Inextricable

Chapter 39.2

When Xu Xinging re-entered the house, Lin Meihui asked, “Where did you go?”

“I ran into a neighbour and chatted with them for a while,” Xu Xingxing replied while looking in the direction of the kitchen. “Are you done?”

“It’s all unpacked.” Lin Meihui nodded.

“Then go and rest for a while.” 

Lin Meihui nodded in agreement and went into the bedroom. Just as Xu Xingxing was about to follow her mother, she suddenly received a WeChat message from Huai Jing.

Huai Jing had been aware of the endorsement fiasco since the beginning, so he had already prepared a remedial plan beforehand, and after this incident, the company successfully implemented it.

The IO group made a public apology first, provided compensation to customers who had already purchased its goods, and promptly changed their brand spokesperson to the actress Shu Wu, who was very popular and well-known in the entertainment industry.

After doing this series of actions, the direction of wind in social media seemed to be under their control, with the majority of netizens saying that IO was also a victim and expressing support for the company. Finally, the storm quietened in this manner.

Xu Xingxing opened the message and saw that Huai Jing had sent her a picture. A smile appeared on her lips. 

It was a picture of Mimi squatting in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows under the golden sunlight. This noble Mimi was also raising its paws and grinning while trying to catch the cat teasing stick above it, which was being held by Huai Jing.

‘Oh…when did their relationship become this close?’ Xu Xingxing remembered that Mimi had been at Huai Jing’s house for more than half a year, but they hardly had any contact with each other during that time. 

This image of Mimi reminded her of the little orange cat that the little girl was playing with a little while ago, so she sent the video that she had recorded to Huai Jing. She got a reply immediately—

Huai: [Want it?]

Xu Xingxing frowned, not understanding his meaning, so she typed two words and sent it.

Xingxing: [What?]

Not long after, she received a reply.

Huai: [I’ll give you whatever you want.]

Xu Xingxing understood the meaning this time and her heart skipped a beat. She moved her fingers and tapped a few words, but soon pressed the delete key to delete all of it, and ended up not replying.

She wanted a child, but he couldn’t give it to her. It was because she had a problem with her body.

Seeing that no reply was coming, Huai Jing put the phone aside, and continued to tease Mimi with the cat teasing stick. Just as Mimi was about to pounce on him in anger, the sound of the password lock being decrypted rang, making Huai Jing raise his eyes towards the  front door.

When the door opened, Huai Wan walked in with her bag on her back. On seeing Huai Jing, she yelled with a smile, “Elder brother!”

Huai Jing’s eyes darkened, he stood up and walked in front of Huai Wan. She looked at him holding the cat teasing stick, and asked with a strange expression, “Don’t you hate cats the most?”

Giving her no answer and without a change in his expression, Huai Jing looked down at her and asked, “What are you doing back?”

Chinese New Year was only a domestic holiday, and it wasn’t valid in foreign schools, so Huai Wan had to have taken leave from school to come back.

From the moment she had gotten on the plane, Huai Wan had known that she would be scolded on her sudden return, but she didn’t regret it at all. “I heard about what happened between you and Second Uncle at the meeting of the board of directors…” she said timidly.

Huai Jing squinted in anger, and while Huai Wan was still speaking, he had already taken out his cell phone. When she saw him holding the phone, she knew what he was going to do.

“Don’t call Leo, I won’t leave. I want to stay with you at home. I want to let “grandma” know that Huai Changzhuo is not her only son, my father was also her son. And they will not get to bully you because you are alone,” she continued in an angry tone.

The brother and sister looked at each other, one’s eyes full of tears and anger, and the other still as calm as water.

Huai Wan blinked back her tears, looked down at the cat teasing stick in Huai Jing’s hand, and whispered, “I know you sent our mother to Qingping Temple and me abroad to protect us both. But we also want to protect you.”

Looking down at Huai Wanm who was only fifteen years old, brazenly stating that she wanted to protect him, Huai Jing pursed his lips and said, “Do today’s homework first.”

By the time Huai Wan finished her homework, it was already dark. When she came downstairs, she saw Huai Jing standing in front of the French window, looking outside.

The living room lights were on, contrasting against the pitch blackness outside the window, where no stars could be seen. The lights pulled at his shadow, making it long and lonely. This brother of hers seemed to be able to joke and chat with everyone, but he was actually very cold to his bones. Cold people were destined to be lonely.

Hearing footsteps approaching him, Huai Jing turned around and glanced at Huai Wan. “Do you want something to eat?” He asked.

It was past seven o’clock now, and Huai Wan was really hungry.

Hearing this, Huai Wan’s eyes lit up, and she asked in surprise, “Brother, do you know how to cook?”

Looking at his younger sister, Huai Jing said honestly, “I can only cook ginger syrup.”

Ginger syrup obviously couldn’t be eaten for dinner. At this moment, Huai Wan didn’t continue to think about what to eat for dinner. Instead, she changed her mind and asked a question, “Brother, how do you say ginger syrup in German?”

Huai Jing pursed the corner of his lips, turned his head to look out of the window, and said, “Check it yourself.”

Receiving this expected answer, Huai Wan rolled her eyes, pursed her lips and muttered, “Can’t you tell me directly?”

When she didn’t get an answer from his brother, Huai Wan went upstairs to Huai Jing’s study to check the information.

Huai Jing’s study room was on the second floor. There was another staircase to go up from the first floor. Inside the room was a wall about four metres high, with bookshelves filled with densely packed books against it.

There was only a sofa and a desk aside from the bookshelves. A white carpet with light-coloured abstract patterns lay under the desk. A few white papers and a pencil were spread across the desk, quietly laying under the lamp.

When Huai Wan saw the papers on the desk, she was curious and walked over. After seeing something drawn on the white paper, she picked it up and ran downstairs.

“Brother!” Huai Wan ran to Huai Jing, looked at the paper first and then at Huai Jing, and asked, “Did you design this?”

On the paper was a jewellery design sketch, a pencil outline of what looked like a bracelet. The design of the bracelet was very stylish, and in the middle of the clasps was a star-shaped diamond.

Huai Jing had studied jewellery design because his father had led him into that door at first. He hadn’t drawn any designs since his father’s death. When Huai Wan was a child, she had even worn a small tiara designed by him.

Looking down at the design blueprint in Huai Wan’s hand, Huai Jing’s eyes darkened, and he responded lightly, “Um.”

“It’s so beautiful.” Huai Wan said with a smile. The New Year fireworks bursting outside the window made her face look red as she further asked, “Do you have a name for this?”

Usually, this kind of private jewellery design would be given a name. Huai Wan still remembered Huai Jing named her little crown ‘Wan Er, what worries you?’ Five words that implied she would live happily without any worries.

“Yes.” Huai Jing said, focusing on the design.

“What’s it called?” Huai Wan asked.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, a large firework bloomed in the night sky. The man stood at the bridge of light and shadow, his cool and handsome eyes tinged with tenderness as he spoke, “The starry sky is in my arms.”

End of chapter 39