“Sister, look quickly, Brother Yun Ting is out.”
Qi Miaomiao, in the taxi behind, immediately saw Wan Yun Ting and Fang Yan Xi emerge together. Gu Luo Tang also saw them, and seeing them side-by-side, felt even more lost and distressed…
“It seems Sister Yan Xi is really here to pick him up, as Brother Yun Ting asked,” Qi Miaomiao pouted.
Gu Luo Tang, beside her, couldn't hide her inner disappointment. She said to the driver in front, “Master, let’s go…”
“Huh? Why are they here?”
Wan Yun Ting, who also saw Gu Luo Tang and Qi Miaomiao getting into the car, wondered why they were also at the airport.
Fang Yan Xi shook her head slightly, not hiding anything. “I saw them when I arrived, but for some reason, they went out just now.”
“Oh.”
Wan Yun Ting glanced back at Fang Yan Xi. Recalling Qi Miaomiao’s message that afternoon asking what time he’d arrive, he immediately understood that Gu Luo Tang and the others were there to pick him up.
This made Wan Yun Ting shake his head and smile. Fang Yan Xi naturally guessed that Gu Luo Tang and the others were definitely here to pick him up as well.
“Let’s go.”
Wan Yun Ting didn’t say anything further.
Fang Yan Xi nodded, then started driving. Wan Yun Ting sat in the passenger seat, and the two headed directly to his second brother’s house.
He had already contacted his second brother in advance. His second sister-in-law was preparing dinner at home.
“By the way, how is the company progressing?”
The two in the car, to avoid a dull atmosphere, Wan Yun Ting turned to Fang Yan Xi, who was driving, and initiated a conversation.
“Mm, I’ve prepared all the company documents. We haven’t registered yet, and we’re currently missing a company name,” Fang Yan Xi said, turning to glance at him and smiling.
“A name, huh? You can just pick one,”
Wan Yun Ting didn’t care much about these things. He added, “Regarding the matter of cultivating Dendrobium candidum as we discussed, see when you have time, and we’ll go visit.”
“Okay.”
Fang Yan Xi nodded. At this moment, she was like an obedient girlfriend, quietly following her boyfriend’s arrangements, completely devoid of her usual strong and independent career woman demeanor.
Wan Yun Ting smiled and turned to look at her. He noticed the seemingly cheap necklace she was wearing around her neck, which made him pause for a moment. His memories immediately flashed back to their university days, when they went to a night market one evening. Fang Yan Xi had spotted a stall selling jewelry and necklaces. She was immediately drawn to this delicate platinum necklace with a teardrop-shaped pendant, symbolizing their relationship as enduring and firm as water drops piercing stone.
Although it was just a fake necklace worth less than fifty yuan, Fang Yan Xi liked it very much. Wan Yun Ting unhesitatingly bought it for her and personally fastened it around her neck…
Unexpectedly, Fang Yan Xi had worn this necklace all along. A crack appeared in Wan Yun Ting’s long-sealed heart. “You’re still wearing this necklace.”
Abruptly shifting the topic to the necklace, Fang Yan Xi paused. She turned and found the man’s ardent gaze fixed on her. Fang Yan Xi felt a surge of inexplicable excitement but remained outwardly calm, nodding with a smile. “It looks quite nice, so I’ve kept it.”
“Mm, it looks good on you…”
Wan Yun Ting nodded distractedly, then shifted his gaze away, his mind lost in thought.
Fang Yan Xi glanced at him, and seeing his silence, she also stopped talking and drove quietly toward his second brother Wan Dong Ming’s house. Soon, they arrived.
“Wan Er, your third uncle is back! Hurry and open the door,” the second sister-in-law Wang Chu Lin, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen, called out to Wan Er, who was watching TV in the living room.
“Third Uncle is back! Yay…”
Upon hearing that her third uncle was back, Wan Er’s big eyes lit up. She excitedly got up and ran out towards the yard.
Wan Yun Ting stood at the entrance, carrying his luggage bag. Fang Yan Xi stood elegantly beside him…
“Third Uncle…”
Before the door was even fully opened, Wan Er’s joyful call could be heard. Wan Yun Ting turned and smiled at Fang Yan Xi, “She’s my eldest sister’s daughter.”
Fang Yan Xi smiled and nodded. Wan Er opened the small gate to the yard. Seeing that it was indeed her third uncle, she happily rushed towards him. Wan Yun Ting naturally squatted down and scooped her up in his arms. Seeing the little girl so happy, he smiled, “You miss your uncle so much, huh?”
“Mm-hmm, Wan Er misses Uncle every day. Why did you only come back now?”
Wan Er cupped Wan Yun Ting’s face with her small hands, her voice milky, and she pouted. “Uncle didn’t even call Wan Er. Wan Er is very angry.”
“Yes, yes, Uncle is wrong. But I brought you lots of gifts, didn’t I?” Wan Yun Ting pointed to the luggage bag at his feet. Hearing about gifts, Wan Er immediately became happy.
“Yun Ting, I’ll head back then,”
Fang Yan Xi said somewhat awkwardly, standing to the side.
Wan Yun Ting put Wan Er down and stood up, smiling. “Come in and sit for a while. My second sister-in-law is almost done with dinner. You should eat before you go.”
Seeing that he invited her to stay for dinner, Fang Yan Xi was happy, but she wanted to maintain some reserve. Unexpectedly, Wan Er tugged at her hand. “Sister, come in quickly…”
Fang Yan Xi was stunned. She hadn’t expected Wan Er to pull her hand. Wan Yun Ting picked up the bag and smiled, “Come in and sit down.”
“Okay…”
Pulled in by Wan Er, Fang Yan Xi was then met by Wang Chu Lin emerging from inside, wearing a cooking apron. “Third brother is back. Mm, Miss Fang…”
“Second Sister-in-law.”
Wan Yun Ting walked up and pointed to Fang Yan Xi. “Yan Xi is the one who brought me back.”
Wang Chu Lin, who was momentarily surprised, reacted and gave Fang Yan Xi an embarrassed smile. “Then Miss Fang, please sit down. I’m making dinner, it’ll be ready soon.”
“Mm, sorry to trouble you,” Fang Yan Xi replied politely, nodding.
“Yan Xi, sit.”
Wan Yun Ting placed the bag aside and invited Fang Yan Xi to sit on the sofa. He then went to the dining room and poured her a glass of water. Fang Yan Xi thanked him and looked around the living room, asking, “Are you living with your second brother and them now?”
“Yes.”
Wan Yun Ting squatted down, and Wan Er also squatted, her big eyes blinking rapidly, fixed on the luggage bag, eagerly anticipating her third uncle bringing her lots and lots of gifts.
Wan Yun Ting opened the luggage bag and, turning to Fang Yan Xi, smiled. “This way, it’s convenient for me to take care of Wan Er…”
“Third Uncle, hurry up…”
Wan Er urged impatiently. Wan Yun Ting turned back. “Okay, okay, don’t rush. All these gifts are yours… Look, what’s this!”
Wan Yun Ting took out a beautifully crafted small gift for a child, made by hand in the Dai ethnic style of Yunnan. Wan Er’s eyes lit up. She excitedly asked, “Uncle, what is this? It’s so pretty…”
“There’s more…”
Wan Yun Ting rummaged through the bag again. Wan Er happily exclaimed, “So many!”
Fang Yan Xi, sitting beside them, watched without saying anything, a gentle smile on her face. She suddenly realized the man seemed to like children…
“Alright, these are all for you.”
These gifts were naturally chosen at a Thai specialty store during lunch with Niu Qiuling.
“Thank you, Uncle…” The happy Wan Er giggled at Wan Yun Ting and then sat on the carpet playing with the gifts.
Wan Yun Ting then got up and sat beside Fang Yan Xi, holding a Dai ethnic scarf. “This is for you.”
“Ah.”
Looking at the scarf the man handed her, Fang Yan Xi was stunned. She never expected him to bring her a gift as well.
“This is a scarf with Dai ethnic characteristics. I thought it was quite pretty, so I bought it back,” Wan Yun Ting said casually, but he had been very meticulous when choosing it.
Fang Yan Xi’s heart fluttered. She didn’t know how to respond. Taking the scarf, she stammered, “Thank you…”
“Mm, you sit here for a while. I’ll take my things upstairs,” Wan Yun Ting smiled, stood up, and carried the bag upstairs. As he passed the entryway, he asked his second sister-in-law in the kitchen, “When will second brother and they be back?”
“Mm, I’ve called him. He said they are already on their way.”
“Okay.” Wan Yun Ting nodded and said, “Yan Xi is staying for dinner.”
Wang Chu Lin glanced at him meaningfully and smiled. “I know.”
Knowing his second sister-in-law had misunderstood, Wan Yun Ting didn’t explain. He went upstairs to put his things away, especially the bag of diamonds he’d taken from the Pengka vault.