Chapter 49 Poise

Xia Xiyun pondered for a moment. “Your mother’s testimony is also very important. If there’s a chance, you might want to try and win her over.”

At the mention of her mother, Shen Qingyi’s eyes dimmed instantly. “Let’s talk about it later.”

Sensing that Shen Qingyi wasn’t feeling well, Xia Xiyue hurriedly changed the subject. “These things take time. When the time is right, everything will fall into place. Come see what I brought you.”

Shen Qingyi still didn’t seem interested. “Didn’t I tell you last time? There’s no need to always bring me things.”

“If you don’t like it, you can give it to Cheng Youqing,” Xia Xiyue said indifferently. She’d always done this anyway. After speaking, she added, “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Xia Xiyun didn’t know what to say, so she simply smiled. “Yes, if you don’t like it, give it to your good friend Cheng Youqing. Don’t feel burdened—my family’s clothing sales depend on you. He went through quite some trouble for this item. I have other things to attend to, so I’ll step out for now.”

After Xia Xiyun left, Xia Xiyue also stepped away. Shen Qingyi sat down beside a small square wooden table. Within minutes, Xia Xiyue returned, handing her a delicate box.

Shen Qingyi took the box and opened it, revealing a petite black vintage handbag. It had a golden chain and a diamond-quilted exterior, looking extremely refined.

She couldn’t help but reach out, holding it up. Admiration flashed in her eyes. “This design is wonderful—timeless and versatile. It would go with so many outfits.”

Seeing that she liked it, Xia Xiyue let out a breath of relief. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“Thank you!” Shen Qingyi accepted the gift and asked, “Where did you buy it?”

“Brought it from Hong Kong,” Xia Xiyue replied with a smile.

At that moment, Lu Yan approached and sat confidently between Shen Qingyi and Xia Xiyue, turning their face-to-face seating into a more open arrangement for three.

Lu Yan glanced at Xia Xiyue, his feelings difficult to decipher. Although he now understood the relationship between the man and his wife, he couldn’t help but dislike the way Xia Xiyue looked at her, or even his tone.

Seeing Lu Yan’s arrival, Shen Qingyi smiled and introduced, “Lu Yan, this is my boss, Xia Xiyue. I owe him much for recognizing my talent over the years.”

Her poised demeanor put Lu Yan at ease. He turned to Xia Xiyue and replied politely, “Thank you for looking after her all these years.”

Xia Xiyue looked a little uncomfortable. “There’s no need to thank me. It’s mutual. After so long, what you call looking after is just something we’re used to.”

Lu Yan nodded. “Not entirely. Since there’s a favor, I’ll remember it. If you ever need my help, feel free to ask.”

Looking at the man before him, Xia Xiyue thought he was just as his sister had described—aristocratic and proud, even his polite words carried a subtle arrogance.

He was about to speak when Fan Lei came over carrying a cup of tea, sitting down opposite Lu Yan. Patting Xia Xiyue on the shoulder, Fan Lei teased, “To get such a promise from Senior Lu Yan, what’s with the hesitation?”

Since when did businessmen start putting on airs like this, acting so concerned with saving face?

Xia Xiyue didn’t like Fan Lei, but his family wielded great influence in the capital. The Xia family’s clothing only made it into the department stores in the capital thanks to his resources.

Still, in front of Shen Qingyi, he didn’t want to bow his head—he had his own pride.

Lu Yan had been gone for years, and now he returned, assuming the role of master as if he had a right to decide everything for Qingyi. Who gave him that right?

Shen Qingyi was unaware of the subtle rivalry between the men. She simply sensed that behind Lu Yan’s gentle manners, there was a faint air of declaration.

It wasn’t obvious, but Xia Xiyue seemed to sense it.

She wondered if she was imagining things.

In the end, Xia Xiyue broke the silence. “Alright, I’ll remember that.”

Lu Yan smiled at that.

He casually picked up a cup on the table, poured Shen Qingyi some tea, and handed it to her. “You sang for quite a while—have some tea to soothe your throat.”

Shen Qingyi didn’t expect such thoughtfulness from Lu Yan. She nodded and accepted the cup, taking a small sip.

But as she set it down, the atmosphere felt a little awkward, so she stood up. “I’ll go check on An’an. He’s been with the teacher for a while now—I wonder if he’s behaving.”

Lu Yan stood up to follow. “I’ll come too.”

With Lu Yan trailing behind, only Xia Xiyue and Fan Lei remained at the table.

Fan Lei grinned at Xia Xiyue. “Why are you glaring?”

Xia Xiyue withdrew his gaze. “I wasn’t glaring.”

Did those two really seem like a family? There was such distance between them—he wasn’t fooled.

Lu Yan and Shen Qingyi made their way to another courtyard belonging to Master Qian, where they found An’an surrounded by the Qian family and several other children. His eyes were covered with a red cloth as he sat in the center.

In front of An’an were several cups of water, each with a card underneath—some with words, some with pictures.

“An’an, is there a picture or a word under the fourth cup?” someone asked.

An’an’s clear child’s voice rang out, “It’s a picture. There’s a field, rain falling from the sky, brown earth, blue sky.”

Someone lifted the cup to check. “Wow, he’s right! Not a single mistake.”

“An’an is amazing—he got it again!” someone exclaimed, removing the blindfold from his eyes as the next child took a turn.

As soon as An’an’s eyes were uncovered, he spotted Shen Qingyi and Lu Yan, and ran over to grab both their hands. His gaze burned as he watched the next child attempt the game, failing several times and growing visibly frustrated.

“Oh, I’m done! This game was made just for An’an!” the child huffed, yanking off the red cloth.

“Yeah!” the other children agreed, dissatisfied.

The adults nearby laughed and tried to smooth things over. “An’an is our guest, and he’s the youngest. Just let his older brothers play along with him.”

Lu Yan scooped An’an into his arms and laughed. “If you want to play, it’s only fair not to let him win every time. You can all choose a different game to play together.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Lu Yan. “Are you An’an’s father?”

Lu Yan nodded.

“Well then, now that An’an has his dad here, don’t say we’re bullying him in the next game!”

Lu Yan looked at An’an. “Do you want to play with them?”

An’an nodded excitedly.

“Let’s play one-legged rooster fight!” one of the children suggested, raising his hand.

Shen Qingyi immediately frowned. “An’an’s still little—why don’t you all play first?”

Boys crashed into each other without the slightest care. What if someone fell or got hurt?

Lu Yan glanced at his wife. “It’ll be fine. I fell plenty as a kid, and I turned out alright.”

“Yay! Awesome!” The children cheered at Lu Yan’s decision. Some of the Qian family didn’t know who he was, but his manner of speaking and his bearing made it obvious that he was no ordinary man.

Lu Yan put An’an down and asked, “Do you know how to play?”