After this incident, I noticed Auntie Bai Rui had changed. She no longer had that cautious presence about her. Such was the power of mothers. They would do anything for their children. Auntie Bai Rui now saw things and people differently.
However, when she saw me, Auntie Bai Rui hugged me tightly, “Nanxing!”
I hugged her back. “Auntie!”
Jing Ni changed her shoes and hugged both of us. “Here are my two favorite women in the world!”
Auntie Bai Rui wiped her tears and said loudly, “Go and wash your hands. I’ve prepared your favorite food!”
Everything was just like before.
Everything was different from before.
Jing Ni asked me, “How’s business?”
I nodded and answered, “It’s going well. When you’re gone, Mai Qi has joined us. But she has gone home because she has to deal with some family drama. So you’ve returned at the perfect time. So when do you think you can start working?”
Jing Ni smiled, “Anytime, boss.”
Looking at her, my heart moved. “You also need to catch up on your homework. You missed a whole semester so you’ll be quite busy.”
Jing Ni nodded as she put a meatball in her mouth. “Don’t worry, I promise to complete my task!”
We didn’t bring up the past. We pretended like Jing Ni had really gone on a student exchange program for a semester. She came back and life continued. We talked a lot about the work, Mai Qi’s role in the company and even Lu Yan’s background. We cleverly skirted the rest.
I didn’t know how much Jing Ni had healed so I didn’t dare to probe. Jing Ni before me was so familiar and unfamiliar.
Before we parted, Jing Ni hugged me. “Nanxing, thank you for being in my life!”
“Silly, you’re my best friend! No one can replace you!” I told her. From my previous life until this one, other than Jing Tian, Jing Ni showed me the most kindness. For me, she had given up her life. I swore to protect her. However, I was helpless when she was wounded. Now she had returned with holes in her heart but I still couldn’t do anything.
…
I was depressed and Auntie Lan captured it easily. She complained, “Nanxing, are you not happy to have dinner with me?” I looked at her unrelenting gaze and decided to give her an abridged version of what happened between Jing Ni and me. “Auntie Lan, I don’t know what I can do for her. If I do something, I’m afraid of injuring her; but if I don’t do something, I’m afraid of disappointing her.”
Auntie Lan asked, “She is the child of the Jing Family’s third branch?”
I nodded.
Auntie Lan patted my hand. “Silly girl, everyone has their own life to live. You’re just an observer. Instead of jumping in to offer unsolicited help, why not wait for the moment when she needs help?”
I looked at Auntie Lan with my jaw on the floor. I was impressed by her great wisdom.
Auntie Lan continued, “Help those who are in need. Me, for example. I really need your help to come accompany me and look after my silly son!
“Don’t assume everyone is weak and needs your help. Plus if you had to help everyone, you’ll die from exhaustion. You’re a very good kid and you want to make sure that everyone is living well. But you can’t live other people’s lives for them. Let me tell you, that is a very wrong thing to do!”
I nodded because this was indeed a great lesson.
My initial impression of Auntie Lan had been completely changed.