Chapter 22: As Different as Two Cats

  Bao Ji Shi had just come out of the study when he saw Bao Zhong Yang leaning against the staircase with a look of ease.

  Bo Qiangyang hooked up the corner of his mouth with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Fourth Miss, a noble person has appeared in your fate, you must seize this opportunity."

  Qī Shī gazed at him warmly, "Second Brother has gone to a lot of trouble, it's getting late, Second Brother should get some rest early."

  When the siblings brushed past each other, the smile on their faces instantly disappeared, leaving behind a cold and calm expression.

  The next day, Yin and Chang were preparing to go pick up Qiao Yu at the airport when they received a call from Qiao Yu.

  "I'm going to buy some things, you don't have to wait for me, let's meet at the airport."

  Yin Hechang hung up the phone in a daze, feeling that Qiao Yu's recent behavior had been deviating from the norm, and he didn't know why he attributed the reason to Ji Siyuan at the first time.

  Yin Hechang and Qiao Yu sat in the waiting room, waiting to board the plane. He glanced at Qiao Yu, who was intently reading a document beside him, wanting to speak but hesitating, and just as he mustered up the courage to open his mouth, he was interrupted.

  A man wearing a pilot's uniform walked through the vast waiting hall, under the gaze of everyone, and stopped in front of Qiao Yu, then sat down.

  Perhaps it was the uniform 'lure' 'charm', or perhaps that person was originally outstanding, several young girls around were excitedly discussing.

  Qiao Yu put away the documents in his hand and smiled, "What are you doing here?"

  Shen Nan kicked the black suitcase on the ground, "I came over for training, and we're on the same flight back. I saw your name on the passenger list and came to say hello."

  Qiao Yu looked at him, "Is that it?"

  Shen Nan You suddenly smiled and hid his smile after suppressing it for half a day, opening his mouth with a serious expression, "As your brother for many years, I'll remind you of one thing, the Third Young Master is coming to attack."

  Qiao Yu heard this name and frowned, then exchanged a knowing smile with Shen Nan.

  Qiao Yu had barely sat down on the plane when a fragrant and beautiful woman in a long dress floated over and sat down beside him, filling the air with a sweet scent. The woman fell asleep as soon as she sat down, and before the plane even took off, her head was already leaning against Qiao Yu's shoulder.

  Qiao Yu politely put her head back on the headrest, but not long after, she leaned back again. After a few cycles, she became more and more aggressive, almost rolling into Qiao Yu's arms.

  Qiao Yu glanced at Shen Nan You who was watching the commotion beside him, and raised his voice slightly in exasperation, "Chen San Er, are you done playing around?"

  A head popped out from two rows away, "How did you know it was me?"

  After finishing speaking, she made a gesture and the fashionable 'girl' who was pretending to sleep beside her got up and went to sit elsewhere. Then Chen Mu Bai sat down next to Qiao Yu.

  Qiao Yu gave him a somewhat helpless glance.

  Chen Jia's ancestors were authentic Eight Banners, and although it had been many years, he couldn't hide the elegance and nobility of the imperial family. Of course, he also couldn't escape the lazy and indulgent nature typical of the Eight Banners' descendants.

  Chen Mu Bai stared at Qiao Yu for half a day before speaking, "Second brother, originally they said you didn't get close to women, I didn't believe it, now I actually have some doubts whether you have... cut sleeve tendencies?"

  Qiao Yu let out a somewhat self-deprecating hum before closing his eyes to meditate.

  Chen Mu-bai saw Qiao Yu ignoring him and didn't mind, stroking his chin and speaking to himself, "At the time, it was the Chen family who wronged your sister first, but later when the Chen family had trouble, you were so righteous. I've always felt guilty towards you, you know I don't like owing people favors. I've been thinking about it for a while, you're not lacking in wealth or power, just a beautiful wife. Maybe these years you've been too busy and haven't gotten around to it, otherwise I can introduce you to a few..."

  Qiao Yu couldn't bear Chen Mu Bai's nagging anymore, turned his head to look at him and said, "Mu Shao, don't you think you're missing a matchmaker mole?"

  Chen Mu Bai's mouth twitched, and he turned to pull Shen Nan You's sleeve. "What's wrong with him? The old Qiao Yu was such a gentle and harmless person, how did I suddenly feel a chill? Is it because his brother-in-law has arrived? Or is the south too complicated? Has it corrupted my beloved second brother?"

  Shen Nan You glanced at Qiao Yu's face and smiled at Chen Mu Bai, who was full of enthusiasm. He knew that Qiao Yu wasn't averse to women, but rather had someone in his heart, and yet Chen Mu Bai still recklessly poked at his sore spot.

  He still clearly remembers that a few years ago, Qiao Yu came to him on purpose and sent a "girl" away at the airport's monitoring room with a painful and reluctant face. The man's reluctance was obvious to everyone, but when he asked if he should stop her, he was rejected by Qiao Yu.

  He had never seen such an expression on this gentle and elegant man's face.

  He sat on the sofa staring at the figure on the screen without blinking, a long silence, and later even unconsciously lit a cigarette.

  "I didn't mean to stop you, but he still turned around to explain, his voice hoarse. 'I know smoking is not allowed here, I'll just have one cigarette and then leave.'"

  He continued to stare at the screen until the plane flew into the sky, and by then, all that was left in his hand was a cigarette butt. The cigarette had been lit from head to toe, but he hadn't taken a single puff. Shen Nan watched as the ember approached his fingertips, perhaps it was the pain between his fingers that brought him back to his senses. Qiao Yu quickly stood up, and his expression returned to normal, saying "thank you, I'm leaving."

  After finishing speaking, he took another look at the surveillance screen where the slender figure had long since disappeared, and turned to leave resolutely.

  At that time, Qiao Yan had just encountered an accident, which was the most difficult time for Qiao Yu. At that time, he had been in politics for a long time and had already learned to hide his emotions, no matter how hard it was, he would not show that kind of expression. But only once, he failed to do so, with a sense of helplessness, reluctance, powerless despair and desperation.

  Shen Nan You had waited at the airport for a long time and seen many goodbyes. If someone showed that expression when seeing off others, how could they easily forget?

  Qiao Yu returned to the office on a weekend, just one day after he came back from a business trip, to pick up a document he had left behind. The building was empty and quiet, and as he walked down the corridor, he brushed past a large cat that was strutting along, and stopped for a moment, turning his head to look at it, seeing that the big-faced cat had stopped in front of the elevator.

  Qiao Yu looked around, wondering where this cat came from. He smiled and shook his head, continuing to walk forward.

  He waited until he took out the documents from his office, and that cat was still crouching in front of the elevator.

  He walked over and pressed the button to wait for the elevator, and the cat stood shoulder to shoulder with him. The elevator door opened quickly, and after he got in, the cat crouched at the elevator door looking at him.

  Qiao Yu blocked the elevator door that was about to close and asked, "Are you coming in?"

  The cat quickly got up, with a proud and arrogant face, walking slowly into the elevator.

  The elevator doors slowly closed, and Qiao Yu looked at it and asked tentatively, "You... going to which floor?"

  The cat looked at the several rows of numbers on the elevator door with a bewildered expression, and then pressed a floor button.

  When they reached the ground floor, Qiao Yu got out of the elevator and the cat followed him out. It then followed Qiao Yu all the way to his car.

  Qiao Yu turned his head to look at it, really didn't know whose cat this was, where it came from, and why it kept following him. He just brought it down like this, what if its owner couldn't find it?

  No choice, Qiao Yu took the elevator back to the office floor with the cat and didn't go home either, just stayed in the office for overtime.

  After Ji Siyun finished her work, she discovered that the big cat that had been sunbathing on the windowsill was nowhere to be found. After searching around without finding any trace of it, she noticed that Qiao Yu's office door was slightly ajar.

  She pushed the door open and saw Qiao Yu sitting at the desk by the window, looking at documents, occasionally glancing at the computer, with a simple pen and a cup of water beside him.

  The sunlight outside shines in, and the big cat shrinks to the side of Qiao Yu's hand, basking in the sun and pretending to sleep. Suddenly, it opens its eyes and wants to jump up to catch the fish in the aquarium on the corner of the table. Qiao Yu doesn't even lift his eyes, but suddenly curves the corners of his mouth, raises his hand to comfort the cat, strokes its fur, and the big cat immediately lies back down obediently, closes its eyes with a satisfied expression.

  The sun is shining brightly outside, the room inside is quiet and peaceful. Everything seems so familiar, as if everything should be this way, as if this scene has happened countless times before. Everything seems fine, but her eyes are slightly aching.

  Qiao Yu soon discovered the existence of Ji Si Xuan, and when he looked up at her, Ji Si Xuan reacted extremely quickly by closing her eyes and pointing to that big cat who had long changed its allegiance and didn't know who its owner was. "It's mine."

  The man standing against the light had a brilliant aura, with golden sunlight faintly outlining his contours. His deep and narrow eyes were filled with a smile, and Ji Si Xuan heard the surprise in his voice amidst her own heartbeat.

  "Is it Xiǎo Huā?"

  Ji Siyun tilted her head slightly and finally saw his face clearly, it turned out he still remembered.

  Qiao Yu had met Ji Xiao 'Hua' before.

  That year, Mr. and Mrs. Ji went to adopt a pet, and Ji Siyun was forced to take care of the big cat, but the school did not allow pets, so she could only go home every other day, and several times Qiao Yu sent her back.

  Ji Siyuan has been trying to get Qiao Yu to go home, but Qiao Yu is still very traditional at heart. Since the bride's parents are not around, he is reluctant to go upstairs no matter what.

  But she had been soft and hard for many times, he also wavered, and went through that once, saw it once, just at that time the little "flower" was still a small "flower", and now the bun face is like two different cats, so he didn't recognize her.

  I don't know if it's because Da Miao recognized him and followed him all the time.

  The scene of one person and one cat, Ji Siyu had imagined countless times. When they got married, she would bring the big cat to her own home. She thought that the most wonderful thing in the world was that they were busy with their own things, not disturbing each other, but as soon as she looked up, she could see him and the sunbathing cat, plus a bit of tenderness between his eyebrows, perfect.

  It's just that I never thought such a scene would really appear in front of me after so many years.