Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Youngest aunt’s expression was gloomier than before.
She looked at Xiang Wan without saying a word.
A while later, in the stagnant atmosphere, she turned her head to look at Xing Feifei.
“Have you finished eating?”
Xing Feifei raised an eyebrow and looked at her unhappily. “What?”
Youngest aunt scoffed. “Go up once you’re done.”
She was a mother who doted on her daughter. Xing Feifei seldom saw her with such a gloomy expression and got startled for a while. Hmph! She snorted, pushed her bowl a little, and left the dining room.
No one said a word.
The Youngest aunt looked at Xiang Wan. “What do you mean?”
Xiang Wan pursed her lips in thought. She knew her Youngest aunt was now fuming and softened her stance.
“Youngest aunt, I’m really grateful for the care you’ve provided for my mom. Well… we can’t keep on troubling you like this.”
Youngest aunt stayed silent.
Xiang Wan lowered her head and held Youngest aunt’s pair of cold hands. “All these years,” confided Xiang Wan, “you’ve been showing us so much concern. I’ve always kept that in mind. Actually, sometimes I can’t help worrying for you as well. By taking care of us so much, you might land yourself in a difficult position as you’re part of the Xing Family after all…”
Xing Yuanhang had never reprimanded his wife on this aspect.
However, when a married woman continued her act to help and take care of her side of relatives, no one knew for sure how long her husband, in-laws, or his side of relatives would remain quiet about her behavior.
Those words of concern entered Youngest aunt’s heart.
There was some hesitation. When she looked up again, her eyes were slightly red. “If your mom’s willing to go, I’m fine with this arrangement. Personally, I’m not for this arrangement as she has just been discharged from the hospital and should not be traveling so far away. Moreover, this trip is connected to your future happiness and marriage. If you bring your mom over at this time, who knows what the Bai Family will think…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll manage our lives there.” Xiang Wan showed a smile. “My royalties recently has been good. It’s enough to keep myself and mom fed. I won’t spend a single cent of his money so no one can say anything on that. The only problem is…”
Xiang Wan seemed a little embarrassed. “The medical expenses. I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”
“Why are you saying all these?” Youngest aunt looked at her. “I’ve never thought of getting you to pay me back.”
Silence.
Xiang Wan knew that Youngest aunt meant what she said.
Due to that understanding, she actually felt sad about it.
Youngest aunt might be haughty and snobbish or have a lot of shortcomings of many Chinese parents, however, she had really spent that sum of money.
For that, she never dared to be ungrateful.
“Youngest aunt, thank you. I’ll return you the money, just that it’ll take a little longer to save up…”
“I’m not going!” Xiang Wan’s mom almost opened her mouth at the same time as Xiang Wan. It was also the first time she expressed her opinion. “I’m already old. Why bother to do all these? I can’t sit on the car for too long, I might get dizzy if I take the plane… I’m not going.”
“Mom…”
“I know you’re worried about me.”
Her mom interrupted her again without letting her complete the sentence.
“You’ve grown up. Live the life you want and don’t worry about me.”
“But…”
“No buts.” She continued, “Tiantian’s still too young and can’t leave me. No matter what, I need to look after him till he enters Primary School…”
“…”
Her mom totally treated her little cousin, Xing Tiantian, as her own son as she took care of him ever since he was born.
Xiang Wan, however, knew very well that Tiantian was not the main reason she refused to leave with her.
… At the end of the day, it was all because her mom did not want to be a burden to her.
Xiang Wan could not control her mom’s thoughts. Neither would she try to change her mom.
Everyone had different thoughts. The matter she thought was honey might be arsenic in another’s eyes.
…
That night, Xiang Wan messaged Bai Muchuan about her arrival to the Capital.
“Little Xiang Wan, are you kidding me?”
This surprised Young Master Bai. He asked her several times for confirmation but still did not believe her.
“Hey, what kind of tone is that? You don’t welcome me?”
Xiang Wan was grinning on her bed as she looked at the messages on her mobile phone.
“Of course not! My Queen is coming to supervise me in my work, how can I not welcome you? Which day is it? I’ll come to the airport to pick you up…”
“I haven’t made up my mind!” Xiang Wan gave it a thought. “I’m still worried about my mom.”
“You silly! If you miss her, you can go back anytime to visit her.”
“… Air tickets don’t cost money?”
“I’ll reimburse you!”
“So nice?”
“That goes without saying.”
“Alright, I’ll consider.”
“… Again? Little Xiang Wan, are you itching for a beating?”
“Hmph! I’m not telling you. I’ll have a surprise spot check!”
“Spot check?”
“To see if you’ve been up to something behind my back!” Xiang Wan was smiling. “Who knows if there’s a woman around you? I’ll sneak up on you for a spot check…”
“To tell you the truth, there really is.”
“…”
“So, hurry up! Come here quickly to guard your man.”
“…”
This guy always liked to shoot his mouth off when he communicates with her. Xiang Wan did not believe him at all.
With a chuckle, she got up on her bed.
“I’m not talking to you now. I need to work on my story.”
“But it’s so late already?”
“I want to stock up on my chapters so that when I’m there, we can go for some sightseeing…”
“Hurhur, I’m almost taken in!”
That’s the way people behaved when they’re in love. Even when it’s a meaningless chat, they would be reluctant to end the conversation.
Although Xiang Wan said she needed to go write her chapters, they continued to chat for another 30 minutes.
…
She had fixed her day of departure.
It was two days later.
She had to do some shopping in these two days to bring along with her.
It was alright to leave Jin City, just that she might not get used to the food there.
For this trip to the Capital, she actually did not think she would be staying there for a long time. It was simply because she was a web novelist and that gave her the convenience of being able to work anywhere by just bringing her laptop along.
It was just like what she had told Youngest aunt and her mom—she took it as a trip.
On the night prior to departure, Xiang Wan packed her luggage and prepared dinner, waiting for Fang Yuanyuan to knock off from work.
When Fang Yuanyuan came back, she saw a variety of her favorite food laid nicely on the dining table.
“What’s up?” She frowned. “You cooked so many dishes! There’s even liquor?”
Xiang Wan grinned at her and helped to take her bag. “I’m trying to gain favor from you, my Lord Editor.”
Fang Yuanyuan snorted, “You didn’t know I’m on a diet?”
“Oh!” Xiang Wan played along. “Looks like my attempt to gain favor failed?”
“… Nah, forget it. I won’t fuss over this.”
Fang Yuanyuan’s eyes were looking down. She changed her clothes, washed her hands, and took her time doing all of these before stepping out of her bedroom.
The two cousins sat at the table for a long time in silence.
“Come, let’s dig in.”
Xiang Wan filled up their glasses with liquor and put some food on her bowl. “Youngest aunt is not here so she won’t be nagging you,” she tried to coax Yuanyuan, “you don’t need to go on a diet. You actually have a nice figure…”
“Xiang Wan!” Fang Yuanyuan flared up suddenly and stared at her with eyes wide-opened. “Don’t you have anything to tell me?”
“…”
Yes, of course . In actual fact, Xiang Wan had a lot to tell her.
However, she felt that if she said too much, it might create too much sadness.
“… If I tell you I couldn’t really bear to part with you, does it sound pretentious?”
“Of course!” Fang Yuanyuan rolled her eyes and pulled a long face. “You’re abandoning me because of a man.”
“Abandon? It’s not that I’m not coming back,” Xiang Wan smiled, “I’m just going there for a period of time.”
“I won’t believe you! Sisters before misters!”
“Okay, okay, I’m in the wrong.”
Xiang Wan used a pair of chopsticks to take a piece of boiled beef for Fang Yuanyuan.
“Try this. Don’t be mad at me anymore. If you’re still angry, then eat more!”
Fang Yuanyuan ate the piece of beef but still looked glum. “After you leave, I won’t be staying here, either. I might as well go back home and get doted upon like a princess where my mom washes my clothes and cooks my meals…”
“Hm, sounds good to me.” Xiang Wan nodded her head seriously. “I can set my heart at ease.”
“If you’re there and he bullies you,” said Fang Yuanyuan, followed by a short pause, “Just come back anytime. Your family is here, understand?”
Pffft! Xiang Wan giggled. “Do you think I’m easily bullied?”
“Be serious!”
Fang Yuanyuan stared at her.
“Okay, okay.” Xiang Wan showed an apologetic smile and raised up two fingers. “I promise! I won’t be bullied and won’t be a disgrace to my family…”
Hmph! “It might be a good thing actually!” Fang Yuanyuan gave her another glare and started to roll her sleeves, her eyes looking intently at the dishes—she looked as though she was going to start devouring the food. “Even you are leaving me too. Going ahead, I’ll be alone. No one will say anything as to how much I want to eat…”
“… Yuanyuan.”
Xiang Wan could not help feeling upset seeing her like this.
However, before she could say anything to comfort Yuanyuan, she stopped her.
“Don’t persuade me! We sisters are having dinner together. Don’t talk about men or I’m gonna explode.”
“…”
What else could she say?
Everyone has their own path.
…
That night, the two of them had some liquor and had a good night’s sleep.
When Fang Yuanyuan woke up in the morning, Xiang Wan had left for the airport.
There was breakfast on the table as well as a note.
“Hey strong girl, don’t forget you also have me as your family, too. If you get bullied, I’ll come back.”
“…”
Fang Yuanyuan stood beside the table.
After looking at the note for quite a while, the corners of her mouth turned downwards in a pout and fell onto the chair.
At first, she whimpered. Soon, tears rolled down as she covered her face and cried bitterly.
…
Airport.
Just before Xiang Wan boarded the plane, she sent a message to Bai Muchuan.
“Young Master Bai, the girlfriend you ordered has been dispatched. Your order number is CAXXXX…”
She did not receive a reply.
As the plane was about to take off, she switched off her mobile phone.
Xiang Wan’s seat this time was also a window seat.
Sitting beside her was a young girl dressed in fashionable clothes with a pair of spectacles. She was focused on reading most of the time.
Xiang Wan took a glance and did not pay much attention to her.
After the plane had taken off smoothly, the stewardess pushed along the lunch cart.
Xiang Wan asked for rice. When she reached out her hands, the girl beside her helped to take it from the stewardess and passed it to her.
“Thank you!”
“You’re welcome.”
It was just a simple interaction.
Just like any stranger she met on the road or on a journey.
After Xiang Wan finished her meal, she sat quietly on her seat with her eyes half-closed and imagined what it would be like when she meets Bai Muchuan later.
She had never expected that the girl she met by chance would cause such a huge disturbance in her life…
