Chapter 40
Although he no longer objected on the surface, Jiang Hai still had a thorn in his heart.
When it was late at night and everyone was asleep, he would often stand on the balcony, looking at the flashing neon lights in the distance, with a lot of thoughts in his mind.
On a quiet night, he recalled every moment he and his sister had spent together.
He loves his sister more than his parents. In his heart, his sister is the best and most perfect person in the world!
He should bless his sister when she meets someone she likes.
"But..." Jiang Hai gripped the railing tightly. He was worried that the worldly perspective would put pressure on Jiang Jiang, and that this unique relationship would make his sister suffer.
Jiang Hai threw himself onto the sofa in annoyance and stared at the ceiling in a daze.
Finally, he let out a long sigh.
Since his sister has chosen this path, all he can do is protect her as much as possible.
At least, he couldn't let his sister be sad because of his attitude anymore.
*
Xiaoan was repeatedly adjusting her hair in front of the mirror.
She changed into her new clothes today and even put on some light peach-colored lipstick.
"Is this too deliberate?" Xiaoan looked left and right in the mirror, and finally picked up the makeup remover cotton to wipe off the lipstick and changed back to a lighter color.
But before going out, she couldn't help but spray some perfume. It is said that this perfume is a very popular scent among lesbians.
In the elevator, Xiaoan kept taking deep breaths, his heart beating so fast that it seemed like it was about to jump out of his chest.
She clutched her phone in her hand and took a deep breath.
The elevator slowly ascended, and she began to practice smiling in front of the elevator mirror, smoothing her hair from time to time. "Be more natural, don't be too deliberate..."
With a "ding" sound, the elevator door opened.
Xiaoan walked out of the elevator, turned a corner, and then stood there in a daze.
In the corridor, Liang Rou's door was wide open, and a woman in a red dress was leaning against the door frame.
The woman had delicate makeup on and her curly hair was lazily draped over her shoulders. She was saying something to Liang Rou, and her fingers painted with bright red nail polish touched Liang Rou's arm from time to time.
What made Xiaoan most suffocated was that Liang Rou was covering her mouth and smiling with her eyes curved because of the woman's words.
The pair of eyes that were always cool and gentle were now filled with smiles. It was obviously not an ordinary polite smile, but a real smile of joy, sparkling in the morning light.
Xiaoan felt as if someone was gripping his heart tightly, and a sour feeling spread from his chest to his throat.
"Really, what am I doing..." Xiaoan subconsciously took a step back. She wanted to turn around and escape immediately, and wanted to retreat to her own space to lick her wounds alone.
"Woof! Woof!" Mimi had a very sensitive nose and spotted her from a distance. She excitedly rushed out of the door and called out twice to Xiaoan who was still at the elevator door.
Mimi's cry made Liang Rouhe and the woman look over.
Liang Rou's smile deepened a little, and she waved to Xiao An who was not far away.
Xiaoan stood there, his lips tightly pursed, hesitating whether to go over.
Seeing the confusion in Liang Rou's eyes, and even the bewitching woman next to her looking puzzled, Xiao An gritted his teeth and walked over.
She straightened her back and tried to force a smile, "Hello... Hello!"
Her voice was dry and her eyes were wandering. She didn't dare to look at Liang Rou's face.
The woman in the red dress looked at her curiously, "Who is this little beauty?"
"A friend of mine, Xiaoan," Liang Rou introduced. "This is my friend Yunning, who is also my editor."
"It's Xiaoan!" Yun Ning was very familiar. She put her arm around Xiaoan's shoulders, and the rich scent of perfume on her body almost made Xiaoan faint. "When did you meet our Rourou? Why haven't I heard of you before?"
Xiaoan's whole body was as stiff as a board. He felt extremely lost because of Yun Ning's words "our Rourou". For a moment, he did not break free from Yun Ning's arms.
"I'm in my twenties, not a kid anymore!" Xiaoan said sullenly with his eyes downcast.
"Hahaha, you're so cute!" Yun Ning smiled and pinched Xiaoan's face. "For people like us who are in our thirties, you really are still a child!"
A hint of displeasure flashed across Liang Rou's eyes. She suddenly took a step forward and pulled Xiaoan to her side without leaving any trace.
"Why are you here today?" Her voice was much softer than usual. Her fingertips lightly touched Xiaoan's wrist and then left, but it made Xiaoan's heart skip a beat.
Yun Ning raised an eyebrow, noticing something different about Liang Rou.
She looked back and forth between the two of them, with an expression of sudden realization on her face, "Oh, I suddenly remembered that I have something else to do!"
She winked at Liang Rou and said, "Then I'll leave first?"
Liang Rou ignored Yun Ning's teasing look, but her smile was mixed with a hint of threat.
Yun Ning was not afraid. She raised her eyebrows at Liang Rou and walked away gracefully in her high heels, leaving behind a faint scent of perfume.
The corridor suddenly became quiet.
Xiaoan lowered his head and stared at a stain on his shoe.
Even if you dress up carefully, you still don't deserve it.
Her mind went blank.
"Xiaoan?" Liang Rou called softly, "What do you want to talk to me about?"
"I..." Xiaoan took a deep breath and raised his head suddenly, but when he met Liang Rou's gaze, he became timid again, "It's...that..."
Liang Rou's eyes flashed with helplessness, and she replied softly, "Hmm?"
Xiao An took a deep breath and raised his head in panic. "My company is having a team-building trip this weekend to a rural tourist resort. Everyone can bring one person. I wanted to ask you, would you like to come with us? Just think of it as, thank you for letting me stay overnight..."
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Xiaoan wanted to bite off his tongue.
This excuse is ridiculously lame. Who would come to say thank you after such a long time?
What’s more, the people who come for the company’s team-building activities are all relatives and friends, and they are not close enough to travel together!
Liang Rou stared at Xiaoan and didn't say anything for a long time.
Xiaoan lowered her head, her heart sinking little by little, and her nails unconsciously dug into her palms.
Wasn't that too abrupt? Liang Rou must have seen through her little tricks. She might be disgusted and want to stop interacting with her...
"Okay!" Liang Rou said suddenly.
"Ah?" Xiaoan looked up suddenly, thinking he had misheard.
"I agree." Liang Rou's lips curled up slightly, "It just so happens that I have nothing to do this weekend!"
She paused and added, "I've been lacking inspiration lately, and I just want to change my environment to find some inspiration!"
Xiaoan's eyes lit up instantly, as if someone had sprinkled a handful of stars into them. "Great! There's also a picking garden and a barbecue area there! It's said to be very idyllic and make people feel very comfortable!"
Liang Rou looked at Xiaoan, who was dancing in front of her, and her eyes softened unconsciously.
The sunlight slanted in through the window, giving Xiaoan's profile a golden edge, and even the fine hairs on her ears were clearly visible.
"Well, it's settled then." Liang Rou said softly, "Will you pick me up then?"
"Yeah!" Xiaoan nodded vigorously, smiling so hard that his teeth were showing.
She turned to leave, but suddenly remembered something and turned back, "Um, Miss Yun..."
She originally wanted to ask if it would disturb Liang Rou and Yun Ning's discussion.
In fact, she is the only one who is struggling with what she is thinking in her heart.
"Just a work partner!" Liang Rou interrupted her, a hint of laughter in her voice, "We've been friends for ten years!"
Xiaoan stood there, his heart pounding.
Is Liang Rou explaining this to her?
This realization made her feel light and airy, and she almost tripped and fell when she left.
Back in her apartment, Xiaoan threw herself onto the bed, buried her face in the pillow and screamed silently.
She took out her cell phone and couldn't wait to send a message to Jiang Jiang!
“She said yes!!!”
After sending the message, Xiaoan turned over and lay on his back on the bed, looking at the ceiling and smiling foolishly.
Outside the window, a sparrow landed on the balcony railing, tilted its head and looked curiously at the humans dancing in the house, then flapped its wings and flew away.
The sunlight shines through the gauze curtains, casting mottled shadows on the floor, as if it is also rejoicing for Xiaoan's good mood.
Jiang Jiangzheng and Xiaobai are sorting out the ingredients they bought from the supermarket.
Seeing the message sent by Xiaoan, Jiang Jiang rolled his eyes speechlessly.
"Look at what you've accomplished!" she replied.
Xiaobai came over from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, staring at the screen curiously, "What's wrong?"
"It's a group activity organized by the company. Everyone can bring one person. Xiaoan invited Sister Liang Rou!" Jiang Jiang explained with a smile, his finger lightly sliding across the page on his phone.
She suddenly thought of something and turned to look at the living room. Jiang Hai was lying on the sofa playing games.
She originally wanted to take Xiaobai with her to the company's team-building event, but Jiang Hai is on summer vacation with her recently, and she can't just ignore her younger brother!
"What's wrong?" Xiaobai keenly noticed Jiang Jiang's hesitation.
Jiang Jiang shook her head, feeling a little conflicted. She sent a message to Xiao An, "I originally wanted to take Xiao Bai with me, but Jiang Hai is staying with me during the summer vacation. I can't leave him here alone. Can you help me ask if anyone is not bringing anyone else so that I can bring an extra person? Thank you!"
Xiaoan's message popped up on the phone, "Okay, I'll ask!"
It is rare for a company to go on a team-building trip without bringing friends and family. Jiang Jiangzheng was thinking that if it really didn't work out, he could just spend one person's money to let Jiang Hai bring his own.
Just as Jiang Jiang was pondering, Xiao An sent a message, "I've found out. Xiao Zhang from our department is from out of town, his parents are both out of town, and he's single. His spot can be given to Jiang Hai! But... he and Xiao Zhang have to share a room! See if Jiang Hai agrees."
This made Jiang Jiang's eyes light up, and without even asking Jiang Hai, he quickly replied that it was no problem!
We are all grown men, why can’t we live together?
Facing Xiaobai's worried eyes, Jiang Jiang smiled and said, "It's okay, it's all solved!"
Xiaobai happily hugged Jiang Jiang's waist and kissed her on the face, "That's great!"
This action caused Jiang Hai on the sofa to snort loudly. He pressed the screen of his mobile phone hard, and with a fierce look in his eyes, he madly attacked the opponent in the game.
*
On weekends, the company bus departs on time.
Jiang Hai was originally excited about traveling with his sister, but when he saw Xiaobai following Jiang Jiang closely, his face fell again.
The bus swayed towards the manor, and the leader arranged rooms for everyone.
Jiang Hai stared at the assigned room number, then looked at Jiang Jiang's and Xiao Bai's in disbelief.
Jiang Jiang glanced at Jiang Hai calmly, "What's wrong?"
Jiang Hai was dissatisfied and asked, "Why can't I room with you?!"
"How do you live with different genders?" Jiang Jiang looked at him speechlessly. "How old are you?"
Jiang Hai took the room card angrily and muttered sarcastically, "Oh, she is of the same gender!" He glanced resentfully at Xiaobai who was looking around excitedly.
The manor where the company went for team building was more beautiful than I imagined.
Vast tracts of farmland are planted with all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Neat grape racks are standing on the distant hillsides, and the air is filled with the fragrance of soil and plants.
Xiaobai was like a curious kitten, pulling Jiang Jiang around.
"Ginger, ginger, ginger! Cucumbers actually grow on vines!" She squatted in front of a green leaf and carefully touched the small cucumber hanging on the vine.
"Yes!" Jiang Jiang couldn't help laughing.
Xiaobai's eyes sparkled. "Eggplants are like that too. I've only seen the fruit before, but this is how it grows!"
As the sun sets, wisps of smoke rise from the barbecue area.
Xiaobai volunteered to help grill the skewers. Although he was not very skilled, he was very serious.
Jiang Jiang sat aside, watching her busy figure in the fireworks, and a warm feeling surged in his heart.
"Here!" Xiaobai suddenly handed over a string of golden roasted chicken wings, "Jiang Jiang, this should be the most delicious!" Xiaobai boasted.
I took a bite of the Jiang Jiang and it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with just the right amount of seasoning.
"Yes, it's really delicious!" She praised sincerely, not noticing that Xiaobai secretly hid the other burnt skewers of meat behind him.
As night falls, the tranquility of the countryside is completely different from that of the city.
There are no shrill horns, no bustling crowds, only the rustling of the wind through the wheat fields and the chirping of insects.
After eating and drinking, people went back to their rooms in groups of three or four to rest. Jiang Jiang suddenly remembered something and slapped his forehead, "Oh, I forgot my laptop bag on the bus!"
She also has a work summary to send to her boss.
Jiang Jiang asked the driver, and the driver said that the bus was not locked and was in the parking lot.
When the driver heard that Jiang Jiang was coming over, he asked Jiang Jiang to help close the car door.
"I'll go!" Xiaobai stood up and volunteered.
Jiang Jiang shook her head and said, "It's in the parking lot. I can go there by myself." She was afraid that Xiaobai might take the wrong thing without knowing, so it would be better for her to go there herself. Besides, the parking lot was not far away, so there was no need for both of them to go.
The lighting in the manor is very limited. In order to create a pastoral atmosphere, there are only a few antique street lamps scattered around.
Jiang Jiang walked towards the gate alone. The cool night wind blew across her bare arms, and she shivered unconsciously.
The chirping of unknown insects rang out in the grass, sometimes far away and sometimes near, seeming particularly eerie in the silent night.
"It's quite dark..." Jiang Jiang muttered softly and quickened his pace.
As the driver said, the bus was not locked and the doors were not closed.
Jiang Jiang walked up and quickly found her bag with the help of the light from her cell phone.
Just as she got out of the car and closed the door, she suddenly heard a "crack" sound behind her, as if someone had stepped on a branch and broken it.
"Xiaobai?" Jiang Jiang subconsciously wanted to look back, thinking that Xiaobai was following him out of worry.
The next second, a pair of unfamiliar arms tightly hugged her from behind!
It was the embrace of an adult man, with a strong smell of cigarettes, alcohol and sweat, completely different from Xiaobai's refreshing scent.
"Ah!!" Jiang Jiang's scream pierced the night sky. She struggled desperately and slammed her elbow backwards.
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