Xia Ning halted. Looking ahead of her, she seemed to recall that he had asked her that same question before.
Did she miss him? She put a hand over her heart. Should she speak her mind or stick to her principles?
“Were you busy today?” asked Xia Ning all of a sudden.
“Not really. Mu Zichen came to see me today.” Qiao Yu leaned back against the railing of the living room balcony and traced it with his fingers. His black eyes were flickering with an indescribable look.
“Was it because of Wen Yue?”
“Yes!” replied Qiao Yu. “He has offered to look after Wen Yue. You don’t have to worry about them anymore.”
“Qiao Yu, thank you!” Standing at a fork in the road, Xia Ning said as she watched the traffic lights on the other side of the road. She had thanked him already, but when Qiao Yu was put alongside Mu Zichen, she felt even more grateful for having him.
Qiao Yu took the hint right away. After a brief moment of silence, he said in a low voice. “He’s my son too, and I only did what I was supposed to do. You don’t need to thank me for that.”
“Qiao Yu, I feel so lucky that I fell in love with someone like you.” Xia Ning blurted out. If she was with a man like Mu Zichen, she would have had a nervous breakdown already.
What happened between Wen Yue and Mu Zichen had probably taken a toll on her mind, reminding her of her unhappy past. She still had some grudges against Qiao Yu, but she couldn’t look over Qiao Yu’s love and care for Enoch, nor could she ignore how much Qiao Yu cared about her. That was why she felt so conflicted.
“Who else can you love if not me?” Qiao Yu’s deep voice came from the other end.
Xia Ning smiled. “You’re so full of yourself!” Taking a deep breath, she wrapped her jacket tighter around herself. The bustling city only made her feel more lonely and she was suddenly out of words.
Qiao Yu fell silent on the other end as well, realizing that she didn’t answer his question. Did she not want to answer it? He then spotted some cigarette ashes she had left behind under the balcony and his face darkened a little.
He was ready to say good night when he heard the soft voice on the other end. “I… missed you.”
Qiao Yu’s pupils contracted and he looked up. His black eyes were twinkling with emotions.
“It’s a little chilly out here. I’m going back to my hotel. Bye.” Xia Ning felt the heat on her cheeks. She didn’t know she was going to say those words, but she knew that he would mind if she kept her silence. However, after she said it, her heart began to beat so fast that it threatened to jump out of her mouth.
It had been a while since she last felt this way.
“Where are you now?” Qiao Yu suddenly asked.
“I’m on my way back to the hotel,” replied Xia Ning.
“Which hotel? Send me the address!” Qiao Yu added.
It took Xia Ning by surprise, but she said, “Sure!” Qiao Yu hung up after that.
She tapped her location in the message box and sent it to him. After that, she put her phone away, thinking that he had asked for it just to make sure of her safety.
Xia Ning headed back for the hotel. It was getting cold. The weather forecast said it was going to snow.
She walked past a small restaurant selling wontons on her way back and felt hungry all of a sudden. Back when she was living an impoverished life with her mother, having some hot wontons like these would make it feel like it was a festival. She walked in at once and bought some to take-away so that she could have some after she got back to her hotel.
The main street was just around the corner, the hotel was just a short distance away.
Xia Ning was only able to make one step before a hand reached out from behind her and covered her mouth.
The bowl of wontons fell to the ground with a smack. The soup splashed everywhere.