Chapter 16 Sixteen Heartbeats "I only have this one wife"...

before.

The lines on that broad hand became clearer in the sunlight, extending from the palm to the plump fingertips, revealing all the grooves and ravines, extending an invitation to her.

The sun was shining brightly, and he was waiting for her.

She extended her hand over, and Xu Youjing closed his five fingers and easily wrapped them around her.

Their palms pressed together, a strange tingling sensation and warmth permeated their connected skin. Wen Huai, held by his hand, lagged behind him half a step. Her gaze fell on the two clasped hands at her sides, and she felt her entire body stiffen, even pushing her skin against his with every step.

They separated as soon as they touched, and then stuck together again.

Ambiguous and intimate.

It was like a candy that tempted her, and also like a harbor that she could rely on at any time.

She mustered her courage and looked up at his face. Before she could focus, he turned away.

Noticing her gaze, Xu Youjing glanced sideways and easily understood her thoughts: "Nervous?"

"A little."

"We'll meet a lot more often in the future, so you'll get used to it slowly."

"Um."

His eyes suddenly fell on her and stopped.

Wen Huai felt uneasy when he looked at him.

He raised his hand to the back of her head, and with his clumsy yet patient fingers he smoothed down the scattered hair that was blown by the wind, revealing a pair of plump and fine pearl earrings.

She seemed to smell a familiar fragrance in the air, the scent of Xu Youjing.

"alright."

Wen Huai didn't dare look at him: "Thank you."

Lifting her feet again, she heard him say, "The coffee is delicious."

"Trouble."

The steps are back in sync.

Wen Huai felt the temperature rising, and the cloudless sun heated up the wind.

"Then I'll make a cup for you every morning."

Trying to hide the truth, she explained, "Thank you for the clothes. I don't know how to express my gratitude, so can I make some coffee?"

"No need to bring it, it's too troublesome."

The cold voice lowered the hot temperature around them, with a sense of alienation.

Her eyelashes trembled as she responded, "...Okay."

She was rejected.

Wen Huai almost deliberately lowered his eyes and looked away. Although he had been prepared for a long time, he still couldn't help feeling sad.

She couldn't find the words to save herself. She looked at the door that was so close to her and felt it seemed so far away.

"careful."

Xu Youjing took her hand and pulled her up, then said, "You can use the coffee machine in my office directly."

He raised his eyes suddenly and looked away.

The wrinkle was smoothed out in an instant, Wen Huai withdrew his gaze and curled his lips.

"good."

At the front door.

On both sides stood people in uniform Chinese clothing. Leading the group was Li Changying, whom Wen Huai had met before. Behind her stood the housekeeper Uncle Li, who was dressed in a dark Zhongshan suit.

Wen Huai greeted her politely and obediently, "Happy birthday, Grandma."

"Grandma is of course happy to see our Xiao Ai on her birthday." Li Changying smiled and took her hand, a kind smile on her face. "This pair of pearls really suits you. You look very beautiful, don't you, Ajing?"

Wen Huai waited a little longer and heard Xu Youjing nod.

She smiled and said, "Thank you, grandma."

"We're family, why are you being polite?"

At this time, the people behind him also said in unison: "Welcome home, sir and madam!"

Wen Huai felt a little uneasy with such a big scene, and subconsciously looked at Xu Youjing.

He complained with a hint of disgust: "When will you give up these embarrassing rituals?"

Li Changying glared at him: "It's all because of you. You didn't drive the car over when you came, nor did you send anyone to greet you. So we, Xiao Ai, had to walk such a long distance with you in this hot sun."

In fact, from where they got off the bus to the main gate, they only had to walk up two flights of stairs that weren't very high. He pulled her along, and they were talking for a short while before they reached the gate. Wen Huai didn't feel it was far, just too short.

She bent her eyes and spoke for him: "Grandma, it's not far."

"Xiao Ai, you don't have to help him. This kid has always been bothersome since he was a child." After saying that, he glared at him and pulled him in. "You must be tired from the journey. Next time, Ajing, please park the car downstairs and let him walk by himself. You don't have to accompany him. It's such a hot day."

The group entered the courtyard. Bamboo groves flanking the front hall blocked out the sunlight, creating a cooler temperature that was more pleasant than outside. The central, hollow stone elephant screen and the orderly, orderly, gleaming stone pavement beneath their feet blended seamlessly into the quaint atmosphere of the building. The refreshing bamboo fragrance, interspersed with the soothing aroma of sandalwood, filled the air, giving Wen Huai a sense of familiarity, as if he were transported to the Jiangnan region.

She recognized the quality of the bamboo at first sight, as well as the flowers and plants in the small flower bed.

Uncle Li agreed, "Xiao Ai has a good eye. These were planted by the old lady herself. This orchid had a diseased root when it first came here, and I thought it would die. But I didn't expect it to bloom this year."

Li Changying then asked, "Has Xiao Ai ever planted flowers or plants?"

Wen Huai shook his head: "Dad loved to grow them when he was alive, so I learned a little from him, but every pot I planted lasted no more than a week."

Li Changying laughed. "Just like Ah Jing. When he was little, he uprooted a pot of Clivia alive. He was a destroyer. At that time, I had to hide from him when I planted plants, for fear that he would destroy them again."

Hearing this, Wen Huai glanced at the man behind him and frowned.

...

In the hall, Wen Huai was warmly pressed on the sofa by two nannies to rest his feet. But a moment later, five or six kinds of snacks and drinks were brought to him.

Looking at so many varieties, the uneasiness she had suppressed resurfaced.

Li Changying was so focused on serving all the delicious food that she didn't pay much attention. She handed over the bowl of red bean milk jelly smoothie and enthusiastically introduced it: "Xiao Ai, try it and see if it tastes like your hometown. Can you get used to it?"

"Okay, thank you grandma." She took it and hesitated when she recognized it was Hongdou.

Li Changying was still waiting for her to eat with great joy. Wen Huai didn't want to disappoint her, so he dug a piece and put it in his mouth, pretending to like it and said, "It's really refreshing. I like it. Thank you, grandma."

"Why are you thanking me? Don't be so polite. I'm glad I like it." Li Changying couldn't close her mouth. "When you leave, take some back with you. Put it in the refrigerator and you can eat it whenever you want, okay?"

"good."

She scooped another spoonful and put it into her mouth, sipping it slowly.

Wen Huai was a very picky eater when she was little. She wouldn't eat anything except tangy vegetables, beans, or even soy milk. Her father put a lot of thought into this, trying to find ways to supplement her nutrition, but with little success, he finally just let her be.

This has led to my picky habits, which I still have now, but the obsession is not as strong.

If you come across any food you can eat, pick it out if you can, but if you can't, it's okay to just swallow it whole.

Holding the stew pot with not much red bean paste, Wen Huai only scooped two spoonfuls and felt a little reluctant.

You can tell the chef put a lot of effort into it, otherwise he wouldn’t have retained the sweetness and softness of the milk jelly without overpowering the red bean fragrance.

At this time, Uncle Li came to inform: "Old Madam, Fourth Uncle and his family have arrived, and they brought the young lady with them."

"Yi Yi is here too?" Li Changying was delighted when she heard that. She said to Wen Huai, "Xiao Ai, you guys sit down first. I'll go out and greet them."

Wen Huai was about to get up: "Grandma, let me go with you."

"No, it's hot outside. You sit down. Grandma will be back soon." She said to Xu Youjing who was standing beside her, "Take good care of Xiao Ai."

The man sitting on the other side of the sofa looked at him and said, "I see."

Li Changying and Uncle Li left the hall, and the nannies were tactful enough to leave them some private space.

Wen Huai felt something was wrong. Her straight back made her sit on the edge of the sofa, and her whole body was stretched straight.

Xu Youjing, who was looking at her, felt tired for her and said, "Grandma likes to stroll around, don't worry about her."

He comforted her, "It's not too late to say hello when Fourth Uncle and his family come in later."

"good."

Wen Huai picked up the dessert again and was about to take another spoonful when he heard him ask, "Is it so unpalatable?"

She looked.

Xu Youjing was sitting on a single sofa not far away, with his long legs crossed, his cold eyes looking over here.

It was clearly a casual sitting posture, but he made it look so beautiful that people couldn't take their eyes off it.

Wen Huai was so engrossed in watching that he forgot to restrain himself.

"Wen Huai?" he called her.

I thought to myself that it was so unpalatable that it made me go crazy.

He lowered his crossed legs and walked over.

By the time Wen Huai reacted, his palm felt empty; the white porcelain stewing pot had been taken away by him.

Through her clear pupils, she saw the man's slender fingers pick up the spoon she had used, scoop a piece of the red bean milk jelly smoothie she had eaten, and then put it in her mouth... frowning.

He disliked: "So sweet."

He sympathized with Wen Huai and said, "It's better not to eat it."

"But this is a gift from grandma." She stretched out her hand and asked for it. "Give it to me."

Seeing that she really wanted it, Xu Youjing didn't give it to her, but took it in his hand: "Let's eat later."

"......All right."

He walked towards the restaurant with the stew pot. Wen Huai suddenly remembered something and called him: "Xu——" and then stopped talking.

Xu Youjing heard it and stopped to look at her.

Waiting for her to say.

Wen Huai scratched the tip of his nose: "Is the box I brought still in the trunk?"

"Jiang Han should have taken it out and put it there."

He asked her to sit down for a moment and said, “I’ll get it for you later.”

"Okay, thank you."

Xu Youjing didn't let Wen Huai stay alone for long. He took the bag and turned back.

Fourth uncle's family was quicker than him and the door became bustling first.

"Cousin Jing!"

A little girl of about five or six years old ran in first. Seeing Wen Huai, she was obviously stunned for a moment. The smile on her face immediately fell and she asked angrily, "Who are you?"

Li Changying was walking quickly behind, with a middle-aged man and a girl of seventeen or eighteen next to her. They must be Xu Youjing's fourth uncle Xu Zhenxun and eldest daughter Xu Nianman.

And this little one must be the youngest sister of the Xu family, Xu Nianyi.

Wen Huai successfully called out the name and greeted him.

After Xu Zhenxun responded, he scolded: "Yiyi, don't be rude, this is your sister-in-law, call someone quickly."

Xu Nianyi: "What sister-in-law?"

Xu Nianman: "She's my cousin's wife."

Xu Nianyi's face immediately wrinkled. "No! Cousin Jing doesn't have a wife. He didn't even have a wedding!"

"Yi Yi, how can you be so rude!"

"Xiao Ai, I'm sorry."

No one expected this to happen and they felt a little awkward for a moment.

Wen Huai smiled and said it was okay.

"Yiyi, if you're rude again, grandma won't like you anymore!"

Xu Nianyi restrained himself a little after hearing this, but still glared at Wen Huai.

"What's the fuss?"

at the same time.

A figure blocked her view.

Wen Huai was stunned. He looked at Xu Youjing's broad shoulders and back, and heard his sharp and serious tone for the first time.

"Can't you call someone?"

Xu Nianyi really stopped crying, tears still hanging on her face, "I won't scream! She is not my sister-in-law, and Brother Jing doesn't have a wife!"

“There wasn’t one before.”

In his sight, Xu Youjing moved aside, raised his hand to hold Wen Huai's slender waist, brought her into his arms, and raised his thin lips.

"Now I have it."

He stared at Xu Nianyi with a calm look.

"I only have one wife, don't scare her away."

"Call me sister-in-law."