The sunshine in the winter afternoon is warm and genial, shining sparkling spots on the water in the tea cup.
A small tea leaf slowly sank to the bottom of the cup.
"Grandma."
Ni Chang spoke softly, her voice soft but clear.
Her eyes were clear and firm: "I am already with him."
- She had already made up her mind.
Ever since that night in the garage when she was held in his arms.
Or, when she glimpsed his silhouette for the first time from the dilapidated window of the hotel...
Ni Hong Xing looked at her granddaughter for several seconds, her eyes flickered, and she said slowly: "Then what grandma told you before -"
"You take it You can't stand a man like that, do you remember?"
Ni Chang lowered her eyelashes slightly: "I remember."
Ni Hong Xing paused and then remembered something.
"He is a racing driver. This profession is no different from risking your life. From now on, you will not be able to put your heart down."
Ni Chang whispered: "I know."
"What are the conditions between us and their family? Maybe you.... You will suffer."
Ni Chang nodded: "I know..."
Ni Hong Xing: "..."
Ni Hong Xing stopped talking.
After a moment of silence, she closed her eyes and let out a breath, sighing wordlessly.
"From the day I brought you home, I told myself that I would never, never let you follow your mother's path."
The old man shook her head and sighed, her tone disappointed and distressed.
"I know I can't stay with you forever. So over the years, I have devoted myself to teaching you skills and polishing your character. I just hope that you can be independent and sober, and that you can be broad-minded and stable for the rest of your life without relying on anyone. . But you..."
Ni Chang's eyes were sore and she was about to cry.
"Grandma..."
She stood up, walked to the old man, and called her softly: "Grandma."
"I have never forgotten your teachings. You hope that I can be as independent, capable, and able to live a safe life like you. Hold it tightly in your own hands and live peacefully for the rest of your life - I understand it all, I understand your intentions!"
Ni Chang said sincerely.
"I know that Yan Chi... didn't meet your expectations. But in fact, he didn't meet my expectations at the beginning either. I didn't get together with him on impulse."
With him, she has always been sober. Fall.
"Although I haven't known him for a long time, we have experienced a lot together. There are some things I haven't told you before... In short, apart from you and my great-grandfather, no one will love and care for me like he does. He feels sorry for me."
"You said that being with him might make me worried and unstable..."
Ni Chang paused and lightly twitched the corner of her mouth, "Maybe.... ."
"But grandma, I simply can't imagine what the future will be like with other people."
Ni Hong Xing was startled and turned her head to look at her granddaughter.
Ni Chang pursed her lips, mist slowly gathering in her eyes.
"In that case, even if I can be safe and sound If you live to be old, you will still regret it in this life, and you will regret it..."
She grabbed the old man's hand, and tears fell down.
"So grandma, I am willing, I am willing to take a gamble!"
Ni Hong Xing was shocked and looked at her granddaughter with wide eyes, speechless for a long time.
"That's all, that's all..."
She shook her head repeatedly and chuckled like a self-mockery, "You have learned nothing else, but you have learned a lot about my stubbornness."
She sighed softly: "Grandma wants to pave a safe path for you. But this road, after all, you have to walk on your own. But Nanny--"
Ni Hong Xing raised her eyes and looked at her granddaughter, her eyes suddenly turned red: "No matter when, you can't bet on yourself like your mother. !"
Grandma finally let go, and Ni Chang felt relieved.
But seeing the old man's moist eyes, she felt sad again.
"I won't."
Ni Chang raised her hand to wipe the tears on her face and shook her head vigorously.
"I'm not my mother, and Yan Chi isn't...that person."
"Although he looks a bit crooked, he is actually reliable. After what happened this time, you should be able to tell something about it, right?"
"Moreover, Even if we were together, I never thought of relying entirely on him. I will never lose the skills you passed on to me and the principles you taught me no matter what."
"I will never lose my family or even my family for a man. I don't want any relatives anymore."
Ni Chang held her grandma's hand and said firmly: "I will never abandon you or our family."
Ni Hong Xing's eyes moved dramatically, her lips trembled, and she burst into tears.
She hugged her granddaughter's arm with her backhand, leaned her head against it, and said softly, "Good girl.."
Ni Chang's eyes that had just been wiped dry also became wet again.
She understands it all.
What her mother did back then broke the hearts of the two elderly people.
Grandma was not only afraid that she would follow her mother's footsteps, but she was also afraid that she would lose her closest relatives again.
After all, after her great-grandfather left, she and her grandma were the only ones dependent on each other...
Ni Chang stretched out her hand to wipe her grandma's tears, then lay on the old man's back like she did when she was a child, and whispered softly: "Grandma, actually, I'm a little scared too..."
" I'm afraid that there really is a destiny in this world. I'm afraid that I will be like my great-grandfather, like my mother... things will go against my wishes."
Ni Hong Xing smiled and shook her head: "The term destiny is a depressing thing said by us old people. "
"In terms of fate, if it hadn't been for your great-grandfather, my grandma would have froze to death or starved to death on the street... My life can be regarded as struggling to create a new world."
She stretched her hand back and kissed her.
She touched Ni Chang's little face.
"My daughter will definitely live a better life than me. She will definitely have a better life than us!"
Ni Chang buried her face on the old man's thin shoulder and wanted to cry again.
"Grandma..."
"Okay."
Ni Hong Xing patted Ni Chang's hand and coaxed as softly as a child, "It's time for you to go to the Yan family to deliver new robes."
"When you see Yan Chi, give him a message for me too."
She said: "As long as I am still old, no one can bully my daughter."
**
When she went upstairs to her room, Ni Chang's steps were much brisker.
After her eyes were washed by tears, everything seemed to become clear to her.
Picking up the phone and wanting to share the good news with her boyfriend, Ni Chang saw several missed calls and voices displayed on the screen.
The man also left a WeChat message:
[Zai, I have to fly to Beicheng temporarily. Let's talk about it after landing]
Ni Chang was surprised and a little disappointed.
Today is the end of the year, and they had agreed to celebrate the New Year together.
The man said that someone in the team had brought a lot of fireworks, and he also said that he would take her to a training ground in the suburbs to set off fireworks...
Ni Chang called Yan Chi back, but the other party could not get through for the time being.
It took at least four or five hours to fly back and forth to Beicheng. She doesn't know if he can come back tonight...
Ni Chang opened the WeChat dialog box and entered "Then when will you come back?"
After writing, she hesitated for a moment and pressed delete, and in the end she just said "Hello" and followed it with the "Have a safe journey" bunny emoji.
Seeing that the time was almost up, Ni Chang took the prepared cheongsam and took a taxi to the villa area where the Yan family was located.
Xu Zhi Lan was so happy that she didn't know what to say when she saw the extra cheongsams and coats she had made.
One moment she wanted to pay Ni Chang back for her work, and the next moment she wanted to go to the spa with her.
Ni Chang finally refused, and Xu Zhi Lan insisted on staying with her for dinner.
"Tell me, no one is home during this big holiday. Did Yan Chi tell you? He went on a business trip with his father, and they just left not long ago."
It turned out that something happened in their company.
Ni Chang asked: "Then when will they come back?"
Xu Zhi Lan waved her hand: "Who knows, you can't say for sure when talking about business. From what I heard, they will be busy as soon as they get off the plane. I think they will come back tonight. Not coming."
Ni Chang's heart sank.
Sure enough, he couldn't come back...
She didn't eat at Yan Chi's house either.
She explained that her grandma was preparing meals at home and she had to go home to spend the New Year with the old man.
Seeing what she said, Xu Zhi Lan didn't insist on keeping anyone, and asked her driver to take Ni Chang home, and also packed a large box of homemade snacks and cakes for her.
The black Buick arrived at the entrance of the alley.
After getting off the car, Ni Chang's eyes paused, and she raised her head to look at the dusk sky in amazement.
Snowing.
Small snowflakes like salt grains fell from the sky, giving her a slight chill on her forehead and the tip of her nose.
Jindu Shaoxue and Ni Chang couldn't remember the last time they saw snow.
Now this snow comes unexpectedly on the last day of the year. It comes early but also comes late.
Pushing open the door of the house, grandma and Aunt Fang have prepared a table of meals.
Although the family has a small population, there is still a strong sense of ritual during festivals, creating a lively atmosphere.
After finishing the meal talking and laughing, Aunt Fang went home.
Ni Chang and grandma were watching the party on the couch in the hall with the heater on.
The old man was amused by the cross talk show, but Ni Chang was absent-minded, opening her phone to take a look from time to time.
When she got home, Yan Chi sent a message saying that he had arrived in Beicheng and couldn't get away at the moment.
He would call her after he was done.
As a result, until now, there has been no movement from the man's side...
The clock soon reached ten o'clock, and Ni Hong Xing's eyelids began to fight.
After a while, she couldn't stand it anymore and went back to the bedroom to rest.
Ni Chang also went upstairs to her room.
She was troubled in her heart, couldn't sit still or sleep, so she stood by the window looking at the snow scene in a trance.
The snow is falling heavily, and a layer of white has spread on the ground, which is dazzling in the rich night.
The cell phone on the dressing table suddenly buzzed and vibrated.
Turning her head to the side and seeing the familiar profile picture on the screen, Ni Chang quickly picked up.
"Yan Chi?"
Before her boyfriend could speak, she pursed her lips and scolded him again: "Why did you just call me?"
The man smiled vaguely, and his breath was still a little unsteady when he spoke: "I'm on the way, so it's hard to make a phone call."
Ni Chang was stunned for a moment, then her heart moved: "Are you back? Where are you?"
"Downstairs at your house."
Ni Chang was excited, turned around, opened the bedroom door, and walked quickly Come to the back window at the corner of the stairs.
Outside the window, a man dressed in black stood tall and conspicuous in the snow.
Seeing her, Yan Chi waved his hand far away and raised the phone back to his ear.
"Open the window."
Ni Chang did as he was told: "You--"
Before she could finish speaking, the call was hung up.
The next moment, she saw her boyfriend grabbing the guardrail on the first floor and climbing up the wall.
Ni Chang was startled, and her heart almost jumped out of her chest.
She quickly lowered her voice and reminded: "You, be careful -"
Yan Chi had already climbed to the second floor window three or two times.
The man breathed out thick white steam, leaned against the window and raised his eyebrows at her, smiled, and motioned her to stand back with his eyes.
Ni Chang took two steps back and discovered that the man's strong shoulders, short hair, and even his eyelashes were covered with a fine layer of frost and snow.
When Yan Chi jumped down from the window and stood still, she stepped forward and patted his forearm, angrily: "You are crazy! What if-"
Yan Chi raised an index finger and pressed it on her lips, looking towards the stairs with his black eyes. look askance.
Ni Chang immediately pursed her lips and kept silent, glancing downstairs with some fear.
The man turned around and closed the window, grabbed his girlfriend's wrist and walked to her room.
Snowflakes are flying outside, but the feeling of spring is strong in the bedroom.
When she open the door, she'll be greeted by warm warmth and a soft, fragrant scent that's just for girls.
Yan Chi's whole body relaxed unconsciously, and his bones felt a little crisp.
He raised his hand to wipe the melted snow on his head, looked sideways, and looked at his girlfriend's slightly pouty face - she was still dissatisfied with his reckless behavior of climbing over the wall just now.
The girl wore a two-piece living suit, an off-white long-sleeved nightgown over a nightgown of the same color.
The lace at the neckline and black hair were piled softly on her chest.
She exuded a lazy and charming look. And soft.
The man's eyes softened.
He wanted to spread his arms to hug the girl, but he was afraid that the cold air on his body would chill her, so in the end he just raised his hand and pinched her fair face.
"Zai Zai"
He whispered fondly, opening the backpack behind him and taking out a paper bag wrapped in a plastic bag.
Ni Chang recognized what it was at a glance.
Bridge ribs!
One of her favorite late night snacks.
He originally came up with the idea of taking out takeout in a hanging basket just for this bite...
The man unzipped the jacket again and took out a cup of milk tea from the inside pocket.
Ni Chang took the cup of milk tea with her boyfriend's body temperature and her face completely relaxed.
She glanced at Yan Chi faintly and raised the corners of her mouth slightly: "I thought you wouldn't be able to come back today..."
Yan Chi came out of the bathroom after washing his hands, took off his cold coat and threw it on the ground.
"I don't," he asked Ni Chang, raising his eyebrows playfully, "Are you afraid that someone will miss me so much that I can't sleep?"
"Fuck you."
Ni Chang glanced at the man, picked up a bamboo skewer and forked a piece of bridge. Pork ribs, brought to his mouth.
Yan Chi tilted his head and bit it in his mouth.
Ni Chang picked up the straw and opened the milk tea, then raised the cup and handed it to his lips.
The man shook his head and motioned for her to drink it herself.
Ni Chang sat back at the table with the straw in her mouth, her eyes suddenly paused.
There was a piece of paper lying on the floor at his feet, which Yan Chi probably brought out when he was getting milk tea just now.
She bent down to pick it up and found it was a boarding pass - it would take off from Beicheng at eight o'clock, and its destination would be Yuncheng next to Jindu.
Ni Chang stared at the boarding pass for a few seconds before reacting.
"You arrived in Yuncheng first and then came back? Isn't there a direct flight?"
"The time is not right."
Yan Chi dusted off the dust and snow on his body, sat down, picked up the water glass on the table, and drank it all in one gulp.
"The only flight from Beicheng to Jindu leaves at 10:30, and it's already past midnight."
"Then how did you come back from Yuncheng? High-speed rail?"
Ni Chang asked the man again.
Yan Chi shook his head and said calmly: "The last high-speed rail trip is at 11:30, and I can't catch it at 9 o'clock."
"There is a friend in Yuncheng, and I borrowed his motorcycle to ride back."
Ni Chang was stunned and said softly.
She took a breath: "You, you rode back from Yuncheng?!"
The whole journey from Yuncheng to Jindu is a hundred kilometers on the highway!
Turning her head and seeing the white snow falling outside the window, Ni Chang felt her heart pinched again.
"Then you can buy a later flight ticket or a high-speed rail."
She curled her lips, feeling distressed and helpless, "Why do you have to ride so far in this weather..."
Yan Chi sneered: "It's only a small distance. Shit."
Meeting his girlfriend's dissatisfied look, he smiled again and looked at her seriously with his dark eyes.
"Don't say yes, are we going to celebrate the New Year together?"
Ni Chang was shocked, looking deeply at the man, her heart was full and warm, and there were dense touches.
She pursed her lips and said no more.
She reached out and touched the back of the man's hand.
His hands are cold.
This man was usually as hot as a soldering iron.
When did his hands get cold?
Ni Chang stood up again and walked to Yan Chi.
After taking off his jacket, the man was wearing the jacket she made.
She opened the collar of her leather jacket, put her little hands in and touched his shoulders and chest.
Her clothes were damp everywhere, and she didn't know whether it was snow or sweat...
Ni Chang frowned: "Are you cold?"
The man held her hand and rubbed his palm: "I'm hot, I'll do it soon."
"No."
Ni Chang thought for a moment, then pursed her lips in the direction of the bathroom, "Go and take a hot bath."
Yan Chi shook his head: "No need."
"Hurry up!"
Ni Chang pushed him Looking over his shoulder, she ordered the man in a soft voice, "What should you do if you catch a cold?"
Yan Chi was helpless.
He put the tip of his tongue on the side of his cheek and sneered softly: "After I take a shower, am I dazzling naked in front of your eyes?"
He raised his eyelids to mean He looked at her unclearly, with a playful curve on his lips.
"Little girl, if you want to see my brother's abs, just say so."
Ni Chang: "..."
Ni Chang took out her hand and slapped the back of the man's hand angrily.
"I'm going to find some clothes for you."
She quietly walked downstairs and entered the studio.
There are all cheongsams here, and it's hard to say whether you can find clothes for men.
Ni Chang rummaged through the boxes and cabinets for a long time and found two items for her.
She doesn't know where they came from.
A black waistcoat and dark blue trousers.
They look quite new and clean.
This size is definitely not suitable for tall men, but as for the waistcoat, it can be worn no matter what. Trousers are also easy to handle, with only an elastic band on the waist.
Ni Chang picked up the scissors at hand and loosened the waistband of his pants.
She went upstairs and handed the clothes to Yan Chi, and she went to the bathroom to find new bath towels and washcloths for him.
Coming out of the bathroom, Ni Chang saw that the man beside the sofa had changed clothes - only wearing pants.
She walked over and asked him: "How is it? Is it still suitable?"
It must not be suitable.
The legs of his trousers were pulled up a bit, and his trousers were forced to be worn as cropped trousers.
Yan Chi grabbed one waistband of his trousers and held one hand at his waist.
Seeing his girlfriend looking at him, he curled his lips and slowly loosened his hand.
The waistband of the trousers immediately became loose and hung reluctantly on the narrow hips.
Ni Chang made a mistake in judgment.
Although the man is tall, he has standard broad shoulders and narrow waist.
The trousers she had loosened around the waist were too big for him.
The waistband of the trousers is so baggy that it hangs like a hook on the waist, unable to cover anything.
The edge of the man's lowermost abdominal muscles, the small sinuous veins next to the mermaid line, and even the protruding pubic bone on the male dog's waist were all clearly visible...
Ni Chang's face felt hot, and she quickly looked away as if she had been burned.
"I, let me change it for you. You take it off-"
Before she could finish her words, Yan Chi grabbed the waistband of her pants and pulled them down.
Ni Chang's breath was stagnant and she quickly turned her back.
"Yan Chi!"
Her heartbeat was beating like a drum, and she shouted angrily, "You... you are a gangster!"
The man behind her laughed mischievously and said carelessly: "Why am I a gangster? I'm not the one being looked at."
Weak. Refuting the gangster's fallacy, Ni Chang blushed: "Who wants to look at you..."
There was a soft rustling of cloth behind her.
The man's tone was frivolous and he asked teasingly: "You really don't want to see it?"
"Brother, there is something better than abs."