A small candy

Chapter 46 Let Lingling sleep in Ah Xu's room

After a heavy snowfall on Christmas Eve, the following few days have been sunny, but the temperature is not high. BJ's winter is cold and dry, with biting winds. The temperature of -9 degrees Celsius in the morning makes getting up a difficult task.

Jian Ling was woken up by the alarm in the morning. She reached under the quilt and found that her cell phone was turned off. She fell back to sleep and pulled the quilt up to cover her head.

Five minutes later, the second alarm rang on time. Jian Ling felt like she had taken a short nap in such a short five minutes. She was suddenly awakened and reached out to turn it off again.

After repeating this three times, she slowly got up and put on her clothes. She fumbled for the remote control and opened the curtains. The sky outside was foggy and she didn't know whether it was going to snow or rain.

Jian Ling yawned deeply and dragged herself to the bathroom to wash up lazily. She had been very busy with the planning proposal recently, and her daily routine had become disrupted again.

In the past, it was a group project, with everyone having their own responsibilities, and it was still busy. Now, each person has to come up with a plan, which takes two weeks, followed by a public meeting for a competition. This has put even more pressure on both time and energy.

Jian Ling was moved by her own non-stop spirit, which was like a spinning top. Looking back, she was a carefree idler who didn't know what work was.

"Ugh……"

Jian Ling sighed in a long tone, washed her face, felt a little more refreshed, and went downstairs to have breakfast.

There are still a few days left before the competition, and her plan is almost done. She needs to improve it in the remaining days and cannot let her guard down.

After taking a bite of her sandwich, the phone on the table rang. It was a video call invitation. Jian Ling clicked on it, her cheeks puffed up, and she mumbled, "Mom, why are you calling me so early?"

In the camera, Ye Xianxin was wearing a tight, gray-purple yoga outfit, maintaining a slender figure even in her forties. She had obviously gotten up early and finished a set of yoga poses, with sweat beading her forehead and neck.

"Are you having breakfast?" Ye Xianxin sat cross-legged on a yoga mat, breathing heavily. She held her phone in one hand and wiped her sweat with a towel in the other. Then she got down to business. "Are you working overtime tonight? Would you like to accompany Mom to visit an aunt?"

The mother and daughter actually have very similar personalities. When they beg others, they are used to speaking in a coquettish tone, and questions like "OK?" and "Is it possible?" make it difficult for people to refuse.

Jian Ling took another bite of the sandwich, and the crumbs fell onto the plate in front of her. She wiped the corner of her mouth, chewed slowly, and thought about how to refuse.

She didn't want to visit a strange aunt's house, not because she was stage fright, but because she had been a little tired in recent days and just wanted to go home early to rest after get off work.

Ye Xianxin looked at her frowning brows and guessed what she was going to say: "You don't think I want you to go on a blind date, do you? Don't worry, I'm just going to accompany me to see people. Besides, that aunt's son has a girlfriend, and you have a boyfriend too. Mom is not such an unreliable person."

"That's not my concern." She knew that Ye Xianxin wouldn't introduce her to someone even though she already had a boyfriend. "I'm not working overtime tonight, but I need to sleep. I haven't slept well these past few days."

"Is that so..." If that was the case, Ye Xianxin didn't know what to say. After a moment of silence, she decided to prioritize her health. "Then you should stay home and rest. I'll go there alone. Well, that auntie said before that she wanted to see you. If you don't come, I have to think of a decent reason to explain it to her."

Jian Ling had heard Ye Xianxin mention that like-minded aunt more than once. Hearing her regretful tone, she couldn't bear it and changed her tone, "Okay, okay, I'll go with you."

Joy flashed in Ye Xianxin's eyes: "Really?"

Jian Ling: "Well, I was busy some time ago, but now I'm not so busy anymore, so I have plenty of time to catch up on sleep."

Ye Xian was overjoyed and asked Jian Ling to send a message before she got off work. She asked the driver to pick her up at the company so that she wouldn't have to take a taxi herself.

-

In the afternoon, Jian Ling finished her work and left work on time. She was the first to leave the planning department and take the elevator downstairs. The driver was already waiting on the roadside beside the company's main entrance, in the same position as before.

There was a strong north wind today, and as soon as she stepped out of the door, her bangs blew up completely, revealing her full forehead. Jian Ling pulled her scarf higher, covering half of her face, and with one hand pressed down her bangs, she walked forward against the wind with her head lowered.

The phone in her bag vibrated. She paused slightly, took out her phone, and the screen lit up, revealing Cheng Zhixu's message.

Orange Juice: "Not off work yet?"

Jian Ling typed while walking and lowering her eyes, keeping an eye on the road ahead. She remembered that she had not yet informed him that she would not go home with him that night.

Palm Pig: "I have to visit an aunt's house tonight and can't come with you." A small expression expressing depression was added at the end.

Cheng Zhixu looked at that little expression, which was consistent with his mood at the moment - depressed.

She had been incredibly busy lately, only occasionally coming up to eat lunch with him. As for dinner, he didn't even want to think about it. Ever since Ye Guizhou discovered what was going on between them, he'd been video-calling him every now and then to check on him, and he hadn't been allowed to stay at Jian Ling's apartment.

Ye Guizhou often said, "I don't want to get involved in your affairs as a couple. I don't have the time. It's just that you didn't hold your engagement party. It's not legitimate, and it's not appropriate for you to live together. What if something unexpected happens..."

He didn't say the rest of the words, but Cheng Zhixu, as a man, understood.

It would have been fine if he had never experienced that, but after he had tasted it and then been deprived of it, Cheng Zhixu would have all sorts of wild thoughts when he woke up at night, and he felt that the night was especially long and dull.

Cheng Zhixu finally caught the opportunity when Ye Guizhou went abroad to find his wife. Because of the time difference between the two places, he could not call to video check on him. He could have a good time with Jian Ling, but she had something else to do.

Orange Juice: "Okay then, be careful."

Jian Ling got into the car, her hands resting neatly on her knees. It happened to be the evening rush hour, and the car was stopping and starting so frequently that she could hardly open her eyes.

"Has my mother arrived yet?" she asked the driver with all her heart, a little worried that if her mother hadn't arrived yet, it would be embarrassing for her to go into someone else's house alone.

The driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror, smiled, and said, "She left around two or three in the afternoon. She said she wanted to learn how to make dim sum from someone."

Jian Ling felt relieved. When the navigation system reminded her that they were almost at their destination, she took out a mirror from her bag to check her makeup, smoothed her messy bangs, and gently brushed them with her fingers to create an airy look.

She was wearing a black down jacket. The heater in the car was a little high, so the front was open, revealing the goose yellow plush sweater underneath. Her skin was naturally fair, so she looked beautiful without any color to set it off.

Ten minutes later, the outline of the house began to take shape.

Jian Ling looked out the car window and saw an independent three-story house in front of her. It had an antique-style exterior. A main road in the courtyard led directly to the main hall. Many tall, old trees were planted on both sides, swaying in the howling north wind. Some low green plants could not bear the damage and were blown into pieces.

Jian Ling got out of the car, stood outside the door and rang the doorbell.

In a moment, the heavy reddish-brown door in front of her opened, and a nanny wearing a brown cardigan stood in the doorway, smiling and greeting her: "Miss Jane, right? Come in."

Jian Ling smiled and said yes. As she stepped on the doormat, she heard a woman's laughter coming from the living room. Her mother's voice was so cheerful that it was impossible not to hear it.

The nanny took out a pair of new slippers from the shoe cabinet and handed them to her. She said thank you and changed her shoes before going in.

"Lingling is here, come here quickly." Ye Xianxin turned around when she heard the voice, with a smile in her eyes, and waved at her.

With her mother around, Jian Ling didn't feel restrained and walked over confidently.

A white porcelain tea table, covered with a tablecloth, held a pot of fragrant tea bubbling away, next to cut fruit and delicate pastries, and in the center, a bouquet of vibrant blue-purple hydrangeas. The room was filled with warmth and a pleasant aroma.

Next to Ye Xianxin sat an elegant and dignified woman, her black curly hair tied into a low bun with a delicate jade comb inserted diagonally. She had a gentle look and a bright smile.

Ye Xianxin took Jian Ling's hand and introduced her, "This is Aunt Cheng I mentioned to you." She turned and said to Yu Zhijin, "This is my daughter, Jian Ling. She just graduated last year."

Jian Ling lowered her brows and eyes, and greeted crisply, "Hello, Aunt Cheng."

Yu Zhijin looked at her with delight. She pulled her to sit next to her and personally brought her some baked pastries. "I heard from your mother that you have a boyfriend?"

Jian Ling glanced at Ye Xianxin, slightly dissatisfied. Why did she tell everyone about this? When Aunt Cheng asked about this, she couldn't help but answer, so she could only say truthfully, "Yeah."

Yu Zhijin felt it was a pity. When she heard Ye Xianxin talking about her daughter, she thought she would be a great daughter-in-law. But who knew that before she could introduce the two young people to each other, they each had a partner.

Bringing up this matter again would be unfair to her son's girlfriend, so Yu Zhijin dismissed that thought and changed the subject: "Are you busy at work? You don't look like you slept well." Jian Ling ate the sweet but not greasy pastries, thinking to herself that her mother was right, this aunt was indeed beautiful, gentle, and kind-hearted.

"It's a lot busier than usual near the end of the year, but it will be fine after a while."

"Alas, little girl, you should take care of yourself and don't work too hard on yourself. If you don't take care of yourself when you are young, it will be too late to regret it in the future." Yu Zhijin patted the back of her hand, spoke in a personal way, and poured her a cup of hot tea.

Ye Xianxin agreed: "She doesn't listen to anything I say. Two months ago, she was still taking medicine to regulate her body, and now that she has stopped taking the medicine, she doesn't take it seriously anymore."

Jian Ling subconsciously retorted: "I didn't."

Yu Zhijin smiled, "No matter what, my daughter is more obedient and considerate. She's nothing like my son, who refuses to come home no matter how many times I ask him to. Last time, he came home late at night and told me he had a girlfriend, then left the next morning. Now he hasn't been home for several days, and he hasn't even called. He said he would bring his girlfriend back to see me, but I've been waiting for so long, and there's no sign of her."

Jian Ling listened quietly, and she felt that Aunt Cheng's tone of voice was interesting. There was a hint of happiness mixed in with her complaining tone, which seemed to be neither angry nor angry.

Ye Xianxin: "You, stop complaining. All men of this age are like this. It's natural for people with ideals and ambitions to be busy. If he doesn't make progress, you should be worried."

Yu Zhijin: "I still prefer daughters. Daughters are good, they are sweet and caring."

Ye Xianxin sighed: "It's not worry-free either."

Yu Zhijin laughed.

Both of them had beautiful voices, and the conversation was lively and engaging. Jian Ling listened intently at first, but then she felt so sleepy that she couldn't hold on any longer. She held the cup of hot tea in her hand, her head slightly lowered, nodding off.

Talking about their respective family matters, Yu Zhijin said, "My husband joined some calligraphy association and has been going there a lot lately. We're having dinner together tonight..."

Before she could finish her words, something fell down in her peripheral vision. Yu Zhijin instinctively reached out to pick it up, but Jian Ling's soft cheek hit her palm. She woke up suddenly with a dazed look in her eyes.

Yu Zhijin pinched her face and couldn't help laughing: "Are you sleepy?"

Ye Xianxin held her forehead, speechless: "This child can fall asleep even when talking."

After all, she wasn't familiar with Aunt Cheng, and even though Jian Ling was straightforward and honest, she still thought it was rude to fall asleep while someone was talking. Her cheeks flushed, she put down her teacup, covered half her face with her palm, and whispered, "I've been busy with the planning proposal these days, and I'm so sleepy."

Yu Zhijin stroked the back of her head and said tolerantly, "It's okay." She glanced at the clock, called her aunt over, and asked when they could eat. When she heard that it would take more than an hour, she took the initiative and said, "Go to the guest room upstairs and take a nap. I'll call you when dinner is ready. You look so sleepy that your double eyelids have become triple eyelids." After she said that, she couldn't help laughing, covering her lips with her hands, and her eyes were curved.

Before Jian Ling could say anything to refuse, Ye Xianxin said hurriedly, "There's no point in sleeping in someone else's house. No need, just let her sit here and doze off."

Yu Zhijin feigned anger: "Isn't that too formal?"

Ye Xian was at a loss for words, and the aunt next to her tactfully took over, "I'll take Miss Jian there. However... the spare bedding in the guest room has been taken down and washed, and the weather hasn't dried it out yet."

Jian Ling was about to say forget it, but her words were interrupted again. Yu Zhijin made the final decision: "Then let Lingling sleep in Ah Xu's room. He won't be coming back to live here anyway."

Ah Xu? Is he Aunt Cheng's son, or someone else in her family?

Jian Ling resisted in her heart, but her aunt smiled and took her hand. She looked at Ye Xianxin for help. Ye Xianxin paused for two seconds, then decided not to care about it anymore: "Since your Aunt Cheng has said so, then you should go to sleep for a while. Don't stay up late and miss out on sleep anymore."

Jian Ling reluctantly went upstairs and turned left to the first room. Her aunt opened the door for her and stood at the doorway, not going in. She looked at Jian Ling's face, wanting to say something but stopping herself. She might have wanted to give her some advice, but out of courtesy she didn't say anything and only said, "Miss Jian, go get some rest. I'll call you when it's time for dinner."

Jian Ling bravely entered the room and glanced around. It was clearly a man's bedroom. The dark-colored furniture and simple, elegant decor made it seem drab and lifeless at first glance, much like Cheng Zhixu's taste.

She didn't dare to move or touch anything, and stood there hesitating for a long time, looking at the dark blue bed not far away, wondering whether she should lie down on it.

After standing there like a wooden man for a while, Jian Ling was so sleepy that her head started to hurt. Finally, she couldn't resist the temptation of the big bed, so she kicked off her slippers and climbed onto it.

The moment her nose touched the pillow, she suddenly stopped, carefully lay down on it and took a deep breath. She didn't know if it was her illusion, but the smell was so familiar.

The quilt also has the same smell, it's not just the scent of laundry detergent, it's a special smell that's hard to describe.

Jian Ling's mind was full of questions, and she didn't know how she fell asleep. Maybe it was the surrounding environment that made her feel safe and comfortable, and she felt particularly sleepy.

She had slept for about half an hour when the doorbell rang again in the living room downstairs.

The aunt wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She opened the door, and a cold wind blew in, carrying snowflakes that hit her face, making it impossible to open her eyes. She calmed down and took a look, and it turned out to be Cheng Zhixu.

"The eldest young master is back! Come in quickly, it's cold outside." Auntie looked happy and invited him in.

Cheng Zhixu changed his shoes after entering the room. He was startled when he noticed the female guest in the living room. If he was not mistaken, this person in front of him was Jian Ling's mother?

He had met Jane's mother once at Ye Guizhou's wedding, but because his relationship with Jian Ling had not been made clear at that time, he did not rush to disturb the two elders.

Cheng Zhixu didn't know why she was in his house. He quickly calmed down and walked over to her, bowing slightly and greeting her: "Hello, Aunt Jian, nice to meet you. I'm Cheng Zhixu."

Ye Xianxin was stunned for a moment, opened her mouth and exclaimed "Ah".

Beside her, Yu Zhijin was shocked: "I haven't introduced her to you yet, how do you know this is Mrs. Jian?"

Cheng Zhixu's voice was clear and mellow: "I saw him at Ye Guizhou's wedding."

Ye Xianxin stared at the man before her; he looked familiar. Her memory was failing her at age, and she couldn't place him for a moment. Ye Guizhou's wedding had been packed with guests, many of whom she had never met before. Perhaps he was one of them, someone she had only briefly glanced at that day? That was all she could think.

Ye Xianxin: "I see."

She still felt something was amiss, and as she thought about it, she looked at Cheng Zhixu with a thoughtful expression. He was tall and straight, his black coat crisp and broad, his shoulders thick, and his demeanor remarkable. His appearance was even more impressive; even without a close look, one could tell at a glance that he was handsome and strikingly handsome. He was also polite and courteous, a rare son-in-law...

Forget it, my daughter already has a boyfriend, so I can’t think too much about it.

Cheng Zhixu thought for a moment and thought that Ye Xianxin appeared here because Jian Ling had told her about her situation in detail and she came to investigate.

Cheng Zhixu was dusty and covered in the cold of ice and snow. He sat for a short while before he stood up and said respectfully, "Aunt Jian, I'll go upstairs to change my clothes and then come back to chat with you."

Ye Xianxin was completely bewildered by such enthusiastic attitude and could only reply hesitantly, "Okay."

After getting the consent, Cheng Zhixu nodded slightly and went upstairs.

To be honest, Yu Zhijin was even more confused than Ye Xianxin. She knew her son well. In the past, if there were female guests at home, he would at most come over to say hello politely and then retreat to the study and not come out. Now why did he become so warm and even change his clothes to come over and chat with them?

too weird.

After a long silence, Yu Zhijin still couldn't figure it out and murmured, "What the hell..."

The aunt went back into the kitchen and was about to pick up a knife to cut vegetables when she thought of something and hurried back, pointing upstairs: "Miss Jian is resting in the eldest young master's room, I forgot!"

　This one is actually quite interesting.

　　Cheng Zhixu knew that Ye Xianxin was Jian Ling's mother, and thought that Jian Ling had introduced herself to her, but in fact Ye Xianxin had no idea that he was her daughter's boyfriend.

　　Jian Ling's side was even more interesting. She didn't know that the Aunt Cheng in front of her was Cheng Zhixu's mother, and Yu Zhijin didn't know that she was her son's girlfriend.

　　Hahaha, it may be a bit confusing, but it’s easy to understand if you sort it out.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)