WHCTIL - 72

Chapter 72: Epilogue – Jiang Chuan and Qin Tang (3)

When Qin Tang woke up in the morning, Jiang Chuan was already gone. 

The brick bed was still warm. 

She sat up and checked the time—it was already past nine. Still groggy, she heard voices outside. Old man Lu asked, “Isn’t the girl eating breakfast?” 

Jiang Chuan lowered his voice, “She’s still sleeping. No need to wake her.” 

Qin Tang immediately snapped awake and hurriedly got dressed. There was no mirror in the room, so she ruffled her hair with her fingers before stepping outside. 

Several people were in the courtyard, including Lü An and his father. 

Jiang Chuan was squatting on the ground, dealing with the freshly slaughtered sheep. The smell of blood lingered in the air. He glanced up at her, “Awake?” 

Qin Tang nodded, greeting the old man, “Uncle.” 

She also greeted Lü An’s father. 

The old man nodded slightly, “Go wash up and eat something. Lunch is still a while away.” 

Jiang Chuan gestured toward the kitchen with his chin, “There’s hot water inside.” 

Qin Tang: “Okay.” 

After washing up, Qin Tang ate two steamed buns. She noticed old man Lu sitting in the living room, so she went back to the room to retrieve the massager and health supplements. When the old man saw them, a smile crept onto his face, though his tone was scolding, “You’ve come all this way—why waste money on these things?” 

Qin Tang smiled, sitting beside him, “It didn’t cost much. This is a massager—I’ll show you how to use it.”

The old man thought for a moment—since the items had already been bought, it would be wasteful not to use them. “Alright.”

The massager was simple to operate. After Qin Tang taught him twice and watched him try it once, she nodded, “Yes, that’s exactly how it’s done.”

The old man tested the device, then glanced toward the yard. Jiang Chuan was squatting on the ground, glancing inside with a broad smile on his face.

The old man muttered to himself, “This boy’s really hit the jackpot.”

“You’re a good girl,” the old man remarked with a sigh.

Qin Tang also looked toward the yard. Jiang Chuan had already stood up, wiped his hands clean, and accepted a cigarette from Lü An. Lighting it, he slowly exhaled smoke. Qin Tang said softly, “He’s also a good man.”

A good girl deserved a good man.

It was worth it.

Lü An’s house was more spacious than Jiang Chuan’s, so lunch was served there. It was almost an entire lamb feast. Qin Tang drank two bowls of steaming hot lamb soup, her cheeks flushed pink from the steam. She looked radiant and fresh. Lü An’s mother had never seen such a beautiful girl before, and she complimented Qin Tang several times. After staring at her for a while, her eyes lit up: “You look just like that celebrity—so beautiful! She’s in her forties, almost fifty. Come to think of it, we’re about the same age, but she still looks so young and beautiful…”

Lü An glanced at Jiang Chuan and Qin Tang, then chuckled, “Mom, are you talking about Jing Xin?”

Lü’s mother nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, that’s her!”

Qin Tang set down her chopsticks and smiled faintly, “Jing Xin is my mother.”

“…”

Everyone froze.

Lü’s mother’s eyes widened, “Jing Xin is your mother?! A big star!”

This was unbelievable! In her lifetime, she had actually met the daughter of a famous actress—and not only that, but she was also going to be Jiang Chuan’s wife and their future neighbor. It felt like a dream. She alternated her gaze between Qin Tang and Jiang Chuan.

Then, looking at Lü An, she wondered aloud—how did they find such a wonderful bride? What about you?

Lü An: “…”

Qin Tang smiled, “My mother is just an ordinary person. Acting is her passion and job. Just like you, when she gets home after work, she cooks, washes dishes, and mops the floor…”

In the eyes of the world, Qin Tang’s family background was far superior to Jiang Chuan’s. Many people only saw the surface and didn’t understand.

Qin Tang didn’t want anyone to think Jiang Chuan was beneath her.

He wasn’t beneath anyone. He was more qualified than anyone else.

Old man Lu quietly ate his meal, glancing at Jing Xin for the first time with a troubled expression. Jiang Chuan noticed this glance. Qin Tang leaned closer to him, resting against his shoulder.

Jiang Chuan looked down at her, and Qin Tang gave him a small smile.

Jiang Chuan pressed his tongue against his cheek and chuckled, “You’ll have a chance to meet her someday. Don’t be too curious.”

Qin Tang nodded, “Right. My parents have already met him.”

Old man Lu asked, “Do your parents know you’re here?”

Qin Tang: “Yes.”

“And they don’t object?”

Qin Tang smiled, “They don’t object. They like Jiang Chuan too.”

As far as they knew, Jiang Chuan had simply been stripped of his police credentials. Now, like Lü An, he ran a transportation company and was responsible for delivering supplies for volunteer organizations.

Jiang Chuan hadn’t explained further, and neither would she say anything.

Some things were better left unsaid—she alone knew the truth.

Old man Lu finally relaxed, his expression easing, “That’s good.”

Lü’s mother wanted to ask more questions, but Lü An placed a piece of food in her bowl, “Mom, eat this.”

Lü An changed the topic, and though Lü’s mother was still curious, she couldn’t bring herself to ask further.

The meal ended on a satisfying note.

Afterward, Qin Tang went to the courtyard to call her mother. Jing Xin asked, “An An, when will you be back?”

Qin Tang replied, “In three days.”

The day before New Year’s Eve.

She paused for a moment, then asked, “Is Dad still angry?”

Jing Xin chuckled, “How much anger can he hold? You sneaked out without telling us. Your father had already softened his stance, but now that you’ve done this, his temper has flared up again.”

Qin Tang bit her lip, feeling a pang of regret, “I can’t figure out what he’s thinking…”

It seemed like he opposed it, but not strongly enough.

If he didn’t oppose it, why wouldn’t he let her come?

Jing Xin said, “Don’t worry. Some of your father’s friends used to be detectives. He doesn’t have any issues with Jiang Chuan—it’s just the issue of you two being apart. He’s worried you’ll end up委屈 (suffering or feeling wronged).”

“I don’t feel wronged, Mom,” Qin Tang said firmly. “You have to help me.”

Jing Xin laughed, “Of course I’ll help you. Who else would if not me?”

Qin Tang smiled, “You’re the best, Mom.”

She hadn’t acted this sweet in a long time.

Jing Xin was delighted. After hanging up, she immediately went to talk to Qin Sen.

Qin Tang stayed for four days. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, sleeping on the warm brick bed every night, her days were comfortable and pleasant. On the day of departure, old man Lu prepared some local specialties for her—smoked meat, beef jerky, and the like.

Qin Tang didn’t refuse. Jiang Chuan packed everything neatly into her suitcase.

After Jiang Chuan loaded the luggage into the car, old man Lu stood at the gate watching. Qin Tang turned around, “Uncle, go back inside. It’s cold out here.”

The old man remained standing, saying, “Come visit again when you have time.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Chuan opened the car door and looked at Qin Tang, “Let’s go.”

Qin Tang got in the car, and Jiang Chuan drove her to the airport. Just before getting out, he pulled her close and kissed her for a while. After releasing her, he touched her soft, white earlobe and said, “Alright, I’ll visit you when I have time.”

Qin Tang nodded, “I’ll visit you too when I have time.”

Jiang Chuan smiled faintly, glancing out the window, lost in thought for a moment. After a while, he opened the car door, “Go ahead. Time’s almost up.”

After the plane took off, Jiang Chuan left the airport.

His phone had buzzed earlier, but he hadn’t checked it. Once he got into the car, he pulled it out.

Qin Tang had sent him a text before takeoff:

【Dad says you should come to Beijing in a few days.】