Ning Meng outwardly agreed, but a hint of resentment shone through her eyes.
During the meal, she would glance at Huo Jingnan from time to time. Sometimes, when Fan Yawen said something, she would actively chime in and try her best to steer the conversation towards "childhood"...
When she was little, she often stayed at Aunt Wen's house.
When she was little, her favorite thing was the swing in Aunt Wen's backyard.
When she was little, she even slept in the same bed as her brother Jingnan...
Pei Nian listened quietly, her expression calm on the surface, but even the most delicious food tasted bland in her mouth.
"Oh, right, Brother Jingnan," Ning Meng looked at him innocently, "You can take me with you when you go to the mountains! I'm planning to go there to do some landscape photography and take a set of photos with a mountain theme!"
Huo Jingnan's eyes darkened, and he did not answer, but quietly took Pei Nian's hand under the table.
“Brother Jingnan,” Ning Meng pouted, “why aren’t you saying anything?”
"Aren't you hungry?" Fan Ya-wen tapped her finger on the table. "Aren't you going to eat quickly?"
"Aunt Wen! I..."
"I think you shouldn't go!" Fan Yawen straightened up and elegantly tidied her hair. "They have important business to attend to. What would you do if you went with them?"
"Aunt Wen!" Ning Meng said sweetly, "When I was little, I used to travel with Brother Jingnan all the time!"
“When I was little!” Fan Yawen emphasized. “It’s not like I was a child anymore! You’re all grown up now, why is your mind still stuck in childhood?”
The atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly became unusual.
Jiang Mianmian and Huo Junyu exchanged a glance and gave each other a reassuring look.
With such a supportive mother-in-law, what is there to worry about?
Pei Nian was somewhat surprised; she thought Fan Ya Wen wouldn't side with her at a time like this, but she hadn't expected this...
"What's wrong? What are you all standing there for?" Fan Yawen's eyes widened. "Aren't you eating and looking at me? Do you think I have food on my face?"
"Ah, right, right!" Huo Junyu called the housekeeper over, "I remember Auntie likes grilled salmon, tell the kitchen."
The butler agreed and withdrew.
Ning Meng, observing Fan Yawen's expression, knew she was unhappy. She pouted, suppressing her own displeasure despite feeling annoyed herself, and leaned forward to look at Fan Yawen, changing the subject: "Aunt Wen, your seafood soup looks pretty good..."
"Eat your food!" Fan Ya-wen slammed her chopsticks down. "Don't covet other people's plates!"
Ning Meng trembled, her face turning pale with fright.
Fan Ya-wen can usually be very pleasant to others, but only when others haven't crossed her bottom line.
Ning Meng just couldn't believe that Aunt Wen, who had always doted on her, actually had Pei Nian as her bottom line.
Jiang Mianmian seized the opportunity to have the housekeeper bring a portion of grilled salmon to Ning Meng as well. Huo Junyu chatted and laughed with Fan Yawen, and the atmosphere returned to its original state.
Ning Meng could only force a smile, and her gaze towards Pei Nian held a hint of gloom.
*
Huo Jingnan had originally arranged a private jet, but Pei Nian preferred to see the scenery along the way.
"How about we take the train?" she asked him tentatively.
Huo Jingnan smiled and said, "Why take the train when we have our own plane?"
“Last time I went with a heavy heart and didn’t even have time to look around,” Pei Nian sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. “This time, my feelings are different!”
"Is it because I'm here with you?"
Pei Nian chuckled and pinched his cheek.
“I used to travel this road with the army,” Huo Jingnan told him while checking his train ticket. “Back then, we didn’t even take the train; we took a military bus. The road was rugged and bumpy, but the scenery was truly beautiful.”
Pei Nian blinked her big eyes, "Then I'll take that as a yes? Anyway, Qin Yu said he'd reimburse my round-trip travel expenses."
"I'm not so badly incapable of not even being able to afford a train ticket!" Huo Jingnan's face scrunched up.
The two looked at each other and smiled, enjoying their peaceful time together.
“That’s a good idea,” Huo Jingnan said. “We’ll take the train, and then our private plane will pick us up and bring the children along. That way, they won’t have to work so hard.”
"Um!"
As he spoke, he had already booked the train tickets.
They had two tickets for ordinary train carriages, and he wanted to take a spontaneous trip with her, just like any other couple.
However, when everything was ready and the two arrived at the train station on a sunny morning, they heard a voice from the crowd: "Brother Jingnan!"
Pei Nian was about to step onto the train when she suddenly froze on the spot.
Look at Huo Jingnan, he has the same surprised expression as her.
Ning Meng ran over from not far away, carrying large and small bags, her smile as bright as sunshine.
"Brother Jingnan, what a coincidence! You're taking this train too?"
"Yes..." Huo Jingnan asked in confusion, "How could you..."
"Didn't I say I was going to the mountains to collect folk songs?"
Pei Nian's eyes flickered slightly as she noticed a camera hanging around her neck.
She likely also had photography equipment in her luggage.
"Brother Jingnan," Ning Meng tossed him a backpack, "can you carry this for me? It's so heavy!"
Pei Nian's expression changed, but she didn't say anything and turned to board the train.
Her and Huo Jingnan's tickets were next to each other, while Ning Meng sat alone in the back row.
"Brother Jingnan, how long will our train ride take?"
"Isn't it written on the ticket?" Huo Jingnan put her luggage on the seat and replied casually, "It's a total of six hours."
"Six hours!" Ning Meng exclaimed.
Her voice wasn't quiet, and all the passengers in the carriage turned to look at her. Huo Jingnan frowned and returned to his seat next to Pei Nian without saying a word.
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