Chapter 231: Let’s Be Together
Jiang Ning followed behind him and sighed: “I knew that noodle shop would definitely shine brightly.”
Xie Jingyan, walking ahead, had his lips curve up slightly.
He went to the window to order: “Two bowls of beef noodles, extra meat, less green onions, no cilantro.”
Jiang Ning held her somewhat hungry belly, silently glanced at Xie Jingyan’s upright back view, sat down at the table, and waited for him.
Until the steaming hot noodles were served, with steam rising and fragrance assaulting the nose.
Jiang Ning was already impatient.
With the first bite in her mouth, her eyes sparkled as she looked at Xie Jingyan: “It’s exactly the same. Being able to eat beef noodles from this shop in Capital City makes my mood three times happier.”
Xie Jingyan stirred the noodles with chopsticks and responded: “As long as you like it.”
Jiang Ning ate with gusto, and Xie Jingyan suddenly felt an appetite too.
He actually didn’t eat much after eight in the evening.
Because he had three meals a day regularly, his body was very healthy. Like the senior executives in his company, they all had some stomach issues to varying degrees, but he didn’t.
One bowl of noodles took half an hour to eat.
Jiang Ning finally took a satisfied sip of the soup, put down the bowl, held her belly contentedly: “Delicious, I want to come again tomorrow.”
Xie Jingyan put down his chopsticks and chuckled lightly: “You’re always so easily satisfied.”
Many people like expensive luxurious Western meals, dishes with exquisite presentation, but only Jiang Ning would bring her big boss out and still just want a bowl of beef noodles.
Jiang Ning laughed along, her eyes curving: “Of course. Eating our fill and drinking our fill, just staying alive is fine. That’s my ultimate life goal.”
“Thanks for the treat. Next time, I’ll treat you.”
Xie Jingyan nodded: “Good.”
He walked out, and Jiang Ning followed.
Xie Jingyan opened the passenger seat first and gestured to Jiang Ning: “Get in.”
Jiang Ning didn’t stand on ceremony, and Xie Jingyan followed right after, getting into the driver’s seat.
The car headed towards Jiang Ning’s apartment in North City district.
Jiang Ning turned her head to look at the neon lights outside the car window.
Reflected in her pupils in colorful splendor.
Xie Jingyan’s peripheral gaze lingered on Jiang Ning, his thin lips pressed tightly.
Why did he feel like his relationship with Jiang Ning had grown more distant…
Xie Jingyan took a deep breath, waiting for Jiang Ning to take the initiative—unless pigs could climb trees.
He cleared his throat before slowly saying: “Jiang Ning, after being here so many days, don’t you have anything you want to ask?”
Jiang Ning’s eyelashes trembled lightly, her tone casual and languid: “What’s there to ask? You know I came with a mission, and you know I don’t belong to this world originally. I’m alone in another world, and it’s no different here.”
Jiang Ning’s voice was very faint, without strong sense of belonging, as if she were just a guest here to play.
Xie Jingyan only felt his heart seem to tear open, with fine dense pain—that was a wound unique to Jiang Ning.
She could freely control his heartbeat.
Whether ten years ago or ten years later.
From the first glance at Jiang Ning, Xie Jingyan still felt it had to be her.
So, he felt sorry for her.
Xie Jingyan parked the car on the roadside.
Jiang Ning looked at him puzzled: “Why aren’t we moving?”
Xie Jingyan stared straight ahead, the streetlight illuminating half of his side face, and he said: “Jiang Ning, you’re not alone. You have family and friends here, and they’re all waiting for you.”
Jiang Ning’s body stiffened slightly, shocked by Xie Jingyan’s last words.
They’re all… waiting for her…
But why…
“Aren’t you curious about your parents’ situation? Aren’t you curious about Jiang Yan and Jiang Li? Aren’t you curious about what happened in these ten years? Don’t you have even a little attachment? We… does our past still count?” After saying the last word, Xie Jingyan turned his head to look at Jiang Ning.
His dark eyes were stubborn, waiting for an answer.
Jiang Ning’s lips moved, her gaze on Xie Jingyan’s eyebrows and eyes.
The once youthful boy had grown up, but his eyebrows and eyes didn’t seem to have changed much; when looking at people, they still carried gentle affection.
Jiang Ning seemed scalded and turned her head away, not looking at Xie Jingyan’s eyes.
After thinking, she still said: “I spent ten months in another world, while ten years passed here. Xie Jingyan, ten years is too long. Family ties, friendships, or even love—these things are no longer clear.”
After Jiang Ning spoke, the car interior fell silent.
So quiet that only their breathing could be heard.
After a long time, Xie Jingyan chuckled lightly, with bitterness and mockery: “How could it not be clear? I’ve waited ten years; even twenty or thirty years, as long as I can still breathe, I’ll keep waiting. Blame it on me for studying too much and frying my brain, stubborn, one-track minded—once I decide, it’s for life.”
He reached out to hold Jiang Ning’s hand, his tone solemn and serious: “Xie Jingyan will never change.”
Jiang Ning lowered her head, her eyelashes trembling, tears dropping one by one, splashing on her cotton-padded clothes.
Xie Jingyan cupped Jiang Ning’s face with both hands, seeing her red eyes, biting her lip to hold back tears.
His fingers gently rubbed, wiping the tears from her cheeks: “Look at me seriously. I’m no longer young; for the many remaining decades, I don’t want to use them waiting for you anymore. Jiang Ning, let’s be together.”
Xie Jingyan’s expression was no longer cold but became gentle, those profound peach blossom eyes filled with intense love.
At this moment, Jiang Ning felt it.
Her youth was always there.
Jiang Ning blinked and asked: “Does that mean dating?”
Xie Jingyan laughed lightly upon hearing: “You can get married if you want.”
Jiang Ning hurriedly shook off his hand, rubbed her burning face herself, and said stubbornly: “Don’t think that treating me to a bowl of beef noodles means I’ll marry you. As for dating, it depends… depends on your performance. I… I’m hard to win over.”
She stuttered as she spoke.
Jiang Ning wished she could bite off her own tongue.
Damn stubborn mouth—not just getting confessed to, why stutter.
Jiang Ning’s face turned even redder.
Xie Jingyan smiled on his face and responded: “Got it. I’ll make an effort.”
“Drive quickly. I want to go back to sleep.”
The car started again.
Jiang Ning’s mind was still a bit dazed.
She thought Xie Jingyan would continue maintaining that deadpan demeanor, but the confession was so sudden.
So after getting out of the car, Jiang Ning ran straight away, as if flood and fierce beasts were chasing her from behind.
Xie Jingyan sat in the car, watching Jiang Ning’s fleeing figure, and couldn’t help raising an eyebrow.
Hmm, still as cute as before.
After Jiang Ning completely disappeared, Little Honey finally popped up.
Its tone affirmative: [That’s more like it. Taking the initiative is how stories happen. Don’t worry, next I’ll definitely persuade her to actively do the mission.]
Xie Jingyan glanced at it and said indifferently: “No need.”
Little Honey panicked: [No way! This mission must be done.]
Xie Jingyan drove away: “What I mean is, I’ll do this mission.”
Little Honey: [Ah?!]
It got sweet!
