Chapter 103 Let's go shopping!
"It's so delicious! Nuannuan!" She put down her bowl, licked her lips with lingering satisfaction, and looked at Su Xiaonuan expectantly. "Is there more? Can I... have another bowl?"
Looking at her greedy expression, Su Xiaonuan was both amused and worried: "Yes, there is... but eat slowly, don't choke. Did you not eat last night?"
Her question caused An Ran's mood, which had just calmed down, to plummet again. She pouted, her eyes instantly reddening, and tears were about to fall.
Su Xiaonuan immediately fell silent and waved her hands repeatedly: "Okay, okay, I won't ask anymore! I'll serve you some, I'll serve you some!" She quickly served An Ran a full bowl.
Food truly has the power to heal the soul.
After finishing the third bowl of wontons, An Ran's pale face finally regained some color, and she relaxed considerably, no longer feeling as tense as before, as if she might break at any moment.
She leaned back on the sofa, tilted her head back, and stared blankly at the ceiling, her voice filled with deep sadness and regret: "Nuan Nuan... if it weren't for Qin Haochu... we wouldn't have... been in a cold war for so long... I feel... so sorry for you..."
Su Xiaonuan sat beside her, listening quietly.
Seeing her friend so remorseful, the slight resentment and grudge she had felt because of the past suddenly vanished.
It's pointless to dwell on the past, on right and wrong; what matters is the present and the future.
She smiled gently, placed a freshly brewed cup of floral tea, exuding a faint floral fragrance, on the coffee table in front of An Ran, and said softly, "It's all in the past, An Ran. What happened back then can't be said to be entirely his fault; perhaps... it was also a matter of fate. Now that we know the truth, we should let go. Carrying the burden of the past is too tiring."
After listening, An Ran turned around, her face full of guilt, and took Su Xiaonuan's hand. She looked earnestly into Su Xiaonuan's eyes, her voice trembling slightly: "What happened before was my fault. I didn't realize it sooner, and I didn't stand firmly by your side. Nuannuan, we're still... best friends, right?"
In Su Xiaonuan's heart, the answer to this question has always been yes. No matter what has happened, An Ran will always be her best friend, someone she's been with since childhood, someone with whom she's shared all her secrets and dreams.
"Of course," Su Xiaonuan squeezed her hand back, her smile warm and certain. "Is there even a question?"
With Su Xiaonuan's unwavering affirmation, An Ran finally felt completely relieved.
A relieved, tearful smile bloomed on her face. She suddenly rushed over and buried her head in Su Xiaonuan's arms, nuzzling her like she did when she was a child. Her voice was muffled and had a hint of coquetry: "Nuannuan, you're the best!"
Su Xiaonuan felt ticklish from being rubbed by her and couldn't help but laugh and push her away: "Ouch, stop rubbing me, it tickles! Your makeup is all messed up!"
The two immediately burst into laughter, as if they had returned to their carefree teenage years, and the barriers and tears gradually dissipated in the laughter.
Meow~
A cat's meow, neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for someone to hear, rang out.
An Ran turned her head curiously and found that the black cat, which was all black except for its four white paws, was sitting quietly on the floor not far away. It tilted its head and watched them play with its bright golden eyes. It looked both cool and cute and was super lovable.
An Ran's eyes immediately lit up with hearts. She let go of Su Xiaonuan, carefully walked over, squatted down, and tentatively extended her hand: "Hi, little kitty~"
The inkstone didn't run away; it just sat there gracefully, watching Anran approach, and then meowed again eagerly in a soft, sweet voice.
Anran, unable to resist the urge, reached out and gently stroked the smooth, satin-like back of the inkstone.
Yantai squinted comfortably, making a contented purring sound in its throat, and even nuzzled Anran's palm with its head.
Su Xiaonuan lay on the sofa, her hands behind her head, watching An Ran pet the cat with a smile, and teased, "How about it? Want to get one too?"
An Ran turned back to look at her reproachfully, her expression softening unconsciously, radiating a maternal glow: "I've already got one, a Siamese named Anbi. She's incredibly affectionate." She paused, her tone falling again, "Right now... at Qin Haochu's house. I was so angry yesterday, I didn't have time to bring her out..."
Suddenly, she thought of something, looked up, and looked at Su Xiaonuan with pleading eyes: "Nuannuan... I... can I stay here with you for a while? I've run away from home, and Qin Haochu will definitely go to the An family to find me as soon as possible. He doesn't know your address... I... I really don't want to see him right now."
Without a second thought, Su Xiaonuan nodded immediately: "Of course! You can stay as long as you want! My house is your house!" She patted the empty space on the sofa next to her, "It just so happens that Sister Li Yue moved out, so the second bedroom is empty."
However, considering Qin Haochu's stubborn personality and decisive methods, she felt that the two of them definitely wouldn't quarrel for long.
Given Qin Haochu's possessiveness towards An Ran, even if An Ran hid at the ends of the earth, he would probably dig three feet into the ground to find her.
Moreover, that person of his… Su Xiaonuan recalled the side of Qin Haochu hidden beneath his gentle exterior that she had accidentally glimpsed during her university years. She felt both regret and that he was too good at pretending, having fooled all of them.
To pester someone relentlessly would be the least of your worries...
She silently complained to herself.
But An Ran was currently furious and determined not to see Qin Haochu, so she naturally wholeheartedly supported her friend's decision.
She was happy to see Qin Haochu, that cunning guy, suffer a setback and run into a snag, as it would be a way for her and An Ran to vent their anger.
Seeing that An Ran's emotions had calmed down a bit, but a gloomy look still lingered between her brows, Su Xiaonuan felt that staying at home all the time was too depressing and made her prone to overthinking.
She stood up and suggested, "It's not good to stay cooped up at home all the time. How about we go out for a walk? Let's go to the mall to look at clothes, buy some things, and change our mood, okay?"
Upon hearing this, An Ran hesitated for a moment, opened her mouth as if to say something, but swallowed it back, and finally just said softly, "...Okay."
Su Xiaonuan knew exactly what she was hesitating about—she was afraid that if she went out, she would be seen by Qin Haochu's men, or that he would find her directly.
She immediately reassured him, "Don't worry! Yintai City is so big, with so many people, what are the chances of running into him? Besides, even if we did run into him, so what? In broad daylight, he can't just kidnap you, can he? We're just going to relax and buy some things. If we don't tell him, where will he find us?"
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