39

When Shizuka learned that Duan Baiting was coming, her first reaction was to refuse.

She had a natural fear of him. It couldn't be called resistance, but pure fear.

Song Wanyue didn't want to force it, even though she had said many good things about Duan Baiting in front of Jingxiang.

The effect can be minimal.

She left early, bearing the stigma of Shizuka for valuing women over friendship.

Song Cong asked her from behind when they could meet again.

She was as proud as a white swan: "There's nothing to do with you, you stinky toad."

Song Cong didn't mind being scolded, and still smiled shamelessly: "What about our brother Yang?"

Zhou Wenyang frowned and said in a low voice: "Shut up."

Song Wanyue stopped and lowered her arrogant chin.

"Zhou Wenyang, just wait for me, I will settle the score with you sooner or later!"

Little Swan said these harsh words in a voice that she thought was fierce and scary, but was actually coquettish.

Then she left with her Hermès bag.

Song Cong was cracking melon seeds and said, "After so many years, I haven't found anyone with a more pleasant voice than Sister Wanyue. I feel good when she scolds me."

Jingxiang shook her head. This guy was born to be a mean person. He loved to tease Song Wanyue since he was a child and would not stop until she forced him to scold him.

Zhou Wenyang said nothing, just lowered his head and took a sip of wine.

It was not until Song Wanyue left the bar that he raised his head and glanced in the direction she left.

-Duan

Baiting was exhausted from the long journey, and the first thing he did when he got home was to take a shower.

When Song Wanyue got home, he was wearing a black and gray bathrobe. He opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water.

Song Wanyue was bending down to change her shoes. When she saw him, a smile leaped up on her face: "Didn't you say you might not come back?"

Duan Baiting unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip of water. When he heard the sound, he looked towards the door.

Song Wanyue took off her shoes in a few seconds. She was wearing high heels today. After walking all day, her feet were sore and her ankles were red.

She didn't even have time to put on her slippers and threw herself into his arms.

I didn't pay attention and hit my forehead.

He put down the water bottle and rubbed her face: "Finish it in advance, and let Assistant Lin and Secretary Qin handle the rest over there."

Song Wanyue nodded, and suddenly felt a little drowsy in his arms.

It is easy to feel sleepy in winter. Her personality and habits are like those of small animals.

It's like hibernating in winter.

It snowed on Christmas, which was very appropriate.

The curtains were wide open, and outside the window, the night was completely silent and covered in snow.

Song Wanyue lay in Duan Baiting's arms and played with his fingers.

His palm was like a jade fan, stretched out and slender.

It was big and firm, and when it was wrapped around her waist, it felt like a tight bond that she couldn't escape from.

She never thought of breaking free.

Song Wanyue likes his combination of strength and gentleness.

Sometimes he was gentle to her, sometimes he was tough.

She would find it boring if he was just gentle or strong all the time.

"Where were you playing just now?" He let her play with his fingers, holding them one by one and slowly drawing circles along his fingertips.

It was a little itchy, so he closed her hand in his palm.

Song Wanyue leaned back into his arms: "A few friends came to North City, and Jingxiang invited us to dinner and spend Christmas together."

"It seems that I disturbed your party."

"No." Jingxiang was right, she valued love over friendship. "You come first to me, so I will definitely accompany you first."

Duan Baiting smiled softly and did not investigate the truth of her words: "How do you usually celebrate Christmas?"

She thought carefully: "I put up the Christmas tree with my friends. If it snows, I will go to the yard to make a snowman. When I am tired, I will go into the house to eat. After dinner, I will take pictures and watch movies at home together. Sometimes we also play some games, such as Werewolf and Script Killing."

He gave a brief comment: "It's very lively."

"Because I like lively things."

Duan Baiting paused slightly: "Is it boring to be with me?"

She rubbed against his arms: "No, compared to lively things, I prefer to be alone with Tingting."

She was smooth-talking and her words sounded like honey.

He is very good at speaking differently to different people.

Only one light was on, and there was a scented candle lit next to it. It was lit by Song Wanyue, who said it was to add to the festive atmosphere.

She leaned in Duan Baiting's arms, looked at the snow outside the window, and asked him how he celebrated Christmas in the past.

He was silent for a moment and shook his head: "I can't remember, maybe it was at work, or maybe it was at a dinner party."

For him, Christmas has no special meaning, it is just an ordinary day of the year.

The only difference is that there may be traffic jams when traveling.

Song Wanyue mocked him for continuing like this because he would not be able to keep up with the trend of the times.

"You are only 26 years old, how come you are older than my father."

He smiled: "I've never seen you call me dad."

Song Wanyue said: "If you really want to hear it, it's not impossible."

Seeing that she seemed to really have this intention, Duan Baiting reached out to cover her mouth and said lightly: "Okay."

Song Wanyue took the opportunity to kiss his palm with a sly smile in her eyes.

"You old fashioned man, you're still joking with me? I'll take it seriously."

He withdrew his hand, and the touch on his palm was still there.

Warm, soft, and slightly numb.

He twisted his fingertips and lowered his eyelashes, seeing her innocent eyes, as if nothing had happened.

Duan Baiting had no way to deal with her, so he just asked, "Have you eaten?"

"No." She lied with her eyes open, even though she had clearly eaten a whole portion of black pork ribs. "I rushed back as soon as I received your call, for fear that you would spend Christmas alone at home with no one to accompany you."

After hearing this, Duan Baiting got up from the bed.

Put on the nightgown that she had torn open. Seeing this, Song Wanyue asked him unhappily: "Do you have any work not completed?"

"No."

She questioned him: "Then what are you doing?"

He didn't even turn his head: "Cooking for someone who is not full."

Song Wanyue was stunned.

By the time she reacted, Duan Baiting had already gone downstairs to the kitchen.

He can cook, though not an expert.

She put on an apron, carefully disinfected and washed her hands several times, and then rinsed all the tableware and pots and bowls again.

Take out some vegetables and fish from the refrigerator, cut them and set aside.

He turned on the fire and boiled water in the pot. After the water boiled, he poured it out.

He doesn't even feel tired after going through such tedious disinfection steps.

Song Wanyue leaned against the door and told him, "The chef disinfects it every day."

"Yeah." He responded lightly, but did not stop what he was doing.

Song Wanyue knew that he had mysophobia, but she didn't expect it to be this serious.

After thinking about it, she decided that she should take a shower first.

After all, I spent the whole day in the company and went to the music bar, and I smelled of cigarettes and alcohol.

What if Duan Baiting dislikes her?

While Duan Baiting was cooking, she went upstairs to the bathroom and took a thorough bath.

It was cleaned from head to toe and taken good care of.

She changed into the skirt that Duan Baiting gave her.

I admired myself in the mirror for a long time. The skirt is indeed very beautiful and the temperament is gentle.

But who would dress so formally just to have a midnight snack at home on Christmas Day?

It seems a bit too much.

After thinking about it, I decided to just let it go as long as it looks good.

Song Wanyue casually tied her soft long hair into a low bun with a wooden hairpin.

Then go downstairs.

In the living room, Duan Baiting had already prepared the midnight snack and was setting the table.

Hearing the noise, he looked up.

His eyes were still calm. He looked her up and down without saying anything extra. He pulled out a chair for her to sit over and said, "It's not good to eat too much at night, so I just made something simple."

Song Wanyue was a little disappointed that she didn't get the response she wanted.

"This is the dress you gave me. Does it look good on me?"

Duan Baiting served her the meal: "It looks good."

"Tsk."

Song Wanyue felt that he was just trying to be perfunctory.

She had already eaten, so she wasn't really hungry, but since Duan Baiting was going to the kitchen himself, she had to at least give him some honor.

Song Wanyue ate very slowly and could take countless bites of a shrimp.

Seeing that she was not hungry at all, Duan Baiting poured her a glass of warm water: "Don't force it if you can't eat."

"No way, this is made by you." She looked like she was cherishing it.

Duan Baiting shook his head helplessly and took the plate away: "Eating too much will cause indigestion, and you will have to go to the hospital then."

When she heard that she had to go to the hospital, she immediately became obedient.

There are houses of theirs within dozens of miles around here. It's not lively at all and there is no festive atmosphere at all.

Fortunately, there was a Christmas tree set up in the living room.

Song Wanyue and Xiao Huan took it personally a few days ago.

It was taller than her and was a whole herringbone pine tree that was directly transported here.

There are light strips and various gift boxes wrapped around it.

The ground was covered with artificial snow and surrounded by a wooden fence.

Xiaohuan said that this was the first time a Christmas tree appeared in his home.

Duan Baiting has no concept of festivals and doesn't care about them. He treats all festivals equally, whether they are domestic or foreign.

Never.

Song Wanyue felt that his life was really unremarkable.

Rich people of his age all spend their nights in debauchery, driving supercars and having parties on yachts every night.

He is better. When he has no work, he goes to bed early and gets up early, drinks tea and reads newspapers. Play golf occasionally.

Healthy and mature.

Song Wanyue didn't even dare to think about how boring it would be if other girls married him.

She went over and turned off the lights in the living room. The room became dark, with only the Christmas tree in the corner glittering with circles of lights.

"Does it look good?" she asked him.

Duan Baiting took a look and saw some messy decorations hanging on the pine tree.

He doesn't know what's so good about it.

But he still nodded: "It's okay."

Song Wanyue asked him to close his eyes: "I have prepared a Christmas gift for you."

Not understanding what she was up to, Duan Baiting cooperated and closed his eyes.

After a series of rustling sounds, "You can open your eyes now."

When he opened his eyes, he saw Song Wanyue's hands were tied with red ribbons.

At this moment, she handed it to him: "You can open your gift."

Duan Baiting was silent for a moment, then smiled: "What's the use of this gift?"

Song Wanyue smiled sweetly: "You can do whatever you want before the end of Christmas."

She also specifically added a prerequisite: "No overtime or housework."

Duan Baiting smiled helplessly and untied the ribbon: "Okay, go to bed."

Song Wanyue was stunned. She didn't expect him to make this request.

Isn't this a waste of resources? I thought about it for a long time before I came up with this idea.

"Won't you think about it again?"

"It's getting late." He reached out and stroked the dark circles under her eyes. "I didn't have those before."

"Are you very tired lately?"

They were caused by staying up late some time ago and have nothing to do with the recent situation.

But dark circles are very difficult to get rid of. It will take at least half a month to completely disappear.

Even though she goes to the beauty salon regularly and applies expensive eye cream every night.

But for some strange reason, Song Wanyue always liked to pretend to be weak in front of him, which made him feel distressed.

"It's okay, but I don't sleep well. You are so busy every day and have no time to accompany me. I sleep alone at night, and I'm a little scared."

She leaned into his arms. The distance between them was so close and he was only wearing a bathrobe.

She could even hear his heartbeat.

The gift ribbon that he had just unwrapped was still wrapped around his fingers, and Duan Baiting smelled the unique jasmine scent on her body.

She spoke softly and gently, not restless in his arms like she used to.

Duan Baiting lowered his eyelashes, his breathing became a little rapid, and his eyes were full of meaning.

Even if he can remain calm in the face of temptation on weekdays, he is not the real Liuxia Hui after all.

Song Wanyue was placed on the center island behind him with one hand, her palm resting on the cold marble surface. She was slightly startled for a moment.

Duan Baiting lowered his eyes to look at her, his voice extremely hoarse, and confirmed with her: "You can do whatever you want?"

Song Wanyue had the intention but not the courage to do it. If she said it out loud, she would feel like backing off.

She subconsciously gripped the edge of the table with her fingers, lowered her head, and avoided eyes: "Duan Baiting, don't... don't look at me like that, I'm a little... scared."

His eyes at that moment were full of the possessiveness that a hunter has towards his prey.

It seemed as if it was going to skin and eat its prey alive in the next second.

In fact, he did so.

Song Wanyue felt a chill and her thin cheongsam was stripped off.

The man who had buried his head in her neck and was kissing her wildly stopped moving, and Song Wanyue quietly opened her eyes.

Seeing him lower his head, his eyes fell on her.

Song Wanyue remembered the breast chain she was wearing.

What a coincidence.

She was about to pick up the clothes thrown aside to block him, but his hands were grabbed and tied behind her back.

This posture forced her to expand her shoulders and straighten her chest.

Duan Baiting looked for a while and lowered his head.

Song Wanyue remembered that she had been bragging to Shizuka before, saying that sooner or later she would charm him to death.

I don't know if he was fascinated or not, but I almost died here.

The snow outside was getting heavier and heavier. Duan Baiting had had enough and let her go for the time being.

He hooked his fingers on the thin silver chains: "What is this?"

"A decoration." She relied on him to hold it with one hand so that she would not collapse. "Does it look good?"

He was honest: "It looks good."

Song Wanyue smiled with satisfaction, and did not forget to emphasize: "It looks good because I am good-looking. It will not look good on everyone."

He nodded, as if agreeing with her words.

Song Wanyue was even happier. She put her arm around his shoulders and asked him to carry her upstairs.

Duan Baiting held her and glanced at the Christmas tree in the corner with the lights still on: "Just ignore this tree?"

Song Wanyue said: "Leave it lit, Christmas isn't over yet."

Duan Baiting nodded lightly and carried her back to the room.

He restrained his greed throughout the whole process and was very gentle, so Song Wanyue concentrated on immersing herself in the gentle land.

The mobile phone placed aside vibrated, and a faint fluorescent light lit up in the night.

Perhaps he was not sure whether Song Wanyue had fallen asleep, so he did not dare to call her rashly for fear of disturbing her sweet dream.

Only one message was sent.

Song Wanyue didn't notice that both her hands were clutching the bed sheets.

That little bit of light attracted Duan Baiting's attention, and he looked to the side.

Song Wanyue never set a password on her phone, and the message popped up, taking up half of the screen.

——I forgot to give you the ginseng that my aunt asked me to bring you. I left it with Shizuka. Remember to take it.

Note above, Zhou Wenyang.

Duan Baiting's eyes darkened. It was a distant but not unfamiliar name.

The brief abnormality of the person behind her caught Song Wanyue's attention. She turned back curiously, but she didn't have time to ask.

The sound in my throat shattered in an instant.

It was a rare moment when he lost control. His usual calm and composed self-possession was gone.

"Duan Baiting... Duan Baiting..."

Song Wanyue kicked her feet back and forth, and finally her instep was straightened.

She called out his name desperately in a pleading tone. But it didn't work at all.

It was the first time she arrived in such a short time.

The intertwined breaths gradually calmed down, and Duan Baiting seemed to have regained his sanity.

He wrapped her in a quilt, carried her to the sofa, and poured her a cup of warm water for her to replenish the water lost in her body.

Then I changed the bed sheets myself.

From changing the sheets to changing the mattress, he did everything himself.

Song Wanyue was watching from the side, still a little dazed.

It is undeniable that she likes Duan Baiting just now.

Most of the time, he was too indifferent.

But in that instant, his restraint and rationality seemed to disappear.

Become a wild animal that follows its instincts.

-Song

Wanyue came out of the shower wrapped in a towel and saw him smoking by the window. The indoor purifier and ventilation system were turned on, so the smell of smoke was minimal.

He rarely smokes, according to Song Wanyue's understanding of him.

I only smoke when I'm in a bad mood or bored.

Of course, there are also surprises.

For example, afterwards.

Her hair was wet and not blow-dried, and her eyes seemed to be soaked in the mist in the bathroom.

At this time, she looked up at him with a curious look on her face.

It seems that he wants to have a bite too.

Duan Baiting put his hand on her head, took the cigarette away from his hand and put it out.

"Why don't you blow-dry your hair?"

She grumbled that he was stingy, and then replied with a smile: "Wait for you to blow-dry it for me."

He shook his head helplessly, went into the bathroom and washed his hands several times until the smell of cigarettes was washed away.

Then he came over with a hair dryer.

Song Wanyue sat on a chair and drank a bottle of water.

Duan Baiting was behind her, condescending to blow her hair.

It was obvious that he had never done this before, so his movements seemed clumsy.

The chair was too high, and Song Wanyue's feet couldn't touch the floor, so they just dangled in the air.

He gently parted her tangled hair and asked casually, "Who are you having dinner with today?"

"Shizuka, you've met her."

"Only her?"

Song Wanyue didn't know why he suddenly asked this: "There is also a childhood friend who I haven't seen for almost two years, and an insignificant passerby."

He smiled thoughtfully: "Childhood friend?"

Song Wanyue nodded: "I don't think I mentioned him to you. His name is Zhou Wenyang, I'll let you meet him some other day."

Hearing this name from her mouth, his hands slowed down.

"There's nothing to see." He was too lazy to pretend, nor did he put on a gentle demeanor.

His tone was so indifferent that Song Wanyue thought he was angry.

"Are you jealous?"

He didn't hide it. He put down the hair dryer, moved a little further away from her, and then lit a cigarette.

"It's not that I'm jealous, I just mind a little."

"Mind me and him?" Song Wanyue explained, "We grew up together, that's all. And we haven't been in touch for many years."

Every word she said was true.

Duan Baiting could tell at a glance which of her words were true and which were false.

Knowing she wasn't lying.

But he still pinched her chin with the hand holding the cigarette, forcing her to look up and look at him.

His eyes weren't entirely indifferent. There is also calculation, arrogance, and natural scrutiny from those in a higher position.

But at this moment, only obscure emotions remain.

After a moment, he let go of her hand and rubbed her head: "Go to bed, it's two o'clock."

-After

that day, Song Wanyue began to take the initiative to report her itinerary to Duan Baiting.

The excuse is to give him a sense of security.

——Come to the company.

——Punch in on time and ensure perfect attendance, yay!

——Ordered a cup of coffee and started working.

——I drank too much coffee and went to the bathroom three times this morning, but when I think about it, it's not so bad since it's paid for.

——The contract I drafted yesterday was sent back.

——I heard from the manager that it was Mr. Duan himself who called back (*^_^*). There

were constant messages all morning, and I muted the phone during the meeting and handed it over to my special assistant.

After the meeting, the special assistant looked horrified and said his phone had been vibrating all morning and he didn't know who was calling.

As an assistant who has followed Duan Baiting for many years, he knows his temper very well.

If he doesn't answer a call and the other party keeps calling, his patience will run out.

This person is continuous and uninterrupted.

He is really brave.

Duan Baiting reached out to take the phone and looked at the piles of unread messages.

Without saying a word, he pushed the door and entered the office.

The assistant behind him was stunned.

Others change into new clothes in the New Year, but Mr. Duan has changed into a new temper in the New Year?

Duan Baiting dragged out a chair and sat down, reading her messages one by one from beginning to end.

When he saw the last two, he paused slightly.

This morning, Secretary Qin handed him the contract. He took a quick look at it and called it back.

Only four words were given for the review.

——Sloppy, redo.

I didn't expect it was written by Song Wanyue.

It has been some time since Christmas, and these days she has been reporting every detail to him.

Even though he had already said that there was no need to go through so much trouble.

But she still insisted.

I even have to tell him what I bought at the mall today.

She gave up only after Duan Baiting told her that he could see the card swiping records.

As the year draws to a close, apart from work matters, other things are enough to make him anxious.

My family has the custom of worshiping ancestors, so we must prepare in advance.

It is a common problem in large families that, even if they have long been corrupt, they still have to maintain a peaceful appearance.

His grandmother called him a few days ago and asked him to come back for dinner, as several cousins ​​would also be there.

It's the New Year, and his brothers and sisters who were living all over the world have returned one after another.

Duan Baiting didn't want to let Song Wanyue wade into this puddle of dirty water: "She's busy, I'll go alone."

His grandmother didn't force him: "Have you contacted your father recently? Your Aunt Tan gave birth to a daughter some time ago."

He said: "No."

His grandmother was silent for a long time: "She's your sister after all, you can go and see her when the time comes."

Duan Baiting said "um" in a low voice: "I know."

The call ended there.

The Duan family's bloody past is enough for people to talk about it for decades.

There are also some gifted people with good family background and academic success.

Just a little bit of black ink will quickly cause a large area of ​​rendering no matter where it is dropped.

A single move can affect the entire body.

One bad apple will spoil the whole barrel.

After hanging up the phone, Duan Baiting took off his glasses, leaned back in his chair, and pressed his nose bridge.

He really couldn't spare any time during those days, including the company team-building event he had promised Song Wanyue.

Song Wanyue didn't say anything, and said very generously that since he was not going, she wouldn't go either.

He felt guilty, remembering that she had been clamoring a few days ago to take some time to go to Paris and order a few haute couture clothes. Save it for wearing during the Chinese New Year.

So he directly brought the entire design team from Paris to China, and for these two months, they only served her.

Complete sets of Australian white jade were delivered to your home, along with a variety of jade and gemstones.

I heard that at this Christie's auction, almost half of the items were bought by a lady named Qin.

Song Wanyue thought of Secretary Qin.

When Shizuka saw these jewels, any one of which could buy several houses in North City, she was so envious that her mouth began to drool uncontrollably: "I take back what I said about hating Duan Baiting. He is not a devil at all. He is clearly a living Bodhisattva."

These are collection-level items, the kind that are in high demand.

-Although

Duan Baiting would talk to her every day, he went home less and less often.

Sometimes the voice is filled with endless fatigue.

When Song Wanyue asked, he just said that he was dealing with some household chores and told her not to worry.

Speaking of this, Song Wanyue was quite dissatisfied: "I am your family now, and your family affairs are my family affairs."

He smiled: "You take care of your family first, and I will go back after I finish my things here."

Song Wanyue could probably guess that he was entangled in trivial matters recently and must be overwhelmed.

So I just behaved myself and didn't bother him.

"Got it."

She still had to go read a book, so Duan Baiting told her not to hang up the phone and just left it aside.

Song Wanyue also did as she was told.

She has been studying very hard recently and studies until eleven o'clock every day. If Aunt Qin hadn't called her to take a break, she would probably have studied until the clock turned.

No self-control, but good at cramming.

The exam time is getting closer and there is no way to delay it any longer.

The phone was on speakerphone and it was very quiet on his end.

Song Wanyue was tired from studying, so she stretched. She didn't dare to make any sound for fear of disturbing him.

After hesitating for a long time, she asked softly, "Duan Baiting, what are you doing?"

After a while, there was movement from his side.

His voice was a little hoarse from just waking up, and he smiled: "I accidentally fell asleep."

Song Wanyue said, "If you are sleepy, go to sleep."

"Yeah." He took a sip of water to moisten his throat.

After a while, Song Wanyue heard the sound of the lighter's grinding wheel rolling.

I knew he must be smoking again.

Just about to remind you that smoking is harmful to your health. After thinking about it, I still said nothing.

"If you are tired, be sure to tell me."

She didn't know what had happened to him recently, but she could see that he was very tired.

And I'm not very interested.

She knew much of it came from his family.

But he didn't want to tell her, so she didn't consciously ask.

He took a puff of cigarette, his voice a little hoarse: "Yeah, I know."

Song Wanyue started her chatterbox mode again: "Mom called me a few days ago, I might have to go back to Shanghai. Do you want to go back with me, to Shanghai for the New Year?"

He was silent for a moment: "I can't leave for the time being."

Song Wanyue expressed her understanding: "Then wait until you're done with your work, then go over."

"Yeah."

"Duan Baiting."

"Yeah?"

"I missed you a little."

He smiled: "I'll find time to go back tomorrow."

Song Wanyue was easily satisfied: "Then we have a deal, you can't lie to me."

"Yeah."

It was getting late, so she was ready to hang up the phone and go to bed.

Duan Baiting told her not to worry about it and put the phone beside the bed.

"But it will disturb you. What if I snore?"

He said bluntly: "You don't snore, you just talk in your sleep and grind your teeth."

"Hmph."

She snored proudly, and then whispered to him: "Duan Baiting, I love you very much. No matter what sad things happen, you must remember that I will always be with you."

He was stunned, and then chuckled: "I know, go to bed early."

It was very late at night, and Song Wanyue fell asleep not long after she lay down in the bed.

Steady breathing was heard through electromagnetic waves. Duan Baiting was standing in the courtyard smoking.

There is no moon tonight, so tomorrow is bound to be a bad day.

After smoking half of a cigarette, Duan Baiting lowered his eyes.

The breathing in his ear, accompanied by the sound of grinding teeth, made him look moved.

There was a moment of relaxation.

Weather where your breath turns to frost.

His voice was also hoarse and formless, as if whispering in the night.

I don't know which sentence of hers I was answering.

"Song Wanyue, me too."