“Yes, yes, yes, you’re a wealthy woman now.”
Fan Shixin chuckled and said, “I knew it, Young Sir couldn’t handle being away from you at all. Young Sir, if you’re sleeping here tonight, where do I sleep?”
“Aren’t there other rooms here?” said Jin Qingyan.
“There are, but there’s something really strange about this village and it’s better not to let Shixin stay alone in another room. How about I tell Madam Wang about it and ask her for two more blankets? Shixin, sleep on the floor tonight,” said An Xiaoning, who was worried about Fan Shixin’s safety.
“Alright,” Fan Shixin agreed.
Hence, Jin Qingyan conceded and persuaded himself to stay in the less-than-ideal room together with the woman he loved.
An Xiaoning and Fan Shixin explained the matter about Jing Chu to Jin Qingyan, after which he asked in astonishment, “She can communicate with animals?”
“Yes.”
“She’s a talent. We must let her stay.”
An Xiaoning shared the same thoughts as he did. “I’ve already told Shixin to send her to the hospital. Send some bodyguards there to help look after her.”
“Okay, but why is the situation so bizarre? Is there really no reason behind the physical abuse that that woman had been inflicting on Jing Chu?” said a puzzled Jin Qingyan.
“I don’t know either. We don’t even know who Jing Chu’s parents are. I don’t think they’re ordinary people since she’s gifted with such a special talent. No matter what, we must ensure she’s safe. The victim of the case that we solved today was very pitiful too. Did you see the reports yet?”
“Yeah, it’s all over the news. This case had been left unresolved for more than two decades and yet you solved it so quickly. I’m so proud of you for accomplishing yet another meaningful task.”
Upon hearing his words, An Xiaoning asked gleefully, “Do you really think that way?”
“Since when do I ever lie to you?”
An Xiaoning nodded and said, “However, there are still problems ahead of us. I can only leave after solving them.”
“I’ll have to suffer in silence whenever you serve the public. I haven’t seen you for so many days. I really hope you’d just stay at home and wait for me to come back from work every day. I’ll get to see you as soon as I’m home. However, I know you don’t like staying at home and doing nothing. That’s what makes you charming. You have a mind of your own.”
“What’s up with you tonight? You keep praising me. If you keep complimenting me every day, I’m going to be too proud for my own good.”
“Since I’ve already complimented you, you should compliment me too.”
“You’re so dashing.”
Upon hearing her words, Jin Qingyan smiled and asked, “Which part of me is dashing?”
“Everything. Your eyes, nose, lips, brows, ears, voice, figure…”
He turned over and pinned her beneath him. He gave her a few pecks and hugged her. “Let’s go to bed.”
Fan Shixin was green with envy because of their public display of affection. It was really pathetic since he already had a girlfriend.
An Xiaoning was wrapped up in his embrace with her face pressed against his chest. His unique scent wafted up to her nose, and she fell asleep unknowingly.
She proceeded to have a good night’s sleep.
By the time she woke up, he was no longer around. She sat up and Fan Shixin said, “Young Madam, Young Sir left just now.”
“Okay.” An Xiaoning picked up her mobile phone, only to discover that it was merely five o’clock in the morning and that the sky was still dark.
An Xiaoning lay back down and stared at the ceiling above. She could no longer fall asleep.
Thus, she decided to get out of bed. Fan Shixin followed suit, although he had initially wanted to catch some more sleep.
Fan Shixin proceeded to make some breakfast. By the time he was done, it was already half-past five.
The sky had just begun to brighten.
The two of them headed to the reservoir in a bid to reconnoiter the place.
However, An Xiaoning decided to drop by Liu Wanzhen’s place before going to the reservoir. To her surprise, Liu Wanzhen’s husband and son were both there.
It seemed that they did not return home last night.
Upon the sight of the two of them, Liu Wanzhen’s husband asked, “You are?”
He could not recognize An Xiaoning since she was wearing a mask.
“Can’t you tell who I am from my voice?” An Xiaoning removed her mask and answered, “It’s me.”
“Oh, I see, Ms. An.”
“How long have you two been staying here?”
“One night. We arrived at about nine o’clock last night.”
Just like An Xiaoning had expected. Noticing that they were about to leave, An Xiaoning asked, “Are you leaving already?”
“Yes, Wanzhen said that she’s going off to reincarnate. She can’t stay here anymore.”
“Is she gone?”
“Gone.”
An Xiaoning took a look around the house to see that Liu Wanzhen was really no longer around.
Hence, she and Fan Shixin left the house.
She put the mask back on and placed her hands inside her pockets. “Staying alive is the most important thing. If a woman dies, her husband is definitely going to remarry since he’s still so young. Her child will also have to address another woman as his mother. All the money that she had saved up painstakingly will go to someone else too. That’s why women should always love themselves first before they can earn the love of others.”
“Young Madam, I agree with you, but in real life, men are still held to different standards than women are. For example, if a woman cheats on her spouse, she would definitely be berated for the rest of her life and her husband will very likely divorce her straight away. However, women tend to forgive their cheating husbands after they apologize to them. Women are much more traditional than men and often suffer in silence for the sake of their children.”
An Xiaoning answered, “I don’t find women who live for the sake of their children to be very noble. Each and every person is a unique individual on their own right. We ought to stay true to our morals and live for ourselves. If a woman chooses to live with an unfaithful man for the sake of money, her family, and her children, she’s just forgoing her own pride and dignity. What’s the point of living if you no longer have your pride or dignity? Hence, I’ve never depended on your Young Sir for a living. What he gives me is just a bonus to my life. I can live well on my own without him too. This was what I thought during both our divorces.”
Fan Shixin smiled and said, “Young Madam, the more independent you are, the more Young Sir cares about you. He’s worried about losing you because you seem to be able to live an exciting life even without him.”
“It’s only right that we live our lives to the fullest. You can always leave your spouse if you don’t want to live with them. However, you shouldn’t trample on someone else’s pride and dignity. It’s just wrong. It’s the same for both men and women. In my opinion, this has already become a serious problem in today’s society.”
They soon reached the reservoir.
The reservoir was large and deep.
