Can’t you not go?
Due to the company’s dispatch notice not being officially delivered yet, Xiao Wanqing was worried that there might be unexpected changes. Therefore, she instructed Zhou Qin not to inform Lin Xian until she confirmed her own situation.
On Saturday, taking advantage of Lin Xian’s debate team organizing a spring outing, they wouldn’t return until evening. Xiao Wanqing informed Aunt Liu, Xiao Ke’s aunt, to come to her house for a discussion.
Aunt Liu was around fifty years old, dressed plainly, and of average height. She had neatly trimmed shoulder-length hair, and every strand was in place. Judging by her appearance, she seemed very kind and honest.
After entering Xiao Wanqing’s house, Aunt Liu, following Xiao Wanqing’s invitation, sat somewhat reservedly on the sofa in Xiao Wanqing’s living room.
Xiao Wanqing politely went to the water dispenser to serve her water. As she turned, she noticed Aunt Liu sitting on the sofa, taking out a notebook, a ballpoint pen, and a photocopy of an ID card from a clean canvas bag. Afterwards, she sat very quietly, her eyes well-behaved, not wandering around recklessly.
Xiao Wanqing attached great importance to first impressions, especially since Aunt Liu was a relative of Xiao Ke, whom she trusted. Almost instantly, she had given this Aunt Liu a base score of sixty out of one hundred.
During the conversation, Aunt Liu didn’t say much but was very friendly. Whatever Xiao Wanqing said, she listened attentively and occasionally made some notes in her notebook.
“Xianxian is a bit picky. She doesn’t like onions, garlic, chives, cilantro, eggplants, water bamboo shoots, pumpkins, clams, or oysters. Auntie, you can occasionally cook them to ensure a balanced diet, but not too often. Although Xianxian won’t explicitly say that she dislikes them, she won’t touch them with a chopstick. Even her appetite will decrease by half.” Lin Xian hardly ever proactively mentioned what she didn’t like to eat. Occasionally, when they went shopping for groceries together, if Xiao Wanqing asked what she wanted to eat, she would cleverly deceive her by saying, “Auntie Xiao, I like everything you cook.” However, after spending half a year together, Xiao Wanqing gradually figured out Lin Xian’s true food preferences. If she ate more of a certain dish one day, she would make a little less of it the next day, and Xiao Wanqing kept these observations in her heart.
Aunt Liu nodded and earnestly made notes with her pen.
Once Aunt Liu finished writing, Xiao Wanqing continued, “Xianxian particularly likes dishes such as stir-fried pork with Chinese yam, tomato and egg stir-fry, curry potatoes, sweet and sour spare ribs, green pepper stir-fried tofu, and boiled sliced pork…” Suddenly, she remembered something important and earnestly advised, “By the way, Auntie, if you stew chicken soup or duck soup, remember not to serve the head and feet in the bowl. Xianxian will get scared if she sees them.” She recalled a time when Lin Xian helped to serve soup and trembled in panic when she scooped out a chicken head from a pressure cooker. A smile involuntarily appeared on Xiao Wanqing’s lips.
However, her smile gradually turned into a faint melancholy. Unbeknownst to her, she and Lin Xian had already accumulated so many beautiful memories…
Aunt Liu couldn’t help but burst into laughter upon hearing that someone could be afraid of the heads and feet of chickens and ducks. How could a living person be scared of them? You can eat the meat, but you can’t look at the heads and feet? Hahaha.
Nevertheless, Aunt Liu patiently took notes, nodding in agreement.
Furrowing her brows, Xiao Wanqing earnestly searched her memory, recounting every detail and exchanging information with Aunt Liu for nearly half an hour. She even went so far as to provide instructions on Lin Xian’s favorite snacks and beverage brands. She asked Aunt Liu to help supervise Lin Xian’s daily routine, ensuring she didn’t sleep too late or wake up too early. Lin Xian had shallow sleep, so in the mornings, Xiao Wanqing hoped Aunt Liu could be extra gentle and avoid waking her up. Worried, she handed Aunt Liu a printed copy of Lin Xian’s class schedule, hoping she could estimate the timing of meals according to the schedule, ensuring that Lin Xian could eat while the food was still hot from the stove.
As Xiao Wanqing concluded, she noticed that Aunt Liu’s notebook pages were filled with densely written words. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she apologized, “I’m sorry, Auntie. Did I say too much?” She lowered her snow-white neck and whispered, “I… I’m just a bit worried about her. I’m afraid she… I’m afraid she won’t be comfortable or happy.” She had clearly forgotten that when Lin Xian was at her own home, Zhou Qin never paid such close attention to Lin Xian’s preferences, nor did she dote on her as much.
She couldn’t help but want to give Lin Xian her best, putting in all her effort and personal involvement.
Although Aunt Liu found it somewhat challenging to remember everything, she saw that Xiao Wanqing was beautiful, had a pleasant voice, and was gentle and kind. It didn’t seem like she was intentionally making things difficult for her. So, she politely responded, “It’s no problem. Miss Xiao, by informing me of these details in advance, you’ve saved me a lot of trouble.”
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She smiled and listened to the deep love and care for Lin Xian in Xiao Wanqing’s words and expressions. It seemed that only a biological mother would have such affection. She couldn’t help but exclaim, “Miss Xiao, you must have a great relationship with your niece. Your niece is truly fortunate to have an aunt who cares for her like you do.”
Fortunate? Xiao Wanqing was momentarily stunned. She remembered Lin Xian’s innocent and bright smile when Zhou Qin entrusted her to her care for the first time. She thought of how Lin Xian now occasionally revealed a melancholic sadness that shouldn’t belong to someone her age when she was with her. Her gaze gradually dimmed.
Perhaps it wasn’t fortune, but a calamity.
If Lin Xian hadn’t met her, if she didn’t have this aunt, she would definitely live a carefree and smooth life.
She didn’t respond to Aunt Liu’s words, sighed sadly, and stood up, saying to Aunt Liu, “Auntie, let’s have lunch here before you leave. It’s just the right time for lunch.” She also wanted to see Aunt Liu’s actual cooking skills.
Aunt Liu understood the implied meaning in Xiao Wanqing’s gentle words and didn’t politely decline. She followed Xiao Wanqing into the kitchen and prepared lunch together.
During Monday’s morning meeting, the list of personnel for the business trip was finally officially announced. The time was tight, and they were leaving on Wednesday, with a tentative duration of two weeks.
In reality, the duration didn’t matter anymore.
For her and Lin Xian, separation only had one choice—no return date.
She wouldn’t go back before Lin Xian’s vacation to return home.
Xiao Wanqing looked at the invitation letter for the communication meeting on her desk, which would be used during the business trip, and bit her lip, lost in thought.
It seemed like the pain had already started even before she left, the pain of knowing the truth that Lin Xian would slowly discover.
But after all, isn’t it better to endure short-term pain than prolonged suffering? For the young Lin Xian, after getting through this brief dark night, life would be filled with boundless light.
She just regretted it. She regretted why she didn’t treat Lin Xian better before.
But after the brief heartache, she mocked herself again and decided to let it go. It would be best if Lin Xian could forget all the good she had done for her.
Forget her, forget this villain. Forget this dispensable person.
From now on, the sky is vast, and the future is promising.
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During dinner in the evening, Lin Xian excitedly told Xiao Wanqing about the upcoming professional debate competition that the college was preparing for. Their debate team was organizing and coaching the participating teams. Shi Man was being pursued by a boy, and Xia Zhijin seemed jealous. Shi Man was secretly overjoyed.
The world of people her age was always so simple and pure, light-hearted and lively. Xiao Wanqing enjoyed listening to Lin Xian sharing interesting stories from school, and she loved how Lin Xian’s cheerful voice took her back to her own youthful and energetic days.
But occasionally, she would feel troubled.
Troubled because there were times when she was tired and exhausted, hesitant to dampen Lin Xian’s excitement, unable to tell her about the troubles and pressures she faced in a day. It wasn’t something Lin Xian should bear at her age, nor was it something she could understand at her age. Just like how she couldn’t find the words to say right now as she looked at Lin Xian’s joyful expression while sharing with her. She was going on a business trip, she was leaving.
The smile of the girl was the treasure she wanted to protect. How could she bear to destroy her precious treasure with her own hands?
Until the end, the girl, dressed in cute pajamas, sat on the bed, took the hot milk handed to her, and with a bright smile, said, “Thank you, Auntie Xiao.”
Xiao Wanqing had no choice but to say it.
She tightly clenched her fingers hidden in her robe and tried her best to appear casual as she casually informed Lin Xian, “Xianxian, I have a business trip to Hezhou the day after tomorrow.”
Lin Xian was sipping her milk with her head down, but upon hearing the news, she looked up at Xiao Wanqing in astonishment, her lips still touching the cup. She paused for a moment before swallowing the milk and asked in confusion, “So sudden? How long will you be gone?”
“At the beginning of the year, didn’t I mention to you that the company has new strategic plans this year? Now it’s the implementation phase, and the company decided to send me at the last minute, so it’s a bit sudden.” Xiao Wanqing’s reason was well-founded, leaving no room for Lin Xian to find any flaws.
“It’s tentatively set for two weeks, but I can’t be sure about the specifics. I’ve hired a short-term nanny to take care of you and prepare your meals. You have to be obedient.” This scene had been simulated and rehearsed countless times in Xiao Wanqing’s mind, so when she spoke, her breathing was calm, as if it were real. She struggled to control her facial muscles and tone, forcing herself to meet Lin Xian’s skeptical gaze and appear calm and composed, hoping to prevent the perceptive girl from seeing through her evasion.
Business trips were common in her line of work. But inexplicably, Lin Xian’s intuition told her that something was wrong, something dangerous at this critical moment. She felt a sense of panic that she couldn’t put into words. Hearing that Xiao Wanqing had even hired a nanny specifically for her made her even more suspicious, and her heart pounded faster. She furrowed her brow, her hand holding the glass slowly tightening, and her fingertips turning pale.
She felt deeply uneasy, but she couldn’t find a reason for her unease.
It was just a business trip, and Auntie Xiao would come back.
She stared intently into Xiao Wanqing’s eyes, trying to detect any hint of unusual emotions. But Xiao Wanqing met her gaze calmly, even raised her lips slightly, revealing a gentle smile.
“It’s only two weeks. Why did you have to hire a nanny?” Lin Xian furrowed her brow, staring at Xiao Wanqing without blinking, trying to calmly pursue the question.
Xiao Wanqing forced herself to squeeze out a gentle smile, loosening the tight grip of her fingers. She raised her hand and ruffled the girl’s dark hair, playfully saying, “To supervise you, of course. If I’m not at home and you don’t have morning classes, what will you do if you sleep in and skip breakfast every day?”
Her eyes softened, and she rubbed the girl’s nose, teasing, “Besides, Qingming Festival is coming up. I’m afraid you’ll be scared if you’re alone.”
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She acted as normal as possible, and Lin Xian couldn’t find any evidence to support her uneasiness. She reassured herself, thinking that maybe she was just being paranoid, overthinking things.
Xiao Wanqing wasn’t good at lying, especially not flawless lies to the person she liked. She couldn’t hold on any longer. Exhausting her last bit of strength, she bid Lin Xian farewell in a gentle voice, “Well, I’ll go rest now. You should sleep early too. Goodnight.” After speaking, she didn’t dare to meet Lin Xian’s gaze again. She turned her body around, her eyes unable to hide the sorrow and bitterness anymore.
But just as she took a couple of steps, she heard the sound of a glass cup colliding sharply with a solid object. The next second, her body was trapped in a pair of slender and powerful arms.
Lin Xian held Xiao Wanqing, as if in an instant, she held the trembling heart of Xiao Wanqing, adrift on an icy glacier.
She heard the girl burying her head near her neck and asking in a muffled voice, “Can’t you not go?”
The warmth of the embrace almost melted all of Xiao Wanqing’s determination.
LP: Yes! Don’t go! This is not the right answer, Xiao Wanqing!
