novelWork hard to make you feel the world is beautiful
| ← Ch.601 | Ch.603 → |
Getting engaged? Xu Tingsheng's entire head rang.
Even though he and Xiang Ning seemed to have no obstacles in this life as they would definitely reach that stage, even though he had already heard his father mention it, as he heard it from Xiang Ning's own mouth at this moment, Xu Tingsheng still found it a bit inconceivable as dazedness and shock filled his soul.
He had longed for it in his previous life but painfully given up in the end. The happiness he sought day and night, a life together with Xiang Ning... was right before his very eyes. It was going to be set in stone.
"Don't you want to get engaged?" Under the blanket, Xiang Ning looked resentfully at the dazed Xu Tingsheng, asking bashfully but aggrievedly.
"Of course I want to!" Xu Tingsheng said, "I'd be a fool if I didn't."
Xiang Ning laughed and immediately resumed her normal expression, puffing up her cheeks as she asked, "Not grudgingly?"
"Not grudgingly at all, " Xu Tingsheng said ingratiatingly.
"You're not afraid of me restricting you?" Miss Xiang looked at him and asked.
"I only wish to be restricted by you, " Xu Tingsheng said sincerely.
Miss Xiang finally stopped putting up a front as she chuckled, mumbling to herself for a time, "Wa, Mrs Xu... I'm so awesome, getting engaged so young..."
Then, she seemed to have suddenly thought of something important as she climbed up and tugged at Xu Tingsheng, saying, "We must be clear on this. It's not me who proposed, okay."
"Of course not!"
"Right. So, you prepare to propose then."
"... Alright."
"It must be more romantic than everything you've done before."
"Huh?"
"Is it very difficult?"
"It is. You may not know, but there actually aren't many people in this world who're more romantic than this Uncle here."
"Really?... Well, I don't care. Anyway, I'm already too used to having my way. Hehe..."
"..."
The new BMW of a neighbour that was parked downstairs had its security system wailing continuously completely unreasonably, even though people were only passing by and not actually touching it.
More than an hour had passed, but its owner had still not come down to deal with it.
Having originally wanted to have a good chat with Uncle about their engagement, Miss Xiang was very angry. Fu Cheng who lived downstairs was affected even worse. Niannian had fallen asleep a few times but had been consecutively awoken by it. Miss Fang was a bit angry as well.
Despite the complaints of the neighbours, no response came from the car owner at all though the lights of his house were clearly turned on.
There were some who angrily threatened to smash the car, but that was mere bluster in truth. That kind of car-who could afford to do so?
"What's with that car?" Xiang Ning exclaimed angrily.
"There may be a malfunction with its security system, " Xu Tingsheng said.
"Huh?"
"It's become too sensitive. Just a bit of movement outside and it overreacts."
"Isn't the car owner going to do anything?"
"It doesn't seem like he will."
"Is there anything we can do then?"
"Maybe we could obscure the sensors."
"Where are the sensors?"
"Well, I'm not really sure, " Xu Tingsheng said, actually not knowing anything about cars at all.
"... Here it is again."
"Is there anything pasty at home?"
"No... uh, is cake counted?"
"There's cake at home?"
"Yes... four."
"Is it Du Jin's birthday?"
"No, I just wanted to plump myself up a bit... I was afraid you'd feel terrible. I heard that you'll get fatter if you eat cakes, so I was prepared to continue eating them..."
"How many have you eaten?"
"One plus... there are still four plus remaining. I was thinking that I would eat them all in a single day."
"... Wow. Still, I don't think you should do that... we also shouldn't waste it. Come, let's go cover that entire car in paste."
"Huh?... That isn't considered wastage?"
"Of course not."
"Well, alright then."
The pair went downstairs with the cakes.
The car began to wail piercingly.
Slap!
The first piece of cake smashed onto the car window, courtesy of Xu Tingsheng.
Xiang Ning gaped as she looked at him. She looked a bit timid as she grabbed a piece of cake, turning to look upstairs.
Slap!
Xu Tingsheng threw his second piece of cake and motioned towards her.
Slap! Miss Xiang lightly threw her first piece of cake.
Then, it must have felt pretty good, for she began to take relish in the throwing...
"Hey, it's still wailing."
"A bit over here as well."
"I want to climb to the roof of the car."
"Oops... I didn't throw it at you on purpose."
"Oops. This time, it's because... I thought the sensor could be on your face, haha!"
"Xu Tingsheng... you dare to attack me?! I'll bombard you to death... sob, you aren't even giving way."
The BMW wailed on throughout.
It didn't work even when the entire car was smeared with cake.
Still, that was no longer important. Miss Xiang who was plastered with cake was already no longer irritable. The sorrow from recent days seemed to have vanished too. She found it very interesting as she was frolicking about and smiling like a fool...
She was just like this, like a little sun. Despondence could always be swept away in a single go, whether it was her own or that of Xu Tingsheng when he was with her.
In this life, Xiang Ning was the same old Xiang Ning. While she might have many faults, she was still so lovable, so authentic. She enjoyed the wilfulness and happiness of smooth times without holding back at all, but even in tough times, she could persist and stay strong without any resentment or hatred.
Early the next morning, the car owner who seemed to have just moved there recently discovered that his new BMW had been completely smeared into a gigantic cake.
Fresh cream BMW...
He furiously spun around and shouted curses at the people upstairs.
Everyone's reaction was the same as how he had reacted to everyone's yells the previous night... he was completely ignored. Some snickers aside.
Wearing her pyjamas, bare-footed, Xiang Ning uneasily hid behind the curtain, sneaking a glance at things downstairs.
"Xu Tingsheng."
Lying in bed, Xu Tingsheng asked, "Huh?"
"He's scolding people... he also wants to hit people, " Xiang Ning said exaggeratedly but very softly, "Say, do you think he will know that we did it?"
"He probably will, " Xu Tingsheng said sleepily.
"Huh?" Xiang Ning hurriedly ran back to the bed from the window, hiding in the sheets as she asked, "What should we do then? Will he come looking for us?"
"Uh.. in that case, tell him that it's actually to celebrate him buying a new car. A new car, its first birthday and thus a cake... what do you think? The car isn't spoilt anyway."
"That actually seems to make a lot of sense."
"Alright. Let's sleep for a bit longer then."
Miss Xiang kicked Xu Tingsheng and pinched his waist, exclaiming, "Xu Tingsheng, can you be a bit more serious? He'll really make his way here in a while."
Xu Tingsheng rubbed her hair and hugged her, consoling, "Relax, he won't come looking for us. When he wants to do so, somebody will tell him... the person living here is called Xu Tingsheng!"
"That awesome?"
"Exactly."
"You seem so full of yourself. Like... an antihero in the movies."
"..."
The new neighbour stopped cursing very soon. Also, just as Xu Tingsheng had predicted, he did not find his way upstairs too.
When eating breakfast, Xiang Ning found the car owner quietly washing his car downstairs. She hid and watched for a while rather guiltily, next turning and looking hesitantly at Xu Tingsheng.
"Go on if you wish, " Xu Tingsheng smiled and said.
Xiang Ning went downstairs with a bucket and a cloth.
Xu Tingsheng stood at the window. He saw how after an initial period of nervousness and hesitation, she finally revealed herself before the car owner.
She was saying something with a guilty expression on her face. It seemed she was apologising.
The car owner was full of smiles as he waved dismissively in response.
Even though the car owner seemed to be politely refusing, Xiang Ning still persisted nevertheless, helping to wring the cloth and wipe the car... the new neighbour was nervous beyond himself at first, afraid that she might be hurt somewhere... still, at some point in time, the two began conversing happily with each other.
After wiping the doors of the car and some areas of the glass which obscured his vision, the car owner drove the car away.
Reaching home and setting down her things, Xiang Ning said a bit guiltily, "He's actually a pretty nice guy."
"Is that so?" Xu Tingsheng smiled and asked.
He thought of the new neighbour's selfishness last night and his curses today... after hesitating a bit, he ultimately chose not to explain to Xiang Ning the reason behind his change in attitude.
Some people say that if you are friendly towards the world, the world will be friendly towards you... actually, there must be a foundation supporting this logic. If Xu Tingsheng had not been Xu Tingsheng, or if he had only been the Xu Tingsheng of his previous life...
"Yeah, he was!" Xiang Ning said, "He didn't get angry and didn't blame me too. He also said that it was his own fault. He was especially polite."
"I said that I would compensate him the fee for washing his car, but he said it wasn't necessary. He said he would drive it to wash himself. Then, he even said that he would drive the car to be fixed. He won't drive the car back to park before the sensors are fixed lest it affects everyone's rest."
Xu Tingsheng went forward and embraced her, planting a deep kiss on her forehead.
He was actually very hesitant. Compared to in his previous life, Xiang Ning was purer and knew less of the dangers of the world.
"Maybe it's because I appeared too early in this life, protecting and taking care of her too well in the period of growth of her personality and mindset.... is this really a good thing? How about... ?"
"I will work hard to make you feel the world is beautiful, always. And make the world friendly towards you, always, " Xu Tingsheng muttered softly to himself.
There is no wrong in loving someone and making them feel that the world is a beautiful place. Also, the current Xu Tingsheng was capable of it. Xiang Ning would naturally grow in the days ahead. After all, she was intelligent and sensitive. Xu Tingsheng would protect her upon this basis, letting her face less of the ugliness and darkness of this world.
The Xiang Ning whom Xu Tingsheng had deeply loved in his previous life-hadn't she been someone who saw beauty in her own small world, radiant like sunlight, giving those around her radiance and happiness?
This might be the core reason why at the end of the day, the one Xu Tingsheng loved was her.
"Huh? What did you say?" Xiang Ning looked up and asked, Xu Tingsheng's look reflected in her eyes.
"I was saying, Miss Xiang, that you're really wonderful. It's so good I met you, " Xu Tingsheng said as he looked at her.
Miss Xiang's eyes could smile.
She was that bridge that led towards sunlight and warmth for Xu Tingsheng amidst darkness and violence, that brightest star in the night sky.
| ← Ch. 601 | Ch. 603 → |