Tomb Raider: What the hell is this strange commission?

Chi Yu was sitting in the garden of Xie Yuchen's house.

Large clumps of hibiscus blossomed in the bushes, bringing with them a sweet fragrance. The summer heat wave had not yet completely dissipated, but the wind, which had been full of scorching heat, had begun to become refreshing.

Such subtle changes are not obvious in a busy big city, but this is not the case for Chi Yu - he has always had a precise understanding of these details.

Xie Yuchen came over from not far away holding a pot of tea.

He temporarily dismissed the servants of the Xie family and did not let them approach the courtyard. So in this situation, even as the head of the Xie family, he still needed to do such small things himself.

Chi Yu sat in a corner of this city where every inch of land is valuable, leisurely admiring the flowers that had been carefully cared for by Jie's gardener.

"There are several gardens here that grow different varieties of flowers, and only the hibiscus is blooming well right now."

As Xie Yuchen spoke, he walked to the stone table decorated with exquisite snacks, took out two small glazed cups, and added two more cups of tea to the table.

He put down the teapot, handed one of the teacups to Chi Yu, and sat with him on the stone bench in the garden specially used for flower viewing, accompanying him to appreciate the scenery in the garden for a while.

"If you come here in mid-April, the peonies in the other courtyard are also worth seeing. Unfortunately, it's already October now."

Hearing the implication of Xie Yuchen's words, Chi Yu shifted his attention from the flowers to him, and the other party just stood there calmly and let Chi Yu look at him.

After a while, Chi Yu retracted his gaze, took a sip of tea, and said in a light tone: "If you invite me next year and I happen to be not busy, I will come."

Xie Yuchen smiled and said, "Let's put it this way."

They also chatted for a while about Beijing's weather changes and current economic trends.

During this time, Chi Yu ate a few pieces of tea-flavored pastries on the plate.

Xie Yuchen didn't move, but just smiled as he watched Chi Yu pick out the sweeter pastries from the plate and eat them.

When the time was almost up, Chi Yu finished the last bite of the snack. He patted the crispy skin and said to Xie Yuchen, "I heard that the Chen family has been chasing Wu Sanxing for a while."

He looked at Xie Yuchen and said, "You are from the same Nine Sects as them, so you should know more about the inside story."

Hearing this, Xie Yuchen put down the teacup.

He sighed softly, "Although the Xie family was indeed once a part of the Nine Gates, if possible, I don't want you to confuse me with those people."

"Is there a difference?"

"Have."

So Chi Yu said "hmm", nodded, and changed his words: "Then I guess that Mr. Jie is well-informed and must know what happened between them."

When Chi Yu asked Xie Yuchen this question again, he looked very serious.

Those light-colored eyes that should have made people feel cold now had a hint of innocence as they stared at Xie Yuchen without blinking.

Only then did Xie Yuchen realize that when a handsome man looks at you earnestly with a curious look, as if you are the only one in the world who can answer his questions, it is very difficult for you to refuse any of his requests.

So he pondered for a moment and chose to tell Chi Yu the cause of the incident: "It is said that the Tianhu incident attracted a lot of people. Among them, Chen Pi, the head of the Chen family, was originally planning to bring people to participate."

"Wu Sanxing easily dealt with many people, but he couldn't do much with tangerine peel. After all, tangerine peel had long been rooted in Guangxi due to some historical issues. It would be difficult for Wu Sanxing to bypass him and work on his own."

At this point, Xie Yuchen chuckled, with a rare gloating look: "So he directly reported the person, causing Chen Pi to be chased by the police some time ago and run around everywhere. He has not been able to settle down yet."

The elegantly dressed Xie Dangjia had a smile on his face, which rarely revealed a bit of youthful spirit. He smiled and asked Chi Yu, "Do you think that under this circumstance, will the Chen family let Wu Sansheng go easily?"

Chi Yu also curled his lips: "It seems like something he can do. But I don't think Wu Sansheng is stupid enough to put this matter on the table."

He looked at Xie Yuchen: "You were the one who told the Chen family."

"I just put the evidence in front of them." Xie Yuchen took a sip of tea and said frankly, "Who told Wu Sanxing not to clean up the mess? I just happened to find out."

"Anyway, he's been running around all year round, and no one knows what he's doing. I'll contact the Chen family for him, so at least it can help improve the relationship between the nine sects."

"Wu Sanxing should be very pleased to have a junior like you." Chi Yu commented.

"You can actually feel gratified by this," Xie Yuchen said, "because I learned this from you."

Chi Yu didn't say anything, just smiled and shook his head.

A figure suddenly appeared on the path in the distance and made a gesture to Xie Yuchen from a distance.

So Xie Yuchen put the teacup aside, stood up, and stretched out his hand to Chi Yu: "It's getting late, we should get ready for tonight's banquet."

-

Chi Yu and Jie Yuchen arrived at the venue together.

The waiter had been waiting at the door for a long time. When he saw Xie Yuchen getting out of the car, he immediately smiled and walked forward to lead him to the backstage to make preparations.

"Would you like to go with me? Or do you want to go to the box and rest for a while?" Xie Yuchen asked.

Chi Yu walked with him on the soft carpet of the hotel, and her tone of answer sounded a little careless: "I'm just a guest, so I naturally have to go where guests should stay."

As he said that, he smiled at Xie Yuchen and said, "However, if you need me to accompany you, I will go with you no matter where you go."

Xie Yuchen looked at him steadily.

"Then let's go together." Xie Yuchen made the decision.

So that's why Chi Yu appeared backstage at the venue, mingling with the busy Jie family members.

None of the Xie family members had ever seen Chi Yu's face, but whenever they felt doubtful about him, they would notice Xie Yuchen standing beside Chi Yu, inadvertently showing a protective attitude.

He immediately understood and shifted his gaze, continuing to deal with his own work. Chi Yu's leisurely manner seemed a bit out of place among this group of people.

But he didn't care about the negative impact his presence would bring to these people. He continued to do his own thing. He even took out a magazine from somewhere and started reading it after Xie Yuchen was temporarily called away.

"It's time for guests to enter now."

When Xie Yuchen finished all the preparations, he returned to Chi Yu and said, "You can go to the front hall to eat something first. I asked them to prepare some extra desserts. I wonder if you will like them."

Hearing this, Chi Yu closed the magazine and looked up at him.

During that period of time just now, Xie Yuchen had changed his clothes.

He was wearing a sophisticated light-colored suit with a jacket that was cut to fit him perfectly. Every detail perfectly demonstrated his demeanor as the head of the Jie family.

This formal attire made him look different from the Xie Yuchen who usually interacted with Chi Yu.

But this was also the Xie Yuchen that Chi Yu first knew.

"Okay, Mr. Jie." Chi Yu said, got up from the sofa, and walked slowly to the door. "I look forward to seeing you again at the venue."

-

This was not the first banquet hosted by Xie Yuchen, but it was the most special one in his heart.

Just like the old movies from the golden age of Hollywood, people are always extremely beautiful and everything is covered with a soft halo.

And at the end of this dream-like story, the protagonist in his mind is whispering to him: "What kind of day do you think you have had?"

Xie Yuchen did not answer the question quickly.

He recalled this short and fast-passing day, and said slowly to Chi Yu: "It was a good day."

"——However, there is still one thing that is not perfect."

Chi Yu said "Oh?" and said, "Why do you say that?"

"Because I also hope to get someone's personal blessing." Xie Yuchen said.

"Just like when I was planning to hold this party, the first thing I thought of was to call him and invite him. I wanted more than just a greeting letter with a completely fixed format."

He looked at Chi Yu: "Will you fulfill my wish, Chi Yu?"

"Today is your birthday. If this is your wish, there is no reason for me not to fulfill it." Chi Yu smiled, "Happy birthday, Xie Yuchen."

While speaking, Chi Yu took a few steps forward.

Because he had his back to the light, the dim light could not illuminate his face, and Xie Yuchen could not see Chi Yu's expression clearly.

But those ordinary words of blessing, like the first snow melting on the snowy mountains, flowed into Xie Yuchen's heart.

"I wish you all the best in the future and everything you wish for."

He said this before the stroke of midnight.