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墨書 Inktalez
In the quiet Halfway up the mountain, a red-roofed white-walled independent house echoed with the sounds of children bustling about.
The car bumped along the mountain road, Autumn Wind sitting inside, her head resting against the glass window as she gazed at the scenery outside. The sky was a dull gray, heavy with impending rain. Qiu Ruolan cleared her throat lightly, signaling for Autumn Wind to look at her.
There were no words; Autumn Wind simply raised her head to look at her.
Autumn Wind's response earned a pleasant smile from Qiu Ruolan. "When I took you from the orphanage back then, you looked just like this..." She had expected Autumn Wind to curiously ask more, but what she received instead was a flat "Mm" from Autumn Wind, devoid of expression.
An awkward atmosphere hung in the air. After a moment of contemplation, Qiu Ruolan asked, "Are you feeling unwell?" It was more of a rhetorical question, as she was actually looking for an excuse for Autumn Wind's reaction.
Still no response; the silence felt strange.
Today, Qiu Ruolan wore a white knee-length dress—simple yet elegant. Although it was spring, the chill in the air was still biting. As soon as she got out of the car, she wrapped her arms around herself and began to shiver.
The zipper on the back of her dress was not fastened properly. As she hugged herself, it slipped down to her waist without her noticing.
Feeling impulsive, Autumn Wind, before Liu Jiajia and others approached, took a jacket from the car and draped it over Qiu Ruolan.
Touched by Autumn Wind's sudden gesture of care, Qiu Ruolan turned and smiled.
As she turned back around, a mischievous smile crept onto Autumn Wind's lips as she quietly anticipated Qiu Ruolan making a fool of herself.
Even surrounded by people as they walked into the building, the jacket draped over her shoulders accentuated Qiu Ruolan's grace and elegance. The director led her through various rooms; there weren't many reporters today, but the sound of cameras clicking still filled the air.
Autumn Wind respectfully followed behind Qiu Ruolan, appearing like an assistant. The reporters naturally recognized Autumn Wind, capturing close-ups of Qiu Ruolan while ensuring to include her in the frame as well.
The courtyard warmly invited Qiu Ruolan to play games with the children. With a gentle smile and a nod, she agreed. The indoor temperature had already risen enough that the jacket felt unnecessary, so she turned to look at the staff behind her.
Autumn Wind sensed her intention and quickly lowered her head, avoiding any contact with her.
Liu Jiajia first looked at Autumn Wind, but saw Autumn Wind with her head down, brows furrowed. After a light cough, Autumn Wind still did not respond, so Liu Jiajia had to step forward, placing a hand on Qiu Ruolan's shoulder to take off the coat.
"Ah!" When she saw the zipper that had slid down to Qiu Ruolan's hips, she suddenly let out a scream.
Having succeeded in her scheme, Autumn Wind felt quite pleased but still pretended to be shocked.
Whispers began among the crowd, and for some reason, she inexplicably rushed forward, exclaiming, "How could this happen!" She snatched the coat from Liu Jiajia's hands and draped it back over Qiu Ruolan's exposed back.
Autumn Wind couldn't control her strength; as the coat was placed on Qiu Ruolan, her body also made contact with Qiu Ruolan, and her arms instinctively wrapped around Qiu Ruolan.
As the coat left her body, a sudden chill ran down her back. Before she could react, Liu Jiajia had already screamed again, her delicate hand reaching back to feel—oh no, the zipper was still undone. At that moment, the reporters increased their shutter speed; their faces turned pale as beads of sweat trickled down their foreheads. Qiu Ruolan's face began to twitch when suddenly the clothing was returned to her.
Along with Autumn Wind's warm inquiry, Qiu Ruolan froze in place.
Not only Qiu Ruolan, but even Autumn Wind was startled by her own actions and panickedly pulled away. "Why did I save her? I clearly intended for her to be embarrassed..."
The director awkwardly trembled his lips and forced a few laughs. "Since Sister Qiu is uncomfortable, let's not play any games. Come on, kids, let's sing a song for Aunt Qiu!"
Qiu Ruolan smiled gratefully at Autumn Wind, explaining herself, "I completely forgot I was wearing this outfit today. My mistake, my mistake; I apologize..." The children gathered around, affectionately calling out "Auntie" repeatedly. "What song do you all want to sing? Come on, Auntie will sing with you..."
Autumn Wind watched as Qiu Ruolan regained her composure and felt a bit disappointed. She quietly stepped aside and leaned against the wall, silently observing Qiu Ruolan playing with the children.
For some unknown reason, Liu Jiajia smiled at her and gave a thumbs-up gesture.
Autumn Wind felt even worse now...
When Autumn Wind got home, it was already getting dark. Uncle Liu parked in the closest parking space to the bus stop, waiting for Autumn Wind. As she got into the car, Autumn Wind immediately caught a whiff of floral fragrance. Peeking over, she saw a bouquet of roses on the passenger seat.
“Uncle Liu, is this for Sister Liu?” Autumn Wind asked cheerfully, pulling out a tissue to wipe her eyes.
Uncle Liu didn’t answer right away. He pursed his lips and finally said, “No, this is... it’s from Liu Jian, Mr. Liu sent it to you!” He glanced at Autumn Wind through the rearview mirror and noticed her expression change dramatically. He couldn’t help but regret not following Sister Jiang’s advice to just throw the flowers away.
The situation between Autumn Wind and Liu Jian had always puzzled Uncle Liu. Even though he had learned all the details from the Newspaper, he still couldn’t understand why Liu Jian went to such lengths to move next door and send flowers so eagerly.
Seeing Uncle Liu looking troubled, Autumn Wind fell silent. She shrank back into her seat and opened the window, letting in a strong breeze that gradually carried away the floral scent.
As they entered the Villa Area, Uncle Liu slowed down. In the distance, he saw someone busy in Liu Jian’s courtyard; the figure looked familiar, seemingly the driver of Liu Zhiyuan. Noticing Autumn Wind’s confusion, Uncle Liu spoke in a hoarse voice, “The key person at Mr. Liu Jian’s house used to be his father’s driver, just like Old Cheng from Qiu Mansion, serving their fathers before coming to work for the young masters!”
Hearing Uncle Liu mention Qiu Hai, Autumn Wind pressed her forehead. “How’s the investigation I asked about going?”
“I’ve already had Sister Jiang put it in your room!” replied Uncle Liu.
Looking towards the villa of Qiu Hai, Autumn Wind noticed that Jolie’s car was parked in front of the courtyard. She waved lightly to signal Uncle Liu to stop, then got up from the passenger seat to grab the bouquet, rummaging through it until she found a note inside, which she handed back to Uncle Liu.
“Sis, what is this...”
“Give this to the steward of the Liu family; it’s a custom bouquet from Liu Jian, specially sent for Jolie!” Autumn Wind said with determination, as she looked at Jolie’s car, convinced that she was inside.
Looking ahead, Uncle Liu took the bouquet from Autumn Wind, his face showing hesitation. “How should I explain these flowers?”
Autumn Wind had no expression on her face. "The flower shop sent it to the wrong address..."
"Then, Sister, you wait for me here..." Uncle Liu tried to understand Autumn Wind, but gained nothing, and then quickly got out of the car and rushed towards Liu Jian's house.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Liu Jian's butler, Uncle Liu hurried back to the car. Just as he was about to start the engine, he was stopped by Autumn Wind. "Could you move the car a bit to the side... I’ll rest here for a moment; you go ahead!"
Uncle Liu understood that Autumn Wind wanted to watch the show from here. He moved the car aside but did not get out. He gently said, "Then Sister, I'll stay here with you!"
Autumn Wind nodded and said nothing more.
Liu Jian's butler, Old Li, had been driving for Liu Zhiyuan for over ten years. Suddenly being called by Liu Jian to take care of the household felt quite strange. He stood in the courtyard holding the flowers for a while, and finally chose to put down his work and walk out of the courtyard.
Uncle Liu had just informed him that Jolie was in the car at the entrance of Qiu Mansion. Approaching the car, he gently knocked on Jolie's window. A face with smoky makeup peeked out. Old Li instinctively recoiled a bit, and after confirming it was indeed a human face, he let out a sigh of relief and handed the flowers to Jolie. "Excuse me, are you Jolie, Sister Qiu? This is a flower from my young master for you..."
Despite Old Li's humble attitude, he did not earn any respect from Jolie. With her eyebrows raised and pupils dilated, she looked disdainful. "Your young master? What is he?"
Jolie cursed loudly, and Old Li, filled with anger, felt extremely disappointed upon seeing her in person after hearing her name from Liu Zhiyuan. However, as a servant, he could not say much. Suppressing his anger, Old Li spoke with a slightly choked voice. "He... my young master is Liu Jian..."
Upon hearing the name Liu Jian, Jolie's arrogant expression instantly softened. "You were sent by Jaes? Is this flower for me?" She opened the car door gracefully and stepped out, taking the flowers from Old Li's hands.
This action made Old Li feel even more disgusted. He glanced at Jolie. "You've received the flowers; I will take my leave now..." With that, he straightened up and strode away.
Jolie wanted to exchange a few more words but could only face Old Li's departing back.
Inside the car, Autumn Wind sat too far away to hear the conversation between the two, but from Jolie’s popping head and Old Li’s disdainful expression, she could guess a few things.
"Uncle Liu, drive..." Autumn Wind said calmly as the car started. Just as they passed in front of Liu Jian's house, they encountered Old Li. "Stop!"
The car came to a halt with a screech. Autumn Wind rolled down the window, greeting him with a smile. "Hi, it's you!" she said lightly, her expression charming.
Suddenly, a car pulled up beside them, and a young woman rolled down her window to greet her. Old Li trembled slightly and recognized Autumn Wind after a moment. "It's you! Long time no see!" he said, bowing respectfully to her.
Autumn Wind nodded gently and turned to glance at Liu Jian's newly bought villa, asking softly, "Are you here to take care of him now?" She deliberately used "him" instead of Liu Jian.
"Yes, the master arranged for me to come!" Old Li nodded. He naturally knew about the relationship between Liu Jian and Autumn Wind. Seeing her smile at him stirred feelings of guilt within him, and his voice became a bit choked.
"I heard you're still alone? Are you managing?" Autumn Wind asked with a smile in her eyes, showing concern.
"I'm currently looking for suitable candidates," Old Li replied, feeling flattered.
"Oh, I see. If you need anything or require help, feel free to come to my house..." Autumn Wind pointed to her home. "I live next door!" Just then, her phone rang. She picked it up and glanced at the screen, feeling a sudden heaviness in her heart.
Apologetically smiling at Old Li, she signaled Uncle Liu to drive away.
Old Li watched as Autumn Wind's car left and then looked up at Jolie's car in the distance, letting out a helpless sigh.
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