The cool morning breeze gently caressed her face, instantly lifting Xu Ningyan's spirits.
He pedaled the bicycle very fast, and in the basket on the back of the bicycle were the fruits and vegetables he had brought.
When they arrived at the department store, she was the first one to arrive at the supply and marketing department.
After sweeping the office, tidying the desks, and getting hot water, Sister Yang and the others arrived one after another.
Upon seeing Xu Ningyan, they all greeted her with smiles and exchanged a few pleasantries.
Xu Ningyan gave everyone in the office a portion of the vegetables she brought, and then gave some of the leftovers to Lin Hong. She then gave the basket to Sister Hu as well, and very casually told her that she would be having lunch at her house.
Sister Hu smiled broadly when she saw the half-full basket of vegetables. Seeing that Xu Ningyan looked well, she felt relieved.
During the time she was away in the countryside, her husband worried every night, not only staying up half the night but also pulling her aside to ponder whether they should pick out a few suitable candidates to prepare if Gu Zhiyuan and Xu Ningyan really didn't get together.
Once the two really break up, they'll immediately arrange something for Xu Ningyan.
When they got really into it, the two even argued about a particular person until dawn.
I've had dark circles under my eyes for several days now, and my colleagues are teasing me, saying we've been married for years, how can I still be so energetic? Did I stay up all night?
Sister Hu was also worried about Xu Ningyan, and she was even happier to see that Xu Ningyan was alright.
He confidently declared that he would cook his specialty dish for lunch.
The two chatted and laughed for a while, and seeing that it was almost time to go to work, Xu Ningyan parted ways with Sister Hu and returned to her office.
Not long after I sat down, the old gatekeeper ran to the door waving a letter in his hand: "Comrade Xu, Comrade Xu, there is a letter for you, sent from the capital!"
The gatekeeper had a loud voice, and his shout was heard not only by the people in the supply and marketing department, but also by people in the next office.
Everyone came out to see what was going on.
Xu Ningyan was taken aback, stood up, walked to the door, and took the letter.
The letter was in a kraft paper envelope with familiar handwriting. It read: "To: Xu Ningyan, Department of Supply and Marketing, Jingshan County Department Store, Jing Province." The sender's address was: "No. X, Chang'an Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing."
People may not be familiar with Dongcheng District in Beijing, but everyone knows the famous Chang'an Avenue.
The sharp-eyed colleagues next to him immediately looked at the letter with different eyes, their gazes filled with awe.
Xu Ningyan thanked the gatekeeper and took the letter into the supply and marketing department.
Everyone craned their necks to see the letter in Xu Ningyan's hand, but only Sister Yang dared to ask, "Is this a letter from Comrade Xiao Gu?"
Xu Ningyan nodded, placed the letter on her desk, sat down, and looked at the letter, momentarily hesitant to open it.
Sitting across from her, Sister Yang asked, "Why haven't you opened it yet? The letter arrived so soon after you got back; I reckon Comrade Gu wrote to you as soon as he returned to Beijing! You're a young, unmarried couple after all; you can't bear to part even after only being apart—"
His words were laced with teasing, and he deliberately spoke loudly so that the few colleagues outside who were still unwilling to leave could hear.
Xu Ningyan smiled, took a deep breath, and looked somewhat nervous.
Sister Yang smiled. After all, she was young. She was still acting like a young girl. She remembered how she felt when she received Lao Ding's letter back then. She was excited, nervous, and a little embarrassed.
Knowing that Xu Ningyan was shy, she tactfully got up, took her teacup, and went outside to chat with others, considerately giving Xu Ningyan some space.
Xu Ningyan steadied herself and opened the envelope.
This was probably the first time in her two lifetimes, apart from receiving emails, that she had received a letter written to her by hand.
The envelope was very thin; inside was just a single sheet of paper.
Ah Ning: Seeing this letter is like seeing you in person; reading it brings me joy.
As soon as the line of text came into view, Xu Ningyan's heart skipped a beat.
Suddenly I understand the romance of people in ancient times and people in this era.
These words, written on paper, traveled thousands of miles, through carriages and horses, over mountains and rivers, finally reaching another person's hands. Unfolding the letter, looking at the handwriting, one can guess what kind of mood and expression the other person had when writing this letter.
How can I not be romantic? How can I not make someone's heart flutter?
For example, even now, Xu Ningyan couldn't help but wonder what kind of expression and mood Gu Zhiyuan had when he wrote this letter.
Clutching her pounding heart, Xu Ningyan looked down.
The letter was short. Gu Zhiyuan explained at the beginning that he had written it in his spare time after arriving in the capital and completing the handover procedures. Because of the tight schedule, he could only let everyone know that he was safe. He had been away for two years and was returning to complete the handover procedures and make some work arrangements, so he estimated that he would be busy for a while.
However, he would write to her again once he was less busy! He also asked Xu Ningyan if there had been any rumors or gossip since he left, or if anyone had bullied her. He insisted that Xu Ningyan write to him and tell him everything! He urged her not to hide anything!
In the last paragraph of the letter, he wrote that he passed by Xishan Park and found that the lotus flowers were in full bloom. The lotus leaves stretched to the sky, an endless expanse of green, while the lotus flowers reflected the sun, a unique shade of red. It was a pity that Xu Ningyan could not see such a beautiful scene. However, he would wait until autumn when the red leaves of Xishan would be beautiful, and the color would become more intense with the frost, which would also be extremely beautiful!
Xu Ningyan laughed when she saw this part. It seemed that Gu Zhiyuan hadn't given up yet. He was trying to lure her away with the beautiful scenery of the capital.
While chatting with people outside, Sister Yang was also subtly keeping an eye on Xu Ningyan. When she saw Xu Ningyan's smile, she felt much more at ease.
It seems the young engaged couple has a good relationship and is doing well!
Someone nearby noticed and whispered, "It seems that Xiao Xu's fiancé doesn't seem like a heartless man after all!"
Sister Yang rolled her eyes at the man: "Young Comrade Gu is not that kind of person. The young engaged couple has a very good relationship."
"Did you see the address on that envelope? The sender's address is Chang'an Street! The famous Chang'an Street! Do you think Comrade Gu lives on Chang'an Street? I heard that's where all the people living on Chang'an Street are—" He said, giving a thumbs up.
Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the words "Chang'an Avenue," and they all exclaimed in admiration.
Sister Yang knew more than these people. She knew that Gu Zhiyuan was originally from a certain unspeakable unit in Beijing, and that he had infiltrated Jingshan County in order to catch spies.
This time when I go back, I'm afraid I'll just be going back to work at my old company.
Those who can work on Chang'an Avenue are no ordinary people.
I couldn't help but sigh again. Xu Ningyan is truly blessed; she's like a sparrow in a book that flies up to become a phoenix. A mere village girl, through a stroke of luck, has actually climbed such a high tree!
She should try to befriend people like that even more.
Having made up her mind, Sister Yang smiled and subtly steered the conversation away from Gu Zhiyuan and Xu Ningyan.
Xu Ningyan read the letter twice more from beginning to end before carefully putting it away and stuffing it back in.
Thinking about it, the boss's current attitude towards her really is as he promised before; he is not unmoved.
Although it's unclear how long the big shot can maintain this attitude, it wouldn't be unreasonable to take advantage of his influence while he's being kind to her, right?
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