Chapter 145 Whispering Sweet nothings—My Yingying…
Chapter 145
As soon as the name Qi Donghan was uttered, Meng Yingying's tears fell as well.
Qi Donghan also saw her.
He instinctively took a step forward to meet them, but then stopped abruptly, his fist clenched so tightly that the cuffs of his coat wrinkled.
The two were separated by a sea of heads, as if they were separated by a raging river.
More than four years later, Meng Yingying was still beautiful. She was still wearing the same white cashmere coat she wore back then. Her skin was fair and her features were clean, like a bright and lustrous pearl.
She has gradually become gentler from her youthful naiveté.
Perhaps due to her years of dancing, she has a tall and graceful figure. Standing in the huge crowd, she didn't do anything, yet she instantly became the focus of attention.
Qi Donghan's eyes darkened. Afraid she couldn't see him clearly, he simply raised his right hand over his shoulder and waved gently, "Yingying."
A silent shout.
The gesture was exactly the same as when he took her to the station years ago.
Even though several years have passed, Meng Yingying still remembers it vividly.
With just this one gesture, Meng Yingying's tears streamed down her face.
She disregarded everything else, picked up the wicker trunk, and stumbled after them.
Meng Yingying lunged forward, but Qi Donghan darted forward, stretched out his long arm, and scooped her and her suitcase into his arms.
"Slow down, Yingying."
The moment she lunged at him, Qi Donghan caught her perfectly, and they embraced warmly in the bustling train station.
The comfort and softness of being held in his arms filled the void in Qi Donghan's heart.
His voice was terribly hoarse, and his palm covered her back; even through the thick woolen fabric, he could feel her excessively rapid heartbeat.
Meng Yingying didn't answer, but buried her face in his shoulder.
The familiar scent, a mixture of mint soap and a faint tobacco aroma, filled his nostrils. Her tears dampened the collar of his coat, burning his heart.
"You've started smoking again?"
She sniffed, looked up, and asked with teary eyes.
Qi Donghan didn't dare to look her in the eye, and only nodded hesitantly with his eyes lowered.
Meng Yingying raised her eyebrows and glared at him, "I'll settle the score with you when we get back."
After more than four years of separation, estrangement, and estrangement, this one sentence instantly bridged the gap.
Qi Donghan was not angry at all; on the contrary, he was quite happy. The feeling of being controlled by Meng Yingying had returned.
Instead of a cold, impersonal home and the emptiness behind it, which makes one feel extremely uncomfortable.
Behind them, Meng Yingying's group of Russian classmates and teachers finally arrived and surrounded them in a semi-circle.
Jane and Arkhipova had met Qi Donghan before, but the others had not; this was the first time they had met Meng Yingying's lover.
So much so that when he saw Qi Donghan's tall and strong physique, and how he held the petite Meng Yingying in his arms, he was deeply moved.
Someone spoke first, "This is Meng's husband?"
"Oh my god, this man is so handsome, he looks a bit like a Siberian leopard!"
"No wonder the boys in our college have no chance; it turns out Meng likes this kind of... tough guy."
"Looking at it this way, the boys in our school really can't compare."
Listening to the whispers around me.
Jane crossed her arms and added in Chinese with a smile, "Commander Qi, I've heard so much about you. You're a legendary man in their academy."
After entering the top ballet school, Meng Yingying, with her yellow skin and black hair, made a name for herself.
She was young, beautiful, and talented, so much so that quite a few men wanted to make a move on her.
However, Meng Yingying rejected all of them.
Qi Donghan understood the unspoken meaning in Jian Yan's words. He released his grip, but did not completely let go of Meng Yingying. Instead, he changed from embracing her to holding her in his arms.
Qi Donghan nodded to Jian, "Jian, it's been a long time."
Jane: "Long time no see."
Just then, Yang Jie and her team arrived to welcome the international contestants.
Yang Jie saw Meng Yingying first, nodded to her, and then said to Jian, "Jian, welcome to our country."
Jane stepped forward and gave her a big hug.
As the leader and the hostess, Yang Jie naturally exchanged pleasantries.
But Gu Xiaotang was different. After she arrived, all her attention was on Meng Yingying. Even though she was in her mid-twenties, she still had the demeanor of a young girl.
"Senior sister."
Her eyes were red. "Senior sister, you're finally back."
Meng Yingying went over and hugged Gu Xiaotang. After comforting her, she went to introduce her to Yang Jie.
Among this group, she was the link between the two sides.
With her introduction, the two quickly became closer.
By the time they arrived at the Capital Song and Dance Troupe, they were practically family. After settling them all in, Meng Yingying wanted to go back home.
However, Yang Jie said, "Time is very tight. You can go back, but you'll only have three to five days at most before you have to come back to the unit."
"You know there's going to be a competition, and there will be waves of contestants coming from abroad."
"We'll need to host them then."
“Yingying, you are the pillar of strength, the backbone. If you weren’t here, the humiliation you suffered four years ago would happen again.”
"So even if you go back, the most time I can give you is only a week."
With Meng Yingying around, their country's ballet will have a place among these different countries.
But Meng Yingying wasn't there, so they just waited for what happened four years ago, when someone came to their door to humiliate them.
Meng Yingying hesitated for a moment, "I know, I will do it as soon as possible."
"But teacher, please find me a place to rest first. I've been on the train for nine days, and I'm completely exhausted."
"A dormitory is fine, a house is fine, anywhere is fine."
Yang Jie was both amused and exasperated. "Yingying, you really have no awareness of your current status and position."
"With your current level, your status has been different from the moment you stepped into the country."
“If you go back to the National Ballet of China, you will be at the instructor level. The National Ballet of China provides separate rooms for its instructors.”
"I'll have Xiao Tang take you there in a bit. You can also take Commander Qi with you. Rest first, and then you can go back to your unit in Harbin to catch up."
"But let's make this clear first, it'll be at most a week, and you have to come back after a week."
"This is both an order and a mission."
Yang Jie's move was ruthless; she directly prepared a house for Meng Yingying in the capital, where land is incredibly expensive.
Only after having a home did Meng Yingying feel attached to this place.
Instead of constantly thinking about returning to Harbin to be stationed with the team.
This is the most fundamental and core issue.
Meng Yingying knew that her teacher had endured pressure from all sides to secure this time this week.
"Teacher, I know."
"Alright, go ahead." Yang Jie pushed her out. "You've traveled a long way, go back and get some rest first."
Meng Yingying hummed in agreement. Gu Xiaotang led the way, chattering away all the way, which was quite unusual for her. It was clear that she had been well-trained under Yang Jie's guidance over the past four years.
Her eyes no longer looked as gloomy and bewildered as they used to be; in fact, they even had a touch of lightness.
Gu Xiaotang seems to have completely emerged from that previous period of darkness.
"Little Tang."
Meng Yingying called out softly.
Gu Xiaotang turned to look at her, her eyes smiling, "Senior Sister?"
Meng Yingying didn't say anything, but simply raised her hand to touch Gu Xiaotang's hair, and Gu Xiaotang couldn't help but chatter away.
"Senior sister, after you left, I have always been the undisputed number one in the National Ballet of China, and by a wide margin."
“As I get older, my teachers have started having me mentor new students.” As she said this, she turned around, her smile gentle, no longer sharp as before. “Senior, I’m now an intern instructor at the ballet company.”
"If nothing unexpected happens, I will stay with the ballet company and be a coach for life."
"My teacher also helped me apply for an apartment. It's not big, just a one-bedroom apartment, but it's just enough for me to live in by myself. Oh, and I also have a cat and a dog."
Mentioning cats and dogs, Gu Xiaotang's eyes lit up with a genuine smile. "They're so cute, Senior Sister. I'll take you to see them after you settle in."
Meng Yingying nodded as she looked at Gu Xiaotang, who was speaking eloquently.
She knew that during the four years she was away, Gu Xiaotang had also saved himself countless times, which led to the situation he was in today.
Meng Yingying was very happy, really very happy.
She stepped forward and hugged Gu Xiaotang, saying gently, "Xiaotang, you're amazing."
Gu Xiaotang paused, her eyes welling up with tears. "Senior sister, it was you and the teacher who showed me a different path."
That's why she risked everything to save herself.
That's why they repeatedly break ties with their parents, even becoming enemies and severing all relations.
That's how we got to where we are today.
"It's because you're good, and it's because you didn't give up."
Meng Yingying said softly.
Gu Xiaotang looked at her and the two of them smiled at each other.
Upon arriving at the faculty dormitory building, Gu Xiaotang took a key and stopped at the entrance of a second-floor apartment. "Senior sister, this is the apartment assigned to you."
"I won't go in, here's the key."
She even winked playfully at Meng Yingying.
Of course, in the end, all eyes fell on Qi Donghan.
Qi Donghan is a very noticeable person, but when he deliberately restrains himself, Gu Xiaotang almost forgets his existence several times.
If she hadn't turned back at the door, she would have forgotten that Qi Donghan was still there.
Seeing Gu Xiaotang looking at him, Qi Donghan nodded to her, and Gu Xiaotang disappeared in a flash, like a mouse seeing a cat.
As soon as she left, the surroundings became quiet.
Meng Yingying took the key, opened the door, and went inside with Qi Donghan. It was a proper two-bedroom apartment, not large, but fully equipped.
Meng Yingying looked around and saw that it was about 60 square meters, with two beds, a table, and two chairs.
Everything should be kept simple.
It's clear that this is already the best condition in the workplace. The only problem is that they still need to gradually add furniture themselves.
Meng Yingying turned around and reached out her hand to Qi Donghan, "Qi Donghan."
Welcome to my home.
From then on, Meng Yingying was completely settled in this era; she had her own house and her own home.
Qi Donghan's eyes were dark as he stared at her. "Yingying, are you still coming home with me?"
Meng Yingying smiled and said, "Of course."
She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Qi Donghan's waist, saying, "The family compound of the Harbin garrison is our home, but this place is also our home."
“Qi Donghan, when we come to the capital from Harbin again, we won’t need to go to the guesthouse anymore. We will have our own house and our own home.”
And this is happening in a place like the capital.
Qi Donghan had misunderstood; he thought Meng Yingying wasn't going home with him anymore, but it turned out she meant something else entirely.
He grunted in agreement, then stepped forward, picked her up, and strode into the bedroom.
He didn't forget to hook the door shut with one foot, and with a click, the door closed.
The room was dark, with only dappled light filtering in from the window, casting shadows on Meng Yingying's face.
He placed her on the edge of the table, his palm still clasped behind her waist, unwilling to let go.
The two people were separated by a layer of coarse cloth, yet the heat was terrifying.
“Yingying,” Qi Donghan’s voice was low and hoarse, and that one word, “Yingying,” seemed to contain a thousand emotions, “She seems to have lost a lot of weight.”
Meng Yingying looked up at him, her gaze tender and gentle.
Qi Donghan couldn't stand such a gaze. His fingers brushed past her ear, down her neck to her shoulder, and stopped on her prominent collarbone, gently caressing it.
Meng Yingying felt itchy from being rubbed and tried to turn her head away, but he grabbed the back of her head with his other hand, making her unable to move.
“I haven’t lost weight,” she answered softly, her breath brushing against his bluish chin. “I’ve actually gained two pounds. Moscow bread is very filling.”
"Being a little chubby is good." Qi Dong laughed heartily, his thin lips brushing against her earlobe, his warm breath seeping in. "He can take on more trouble."
One sentence made her ears burn bright red.
Meng Yingying reached out to pull at his collar, her fingertips touching the first button, the coolness of the metal colliding with the heat of his skin.
Her fingers trembled, and the button popped open, revealing a long scar below her collarbone.
That was the merit he earned when he received a second-class merit award.
Meng Yingying traced the scar back and forth with her fingertips, her nose stinging, but she leaned in and gently kissed it. "Was this a wound you sustained after I left?"
Qi Donghan's breathing became heavier the moment he touched her soft body. His hand slid from her lower back to her knees, and with a slight effort, he lifted her off the table and placed her on it.
"Hmm, it's not serious." He said it in a very casual tone.
Meng Yingying didn't say anything, but when he lifted her up, she reflexively wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist, and the hem of her coat brushed against the seam of his trousers, making a soft rustling sound.
"Qi Donghan." Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, whispering in his ear, "I'm back."
“I know.” He helped her walk from the table toward the metal bunk bed, each step making the floor tremble slightly, “because I can see it and touch it.”
Instead of being like before, as if it could disappear at any moment.
He placed her on the edge of the bed, knelt on one knee, and used his fingers to loosen the belt of her coat, causing the wool fabric to slip down and revealing the close-fitting blue sweater underneath.
Meng Yingying bent down to undo the belt around his waist. The metal buckle clicked, and the belt fell to the ground, the last line of defense was removed.
Qi Donghan leaned down and swept his gaze over Yingying's nose, lips, and chin, as if overjoyed at finding something she had lost.
"My Yingying is finally back."
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