Gu Yanxiao took Xia Liang's hand and led her into the alley outside. Once they were sure no one was around, Gu Yanxiao pulled Xia Liang tightly into his arms. Xia Liang felt like she was suffocating, but she missed him too, so she didn't push him away. They hugged for several minutes before Gu Yanxiao reluctantly let go. He grabbed Xia Liang's hand, gently separating her fingers; their fingers were firmly intertwined. They went together to the state-run restaurant. Gu Yanxiao ordered the food, while Xia Liang sat at the table waiting for him. Because it was after get off work, the restaurant was crowded. When they arrived, they were already at the last table; if anyone else came, they would probably have to share.
Gu Yanxiao returned quickly. Looking at Xia Liang, he still wanted to hold her in his arms. It had been almost a year since they last met, and he missed her so much that his heart ached. However, there were too many people around, and to avoid unnecessary trouble, he had to hold back.
Gu Yanxiao had eaten a boxed meal on the train and was starving, but he still wanted to see Xia Liang first. He wolfed down his food, finishing a large bowl of rice in no time, then got a second bowl, and so on until he was eating his fourth bowl before slowing down. Xia Liang joked, "Little Gu is a bit hard to feed! Looks like I'll have to work harder in the future." Gu Yanxiao laughed and said, "Then Little Xia will have to work hard, I can eat a lot." He then leaned close to Xia Liang's ear and said, "We'll have to raise kids in the future. Half-grown boys will eat their fathers out of house and home. So have fewer kids, less pressure on their mothers, and more for their fathers to eat." His warm breath brushed against Xia Liang's ear, making her ears burn. Gu Yanxiao felt a tickle in his heart when he saw Xia Liang's red ears.
After leaving the state-run restaurant, the two went to the park they had visited earlier. Hand in hand, they strolled along the riverbank. Xia Liang accidentally stepped on a small pebble, twisted her ankle, and swayed to one side. Gu Yanxiao quickly reached out to steady her, pulling her into his arms. They pressed tightly together, and Xia Liang heard Gu Yanxiao's voice in her ear: "Are you alright?" Xia Liang shook her head, saying, "I'm fine, I just lost my balance." Gu Yanxiao didn't let go, remaining in that position without moving. Xia Liang looked up at him and saw that Gu Yanxiao's eyes were also looking at her, but his gaze seemed to want to suck her in. Xia Liang felt as if she had seen a black hole. Suddenly, the figure in front of her grew closer and closer, and her breath was suddenly taken away. Xia Liang was stunned.
At nine o'clock in the evening, Gu Yanxiao escorted Xia Liang to her dormitory building. After seeing her open the door and go inside, he turned around and went to the guesthouse.
Seeing Xia Liang return, Zhao Weiting asked with concern, "Why are you so late? Where did your boyfriend go?" Xia Liang, while changing her shoes, replied, "He brought me back and then went back to the guesthouse." Turning around, she noticed Zhao Weiting staring at her mouth and asked suspiciously, "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" She touched her mouth, her face flushing again as she thought about what had just happened. Zhao Weiting asked curiously, "Did you get bitten by a mosquito? It's so red and swollen!" Xia Liang felt her face burning and nodded, "Yes! I got bitten by a mosquito, a big, black-hearted mosquito." Zhao Weiting was puzzled. Mosquitoes can be black or not? Naive little Zhao!
The next day after get off work, Xia Liang went straight to the factory gate. She had arranged to meet Gu Yanxiao the day before. When she arrived, Gu Yanxiao was already waiting there, probably having arrived a while ago. Upon seeing her, Gu Yanxiao took her hand and asked, "What do you want to eat today?" Xia Liang replied cheerfully, "Whatever you want to eat." Gu Yanxiao patted her head affectionately and said, "Silly girl." When they arrived at the state-run restaurant, Gu Yanxiao ordered Xia Liang's favorite dishes. While they were eating, Gu Yanxiao suddenly said seriously, "Liang, shouldn't we meet each other's parents?" Xia Liang looked at him in confusion, "Why so suddenly?" Gu Yanxiao put down his chopsticks, took her hand, and said, "It's not sudden. I wanted to meet your parents as soon as we confirmed our relationship. Well, no, I wanted to meet them even before we were officially together. You see, my job is special; I can only see them once a year. If we meet each other's parents and set a wedding date, you'll have family leave, and we can see each other more often. Don't you want to see me?" He then looked at Xia Liang pitifully. Xia Liang gave him a playful glare and said, "Fine! Then I'll take leave and go back to meet your parents." Gu Yanxiao was so happy he almost jumped up, grabbing Xia Liang's hand excitedly and saying, "Liang, I feel like the happiest person in the world right now." Xia Liang looked at him teasingly without saying anything.
The next day, Xia Liang and Gu Yanxiao boarded the train back to the county town. On the way, Xia Liang was like an empress dowager, not having to lift a finger. Gu Yanxiao had everything prepared, feeding and drinking her, practically even taking her to the toilet for her. After several hours of sitting, Xia Liang felt sleepy and fell asleep on Gu Yanxiao's shoulder. She even had a dream where she took Gu Yanxiao home, but her family disapproved. When they arrived at their destination, Gu Yanxiao woke her up, and she told him about the dream. Unexpectedly, Gu Yanxiao just laughed. Xia Liang asked, puzzled, "What? You're so happy that my family doesn't approve?" Gu Yanxiao protested, "Innocent! Lord Liang, dreams are often the opposite of reality. If you dreamt that my in-laws objected, it means you'll definitely succeed!" Seeing his ecstatic expression, Xia Liang didn't bother to argue.
The two went out for dinner, and Gu Yanxiao then took Xia Liang home. When they arrived at her door, Gu Yanxiao said, "How about I come over tomorrow night?" Xia Liang thought for a moment. He only had fifteen days of vacation. He'd already lost a day traveling by train, spent two days with her in the county town, and another day returning today. He really didn't have many days left. She also needed to meet his parents, and if everything went smoothly, their parents would need to meet as well. It seemed a bit rushed. Xia Liang nodded, "Okay, come tomorrow night! And arrange a time to go to your place while you're at it." Gu Yanxiao said with a beaming smile, "Don't worry, I'll handle everything." He gave Xia Liang a light peck on the lips and then ushered her inside. "Get some rest. Look forward to seeing me tomorrow. Remember to think of me." Then he turned and went home. Xia Liang was speechless.
When they entered the main room, the family was still watching TV and hadn't gone to sleep. They were all stunned when Xia Liang and her family pushed the door open and walked in.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com