A beautiful summer night

The scar is irregular in shape, but covers a large area.

Xia Wanzhi seemed to be possessed and reached out to touch him. Her arm hovered in the air for a moment, and seeing that Xie Qiyan did not seem to refuse, she boldly reached out and touched him.

Xie Qiyan almost lost control of his expression, trying his best to appear calm.

They actually dared to touch it.

After a long pause, Xia Wanzhi moved her lips and said in a muffled voice, "When I was little, I... I heard that you fell from a tree while trying to retrieve a kite that was stuck in it. Is this scar from that time?"

She had forgotten it long ago.

But now I remember everything.

Xie Qiyan glanced at her but didn't say anything. He rolled up his sleeves and slowly buttoned the buttons back on one by one.

Xia Wanzhi's words brought back his memories little by little.

The kite he picked up back then was sent to the Xie family along with him, and he kept it until he was ten years old.

However, that summer, Xie Lin and Zhou Yu deliberately stole his kite and gave it to Xia Wanzhi to play with.

The wind was strong that day, and the kite got caught on a tree branch and broke its string, ending up on a freshly pruned branch in the Xie family's backyard.

None of the children dared to climb such a tall tree to retrieve a kite. Xia Wanzhi had received gifts more valuable than kites before, so naturally she wouldn't be attached to a kite.

But after that day, Xia Wanzhi heard that Xie Qiyan fell from a very tall tree while trying to retrieve a kite.

She didn't know much about Xie Qiyan being bullied, and since she wasn't familiar with him, she didn't pay much attention to the kite incident. It wasn't until later, when Xie Qiyan went abroad and Ms. Ross casually mentioned the kite incident to her that day, that she learned the kite belonged to Xie Qiyan.

Xie Qiyan fell while trying to retrieve the kite and was taken to the hospital.

It was Xie Lin who led the prank on Xie Qiyan, stealing his kite for Xia Wanzhi to play with.

The kite landed on the tree because of her.

Ultimately, she was an accomplice.

Xie Qiyan's gaze gradually darkened until he saw a thin layer of mist gradually veiling Xia Wanzhi's amber eyes, at which point the gloom in his eyes slowly dissipated.

"You see? This scar is the mark left from back then." He looked away, his drooping fingers slowly closing.

"I flew the kite," Xia Wanzhi admitted her mistake very readily.

"Feeling guilty?" Xie Qiyan seemed unwilling to bring up what happened back then, his tone slightly indifferent.

Xia Wanzhi lowered her head, her voice slightly choked: "I'm sorry, if I had known..."

"Hmm, I accept. Is there any compensation?" Xie Qiyan said casually.

Xia Wanzhi belatedly realized that he didn't want to recall these things.

I feel even more guilty now.

"Did you already know that I was the one who flew the kite?" Xia Wanzhi asked in a muffled voice.

"know."

"Then why don't you come and settle accounts with me?"

But before he could finish speaking, Xie Qiyan interrupted him.

"You didn't steal the kite, so what's it to you?" Xie Qiyan remained silent. Seeing her blinking her big, bright eyes, he was afraid she was about to burst into tears. He sighed helplessly, "If I wanted to pursue this, I would have already caused you trouble."

Xia Wanzhi pursed her lips and remained silent.

"I called you here to talk about work, not for you to strip me naked and then cry." Xie Qiyan handed her a tissue. "Anyone who didn't know better would think I did something to you."

Xia Wanzhi's expression stiffened: "I didn't shed any tears."

"Then speak properly." I couldn't stand her sweet, soft voice.

Xia Wanzhi: "..."

"In short, I'm sorry, I will make it up to you," Xia Wanzhi said earnestly.

"You want to repay me with your body? I can consider it. I don't lack anything else," Xie Qiyan said half-jokingly.

Xia Wanzhi was a little stumped, but she could also clearly sense that he really didn't want to dwell on the matter, so she didn't bring it up again.

Taking a deep breath, Xia Wanzhi said seriously, "Okay, let's talk about work then."

Xie Qiyan glanced at her a few more times.

Xia Wanzhi: "Is there a problem?"

Xie Qiyan scoffed, "It seems your desire to make amends to me isn't very strong."

Xia Wanzhi's eyelids twitched slightly: "You might as well leave a mark on me too, that would be fair."

Offering oneself in return, how wonderful!

Xie Qiyan remained silent for a long time.

For some reason, his Adam's apple bobbed.

"Alright, let's get down to business." Xie Qiyan stopped his daydreaming, got up, went back to his bedroom, and brought out another box.

The box is small, but very exquisite.

It has a retro feel, and at first glance it looks a lot like the box of dowry left by Grandma Xie that Grandpa Xie gave to him.

The dowry was so valuable that Xia Wanzhi didn't take it back. Since it was being kept by Xie Tan anyway, she locked it in the south courtyard of the Xie family.

Xia Wanzhi's mind raced: "Let's get down to business. Why bring up gifts? We'll stick to the contract; I won't do any other business."

Xia Wanzhi resolutely resisted.

She understands the principle that one is obligated to accept gifts, and she is very careful when accepting them.

A faint smile appeared on Xie Qiyan's deep-set eyes: "What are you thinking about? The person I asked you to draw is in the box."

"In the box!?" Xia Wanzhi exclaimed in a startled voice.

What would happen if a person were inside a box?

Xie Qiyan couldn't guess what she was thinking, so he tapped the table and gestured, "Open it first and see if you can draw."

Xia Wanzhi's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her gaze seemed to ask him: Are you sure?

I hope there's nothing from the underworld inside.

"Isn't it supposed to be a drawing of you?" Xia Wanzhi asked, puzzled.

Xie Qiyan abandoned his lazy expression this time, and his tone seemed somewhat heavy: "No."

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Xia Wanzhi calmly opened the box—

A five-inch Polaroid photo lay quietly in the box.

The photo looks a bit old; it's probably been around for a few years.

Xia Wanzhi was surprised for a moment, and subconsciously wondered what the relationship was between this person and Xie Qiyan.

The woman in the photo looks very gentle.

A woman dressed in a retro blue cheongsam sat quietly in the octagonal pavilion, with a vast expanse of lotus leaves behind her. She smiled at the camera, her eyes filled with a smile that seemed to hold a thousand stars.

Even though it was a still photo, Xia Wanzhi could still see a kind and gentle love in her eyes.

"You took the photo, didn't you?" Xia Wanzhi concluded after just one glance.

Xie Qiyan stared at her thoughtfully for a moment, then said in a low, slow voice, "Hmm."

Xia Wanzhi blinked and looked down at the person in the photo.

She has the typical look of a girl from the South.

Upon closer inspection, his eyebrows and eyes seem to bear some resemblance to Xie Qiyan's.

A thought flashed through her mind, and Xia Wanzhi suddenly looked up, her gaze once again falling into Xie Qiyan's eyes.

"Is there a problem?" Xie Qiyan narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Your eyebrows and eyes are very similar to hers, extremely similar.” As if she had guessed something, Xia Wanzhi’s fingertips slowly traced the photo. She didn’t look at Xie Qiyan’s reaction, but instead smiled with emotion, “My eyebrows and eyes are also very similar to my mother’s.”

Her voice was clear and bright, reaching Xie Qiyan's ears in every wisp.

Xie Qiyan's shoulders slumped as he leaned back in his chair, his guard down, and a hint of dejection crept into his eyes.

Xia Wanzhi has a beautiful voice. When she speaks to people calmly, it's like a gentle stream flowing into your heart, washing away all filth and dust.

Xie Qiyan's expression was slightly moved.

“You look a lot like her,” Xia Wanzhi said softly.