Inextricable

Vacations always made people happy, regardless of whether they were a student or an employee.

Just before the holiday, the office was silent, but when the day finally arrived, everything burst into noise. After saying farewell and packing up their belongings, everyone punched their cards and filed out of the office.

After separating from Chen Wanwan, Xu Xingxing took a taxi home. As soon as she opened the door, Mimi, who was sitting near the door, looked up at her and let out a “meow” with joy shining in its blue eyes.

Xu Xingxing’s heart melted, she smiled and greeted “I’m back” softly while hugging it.

Yesterday, Huai Jing had told her he would help take care of Mimi when she was on vacation, but since the time he would get off work was uncertain, he could not pick Mimi up now. Xu Xingxing decided to first put Mimi in the pet hospital opposite the apartment, and then let Huai Jing pick it up later.

She packed everything Mimi needed, adding two extra bags of cat food. If Huai Jing forgot to buy cat food, it would not be a problem as she had packed a lot, which was more than enough until her return.

Xu Xingxing strapped Mimi onto her chest, carrying her like a baby, while she waited for the elevator. Looking down at Mimi, she softened her eyebrows and said, “Don’t quarrel with him, otherwise what if he takes away your food?”

Mimi nuzzled Xu Xingxing affectionately, oblivious to its future fate, making her laugh.

Mimi was successfully sent to the pet hospital. As Xu Xingxing was leaving, Mimi seemed to have realised they were parting and looked at her pitifully through the cat cage. She couldn’t bear such a sight, so she went back and reached out to touch its paws again before leaving reluctantly.

After returning home, she put away the clothes on the balcony and folded the bedding. Her suitcase was spread out on the side, and she had been filling it up slowly since a few days ago. She didn’t have much luggage, most of the boxes contained things bought for her mother, Xingyuan and Tongtong.

Thirty minutes after she finished cleaning the house, she shut off the water and electricity, pulled the suitcase to the door and left.

Her train departed at seven in the evening and she reached Huaicheng by nine o’clock.

It had just rained two days before in Huaicheng, so the air was still wet. Xu Xingxing shivered from the cold as soon as she stepped on the platform. She quickly moved when she spotted her brother waving at her with a smile. 

Xu Xingyuan had gotten a new haircut and was looking clean and fresh, his ears having turned red from the cold. On such a cold day, he only wore a black down jacket and a pair of jeans, so he was probably freezing.

Xu Xingxing’s heart softened at the sight of her younger brother, but noticing that he was cold, a tinge of distress flashed in her heart. She took off her muffler and wrapped it around him, saying, “You should have just waited for me in the car.”

Xu Xingyuan took hold of her suitcase, smiled and said as he walked, “I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to find the car.”

Xu Xingxing smiled while looking at Xu Xingyuan, who was already half a head taller than her. The younger brother who used to only know to chase after her and call her sister was now the head of the family, and was about to start a new one. Time had flown by in the blink of an eye.

By the time they reached home, it was past ten o’clock in the evening, and almost every household in the shabby neighbourhood had turned their lights off. After Xu Xingxing and Xu Xingyuan got out of the car, they entered the narrow corridor one after the other, and just as they reached the floor their home was located on, a door opened. 

Their mother, Lin Meihui stood at the door, smiling as she watched the siblings come up.

“Mom.” Xu Xingxing’s heart warmed, she walked two steps to the front of the house with a smile, and asked, “Why haven’t you slept yet?”

“Don’t worry,” Xu Xingyuan laughed and said, “It’s always like this, she waits for us to come back before going to sleep every time.”

Xu Xingyuan’s words made all three of them smile.

Lin Meihui welcomed the siblings into the house, and the warmth of the room enveloped all of them.

“Are you hungry?”  Lin Meihui asked.

“I ate it in the car,” Xu Xingxing took off her gloves and said.

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw some things in the living room. There was fish, milk and vermicelli, wrapped in different red packages, with there being a total of twelve such packages. Next to these twelve gifts was a red suitcase, which should be the betrothal gift for Zhou Tongtong.

Although Xu Xingxing said she had eaten, Lin Meihui still served her a bowl of hot fish soup. It was a little cold after coming back from the outside, so both siblings drank a bowl.

Under the light of the small living room, this family of three sat in the living room, with three bowls of hot fish soup on the table. Xu Xingxing hadn’t experienced this kind of warm feeling for a long time.

After taking a sip of the fish soup, Xu Xingxing asked Xu Xingyuan, “What’s the arrangement for tomorrow?”

Xu Xingyuan had already finished the fish soup in two gulps, in contrast to his sister who was sipping gently. “Tomorrow I will drive to pick up Tongtong and her family, then will bring you, mother and the Xu family to the hotel,” he said, setting down the bowl. 

The only five-star hotel in Huaicheng was Yihai Pavilion. The Zhou family didn’t request to have the engagement there, but Xu Xingxing had asked her mother and brother to arrange everything there. 

“Who all is coming from the Xu family?” Xu Xingxing asked.

Xu Xingyuan frowned at this, and replied, “Our aunt, uncle, second uncle, second aunt, and…Xu Mingyi.”

When getting engaged, both parties would invite their elders to come over to discuss, so why was Xu Mingyi getting involved?

“Why is Xu Mingyi coming?” Xu Xingxing asked.

“She wasn’t originally supposed to be there, but your “grandmother” said that an even  number of people should be there, so to call her too,” Lin Meihui said.

“Why isn’t Grandma coming over?” Xu Xingxing asked.

Lin Meihui pursed her lips, glanced at Xu Xingxing, and sighed softly. 

“She introduced you to a blind date earlier, didn’t you not go? She is still angry and putting on airs,” Xu Xingyuan complained angrily.

After drinking the last of the fish soup, the enamel spoon touched the bottom of the bowl, Xu Xingxing lowered her head and did not speak.

If this matter hadn’t been brought up today, Xu Xingxing would have forgotten it. Since she had refused to go on a blind date with the person they had introduced, the Xu family was now being quite resentful towards her.

“Sister, don’t think about it too much. I don’t want her to come whether she likes it or not.” Seeing Xu Xingxing bowing her head without saying a word, Xu Xingyuan hurriedly consoled her.

That “grandmother”, if they had money, would be at their side, and if they had no money, she would stay away from them. When their father died, their mother raised the two siblings by herself, with no help coming from their father’s side. That’s why Xu Xingyuan had no affection for them. 

Xu Xingxing looked up at him, smiled softly and said, “Okay.”