Chapter 172: So What If It Is a Misunderstanding?

Shen Qingyi finished the soup in her bowl and said, "I'll pack up the rest of this food to take back with me so I won't have to cook tomorrow morning."

Xia Xiyue yielded to her wishes. Once Han Lanzhi had finished eating, he turned to the young boss behind him and said, "A-Wang, pack the leftovers in lunch boxes and put them in the fridge. I'll come pick them up tomorrow morning."

Shen Qingyi looked surprised. "I can wait a bit longer. There's no need to make you run another trip."

Xia Xiyue ignored her. "With this many dishes, if you wait for him to pack them up, it'll probably take half an hour."

He added after a pause, "Mixing them all together ruins the flavors."

Han Lanzhi could hardly bear to watch them and pulled at him, saying, "Aren't they just a few dishes? If we pick them up tomorrow, we'll pick them up tomorrow."

Unable to argue further, Shen Qingyi got up and followed Xia Xiyue outside. This time, however, Xia Xiyue didn't drive; instead, he pointed to a row of brand-new Western-style houses across the street. "The place you'll be staying is over there. Go take a look."

Shen Qingyi smiled. "Since it's so close, I'll just come get the food myself tomorrow. I've already put you through so much trouble tonight, so go back and get some good rest."

Her words were sincere and earnest.

Yet Xia Xiyue walked ahead without answering.

Once inside, Han Lanzhi was deeply moved by the sight. Such a spacious flat—at least two hundred square meters—with all the appliances and furniture brand new, several of them even imported from abroad.

"A-Yue, is this your family's house?" Han Lanzhi asked warmly.

Xia Xiyue nodded. "Yes! My sister prepared it for Qingyi. If you get used to living here, you can stay a while longer. I'll slowly help you look for a lawyer, and as for He Xiangcao, there should be news about her soon as well."

Shen Qingyi quickly explained, "There's no need to look for a lawyer, and there's no need to look for He Xiangcao either."

Xia Xiyue was startled. "Why?"

"You haven't been in Kyoto lately, so you probably haven't seen the news from the past few days." With that, Shen Qingyi detailed everything that had happened in Kyoto over the last few days to Xia Xiyue and Han Lanzhi.

Naturally, she omitted any mention that Lu Yan had orchestrated it all.

Xia Xiyue narrowed his eyes. "Such a coincidence actually happened?"

Shen Qingyi nodded without any burden. "Yes, perhaps the heavens couldn't bear it any longer."

It took a long time for Han Lanzhi to recover her wits. She looked at Shen Qingyi in shock. "Are you telling the truth?"

Shen Qingyi nodded. "Yes, of course it's true."

For a long while, she said nothing, only letting out a sharp, cold laugh. Her expression was very strange!

"Mom!" Shen Qingyi called out.

Han Lanzhi quickly regained her composure. "It's nothing. Let A-Yue go back and rest early."

Shen Qingyi walked Xia Xiyue to the door. "Thank you so much for today. My mom and I won't be imposing on you and Sister Xiyun for long. I haven't fallen behind on the manuscripts; there are still two left, and I'll give them to you the day after tomorrow."

Hearing her say this, Xia Xiyue felt a sudden emptiness in his heart, but remembering that she had already initiated divorce proceedings with Lu Yan and was only returning to Beijing in a hurry to file an appeal, his mood improved slightly.

"Don't rush the manuscripts. Discuss with your aunt first and decide when you're heading back. I'll drive you both back then."

"Okay!"

After Xia Xiyue left, Han Lanzhi stood up, looked around the spacious and luxurious apartment, and walked over to Shen Qingyi. "Why stop looking for He Xiangcao?"

"It's too troublesome. You just need to appeal and prove that you were with Father on the day of the incident."

Han Lanzhi frowned. "If the court can't summon her, there's no way to reach a verdict."

"We don't need a verdict. We only need to change this case from a settled one to an unsolved mystery."

Han Lanzhi was puzzled. "Why? Xia Xiyue clearly said he had found out where He Xiangcao is."

"I can't wait that long. If we have to track down He Xiangcao and a lawyer, how long will we have to stay here?" Shen Qingyi had no desire to share every truth with her mother.

Han Lanzhi glanced at her. "Was this Lu Yan's idea?"

"No. Once the appeal is finished, you'll stay in Kyoto with me from now on."

For the first time, Han Lanzhi realized that this daughter of hers was so strong-willed. "What else can you do back in Beijing?"

"You're not going back to the Zhao family. I can support you." Shen Qingyi gazed at her steadily.

Han Lanzhi slowly turned around, walked over to the black leather sofa nearby, and sat down. She raised her eyes to look at the imported crystal chandelier on the ceiling and smiled. "Shen Qingyi, have you ever thought about what kind of life you want to live in the future?"

Shen Qingyi looked up at her. "Wasn't the life the three of us had before good?"

Han Lanzhi nodded. "That was only good for you and your father. I served you both like a maid every day—how was that good?"

"That's why Father and I are so grateful to you. Even during the four hardest years of my life, when you ignored me completely and approached me with hidden motives the moment we met, I was still willing to forgive you and provide for your old age. I do this not because I am foolish, but because I remember your kindness. Besides, I don't want to lose you after already losing my father."

Han Lanzhi was stunned. After a moment, she said, "Even if I had hidden motives, I would never harm you. Everything was simply so that the two of us could live a better life."

Shen Qingyi did not wish to continue the conversation. "I'm tired. I'm going to wash up and rest."

She was utterly exhausted. After taking a bath, she lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep.

She slept all the way until noon the next day. When she woke up, Xia Xiyue was already sitting in the living room. On the table, alongside yesterday's leftovers, sat a delicate, exquisite little cake.

Hearing the movement, he quickly turned around and immediately spotted Shen Qingyi, who had just gotten out of bed. She wore a loose, light-green sweater, her hair uncombed and cascading softly around her. Her palm-sized face was so fair it seemed to glow.

Shen Qingyi froze for a moment, but remembering that this was their house anyway, she quickly retreated into her bedroom, shut the door, went into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and changed her clothes.

When she came out again, she was neatly dressed.

Emerging from the room once more, she greeted Xia Xiyue and looked around. "Where's my mom?"

"My sister came by a little while ago. Your mom said she wanted to buy a few clothes, so my sister went with her."

With a headache, Shen Qingyi reached out and tapped her forehead. Her mother really didn't treat herself like an outsider; she was already causing enough trouble as it was. The places Xia Xiyun would take her to certainly wouldn't be cheap.

"Have you eaten?" Shen Qingyi asked, looking at the food on the table.

"No!" A pure and gentle smile hung on Xia Xiyue's face. "There's so much food, I was afraid you wouldn't finish it and end up overeating again."

Shen Qingyi smiled amusedly. "Nobody's shoving it down my throat. Why would I overeat?"

She glanced at her watch. "Are they coming back for lunch?"

Xia Xiyue took off his suit jacket and casually hung it on a nearby clothes rack. His casual movements made it look as though he were in his own home. He turned around and looked at Shen Qingyi. "Do you think my sister would eat leftovers from the day before?"

Shen Qingyi was momentarily taken aback. "I don't eat leftovers either, but this food isn't even from the day before. It was only put on the table at around four o'clock this morning."

As she spoke, a woman in her forties walked out of the kitchen. Startled, Shen Qingyi asked, "And she is?"

Xia Xiyue introduced her, "Sister Zhang. She's great at cooking and housework. You can leave all the chores around the house to her."

Shen Qingyi was momentarily lost for words. "A... A-Yue, isn't this inappropriate? Doing this is very easy to cause misunderstandings."

"If someone misunderstands, what would happen?" Xia Xiyue's clear, handsome eyes gazed at her unblinkingly.