Chapter 74 She definitely likes you a lot.

Chen Qing noticed her expression was off and asked, "What's wrong? Is something the problem?"

Chen Yaoan smiled and said, "It's nothing, I was just asking casually."

Chen Qing didn't take it to heart. "Then we'll go first and go find the child's mother."

"good.

Watching Chen Qing walk away, Chen Yao'an suddenly remembered something and chased after him.

"Excuse me, could you please not tell Xu Jialan about what happened here today?"

"ah?"

Chen Qing was puzzled, but nodded nonetheless, "Okay, I understand."

After saying goodbye to Chen Qing, she went back to find Shi Xinyu.

Seeing that she was absent-minded, Shi Xinyu asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

Chen Yao'an told her the whole story, "What exactly is he doing behind my back?"

The first possibility that came to Shi Xinyu's mind was: "Did he cheat on you?"

Not long after Huang Zhaozhao's incident, Chen Yao'an felt it was unlikely, especially since she trusted him. "It shouldn't be."

The two sat in the ice cream shop, and Shi Xinyu asked while scooping ice cream, "You really trust him that much?"

"Of course I believe him. Besides, even if he really did cheat, is it really that tiring?"

Shi Xinyu nodded. "What you said makes sense. So what do you plan to do?"

Chen Yao'an looked troubled. "I don't know either."

When she got home that evening, Xu Jialan wasn't there yet. The lights were off. She took out her key from her bag and opened his door.

This time, Xu Jialan got home relatively early, arriving before midnight.

He threw off his coat as soon as he walked in, went over and hugged her, saying, "It feels so good to see you when I get home from get off work."

Chen Yaoan smiled and subtly sniffed him, trying to find some clues, but found nothing special, except that there was a faint smell of dust on his clothes.

Why do you smell so much dust on you?

"Oh, I went to the construction site today."

Are you tired?

"It's alright, not particularly tiring."

"Then take a shower and get some rest. I'm going back now."

Xu Jialan was unusually clingy today, holding her tightly and refusing to let go. "Can't we stay a little longer, or... just sleep here tonight?"

She patted his chest, thinking he could be quite frivolous sometimes. "No, Grandma will find out."

"Go home early tomorrow morning, and Grandma won't find out, okay?"

"Oh no, I reckon Grandma's still awake. If I don't go back, she'll find out."

Xu Jialan looked very disappointed, but she persisted.

"Then I'll head back now."

Xu Jialan watched her leave.

For the next period of time, Xu Jialan remained busy, and the two saw each other much less often. Occasionally, when he wasn't working overtime, Chen Yaoan would take the initiative to pick him up from get off work so they could meet as soon as possible.

One evening, upon learning that he rarely didn't work overtime, she went to wait for him at the entrance of Xu Jialan's company after closing the door. The two agreed to go out for Korean barbecue together.

Xu Jialan and Chen Qing came downstairs together. Chen Qing saw her waiting there and was a little envious. "It's better to be in a relationship. After a long time, especially after marriage, all feelings fade."

Xu Jialan just smiled and said, "That's you guys."

"Oh, you're getting smug now."

Chen Qing greeted Chen Yao'an and left quickly.

Xu Jialan extended her hand. "Let's go."

Chen Yao'an reached out and took his hand. "Let's go."

Before the two even reached the parking spot, Xu Jialan received a phone call, and his expression became hesitant after answering the call.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, I have some urgent work that requires me to go there, so I might not be able to have dinner with you."

Disappointment was inevitable, as the two hadn't eaten together in a long time. She thought for a moment and asked him, "Does your work require you to work long hours?"

"It shouldn't be long, there's just a small problem I need to deal with, it's just that the place is a bit far."

"It's okay, I'll go with you. We can eat after you're done with your work."

Xu Jialan, however, looked displeased and hesitated to speak.

Chen Yao'an noticed. "What, you don't want me to go with you?"

"No, it's just that the place is too far away and the location is a bit remote. It will be too late to get back."

She sensed it; Xu Jialan was just making excuses not to take her along, which was strange. She was just going along; she wouldn't be bothering him while he was working.

"It's okay, we can eat somewhere nearby. If all else fails, we can just grab something to eat. The main thing is that I want to have a meal with you."

Xu Jialan couldn't find any other reason for the moment, so she could only agree: "Okay."

The place he mentioned is indeed quite far, located in the suburbs of Dai County, and a short distance further on, it leads to a neighboring county.

The car stopped next to a country villa, which was only half-built. It seemed that this was the place Xu Jialan had mentioned.

Xu Jialan unbuckled her seatbelt. "Wait in the car for a moment, I'll go in and take a look."

"good."

He got out of the car and walked into the villa.

However, this trip took quite a long time.

Chen Yao'an's gaze fell on the villa in front of her, and then she looked around. This place was obviously in a village, surrounded by bungalows, and the courtyards were lit up.

There are no signs of development around, only this villa under construction, which is clearly a private villa.

Huabang is a real estate company, but are they only taking on private projects now? That's a tiny amount of business. Even a weakened giant is bigger than a horse; they shouldn't be taking on private projects.

Chen Yao'an's doubts grew stronger until Xu Jialan came out of the villa and got into the car.

"Are you getting tired of waiting?"

"No, but is this the project you're in charge of?" She pointed to the villa outside.

"Um."

"You've been busy with this project lately?"

Yes, are you hungry?

Chen Yao'an's attention wasn't on whether she was hungry or not, but on the villa in front of her. "Has Huabang Real Estate fallen so low that it's even taking on private projects? Are you hiding something from me?"

Xu Jialan paused in her action of fastening the seatbelt, remained silent for a moment, and finally sighed, saying somewhat helplessly, "It's okay to tell you, this project is a side job I took on."

"Side jobs? Does your company allow that?"

"Of course not."

"So, you were working overtime all this time because you were taking on freelance work outside?"

He nodded.

"You've been keeping it all secret from me, telling me you're working overtime at the company, but you haven't even told me?"

Chen Yao'an was a little angry; he had actually lied to her!

Xu Jialan was speechless for a moment, scratching her head, "Well... after all, the company doesn't allow it, so the fewer people who know about this, the more secure it is."

So you mean I'm an outsider?

Why is it getting harder and harder to explain?

I didn't mean that.

"What do you mean? Tell me, do you think I'd tell anyone and make you lose your job?"

Xu Jialan sighed again, "Of course you wouldn't. I was just afraid you'd worry. After all, taking on freelance work is risky, and... I don't want you to see me in a vulnerable state."

He spoke softly at the end.

Chen Yao'an was speechless for a moment, replaced by heartache.

I'm afraid the second reason he mentioned is what he cares about most.

Xu Jialan was such a proud person...

What was it that he couldn't have, he now wants for her...

She pursed her lips. "Why did you take on side jobs? Was it because you handed over your salary card to me?"

"No, that's not it. I need to save some money." He paused for a moment. "I want to give you the best life, otherwise how can I marry you?"

"Who wants to marry you!"

She said this, but her nose felt a little sore.

Looking at the dark circles under his eyes and the weariness on his face, she finally couldn't help but show her expression.

Seeing that something was wrong, Xu Jialan asked, "Why do you look like you're about to cry?"

She leaned over and hugged him, saying, "I just felt that you were working too hard."

Xu Jialan patted her back reassuringly, "What's so hard about it? Even without you, I still have to work."

That's what they say, but...

"Okay, we agreed to go eat barbecue, and the place will be closed if we go any later."

—

Time always flies, and before we knew it, it was New Year's Day again.

On the day Xu Jialan had her holiday, she received a call from Xu Qingbang, asking her to come home for the Chinese New Year, but he refused outright.

Of course, this displeased Xu Qingbang, but he didn't care at all.

Xu Jialan was on vacation, but You Ye was very busy, and Chen Yaoan was too busy to handle everything, so he asked him to help.

"Are you really not planning to go home for the Chinese New Year?" Chen Yaoan asked him.

His reply was straightforward: "I'm not going back."

Chen Yao'an didn't say anything for a moment. After a while, she advised him again, "I think it would be better if you went back home for the New Year."

"Why? Wouldn't it be better for me to stay here and spend the New Year with you?"

"There's no reason why. After all, they're your family. No matter how bad the relationship is, you should still go back for the New Year."

Xu Jialan, unusually, did not refute her. After thinking for a while, she said, "Then we should indeed go back. It would be good to maintain contact as relatives."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not very meaningful. I've thought about it and I still think I should go back, but not before the New Year, but after the New Year."

He can be quite stubborn at times, especially when it comes to his father.

She nodded. "That works too."

It's better than not going back at all.

A few days later was the New Year. On the eve of the Lunar New Year, Xu Jialan had New Year's Eve dinner with her family.

After dinner, Yan Shumei didn't want to move, so she stayed in the living room watching the Spring Festival Gala, while the two of them took Zhou Yao to the yard to set off fireworks.

Light snow was falling from the sky, and firecrackers were going off everywhere; the whole world was bustling with activity.

Xu Jialan lit the fireworks on the ground, and the flames shot into the sky, blooming in the heavens. Zhou Yao clapped excitedly.

"Beautiful! Beautiful!"

Xu Jialan stepped back to her side, put her arm around her shoulder, and whispered in her ear, "Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year!"

Chen Yao'an had a very happy New Year, with all her loved ones by her side.

However, it wasn't until after the New Year that Xu Jialan told her that she was going to take her back to Beijing, which left Chen Yaoan somewhat at a loss.

Why are you only telling me now?

Why are you so nervous?

"It's not that I'm nervous, but I need to prepare before going to your house. There's no time to go out and buy things now, the mall isn't open yet," Chen Yao'an said, looking troubled.

Shi Jialan stopped Chen Yaoan, who was pacing back and forth, and said, "Don't worry, I've prepared everything."

"real?"

He nodded.

Chen Yaoan was finally relieved.

She told Yan Shumei about going to Xu Jialan's house, and Yan Shumei didn't object, but just reminded her not to be impolite when she got there.

She agreed to all of them.

The two arrived in northern Beijing on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. They didn't plan to stay long, so they went to the Chen family's house on the same day they arrived.

Xu Qingbang still looked dignified, but his expression was much worse than when Chen Yaoan last saw him. As for Wang Yifei and Xu Qing, they remained polite on the surface.

The atmosphere was quite harmonious at first, but after dinner, when Xu Jialan said he wanted to stay in Dai County, the atmosphere instantly turned icy.

Xu Qingbang looked at Chen Yao'an with disbelief, "You're going to stay in that wretched place, Dai County, for her sake?"

His gaze was like an icicle, piercing Chen Yao'an and making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Xu Jialan's expression instantly turned sour. "She's my girlfriend. She has a name. And how did Dai County become a desolate place? Wasn't this the place you sent me to?"

Xu Qingbang was always a man of his word: "I disagree with this matter."

"It's no use if you disagree; this is my own business."

To Xu Jialan's own surprise, when faced with Xu Qingbang's denial, he was no longer as irritable as before, and was able to calmly state his decision.

In the end, although neither of them lost their temper, they were not happy either, each sticking to their own principles, and the standoff ended without a resolution.

After leaving the Chen family home, Chen Yao'an finally breathed a sigh of relief; she was not used to the tense atmosphere just now.

"What's wrong? Did something make you uncomfortable just now?"

"I do feel a little uncomfortable."

"That's easy to solve, just reduce contact in the future."

She nodded.

"Also, I'd like to introduce you to my mother," he said suddenly, seriously.

He met his mother.

Chen Yaoan suddenly tensed up; he knew his mother was the person he cared about most.

"Okay, let's go buy some things."

Xu Jialan nodded.

Knowing that Lan Wangshu's favorite flower was the lily of the valley, Chen Yaoan bought a bunch and brought it with her.

Arriving at Lan Wangshu's tombstone, Chen Yaoan personally placed the bouquet of lilies of the valley in front of her grave.

"Mom, I brought my girlfriend to visit you this time."

Chen Yao'an looked at the photo on the tombstone. Xu Jialan's mother was a gentle and quiet woman.

She greeted her, "Hello, Auntie, my name is Chen Yaoan."

"I wonder what my mother's reaction would be if she were still alive," he said with a hint of melancholy.

Chen Yao'an didn't know what to say. Her gaze fell on the tombstone, and she noticed that it was covered in dust.

She crouched down, took out a tissue from her bag, and wiped the dust off the tombstone.

Xu Jialan's gaze fell on the center of her hair, and suddenly that feeling of loneliness disappeared.

He patted her head and said, "I think she must really like you."

She looked up at him. "Are you so sure?"

"Of course, you deserve her affection."

one

Before returning to Dai County, the two went to Xu Yan's place. Xu Jialan wanted to send his mother's things, which were kept there, back to Dai County.

Upon hearing the news that he would be staying in Dai County, Xu Yan felt a pang of sadness. "Are you really not coming back?"

"Um."

Xu Jialan carefully packed those items to prevent them from being damaged during shipping.

"Really not coming back?" Xu Yan repeated incredulously.

Xu Jialan stood up and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll come back when I have time. Besides, you can come to see me too."

“…Okay.” Xu Yan reached out and hugged him. “Take care over there, and keep in touch when you have time.”

"good."

After finishing their business in Beijing, the two were about to leave, and Xu Yan took them to the airport.

Xu Jialan didn't react much, but Xu Yan said reluctantly, "Take care, everyone."

"Take care of yourself too," Chen Yaoan said.

After saying goodbye, the two boarded the plane.

Back in Dai County, Xu Jialan quickly got busy again. The things he sent from Beijing would arrive a few days later, and he didn't have time to sort them, so he handed them all over to Chen Yaoan.

Chen Yaoan opened the boxes, took out the contents one by one, removed the original packaging, and placed them on the table.

She didn't know where to put the things and had to wait for Xu Jialan to come back and deal with them.

At the bottom of the box were several notebooks. She took them out and unpacked them.

One of the notebooks wasn't properly fastened, and something fell out of it.

She picked it up and saw that it was a letter written to him by Xu Jialan's mother. The letter paper was a bit old, and it was unfolded in her palm.