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Psst! We're moving!
I got home around ten, the lingering warmth on my lips hadn’t faded yet.
On the way, Chu Ning observed that most of the houses around them had their lights off. “People here go to bed really early.”
“Mostly elders live here now. Most young people have moved out and don’t stay long-term. Look, that’s Uncle Xiao Qiang’s house. His son teaches at a military academy and travels all over Southwest and Northwest China. That house, Aunt Chen’s, she has a son and a daughter, twins, one is a doctor and one is a teacher.” Ying Jing held her hand with one hand and pointed at the buildings with the other.
Chu Ning raised her hand: “What about over there?”
“Someone you know,” Ying Jing said, “Meng Ze, Brother Meng.”
Chu Ning uttered an “Oh,” “Oh, CEO Meng.”
“Brother Meng is a role model in our area. He does business outside, made his way on his own, has a big family business, and was even one of Xingcheng’s Top Ten Outstanding Young People last year.”
They walked slowly along the way. Ying Jing occasionally told her stories about the neighbors around them and also about his childhood friends. When they were kids, they were mischievous, like mountain monkeys. Ying Jing was exceptionally skilled with his hands; he could pick up a branch and make a slingshot, and with a pull of the rubber band, pebbles would whiz out.
“I don’t know how many kitchen windows at Uncle Xiao Qiang’s house I’ve broken,” Ying Jing recalled, laughing to himself first. “My dad was so annoyed with me; every time he’d make me kneel down and admit my mistake, and I’d talk back, saying things like ‘a man has gold under his knees, I won’t kneel.’ My dad would then flick dust all over me with a feather duster.”
Chu Ning found it amusing. “Still a man, huh? How old were you? Aren’t you ashamed?”
Ying Jing leaned his head closer, then casually put an arm around her shoulder. “Pretty big, I guess.”
Chu Ning frowned and scoffed, “Nasty.”
The lights in the Ying family home were still on. Upon reaching the door, Ying Jing felt it was too soon. “I wanted to take you out a bit longer, to see Xingcheng’s night view.”
It was indeed quite early, which was Chu Ning’s intention.
“Coming to your house as a guest, then staying out until the middle of the night smelling of alcohol, what would your parents think?”
Ying Jing was about to open the door with his key, a smile playing on his lips. Just before the door cracked open, he quickly turned and kissed her left cheek. “Let me compliment you on behalf of my mom—what a good daughter-in-law!”
The door opened, and Cui Jingshu smiled, “You’re back so early.”
Alright, Chu Ning couldn’t act out anymore.
________________________________________
After resting for a while in the living room, Cui Jingshu brought Chu Ning new toiletries and said, “Xiao Ning, if you don’t mind, you can sleep in Ying Jing’s room tonight. His room is spacious, and I’ve changed to new bedding.”
Ying Jing bit into a banana, taking half of it in one mouthful. “Then what about me? Where do I sleep?”
“You can sleep wherever you like,” Cui Jingshu left some room in her words, then glanced at Chu Ning: “As long as she doesn’t mind.”
Ying Jing picked up on her words, also looking at Chu Ning mischievously: “Do you mind me?”
Cui Jingshu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She raised her hand as if to hit him. “You’re getting more and more unruly.”
After chatting for a while, Cui Jingshu returned to her room to rest. Chu Ning took a shower and then looked around Ying Jing’s bedroom. There were three or four rows of glass cabinets, filled with his model collections. The nameplates were also beautifully made, with model numbers annotated, all in Ying Jing’s handwriting.
This guy, his handwriting was really beautiful, the strokes flowing and graceful.
Her gaze shifted to the right, to a whole wall of bookshelves. In a corner on the left, it was filled with certificates and trophies. A rough count, more than twenty.
National Youth “China Construction Bank Cup” Aircraft Model Competition Gold Medal
First Place, Fifth Xingcheng City New Technology Knowledge Competition, Youth Group
Third Place, National Spring Bud Cup Primary and Middle School Student Essay Competition, 2006.
Wow! He had won countless national championships even as a child.
Chu Ning looked at each one, thoroughly engrossed, when her waist tightened. Ying Jing hugged her from behind. “Looks good?”
He had just showered, and his hair was still dripping water. Chu Ning turned her head and sniffed his shoulder. “Why do you smell like this?”
“My sister bought the shower gel. It’s milk-scented.”
“Is it really milk?” Chu Ning turned around, facing him directly, and sniffed again: “Why do I feel like it smells like durian?”
“Oh, come on! Who uses durian-scented shower gel?”
“It’s clearly durian,” Chu Ning teased him, watching him get so agitated he almost jumped. “No, no, no, what’s your sense of smell like? It’s so milky.”
“It stinks,” Chu Ning feigned covering her nose.
Ying Jing lifted his shirt and directly covered her head with it. “You smell it carefully, it’s milky!”
Chu Ning hadn’t expected him to do that; she was completely stunned. She opened her eyes, and his young body was right in front of her mouth. Her gaze shifted slightly, and, oh, two little spots. Amitabha.
She pinched him, quickly wriggling out, fuming: “That move was too foul!”
Ying Jing propped himself up with both hands, trapping her in his embrace, with an unyielding expression: “Quick, say I smell good!”
Chu Ning was afraid of him: “Alright, alright, you smell the best.”
He emphasized: “Milky!”
Chu Ning furrowed her brow, then with a quick move, she slipped through a gap in his arm, turned around, and pushed his shoulders against the cabinet. The situation reversed, and Ying Jing was now trapped in her embrace.
Chu Ning’s eyes narrowed slightly, her breath like orchids, and she whispered, “Milky-smelling, what, are you going to open a bubble tea shop?”
The advantage of a mature woman, exuding charming allure, every move, every word, was captivating and seductive.
When she wanted to be naughty, she simply gave you no room to parry.
Ying Jing met her gaze, his eyes full of affection, no match for her. In a moment, he conceded defeat. Since finding out he had to compete, for such a long time, they hadn’t been able to be properly intimate.
His voice trembling, he said, “Sister Ning, a kiss, please.”
Chu Ning looked at him with a half-smile, remaining still.
Ying Jing took the initiative, offering his lips.
But she turned her head, dodging him. Chu Ning was quite calm, glancing at him, “No kiss.”
Ying Jing wasn’t annoyed. He pretended to take off his clothes, his expression even more innocent: “Sister Ning, how about a hug?”
Chu Ning couldn’t keep a straight face and laughed, pushing his hand away. “Stop messing around!”
Ying Jing rubbed his face. “Sigh.”
“Why the sigh?”
“Can’t sleep with you tonight.”
“Speak properly.”
“Can’t do it?”
Chu Ning pushed him. “Hey!”
Ying Jing tilted his head, smiling ambiguously. “Alright, alright, I know, I won’t mess around.”
________________________________________
These words, bordering on the edge of love and desire, though openly spoken, only made one’s imagination run wild. Chu Ning’s eyes darted. As he turned to leave, she extended her index finger and gently hooked it into his waistband.
“You can mess around a bit.”
Ying Jing was almost on fire, tugging at his semi-wet hair: “No, no, no.”
“Why? Did the competition make you... impotent?”
“...” Ying Jing looked pained, exercising great restraint: “Although we’ve confirmed our relationship, we’re not married yet, and I haven’t given you a ceremony. When you come to my house, you should be treated with respect.”
He understood how to give a woman space, not to embarrass her, and not to let her be subject to any unusual speculation, even from family. No matter how much he yearned or was aroused, he had to be disciplined.
This respect should not be overlooked just because “I’m your boyfriend and have privileged access.”
Precisely because I am your beloved, I must ensure you are treated with even greater dignity.
Chu Ning was silent for three seconds. She released her index finger. She said nothing, but her heart was warm.
“But I can hug you,” Ying Jing wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tightly into his embrace. His voice changed slightly: “Ning’er, I love you.”
Chu Ning nodded. “Good, that’s believable.”
Both of them smiled.
With things spoken, their thoughts found a landing place, no longer entangled in awkwardness and anxiety; it was quite relaxed. Ying Jing opened his bedroom door, then fiddled with his precious models. Chu Ning sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs leisurely.
“By the way, your sister... never mind.”
“What do you want to ask?” Ying Jing lowered his head, meticulously wiping the body of a model. “Ask away, it’s fine.”
“During dinner tonight, I felt your sister... isn’t her relationship with your mother very good?”
Chu Ning was observant, with a keen eye for subtle cues. Cui Jingshu played the role of a warm and amiable mother. When speaking with her husband, son, or even son-in-law, she was quite natural. Only when addressing Ying Chen were her words sparse. How to describe it? Chu Ning felt that she was a little afraid of this daughter.
As she pondered, Ying Jing calmly said, “My sister and I are not biologically related.”
Chu Ning was surprised. “Hmm?”
“My sister’s mother passed away from uterine cancer in ‘94.”
Suddenly, it made sense.
Chu Ning’s thoughts drifted for a moment. Ying Jing turned his head, their gazes met, and he smiled, “What kind of look is that? Suspicious and disgusted.”
Chu Ning lowered her brows and eyes. “What a coincidence, my family is like that too.”
Ying Jing chuckled, “Oh!”
“But my family’s situation isn’t as harmonious as yours,” Chu Ning pursed her lips, but ultimately decided to give him a heads-up.
“My family, no, Uncle Zhao’s family, the relationships are a bit complicated. My mom is different from Auntie; she—” Chu Ning paused, chewing on her words.
Ying Jing became serious. He put down what he was doing, pulled a chair, and sat across from her. The chair was slightly lower than the bed, so their heights were equal. Face to face, his gaze was gentle and embracing. He didn’t pressure her, silently waiting for her to be willing to confide.
“My mom is a very image-conscious person. She complies with everyone, as if she has no stance of her own. She wants everyone to be satisfied, not to be criticized. Over time, her personality became a little obsessive,” Chu Ning chose her words carefully, quite frankly. “And, it was indeed wrong of us to help Feng Ziyang hide things from them back then.”
Ying Jing’s heart skipped a beat, and he stubbornly corrected her: “Not ‘us,’ but ‘you’ and ‘him’.”
Chu Ning pursed her lips: “It was wrong of him and me.”
Only then was Ying Jing satisfied, and he motioned for her to continue.
“She worries about my relationships and has her own criteria for judging people, which you might find difficult to accept.”
Chu Ning always spoke her mind, never hiding anything. Looking at him, she said, “So, are you really going to meet my family?”
Ying Jing looked calm. “Can I not?”
Chu Ning had actually thought about it: “Hmm. We can just keep dating for now, and find an opportunity later.”
“Oh, I’ve been sugar-daddied by you,” Ying Jing defined seriously: “A young, handsome world champion fallen into the love net of a female CEO, being played with and manipulated for what reason?”
Chu Ning laughed for a long time, then pushed him away with her hand: “Nonsense!”
Ying Jing was like a roly-poly toy, bouncing back after being pushed. He said, “Don’t overthink it. I’m definitely meeting my mother-in-law.”
Chu Ning’s smile gradually faded, and her fingers curled. “I’ve put you through a lot.”
“If I’m put through a lot, it can’t be at your expense,” Ying Jing rubbed her face. “Ning’er, I’ll work harder to make sure you live life exactly as you please.”
“Trust me.”
________________________________________
Although she had laid it all bare, Chu Ning was still full of worries. After returning from Xingcheng, there was a pile of urgent matters at the school that Ying Jing needed to handle, so the visit to her family was postponed, which suited her perfectly.
Chu Ning took some time to return to the Zhao family and gave Chen Yue a heads-up.
As expected, Chen Yue reacted strongly, completely resistant: “Chu Ning, you’re truly becoming too much!”
“Me having a boyfriend is ‘too much’? Then why were you pushing so hard when I was with Feng Ziyang?”
Chu Ning stood her ground, but her words were not well-considered, hitting Chen Yue’s weak spot instantly.
She fumed, “You dare to bring that up?!”
Chu Ning clicked her tongue, not backing down. “What do I dare not bring up? We each got what we needed, we each helped each other out, so what? I don’t owe anyone anything.”
The phrase “this is my own business” completely ruffled Chen Yue’s feathers.
“Your own business?! I’ve grown up so much, who raised you? Who sent you to school? Huh? Huh?”
Parents are all like this, constantly mentioning their nurturing efforts. Although this debt of gratitude is a natural law, to Chu Ning, it sounded particularly harsh. She said coldly, “My dad worked himself to death, alone.”
Chen Yue’s face turned green, her fingers trembling, yet she was powerless to retort.
Her fiery demeanor slightly diminished, Chu Ning turned her head, truly not wanting to escalate the situation. She softened her tone, “Tomorrow, Ying Jing will visit you. I don’t expect you to be enthusiastic, but at least, you can’t fall short on the proper attitude towards a guest.”
“I’m not seeing him!”
“Are you hoping I stay a bachelorette forever?”
“But you can’t just pick anyone.”
“My god, turn on the news now, he just won the championship!”
“Champions are a dime a dozen. What’s so rare about that?”
“You’re just being difficult!”
“I think you’ve lost your mind!”
The mother and daughter’s argument was, one could say, momentous.
Chen Yue argued with reason: “A poor student, and younger than you, immature, ignorant. You’ll suffer for it later.”
“Heh, exposed, aren’t you? The third word is your true thought. Come on, repeat it,” Chu Ning retorted aggressively.
“Poor means poor. The full don’t know the hunger of the empty. You’ll have your share of suffering later.”
“You’re simply unreasonable!”
“You’re the one who’s muddled-headed!” Chen Yue pointed at the door lock. “Tomorrow, I’m changing it.”
This fierce confrontation was truly draining, and in an instant, Chu Ning felt a wave of injustice.
She bit her lip, her eyes reddening: “Mom, I’m twenty-six already, almost thirty in a few years. Where else am I going to find someone I like?”
Her words were sharp, but her expression showed weakness.
Chen Yue was also stunned, truly not expecting her to cry.
She composed herself, saying nothing, showing no stance—that was her greatest calm and concession.
The atmosphere remained tense.
A lazy voice drifted in: “Oh, not fighting anymore?”
Turning around, Zhao Mingchuan appeared from who knew where, tall and slender, in a gray shirt and casual trousers, looking exceptionally handsome and elite. He was carrying things—three or four articles of clothing in both hands.
Zhao Mingchuan acted as if nothing was wrong, still as arrogant and proud, completely absorbed in his own affairs. He raised his arm and asked, “Which one looks better?”
Chu Ning: “...”
Zhao Mingchuan looked up, displeased: “Aren’t you seeing your poor boyfriend tomorrow? The Zhao family has always been polite and friendly to guests. I never give people anything to talk about.”
Chen Yue: “...”
“Black or gray?”
Chu Ning, Chen Yue: “...”
After a long silence, CEO Zhao’s temper flared. He threw all the clothes on the floor. “Are you mute? Fine! See him or don’t, I don’t care.”
Damn, I’m helping you out and you’re acting like a dead person.
Zhao Mingchuan couldn’t be bothered. He casually put one hand in his pocket and turned away with a cold expression.
Chu Ning reacted then, quickly chasing after him, arms outstretched, blocking him: “Black! Black looks good on you!”
“How so?”
“Pleasing to the eye!”
Zhao Mingchuan’s lips curled slightly, as if satisfied.
“What time tomorrow?”
“Dinner.”
“Alright, I’ll arrange the place.”
“Mm!”
Beside them, Chen Yue’s psychological shadow was probably as vast as half of China.
These siblings, playing along with each other, when did their relationship become so good?
The matter was settled.
This meeting, it seemed, was unavoidable.
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