Inextricable

Although it was a holiday, Xu Xingxing still had a lot to do. She accompanied Lin Meihui to sell breakfast in their shop in the morning and started cleaning up the house during the afternoon to welcome the Chinese New Year.

After being busy all day, Xu Xingxing accompanied Lin Meihui to watch the news broadcast in the evening. Since she had not received a call from Huai Jing yet, she took her phone to check whether he had sent her any messages. Instead, she found a short video Chen Wanwan had just sent her.

Their family of three had gone to Happy Valley, and it seemed that Kangkang had had a great time. He was calling out to Xu Xingxing while showing her the cotton candy in his hand in the video clip.

Xu Xingxing laughed for a while on seeing the cuteness of the little boy.

It was already 7.30 p.m., and Xu Xingxing thought that Huai Jing was busy and would not ask her to come.

While Xu Xingxing was looking at her phone, Lin Meihui asked, “Do you still have to accompany your colleague today?”

“No need.” Xu Xingxing put away her phone and glanced at Lin Meihui. She then smiled at her mother and asked, “It’s still not very late. Do you want to go out?”

Lin Meihui nodded, smiled shyly, and said, “There are people dancing in the small square, and I will also want to participate in it.”

Lin Meihui had always liked to be in a quiet environment, but she didn’t expect square dancing to be very interesting, so much so that she took part in it some days of the week. 

Xu Xingxing smiled and said, “I will accompany you.”

Hearing that, Lin Meihui nodded happily and said, “Okay.”

The mother and daughter talked while walking to the small square.

There were a bunch of people gathered in the square. The dancing took place in the northeast corner of the square because it was brighter than the rest of the square due to being located next to the road and illuminated by street lights.

This corner was originally reserved for rest, with two benches situated side-by-side arranged in the corner. 

In fact, Lin Meihui had started to dance here not too long ago, so she was not very familiar with some of the dance steps. Xu Xingxing stood with her at the back of the group, helping her mother with the dancing.

While Xu Xingxing was jumping, she suddenly noticed a Bordeaux-red Maserati driving past their corner on the road beside them. Although this Bordeaux-red was low-key, any of Maserati’s car models were really eye-catching.

She had just happened to turn around when she caught a glance of the car, and after dancing for two eight-beats, she felt that she was probably just seeing things. Huai Jing would definitely call her before coming, so she must have just hallucinated.

While she was distracted by this thought, the lead dancer gave an order, and the whole team turned around. Xu Xingxing also hurriedly followed the instructions of the lead dancer and danced earnestly.

These square dancing steps were pretty unique. Although they looked simple, they were still quite difficult to learn.

Xu Xingxing was completely following the lead, and felt that she should look stiff and ugly now, with sweat drenching her body.

After two eight-beat dances, Xu Xingxing followed the group of old ladies and turned around after the lead dancer gave an order. The moment she turned around, Xu Xingxing saw the Maserati parked by the side of the road, with Huai Jing leaning on the vehicle and looking at her. Due to the distance, she couldn’t see the man’s expression clearly, but she didn’t even need to think about how he must be laughing at her.

She felt shy at seeing Huai Jing, but she couldn’t stop and run to him in front of her mother. She bit the bullet and finished the next song, but the man stayed there, watching her.

The small square dancing team disbanded after dancing to that song. Xu Xingxing glanced at the side of the road and followed Lin Meihui to the house. After sending Lin Meihui out of the small square, Xu Xingxing stopped and said, “Mom, you go home first, I’ll go buy some oranges.”

There were no more oranges at home, so Lin Meihui didn’t think much about it, and nodded while saying, “Okay, be careful on the road.”

“En.” Xu Xingxing responded, turned, and returned to the square.

Huai Jing seemed to know that she would come back, and was standing by the street lamp waiting for her. The man was wearing a black overcoat over a dark suit. Standing against the tall streetlight pole made him appear even more tall and slender than usual.

Xu Xingxing ran towards him in a hurry, and was panting slightly, with her cheeks slightly flushed when she reached him. There was hair sticking to her face due to the sweat from the dance.

“You… why are you here?” Xu Xingxing stood in front of the man. The woman looked up at him, her round eyes shining with clear light and her soft lips slightly parted while panting.

The winter night was cold, but under this street lamp, a small halo of light seemed to be heating up, warming the man and woman under it.

“Came to see you.” Huai Jing looked down at her, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said, “I’m going back to Xiacheng tonight.”

“Ah?” Xu Xingxing opened her eyes slightly, taken aback. But immediately, she gathered her expression and said, “Yeah.”

The Spring Festival would arrive soon, and after going back this time, he wouldn’t come here on a business trip. In this way, the two people would really be separated for more than ten days.

“You came here by yourself?” Huai Jing looked at her and asked.

“No, with my mother,” Xu Xingxing replied.

“The one next to you wearing light grey clothes?” Huai Jing asked.

“Huh?” Xu Xingxing pursed her lips slightly but did not answer. In fact, he had guessed right, but she didn’t want him to know too much about her family.

The man lowered his eyebrows slightly, seeing through her thoughts. “You have found your old nest, and are still hiding it.”

When Huai Jing said that, Xu Xingxing suddenly became anxious. “Don’t come to my house.”

The man chuckled, raised his eyes, and glanced in the direction of her house, looking noncommittal. Just as Xu Xingxing was about to continue talking, Huai Jing looked away and changed the topic. “Do you often come here to dance?”

Her words interrupted, Xu Xingxing remembered how she had danced in the square just now, her face flushed slightly and she said, “Not often. Just dancing casually, didn’t you see that my dancing movements were not right?”

“I didn’t see it.” He looked down at Xu Xingxing and said with a smile, “When you were dancing, there was only one word in my eyes.”

Xu Xingxing looked up at him.

The man met her gaze, with his brows and eyes containing frivolity, but his expression was gentle. “Nice.”