Chapter 128: Youth Is Wonderful ⑥
Some small animals were lazily rolling over in the sunlight, while some restless little rabbits hopped here and there. The entire space was filled with a pastoral atmosphere.
Nie Qiu lay on the lawn, also feeling lazy. “Tutu, I don’t want to cultivate today.”
The whiskers on Tutu’s mouth twitched. It didn’t speak, but instead, it nestled by Nie Qiu’s ear and started to snore.
Some small animals, having never seen Nie Qiu before, were scared and ran far away. However, after seeing Tutu by Nie Qiu’s ear, they fearlessly approached Nie Qiu, climbing all over her.
Nie Qiu squinted, watching these fearless little creatures crawl over her. A few kittens lay down at her feet, rubbing against her, and then contentedly dozed off by her feet, looking incredibly cute.
The little baby rabbit, tired from crawling, also lay down in Nie Qiu’s armpit. The ticklish feeling made Nie Qiu want to laugh, but as soon as she moved, she saw the rabbit pout in dissatisfaction, smack its lips a few times, and then snuggle closer, sleeping soundly.
Although Nie Qiu found it a bit amusing, she truly loved this atmosphere. She closed her eyes, lying there, with green grass, flowing water, blue sky, and white clouds – everything was so beautiful. When the alarm clock rang, Nie Qiu didn’t even want to open her eyes; she just wanted to stay there and sleep.
But she had to get up, fearing that if Nie Aifang couldn’t find her in her room, she would search everywhere. Every time she went to the space to cultivate, she was on edge, and any slight sound would make her want to leave the space immediately and return to her room.
“I have to say, Boss… you’re a good uncle,” Li Mingxue said as she got into the car, fastening her seatbelt, and looked at Nie Aiwen, who had gotten into the driver’s seat.
Nie Aiwen smiled, turning the steering wheel. “Of course. She’s my only niece. Who else would I be good to?”
“But Boss, why aren’t you good to yourself?” Li Mingxue couldn’t help but ask. Ever since she learned that Nie Aiwen lived at the company, she was surprised. She had always assumed Nie Aiwen had another residence, not necessarily a villa or a detached house, but at least a commercial property in a residential area. To her surprise, Nie Aiwen lived in the archive room on the company floor. It had a tiny, tiny room with a bed, a table, and a filing cabinet. The layout was identical to his office, but half the size. This was where he usually lived, his home.
Given the company’s current operating status, she didn’t believe it was a loss. Why was Nie Aiwen so frugal? “You could clearly have… a better office…”
Nie Aiwen chuckled. “Mingxue, people your age and people my age have different ideas. Young people want to go out and explore, to stop in places they like. But people from our hometown, people our age, value returning to our roots. No matter how many years we drift outside, whether I’m a boss or working for someone else, when the time comes, I’ll return to my hometown. In a big city like this, I can’t find a sense of belonging.”
Li Mingxue suddenly felt a pang of sadness. After hearing Nie Aiwen’s words, she quickly smiled and said, “You make it sound like you’re much older than me. You’re only twelve years older…” As she spoke, she turned to look out the car window, wiping away a tear that had escaped.
Nie Aiwen laughed heartily. “You’re post-90s, I’m post-70s. It’s different, different! I am naturally older than you.”
Li Mingxue didn’t reply to Nie Aiwen. Returning to one’s roots? Then, where in this city could truly be considered his home?
“My sister has always wanted to buy a house in our hometown. Qiu Qiu will eventually get married, so she needs to buy a house for her retirement,” Nie Aiwen said faintly, looking at the neon lights ahead. “That’s why she works so hard, so desperately. Qiu Qiu’s tuition and living expenses can be saved up, but buying a house is different. Prices keep rising, and the fastest rising is, of course, house prices. Times have changed, and she also worries… if Qiu Qiu will visit her when she’s old, if she’ll be filial. She only has one daughter… When she’s old, even if Qiu Qiu isn’t filial, I’ll still support her.” Who else could it be for, if not the person he loved the most?
Li Mingxue looked at the tear-streaked person in the car window and smiled. The reflection in the window also smiled. The tears reflected the light, like the radiance in that sentence. In the end, such frugality, besides paying off loans, was simply saving money, all for the person he loved the most.
In a lifetime, to be able to meet someone who loves you like this, one could die without regret.
This was the true love she had yearned for her entire life! If, one day, she could also find it, she would cherish it dearly, cherish such hard-won love, the kind that endures through thick and thin, yearning for a lifetime together.
The next day, Nie Qiu arrived at school early. As usual, she stood at the lectern, explaining problems and giving lectures to her classmates. The classmates listened attentively.
Only Li Kai sat in his seat, staring blankly. He was lost in thought, looking at Nie Qiu. He couldn’t understand why he liked this girl so much.
Last night, he had a dream again. He dreamed that Nie Qiu threw herself into his arms. He was extremely excited, and in a state of extreme ecstasy, he suddenly woke up. Upon opening his eyes, he felt his pants were wet. He turned on the bedside lamp, lifted the quilt, and moved it aside. His lower body was a mess…
In the past, he had a strong disdain for boys who lowered themselves to chase girls. He had seen how many boys pursued girls, wasting time, life, and energy. If a girl liked love letters, you had to become Shakespeare and write about all sorts of weather. If a girl liked shopping, you had to ensure your purse was always heavy enough. If the girl you liked wanted you to think of her constantly, you had to torture your fingers, sending hundreds of texts and making dozens of calls a day… In short, you had to accompany them on boring shopping trips and be available at a moment’s notice.
And most energetic adolescent boys did all this, sometimes, just to get a kiss, to have physical contact, to satisfy their physiological needs…
When boys hung out together, discussing which girl had large breasts or large buttocks was no longer a novelty. Many good buddies and brothers had already sat together and watched adult films.
Before falling in love with someone, like many others, he often imagined going out with a girl who had a good figure, was beautiful, and had substance. He imagined dating, holding hands, going shopping, kissing when the lights came on, and doing adult things when the moon was high.
But after falling in love with someone, he realized that just looking at her made everything feel beautiful.
He hadn’t thought about why he liked Nie Qiu, but he felt that if it were Nie Qiu, it would feel pretty good.
After Nie Qiu wrote the problem-solving steps and answers on the blackboard, she saw Li Kai looking at her. Noticing Li Kai’s serious expression, she smiled at him, then picked up her notebook and continued explaining the problem.
