Wen Xinya sat in the cold living room, fiddling with the little mobile phone in her hand. This was the phone specially reserved for calls by Si Yiyan. For some reason, she missed Si Yiyan particularly much after speaking with Liu Yanhua. She had an impulsive desire to call him and hear his voice.
Si Yiyan had been to the Middle East for a week and there was still no news from him. If not for Gu Yuehan’s communication that Si Yiyan was safe and sound, she might have already gone mad with worry.
She didn’t know what Si Yiyan was doing now and whether he was safe or in danger. Whether he had heeded her repeated instructions not to risk himself in any way.
Several times, she wanted to call him. However, since Si Yiyan had not taken the initiative to contact her, it was probably because he was bogged down by something important and it was not convenient for him to call her, and vice versa. Hence, she suppressed her desire and worries.
She was also worried for Xu Zhenyu.
But it was a different type of worry.
To Xu Zhenyu, this mission was an honor, a calling!
But to Si Yiyan, it was neither of those. He was only taking part in this mission for her sake.
Wen Xinya clutched the mobile phone tightly and was about to place it back into her bag when it suddenly started vibrating.
She happily took the call without even glancing at the screen. “Si Yiyan, I miss you so much. Why are you only calling me now? Is it because you met with any danger? Where are you now? Did you suffer any injuries? Did you damage anything that belongs to me?”
Wen Xinya was so excited that she just kept prattling on the moment she accepted the call. Her soft voice was coquettish and indignant, but also full of worry and anxiety. She had completely forgotten that the person at the other end of the call had yet to say anything.
Si Yiyan smiled as he listened to her slew of words.
After blabbering on for a bit, Wen Xinya realized she hadn’t heard a single word in response. She grumbled. “Are you listening to me? Why are you not speaking?”
She seemed to have forgotten that she had been chattering non-stop the moment she picked up the phone and that the other party had no chance to speak at all.
Si Yiyan gave a low laugh. “Are you done?”
It was indeed the right choice to come to the Middle East.
If he hadn’t come here, her worries would have been completely focused on Xu Zhenyu.
Coming to her senses, Wen Xinya blushed sheepishly. But thinking of how far apart she and Si Yiyan were now and how he was unable to see her expression, she replied self-righteously.
“I am done!”
Si Yiyan murmured in a low voice. “You asked me so many questions just now. Which one should I answer first?”
Even though they were separated by a vast distance and he could not see her current expression, he could guess that Wen Xinya was feeling sheepish, yet putting on a self-righteous front.
“Forget it if you don’t want to answer!”
An involuntary flush crept over Wen Xinya’s little face as she recalled how naggy she must have sounded the moment she picked up the phone. She suddenly felt like just hanging up right now.
However, she couldn’t bear to do it. She had waited so long for his call.
Her heart was full of conflicting emotions.
She suddenly felt like she was being very unreasonable!
“It’s all good with me. I didn’t meet with any danger and I am currently in Saudi Arabia. I didn’t come to any harm and didn’t spoil anything that belongs to you. I haven’t contact you previously as I didn’t want to do anything that would expose my position.”
Si Yiyan answered all her questions one by one in his low voice.
“In addition, I want to answer the question you left out. I miss you very much!”
Wen Xinya clutched the mobile phone tightly and pressed it close to her ear. She couldn’t help blushing when she heard his low, raspy voice whispering to her that he missed her.
She did want to ask him if he missed her!
However, she had been so consumed by her worries that she momentarily forgot to ask.
“What is Saudi Arabia like?” Wen Xinya asked.
As she asked this, she had already returned to her room and turned on her computer to search for information on this country. It was like the more she knew about this nation, the more she would understand Si Yiyan’s situation.
“Saudi Arabia is an Islamic country, and all its citizens are devout Muslims. They hold an unwavering faith in their god, Allah, and adhere to their central religious text, the Quran. Their religion influences all aspects of life in Saudi Arabia, including government, economy, arts, culture, and way of life.”
Si Yiyan and Wen Xinya chatted on and on.
“It is truly a mystical and wonderful country.” Wen Xinya continued to read the information on her computer as she chatted on the phone.
“Saudi Arabia prohibits alcohol and there are no cinemas, bars or clubs there. The Islamic faith forbids frivolity, obscenity, and gambling, and upholds very high moral standards. All those who violate their laws would be punished according to Islamic law. As a result, the country’s crime rates are very low.”
For Muslims, this country was sacred and the birthplace of the faith itself.
The information on the computer more or less fit Si Yiyan’s description of the country. “What are you doing now?”
Si Yiyan turned around and glanced afar into the green fields which looked exceptionally eye-catching in the desert. It looked almost like a mirage.
“Behind me is an endless desert, where the winds have crafted sand dunes in all sorts of wondrous patterns. They look like peculiarly-shaped pagodas. Before me is a vast and majestic green field of date trees, which belong solely to the royal family.”
Pagoda!
As in Buddhism!
As in Buddha!
A Buddhist pagoda was a sacred structure and offered guidance and protection to followers of the Buddhist faith. It could ward off all evil and cast aside malevolent intentions.
He was able to think about his own Buddhist faith even in this Islamic country!
Si Yiyan couldn’t resist giving a half-smile.
“Is it very beautiful there?” Wen Xinya was scanning through the photos on the internet but was unable to find the place described by Si Yiyan. She couldn’t help feeling somewhat disappointed.
“Yes, very beautiful! Although this is the desert, a type of rose stone can be formed within the wet layers beneath the sands over hundreds of thousands of years. The locals call it the desert rose, and it represents an endless and limitless love. It is extremely romantic. And the most valuable of the rose rocks is the amber-colored stones produced in the Red Sand. They are the rarest of the rare.”
A desert country was actually not that beautiful.
However, if one paid more attention to the details, they would discover many lovely things.
“I heard that the camel meat over there is very fresh and tender, and that camel milk is very tasty.” Wen Xinya couldn’t help being very attracted to the images of rose stones, which she was currently scrolling through.
Si Yiyan laughed out loud.
“Indeed. Camel meat is very delicious and women love it, as it is not only tender but also low in fat. That’s because all their fats are stored in the hump. So one would never get fat eating camel meat. On the contrary, Saudi Arabian men prefer camel milk to its meat!”
Si Yiyan had a sip of camel milk from the water flask he always carried around.
The wealthier men in Saudi Arabia seldom drank water. Camel milk was their way of hydrating.
“Why?” Wen Xinya asked curiously.
“That’s because, to them, camel milk is a natural aphrodisiac. It can boost a man’s prowess such that even those over the age fifty could marry several young, pretty wives.”
With that, he gave a low laugh.
Wen Xinya flushed and couldn’t resist scolding. “Obscene!”
Si Yiyan continued in a low voice, “I am now drinking camel milk but you are not by my side.”
His regretful voice resonated in Wen Xinya’s ears, making her feel a warm rush all over.
