MY - 49

A month passed in the blink of an eye, uneventful.

The two scripts that the company had been working on were put on hold for some reason, and the collaborations were not finalized.

Jiang Xi did a magazine shoot in the middle of the month, but other than that, she had no other work.

Fortunately, artists earn a lot of money, so Jiang Xi wasn’t short on money even though she hadn’t worked in a long time.

Unlike other busy artists who might not even have time to go home for the Chinese New Year, Jiang Xi never had to worry about that. A few days before the end of the year, Xia Xinyan kept calling her, telling her to come home early.

Jiang Xi had nothing to do at home, so she was going to go back early, and Chen Huan was going with her.

But the next day, Tong Yun called her and said there was a last-minute interview.

Jiang Xi asked what kind of interview it was.

Tong Yun said it was an interview for the drama she had filmed a few months ago. The materials would be released slowly during the broadcast.

Jiang Xi would never turn down a proper job and agreed.

She had already booked a flight to go home, so Jiang Xi had Chen Huan go back first while she changed her flight to two days later.

The day of the interview was also New Year’s Eve.

The employees at the media building hadn’t gone on holiday yet. The work atmosphere became more relaxed as the long holiday approached, and people were laughing and chatting with each other.

The interview didn’t take long. An hour later, Jiang Xi came out of the interview room.

The plane was taking off in three hours. Jiang Xi glanced at the time and drove home.

She had already packed her luggage yesterday. She went home, grabbed her luggage, took a taxi to the airport, and landed in that humid southern city in the evening.

Winter in the south wasn’t warm. The wet and cold air seeped into people’s bones.

Jiang Xi took a taxi home. Along the way, there were festive decorations, shops were playing familiar festive music, and everything was red.

When she got home, Xia Xinyan was directing Xia Xingming to put up the couplets.

Xia Xingming was standing on a chair, sticking the “Safe Entry and Exit” sign on the door frame. “Is this position okay?”

Xia Xinyan was standing below, watching. “A little to the right.”

Xia Xingming moved back a little. Xia Xinyan: “That’s good, that’s good.”

Jiang Xi got out of the taxi and closed the door. In the yard, Xia Xinyan heard the movement and turned around.

When she saw it was Jiang Xi, she was overjoyed. “Xiao Xi, you’re back.”

She didn’t care that her hands were still covered in paste and hurried out. “Hurry up and get inside. It’s cold out here. You’ll catch a cold if you stay out for too long.”

The taxi driver opened the trunk and helped Jiang Xi with her suitcase.

Xia Xinyan: “Let your uncle help you with the suitcase. We’ll go inside first.”

Xia Xingming was coming out from inside. Jiang Xi greeted him.

Xia Xingming: “Xiao Xi is back. Go inside. Your uncle will help you with the suitcase.”

Jiang Xi was pulled into the house by Xia Xinyan. There were all kinds of nuts and candies on the coffee table, a must-have for every festival.

The range hood in the kitchen was rumbling.

Xia Xinyan told her to sit on the sofa. “Have something to eat first. The auntie in the kitchen is still busy. We’ll be ready for the New Year’s Eve dinner soon.”

Jiang Xi: “Is there anything I can help with?”

Xia Xinyan walked towards the kitchen. “No, there’s nothing to help with. Just sit and have something to eat. Jiang Chi and Xia Zhen will be back soon. The three of you are all so busy. Others have had their holidays for a while, but you three are only coming back today.”

Jiang Xi smiled as she listened to her rambling.

Jiang Chi and the younger daughter of the Xia family indeed came back soon after.

The three of them chatted in the living room, waiting for dinner.

In the middle of their conversation, the Xia family’s daughter gave her a gift. It wasn’t a small item. It was heavy.

When Jiang Xi opened it, she realized it was some electronic products for drawing. She was stunned.

She hadn’t drawn for a long time and naturally didn’t have these things. Even if she did, they wouldn’t work after all these years.

This was a gift from Jiang Chi and Xia Zhen. The girl had fair skin and big eyes, and her voice was soft and gentle. She told her seriously that it was a new start for the new year.

Jiang Xi accepted it. “Thank you.”

It was only after they gave her the gift that she remembered she had also brought gifts. She got up to get them.

Jiang Xi not only bought clothes for Xia Zhen but also expensive jewelry.

The girl was clearly happy to receive them. Jiang Chi was sitting there casually, with one arm draped over the sofa behind her, staring at her side profile.

When he saw her smile, his lips also curved into a smile.

Then he looked up at Jiang Xi and said with a half-smile, “She hasn’t even married into our family yet, and you’re already giving her a betrothal gift?”

Xia Zhen was easily shy. This sentence made her blush. She got up and made an excuse to go to the restroom.

Jiang Xi found it funny for some reason. After the person left, she said to her brother, “Are you an animal?”

The siblings chatted for a few more minutes. After a while, Jiang Xi got up to help Xia Xinyan in the kitchen.

On New Year’s Eve, Xia Xinyan had been busy since the morning preparing a table full of dishes.

The sky was getting dark, with only a faint glow left. The lights in the houses were bright, and the atmosphere was warm.

The dining table was filled with various dishes that were colorful, fragrant, and delicious. The hot pot was steaming.

Jiang Xi raised her glass and clinked it with her family. She took a small sip and put it down. Xia Xinyan hadn’t seen the three of them for a long time, so she was fussing over them and telling them to eat more.

The dinner table for five was finally no longer quiet. The two elders were clearly very happy, and the atmosphere at the dinner table was lively.

This reunion dinner lasted for more than an hour.

After the reunion dinner, they watched the Spring Festival Gala. This was almost the routine for every family on New Year’s Eve.

The few people in the living room were chatting. Xia Xingming was on the phone with an old friend, probably a classmate, talking about things from their school days.

Jiang Chi and Xia Xinyan were chatting while cracking sunflower seeds. Jiang Xi was leaning lazily on the sofa, bored, and watching TV.

Xia Xingming was afraid of disturbing them, so he went to the window to make his phone call. But even so, they could still hear what he was talking about.

Even though she could hear everything clearly, Jiang Xi didn’t pay any attention to what Xia Xingming was saying.

He held a high position, and many of his subordinates were calling him one after another. After taking a New Year’s greeting call from a colleague, he seemed to have started chatting with an old classmate.

When Xia Xingming suddenly said a name of an old classmate, Jiang Xi, who hadn’t been paying attention, suddenly froze.

Xia Xingming was laughing and exchanging pleasantries on the other end.

At some point, Xia Xingming suddenly called out to Jiang Xi. Jiang Xi came back to her senses and turned to look at Xia Xingming standing by the window.

“Xiao Xi, your Teacher Xu is asking how you’ve been lately.”

When Xia Xinyan heard that, she asked Xia Xingming, “Xu Qingzhou?”

Xia Xingming nodded with a smile. “He’s asking about Xiao Xi’s recent life.”

Xu Qingzhou was Xia Xingming’s old classmate. Back then, when Jiang Xi was not in a good state, Xia Xinyan and Xia Xingming took her to see Xu Qingzhou.

Later, Jiang Xi recovered, but she would still go back to Xu Qingzhou’s to chat and get some medicine whenever she had time.

Jiang Xi didn’t know what she was thinking.

Xia Xinyan said to her, “Your Teacher Xu probably saw your recent news.”

Only then did Jiang Xi turn around and nod. She got up to answer the phone, but the call seemed to have been cut off.

Xia Xingming said “hello” a few times, then looked at his phone screen and frowned. “No signal.”

“Then let’s chat next time,” Xia Xinyan said to Jiang Xi. “Go visit your Teacher Xu in a few days and bring some things with you.”

Jiang Xi asked, “Is he not going abroad anymore?”

In his younger years, Xu Qingzhou was mostly abroad. He only came back a few years ago, but he would still travel between the two countries sometimes.

Xia Xinyan said, “Yeah. We’re all getting old now. Who doesn’t want to settle down?”

Jiang Xi didn’t say anything.

She sat for a while longer. She had a little to drink that night, and since she hadn’t been resting well recently, she was feeling a little sleepy.

Xia Xinyan didn’t make her stay up for the New Year and told her to go back to her room to sleep early.

Jiang Xi didn’t insist and got up to go back to the house next door.

The Jiang family’s house had been empty for many years. Compared to the Xia family’s house, it was exceptionally quiet and lacked any festive atmosphere.

Jiang Xi was too lazy to turn on the lights and went upstairs in the dark.

The windows were tightly shut. A few faint sounds of firecrackers and fireworks could be heard.

Her sleep quality had been poor recently, but the alcohol she drank that night helped her sleep, and Jiang Xi surprisingly fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

However, since her nerves were still weak, she would still be woken up by loud noises outside.

The sound of fireworks and firecrackers outside was one after another. The colorful fireworks reflected on the window glass.

A new year.

Half of Jiang Xi’s face was buried in the pillow. Her fair skin looked like it would break with a touch.

The colorful lights flashed outside the window, and her face and eyebrows were alternating between light and dark.

Jiang Xi’s eyes were slightly open, looking at the window. It was as if she was isolated from the rest of the world. The lively atmosphere outside and the silence inside formed a sharp contrast.

She didn’t move for a while, just staring out the window.

She spaced out until it was quiet outside and there were no more fireworks. Jiang Xi rolled onto her back and reached for her phone, which she had thrown next to her before bed.

She turned on the screen. There were a few New Year’s greetings from other people, and the content was all similar.

Jiang Xi scrolled down but didn’t see a call or a text message from Lu Nandu.

It was as if he had disappeared from the face of the earth, or as if he had never appeared in her life. It was as if everything was just a dream.

Jiang Xi didn’t care anymore and threw her phone to the side. She got up from the bed, got off the bed, and walked barefoot to the window.

It was snowing.

The snow wasn’t heavy. It was soft and fine, falling gently. The tops of the trees were covered in a little white.

The road was empty, as if the lively scene from before was just an illusion. The surroundings were so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. The streetlights were bright.

Jiang Xi stood by the window for a while. The south didn’t have central heating, and the coldness from the tiles was seeping into her feet. She was about to turn back to bed.

Just as she was turning around, Jiang Xi’s peripheral vision caught a figure.

She was stunned for a moment and turned her gaze back. Under the camphor tree not far away was a tall figure, over six feet tall.

He didn’t notice her, or rather, he didn’t know she would be standing by the window.

Jiang Xi watched him through the window. Even from this distance, she could tell that his hair seemed a little longer than before.

After a while, she turned away from the window, put on a down jacket, and went downstairs.

The snow hadn’t melted yet. The temperature outside wasn’t extremely cold, but when she pushed the door open, she still felt a chill. The cold, damp air seeped into her bones.

Jiang Xi walked out into the yard.

She stopped by the door. The person under the tree had his back to her. He was looking down at something.

Jiang Xi didn’t go forward and just watched quietly.

She saw him hesitate, then put his phone back in his jacket pocket, and was about to leave.

He didn’t look back.

Jiang Xi spoke. “Lu Nandu.”

The figure in front of her suddenly froze.

Her voice was neither loud nor quiet, and there was no change in her emotions.

A few seconds passed, and Jiang Xi still didn’t see the person in front of her turn around. He didn’t turn around, but he also didn’t leave.

After a brief silence, Jiang Xi took a step forward. The soles of her shoes made a soft sound on the thin snow.

She stopped a step behind him.

“Lu Nandu.”

Lu Nandu seemed to finally be sure that it was her voice. He slowly turned his head.

His hair was indeed a little longer and was partly covering his eyes.

He finally turned around to look at her. Jiang Xi met his gaze. There was a hint of redness in his eyes.

Only then did she realize that Lu Nandu seemed to have become paler, but his complexion wasn’t very good. It was an unhealthy paleness.

Jiang Xi: “Why didn’t you call me when you came?”

When her words fell, Lu Nandu was a little at a loss.

It had only been a little over a month since they last saw each other, but he seemed like a stranger to her.

He wasn’t as confident as before. He seemed to be afraid of something, or rather, he was extremely surprised that Jiang Xi would still talk to him.

This surprise made him not know how to react.

Jiang Xi asked him, “You didn’t want to contact me?”

Lu Nandu immediately became anxious. He moved closer to her and cautiously reached out to hold her hand.

“No,” he said a little incoherently. “Big sister, that’s not it. It’s not that I didn’t want to contact you.”

His eyes were a little red. “I was just afraid that once I saw you, I wouldn’t be able to leave.”