Chapter 53 Straightforward (The Final Chapter)

In the bustling waiting area, General Manager Zhan was taking a short rest. Jiang Xia felt the weight on his shoulders and suddenly calmed down.

In the next two or three years, he and Wu Ming may not see each other again.

So who he meets today, or who he hugs and says goodbye to, has nothing to do with him.

More than a thousand days and nights later, Wu Ming will become a passerby in my life, and I will meet many different new friends.

The regret between him and Wu Ming, though melancholic, was inevitable.

Thinking of this, Jiang Xia closed his eyes and slightly adjusted his posture to make President Zhan more comfortable.

He also planned to rest for a while.

As soon as the airport announcement of the flight's departure was made, many people headed to the boarding gate to queue for tickets and prepare to take the shuttle bus to board the plane.

Jiang Xia suddenly heard Xie Xingzhang's clear voice from the crowd: "Darling, over here~"

He opened his eyes and saw Xie Xingzhang carrying flowers, taking a few steps towards Wu Ming who had rushed over, embracing him, their faces close together, playing the role of an affectionate couple in public.

Jiang Xia looked in the direction of the sound and followed Miss Xie's gaze to find Wu Ming. Just as a feeling of sadness welled up in his heart, before he could even express it, he caught sight of Wu Zhou standing next to Wu Ming.

Wu Zhou's expression was serious and his demeanor was cold.

Jiang Xia couldn't help but recall the kiss from that night: the man's warm lips, his breathless panting, and the way he affectionately called her name...

Jiang Xia's face flushed red instantly, and she quickly turned her head away to hide, afraid that Wu Zhou would see her.

Perhaps feeling guilty, Jiang Xia always felt that after Wu Zhou scanned the entire room, his burning gaze fell on him.

Meanwhile, Wu Ming and Xie Xingzhang, the individuals involved in the trip abroad, were talking in hushed tones.

It was too noisy around, and Jiang Xia couldn't hear what they were saying. He could only observe them out of the corner of his eye.

Wu Ming hugged the large bouquet of flowers, which was over a meter tall. The flowers were long and straight, and although they were not heavy, they were quite large.

This bouquet of flowers certainly matches Xie Xingzhang's purple suit perfectly, but it's inconvenient to take it on the plane.

Miss Xie let out a disappointed sigh, and, unwilling to give up, asked her assistant, "Can these flowers be taken on the plane?"

The assistant looked troubled; boarding was imminent and there simply wasn't enough time to check in luggage, but he still replied, "I'll go ask." With that, he hurriedly left.

Xie Xingzhang covered his mouth and joked, "If it really doesn't work, it's okay to throw it away."

Wu Ming smiled, revealing his playboy nature: "How can that be? This is a token of your kindness, and I will naturally take it with me when I go to the Fog Kingdom."

Xie Xingzhang was amused and gently patted Wu Ming's chest.

On camera, the two appear to be a close couple playfully flirting.

Wu Ming took the flowers and handed them to his assistant, asking him to go and ask the staff whether they needed to be checked in or could be taken directly onto the plane.

Xie Xingzhang shrugged: "Alright, let's board the plane."

"knew."

Wu Ming took out his phone and looked at it carefully.

Jiang Xia did not reply to him.

The chat page on the screen was still stuck on the same "Good morning" message from this morning.

Wu Ming lowered his eyes, pursed his lips, and quickly typed a message: "Wait a minute."

He typed: "Jiang Xia, I'm boarding the plane. Winter came earlier and is colder in Mengcheng this year than usual. Take good care of yourself. If you have any problems, just ask Assistant Xie. He's my personal assistant and will stay in China to take care of you. I've arranged everything. Around New Year's Eve, my engagement with Xing Zhang should be over."

“My older brother wouldn’t allow me to return to China easily. It was he who promised to help me deal with the Xie family that I agreed to get engaged first…”

"If you see this message and have some free time, even though it's 10,000 kilometers from Mengcheng to Fog City in Fog Country, I'll arrange everything for you. Fly over to see me then, and we can spend New Year's Eve together, okay? Would you like dumplings or egg dumplings?"

"The next time we meet should be on New Year's Eve."

It's not too long until Lunar New Year's Eve, but Wu Ming felt a lump in his throat whenever he thought about it.

Winters in the Fog Kingdom are even colder and more gloomy than in Montreal, so he needs to prepare in advance to avoid getting sick from the change in climate and water in the Yangtze River Gorge.

Jiangxia is very afraid of the cold.

In junior and senior high school, I put his hands inside my gloves, but when I took them out, they were still a bit cold. In the end, I had to put them inside my clothes to warm them up.

As Wu Ming was lost in thought, Xie Xingzhang suddenly reached out and gave him a farewell hug.

“If it weren’t for the elders’ insistence on their own way, we would be very good friends,” Xie Xingzhang said.

The two are both easygoing and easygoing, and their attitudes toward marriage are quite similar.

The so-called dating back then actually stemmed from the phrase "give it a try".

"Try it out" is different from "confessing your love." A confession is for a lifetime, while "try it out" means it can end at any time.

Wu Ming smiled and hugged her back, but his hands were only pretending to be on his back, not touching her back.

Airport announcements are reminding passengers to board their planes as soon as possible.

Amidst the bustling crowd, my phone suddenly chimed; it was a message from Jiang Xia.

The sound was very faint, but Wu Ming noticed it instantly. He immediately released Xie Xingzhang and took out his phone before he could even take a step back.

The screen displayed Jiang Xia's message: "Our next meeting will be now." Wu Ming was stunned and didn't react for a moment.

Now?

Wu Ming only looked up abruptly when he faintly heard a familiar voice.

“Wu Ming,” Jiang Xia said, walking against the flow of the crowd, approaching him step by step, and smiling gently at him, “Have a safe journey.”

Before the huge airport floor-to-ceiling windows, the blue sky and white clouds reflected each other. The person he had been thinking about all night appeared, and Xie Xingzhang happened to stand between the two of them, like a mirror, reflecting the panic and embarrassment in Wu Ming's heart.

Jiang Xia was three meters away when their eyes met. Wu Ming looked at him, his lips trembling. Why was he seeing him off at the airport?!

This scene feels strangely familiar.

During high school, before each monthly break, Jiang Xia would also rush off to catch the bus in the same way.

Duliang No.1 Middle School lets out for the holidays at 10 a.m., so Jiang Xia has to rush to the East Station to catch the 11 a.m. bus back to his grandparents' house to get some clothes and living expenses. He also has to help with farm work and take care of his younger cousins.

The shuttle bus will leave the station at 11:00 AM sharp. If he misses the morning bus, he will have to wait for the afternoon bus.

At that time, Wu Ming always watched Jiang Xia's hurried departure with his books in his arms.

The airport announcements were still urging them on, but this time it was him who wanted to "escape"... Jiang Xia stood up straight, a polite smile on his face, and watched quietly.

He didn't know how Jiang Xia got to the boarding gate, nor did he remember how he boarded the plane. By the time he came to his senses, the plane had already carried him thousands of miles into the sky.

Thick clouds hung over the window.

Wu Ming was startled. He had forgotten to remind Jiang Xia to take good care of himself after winter set in, and he hadn't mentioned that he might need the help of this academic star if he had any questions in language class.

What did Jiang Xia say?

It seems like they didn't say anything.

Wu Ming wanted to send him a message, but the signal was too poor.

The plane he was on was heading away from Montreal on a fine, sunny day.

Jiang Xia checked the weather forecast beforehand. When Wu Ming landed in the foggy city, it was drizzling, and the clouds were very low, densely covering the entire sky.

At the airport.

Wu Ming ultimately did not take away the flowers Xie Xingzhang had given him.

Miss Xie was carefree; before leaving, she specially unwrapped the flowers and gave them to passersby to share her happiness.

Before long, she had few flowers left in her hand. Before leaving, she specially gave Jiang Xia a purple lotus flower: "This flower suits you very well."

Today, Jiang Xia wore a light-colored hooded jacket with a light purple checkered lining inside the hood.

Jiang Xia paused slightly, bent down a little, extended his hand, and thanked him with a gentlemanly smile: "Thank you."

The flower, resembling a lotus in a bowl, bloomed in Jiang Xia's hand.

Ms. Xie waved, turned around, and happily left the airport.

Zhan Lintian didn't appear in front of Wu Ming to avoid upsetting him, and the second young master Wu cried and made a scene, refusing to leave.

But the person remained seated, watching the scene of parting and gazing at Jiang Xia's retreating figure.

Only after Wu Ming left did he get up and walk to his side: "Let's go."

Wu Zhou walked step by step toward Jiangxia: "Can we talk alone? I'll come find you tonight."

He gave Jiang Xia enough time to adjust, and then nodded to General Manager Zhan as a greeting.

Jiang Xia followed General Manager Zhan out of the airport and drove to a large park nearby.

The park is located in a remote area, and its cultural value far outweighs its economic benefits; almost no businesses in the vicinity are open.

There is an artificial lake in the park, with willows drooping along the shore. A gentle breeze blows, dispelling the heat of the sun. Jiang Xia and Zhan Lintian sit on a stone bench, quietly enjoying the breeze.

Zhan Lintian glanced at him sideways. Jiang Xia, who had just been calmly dealing with things at the airport, was now staring blankly at the flowers in his hand.

Zhan Lintian reached out and gently cupped Jiang Xia's cheek, forcing him to look up at him.

The soft flesh on Jiangxia's cheeks was gently squeezed together.

"President Zhan?" Jiang Xia instinctively forced a smile, but his eyes were reddening.

Zhan Lintian looked into his eyes: "At the airport just now, Wu Ming didn't see you. You didn't have to get up to see him off, but I wanted to stop you..."

But he eventually gave up.

He watched as Jiang Xia got up, went against the flow of people, and walked step by step toward Wu Ming.

Jiang Xia chuckled: "After all, we were friends before, and we might still be friends in the future."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further, saying politely, "I don't have many close friends. At most, I have some acquaintances among my colleagues, and I've never had any deep conversations with people I barely know..."

Jiang Xia said in a low voice.

He never mentioned his background to his colleagues, nor did he talk about how much hardship he had endured to sit in a high-rise office in Mengcheng and become an elite in other people's eyes. His friend was Wu Ming... a rich young master from a wealthy and noble family.

Colleagues might wonder if he comes from a wealthy family... so they tend to treat him with a certain amount of respect when they work with him.

Despite his glamorous image in the eyes of others, Team Leader Jiang works hard to maintain his public persona in Mengcheng.

He said in a low voice, "But without Wu Ming, I wouldn't have come to Mengcheng."

Jiang Xia looked up at Zhan Lintian: "Actually, I didn't really want to associate with you, Mr. Zhan, at first."

"Why?"

“I’m afraid you’ll think I’m trying to climb the social ladder, using your influence to tell outsiders that I know you, so they’ll think more highly of me.”

Zhan Lintian said, "It seems that those who don't do this are the minority."

Jiang Xia smiled without saying a word. He just couldn't get over that hurdle in his heart; he had his own set of principles for dealing with people.

Every book he read taught him how to be a good person, an upright and kind person, and he wanted to become that kind of person.

Jiang Xia said, "President Zhan, thank you. Although Wu Ming has left Mengcheng, I still have you as a friend..."

Zhan Lintian squinted, his fingertips tracing the corners of Jiang Xia's eyes, and his fingertips suddenly became a little wet.

He was in a lot of pain...

Jiang Xia chuckled softly, using the smile to mask his emotions.

Zhan Lintian looked into his eyes and suddenly leaned closer.

The burning lips seemed to touch, and all the sounds in Jiangxia came to an abrupt halt.

Zhan Lintian could almost feel the softness of his lips, which seemed... to have a sweet taste.

Jiang Xia's eyes widened suddenly as she looked at the man so close to her, opening her mouth to call out, "Mr. Zhan... Mr. Zhan..."

As he spoke, his tongue moved slightly, and his lips inadvertently brushed against President Zhan's lips...

The river gorge was completely frozen.

Zhan Lintian wanted to soothe his emotions and let him vent.

Zhan Lintian's eyes were unfathomable, and his voice was hoarse: "May I... kiss you?"

.

A note from the author:

Wu Ming no longer needs to worry about Jiang Xia being bored or having no one to take care of her in the country.

As soon as he left, General Manager Zhan kept saying, "Hurry up and you'll miss out!" and then he wanted to go to Jiangxia.

If you're slow to act, you can't just talk the talk; our General Manager Zhan couldn't possibly forcibly take Jiang Xia, a grown man, away, could he? [Question mark]

I did revise the plot a bit and put it back into the original concept. [Please!]

Mr. Zhan hasn't found a girlfriend yet, but once he does, the first thing he'll do every day after his wife gets off work is hug her tightly and give her a good night's sleep. Mr. Wu is different; he likes to hug his wife~ [Please!]