Visa On Arrival Chapter 21

You two aren’t a good match. Break up.

Night fell.

The lights in the living room flickered on, casting a warm yellow glow over the sofa, the coffee table, and the darkness outside the window.

Qi Lan and Xu Xingci walked in one after the other. Their hands were empty, suggesting they hadn’t caught any fish, but both had smiles on their faces and seemed to be in a good mood.

Xiao Xu, today is the fifteenth, Qi Lan’s voice was gentle, yet it carried a hint of unquestionable formality. Generally, we don’t have guests stay for dinner or overnight on this day.

Xu Xingci froze for a moment.

Guest.

The word hit his ears softly, but it made his heart ache slightly.

Qi Lan turned to him, his gaze calm. It’s getting late. You should head back now. Please be safe on the road.

Xu Xingci opened his mouth, glanced at Qi Ranyue, and wanted to say something. Ultimately, he just nodded and replied, Okay, Uncle.

Qi Lan’s gaze moved past him and landed on Qi Ranyue. Don’t leave, he said, his tone softening slightly. Sleep at home tonight.

Qi Ranyue, who was sitting on the sofa, looked up upon hearing this.

I have something to talk to you about, Qi Lan paused. Come find me in the study in a bit.

The living room fell silent for a moment.

The light shone on everyone’s faces, highlighting their different expressions.

After seeing him off, Qi Ranyue stood at the door for a while.

Qi Lan had already gone upstairs. The light in the study was on, and the door was slightly ajar. Qi Ranyue stood at the door for two seconds before pushing it open and entering.

Qi Lan was holding a document. Seeing her enter, he looked up. Sit down.

Qi Ranyue sat on the sofa opposite him.

Qi Lan put down the document and took a sip from his teacup.

The project you took over recently was done very well! Several of the company’s shareholders have praised you.

Qi Ranyue nodded but didn’t speak.

The study remained quiet for a while.

Qi Ranyue looked at her father and waited.

Qi Lan set down his teacup and looked up at her.

Dad, Qi Ranyue spoke, her voice calm. Just say whatever is on your mind. It’s just the two of us here, so there’s no need to beat around the bush. I’m not one of your business associates.

Qi Lan’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and he let out a soft sigh.

You seem heavy-hearted, Qi Lan said, his voice a bit lower than before. What are you thinking about? What is it regarding? Can I help you solve it? Can you solve it yourself? Are there difficulties in resolving it? Is it a public matter or a private one?

Qi Ranyue leaned back on the sofa. A private matter. I can solve it myself, so you don’t need to worry. It has nothing to do with the company. Her voice was faint. Don’t worry about it. You’re getting older; stop fussing over my affairs so much.

Qi Lan didn’t speak. He watched her quietly and sighed.

He waited for two seconds.

Dad, what exactly do you want to say? Qi Ranyue asked. If you don’t say it, I’m going to go get my beauty sleep! Her tone was intentionally light, as if she were acting spoiled, yet also as if she were rushing him.

He sighed again and pushed the teacup to the side.

Oh, you’ve grown up. You can even tell when your father has hidden meanings in his words. Qi Lan’s voice was deep. You two aren’t a good match. Break up!

??????

Qi Ranyue didn’t speak.

Qi Lan looked into her eyes.

The air in the study seemed to suddenly freeze.

Qi Ranyue sat up straight and looked at him, her voice so calm it even surprised her: What is the reason?

He is not on the same path as you, Qi Lan continued, his tone indifferent, as if he were analyzing a project. You’ll break up sooner or later!

Qi Ranyue lowered her head, looked at her hands, and then looked back up at him. I’ll consider it. Her voice remained calm, and her emotions didn’t fluctuate much.

Qi Lan looked at her and nodded.

So calm? …You’re not even going to throw a fit? Qi Lan picked up his teacup, put it down again, and leaned back against his chair. It seems that the matter in your heart is indeed more important!

She sat there, but her mind felt like it was exploding.

Back in her room, Qi Ranyue lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

She tossed over.

Then she turned again.

She rolled the blanket into a ball, then kicked it away.

She moved the pillow to the left, then moved it back to the right.

She really couldn’t sleep.

Her mind was a mess, filled with tangled thoughts she couldn’t straighten out.

Regarding that sentence “break up with him,” she should have cared, she should have been sad, she should have been angry. But as she thought about it, she realized she didn’t seem to feel anything about it.

She wasn’t angry, nor was she sad. There wasn’t even a significant ripple of emotion. It was like an inconsequential sentence.

She rolled over and buried her face in the pillow.

Chen Rong’s face surfaced again.

The more she tried not to think about it, the more it popped up.

She sat up and looked out the window, her heart in a state of chaos.

She really couldn’t stay in bed any longer.

She sat up and grabbed her phone to check the time.

11:40 PM.

She got out of bed, didn’t turn on the light, pulled open the door, and walked out.

The car drove out of the villa.

The mountain road was winding. She stepped on the accelerator and drove upward until she reached Ran Jin’s mountain villa hotel.

She walked inside and headed straight for the lounge.

Hello, here is the wine you requested. The sommelier spoke gently with a touch of professional politeness. Would you like me to open it for you?

Qi Ranyue nodded.

He placed the wine and the glass on the table, skillfully opening the bottle. The cork was pulled out gently with a soft pop.

Does it need to breathe? he asked.

No.

She held the glass of wine and stared at the night scenery outside the window, motionless.

Footsteps came from behind her, steady and unhurried, tapping lightly on the floor. Then came a familiar voice, carrying a bit of a smile and a hint of helplessness: Why are you here drinking alone again?

Qi Ranyue froze for a moment, turned her head, and saw the person clearly. Uncle Ran, you’re here too!

What’s wrong? Ran Jin’s voice was very soft. In a bad mood?

Qi Ranyue didn’t answer.

Ran Jin waited a bit longer.

Drinking your sorrows away here again, his tone wasn’t inquisitive, but held a reassuring gentleness. Can you tell me what it’s about? Perhaps with my experience, I can provide some answers for you.

Qi Ranyue raised her eyes to look at him and sighed.

I don’t know how to say it, Qi Ranyue looked at the wine in her hand without looking up. I don’t even know where to start.

Ran Jin sat quietly beside her without making a sound.

She took another deep breath. Today, my dad told me to break up with my boyfriend. She paused. But I seem to… feel nothing.

She raised her eyes to look at Ran Jin. The moonlight fell on her face, revealing a hint of confusion in her eyes.

I’m not even that sad. Tell me, what is it actually like to like someone? Do I really like him? Why would I accept it so calmly without any fluctuation? Is it because everyone faces relationships differently? But I’m not like this toward another person. Oh… how should I put it… I don’t even know how to describe it anymore…

The moonlight fell silently between the two of them.

He looked out the window and said softly, Let me tell you a story.

Qi Ranyue didn’t speak; she just watched him.

A long time ago, my partner and I were very much in love, Ran Jin said, his lips curling slightly into a faint smile that seemed to dissolve into the moonlight. After being together for over a year, we had a child.

It was a girl. As he spoke, Ran Jin looked into Qi Ranyue’s eyes.

Her breath hitched for a moment.

We were very happy. She was the crystallization of our love, Ran Jin continued, his gaze falling back outside the window. I thought we would be happy like that forever. But later, for his own interests and power, he married someone else from a family of equal status who could support him.

Perhaps he was afraid I would expose him or take revenge, Ran Jin’s voice remained very light, devoid of any discernible emotion. So he secretly took our child away. He didn’t raise her either; he gave her away to be adopted by someone else.

It was a long time before Qi Ranyue heard him speak again.

Tell me, Ran Jin turned to look at her. Should I hate him, or love him?

She opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words.

Ran Jin looked at her and gave a soft laugh.

Actually, I still love him, but I also resent him. However, love outweighs the hate, so I chose to forgive.

He finished speaking, his gaze moving away from her face and falling back onto the night sky outside.

When you love someone, your emotions have a weakness.

When you hate someone, your emotions have armor.

So, love moves your emotions; it’s an instinct. If you remain completely unmoved and calm while looking at him, then I’m afraid it only proves one thing: he doesn’t have a place in your heart. Ran Jin smiled gently. That smile was faint, but it made her heart suddenly tighten.

He doesn’t have a place in your heart! When she heard this sentence, Qi Ranyue was stunned. Then my feelings for Chen Rong are…?

Ran Jin spoke softly: Do you know the answer now?

Uncle Ran, don’t love her anymore. She was so bad to you. Don’t be so love-brained, Uncle. Qi Ranyue thought for a moment and looked into his eyes, speaking seriously.

Ran Jin let out a soft laugh.

Thank you. I know the answer now. I’ll head out first. Goodbye, Uncle Ran. After saying that, she grabbed her keys, rushed to the parking lot, pulled open the car door, and started the engine.

The mountain road in the early morning was very quiet. There was only the sound of tires rolling over the pavement and the sound of her heartbeat.

The car drove toward Chen Rong’s house.

Toward the place she had sneaked into in the early morning, where she had watched her sleep, where she had been kissed by her, and the place she had fled from afterward.

She suddenly understood!

She liked Chen Rong!

That kind of liking wasn’t the liking between friends, nor was it the liking between family members. It was the kind that made one’s heart race, the kind that made her feel unhappy when she saw her with someone else.

But…

She was a woman.

And she was a woman too.

But so what if they were the same gender!

Liking someone is liking someone!

She had feelings for her!

Those heartbeats, those moments of missing her, those instances where she couldn’t help but smile just by seeing her… they were all real.

And…

She found that she didn’t seem to resist it.

She didn’t resist this kind of liking.

She didn’t resist her.

Even…

She thought of that kiss, thought of that early morning, and thought of her own heartbeat when she had suddenly kissed her.

That heartbeat wasn’t from being startled. It was because… because she liked her too!

She suddenly understood!

She finally understood.