He decelerated subconsciously and finally pulled the car over by the side. He then lowered the window, reached out, and opened the door of the passenger seat. After that, he just sat in the car and waited silently for Dongfang Liuyun.
“Get in!” When she approached, Qi Lei’s bold voice made it seem like there was no room for rejection.
Dongfang Liuyun stopped in her steps and frowned. She saw that Qi Lei had already sat back in the driver’s seat with a determined expression. Finally, she gave it a thought and got in the car after all.
She closed the door and fastened the seatbelt while Qi Lei started the car.
“Since you have ample time, just treat it as another chit-chat session with me,” Qi Lei suddenly said after driving for some time.
Having heard that, Dongfang Liuyun, who was stretching her arm out to turn on the radio, froze for a second or two. After a while, she pressed the power button with her slender finger, but she also turned the volume down subconsciously.
“What do you want to talk about?”
“Let’s talk about you.” Qi Lei replied while he turned his head and took a glance at her. He then continued, “We’ve been talking about me all this time, so shouldn’t we talk about you this time around? ”
Dongfang Liuyun was startled for a while, and then she said calmly, “I have nothing much to say about my life. It is as you see. Plus, you might not be interested if I were to talk to you about history and archeology.”
“How do you know that I wouldn’t be interested? Professor Dongfang, do you always think that you have the superpower to understand everything?” Qi Lei drove carefully, so the car was not speeding too fast.
“Am I not convincing enough?” She glanced at him casually.
Qi Lei did not answer her, but he gave her a pregnant squint and accelerated the car slightly.
“My family has been very strict since I was a child, and I’ve been running around since I was in middle school, I’ve been to Japan, Southeast Asia, Africa, and many countries in Europe, but of course, academics were never abandoned. However, my time in school was not long, and most of my time then was dedicated to working and studying part-time. So, if I were to talk about myself, it can be summed up by the word ‘hectic’,” Dongfang Liuyun thought about it for a bit and said simply.
“You’re a girl. There’s no need to work that hard. It’s not that you’re rushing to make big bucks, start a company, build a mansion, own luxurious cars, and get yourself a wife,” Qi Lei responded with a tad bit of disapproval.
It was undeniable that Dongfang Liuyun had actually led a far more tiring life than he did, maybe even more exhausting than anyone he knew. However, she always seemed to be more relaxed than anyone else.
“That was all in the past. When times get tough, just hold on and it’ll pass somehow. Both of us are individuals that don’t wish to rely on their family’s status, so you should be able to understand how it feels, don’t you?”
“Our starting point is just much superior to many people, but those are the achievements of the family. You should know that we might be nobody after leaving them. My mother often asks me to review and reflect on my life because she doesn’t want me to rely on their achievements or grow up under their shelter. After all, my mother is a very inspirational person herself.”
“Your mother?” Qi Lei raised his brows in surprise. He only knew that Mrs. Dongfang was a prestigious, well-known lawyer in the legal field. She was also a well-respected figure who held quite a status in politics.
Dongfang Liuyun nodded faintly. While Qi Lei was waiting for her to continue with the conversation, she just turned her head to the other side and looked out of the window and did not go on any further.
“Turn left at the intersection ahead and enter Grand Summer Bay. It’s number 17 of the Riverside Villa area.”
The Riverside Villa, huh?
Qi Lei knew that area naturally. Like the Grand Lake Villa area, it was a place with a fantastic environment, but it seemed to be an old area. He nodded indifferently, then turned the steering wheel slightly into the left lane…
It took about twenty minutes before the car drove slowly into the Riverside Villa area.
They soon arrived at villa number 17 in the Riverside Villa area.
It was an independent villa. From the outside, it had a combination of Chinese and European decorative elements. The front courtyard was huge while the street lights in the courtyard were very bright and the trees on both sides were very dense. The villa seemed to be hidden from the hustle and bustle of the city.
After the car stopped in front of the villa, Dongfang Liuyun then pushed the door open and got out of the car.
“Would you like to go in for a cup of tea?” she asked faintly.
Qi Lei thought about it for a second and replied, “Maybe next time. I still need to get back to the hospital.”
Dongfang Liuyun nodded. “Okay, goodbye then. Thanks for the ride.”
“Goodbye.” A hint of ease crossed Qi Lei’s attractive face, and he then started the car.
Dongfang Liuyun watched as the car drove off. She stood at the doorstep in silence for a while, then she reached out into her pocket and took out the keys.
…
When he returned to the hospital, it was already around one o’clock in the middle of the night. Wang Chun and Yang Sheng were still there waiting intently, and as soon as they saw his silhouette, they breathed a sigh of relief.
“Second Master Qi, you’re finally back!” Yang Sheng’s stiffened face eased a little. He and Wang Chun had been restless for the whole night.
“How’s everything?” Qi Lei stood right in front of the glass window, staring at Qi Qiming, who was lying on the hospital bed inside as he asked faintly.
“Still the same as before. Chief Surgeon Liang checked in on President Qi several times and said that his current condition is fairly stable. Oh yeah, First Master came by too, and he stood here for a long time. Manager Gu was with him, but it seemed that he wasn’t feeling too well, so Manager Gu asked him to go back to rest first.”
Qi Feng had come earlier with a swollen face, but luckily, he was wearing sunglasses. Otherwise, it would have been more obvious. When they recalled that Qi Lei had stormed out ferociously before that, they were not sure if it was…
Yang Sheng thought to himself while glancing at Qi Lei secretly. Nonetheless, Qi Lei did not turn the slightest and he just listened to the report expressionlessly.
“Right, the deputy directors called your cell phone just now, but they couldn’t reach you, so they were worried all evening,” Yang Sheng updated anxiously.
“Get them to handle all the matters at hand first. I’ll be back in the office when things have stabilized here. Both of you should go back first. I’ll be fine here. Don’t worry.” Qi Lei raised his arm to rub his bulging eyebrows and took a breath.
“Assistant Wang, you’ve been worrying for the whole day. You can go back first. I’ll stay back and accompany Second Master Qi.” Looking at Qi Lei, it was impossible for Yang Sheng to not worry about him at that moment since he might even have not eaten his dinner yet.
Wang Chun froze for a second, pondered for a while, and then nodded. “Okay then. I’ll head back first. Be sure to notify me immediately if there’s any progress with President Qi!”
He still had to sort out the documents and bring them for notarization. Those were what mattered the most. Furthermore, they must be handled secretly!