The Silent World And Him - Chapter 31
Pu Chen kept fiddling with her long hair, refusing to look at Qin Yu.
Qin Yu knew she was shy and didn’t tease her.
He tidied the quilt and said to her, « Try the skirt and see if it fits. »
Only then did Pu Chen notice a long skirt draped over the back of the sofa; it was an autumn-winter style.
The tags and labels had already been cut off, and there were no luxury brand logos on the clothes. She didn’t know what brand it was and couldn’t guess the price of the garment.
Qin said to Shen, « I didn’t buy it. A couple of days before I came back, my aunt happened to be on a business trip to Boston and stopped by my school. It was more like visiting Teacher Lu’s alma mater. She knew I was returning to China, so she bought the skirt for you and asked me to bring it to you. »
Pu Chen hurriedly went to get her phone. From what he just said, she caught the key point: « You know my aunt and Teacher Lu…? »
I knew a long time ago, since the first year of high school, » he explained. « It wasn’t that we meant to keep it from you. At first, Teacher Lu wasn’t sure if my aunt would forgive him and said he was afraid it would affect your studies.
Pu Chen understood: [It’s okay, I don’t blame you.]
She should know everything by now. Qin asked, « Did Teacher Lu tell you? »
Pu Chen nodded and quickly typed: [Do you think my aunt still likes Teacher Lu?]
« Probably, she hasn’t forgotten anyway. » As for how much of the past affection remains, he, as an outsider, was not sure.
Pu Chen thought about her aunt, and then about what would happen to her and Qin Yu in the future. It might not be any better than the ending of her aunt and Teacher Lu. She sighed softly.
Why sigh? » Qin Yu said to her, « It won’t be like them for us.
Pu Chen looked at him in surprise. It seemed like he could read minds now; whatever she was thinking, he could guess it with about eighty or ninety percent accuracy.
I won’t waste time on separation, » Qin Yu said, tapping her on the head. « Go try on the dress first.
Pu Chen handed him the phone and took the dress to the cloakroom.
After a short while, the door of the cloakroom was pulled open from the inside.
Qin Yu looked up and was slightly startled. The smoky pink dress suited her very well, making her appear gentle and pure, yet with a hint of sensuality.
It was the first time he saw her wearing this style of long dress. In high school, she mostly wore her school uniform and rarely dressed up.
Qin handed her the phone: « Remember to take a photo and send it to Auntie. »
Pu Chen nodded, [I’ll take it when I get back to school.]
It wasn’t appropriate to take photos in his apartment.
—
It was almost eleven o’clock when Pu Chen and Qin went out to find something to eat. For breakfast, they had managed with a box of milk and a slice of whole wheat bread, which was leftover from when she went hiking yesterday.
Entering the elevator, Qin Yu was looking for nearby food on his phone, while Pu Chen stood beside him, tugging at the hem of his sports jacket.
« What kind of food do you want to eat? » Qin Yu asked for her opinion.
Pu Chen poked him a few times on the chest, then pointed to her mouth, and waved her hand, meaning: You choose, I’m not picky.
« You still have the nerve to say you’re not picky, » Qin Yu laughed and bit her gently on the neck.
The picky eater ancestor probably never thought of themselves as picky.
The elevator stopped on the first floor, and Qin Yu held her hand as they went down.
The two had not yet decided which restaurant to eat at.
Stepping out of the apartment building, Qin Yu’s phone vibrated; an unexpected call from his father came through.
« Are you at home? » He Junshuo asked.
Qin Yu: « No, I just left, getting ready to eat. »
He Junshuo said, « I have some documents in your car that I need this afternoon. Send me a screenshot of the location, and I’ll come to get them. »
Qin Yu felt it was troublesome: « I’ll bring them to you at the law firm this afternoon. »
« I can’t make it; I need to reply to the other party before 2 o’clock. I still need to review the details. »
Shall I take a photo and send it to you?
There are more than eighty pages in total. If you want to take photos, I won’t stop you.
……I’ll send it to you now. I haven’t decided where to eat yet.
He Junshuo was also eating alone at noon. « Then come over. I’ll treat you and Pu Chen to lunch, and after eating, I’ll take you to the law firm. »
He asked his secretary to book a table at a high-end restaurant and sent the address to Qin Yu.
On the way to the restaurant, Pu Chen kept psyching herself up, and by the time she saw He Junshuo, she wasn’t as nervous anymore.
This was their second meeting. He Junshuo put away his usual stern and cold demeanor and spoke very amicably.
Diagonally in front of them, three tables away, a guest had just taken a seat.
Sister, » Qin Minghan whispered to Qin Mingyi, « Brother-in-law is also eating here. » Then Qin Minghan frowned, « Isn’t Qin Yu supposed to arrive tomorrow morning?
But the person sitting opposite He Junshuo was none other than Qin Yu.
Qin Mingyi turned her head to take a look, and it really was the father and son. Qin Yu had his back to their direction, so she could only see his profile.
No doubt about it, the person sitting inside with Qin Yu must be Pu Chen.
He Junshuo was flipping through the materials, his expression focused, not noticing her and Qin Minghan.
She went out to have a meal with her cousin after ages, and unexpectedly ran into He Junshuo.
Qin Minghan: « Does brother-in-law know that Qin Yu came back early? »
Qin Mingyi turned around and sat properly, suppressing his anger: « He teamed up with Qin Yu to hide it from me. »
Qin Minghan held Qin Mingyi’s wrist, « Sis, calm down. Maybe Qin and Lin changed their flight at the last minute and wanted to surprise you. Let’s switch to another hotel; don’t let the surprise turn into a shock. »
Qin Mingyi retorted, « Do you think they kept it from me to surprise me? What kind of surprise could that be? Since when have you seen He Junshuo so eager to pick someone up at the airport? If he had nothing to hide, he’d be more than happy to take the early morning airport pickup off my hands! »
Qin Minghan was speechless and had no argument.
Qin Mingyi took a few sips from her cup; the tea couldn’t soothe her anger.
Qin came back early without telling her. She was definitely unhappy, but she could understand it to some extent. After all, she had been young once too, and when in love, she would have wanted to be with the other person 24 hours a day.
But what was going on with He Junshuo also trying to smooth things over like that!
She rummaged through her bag and called He Junshuo on her phone.
After more than ten seconds, He Junshuo finally answered. His voice was very low as he asked, « What’s the matter? »
Qin Mingyi set a trap for him: « Remember to go to the airport early tomorrow morning to pick up Qin Yu. »
He Junshuo, completely unguarded, fell right into the trap. He remained calm and composed: « Mm, I won’t forget. I’ve already set the alarm for early tomorrow. »
Qin Mingyi sneered coldly: « Very good. »
He Junshuo felt her tone was sarcastic and strange, but with the two children nearby, he chose not to argue with her.
—
During the meal, Qin Yu and He Junshuo chatted casually, mostly about trivial matters related to the He family. Pu Chen didn’t need to participate at all, so he was quite relaxed.
At the end, He Junshuo suddenly mentioned her name, speaking to Qin Yu: « Do you and Pu Chen have any plans for the winter break? Do you two want to go on a trip or vacation? I’ll have my secretary arrange the itinerary and hotel for you in advance. »
Pu Chen glanced sideways at Qin Yu.
After finishing the last few sips of juice in his glass, Qin Yu said to his father, « I have a project during the winter break, so I’ll be staying in Beijing for a while. »
He Junshuo asked, « What kind of project? »
« In the field of AI. » Qin Yu did not elaborate.
He Junshuo was unfamiliar with artificial intelligence and was an outsider; he asked with concern, « Is the investment secured? »
Qin Yu: « Yes. » He invested himself.
He Junshuo asked, « Did Lu Baisheng give you the angel investment? »
Lu Baisheng is passionate about investing in internet technology companies. Even Pu Chen knew this. She heard Qin Yu mention it casually, saying that Lu Baisheng had been investing in such companies since 2002. Over more than ten years, he invested half of his own fortune. Of course, after these companies went public, his initial investments multiplied hundreds of times.
However, Qin Yu did not mention this AI project to Lu Baisheng. He avoided the key point and replied to his father, « It wasn’t Teacher Lu. »
He didn’t say who exactly gave the angel investment, and He Junshuo didn’t press for details either.
Due to his profession, He Junshuo is more perceptive than most people. Since his son did not seek investment from Lu Bocheng, the project’s cycle should be quite long, and its future profitability is worrisome.
It was because he knew it wouldn’t make money that he didn’t seek investment from Lu Bocheng.
The father and son chatted a bit more, and He Junshuo asked Qin Yu who he was collaborating with.
Qin Yu: « Peng Jingyang. »
Pu Chen didn’t understand the AI project either; she wasn’t clear on what exactly it involved. Since it was a collaboration with Peng Jingyang and required finding investors, it was no small challenge.
After eating a small piece of meat, she raised her hand to grab a napkin and wiped the corner of her mouth, fully focused on listening to Qin Yu and his father talk about the project. She kept holding the napkin without throwing it away.
Suddenly, one of her feet was gently kicked by Qin Yu.
Pu Chen looked up to see Qin Yu, and he happened to be looking back at her.
He kicked her because her left hand was only busy holding a tissue, forgetting to press her elbow against his.
Pu Chen relaxed her arm, pressing it closely against his.
Qin Yu, seeing that she didn’t seem very interested in eating anymore, asked, « Are you full? »
Pu Chen was full, but there was still quite a bit left on the plate, all the dishes Qin Yu had just served her.
Qin took her plate to her own side, eating while chatting with her father about the AI project.
He Junshuo said, « You have to be busy with the AI project this winter break, do you still have time to go traveling? »
Qin Yu said, « Once I finalize the project with Peng Jingyang during the winter break, I’ll go out with Chenchen. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll just take a trip around Su City. »
« I’ll cover the expenses. » He Junshuo wasn’t making an empty promise; he immediately took out his phone and sent a message to his secretary: [Transfer three million to Qin Yu next week, from my personal account.]
The money was said to be Qin Yu’s vacation fund, but in reality, it was to support his AI project.
After sending the message, He Junshuo stood up to go to the restroom. When he glanced forward unintentionally, he was stunned; he saw Qin Mingyi and Qin Minghan.
No wonder Qin Mingyi sounded sarcastic when he called him earlier; it turns out he had already seen him with Qin Yu.
To go to the restroom, he had to pass by them, so He Junshuo had no choice but to sit down. He waved to the waiter to clear the tableware and ordered the restaurant’s signature dessert.
He said to Qin Yu, « If you two are bored, find a movie to watch. I’ll look over some materials for a while. » He didn’t have to review materials in the restaurant, but given the current situation, he had no choice.
Qin Yu noticed his father’s unusual reaction. He casually looked at Pu Chen and said, « Chenbao, you read a novel. Peng Jingyang and I will talk about that project. »
Pu Chen poked Qin Yu with his finger and said, « In front of uncle, you should still call me Pu Chen. »
Qin Yu was so used to it that he blurted it out just now without realizing it himself, and agreed to her, « Okay, I’ll remember. »
He took his phone out of his pocket, not to chat with Peng Jingyang about the project, but to find his father’s chat window: « Weren’t you going to the restroom? Why aren’t you going anymore? Did you run into someone inconvenient to meet? Do you want me to help? »
He Junshuo pretended to look through some documents while typing a reply: « I saw your mother. »
Qin Yu: « …… »
[My mom is also at the restaurant?]
He Junshuo: [Yeah, she’s there with your aunt. They’ve finished eating but don’t seem to be leaving anytime soon. I guess they’re trying to block us.]
The road next to them is the only way for them to leave the restaurant.
Lingering here isn’t a solution. He Junshuo thought for a moment: [Let’s ask your uncle for help and have your mom called back.]
Qin Yu poured cold water on his father, making him face reality: « My eldest uncle dislikes you the most, so whether he is willing to help is hard to say. »
He Junshuo: « It’s precisely because your eldest uncle dislikes me that when he calls your mother home, your mother won’t suspect that I am colluding with your eldest uncle. »
It seems reasonable.
Qin Yu is worried: « How are you going to persuade eldest uncle to help? Eldest uncle, like my mom, does not approve of me being with Chenchen. »
He Junshuo: « I have my own way. »
Qin Yu didn’t ask further, but he didn’t know if his eldest uncle had any official business today. His phone was unreachable eight or nine times, always with the secretary.
He Junshuo managed to get through to this former eldest uncle. He was quite lucky; the eldest uncle still had some time to answer his call.
Big brother, sorry to bother you.
The voice on the other end of the phone asked coldly, « What is it? »
He Junshuo was already used to this tone; Qin Mingyi had developed that kind of strong-willed bad temper, which was inseparable from her several protective older brothers.
Big brother, I need your help. It’s inconvenient to talk on the phone, so let’s chat via text.
« There are quite a few things! » The call was cut off.
Although the attitude wasn’t great, at least he was willing to listen to what kind of help he actually needed.
Editor He Junshuo conveyed the message concisely and clearly.
After five or six minutes of conversation, the matter was satisfactorily resolved.
He Junshuo told Qin Yu: « At most, in another ten minutes, your mother and your aunt will leave the restaurant. »
Qin Yu was incredulous: « How did you persuade my uncle to help? »
He Junshuo was too lazy to explain further and sent Qin Yu a screenshot of the chat record.
Qin Yu opened the screenshot; his father had said three things to his uncle in total:
Qin Yu came back early, I only found out this morning. Big brother, like you, I don’t want Qin Yu to be involved with Pu Chen, and I want them to break it off as soon as possible.
It was because of this matter that I scolded Qin Yu, making things very tense. Who would have thought that I would see Ming Yi and Ming Han again while eating at the restaurant? I was afraid that if Ming Yi found out Qin Yu came back early without telling her, she would argue with Qin Yu again.
I’ll be the one to break up the couple and take the blame, so don’t let Ming Yi get involved. Her relationship with Qin Yu, mother and son, has just started to ease. She can’t handle any more turmoil, and you definitely wouldn’t want to see Ming Yi fall out with Qin Yu.
My eldest uncle cares most about his sister’s feelings. When he heard that this favor would benefit her, he agreed to help without hesitation.
He Junshuo explained: ‘I had no choice but to say that to your eldest uncle. It’s not what I truly think. I wouldn’t break up a couple. You don’t need to take those words to heart.’
Qin Yu didn’t expect that coming back early would cause so much trouble for his father and even make him lie.
He said apologetically, « Thank you, Dad, for the trouble I’ve caused you. »
He Junshuo: « It’s no trouble at all. »
Qin Yu asked his father, « Dad, be honest with me. What do you think about me and Chenchen? Sometimes, do you feel like Mom and my eldest uncle do, thinking I shouldn’t be with her and that I should find someone better? »
He Junshuo: [To be honest, I’m still single myself, and I haven’t resolved my own personal issues, so I really don’t have time to think about your matters.]
Qin Yu: « …… »
Choked up and remained silent for a long time.
