When Yu Zixuan returned, she saw Xia Qingtian excitedly hugging Aunt Liu, the two as close as mother and daughter.
This left her somewhat stunned, a pang of envy rising in her heart.
When she was very, very young, she must have hugged her own mother like this too...
But that time was perhaps too distant; she no longer remembered.
What remained in her memory now was likely only her older sister, who had died in a fire.
They, sisters, had once vowed to rely on each other and never part.
Later, she realized that death could turn all promises into ashes and laughter.
The crematorium had taken away the parents who had promised to protect them their whole lives.
The fire had taken away the sister who had promised never to part.
If her sister were still alive, if she knew she was getting married.
How happy would she be?
If she could see herself in a wedding dress, would she say she looked beautiful?
Yu Zixuan felt an infinite sadness welling up inside.
In the next instant, this sadness was thoroughly suppressed by her rationality.
One must always move forward, look forward.
"Auntie, has Uncle left?" Xia Qingtian turned and saw Yu Zixuan, asking.
"Mhm." Yu Zixuan nodded and said, "He's too busy with work, otherwise he would have wanted to have dinner with you."
"Being busy is good too." Xia Qingtian chuckled and then asked Aunt Liu, "Which room is my aunt staying in?"
"How about the one next to yours?" Aunt Liu considered and said, "I'll have someone clean it up. You can move in after dinner."
"Okay, that's settled." Xia Qingtian agreed readily.
Aunt Liu's arrangement was just what Yu Zixuan wanted. She smiled faintly at Aunt Liu, "Sorry to trouble you."
"No trouble at all." Aunt Liu smiled faintly and went to make the arrangements.
"Auntie, why don't you go rest in my room for a bit? I just need to put away my treasures," Xia Qingtian said, smiling and shaking the bag in her hand.
Yu Zixuan smiled shyly and followed Xia Qingtian back to her room.
Xia Qingtian placed the handbag into the entire row of display cabinets in her walk-in closet. She then stepped back and nodded with satisfaction.
After putting away the bag, Xia Qingtian came out of the closet and asked someone to prepare tea and snacks.
Yu Zixuan paced in Xia Qingtian's room, looking around.
It was a very beautiful and cozy room with a girlish style. It was evident that the designer had put a lot of thought into it.
Her gaze fell upon a ring left on the table. Yu Zixuan's breath hitched. Just as she was about to touch it, she heard footsteps behind her. Yu Zixuan immediately withdrew her hand.
"Auntie, please sit." Xia Qingtian said casually, "It's a bit messy here; I haven't had time to tidy up."
"No, it's quite nice," Yu Zixuan said, smiling at Xia Qingtian. "Your uncle's room is what you'd call messy. Every time I help him tidy it up, it's a mess again in no time. Yours is already very good."
"Really? I can't tell." Xia Qingtian recalled Yue Chengfeng, who was always impeccably dressed in a suit, and truly couldn't imagine him carelessly throwing things around.
"Heh heh." Yu Zixuan laughed and reached out to pick up the ring on Xia Qingtian's desk, feigning interest in its design as she asked, "Is this a Möbius strip design?"
"Mhm." The moment Xia Qingtian saw the ring, she thought of Gu Yaoyang. She had specifically bought a pair back then.
Lately, Xia Qingtian didn't know what was going on with Gu Yaoyang; he was acting strange.
If he had something to say, he only had Assistant Lin contact her. Was he too busy?
Xia Qingtian took the ring from Yu Zixuan's hand and fiddled with it. She felt as though there was a hollow space in her heart, just like the empty circle of the ring.
It felt rather uncomfortable.
"What? Did someone very important give it to you?" Yu Zixuan probed.
"Who said it was someone very important? I just saw it while shopping and bought it on impulse," Xia Qingtian chuckled and said, "Do you like it, Auntie? If you do, I'll buy you one next time I see it."
"No, it's just that I'm getting married soon, so I've looked at quite a few wedding rings." Yu Zixuan replied with a faint smile, "The Möbius strip, because it symbolizes infinite looping, is often used in wedding ring designs."
"Is that so?" Xia Qingtian really didn't know that. Looking at the ring before her, she couldn't help but think of Gu Yaoyang again.
Observing Xia Qingtian's expression and demeanor, Yu Zixuan's gaze shifted.
From the perspective of someone who had been there, she knew that Xia Qingtian was at least somewhat smitten with the person who gave the ring its meaning.
But she didn't know to what extent.
If it were a business partnership tied to mutual interests, it would be easier to handle.
But if Xia Qingtian had truly fallen for that mobius...
Yu Zixuan clenched her fists at her sides.
Then the only path left was to kill mobius, to completely sever all of Xia Qingtian's hopes.
Xia Qingtian put the ring away and chatted with Yu Zixuan for a while longer.
"I remember you have another sister, is she not home?" Yu Zixuan asked, as if recalling something.
"She's at school today, but it should be close to dismissal time," Xia Qingtian said, glancing at the time on her watch. "But she has training at the martial arts hall today, so she'll probably be back a little later."
"Oh, I see..." Yu Zixuan nodded thoughtfully.
Xia Qingyu was someone the young master wanted to protect. With such a person by Xia Qingtian's side, Yu Zixuan wondered what the young master's arrangements were.
Meanwhile, at City First High School, as dismissal time approached, the teacher happily announced from the podium, "Congratulations to our classmates Xia Qingyu and Li Xiaozhong for achieving excellent results in the previous competition and securing precious spots. Next month, you will represent our country and travel to Finland in Northern Europe to participate in the World Competition."
Upon hearing this news, everyone turned to look at Xia Qingyu and Li Xiaozhong, their eyes filled with envy. "Wow..."
Xia Qingyu found the news somewhat unexpected and exchanged a look with Li Xiaozhong.
"You two, remember to come to the office after school. We need to discuss the competition details with you." After saying this, the teacher left the classroom.
Immediately after, the dismissal bell rang, and students began leaving the classroom one by one. Xia Qingyu and Li Xiaozhong headed to the office.
Previously, during the national competition, City First High School had produced three elite students from her class, and now they were successfully going to participate in the world competition!
The teacher's excitement and joy were evident on her face and at the corners of her mouth; she couldn't rest for a moment.
Upon seeing Xia Qingyu and Li Xiaozhong, the teacher praised them again before reiterating some details and subsequent visa requirements. She handed them paper documents, saying, "The organizers are also producing the corresponding certificates and trophies, which should arrive in the next couple of days."
After finishing, the teacher couldn't help but lament, "It's a shame Nie Qingkong transferred. Otherwise, the three of you would have gone to Finland to compete together! His overall score was the same as Qingyu's!"