Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“After much pondering, I still think I ought to give you a call to express my sincerity. Xiaoning, you’re our family’s lucky star. Thank you so much.”
An Xiaoning guffawed and said, “You called just to tell me this? There’s no need to thank me. Like I said before, we’ll forever be family. And since we’re family, why is there a need to thank each other?”
Gu Beicheng decided to speak his mind, “Xiaoning, could I ask you to read Father, Mother, and Mingxi’s fortunes regularly from now on? I know it’s detrimental to your health so I found it a little hard to break it to you, but I…”
He did not know how to put it across to her appropriately.
“Sure, I’ll include yours too. It was negligence on my part. I’ll bear this in mind.”
Gu Beicheng was relieved to hear her words.
After ending the call, An Xiaoning chucked her mobile phone into her pocket, after which Tuoba Danxue, who was beside her, asked, “Who called you?”
“My brother.”
“Your brother must still be a bachelor, isn’t he?” Zhi Yin asked.
“He’s married,” An Xiaoning answered, knowing clearly what she was implying.
“Does your brother look like you?” Zhi Yin asked.
An Xiaoning smiled sarcastically and hissed, “It’s none of your business.”
Zhi Yin stuck her tongue out with a grimace and said, “I was just asking.”
“Forget it, you think I don’t know what you’re thinking of saying? If I were to have told you that he wasn’t married yet, you were going to say that my brother must still be a bachelor because he’s as ugly as I am. You asked me if I resemble my brother, but it seems you’ll get to insult me no matter what my answer is.”
Tuoba Danxue chuckled and remarked, “Mu Ning has really gotten smarter.”
“I had no choice but to do so.”
“Is he your biological brother?” Tuoba Shuo asked.
An Xiaoning shook her head and answered, “We’re not related by blood, but he’s even closer to me than my biological kin.”
Tuoba Shuo gazed at her with a look of gentleness and a warm smile on his face. “I could tell from the way you spoke to him over the phone that you two get along very well with each other.”
“That’s right. Which beach are we going to?” An Xiaoning asked.
“The Southern Beach,” Tuoba Danxue answered.
An Xiaoning raised her brows upon hearing her answer. The Southern Beach was near Nanshan Mountain and was the closest to B City.
She accompanied them to the beach resort near the Southern ocean, remaining quiet throughout the entire journey.
It was a secret outing. Initially, they wanted to request the authorities of the beach to close it from the public, so as to prevent their identities from being recognized. However, they decided not to in the end after realizing that doing so might just garner unnecessary attention instead.
It was already four o’clock in the afternoon when they arrived at the hotel.
Their rooms were adjacent to each other.
Zhi Yin and Mu Ning shared a room.
The bodyguards, too, shared rooms in pairs while the remaining people had a room to themselves each.
After placing their luggage in their respective rooms, An Xiaoning immediately called Jin Qingyan to inform him of her current location.
She also instructed him not to come forth, lest they risk having her identity exposed.
Although Jin Qingyan agreed verbally, he immediately instructed Fan Shixin to check the guest records of the hotel and booked a room beside An Xiaoning’s.
It was rather rare for them to meet each other.
They only got to meet each other at most once a month. Why would he let such a good opportunity to meet her slip so easily?
One month was perhaps nothing to others. However, it was way too long for him.
After an arduous journey by car that took more than an hour, he finally arrived at the Southern Beach at past five o’clock in the evening.
The sun sets at a later time during summer.
Donning a surgical mask and a pair of shades, he made his way to the hotel room immediately and called for room service. He patiently waited for the sky to turn pitch dark while enjoying his food and sipping on some liquor.
He came alone without any bodyguards.
After having eaten and drunk his fill, he stood on the balcony and stared at the beach through a pair of binoculars.
He caught sight of An Xiaoning in no time while casually glancing around.
There was a bunch of people having dinner under a porch on the beach.
The superiors gathered around one table while the subordinates took another.
Jin Qingyan squinted and scanned the superiors from head to toe before shifting his gaze to the subordinates.
He then put his binoculars down and picked up a goblet beside him.
He gently swirled the red liquid in his goblet.
Jin Qingyan turned around and leaned against the railing with both arms resting on it, tapping his fingers gently on the metal bar.
The ocean breeze caressed his face gently, just like her kiss.
Jin Qingyan stood there for a long while before picking up his binoculars again to take another look.
He then sent her a text message: “I’m watching you, eat slowly.”
An Xiaoning almost choked on her tea the instant that she read his message.
She immediately scanned her surroundings but did not manage to see him.
At last, her eyes landed upon a balcony on the higher floor of the hotel, which was quite a distance away.
She could vaguely notice a familiar figure.
Suppressing her joy and excitement, An Xiaoning replied to his text message and asked him for his room number.
After getting his answer, she then told him to wait for her to come looking for him at midnight.
That was exactly what Jin Qingyan wanted to hear.
Thus, he decided to watch some movies in his room while waiting patiently for her to show up after she was done chaperoning her superiors during a stroll on the beach.
He knew that they would only be getting to spend a few hours with each other this time.
However, it was better than nothing and he would gladly endure the arduous wait.
He would feel as if they were meeting for the last time every single time they parted ways.
Thus, he treasured time spent with her dearly.
After dinner, Tuoba Gucheng and Jin Minxing walked alongside Lin Shishi and Tuoba Danxue, respectively, with two bodyguards following closely behind each couple.
Meanwhile, Tuoba Hancheng and Tuoba Shuo also got up to take a stroll along the coastline.
An Xiaoning suggested to Zhi Yin that they head back to their room first, to which the latter refused and asked her to go back alone instead.
An Xiaoning was just hoping for her to reject her suggestion.
“I’m heading back to get some rest then.”
Glaring at her wide-eyed, Zhi Yin chided, “Mu Ning, are you really going to go back alone just because I told you to? Although Her Highness doesn’t need our company for now, why do you think she invited you along? You’re actually going to give up the rare opportunity to have some fun at the beach and go back to the room instead. Silly lass.” She then grabbed An Xiaoning’s hand and dragged her to the seaside.
In reality, An Xiaoning was still a little paranoid and phobic when it comes to oceans due to her traumatic memory of the tsunami she encountered.
She’ll never be able to forget the very scene of the tsunami approaching back then.
Yet, Zhi Yin still dragged her toward the ocean and was bent on getting her to play.
She tried to struggle and break free from Zhi Yin’s grip by running toward the sand, but to no avail. “It’d be so boring for me to play alone without you,” said Zhi Yin.
“Let go of me, I don’t like playing in the waters,” An Xiaoning refused.
“Mu Ning, are you really a country bumpkin? What are you here for if you refuse to have some fun!?!”
An Xiaoning shrugged her hand away and said, “It’s none of your concern, just have fun on your own. I’m going to go look for Her Highness.”
Noticing that An Xiaoning had left without turning back, the thick-skinned Zhi Yin hurriedly took chase and exclaimed, “I’ll go with you!”
“Do as you please.”
“Mu Ning, your attitude toward me has become ruder noways. Please mind your tone,” Zhi Yin chided with displeasure.
“Sorry, but that’s just the way I am,” An Xiaoning retorted, beginning to dislike Zhi Yin more and more.
“Aren’t you afraid that I’d badmouth you to Her Highness and make life difficult for you?”
“Her Highness is an intelligent person with a mind of her own, not a puppet who can be easily manipulated by you. Zhi Yin, I used to call you Sister all along, solely because I respected you. However, not only are you not worthy of respect, you’re boorish and rude as well. You’re indeed very beautiful, but your lack of manners and class don’t match your beauty at all. Do you understand?”
