The Qiao family’s private residence is quite famous in Jincheng, regarded as a small museum, a place every art enthusiast and antique collector dreams of visiting.
It is a standalone courtyard house nestled amidst greenery in the heart of the city.
People passing by the front of the Qiao family’s private residence often feel that this building is extraordinarily serene and mysterious, with an exceptional elegance.
They can’t help but secretly speculate that the family living inside must be extraordinary.
The Qiao family is indeed extraordinary, being a family of artists.
The head of the family is also a well-known antique collector in the industry, Xia Rong likes antique collections too and has a good relationship with the head of the Qiao family.
He would often be invited by the head of the Qiao family to visit their private collection now and then.
He is deeply familiar with the collections in the Qiao family’s private residence and is naturally aware of their preciousness.
Therefore, he raised his hand to politely decline Shi Wangyue’s gift: "I failed to store the things properly myself, there’s no need for you to come over and apologize in person."
Moreover, after writing for over an hour in the study, his anger had already dissipated.
Shi Wangyue lowered her head slightly, "I specifically picked these few pieces from the Qiao family estate to give to grandpa, thank you for taking care of Xiaoxiao all these years."
"Having raised Xiaoxiao for so many years, I’ve long considered it family," Xia Rong remarked with feeling.
"I know little about Mr. Qiao’s collections and have little interest in art pieces, with few friends or family around me interested in art collections, except for you and Aunt. If grandpa doesn’t accept them, I fear I’ll have to give them to clients. However, most of my clients are just businessmen who only know how to make money and can’t appreciate the treasures Mr. Qiao has privately collected."
Shi Wangyue’s voice was warm and low, and after speaking, she let out a deep sigh.
The long tail note made people particularly pity her.
Sure enough, Xia Rong was in a hurry.
He reached out and quickly took the bag from her hand, "You’ve gone to trouble."
As a true art collection enthusiast, one certainly does not want treasures they’ve longed for to fall into the hands of those with no appreciation taste.
Shi Wangyue’s words hit the weak spot of Grandpa Xia.
Xia Dai and Ning Youguang exchanged a glance, barely holding back laughter.
...
After lunch, the rain outside the window continued to drizzle.
The humid and muggy air made people a bit impatient.
Xia Rong and Xie Haitang sat downstairs for a while, both feeling tired, before returning to their rooms to rest.
After the meal, Xia Dai was called by friends to attend an event.
The vast Xia residence.
For a moment, only Ning Youguang and Shi Wangyue were left, content after their tea and meal.
"Do you want to see Xiaoxiao?" she asked.
He softly agreed, "Sure."
...
When they found Xiaoxiao, it was curled up on a swing on the balcony of Ning Youguang’s room, sleeping soundly.
Not wanting to wake it, they squatted quietly beside the swing, softly speaking to each other.
"Xiaoxiao has a special room on the first floor, but it likes my swing the most."
These years, when she was away, Xiaoxiao occupied this swing.
"It knows where it’s comfortable and stays there," Shi Wangyue lightly curved the corner of his lips, "I was thinking of taking Xiaoxiao with me back when I return to the country, but I give up now."
Ning Youguang fully understood his feelings. "Family members have deep feelings for it, and so does Xiaoxiao."
Whether human or animal, living together for so long, separating them all of a sudden would make them sad.
Shi Wangyue lightly petted the chubby black cat’s back, stood up, and after taking a look around, walked into the room.
"Your room is still the same as it was."
As children, being young, they were not so particular about entering each other’s rooms.
Therefore, they were very familiar with each other’s rooms, whether it be the layout, arrangement, or setting.
Shi Wangyue walked slowly to the window of the room and stood before a mahogany desk with a warm sheen, "I used to do homework here with you often."
The Xia family is very thoughtful, even though the room’s inhabitant no longer resides here regularly.
The layout of this room still maintains how it used to be when she lived there.
Not only that, but they also frequently had it cleaned.
So, whenever Ning Youguang returns to Jincheng, however long she stays, she always chooses to spend time at the Xia residence.
Coming back here feels like returning to her own home.
His memory took her back to the past.
She walked beside him, touched the desk, and picked up a book from it, "This book was a gift from you, remember?"
"I remember, in the fourth grade, you told me you liked Dickens, I saw ’Oliver Twist’ in the bookstore, and bought it for you. You liked it a lot."
"Yes." Ning Youguang’s face displayed a gentle smile.
She gently opened the book, and it just so happened to be turned to a dog-eared page.
Looking closely at the contents of this page, she softly began to read the text aloud:
"...Sometimes, a gentle melody, the sound of water trickling in a quiet place, the fragrance of a flower, or even just the mention of a familiar word, can suddenly evoke some vague memories, making one think of scenes that never occurred in this life. They waft away like a breeze, awakening the memory of long-separated, happier past events, which careful thought alone could never recall."
This is a bilingual book.
Currently, the passage Ning Youguang read was an excerpt from the English version.
At this moment, her reading of it was particularly timely, fitting the mood.
Her pure British accent, warm and gentle voice on this rainy day, was like delightful notes jumping into Shi Wangyue’s heart.
Listen! The sound of blooming flowers.
Shi Wangyue’s heart trembled uncontrollably.
The world quieted, and he only now realized how moving a heartbeat could be.
Because she was by his side, he seemed to be able to enjoy the tranquility of the rainy days she had mentioned before.
This person in front of him, truthfully, whether it be her eyes, eyelashes, cheeks, palms, or lips, every part is deeply etched into his heart.
Ning Youguang finished reading the book and looked up to see Shi Wangyue silently gazing at her, with unfathomable emotions brewing in his deep eyes.
"What are you thinking?"
He regained his senses and chuckled softly, "I was just remembering some things from the past."
July 28, 2025, Weibo.
[An Ordinary Person: Rainy days, reading days. Reading Dickens... feels completely different from when I read as a child, I prefer this feeling now.]
[Someone Who Likes Ordinary: Without plan, raining outside, sipping Mingqian Longjing tea with her, reading Dickens, my mood improves, ready to compromise with the world.]