Li Yifei had been in the bathroom for quite a while, and Qian Fei was growing impatient waiting outside. She raised her voice and called out, "Li Yifei, did your stomach go bad or something?"
Li Yifei flushed the toilet, washed his hands, and stepped out of the bathroom.
Returning to the table, he picked up his wine glass and said to Qian Fei, "Sanitary pad, happy birthday!"
Qian Fei had been all smiles, but upon hearing "sanitary pad," she immediately tried to compose an angry expression. Yet when she heard "happy birthday," she couldn't suppress the genuine joy bubbling up from her heart. In that instant, Qian Fei's face cycled through expressions like someone with a mental disorder.
Ultimately, she settled on "joy," raising her glass to clink with Li Yifei's. "Thanks for the wishes, but I sincerely beg you—can you stop calling me 'sanitary pad' from now on?"
Li Yifei glanced at her. "Depends on my mood!" Then he downed his drink in one gulp.
Qian Fei glared at him fiercely before following suit and draining her glass.
While Qian Fei was distracted drinking, Li Yifei quietly took her phone and blocked the number from the text message.
The bottle of red wine was quickly finished between them. Qian Fei smacked her lips and said, "This wine is amazing! Where'd you get it?"
Li Yifei replied, "Stole it."
Qian Fei wanted to scan the QR code on the bottle to check the price, but when she stood up, she swayed slightly.
"I don't even feel that tipsy, so why am I dizzy?" she muttered, shaking her head.
Li Yifei looked at her, curled his lips into a smirk, and said, "Look how dumb you are!"
After scanning the QR code, Qian Fei was stunned. Her phone screen displayed that when full, this empty bottle had contained wine from Romanée-Conti worth 120,000 yuan.
But she quickly rationalized it: This must be a high-quality counterfeit!
Holding her head, she sighed dramatically. "These knockoffs just don't cut it—they give you a headache!"
Li Yifei didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This wine was something he'd stolen from under his old man's bed right before their falling-out. There was no way it was fake.
He bent down, pulled out a few cans of beer, and placed them on the table. Popping one open, he handed it to Qian Fei. "Have some beer to sober up, and the dizziness will go away!"
Qian Fei took the beer, looking pensive.
Suddenly, she slammed the table and exclaimed, "Li Yifei, are you actually a rich second-generation heir?"
Li Yifei paused what he was doing, his expression turning serious as he looked at her.
Time passed in silence.
After a moment of conflicted deliberation, Qian Fei dismissed her own hypothesis. "No, if you were really a rich second-gen heir, and if this wine were real and not a knockoff, you could just sell a few bottles to afford a down payment on a house. Why would you need to rent a place from me?"
Li Yifei felt the urge to smack her head with a mop handle.
Rich second-generation heirs already had plenty of houses—why would they need to sell their belongings to save up for a down payment? Renting was just a temporary measure for him. He wanted to prove a point to that stubborn old man, so he refused to ask him for money. But it wasn't like he planned to cut ties with Old Li forever—what was the point of saving up to buy a damn house?
As they drank beer and chatted intermittently, Li Yifei got up and headed to the kitchen after finishing two cans. Qian Fei watched him curiously, unsure what he was up to.
Just before reaching the kitchen, Li Yifei suddenly turned off all the lights in the room. Qian Fei let out a surprised "Huh?" A moment later, accompanied by the tune of "Happy Birthday" playing from a phone, a flickering amber glow gradually floated from the kitchen into the living room.Li Yifei walked out of the kitchen carrying a birthday cake studded with candles, his phone playing the birthday song from his shirt pocket.
As he set the cake on the table, he saw Qian Fei already in tears.
He was startled.
"Come on, is it really that bad? Just because I didn't sing the birthday song myself, you're this upset?"
Qian Fei laughed through her tears. "No, I'm just so moved. It's been years since I celebrated my birthday like this. Before, because I had a boyfriend, Yaojing couldn't celebrate with me, and that boyfriend of mine—if he made me a bowl of noodles, that was already good enough. It's been years since I had my own birthday cake!" She wiped her face with her sleeve and smiled. "Am I being too sentimental?"
Li Yifei nodded. "Absolutely. It's just a cake, crying like this—is it really worth it?" Though his words were dismissive, his heart ached slightly.
That bastard Wang had really treated her roughly.
Li Yifei patted her shoulder. "Alright, enough sentimentality. Before the candles burn out, make a wish!"
Qian Fei closed her eyes, clasped her hands, and pressed them to her lips.
Li Yifei watched her by the candlelight. Her face was full of reverence, as if she were performing a sacred act—serious and focused. Her long lashes curled slightly at the tips, casting delicate, fan-like shadows on her cheeks. Her nose was straight and delicate, her nostrils small, her face oval with a pointed chin. Thanks to his recent insistence that she take better care of her skin, her complexion was now fair and smooth, without a single visible pore.
She was getting prettier the more he looked at her. How had he ever mistaken her for an unattractive tomboy?
As he gazed at her peaceful, serene face, his heart stirred more and more. Suddenly, she opened her eyes—bright and moist—and smiled at him. "I'm done!"
Li Yifei snapped out of his thoughts and smiled back. "Then blow out the candles!"
Qian Fei said, "You put in way too many. There's no way I can blow them all out in one breath—help me!"
Li Yifei agreed. "Alright!"
Qian Fei counted down from three, and together they leaned forward and blew out the candles.
The room plunged into darkness. Qian Fei turned on the light, sat back down, and cut the cake, giving Li Yifei a slice and taking one for herself. As they ate cake, drank beer, and chatted, Qian Fei felt this was the best birthday she'd had in years.
"Thank you, Li Yifei," she said softly.
Li Yifei looked up at her. "What's there to thank me for?" He paused, then asked, "What did you wish for just now? Looked like you were putting every ounce of effort into it!"
Qian Fei said, "Not just every ounce—I wanted to use every bit of strength I've had since birth! I wished to meet a good man this year and get married!"
A flicker of emotion passed through Li Yifei's eyes.
"You're in such a hurry to get married? Why not take your time and date properly first?"
Qian Fei shook her head with a frown. "What's so great about dating? Haven't I been hurt enough already? After this birthday, I'll be twenty-seven. I'm not a young girl anymore—I can't afford to dream. Love is just an illusion. Finding the right person to marry and spend my life with, supporting each other through thick and thin—that's what really matters."
Li Yifei fell silent.
His thoughts were in turmoil.Ever since that night when they almost crossed the line after drinking, he had been certain of one thing—he had genuinely fallen for this silly woman before him. But after that night, he found himself tangled in hesitation and confusion. He couldn’t determine whether the depth of his feelings was enough to sustain a marriage where they would rely on each other through thick and thin. Was he willing to step into the shackles of marriage for this fleeting infatuation?
It was precisely because of this hesitation and confusion that he hadn’t taken the initiative to remind her of what had happened that night.
Qian Fei’s phone rang. She answered—it was her father and stepmother calling to wish her a happy birthday. As he listened to her cheerful conversation, filled with trivial family matters and occasional playful bickering with her father, he couldn’t help but smile along.
It was a family completely different from his. In that household, everyone lived diligently and worked hard. Though they could be considered a modestly well-off working-class family, they had still exhausted their savings to buy her an apartment in Beijing. This silly woman worried about her father’s health, was grateful for her stepmother’s kindness, and lived each day with a hint of trepidation, afraid of unforeseen troubles ahead that she couldn’t afford to handle.
He could see the hidden, fragmented anxieties beneath her carefree laughter. He could also see how much effort she was quietly putting in to change her circumstances. She studied hard, worked diligently, and aimed to pass the exams for securities representative and certified public accountant. She wanted to take control of the uncontrollable through her own efforts and abilities.
She lived with such determination and seriousness. Meanwhile, he had always prioritized fun and indulgence. Though he liked her, could he shoulder her earnestness? Could he bear the weight of the marriage she yearned for?
Li Yifei’s mind was a mess.
Qian Fei hung up and raised her beer can toward Li Yifei. “My dad told me to drink to you on his behalf!”
Li Yifei lifted his can as well. Just as he tilted his head back to drink, he suddenly heard Qian Fei let out a startled “Ah!”
He set down his beer and looked at her.
Her face was flushed red, as bright as freshly fried chili oil. Her eyes were wide, her mouth agape, her expression full of horror.
Li Yifei furrowed his brows. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Qian Fei, her face burning, stared at Li Yifei with panic in her eyes. “I just remembered what happened after we drank together that night!”
So that steamy dream wasn’t a dream—it had been a real-life performance, and the actors were none other than herself and the man before her.
Her words came out in a stutter, her voice trembling. “H-h-how c-c-could we…?” She shook uncontrollably, biting her tongue several times, but ultimately couldn’t finish her sentence.
Li Yifei simply sat there, watching her without a single change in expression, not uttering a word, just quietly observing.
Qian Fei was so embarrassed she wanted to cry.
If only he would say something—even if it was to admit it had been a drunken impulse he now regretted—it would be better than this suffocating silence. But he just sat there, silently watching her, as if enjoying her panic, making her wish she could dig a hole and disappear.
“I-I-I feel dizzy! I’m going to bed now. Goodnight!” With that, Qian Fei stood up and stumbled away in a fluster, rushing back to her room.Li Yifei looked at Qian Fei's tightly shut door and patted his stiff face.
She had suddenly mentioned remembering that night's events, leaving him at a loss for how to respond.
Should he say it was an accident or a momentary impulse? Admit "I actually like you but never considered whether to marry you"?
He didn't dare say anything, terrified that one wrong word—given her serious nature—would get him dramatically kicked out and cut off forever.
Patting his face, he retreated to his room.
He decided he needed time to cool off, to properly sort through his thoughts and determine what attitude and relationship he should maintain with that silly woman moving forward.
Having made this decision, he prepared for bed. Best leave everything for tomorrow—after all, tomorrow is another day.
Just as he lay down, his company's deputy director called.
●︶3︶●
The next morning at work, Qian Fei noticed Li Yifei had already left.
An uncomfortable feeling settled in her chest. He was clearly avoiding her.
During work, Liu Yifeng asked her to confirm some due diligence matters with Li Yifei's company colleagues. When she called Li Yifei, his phone was off. She had to call Zhao De instead.
Zhao De sounded listless. When Qian Fei asked why, he complained of chest tightness.
She inquired about Li Yifei's whereabouts, explaining his phone was off. Zhao De sounded surprised: "You didn't know? Aren't you living together? Yifei left early this morning with another project team—probably gone for a month. It's that corporate bond issuance project he was temporarily assigned to before. He's likely still on the plane. Strange though—that team's leader had begged him repeatedly to join this business trip, but he kept refusing, saying he had something important this month related to you. Then after last night's call from the deputy director, he suddenly agreed. Honestly, his moods change faster than a woman's!"
After hanging up, Qian Fei stood frozen.
Mortification washed over her. This was absolutely him avoiding her!
She regretted her loose tongue. Why had she needed to voice remembering that night?
She concluded Li Yifei must have simply been drunk that evening—acting on drunken impulse without real intent. He probably never wanted her to recall that night. Yet she'd remembered and mentioned it, forcing him into this awkward position where fleeing on business became his only escape.
The embarrassment burned. She felt like she'd cornered him into taking responsibility.
Beneath the shame, an ache bloomed—her heart pinched faintly, eyes stinging slightly.
Taking a deep breath, she suppressed the discomfort, the pain, the sting, refusing to dwell deeper.
Fine. If he wanted to move out upon returning, she'd find new tenants. If he stayed, she'd maintain distance to spare them both discomfort.
●︶3︶●
Seated at the airport, Li Yifei watched the misty clouds outside his window as his thoughts gradually settled.Yesterday, the deputy general manager pleaded with me in an unprecedented, almost kneeling manner to help clean up the mess with the bond issuance project team. The boss of that bond-issuing company was truly a difficult character—no one else could handle him, and only I could get through to him a bit. The deputy said if I didn't go, the project would be completely dead in the water.
With things put that way, I couldn't refuse anymore and had to agree.
After agreeing, I thought about it—this business trip actually came at a good time. It would give me the perfect opportunity to sort out exactly how I felt about Qian Fei and to what extent I was willing to give up my freedom for her. She was different from all the other girls I'd been with before. With them, it was fine to just date without thinking about marriage—we were all just pursuing carefree fun and comfort anyway. But Qian Fei wasn't like that. Every time she dated someone, she did so seriously with marriage in mind, even though she'd failed every time.
And precisely because she'd failed several times already, she couldn't afford to get hurt again. So I needed to be extra careful and really figure out my feelings for her—whether I was truly willing to commit to marriage as the foundation. If not, she would get hurt, in which case I might as well stop right here and stay away from her. If I was willing, then I needed to consider whether I might regret it in the future.
I decided to use this month to sort all this out clearly.
Author's Note:
Hehe... the road is a bit winding, but fortunately the journey isn't too long, hehehe...
The * system has been acting shamelessly these past couple days. After struggling all day, I finally managed to give out the points from before (╰_╯)# Come on, keep leaving comments of 24+ words without nonsense for 2 points—I'll keep giving out points
Thank you everyone for the bombs and mines!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bowing in gratitude!!!!!! Rich patron Su Lan, you're making my heart flutter with all your gifts!!!!
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