Chapter 37: Chapter 037: Nine-carat diamond ring
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
It was only a few seconds before Mo Shiqian completely closed the door and then turned to leave.
As he passed the living room, he glanced at the bag he had carelessly thrown onto the sofa, went over to fetch his phone, set it to silent mode, and then placed it on the coffee table before leaving.
The apartment fell silent once again.
Chi Huan turned over, clutching the soft bedding beneath her. She opened her eyes and then closed them again, sinking into a deep sleep.
......
The next morning.
The overcast sky brought continuous rain, and the bedroom without curtains drawn looked especially gloomy and damp.
Chi Huan got up holding her head, feeling somewhat of a headache. She sniffed herself and frowned at the thought of having not bathed before sleeping. Even without any obvious scent, she could smell the staleness on her.
She got out of bed and went to the bathroom to run a bath, enjoying a comfortable soak.
Dressed in a couple of picked-out clothes and drying her hair, she looked for her phone, pondering whether to go down to eat or call for breakfast delivery.
Just as she bent down to pick up the phone from the coffee table, the doorbell rang. With no other choice, she went to open the door, a towel draped over her head.
Standing at the door was Mou Xigu, his brows furrowed as if agitated. The door barely opened before he immediately looked up, staring at the woman with wet hair and a towel, his Adam's apple bobbing, his voice hoarse, "Chi Huan."
Last night he had asked the driver to pick her up, only to be told by the driver that she had been taken away by her bodyguard.
Finally, the driver had mentioned, with or without intention, "Mr. Mou... Though he is a bodyguard, his closeness with Miss Chi seems a bit over the line... Anyone unaware would probably think they're a couple."
Couple.
That word stuck in his throat like a fishbone.
He called her, but she didn't answer; several calls and she still didn't pick up.
His irritation was barely suppressible, so he made a call to Mo Shiqian.
That man replied nonchalantly, "She was drunk, must have been asleep, so didn't pick up the phone."
Chi Huan stepped back, letting him in. Her voice slightly hoarse from the hangover, "Xigu, why did you come over so early?"
Mou Xigu kept his gaze on her face.
It appeared as if nothing had changed, yet somehow everything seemed different.
He was somewhat uncertain of Chi Huan's temper.
"About last night, I'm sorry."
"Last night?"
She didn't remember what had happened, or rather, she didn't know at all.
All she could recall was meeting Mo Shiqian and his fiancée as well as Tang Yuezhe at 1999, then she went out to eat with Youran, and later, she was drunk... she vaguely remembered being brought back by Mo Shiqian.
Mou Xigu paused, then quickly realized, Chi Huan had been drunk last night, the calls had been made by her friend and Mo Shiqian, and she might not know anything, so he changed the subject, "Have you had breakfast yet?"
"Not yet, I just finished bathing."
He spoke softly, "What do you want to eat? I'll go get it for you."
Chi Huan dried her hair with the towel, "No need for the trouble, I can order delivery."
The man insisted, "You dry your hair, I'll go buy it."
"Okay then, I drank too much last night and don't have much of an appetite now, just get me some porridge."
"Alright."
Chi Huan stood at the door watching him leave, her lips pursed as she slowly closed the door.
Last night?
She went back to the sofa, picked up her phone, and as the screen lit up, she saw three or four missed calls, one from this morning. Contemplatively looking at the time displayed, she dialed Youran's number with a flick of her finger.
Ning Youran's voice was groggy, "Hello..."
"Youran, did anything happen last night?"
"Nothing much, why do you ask?"
"Oh, Xigu came to see me just now. He called me several times last night, but I didn't pick up."
"Him," Ning Youran curled her lip, because she was still half asleep and not fully thinking before speaking, she said whatever came to mind, "you were drunk yesterday, so I called him to come and pick you up. He said on the phone that he would come right away, but it took forever and it was the driver who came in the end. But, in the end, it was your family's bodyguard who was reliable; he was the one who took you home."
Chi Huan pursed her lips and didn't speak for a long time.
Ning Youran became a bit more lucid, "Huanhuan?"
"It's nothing, go back to sleep."
"Okay."
After ending the call, Chi Huan didn't move for a while. It was almost a minute before she put down her phone and got up to blow-dry her hair.
Mou Xigu had bought porridge and was watching her eat.
Chi Huan scooped the porridge with a spoon and sipped it slowly, "Xigu, did you want to see me about something?"
The man looked at her intently, his low voice slightly hoarse, "I promised to take you to look at wedding rings last time... but something came up unexpectedly."
She smiled, "Are we going today?"
The wedding was the day after tomorrow, and the wedding rings still weren't prepared.
Mou Xigu looked at her smiling face, took out a brocade box from his pocket, and said in a low voice, "I've bought the ring; see if you like it. If not, I'll take you to choose another."
Chi Huan glanced at him, her lips breaking into a smile as she reached out to take it.
She opened the red brocade box with her pale, slender fingers.
Oh, what a big diamond ring.
At least nine carats. Even though Chi Huan had always lived in luxury and liked jewelry, it was just a normal liking. Seeing such a large diamond still made her heart flicker slightly.
He was stingy with spending time on her but not at all when it came to spending money on her, such a grand gesture.
Mou Xigu watched her stare at the diamond ring, a crease forming between his eyebrows, "You don't like it?"
Only then did Chi Huan look up at him with a smile, "What woman doesn't like a diamond the size of a pigeon's egg? Thank you, I really like it."
It seemed alright, but as Mou Xigu looked at her smile, he felt the stuffiness in his chest hadn't dissipated.
Perhaps it was because... the smile she showed when she liked something wasn't quite as excited and pleasantly surprised as the morning she received the roses, when her lips involuntarily curved into a smile.
Chi Huan still wore a smile on her face, her clear eyes looking at him, "So, will you accompany me on a date today?"
Mou Xigu looked at her, momentarily lost in thought, but he soon snapped out of it and shook his head softly, "The wedding is the day after tomorrow, and I have some company and wedding matters to take care of in the next two days; I simply don't have the time,"
He paused before reaching out to touch her head, "Once we get to Europe, I'll accompany you."
The two talked for a while longer before Mou Xigu got up and left.
Chi Huan still saw him out, watching his car drive away.
When she returned, she looked at the roses on the coffee table and walked over, her fingers gently touching the petals... they were already showing signs of wilting.
The bloom really is brief.
...
After resting at home for half a day, Chi Huan called Ning Youran around noon to have lunch and go shopping.
"Wow, you're about to be a bride, and you're still so free?"
"Isn't it because I'm shopping? I'm not free. After the wedding, we're going on a honeymoon, and then we'll move into a new house. I'm gathering what we need," she replied.
-- Gift
received