Sweet Wife Arrives: Mr. CEO, Please Pamper Me-Chapter 553: V426: Two years later... (3000)

Time passes swiftly.

They say time is a wall of memories, capable of burying the past, weathering pain, eroding intense emotions.

So, in the face of time, there is nothing insurmountable, no pain that cannot be let go...

Two years have passed, and the things that should be forgotten, he should have forgotten. The things that should be let go, he ought to have let go of by now, right?

That year, she had just turned 26, and he had just turned 34. Now, she was already 28, and he had turned 36, nearly 37.

And how was he doing now?

In March of 2019, standing in a small alley of a hutong street.

A stunning woman named Qianli quietly watched as the budding shoots of early spring willow branches emerged from the gray-green bricks, deep in thought.

A playful laugh came from behind, "Qiu Zhixuan, what are you doing here? Your family’s doorstep is practically worn down by visitors, aren’t you going back? The deputy director of the Water Resources Bureau in the Haidian District of Beijing has come personally to propose marriage, if you don’t go back, your father might not be able to fend them off any longer."

The speaker was Aunt Zhou, a neighbor from the courtyard next door in the hutong.

And the woman being called out, indeed, was Gu Zixuan...

The Gu Family held dual residence registrations because Gu Zixuan’s grandfather was also in politics and had been in Beijing for years. Thus, the whole family had Beijing residence registration. When they moved to Rong City, during a time when the country’s management of residence registrations and ID cards was not as standardized or strict.

Back then, canceling one or officially transferring the Beijing residence registration to Rong City seemed troublesome, so the whole family acquired new residence registration in Rong City.

As for her birth, it coincided with a return trip to Beijing to visit other relatives, and being born there, naturally, she acquired another registration.

Two years ago, when the entire family left Rong City, the quick cancellation of their identities and registrations was because of this.

Upon hearing this, the former Gu Zixuan, now Qiu Zhixuan, who had taken her mother’s surname, curved her lips into a smile.

Nodding, she said, "Alright, thank you, Aunt Zhou. I’ll head back now."

Qiu Zhixuan’s speech and demeanor were greatly appreciated by Aunt Zhou, especially before leaving, when she seemed concerned about blocking Aunt Zhou’s way out.

She shifted slightly, allowing enough space in the hutong for Aunt Zhou to pass, then walked away slowly.

So after Qiu Zhixuan walked away, Aunt Zhou gazed at her graceful figure, muttering fondly.

"I wonder which family raised her, she’s like a lady from ancient times, so gentle and polite. Our Beijing ladies are all fine, but a bit too independent, lacking that little bit of feminine charm. I wonder when our girl will become like that, that wild child, sigh..."

With another sigh, Aunt Zhou walked through the hutong.

Just as she reached the street corner, a Hongqi sedan drove up, and the person inside welcomed her with respect.

Aunt Zhou nodded, smiling lazily yet elegantly, and got into the car.

...

Qiu Zhixuan returned to the courtyard where her family was currently staying.

Walking along the gray-green stone-brick path, she proceeded forward. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Here, once two old residences bought by her grandfather when he worked in Beijing. Back then, there weren’t as many people in Beijing, and the housing prices weren’t so high. There were many courtyard houses around Tiananmen for convenience in work and life, so her grandfather bought two.

Later, many courtyard houses were demolished, but their block remained, left intact.

No one expected the housing prices in Beijing to reach such heights over the decades.

Two years ago, with nowhere else to go, the family returned to Beijing, cleaned up, and settled here.

It’s awkward, though. This is the only memory left by her grandfather, and the whole family doesn’t want to sell it, nor can they.

Due to life’s demands, they lived in one unit and rented the other out, using the rent to make ends meet.

But embarrassingly, this has become enviable property!

The news spread, leading many to believe that their family had immense assets or hidden power, all eager to arrange marriages, seeking alliances, which was quite frustrating.

As she pondered this, Qiu Zhixuan had already reached the door of the courtyard.

Upon stepping into the pavilion under the flower trellis, the so-called deputy director of the Water Resources Bureau’s son from Haidian District, Wang Shuo, walked up delightedly after seeing her silhouette.

Gazing at her with delight, Wang Shuo narrowed his eyes with a smile, "Zhixuan, where have you been? It’s Saturday today, I know you’re not working, so I came to your home to discuss our marriage."

Qiu Zhixuan found this amusing yet exasperating. Marriage?

What marriage existed between them?

It was only last autumn that she passed the national civil service exam for a certain bureau in Haidian District, and during business meetings, met the son of the deputy director of the Water Resources Bureau. Later, through a few work-related gatherings and meals, they saw each other again.

Sighing internally, she glanced at Wang Shuo and the others who had also taken advantage of the weekend to gather at her house, creating an awkward atmosphere, her father looking somewhat at a loss without choice.

She shook her head, pausing slightly, feeling both helpless and amused, she said, "Mr. Wang, are you mistaken? There’s no talk of marriage between us."

This response sent a glimmer into the eyes of the others present. Wang Shuo’s expression sank slightly, not out of embarrassment, but disappointment. Stepping forward, he said, "Zhixuan, but I’ve been pursuing you for a year. I believe you can see my sincerity. We can discuss marriage."

However, the straightforward and passionate nature of Beijingers, who dare to love and hate, still left Qiu Zhixuan feeling a mix of helplessness and amusement, overwhelmed, she said, "Sorry, Mr. Wang, I’ve never believed in a relationship that doesn’t require dating and adjustment before marriage. Moreover, I haven’t planned to adjust with you either. As for the others..."

Looking at the noble young men with intentions of inviting her out, actually hoping for similar outcomes, she shook her head more firmly, "I really don’t have the time today, later I still have other things to do. If you’re here to take me out, I appreciate the gesture, but I can’t go. When I came to the entrance, I noticed how busy you all seemed on your phones. If you have people waiting, don’t let me delay you."

Every word Qiu Zhixuan spoke was smooth, considering from "their" standpoint to send them away.

In an instant, aside from Wang Shuo’s disappointed and bemused face, the others also found it both amusing and exasperating.

Yet because of this, she didn’t attach herself to anyone. For two years, she remained single, moving through life independently. Her routine included reading, occasionally attending concerts, and playing sports during work events, always maintaining a clean image, seldom drinking excessively.

In their eyes, she was the embodiment of a perfect woman.

They adored her even more.

This determined group of young Beijingers didn’t care if she was rejecting them, whether it was embarrassing or not.

Whoever won her heart first would have her!

They all laughed together, insisting, "It’s no trouble, no trouble, today we’re here to have fun with you, so what do you want to do? We’ll join you."

Seeing this, Qiu Zhixuan found it even more amusing and exasperating.

This group of people was different from the offspring of high-ranking officials in Rong City; there, once a refusal was made, most wouldn’t stubbornly press on, leaving if disappointed.

However, in Beijing, where genuine Northern culture prevails, regardless of status, there’s a bold tendency—if a man sets his sights on you and you refuse, he’ll still pursue you! This made Qiu Zhixuan find it both amusing and challenging to adapt.

She was pondering how to reject them.

Just at that moment, her phone rang. She glanced at it before answering.

A familiar and gentle male voice came from the other end, "What are you doing?"

"Doing..." Qiu Zhixuan hesitated.

On the phone, hearing the commotion, the voice slightly changed, "Are you being surrounded at your place again?"

"Yes," Qiu Zhixuan nodded.

"..." The voice on the other end seemed speechless for a moment, then after a pause, the tone turned cold, saying, "Wait for me, I’ll come and get rid of them."

Qiu Zhixuan did not refuse, watching them for a moment, "Alright..."

...

Drinking tea and chatting under the pavilion.

A black Audi arrived quickly, stopping at the hutong entrance, a tall male figure stepped out.

From the call to arrival, it was less than half an hour.

As this figure entered the courtyard, despite the casual stance of the people in front, including Wang Shuo, their faces turned slightly pale.

"Mr. Bai...?"

They could hardly believe their eyes.

At the scene.

Bai Qifan raised an eyebrow, glancing around, and spoke, "Oh, why so many people? Zhixuan said she was accompanying me somewhere today, I came to pick her up, is it inconvenient for her to leave due to guests at home?"

In an instant, Wang Shuo and the others looked awkward and stricken.

One was the son of a small regional deputy director, while the other was the son of a minister-level official.

This fearless group of Beijingers harbored a deep-seated sense of hierarchy.

So, in cautious and trembling inquiry, "May I ask the relationship between Mr. Bai and Miss Qiu...?"

"She’s my girlfriend."

With that simple sentence, everyone around felt awkward, and Qiu Zhixuan, who had been drinking tea, slightly trembled with the teacup in her hand...