Chapter 6 Give and Take

Chapter 6: Giving and Receiving

Ting Zhenxi really didn't show up.

Ting Huayi didn't look too happy, though he didn't make it obvious, but a subtle shift in the banquet's atmosphere was undeniable.

He stuck by Li Ping the whole time, occasionally responding to Ting Huayi's words. He wasn't much of a talker, especially in such settings.

From the side windows of the banquet hall, one could overlook the city's dazzling nightscape. Glasses clinked, liquid sloshed, ice crackled in cups, and hushed whispers full of hidden agendas filled the air.

Ting Huayi called Li Ping away, perhaps for other matters to discuss.

Li Wangyue wandered alone down the hallways connecting the various halls, occasionally looking up to observe the ceiling above.

The overall design of this private club was excellent, often used as a textbook example. Li Wangyue was lucky to see it and couldn't help pulling out his phone to snap photos.

Outside the banquet hall was a garden under the night sky, with no real doors or windows separating inside from out. Corinthian columns split the banquet space from the natural scenery. Following the carefully arranged corridors, you might step into the garden without even noticing.

Li Wangyue couldn't help moving closer, using his body to measure the proportions, his heart full of awe.

The garden's lighting was also impressive. Though night had fallen, darkness did not diminish its charm. Instead, by extending the indoor lights, it created a soft glow, adding a mysterious charm to the moonlit garden.

Li Wangyue went deeper, snapping photos on his phone, thinking he could show his students.

The garden was way dimmer than inside. By the time he snapped out of it, he was far from the banquet hall. A river breeze blew in, cool and refreshing, and he shivered. The indoor air conditioning had been too strong, and the shift from cold to warm made him feel a bit off.

It was very dark here.

Li Wangyue felt way more at ease here than inside.

He didn't have to stay tense and stiff anymore. He stretched a little, gazing at the bustling city lights across the river.

Only here could he relax a little.

He noticed the fancy vine patterns near the flower pavilion and walked over for a closer look. Similar vines climbed the southwest wall of the Ting estate, dotted with star-shaped flowers.

They were the same. Li Wangyue reached out and gently touched them. These vines were super decorative, evergreen, and often used to dress up houses or gardens.

At the Ting place, he'd noticed them too, but as someone living off them, he couldn't just wander around, only sneaking a distant glance to admire them in secret.

Li Wangyue stared at them for a while, planning to stretch and head back when it was time. As he turned, he caught a figure sitting in the shadows out of the corner of his eye.

In the corner of the flower pavilion, on a swing chair, it was pitch dark. Someone sat there, completely hidden in the dark. Indoor light cast a pattern on the ground, showing only a pair of long crossed legs in crisp pants and pure black leather shoes, appearing leisurely.

It scared him.

He'd been so absorbed in checking out the plants, searching for their names on his phone, that he hadn't noticed someone there...

Li Wangyue calmed down. He couldn't make out who it was and knew he might have disturbed someone's quiet enjoyment.

He gave a slight nod. "Sorry to bother you."

As he prepared to leave, the figure on the chair stirred, leaning forward a bit, tilting their head to glance out from the darkness.

Li Wangyue froze in place.

The man looked at him quietly, a whiskey glass in his hand, resting on the armrest, idly playing with it.

Li Wangyue's palms went cold, but his voice stayed surprisingly calm. "Xiao Xi."

No response.

In the silent, dead-still rooftop garden, in the corner untouched by light, only the sound of the glass bottom lightly tapping the wooden armrest.

Tap, tap...

Then it stopped.

Ting Zhenxi stopped.

Li Wangyue couldn't help stepping back half a step.

"I heard from your uncle that you wrapped up your recent work. Congrats," Li Wangyue said neutrally, without commenting on whether the work was good or bad. "You can rest well now. I thought you wouldn't come."

He had indeed heard Ting Zhenxi wouldn't come.

Ting Huayi had said Ting Zhenxi didn't want to.

And Ting Zhenxi's "not wanting" was genuine, untainted by any external factors—purely a lack of will.

Ting Zhenxi gave a vague "mm" in response.

Li Wangyue felt the gaze on him was scrutinizing, as if observing, but he doubted Ting Zhenxi had any motive to do so.

"I wasn't planning to come," Ting Zhenxi spoke, rising from the chair, glass in hand, stepping into the light.

Only then did Li Wangyue fully see his face.

After days apart, the man seemed even more composed and sharp, his brow exuding an icy, oppressive edge. Dressed entirely in black, he appeared exceptionally tall, blending into the night.

Li Wangyue withdrew his gaze, which had lingered on his face, and spoke gently, "You've been busy too. Rest is most important." Then he couldn't help asking, "Why did you end up coming?"

If Li Wangyue had known Ting Zhenxi would come, he wouldn't have crouched on the ground photographing plants for so long. The thought made his face warm.

Ting Zhenxi turned to face him directly.

"I wanted to."

As he turned, he was backlit, so Li Wangyue couldn't see his eyes, but Ting Zhenxi could clearly read Li Wangyue's expression.

He said he wanted to come.

Li Wangyue's heart raced a little.

Good, it was his own desire, not anyone forcing him. He wasn't unhappy.

And coincidentally, Li Wangyue had been eager to see him soon too.

(A Whale Swam and Sang)

Li Wangyue didn't want the conversation to end so soon, so he brought up a previous matter. "You've been working hard lately. I still have some of the calming tea the professor gave you. You said it was helpful. How about I brew it again tonight?"

Ting Zhenxi lowered his gaze, not immediately answering. Instead, he produced a slender gift box and handed it to him.

Li Wangyue was stunned.

"For you."

The box was red, an elegant shade, with a black satin ribbon, its luster soft in the dim light.

"This is..." Li Wangyue took it and opened it, revealing a silver Otto Hutt fountain pen inside.

Li Wangyue's fingertip brushed over the pen's body—a faintly cool touch that warmed upon contact.

"A small token, not valuable. I hope you can forgive me for using your pen before," Ting Zhenxi said.

Li Wangyue paused in his movements, adding another layer of helplessness to his heart. He was flattered that Ting Zhenxi would give him a gift, only to find out it was for this reason.

Ting Zhenxi's words weren't harsh, and his tone was calm, yet Li Wangyue caught a hint of a backhanded compliment.

Li Wangyue took a steadying breath, half-joking and half-serious, "Thanks. I've used my pen for many years, and I did need a new one. Thanks for remembering, it really helps me out."

"I'm glad you like it," Ting Zhenxi said coolly, then turned and walked back into the banquet hall.

Li Wangyue watched his retreating figure, gently running his fingers over the gift in his hands under the dim light. Though he had just said that, he would never use this pen. He wouldn't even touch it again. This was something Ting Zhenxi had personally chosen and handed to him—he wouldn't taint it. He would just put it away, keep it forever, and that would be enough.

The celebration ran late. After making an appearance, Ting Zhenxi was naturally swarmed and couldn't easily slip away.

Li Wangyue watched him shine from a distance, but also caught a hint of loneliness in his cold expression. Perhaps that was why he had chosen to sit alone in the garden's shadows.

At least in that moment, he was free.

Li Wangyue was free too.

He allowed himself to think they had shared a similarly relaxed time tonight.

They naturally returned to the villa together, and tonight Ting Huayi and Li Ping would also stay.

Following the housekeeper's instructions, Li Wangyue brewed a pot of calming tea, pouring it for everyone to drink. Since they had all drunk alcohol tonight, it could also help with the hangovers.

Li Ping also made some white fungus soup, which was good for the spleen and stomach.

Ting Huayi appreciated her gentle, virtuous, and thoughtful nature, eating a lot and praising her lavishly.

When Ting Zhenxi entered the dining room, Li Wangyue's eyes followed him.

The calming tea sat beside him, and he took a sip.

Li Ping spooned him some soup and was about to hand it over when Ting Zhenxi said, "I don't eat white fungus."

Li Wangyue looked up sharply.

Ting Zhenxi had just changed into loungewear and was looking at his phone, saying nothing more.

Ting Huayi snatched the bowl from Li Ping's hand and slammed it down in front of Ting Zhenxi.

"You're eating this today whether you like it or not! I've been putting up with you all night long!"

Instantly, soup splattered everywhere, drenching Ting Zhenxi's clothes. His finger paused on his phone screen, then resumed as normal.

His expression didn't change, and he stood up and left.

Ting Huayi, fuming with rage, was about to chase after him but Li Ping desperately held him back.

Today was supposed to be a happy day, but ending up like this, it just fizzled out.

After much persuasion, Li Ping managed to calm Ting Huayi down, completely exhausted. Li Wangyue poured her another cup of tea, then ate all the white fungus soup himself that Ting Zhenxi had refused.

Li Ping's eyes reddened, her hand trembling as she placed it over his, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself, tears welling up in her eyes first.

"It's okay, Mom," Li Wangyue said with a small smile, comforting her as he placed the warm water in her hands, holding them. "Really. Just focus on being happy yourself. You don't need to worry about others."

He knew Li Ping was always indecisive, too kind for her own good. Back then, when his dad was deep in debt and creditors showed up at their door, Li Ping still wanted to give him another chance, hoping to fix things.

Li Wangyue remembered that back then, they had a good relationship. Even when the family had little money, his parents would take him out to play. His dad would lift him onto his shoulders, so he could see higher and farther in the bustling crowd.

He'd even grab his dad's hair like a steering wheel, laughing as he "drove" his dad, and his dad would laugh and dash around, making it exciting for him.

Li Wangyue sometimes thought those memories were fake, because the feeling of his family falling apart overnight was too terrifying, making him wonder if he was crazy, unable to accept reality, and so he made up happy memories.

Yet those past events were real.

The father who once carried him on his shoulders and the man who later grabbed him by the neck and threatened to hang him were the same person.

The husband who used to get up before dawn in winter to work at a breakfast shop to surprise his wife and the man who later, deep in gambling debt, threatened his family with a knife demanding money—they were the same person.

Li Ping was a good person, but she never considered that people could change.

She hadn't even thought about divorce, but fortunately, Li Wangyue's father died early.

Yet whenever he thought of those times, Li Wangyue felt hatred, but he couldn't hate freely.

Li Ping quietly wiped the corner of her eye. "Are you still hungry? Should I cook you something to eat?"

"No, I'm not hungry," Li Wangyue said with a smile, sitting beside her and casually picking up the newspaper on the table. "Mom, teach me again how to solve this set of word puzzles."

Li Ping patted his arm, then took a deep breath, forcing a smile. "Alright."

She picked up the newspaper and was surprised to see the puzzles filled in.

"Xiao Xi filled them in," Li Wangyue said.

Li Ping said nothing more, took a pen, and explained to him—horizontal rows, vertical rows, here using puns, there using anagram construction methods...

Li Wangyue didn't really understand, but his mother's voice calmed down, and he felt much better.

Mentioning the newspaper reminded Li Wangyue, "Next time, subscribe to an extra copy. There's a lot of content on both sides I want to cut out, and that way you can keep your favorite puzzles."

But Li Ping said, "I didn't subscribe to this."

"What?"

"This morning paper should be subscribed to by Huayi. After moving from the old place, my address has been changed to my workplace."

Li Wangyue suddenly understood something.

This newspaper wasn't subscribed to by Ting Huayi, because Ting Huayi had never read it.

It was Ting Zhenxi's.

And he and Li Ping had been writing on and cutting up Ting Zhenxi's newspaper.

Li Wangyue couldn't help but feel annoyed at himself.

After comforting Li Ping and getting her to rest, Li Wangyue returned to his room and put away the newspaper he had just used, which had Ting Zhenxi's handwriting on it. He wanted to keep it.

He took out the word puzzle book he had bought from a secondhand shop, which contained many clever and captivating puzzles. He carefully wiped the cover clean with a disinfectant wipe and cleaned the dust off the inner pages.

The next day, he woke up early, picked up the day's newspaper from the door, turned to the crossword page, placed a pen beside it, and set the crossword book underneath.

He placed it on the armchair in the side hall, where Ting Zhenxi usually sat.

Ting Huayi had left late last night, maybe because of something urgent at work.

The housekeeper made breakfast, who was also courteous to Li Ping, and left after finishing the meal.

Ting Zhenxi woke up early and took a cold shower. He pulled the door open and stepped out, but the door next to him didn't move.

He glanced at his phone, swiped through it, and opened the morning's surveillance video.

In the footage, that figure had gotten up really early, carrying the crossword book he had wiped clean all night, and quietly left the bedroom.

The man raised an eyebrow.

It seemed someone had prepared a little gift for him.