Chapter 23. Enjoy yourself, Xiao Bao, good boy. ...
A week after the New Year, Zhong Yan will be going on a business trip.
Zhong Yan often needs to travel for work, spending a lot of time flying around throughout the year, but with the New Year just over, he has to fly to Europe immediately.
I'm not sure how long this trip will take; it's to resolve the rather tricky issue I mentioned earlier.
Jin Huan was a little confused when she heard him say this. She belatedly realized what he meant and asked, "You're leaving tonight?"
Zhong Yan nodded.
The trip was decided at the last minute, and there weren't many direct flight tickets available. It just so happened to be tonight; otherwise, he wanted to give Jin Huan more time to react.
Jin Huan said anxiously, "Then I'll pack your things."
Zhong Yan shook his head: "No need."
Because he travels frequently for work, he always keeps his belongings at the company, and his assistant will pack them for him and take them directly to the airport.
Jin Huan nodded blankly, not knowing what else she could do. All she could say was, "Then I wish you a safe journey."
Jin Huan had originally said she would see him off, but it was too cold outside, and she would have to come back by herself anyway, so she didn't need to see him off.
Before leaving, Zhong Yan patted her head and said, "If you really care about me, come pick me up then."
She was home alone, and he didn't give her many instructions. This was the only time he had left home and there were people at home who cared about him, and Zhong Yan felt a different kind of emotion in his heart.
Especially since the person in front of him was looking up at him with a reluctant expression. Even though he was still here, her eyes looked as if he had been gone for a long time, and she missed him terribly.
Zhong Yan said gently, "Don't worry about bothering me, you can video call me when you have time."
Jin Huan nodded obediently.
She was actually thinking about something else.
Valentine's Day is less than two weeks away. She was thinking about how to spend her first Valentine's Day with Zhong Yan, but now it seems that it's questionable whether he can even come back from his business trip on Valentine's Day.
Zhong Yan leaned down and kissed her forehead.
Then Jin Huan watched him leave.
Jin Huan was left alone in the huge house.
She had just woken up from her afternoon nap. After Zhong Yan left, she gradually regained her energy and slowly walked to the study. She took out her notebook and planned out the tasks she needed to complete in the next few days.
Even during her holiday at home, she wasn't idle. Except for the few days she wasn't home on New Year's Eve, she was basically busy with her own work except for eating and sleeping. She had to go back to school in a few days for a new round of experiments to begin, and she would be quite anxious if she wasn't well prepared.
Jin Huan is still at an age where she is easily anxious.
The next morning, Jin Huan received a message from Zhong Yan saying that he had arrived.
He actually arrived in the early hours of the morning, but in order not to disturb Jin Huan's rest, he waited until morning when it was her time to send her a message.
It's very late there now, Jin Huan replied: "You should get some rest."
Having gotten used to having someone beside her at night, Jin Huan didn't sleep well when she was suddenly all alone. She woke up several times during the night, checking the time each time before drifting back to sleep. Around 6 a.m., she woke up again, not wanting to sleep anymore, and simply got up.
Zhong Yan had previously said that she was too weak, and she had always remembered that. Not only did she exercise with him every night, but she also scheduled fasted cardio for herself every morning. By 7 a.m., she had already run for half an hour.
She was still panting, but much better than before. At least she could keep running now, and although she was panting, she recovered quickly.
After exercising early in the morning, I felt incredibly energetic.
The housekeeper continued to prepare three meals a day for her as usual, probably because Zhong Yan had specifically instructed her to do so before leaving. Every night, she would also make her a small bowl of sweet soup, which effectively deterred Jin Huan from her craving for milk tea.
For the first few days, Jin Huan chatted with Zhong Yan via text. She didn't really have much to say, just asking him if he was tired from work and if he was sleeping well. Jin Huan didn't know what else to say. It seemed like she and Zhong Yan didn't have much to talk about.
Moreover, even though Zhong Yan said not to worry about bothering him, she still didn't want to disturb his work.
The night before Jin Huan was to go to school, she cautiously made a video call to Zhong Yan.
She asked him beforehand if he had time, and only after receiving a definite answer did she make the video call.
Zhong Yan just finished a meeting at this time.
He was fully dressed and had everything he needed, clearly having just come from a formal meeting. In front of him was a glass of water, and beside him were a pen and a notebook with some key points written down.
Jin Huan was on the sofa in her room, wearing her pajamas. When the video call connected, she saw Zhong Yan and was momentarily stunned for half a second before smiling and greeting him, "You just finished?"
"Hmm," Zhong Yan responded, rubbing his temples. "We just had a three-hour meeting."
He needs to maintain a high level of mental intensity during these meetings because they are very mentally taxing. He only feels double the fatigue after they end, especially since he hasn't been getting enough rest lately, and his temples are very sore.
Jin Huan could tell he was very tired, but even so, he video-chatted with her as soon as it ended. She kept it short and told Zhong Yan that she would be going to school starting tomorrow.
“I know,” Zhong Yan said calmly. “I will have the driver pick you up on time.”
Unlike before when she lived at school, she now needs more commuting time, and her family driver will pick her up and drop her off on time.
Jin Huan sat properly, carefully examining Zhong Yan's face through her phone screen. He seemed much colder than she had seen him in the past week, probably because he was working and very tired, which Jin Huan could completely understand.
Jin Huan told him that she bought two potted plants the day before yesterday and planned to grow them until they bloomed in the spring, which she was looking forward to.
As she spoke, Zhong Yan stopped what he was doing and listened. He picked up his water glass and took small sips, his expression extremely subdued.
Jin Huan laid out some ordinary words, her eyes bright, and looked at Zhong Yan. She paused for a moment and then said, "I miss you very much."
She thinks about him every night before she goes to sleep.
Of course, it wasn't just at night; she also longed for him during the day. When she was eating, she would be alone at the table, and occasionally when she looked up, she would hallucinate that Zhong Yan was sitting opposite her.
He watched her quietly as he poured her water.
She said she missed him so sincerely, so sincerely that Zhong Yan paused for half a second before replying, "Mm."
Jin Huan suddenly remembered something and asked Zhong Yan if he had any time left, as she had something to show him.
It only takes two minutes, just two minutes.
Zhong Yan nodded.
Jin Huan then ran away from the camera. Zhong Yan felt as if a gust of wind had swept past her through the screen. She ran incredibly fast, and then less than two minutes later, she was back in front of the screen.
Jin Huan, who was originally still wearing her pajamas, had already changed her clothes.
She always dresses casually, preferring light colors and soft fabrics, which always make her look very gentle. With spring just around the corner, Jin Huan bought a very spring-like outfit: light-colored jeans paired with a mint green sweater. The sweater had a small V-neck, which perfectly showed off her collarbone, making her look radiant and full of springtime charm.
"What are you showing me?" Zhong Yan asked.
Jin Huan twirled in front of the camera, opened her arms to show him, and explained, "I bought this at the mall a couple of days ago, and I really like it."
"I want to wear it for you to see."
Actually, this was the outfit she originally planned to wear for Valentine's Day, but now that she looks at the time, Zhong Yan probably won't be back by Valentine's Day, but the first thing she wanted to do after wearing it was to show it to him.
I just wanted to wear it for him to see.
Jin Huan wanted Zhong Yan to see everything she liked or thought was beautiful.
Sigh, I wonder what kind of clothes he would prefer her to wear. Jin Huan has been trying to figure it out. I guess this is what it feels like to like someone. You always want him to see a better version of yourself.
So this is what I showed him... I thought there was something else...
Zhong Yan finally smiled and said, "It looks great."
Jin Huan was very happy to hear this.
She also wore a silver pearl necklace. Originally, she planned to wear a small pearl earring and a half-up hairstyle with this outfit.
However, she was in a hurry, so she could only show him a necklace like this.
Jin Huan sat down on the sofa again.
Knowing that it was time to end the video call and not want to take up any more of his time, Jin Huan was reluctant to part. She didn't know how long it would be before she could see Zhong Yan again, let alone get closer to him... They had only done it once, the night before he left.
Zhong Yan remained as patient and restrained as ever.
"Then you should rest well and don't overwork yourself." Jin Huan gave him her last words. She looked at Mr. Zhong in the video with reluctance, sniffed, as if she could smell his scent and feel that he was right beside her.
Zhong Yan looked at her quietly and nodded slightly.
After hanging up the video call, Jin Huan sat alone on the sofa for a while before getting up to change her clothes.
Tonight, my aunt made lotus root and pork rib soup. She didn't have much of an appetite, so she ate some lotus root and pork ribs with the soup, but didn't eat anything else.
It started raining after dark.
Jin Huan sat on the sofa with her laptop, working on her experimental plan for the semester. Outside, raindrops were pattering down. She was completely absorbed in her own world. After some time, she yawned and leaned back on the sofa, wanting to rest for a while.
Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.
She was awakened by thunder.
Thunder rumbled outside. In the room, only a small desk lamp was on. Jin Huan was curled up on the sofa, covered with a blanket, with her computer still beside her. Jin Huan woke up groggily and looked outside. The light rain had turned into a downpour, and thunder and lightning suddenly ripped through the night sky.
The heart turned into a crystal hanging in the air.
Jin Huan reached out to touch her phone.
She was so engrossed in writing that her phone was almost out of battery when she fumbled for it, opened it, and glanced at the time.
It's 2 a.m.
Jin Huan took a deep breath, put on her slippers, climbed into bed, covered herself tightly with the blanket, closed her eyes, and tried to fall asleep again.
I'm going to school tomorrow, and it'll be the first day of the new year when I meet everyone. It wouldn't look good to have such dark circles under my eyes.
Jin Huan closed her eyes, and drowsiness slowly crept in. Perhaps it was because the weather was so bad that the thunder kept booming into her dreams, and she began to have nightmares.
Jin Huan rarely has nightmares.
She had recurring nightmares when she was a teenager. She dreamt that her parents threw her into the sea or abandoned her on a cliff. She cried and screamed for help, but no one paid any attention to her.
At home, her aunt would usually come to comfort her at this time.
Her aunt would hug her and tell her it was okay, then gently pat her back and sing to lull her to sleep. No matter how late it was, her aunt would still come and stay with her until dawn.
She hadn't had such a nightmare in a long time, and she hadn't needed anyone to comfort her in a long time either.
Perhaps it was because the house was too big, the bed too big, the surrounding air was unusually cold, and the weather was terrible, that she had this dream again, which is rare for her.
Half-asleep, Jin Huan reached for her phone and dialed a number.
The call was connected quickly.
"Mr. Zhong?" Jin Huan called out to him as soon as she heard the call connect. Her voice trembled pitifully, and one sentence was enough to tell that something was wrong.
"I didn't mean to bother you," Jin Huan said softly. "I just had a nightmare, and I'm a little scared."
When I was scared, the first person I thought of was Zhong Yan, so I called him. I didn't know if I was bothering him too abruptly, so I spoke in a very soft voice, trying to explain to him carefully and hoping to get some understanding for my dramatic behavior.
She knew that having nightmares about thunder was a bit dramatic, and seemed like she was deliberately trying to get attention or sympathy. In the past, Jin Huan would have processed this fear on her own, but right now, on this bed, she really wanted to hear Zhong Yan's voice.
Jin Huan rarely felt such a strong attachment to anyone, not even her aunt. Ever since she was essentially without parents, she had come to understand the pain and cruelty of this world.
Zhong Yan's tone was heavy, revealing no emotion. He simply asked, "Nightmare?"
Jin Huan sniffed, trying to suppress her unusual voice. She tried her best to keep her tone normal, not wanting Zhong Yan to think that she was immature and disobedient, only capable of doing pretentious and useless things.
She said as calmly and quietly as possible, "Yes, it's thundering outside."
Her mind was still calculating the time difference, thinking that it should be right after dinner on his end. If Zhong Yan was at home, he would usually be working at this time, or he would definitely be busy with something else. He rarely had any free time, not to mention when he was away on business trips, he would definitely be even busier.
Jin Huan carefully held her breath and cautiously asked, "Did I disturb you?"
The tone was completely different from when we were video chatting in the afternoon. Gone was the excitement and anticipation; it sounded just like a kitten shivering in the rain.
There was a few seconds of silence on Zhong Yan's end. He didn't answer her question, but instead asked, "Do you want me to coax you?"
Jin Huan opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't utter a sound.
She neither admitted nor denied it; all that could be heard through the receiver was her deliberately restrained breathing.
"Put your phone aside, I won't hang up," Zhong Yan said softly. "I'll wait until you fall asleep."
His breathing was soft and low, coming from the phone, which gave Jin Huan a sense of security. She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep again.
With the sound of even breathing, one might think the person has finally fallen asleep, but then a soft sobbing sound follows. The person is crying in their sleep, but seems to remember something and is trying hard to restrain themselves. They seem to have forgotten something, only remembering that they cannot make a sound and disturb others.
Zhong Yan frowned slightly upon hearing the sound.
I'm trapped in a nightmare.
Even so, he dared not cry out loud, as if he was tightly holding himself back. He could feel the deep sense of grievance through the receiver. Zhong Yan's breathing stopped for a few seconds, and so did his heart.
"Jin Huan?" Zhong Yan tried to call her, his voice soft, "Jin Huan, Xiao Bao... good child, don't cry."
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