Chapter 256: Extra 2
After Jiang Ning accepted Xie Jingyan’s marriage proposal, life returned to normal.
She celebrated her birthday in Jin Cheng, with loved ones and friends by her side. Later, she stayed in Jin Cheng for over half a year. Due to Director Dong’s transfer, he arranged for her to go early to the Public Security Bureau in the North City area of the Capital City.
Father Jiang and Madam Jiang moved with Jiang Ning.
Wherever their daughter was, that’s where they would be. Every day at home, they grew vegetables and flowers, living quite comfortably.
The day before leaving Jin Cheng was at the height of summer.
The cemetery in the suburbs of Jin Cheng was blooming with flowers.
Most of the flowers in front of Wei Jin’s grave were fresh.
They were sent by his fans and those who heard of his deeds and came to mourn him.
“Wei Jin, I’m leaving Jin Cheng. I’ll come see you again next year.”
Jiang Ning placed the flowers in her hand in front of Wei Jin’s tombstone.
“Ning Ning, let’s go.” Xie Jingyan was wearing a white T-shirt and black pants, looking like a university student.
He stood under the shade of the trees, ten meters away from Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning called out: “Coming.”
Xie Jingyan sighed softly. He was very grateful that Wei Jin had saved Jiang Ning at the critical moment.
But he had used his life to leave a mark in Jiang Ning’s heart.
Even if this mark had nothing to do with love, but was the deepest friendship.
Xie Jingyan still couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
He remembered ten years ago, that New Year’s Day, when he handed him a lighter. The flamboyant eyebrows and eyes smiled and said he wanted to fairly compete with him for Jiang Ning.
But now, the person who wanted to compete with him for Jiang Ning had died for her.
Wei Jin, too despicable.
Using such a tragic way to make them never forget him.
Until a warm hand took his large palm. Jiang Ning looked up, her hair now grown into ear-length short hair. She curved her eyes smiling at Xie Jingyan: “Let’s go eat beef noodles, then go to Xiao Ge Town to see your grandmother, and then head to the Capital City.”
Xie Jingyan tightly gripped Jiang Ning’s hand, a smile spreading across his brows and eyes: “Okay.”
……
Their wedding was set for next spring.
Xie Jingyan always wanted Jiang Ning to live in the large manor he built, but Jiang Ning disdained that the place was too far from her workplace, so she was a bit hesitant.
Jiang Yan felt there was nothing to hesitate about. With a wave of his big hand, he bought Jiang Ning an apartment near that Public Security Bureau, letting her live there with peace of mind.
When Jiang Li saw Jiang Yan being so good at currying favor, it made her, as the older sister, seem incompetent, so she spent a fortune to thoroughly renovate Jiang Ning’s new apartment.
The apartment was two hundred square meters, four bedrooms and two living rooms. Father Jiang and Madam Jiang lived there. No nanny was hired at home. Madam Jiang liked to cook herself. Every time Jiang Ning came home, there were hot steaming meals, moving her to tears. Meanwhile, Father Jiang had recently become obsessed with raising birds. Every afternoon after dinner, he had to go to the residential community to exchange tips with that group of old men who raised birds.
Of course, there was also a frequent guest at Jiang Ning’s home for dinner, and that was Xie Jingyan.
But Father Jiang didn’t pay much attention to him. The pain of having his house acquired by this kid ten years ago was still vivid. But now the tables had turned; wasn’t he planted in his daughter’s hands?
After years without contact, Xie Jingyan naturally wouldn’t be as unresponsive to Father Jiang and Madam Jiang as before.
So he began a money offensive.
Since Father Jiang liked birds, he sent various precious breeds for him to choose from.
Madam Jiang liked bags and jewelry. An emerald necklace worth 1.2 billion at auction was given just like that.
Even previously out-of-print styles, as long as Madam Jiang liked them, Xie Jingyan, as the prospective son-in-law, would bring them.
Gradually, the old couple praised Xie Jingyan endlessly.
Sometimes when Jiang Ning got off work early and came back, they would ask why she didn’t call Xie Jingyan along.
Jiang Ning was somewhat speechless and twitched the corner of her mouth.
What was there to call him for? Anyway, at mealtime, he would automatically appear.
Jiang Yan would occasionally come back to mooch meals.
Madam Jiang would always make a big table of delicious dishes. If Jiang Li was in the Capital City, she would ask her to come back and eat together.
But Jiang Yan and Jiang Li didn’t like eating at home much, because at their age, they couldn’t escape the fate of being nagged about marriage.
Jiang Yan simply didn’t want to find someone, while Jiang Li used her career as a single female star to delay.
Jiang Ning privately asked Xie Jingyan about his uncle and Jiang Li’s relationship development.
He only said one thing: Let nature take its course.
It left Jiang Ning a bit confused. So after ten years, what exactly was the relationship between those two?
Meng Su hadn’t married, and there wasn’t even a scandal around him.
Madam Meng went from anxiously turning her hair white before to now coming over to play mahjong with Madam Jiang whenever she had nothing to do.
It flattered Madam Jiang so much that she had no idea what was going on.
But she didn’t want to join the circle of rich ladies, yet she couldn’t resist Madam Meng’s enthusiasm, so Madam Jiang could only show up.
Everyone thought she was from some small family.
Until they heard her son-in-law was Xie Jingyan, the giant whale of the Capital City’s financial circle, her son was the CEO of Jiang Corporation, her eldest daughter was a national-level Film Empress, and except for her youngest daughter working at the Public Security Bureau, who else didn’t have an impressive title.
Gradually, there were countless people coming to curry favor with Madam Jiang.
All inquiring about Jiang Yan’s marital status.
Madam Jiang was also helpless. What could she do if her son didn’t want to find someone?
She couldn’t force him like before, could she?
So Madam Jiang grew tired of dealing with it and later stopped accepting any invitations.
She focused on studying recipes at home, and after dinner, she would stroll hand-in-hand with Father Jiang.
Later, Sui Tang also bought a house in this residential community, in the building next door to Jiang Ning.
So the strolling group gained a few more figures.
Yuan Yuan bounced and jumped, holding her father and mother’s hands.
Her eyes sparkled, and her smiles increased a lot.
When she saw Jiang Ning, she would sweetly call “Aunt.”
And facing Xie Jingyan, she finally changed from calling him “Daddy” to “Uncle-in-law.”
Xie Jingyan didn’t show it on the surface, but he felt quite disappointed inside.
The daughter he had raised for three years was taken by He Shang and Sui Tang as soon as they returned.
Xie Jingyan was so angry inside that he gritted his teeth. Every time Yuan Yuan was around, he had no good facial expression toward He Shang.
He Shang didn’t get angry, grinning as he hooked shoulders with Xie Jingyan, chatting away, just like ten years ago—their friendship wouldn’t change.
The same year in October.
Jiang Ning couldn’t resist Xie Jingyan’s request and still went with him to the large manor he built.
At the entrance was a row of roses, and further inside was a grove of gardenia trees, but it was now deep autumn, not the flowering season.
The manor inside was splendidly decorated. Though very magnificent, it felt too empty for Jiang Ning.
She still preferred a not-too-big place, lived in by important people.
Xie Jingyan went to prepare dinner. Jiang Ning felt sleepy and went to Xie Jingyan’s room.
She finally saw the ID photo that Xie He had mentioned, posted on the bedside cabinet.
Wasn’t it the one taken when they ranked first in competitive mathematics together?
In the photo, she smiled brightly and youthfully. A trace of nostalgia passed through Jiang Ning’s eyes.
Due to being too sleepy, Jiang Ning couldn’t resist and fell asleep on the bed.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself not in the manor, but in the cemetery.
Jiang Ning looked around in confusion.
She had visited Wei Jin twice this year already. Did she have to see him in dreams too?
Did she really miss him that much?
But the name on the tombstone in front of her was too blurry. Jiang Ning could only lean in close, so close that her face was almost pressed against the photo on the tombstone, before she could see clearly.
When she saw that line of text, her expression froze slightly.
Tomb of Xie Jingyan.
The man in the photo on the tombstone looked very young.
Jiang Ning thought she had misread it and rubbed her eyes.
The scenery in front of her became even clearer.
It was spring.
The fragrance of gardenia flowers was rich.
Jiang Ning looked at a line of text in the corner.
Died at the age of 48.
48 years old……
Jiang Ning suddenly raised her hand. The wrinkled skin told her she was no longer young.
Panic surged in her heart. She pounced forward, hugging the tombstone and wiping hard with her hand, trying to erase that cold number.
Fake, all fake.
Her tears flowed urgently, hot as they fell on the back of her hand.
Until an anxious call came by her ear: “Ning Ning…… Ning Ning……”
Jiang Ning then opened her eyes. Through tear-blurred vision, she saw Xie Jingyan’s worried expression.
He reached out to touch Jiang Ning’s forehead: “Why are you crying?”
Jiang Ning sat up and suddenly hugged Xie Jingyan’s neck, her voice choked: “I dreamed you died.”
Xie Jingyan was stunned for a moment, then smiled: “Dreams are the opposite of reality. I won’t die.”
Jiang Ning wiped her tears on his collar: “Really?”
“Really.”
Xie Jingyan’s one promise was enough to dispel the panic in Jiang Ning’s heart.
He patted her back, coaxing a child as he softly said: “The meal is ready. Come eat.”
But Jiang Ning kissed Xie Jingyan’s lips and pulled him down onto the bed together.
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