Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Si Zhengting shook his head and sat down opposite her. “It’s nothing.”
Then he swung his head sideways. “Are you hungry?”
Zhuang Nainai was averse to American food by now. The only thing she liked was noodles, but there was a dearth of Chinese restaurants where they were. After thinking for a moment, Si Zhengting had then previously placed an order for an electric hotpot. Because they were putting whatever they bought into the pot and cooking them, the meals were bland but surprisingly yummy to Zhuang Nainai. Five days had already passed like this with them eating noodles from the hotpot.
It was a rare time that Si Zhengting was not picky and instead went along with Zhuang Nainai.
Busying himself with work, he repeatedly refused her help and told her to rest.
This time, noodles were served once more, and they added some spicy sauce into the hotpot. Zhuang Nainai dug into the food happily, but Si Zhengting — having been brought up with a golden spoon in his mouth — was now a little unable to take it.
As Zhuang Nainai ate, she saw him put down his chopsticks. She lifted her head and looked at him.
Si Zhengting explained, “You go ahead, I’m full.”
He wasn’t full; it was obvious that he didn’t want to eat.
Zhuang Nainai lowered her gaze, unsure of what to say.
This period of time had been the happiest she had ever been with Si Zhengting.
It was as if Si Zhengting had poured all his warmth from these few years onto her. He had become so attentive and caring, and even his tone of voice was warmer than before.
He was trying to change himself, and the way he was treating her touched her. She knew how he felt toward her, but… before Mother Zhuang returned, she was really unable to get together with him happily.
Zhuang Nainai pursed her lips, then suddenly said, “I’ll go back with you.”
Si Zhengting was stunned. He stared at her, confused.
Zhuang Nainai explained, “My mother has gone missing, and now I’m wondering if she’s gone back to China. The director of the home said that her identification documents had disappeared together with her, and if her passport was one of the things that disappeared, I’m thinking… it is most likely that she went back? If she really is back in China, she’d surely look for me at the dingy little house. Instead of waiting here until who knows when, we might as well go back.”
They had been unable to find her over the past five days, and feeling a sense of hopelessness was inevitable.
Zhuang Nainai could only hold on to this last bit of hope and return with Si Zhengting.
Si Zhengting looked at her squarely and nodded. “Okay.”
As soon as he said this, he quickly added, “I’ll leave someone here so that we’ll be able to get any information that comes up.”
Zhuang Nainai nodded.
Having both decided to return back home, they swiftly booked their airplane tickets. Without even so much as a goodbye to Gu Deshou or Li Yufeng, they left straight away.
Si Zhengting had booked first-class seats for them for all their flights, making the return trip extremely comfortable for Zhuang Nainai.
Their return journey was so much smoother than when they had flown to America. By the time the arrived in Beijing, it was already six in the evening.
Ji Chen made his way through the after-work peak hour traffic and came to pick up both of them. Neither of them had much luggage, but Zhuang Nainai hugged her bag and simply stood in front of the car, refusing to go in.
She struggled with herself for a while, and her expression made Si Zhengting’s heart tighten. She looked resolutely at Si Zhengting and slowly said, “Si Zhengting, in this period of time, I’d like to stay in my dingy little house.”
Si Zhengting immediately felt his heart shrink.
The reason he had been so reluctant to come back was this: once they came back, there was no way that Zhuang Nainai would agree to stay in the Si residence with him.
