Inextricable

Xu Xingxing turned her head and looked at Huai Jing who was standing behind her with  messy hair. The sunlight falling on his body made him appear even more handsome.

He only wore pyjama pants, because his pyjama shirt was being worn by Xu Xingxing.

Seeing the man standing there with a bare upper body, Xu Xingxing turned around and looked away, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she said, “I…I’ll change out of this.”

She had just taken two steps when the man reached out and grabbed by the collar of the shirt, bringing her back to sit on the piano bench. He looked down at her with a smirk and said, “I don’t want to wear it.”

Xu Xingxing: “…”

Since they were both awake, Xu Xingxing went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast first. Huai Jing was not a picky eater and enjoyed both Chinese and Western cuisine, so Xu Xingxing didn’t think much about what to make. The two each drank a glass of milk, and ate toast sandwiches with two fried eggs.

After the meal, Huai Jing began to teach Xu Xingxing how to play the piano, but got a call in the midst of this. After answering it, Huai Jing said, “I have something to deal with, you wait for me at home.” 

However, she hadn’t made plans to stay at Huai Jing’s house for the whole day today, she also had to go back and tidy up her house.

“I’ll go with you. There’s not much cat food in the house, Mimi should be hungry.”

Huai Jing glanced at her and nodded in agreement.

After Huai Jing sent Xu Xingxing to her apartment, he drove away. She took the lift and as soon as the door opened, Mimi threw itself into her arms.

“Oh~Mimi…” Xu Xingxing sighed softly, hugged it in her arms with a smile, and walked into the house.

She subconsciously glanced at Mimi’s food bowl and saw that there was not much cat food left. Feeling guilty, she opened a can of cat food, put it in Mimi’s bowl, and let it eat.

 Watching it take two bites, Xu Xingxing rubbed its head and apologised softly, “I’m sorry.”

After Mimi finished eating, it swung its tail and went through Xu Xingxing’s legs. Mimi really liked her, from that very first meeting. Xu Xingxing felt that if she was going to stay at Huai Jing’s house on weekends, it would be lonely. 

‘Can I take Mimi to Huai Jing’s house?’ Xu Xingxing thought for a while and frowned.

‘Would they fight?’

She played with Mimi for a while, then looked at the red rope on her wrist and thought of Chen Wanwan.

Her shop had now stabilised, so it was the time to treat Chen Wanwan’s family to a meal. She looked at the time, and since it was just after ten o’clock in the morning, Xu Xingxing called her.

“Hey, what’s Boss Xu’s order?” Chen Wanwan’s cheerful voice came through the phone. 

“Leader Chen and Leader Zhan, do you have time at noon today? Let’s have a meal together.”

“Oh, that’s great.” Chen Wanwan laughed and said, “I’ll ask Leader Zhan…”

After a while Chen Wanwan answered the phone again, saying, “Leader Zhan doesn’t have time, but he will send Xiao Zhan over~”

As soon as Chen Wanwan finished speaking, Kangkang’s sweet voice sounded out, “Aunt Xingxing~”

Xu Xingxing’s smile widened into a crescent, and she said, “Okay, then bring Xiao Zhan, I’m inviting the two of you.”

Chen Wanwan knew the reason behind Xu Xingxing’s invitation. Actually, she hadn’t helped Xu Xingxing with the expectation of receiving anything in return, but if she refused this invitation, it would hurt Xu Xingxing, so she accepted it. She didn’t think that Xu Xingxing would end up choosing an expensive western restaurant.

Chen Wanwan was ready to leave as soon as she entered, but was ultimately dragged in by Xu Xingxing, and the two adults and one child entered the private room that had been reserved in advance. The private room was by a window, and when Chen Wanwan glanced outside, she realised how high they were and felt a little dizzy.

“Boss Xu has learned to consume high-end food after becoming a boss,” Chen Wanwan teased her.

Xu Xingxing didn’t care about the teasing, she looked at the menu and asked casually, “Haven’t you always wanted to come here?”

“I wouldn’t come to a place like this. One meal would cost the same as a branded bag.” Even though Chen Wanwan said this, her heart felt warm.

“That’s why I invited you.” Xu Xingxing looked up at her and smiled.

Chen Wanwan gave her a complaining look, but the corners of her lips had curled upwards.

“Aunt Xingxing invited me too.” Kangkang sat on the child seat, holding a small iron fork meant for children, and raised it with a smile.

“Yes~” Xu Xingxing’s voice softened, she stretched out her hand to pinch his face, and said sweetly, “I mainly wanted to invite Kangkang~”

After they finished speaking, the two of them looked at each other and smiled, their faces bright together.

Seeing the two of them playing as fools, Chen Wanwan let out a “hum” and said, “You two really love each other very much. I will give this son to you, and I will have another one myself.”

While Xu Xingxing was taken aback by this statement, Kangkang beside her had widened his eyes in surprise, looked at Chen Wanwan and asked, “Really?”

Chen Wanwan: “…”

The two adults looked at each other, and Chen Wanwan, who couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry, pointed at her son and said, “You really want to go?!”

Xu Xingxing could not stop laughing at this interaction.

After the food was served, they tasted it and Chen Wanwan let out a surprising gasp, praising, “Wow~very tasty, no wonder it’s expensive.”

Xu Xingxing smiled helplessly, and chopped up the veal steak and foie gras for Kangkang.

Chen Wanwan looked at them and sighed. “My mother-in-law told me about a Chinese doctor who is very good at healing the body. Let’s go there and see, okay?”

Xu Xingxing knew that actually Chen Wanwan wanted her to get treatments for infertility, not for her irregular menstruation. Thinking of this, Xu Xingxing was very grateful to her but thought it would give her hope, which was unnecessary.

Just when she was about to refuse, Chen Wanwan interrupted her, “Don’t refuse. This Chinese medicine doctor is very powerful. I have already booked an appointment for you. Next weekend, if you don’t come with me, I will drag you there.”

After hearing her words, Xu Xingxing smiled helplessly, nodded her head and said, “Okay.”

Putting the rice grains around his mouth into it, Kangkang looked at the two adults and asked worriedly, “Is Aunt Xingxing sick?”

Xu Xingxing’s heart warmed as she watched the small boy’s huge eyes flicker. She nodded and assured him, “Yes, but things will be okay soon.”

Kangkang expressed his relief to Xu Xingxing in a milky voice after hearing her words. “ You have to take the medicine as well. After taking the medicine, Aunt Xingxing will quickly recover, okay?”

Xu Xingxing, who was touched, gave the child a bear hug, pressing him up against her face and said, “Okay, Auntie will be obedient.”

They were still having the meal when Xu Xingxing’s phone rang. She set the knife and fork aside and pulled out her phone, growing alarmed upon seeing the caller ID.

“Who is it?” Chen Wanwan inquired as she saw this change in her friend’s expression.

“It’s from the store.” After saying that, Xu Xingxing left the room.

“Why do you need to go out to answer a call from the shop?” Chen Wanwan frowned, feeling that Xu Xingxing was acting a little strange. She was about to get up when Kangkang grabbed her.

“Mom, don’t eavesdrop on Aunt Xingxing’s phone call. She will tell us if she wants to.”

After being taught a lesson by her son, Chen Wanwan felt a bit ashamed. So she stuffed a piece of steak into her son’s mouth and muttered, “You are the only one who knows the truth.”

Xu Xingxing hurried to the lounge of the restaurant, stood in front of the potted plants by the window and answered the call.

“I’m done with my work, I’m going to pick you up at your house now,” Huai Jing said.

“Ah.” Xu Xingxing pursed her lips and told Huai Jing, “I’m not at home now, I’m having lunch with friends outside.”

After this lunch, they had decided to accompany Kangkang to the amusement park in the Court Plaza, and it would be late by the time they reached home. Xu Xingxing calculated the time and said, “It may not end until four o’clock in the afternoon.”

“Then do you still want to practise the piano on weekends?” The man’s dissatisfied voice came from the other side of the phone.

Xu Xingxing was taken aback by the question. She bit her lip and said guiltily, “I’ll practise when I get back in the afternoon.”

“So, you are telling me that you will not come to practice piano until four o’clock this afternoon, right?” He asked again.

Listening to his words, Xu Xingxing responded, “En.”

“Hey, you don’t think of me as your piano teacher, do you?” 

“Ah?” Xu Xingxing was puzzled, but quickly came back to her senses and replied, “No… no I didn’t mean that….”

“Oh?” The man raised his voice and asked flatly, “Then about you not coming to the class this afternoon, did you ask me for a leave?”

‘Oh~that is indeed disrespectful.’ As Xu Xingxing was thinking, she saw Chen Wanwan come towards her, so she quickly said, “From noon to four in the afternoon today, I want to ask for leave.”

After hearing her words, the man chuckled, and Xu Xingxing could even picture the way the corners of his lips would be swaying.

“I refuse to give it.”

Xu Xingxing: “…”

She shouldn’t have followed his train of thought in the first place!