Ji Shuqin glanced again at Xu Nianhua standing nearby. The Xu Nianhua she had seen as a child didn’t seem this beautiful. Indeed, women change as they grow; it had been many years, and the young girl had turned into a striking beauty.
Xu Nian’an touched his nose and glared at Pei Yicheng, wishing that his little sister wouldn’t start dating so soon either.
"I suppose it’s fate." Having decided to give it a try, Xu Nianhua was naturally serious about it. She talked about this matter gracefully and straightforwardly, without a hint of affectation.
"However, you two look exceptionally well-matched, just like it’s written in the books, a match made in heaven," Ji Shuqin thought, relying on Pei Yicheng for tomorrow’s matters, so he kept giving one compliment after another.
But he wasn’t lying; they indeed looked like a perfect match.
Xu Nianhua, Xu Nian’an, and Pei Yicheng returned to their house on Jilly Road, only to see lights on in the house. Xu Nianhua’s eyes immediately lit up as she said, "Yining is home."
Xu Nianhua carried the tiger lantern she had bought for Pei Yining, a cute tiger lantern that Pei Yining would surely love.
Xu Nianhua’s voice echoed in the hallway.
Pei Yining quickly hid the box of biscuits. She patted her cheeks and wiped her eyes to make sure she looked alright before calling out, "Nianhua, you’re back? Where did my brother take you today? It seems he only thinks about taking you out now, forgetting his own sister."
Pei Yining’s words, as usual, were teasing yet playful.
Under the lamp, Xu Nianhua truly didn’t notice anything amiss with Pei Yining. Happily, she presented the tiger lantern, saying, "Ta-da! What do you think, do you like it?"
Pei Yining, holding the little tiger lantern and not wanting to let go, finally smiled again after a night of sadness, joyfully saying, "I guess you haven’t forgotten your friends after all."
After chatting for a while, Xu Nianhua, yawning, went back to her room. Pei Yining, holding the biscuit box, went to find Pei Yicheng and paused upon seeing Xu Nian’an.
"The attic in my store is now occupied by my classmate’s sister, who thought she was helping me out by watching the store. So, I can only trouble you for one more day," Xu Nian’an explained.
Understanding, Pei Yining then went to find Pei Yicheng.
"What’s up? Bringing me biscuits?" Pei Yicheng, fresh out of the shower, saw Pei Yining holding an iron biscuit box.
Pei Yining set the box down in front of Pei Yicheng, adding flatly, "These are the nutritional supplements Dad got for Nianhua, but since there’s a lot, we forgot them at home."
"Then you should give them to Nianhua," Pei Yicheng glanced at the biscuit box, knowing that these foreign-bought biscuits were not cheap, but he figured one box wasn’t a big deal to accept.
Pei Yining raised an eyebrow. "Aren’t you going to open it and see?"
Pei Yicheng paused while drying his hair, weighed the biscuit box in his hand, and sensed what might be inside. The next moment, he opened the box, which was filled entirely with crisp hundred-yuan bills.
Pei Yicheng scoffed and closed the lid, saying, "This is just like his style, thinking he can solve anything with money."
"Luckily Nianhua didn’t see this or else my sister-in-law would have lost it." Pei Yining was genuinely upset today and said, "These are yours now. I’m tired."