Chapter 16: Going and Returning
What's the meaning?
Xia Li had expected there to be text, but apart from the date and signature, the pages were all blank. She frowned and went to look at the backs of the other photos, without exception.
Until she stumbled upon a love quote.
The date is nine years ago.
The feeling of glimpsing something forbidden is incredibly exciting. Even though I know it's wrong, I can't help but want to keep exploring.
Xia Li lowered her head in embarrassment, telling herself that such behavior was shameful. Then, without making a sound, she collected the photos one by one and put them back on the wooden shelf.
Then she suddenly remembered what Han Rui had casually mentioned when she ran into him at the beach a while ago.
Ji Ling had a crush on a girl for nine years.
Was it written for that girl?
Perhaps.
In an instant, an unbelievable thought popped into my mind.
Her heart pounded wildly, her blood surging uncontrollably, as if about to burst forth. Her palms were warm, damp with a fine sheen of sweat, staining a corner of the wooden cabinet, as intense as her unknowing love.
In the quiet space, I could hear her erratic breathing. The more I thought about it, the hotter my chest felt. My heart was pounding like a puppet on strings, my thoughts following my mind, completely out of my control.
She attributed her recent excitement to the thrill of peeping into someone's secret.
She couldn't possibly like Ji Ling, and Ji Ling wouldn't like her either.
She and he are not a good match; if they are not a good match, it means they don't like each other.
It was an accident that we are together now.
Although she had feelings for Ji Ling, she felt that these feelings were more of a lingering attachment and a sense of guilt.
She cherished the beautiful past and felt guilty for the harsh words she had said before parting without understanding the situation.
So, still feeling the lingering effects of the shock, I staggered back to the living room on the first floor.
Unfortunately, just as he turned the corner on the first floor, he ran into Ji Ling, who was half-soaked.
It was raining heavily outside the window at that moment.
Water droplets clung to the ends of his hair, dripping softly onto his handsome face, while rain stains lingered on his shoulders and back.
That's strange. I could have parked the car in the underground garage so it wouldn't have gotten wet.
Xia Li glanced at the time; it was two o'clock in the afternoon. Ji Ling usually returned home when it was still dark at night, so this was unusual, which puzzled her.
A terrible thought popped into her head.
Could there be surveillance cameras installed in the hidden compartment? Ji Ling must have seen it. (Thinking...)
Feeling guilty about what she had just done, she lowered her head, clutching the hem of her clothes with both hands, like a helpless child who had done something wrong, and hesitated to look up and meet his gaze.
However, in reality, Ji Ling had just finished a meeting at the company when he opened his messages and received an investigation message from his client. It turned out that behind all the recent public opinion was an operation by an old acquaintance.
My heart is surging like a tide, and I can hardly calm down.
He didn't know why, for no reason, but he really wanted to go back and find the person he longed for.
So I did it.
As soon as the driver pulled the car into the front yard, he rushed through the gate without regard for the torrential rain or his umbrella. Just as he reached the entrance, he saw Xia Li coming up from the basement, her legs seemingly injured.
He frowned.
After they met at the corner, Xia Li kept her eyes down. When she looked up after a long while, she noticed a subtle change in Ji Ling's expression. He looked unhappy. Had something happened?
A moment of silence followed, and everyone fell silent.
As with every night during this long rainy season, there was very little conversation between them, but their eyes thoroughly examined each other.
One was extremely aggressive, while the other retreated and hid.
"Change your clothes." Xia Li looked him up and down, her eyes almost melting with tenderness, and then said softly, "You're all soaked."
Ji Ling was stunned and stood there dumbfounded.
He had a lot to say to Xia Li, wanted to ask Xia Li, and wanted to seek an answer, but Xia Li's sudden concern at this moment gave him a sense of comfort, and he couldn't say a word.
The rain washed away his usual toughness and imposing manner. He listened to Xia Li's words, went to the dressing room to change his clothes, and without any hesitation, left the door open to take off his old clothes that were soaked by the rain.
Xia Li stood outside the dressing room, her ears flushed. At first, her eyes darted away, but soon she quietly moved back and lingered on Ji Ling, swallowing hard.
She rarely saw Ji Ling without clothes, and when she did, she always quickly looked away.
Now, in broad daylight, she could clearly see the muscle lines of Ji Ling's back, his straight and broad shoulders, and his tight waist and abdomen, forming a perfect inverted triangle. The rainwater that fell on his hair slowly slid down his neck, shoulders, and spine, accumulating in the hollow of his lower back.
Xia's heart pounded like a drum. She forced herself to turn her head away again, avoiding his gaze. At this moment, Ji Ling had already changed his clothes, and his voice came: "I have something I want to ask you."
Xia Li's wildly beating heart suddenly stopped.
What was he going to ask? Was it about the secret compartment on the basement level? Yes, it must be. Otherwise, what else would he say?
With only two days left until the wedding, he will say that he actually has a girl he has liked for a long time, and that the marriage is out of necessity. He will say that he will just make do and not take it seriously, and that everyone should part amicably. Or he will say that they should keep to themselves and not interfere with each other. Not long after, he will throw out a divorce application form.
Xia Li dared not think about it any further.
She didn't understand where her conflicted feelings came from. She and Ji Ling had just an ordinary relationship, so why did she care so much? She cared about his thoughts, his feelings, his actions, and even her own unintentional behavior, which she felt would become a barrier between them.
She remained silent for a long time before finally replying, "Maybe next time?"
Almost pleadingly, she was in no mood today; her emotions were like an endless rainy season.
Ji Ling was upset. After listening to Xia Li's words, he originally intended to follow her lead, but then he suddenly remembered the acquaintances behind the various events of the past few days. He gritted his teeth, and after careful consideration, decided to ask.
No, he wouldn't ask anymore; he was going to tell her.
Before she could even speak, Xia Li looked over with her dark, bright eyes, biting her lip tightly. Continuing this topic was torture for her.
Ji Ling was deflated.
He stepped forward and gently pulled her into his arms, their chests pressed together, their warm body heat penetrating the thin fabric, their strong heartbeats beating in unison.
A hug signifies that he has the highest level of trust in her.
Two passionate hearts clung tightly together in an unconscious love.
After a long while, Ji Ling sighed, "There are only two days left until the beginning of next month."
Xia Li snapped out of her daze, stepped back slightly, and stepped out of his embrace, creating some distance between them. She nodded in response, "I know."
At Ying Xia Qingqing's request, she was going back to the He family in the next couple of days. Then, she looked up and gazed into his eyes, saying in a gentle voice, "I'm going back to the He family tonight."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Ling wrinkled his nose, seemingly dissatisfied with her wording, and corrected her coldly: "When the rain stops, I'll take you to the He family."
One is "return," and the other is "go," which have completely different meanings.
A note from the author:
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The next chapter will be available for purchase! Thank you so much for your support, my darlings! (hugs and kisses)
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