333 Being Unable to Sit Still

The next morning, Zheng Huai picked Shen Xi up.

Shen Xi had not heard about this arrangement and asked, “Cousin, what are you doing here?”

“Your mother is worried you’d get lost in Beijing,” Shen Yan said. He and his wife were there to send off Shen Xi. “Your mother has asked your cousin to accompany you.”

“Wouldn’t that be against the terms of your bet?” Shen Xi asked worriedly.

After all, Zheng Huai was a member of the Shen family. Calling him for assistance was as good as borrowing the Shen family’s connections.

“Nothing is more important than your safety,” Lu Shan stressed, unable to hide her concern.

Shen Xi was touched. Lu Shan must have been more uneasy than she had let on after their discussion the previous day.

Zheng Huai was not privy to what had happened the previous day, but he could tell that the atmosphere seemed slightly strained. “My presence has nothing to do with the bet,” Zheng Huai began. “I came to pick you up because I wanted to. Besides, I have a few things I need to do there too.”

His grandfather had told him to get closer to Shen Xi. He wanted her to taste what it meant to be a daughter of the Shen family. Zheng Huai could not wait for an opportunity to do so.

Shen Xi sighed, helpless. After saying goodbye to her parents, she got into Zheng Huai’s car and went to pick up Zhao Yuan.

Xixi’s Boy: [ Good morning, Xixi! Are you on your way to Beijing? ]

Shen Xi read Guan Lei’s message but took her time formulating a response. She wondered if Guan Lei would still like her if he knew her dark past.

… Probably not. Should she break up with him? Should she tell Guan Lei to stop wasting his time on her? This second life was supposed to be different – and it was – but the memory of being gang raped remained a constant in her mind.

At this point, Shen Xi could not tell how much of her previous life she remembered was real. Had it all been a dream? A horrid nightmare? Or was the life she now lived a lie?

Xixi’s Boy: [ I’ll show you around tomorrow. You’ll love daybreak when the sun peaks over the waves; the fish swimming in the sea is always a sight. Walking on the sandy beach barefoot at dusk isn’t a bad idea either. ]

Guan Lei sent her a few photos of things to expect in Beijing. Every one of them looked stunning.

Xixi’s Boy: [ I just learned how to cook, so I’ll whip up breakfast for the two of us when I return. ]

A new set of photos featuring lotus-wrapped eggs, vegetables, and what looked like a slightly burnt steak popped up on her screen.

Shen Xi giggled at the sight, causing Zheng Huai to peek over his shoulder, eyeing her curiously.

Xixi’s Boy: [ Are you still sleeping? I’m going to keep Grandma company. When you wake up, please send me a message. ]

A sigh escaped Shen Xi’s lips as she stared out the car window.

“What’s wrong? Why the deep frown and the sigh? Weren’t you feeling happy just a while ago?” Zheng Huai probed, confused by his cousin’s sudden shift in mood.

Shen Xi shrugged, feigning a relaxed smile. “I’m fine. I think I’m already missing home. I’ve been meaning to ask, but… Have you told Grandpa that you’re tagging along?”

Zheng Huai pretended to be mad and glared at Shen Xi. “I told Uncle that I wouldn’t tell Grandpa. I definitely won’t; I’m a man of my word.”

“That’s good.” Shen Xi nodded.

Shen Xi returned to her phone, still thinking about how to reply to Guan Lei’s texts.

Meanwhile, Guan Lei, who had not heard from Shen Xi, grew nervous. He checked his phone several times, but no word from Shen Xi was forthcoming.

She could not be on the plane, he reasoned. Not at this time, at least.

Ye Long regarded her absentminded grandson and asked, “Ah Ying, what’s going on? What’s wrong with Lei’er? He looks like a monkey with an itch he can’t scratch.”

Ah Ying shared Old Madam Guan’s thoughts. Why was the usually calm and collected Young Master suddenly acting like a child who could not sit still?

“Xue Li, is it still dark in Rong City?” Xue Li nearly toppled over and into the lapping waves below with her fishing rod in hand. ‘Why is the Young Master asking me such a silly question,’ she wondered.

“Young Master, Rong City isn’t that far from Beijing. There’s little to no time difference between here and there,” Xue Li replied dutifully with a forced smile.

Who could have known that her answer would make Guan Lei even more unhappy? The Young Master had said he missed Shen Xi, and now he could not get a response from her today. Did something happen between the two?

Just as Guan Lei was about to look for someone in the class group to ask if they knew how she was, he received a message. It was from Shen Xi.

Xixi: [ I’m boarding the plane now. I’ll text you when I arrive in Beijing. ]

Guan Lei’s happiness was short-lived. He had just heard from Shen Xi. Why did he have to wait even longer to hear from her again? Why did the wait seem so much harder than it was before?

Shen Xi only messaged Guan Lei again when she settled at the hotel she would be staying in. The message was not long, enough to tell him she had arrived.

When Guan Lei received the message, he immediately told Ye Long, “Grandma, I’ll go home and rest for a bit. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

Ye Long eyed her grandson lovingly and nodded. “Alright,” she said, “Go on home. I’ll stay in the sun for a while longer.”