know,” Qian Dailan said.

“If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll just find another job. There are always other stores hiring salespeople—”

Ye Xiyan didn’t interrupt her.

He kept a faint smile on his face as he watched Qian Dailan.

At first, she seemed a bit lost, but the more she spoke, the faster and smoother her words became, and she grew more relaxed.

“If I can’t sell high-end brands, I can always work in mid-range or low-end stores. I’ve worked in Guangzhou and Shenyang, and I’ve even been to Harbin’s Golden Sun,” Qian Dailan continued.

Qian Dilan said earnestly, “Whether it’s a personal clothing store or a wholesale market, I have hands, feet, and beauty-I’ve got the face, the figure, and the brains. A living person can’t be held back by their own limitations, and I certainly won’t end up starving.”

Ye Xiyan couldn’t help but chuckle, “This is the first time I’ve heard someone equate… with food.”

However, Qian Dailan felt much more at ease.

Her mother always said she was the type who “wouldn’t go to the bathroom until the last minute” or “would pierce her ears right before getting on the wedding sedan chair.”

To put it more elegantly, she was someone who liked to “cram at the last moment.”

But Ye Xiyan didn’t even use words like “urine”-what a civilized person he was.

“That’s how it is,” Qian Dailan said,

“Thank you, brother, I—”

She stood up, intending to find a place to change out of the expensive dress and return it to Ye Xiyan.

“It’s good that you think this way,” Ye Xiyan said, “Coincidentally, I’m heading back tonight too.”

Qian Dailan: “Huh?”

“I can help you out once, but I can’t do it every time,” Ye Xiyan said,

“Let’s settle things today to avoid any future complications.”

Qian Dailan said, “Thank you, brother.”

She added, “By the way, I should return this dress to you-technically, I should wash it first, but I’m not sure if this fabric is suitable for washing. Dry cleaning would cost too much”

Ye Xiyan let out a muffled laugh.

“Keep it, it’s yours,” Ye Xiyan said, “Why are you in such a hurry to take it off? Isn’t it comfortable to wear?”

“It’s comfortable on my body, but not in my heart,” Qian Dailan said honestly,

She added, “It’s too expensive-it costs as much as a small car. Wearing something that expensive gives me a lot of psychological pressure.”

“You shouldn’t say that to customers buying clothes,” Ye Xiyan laughed, “Keep it, consider it a gift from my mother.”

Qian Dailan finally spoke up, “I haven’t had the chance to thank your mother in person yet.”

“It’s fine,” Ye Xiyan said, “She enjoys giving clothes to pretty girls like you. Don’t feel pressured.”

He teased, “Once you get used to wearing a small car, you’ll eventually get used to wearing several.”

Qian Dailan thought to herself, “No, thanks.”

Even if she became wealthy, she might not be willing to spend so much on such things-clothes and jewelry were just that.

She’d rather use the money to buy her parents a new house, so they could live comfortably.

She’d also want to renovate her grandparents’ graves, giving them a “good feng shui home, a little villa in the afterlife.”

With Ye Xiyan’s reassurance, Qian Dailan felt much more at ease.

Somehow, anything Ye Xiyan personally guaranteed gave her an immense sense of security.

She didn’t have to worry about being disappointed.

Excessive expectations were a terrifying form of self-destruction.

Qian Dailan tried her best to control her expectations of others-expecting too much from people was like drinking poison to quench thirst.

Indulging in being loved could also turn her into a little fool.

In truth, Qian Dailan still didn’t know much about Ye Xiyan’s family situation, nor had she met Mrs. Ye.

Ye Pingxi was younger than she had imagined, and indeed quite handsome at his age, he could still pass as a male model.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been qualified to be a son-in-law.

She had already witnessed Lin Yi’s madness.

During dinner tonight, she noticed Lin Yi glancing at her unhappily several times, her expression…

This was probably the kind of teasing that people around her would say,

“Look at her showing off, riding a foreign horse, wielding a foreign sword, clanging and clattering all over the place.”

As for Ye Pingxi’s current wife, she appeared to be in her early thirties, with fair skin and a quiet demeanor.

There was a faint trace of sorrow between her brows.

Whether it was towards Lin Yi or others, she was always respectful, keeping her head bowed.

Ye Pingxi had invited her back to “his home,” which was the house he shared with his current wife.

It was a standalone three-story villa with a small attic and a basement.

The interior was lavishly decorated, a mix of ostentatious and tacky, with mahogany used as if it were free.

There were intricate carvings of dragons and phoenixes, paired with a grand crystal chandelier, and even a crocodile skin table over two meters long.

On the wooden wall behind the large sofa in the living room hung a full white polar bear fur specimen.

Aesthetics weren’t important; what mattered was that it all looked expensive.

Qian Dailan and Ye Xiyan were both accommodated in guest rooms on the second floor.

She suddenly realized that Ye Xiyan didn’t have his own room in this house.

But Ye Xijing did.

She didn’t know what Ye Xiyan had discussed with Ye Pingxi, but in any case, Qian Dailan didn’t have to worry about talking to the elders tonight.

There was a dedicated room for card games on the second floor, and Ye Xijing had prepared drinks and fruits, wanting to have a good chat with Qian Dailan.

Qian Dailan insisted that Ye Xiyan be present.

Because an emotionally unstable Ye Xijing might do something strange, and the person she knew who could best keep Ye Xijing in check was Ye Xiyan, who had practically raised him.

Previously, Ye Xijing had mentioned that his father was always busy with work but had high expectations for his academic performance.

His mother was paranoid and would often threaten to take pills or hang herself.

In the family, only Ye Xiyan, his older brother, was normal -a stable, caring presence.

Later, Ye Xiyan was almost killed by a peanut allergy and was then taken to Hangzhou by his biological mother.

Ye Xijing’s ability to grow up relatively normal was largely due to Ye Xiyan’s care.

With Ye Xiyan present, the pre-breakup conversation was noticeably calmer.

Ye Xijing was in low spirits, and with his brother there, he couldn’t bring himself to say many things, so he suggested playing cards.

Once the cards were dealt, the conversation flowed more freely.

Qian Dailan wasn’t very skilled, having mostly played mahjong in Shenyang.

Unfortunately, there were only three of them now, so they played cards-specifically, “Dou Dizhu” (Landlord).

Although Qian Dailan had never played Dou Dizhu before, she had played “Da Niangniang,” also known as “Pao De Kuai,” which was quite similar.

After two rounds, Qian Dailan, who had won both, quickly grasped the rules.

After five rounds of Dou Dizhu, Ye Xijing, who had lost all five, was even more downcast.