Chapter 607 - 622: Farewell
An Ning and Jiang Xia made their plans. Jiang Xia first took An Ning back to her courtyard house.
The next morning, after finishing her exercises, An Ning waited anxiously in the courtyard, constantly checking the time. ’Why isn’t he here yet?’
’Did he oversleep?’
An Ning peeked her head toward the house next door. Just as she was about to climb the wall, Jiang Xia’s voice came from the other side.
"Are you coming over, or should I? I’ve got a lot of stuff."
Jiang Xia had barely finished speaking when An Ning appeared on top of the wall, asking with a grin, "What delicious things did you make?"
Jiang Xia smiled dotingly and stepped away from the base of the wall. "Come in and see."
An Ning jumped down without a second thought and bounded into the house.
"So much? There’s no way I can eat all this in one sitting."
Jiang Xia, who had just come in behind her, patted An Ning’s head. "You’re a greedy one. These are snacks I made for you, not for you to eat all at once."
"This bag has ’cat ear’ crisps, this one has sweet dough twists, this package is beef jerky, this one is dried apricots, this bag has small crispy fish, and this one has crunchy corn kernels."
Jiang Xia arranged each bag neatly and said, "These bags will last you for several days. I wrote the names on the outside of each one. Just remember to seal them tightly after you’re done."
"The rest of this stuff doesn’t keep as long. This box has braised beef, and this one has braised donkey meat. Here are some small pastries, and this bag has a few tea-leaf eggs and other marinated eggs. If you’re taking the train home, eat these on the way. If you’re driving, you can eat them when you get there. Just make sure they don’t spoil. If they start to smell funny, don’t eat them, no matter what."
"Oh, right, and this... This is the sour plum soup mix I made. I’ve already brewed a pot, so remember to drink it. As for these other packets, whenever you want some, just use that little black pot of yours, fill it with water, and toss a packet of the mix in. Set a timer for twenty-five minutes. Once it’s done brewing, let it cool, and then you can drink it."
"But don’t add ice for the next few days. It’s not good for your body."
"Why are you staring at me? Did you hear—"
An Ning threw her arms around Jiang Xia in a hug.
Jiang Xia’s hands were spread open, not daring to land on her. An Ning took one of his hands and placed it on her back. Only then did Jiang Xia, trembling slightly, put both his hands on her back, truly holding the girl he loved in his arms for the first time.
This was their first embrace after confessing their feelings for each other.
Fiery and passionate.
Hugging Jiang Xia, An Ning buried her head in his chest. She realized for the first time just how tall he was. His body temperature was higher than hers, a warmth that made one feel sleepy, like the lingering trace of warmth in bed that you cling to in the morning, reluctant to leave.
"Jiang Xia, when you get back, don’t wait too long to ask me out properly!"
Her words made Jiang Xia’s chest rumble, and the pressure of his hands on her back increased slightly. "Okay. Whatever you say."
"Mhm."
The hug lasted for quite a while.
They didn’t let go until An Ning’s stomach rumbled.
"Breakfast?"
"Breakfast!"
The two shared an affectionate breakfast. Afterward, An Ning loaded Jiang Xia’s luggage into the car while he stood by and watched.
Many passersby looked at Jiang Xia with a "you call yourself a man?" kind of gaze, but he couldn’t care less. The person he loved wanted to dote on him, and he was proud of it!
Jiang Xia only had one suitcase. After loading it, An Ning still felt unsatisfied, as if she hadn’t done enough for him.
Understanding her thoughts, Jiang Xia stepped up beside An Ning and said, "Don’t overthink it. You have no idea how much you’ve taken care of me in ways you don’t even notice."
"Besides, it’s you I like, just you."
An Ning looked at Jiang Xia and gave him a thumbs-up. "Your sweet talk is getting pretty smooth."
"If you hadn’t interrupted me, I could have been even smoother."
The two of them just weren’t suited for overly sentimental scenes.
Jiang Xia got in the car, and An Ning drove, taking him to the airport.
After a smooth drive to the airport, An Ning carried the suitcase and walked beside Jiang Xia, looking around as she asked, "Are you going by yourself?"
"No, there are seven of us in total. No women."
An Ning gave Jiang Xia a speechless look. "Who asked about that? I didn’t even think to ask, but now that you mention it, maybe I should."
"Think about what? I already told you there are no women."
"Not that. I’m wondering if someone will try to honey-trap you, or if there’ll be other... Ugh, this is too much trouble. I’m just not going to think about it. It’s too stressful."
Jiang Xia was amused by the way An Ning worried herself over nothing. They were finally starting to feel like a real couple.
They soon reached the security checkpoint. On the other side of security were people from Jiang Xia’s company. They all wanted to watch the gossip unfold but didn’t dare to look directly, muttering amongst themselves.
If you listened closely, you would have heard them guessing whether the two were actually together or not.
’If they’re together, there’s bound to be a farewell kiss or something,’ they thought.
Under the watchful eyes of the group, Jiang Xia took his luggage, gave An Ning a very calm wave, and left.
The group behind them was so frustrated they could grind their teeth. ’That’s it? That’s it? That’s it?’
They shot glances at Jiang Xia, full of disappointment that he hadn’t seized the moment. Jiang Xia walked past them coolly, feeling smug inside.
’I’ll just let you guys keep guessing! Let’s see you die of curiosity!’
’As if I don’t know about the bet you guys made. You all want to watch the drama? Dream on!’
As for An Ning, who had just been waved goodbye to, she didn’t think anything was wrong at all. ’Isn’t that just the gesture for "goodbye"?’
An Ning, whose romantic awareness had only just awakened, still had a long way to go.
An Ning watched Jiang Xia go through security. She didn’t leave right away, but lingered at the airport for a while. She only left after hearing the announcement that his flight had taken off.
After leaving, An Ning drove back to the courtyard house to pack her own bags and return to her family home in the countryside.
On the way, she called home.
One of the twin boys at home answered the phone. The moment An Ning said she was coming back, she heard him yell, "Dad! Auntie is coming home!"
The shout was so loud that An Ning had to pull the phone slightly away from her ear.
Soon, the sound of heavy footsteps came through the phone.
"Hello? Little Sis?"
An Guoqing’s voice was so exceptionally loud that An Ning seriously wondered if her phone had bad reception or if the phone at home was just broken.
"Brother, I can hear you just fine."
"Oh—good, good. Little Sis, let me ask you something. I was actually thinking of calling you today, and what do you know, you called me. You know what they say, we siblings have that... that heart-something..."
"Dad, it’s ’great minds think alike’," her nephew’s voice cut in.
"Right, right, right, right, great minds think alike, you and me..."
An Guoqing started talking in circles, but An Ning didn’t stop him. She wasn’t in a hurry anyway, so she let him talk.
After beating around the bush for a while, An Guoqing finally got to the point.
"Little Sis, I want to get a computer. People say those things are amazing, but I don’t get it. Can you look into it for me?"
’A computer?’
"Sure! I’ll bring one back for you."