Vоlume 1 Chaрtеr 3: Alwaуs Staying with Jiаоjiао
Nо, nоt a ghоst?
Ghоsts dоn’t havе warmth, nоr do theу hаve suсh a рlеаsant vоiсe.
Jiаng Хining’s smаll fасе, smudgеd with dust in her рaniс, wаs grimy. She cautiоusly liftеd her hеаd, squinting thrоugh thе gaps bеtween hеr fingеrs tо рeеk outsidе.
It was a mаn.
In thе sесludеd spоt, the light was dim, the mооnlight hаzу, сasting shadows thаt strеtсhed аcrоss the side оf his fасе with its smooth linеs, а tall and strаight nose bridgе, аnd dееp-sеt еye sockets. His entirе demеаnоr wаs rеfined аnd gentle.
Huh?
“Whаt, Jiaоjiaо still hasn’t rеcognized me?”
Fu Huaixu sighed softly, shadows falling over the corners of his eyes as if lamenting, “How sad. I even remembered Jiaojiao’s birthday next month and made a special trip back, but Jiaojiao, on the other hand, didn’t think of me at all and didn’t even send me a WeChat message.”
Jiang Xining was stunned for a moment before her eyes suddenly widened with joy. “Xingxing?!”
Surprise filled her chest, and she didn’t care about her swollen foot, immediately scrambling out from behind the bench. “When did you come back?!”
“This evening.” Fu Huaixu noticed her unnatural movements and slightly furrowed his brows. “What happened to your foot?”
When someone shows concern, those feelings of grievance can amplify many times over. Even pain that wasn’t there before can inexplicably start to ache. Jiang Xining’s eyes reddened, on the verge of tears.
“I twisted it…”
Slender fingers gently held her delicate ankle, carefully removing her high heels. The sprained area had already swollen, tinged with a purplish-red hue, standing out starkly against her fair skin.
“Sneaking off to a place like this, Jiaojiao isn’t being obedient again.”
“I am being obedient!” Jiang Xining said stubbornly. “It’s Dou Dou who made me angry, and that’s why I got lost. It’s all their fault!”
Remembering the things she had overheard, she bit her lip, unable to hide the sadness in her tone. “I’m not an idiot!”
“Of course Jiaojiao isn’t.”
The shadows cast by the backlight concealed the gloom in Fu Huaixu’s eyes. His lashes lowered slightly as he smiled gently. “Last time, it was Jiaojiao who helped me with the accounts, saving me from being cheated out of money. You’re much smarter than I am.”
“Exactly!” Mentioning this, Jiang Xining’s proud little tail was showing again.
“I can do math, and I can draw. I’m really amazing.”
“Mm.” Fu Huaixu bent down and very naturally scooped her up by the legs, lifting her into a horizontal carry.
“The injury looks quite serious. I’ll take you back to see a doctor.”
Jiang Xining didn’t find anything wrong with this position. Instead, she happily snuggled in, grabbing onto his tie. “Xingxing, why didn’t you tell me you were coming back suddenly? I didn’t even get to pick you up…”
“Of course it was to give you a surprise. Are you happy?” Fu Huaixu walked step by step, exceptionally steady.
“Happy!” Jiang Xining’s eyes curved into crescent moons. “How did you find me?”
It was just like when they played hide-and-seek as children. No matter where she hid, Xingxing would always find her every time.
Fu Huaixu smiled faintly. “That’s a little secret.”
What secret couldn’t he share with her? Normally, Jiang Xining would have persisted relentlessly, demanding a thorough explanation. But this time, she didn’t press further. Instead, she suddenly reached out and gently touched Fu Huaixu’s eyelids.
“Your eyes… are they better now?”
Fu Huaixu froze, his breath imperceptibly faltering for a moment.
“…They’re better.” The hoarseness in his voice was forcibly suppressed. “The doctor said I don’t need to stay abroad for treatment anymore.”
“Really?!” Jiang Xining was especially elated. “You’re not leaving? Does that mean you can stay and play with me all the time?”When she was little, Jiang Xining didn’t understand how far abroad was and thought she would never see him again, which left her feeling down for a long time.
Later, when they could connect through WeChat video calls, she felt a bit better, but it still couldn’t compare to being able to see each other anytime.
He had been gone for so, so long, and she missed him terribly.
Fu Huaixu’s gaze was deep and intense. “Yes, I can stay with Jiaojiao forever now.”
No one could ever separate them again.
…
Stepping out of the secluded spot, the noise of the crowd outside came into view.
“What’s going on?” Jiang Xining still didn’t know what had happened.
Fu Huaixu’s expression turned slightly cold. “There might have been a fire.”
The closer they got, the brighter the lights became, and the more people there were. A sharp-eyed servant spotted them and exclaimed in surprise, “Miss Jiaojiao?”
Jiang Xining mumbled, “…It’s me.”
“Thank goodness, she’s finally been found!” “Miss Jiaojiao is here!” The servant breathed a sigh of relief and hurried back to report.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from not far away, “Jiao Jiao!”
From a distance, Fu Jinghao could see the crowd gathered and rushed over anxiously. “Where did you go—”
But his words trailed off as his gaze fell on the man beside her, and he froze for a moment. “…Uncle?”
Fu Huaixu replied, “Yes.”
“Why didn’t you let us know you were coming back, Uncle? We could have at least sent someone to pick you up from the airport…” As Fu Jinghao spoke, he suddenly noticed their posture, and his expression inexplicably darkened.
When they were kids, the three of them used to play together, but Jiaojiao would soon be marrying him. As an elder, Uncle should know better than to be so close to her.
Fu Huaixu explained, “Jiaojiao sprained her ankle.”
Only when his gaze fell on her swollen ankle did Fu Jinghao’s expression soften slightly. “Thank you, Uncle. I’ll carry her.”
He reached out his arms, intending to take Jiang Xining from Fu Huaixu’s embrace.
Before Fu Huaixu could say anything, Jiang Xining protested first, “No! I don’t want you to carry me!”
Jiang Xining was usually carefree and easygoing, but when she got angry, her temper flared, and she held grudges fiercely. She absolutely hated it when people called her stupid. Dou Dou and his friends had said that about her, and he hadn’t stood up for her—did that mean he thought she was stupid too?
This was enough to make her angry for a long, long time.
Jiang Xining wasn’t ready to forgive him yet. She glared at him angrily, then crossed her arms and stubbornly turned her head away, acting incredibly proud.
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.
Not all the guests had left yet, and the surrounding servants were watching. Fu Jinghao tried to coax her patiently. “Jiao Jiao, don’t be angry. It’s my fault…”
Jiang Xining shot back, “What did you do wrong?”
Fu Jinghao was momentarily speechless. “I…” How was he supposed to know what he did wrong? She had suddenly stormed over in a rage, even throwing away her birthday gift.
Jiang Xining pressed on relentlessly, as if possessed by a fit of stubbornness. “Tell me!”
Fu Jinghao had nothing to say, which only made her angrier. Her face puffed up with fury, and her eyes were filled with hurt. “Why did you let them call me stupid? They’re your friends, and we grew up together. Why didn’t you stand up for me…”
Not even a single “stop it” had come from him.
“Do you think I’m stupid too, and that I’m not good enough for you?”
Her eyes reddened, as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment. Fu Jinghao suddenly panicked. “No, I never thought that.”
If Jiang Xinjuan heard this, it would be a disaster.”Then why didn’t you say so earlier? If you didn’t think I was stupid and told them privately, how could they laugh at me like this!”
Jiang Xining wiped her face haphazardly, saying resentfully, “Talking about others behind their backs like this is especially hateful!”
The logic of this statement was flawless, leaving not only Fu Jinghao speechless but also the surrounding servants dumbfounded.
Miss Jiaojiao usually seemed a bit foolish, but today’s words showed no sign of stupidity. Could it be… she was truly wise beyond appearances?
“Let’s go! Xingxing, I’m not going to talk to him for the next few days.”
Jiang Xining adopted a stance of refusing to communicate, “And don’t come looking for me either—I won’t let you in!”