Chapter 1569: Missed (3)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Her calm gaze contained a hint of surprise as it paused on Lan Xiu’s handsome face. That sharp and clear gaze seemed like it could see through the deepest depths of his heart. Feeling at a loss, he could only turn away and look out of the car window.
“It’s quite rare to see you present me with flowers,” Dongfang Liuyun said as she finally accepted them. She looked down at them and said, “But thank you.”
“As long as you like them,” Lan Xiu quickly answered, and then gave Ah Li a look before the latter asked the chauffeur to start the car. Soon, the car slowly started and drove away.
However, at this moment, in the car right behind them, Qi Lei had steadily parked the car when he saw the car in front gradually drive away. He frowned slightly.
Lan Xiu?
He would not have seen it wrongly. Lan Xiu had personally come to pick Dongfang Liuyun up…
He fell silent and thought about it for a while. Then, a gloominess that he did not even notice before flashed in his eyes. He sighed deeply and his fingers combed through his hair. He started the car and drove ahead. After a short while, he picked up his phone from the side and checked. There were no messages, so he then tossed it onto the front pa.s.senger seat beside him.
At this moment, inside Lan Xiu’s car, Lan Xiu turned to look at Dongfang Liuyun who was looking at her phone. He asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve got no signal on my phone. Forget it. I’ll just explain when I get back.”
Dongfang Liuyun gave up and kept her phone away.
“Jin Sheng and Dong Rouer’s engagement ceremony is happening in a few days. Have you got any plans?” Lan Xiu asked and looked at her meaningfully.
Someone as sharp as Dongfang Liuyun very quickly caught on to the key information. “Did they send you an invite?”
Upon hearing that, Lan Xiu’s lips flashed with a smile as he shot her a look from the side. “Your ability to catch insights is still as terrifying as always. Take a look yourself,” he said and then quickly reached out his hand to Ah Li in front. Ah Li quickly handed over the fiery red invitation.
Lan Xiu took it and casually flipped through it before handing it to Dongfang Liuyun beside him.
However, she just squinted at it and did not take it. She only lowered her gaze calmly. “They’re playing their cards very well. I’m affected right now because of this too, but did they think I’d give in just like that?”
“You have to avoid them as much as possible. After all, you’ve just taken over, so caution is the parent of safety.” Lan Xiu looked at her worriedly.
Nevertheless, she did not make a sound and just silently turned her head to look outside at the view of the streets.
Lan Xiu looked at him from the side and saw that she was still silent, so he did not make any more sound to disturb her and the car instantly fell silent.
When they were rushing to Xiang She Er restaurant, it was peak after work traffic time and the roads were quite congested.
Lan Xiu also made a stop at his office along the way to get some doc.u.ments before they went over.
When they had ordered the dishes, the sky outside had fallen silent and the early evening lights were lit.
Lan Xiu was pouring a cup of tea for Dongfang Liuyun as he asked in concern, “I know you can’t really drink recently, so I didn’t order any. Have some tea that warms the belly instead. For my birthday last year, I was abroad and you weren’t around which was quite a pity.”
Dongfang Liuyun lightly pointed her fingers to indicate her grat.i.tude before accepting the tea and taking a nonchalant sip as she said casually, “That’s not the first time anyway. Friends like us are more apart than we are gathered together, but now we’ve all returned, so there should be many more chances in the future.
“I apologize for our last unhappy encounter. Perhaps I was too serious. If…”
“I can understand how you feel, so you don’t have to apologize. You’re right! It’s better for us to be friends. You’ve been my playmate since we were young…my true friend, my close friend. This will never change. That’s why I feel that I have always been so lucky.”
Dongfang Liuyun did not wait for Lan Xiu to finish before she cut him off as she lifted her tea to toast to him.
However, she would not have thought that when she finished speaking, Lan Xiu’s gaze would have darkened as he felt an indescribable hurt. Nevertheless, he could only lift his teacup to respond to her toast and smile to say, “It’s good that you can think that way.”
Still, how was he to say that actually he…
He was hesitant and afraid that he could not give her the happiness she wanted. In the end, he could only watch her be sad. He could not let these things happen to her. He thought to himself that if they could always be like this, it was not too bad. At least, in her heart, Lan Xiu still held a spot.
“I’ve always taken your care for me to hear. Before this, I didn’t consider things through. Even though I’m afraid that I’ll fall deep into the pit of the Dongfang family’s problems and not make it out, naturally I don’t want you to also be pulled into this. In fact, I can understand when I put myself in your shoes.”
Dongfang Liuyun sighed softly as her expression remained calm as water, yet Lan Xiu felt oddly stifled.
“I just didn’t expect that in the end, I’d even lose my bottom line, so I want to try my best to salvage whatever I can. You know how I am. When benefit is involved, I’m also worried that I…I can’t avoid trouble just because I don’t want to fight over some things. I’ve been drifting for so many years now. I think you and I know what it means to not always do things as we like.”
“Liuyun…don’t give yourself too much pressure. No matter what happens, I’ll definitely have your back the way you had my back back then. You’re not only my true friend but someone to whom I’m indebted…”
Lan Xiu’s eyes contained a heartfelt sentiment that was hard to read, but he fixed his gaze on Dongfang Liuyun.
She just silently lowered her head at this moment and continued eating, not seeing the emotions in his eyes as she said calmly, “It’s too much to say you’re indebted to me. Just consider that it was because we were playmates. Otherwise, just see that for the sake of Lan Qi, I should have also given my all to help you out. Luckily, you didn’t disappoint everyone. You made it till today, and you’ve come quite far.”
“No, you’re my lucky star. There’s no doubt about that.”
“Since that’s the case, then give sacrificial offerings to me like a Buddha. You know that I’m someone who isn’t satisfied with small gains.”
“Of course, the Lan family’s properties have always been open to you,” Lan Xiu smiled and said dotingly.
Dongfang Liuyun smiled sweetly too. Her brows were raised as she asked, “Am I allowed to bring my family along to enjoy it together?”
When she said this, he paused and thought that she meant Dongfang Gan and Song Siting, so he smiled and said, “Well, of course!”