Free Web NovelChapter 1022: Chapter 2: Love at First Sight 2: Brother Gu Yan, My Name Is Nie Xiaoxing, Nie Xiaoxing
Yuan Xihuo and Fu Ruyi noticed the situation, and after a moment of surprise, they exchanged a smile.
Yuan Xihuo stayed with Gu Yan in Tong County for only a week, having to depart for Z City due to work commitments.
On the day Yuan Xihuo was leaving, as Fu Ruyi and Nie Xiaoxing escorted them to the door, the taxi was already waiting.
To get from Tong County to K City, Yuan Xihuo had to take a taxi to K City Airport before flying to Z City.
Good friends meet only once in several years, making separations inevitably difficult.
Yuan Xihuo and Fu Ruyi stood to the side, holding each other’s hands and talking wistfully.
Nie Xiaoxing stood beside Fu Ruyi, looking down at her shadow on the ground.
The weather was clearly nice, yet her mood was not as bright.
Suddenly, something was thrown abruptly at her feet.
Nie Xiaoxing was startled, squatted down, picked up the item, and took a closer look.
It was a strawberry-style hairclip.
Nie Xiaoxing’s eyes lit up, her pretty little face grew especially lively and bright, as she turned her head, biting her lip, to look at Gu Yan standing beside Yuan Xihuo.
Gu Yan was the same as when he arrived, not fond of talking, nor interacting with others.
But when Nie Xiaoxing looked over, she clearly saw a faint blush on his jade-like cheeks.
Nie Xiaoxing became happy, carefully placing the hairclip into the palm of her hand, gripping it tight.
"Ruyi, I’m leaving now. When you have time, bring Xiaoxing to Z City to visit me."
The joy on Nie Xiaoxing’s small face stiffened at Yuan Xihuo’s words, and her bright eyes dimmed.
"Call me when you arrive, keep in touch often."
Yuan Xihuo, holding Gu Yan, got into the taxi, and Fu Ruyi bent down, urgently speaking to Yuan Xihuo who was seated inside.
At this moment, Yuan Xihuo also couldn’t help but feel teary-eyed, reaching out her hand.
Fu Ruyi immediately grasped Yuan Xihuo’s hand, "We will be best friends for a lifetime!"
"Mm."
While Yuan Xihuo and Fu Ruyi were talking, Nie Xiaoxing tightly held the strawberry hairclip in her little hand, ran to the other side, and leaned on the car window to look at Gu Yan, "I hope you get better."
Yuan Xihuo and Fu Ruyi were both stunned and looked toward Nie Xiaoxing.
Nie Xiaoxing was anxious because Gu Yan never lifted his head to look at her or said anything.
Biting her lip hard, Nie Xiaoxing released the hairclip from her hand, took it up, clipped it to her hair, and eagerly said to Gu Yan, "Thank you, I really like it. You should get better, okay?"
Yuan Xihuo raised her eyebrows slightly, looking at Gu Yan.
Gu Yan lowered his head, his hands fidgeted on his legs.
"Brother Gu Yan, do you know what my name is?" Nie Xiaoxing heard the driver starting the car, her eyes reddened, and she looked at Gu Yan to ask.
Gu Yan clenched his hands, remaining silent.
Nie Xiaoxing was almost crying, "Brother Gu Yan..."
"Xiaoxing."
When Fu Ruyi saw the car slowly moving forward, afraid that Nie Xiaoxing might get hurt, she quickly ran to the other side, holding Nie Xiaoxing back.
At that moment, the taxi suddenly accelerated.
"Brother Gu Yan, Brother Gu Yan, my name is Nie Xiaoxing, my name is Nie Xiaoxing, Nie Xiaoxing..."
Nie Xiaoxing struggled against Fu Ruyi’s arms, her eyes red, shouting towards the back of the taxi, "Did you remember? Can you remember?"
Inside the taxi, Yuan Xihuo withdrew her gaze from the back of the car, looked at Gu Yan, and discovered that at some point, Gu Yan had lifted his head, now staring out the window, his cheeks flushing as if... anxious.
Yuan Xihuo inhaled in surprise, involuntarily glancing back at Fu Ruyi and Nie Xiaoxing’s direction.
What she was thinking was, fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
This time, did she bring Gu Yan to Tong County for... that reason?
...
Time flies like a fleeting horse, passing in the blink of an eye.
Seventeen years passed just like that, in a blink of an eye.
"Xiaoxing, this time at your Aunt Yuan’s house, you can’t act like you’re at home, okay?"
Getting out of the car, Fu Ruyi and Nie Fangsheng glanced at the grand and imposing villa in front of them, and Fu Ruyi grasped Nie Xiaoxing’s bony hand, cautiously looking at her indifferent side profile, quietly reminding her.
Nie Xiaoxing didn’t look at Fu Ruyi and Nie Fangsheng; she just stared coldly at the majestic villa, her voice indifferent, "Mm."
Seeing Nie Xiaoxing like this, Fu Ruyi held back her sadness, "Let’s go."
...
Yuan Xihuo received a call from Fu Ruyi saying they had arrived at the villa, so she hurriedly walked out of the villa, standing in front to welcome them.
Unexpectedly, after half an hour, there was still no sign of Fu Ruyi’s family arriving.
Yuan Xihuo was puzzled and asked Nanny Liu beside her to hand her the phone.
Nanny Liu quickly went inside, fetched the phone, and handed it to Yuan Xihuo.
Yuan Xihuo was about to call Fu Ruyi when Nanny Liu suddenly patted her arm, "Madam, is that them?"
Yuan Xihuo paused in her action of making a call and looked over intently.
Seeing the three people walking towards her, Yuan Xihuo was momentarily stunned.
It was indeed Fu Ruyi.
But why did she... age so much!
Yuan Xihuo composed herself, handed the phone to Nanny Liu, and quickly descended the steps to greet them, "Ruyi."
"... Da He."
During their school days, Fu Ruyi had always called Yuan Xihuo "Da He."
When Yuan Xihuo held Fu Ruyi’s hand, she concealed her shock and astonishment, looking at Fu Ruyi with joy, "I’ve been waiting for you all these years, and finally, you’ve come."
Fu Ruyi looked at the present Yuan Xihuo, her heart filled with a mix of bitterness and inferiority. freewёbnoνel.com
Yuan Xihuo was the same age as her, nearing fifty.
Yet she looked so youthful, people could believe she was thirty.
As for herself, now when she claimed to be only fifty, others found it hard to believe, some even said she looked over sixty.
Seeing the stiffness on Fu Ruyi’s face, Yuan Xihuo’s eyes flickered quickly and she suddenly embraced Fu Ruyi, "Ruyi, I’ve missed you so much. This time, you must stay and accompany me for at least a year and a half."
Fu Ruyi was slightly taken aback, and only after a while did she reach out to hug Yuan Xihuo gently.
...
The villa’s living room.
Nanny Liu placed drinks and freshly washed fruits on the coffee table.
"Even though seventeen years have passed, I still remember the fragrance of the fruits from your family’s orchard, nothing like the fruits here now."
Yuan Xihuo enthusiastically passed the fruits to Fu Ruyi, "Try it, see if it compares?"
Fu Ruyi reluctantly picked up a bamboo skewer with fruit and took a bite.
Yuan Xihuo smiled at her and moved the fruit platter closer to Nie Fangsheng, "Old Nie, you try some too."
Nie Fangsheng nodded timidly and took a piece.
Yuan Xihuo’s gaze finally landed on Nie Xiaoxing, her eyes reflecting light, "Xiao Xing is getting more and more beautiful."
"Cough cough cough..."
Just after Yuan Xihuo spoke, Nie Fangsheng suddenly started coughing.
Yuan Xihuo was stunned and looked over at Nie Fangsheng.
Nie Fangsheng glanced at Yuan Xihuo awkwardly, bent down, and quickly pulled some tissues from the box on the coffee table, crumpling them to wipe his mouth.
Seeing Nie Fangsheng like this, Fu Ruyi’s face slightly fell, and she nudged him with her elbow.
Nie Fangsheng stiffened, quietly rolling the crumpled tissue into his palm.
Yuan Xihuo inhaled lightly.
If Fu Ruyi had merely aged considerably.
Then Nie Fangsheng was worlds apart from the Nie Fangsheng she knew.
The Nie Fangsheng she knew was full of vigor and enthusiasm.
But the current Nie Fangsheng seemed as if parts of his spirit had been drained, looking somewhat disheveled and... wretched.
Fu Ruyi noticed Yuan Xihuo staring at Nie Fangsheng, a look of embarrassment crossing her face, she spoke softly, "Da He, sorry for the embarrassing scene."
"..."
Yuan Xihuo was startled, awakening to the present moment, and seeing Fu Ruyi’s embarrassed expression, Yuan Xihuo felt an urge to slap herself.
What had she been doing?!
Yuan Xihuo felt secretly annoyed, took a breath, and said to Fu Ruyi, "Look at what you’re saying, we’ve known each other for so many years, aren’t we familiar with each other’s appearances? If there was something to laugh at, it happened decades ago."
Upon hearing Yuan Xihuo’s words, Fu Ruyi managed a forced smile.
She had... self-awareness.
Yuan Xihuo bit her lip, set down the fruit platter, and smiled at Nie Xiaoxing, "Xiao Xing, come."
Nie Xiaoxing quietly watched Yuan Xihuo, the hands resting on her legs unconsciously tightened.
"Come on, sit next to Aunt Yuan, let Aunt Yuan have a good look at you."
Yuan Xihuo said with a smile.
Nie Xiaoxing’s long eyelashes quickly lowered, she hesitated on the couch for a few more moments, then stood up and went to sit beside Yuan Xihuo.
Yuan Xihuo affectionately held Nie Xiaoxing’s hand, about to speak.
Suddenly, a car engine roared from outside the villa.
Upon hearing it, Yuan Xihuo’s face immediately lit up with joy, "It should be my son coming back."
Son...
Nie Xiaoxing’s eyes narrowed, her breathing slightly paused.
