Chapter 79: Sweet And Sour
The weather was getting colder. After making it through a month as a newbie, Xia Lingying was now handling the DJ job with ease.
At night, through the radio waves, she quietly told one touching love story after another. On the other end of the radio, no one knew how many people also couldn’t sleep, drawing bits of gentleness from her voice in this cold and lonely night. Xia Lingying’s voice was clear, cool, and clean. People who were used to sweet and sticky female voices slowly began to remember her voice.
And on the company’s side, unexpectedly, Fang Ruoxi praised her a lot. There wasn’t the hostility she imagined. There was only a leader’s appreciation for a subordinate. And Xia Lingying herself was also starting to like this calm job more and more. No big waves. Not too many reporters crowding around. Her private life didn’t have to be shown to the whole world. This was what she had long wished for. And this winter, her heart felt extra warm, just because of Xiao Moyan.
But Xiao Moyan didn’t seem to have such a good time. With Tianhuang's boss changing again and again, and Hu Feifei unhappy with Xiao Moyan’s decisions, she left with half the old members of Shenghuang and went back to Nanyang. A big pile of trouble all came crashing down on her. Xiao Moyan, who was used to being busy, was now starting to feel overwhelmed.
At night when she came home, seeing the light still on in the study, Xia Lingying felt her heart ache for Xiao Moyan again. She knew Xiao Moyan gave up and sacrificed a lot for her. How could the reporters easily let go of the huge gossip about her switching to radio? How could she work with peace of mind if it weren’t for her...
She pushed open the study door and quietly walked in. That thin and weak back of Xiao Moyan pricked Xia Lingying’s heart. She gently walked over and hugged Xiao Moyan from behind, rubbing her cheek against Xiao Moyan’s smooth neck.
“Xiao… take a break, alright?”
Xiao Moyan turned around, smiled at Xia Lingying, held her hand, and pulled her onto her lap. She whispered beside Xia Lingying’s ear.
“Xiaxia, aren’t you tired after a whole day of work? Go rest~ I’ll be done in a bit.”
“I’ll wait for you…”
Xiao Moyan looked at Xia Lingying and sighed. She had heard this line too many times. Left with no choice, she turned off the light, held that soft little hand, and walked into the bedroom.
In the dark, kissing that smooth and delicate forehead, breathing in the faint scent on Xia Lingying’s body, all the day’s tiredness slowly faded away. Xiao Moyan held Xia Lingying’s soft body tightly. Her heart and eyes were full of unshakable resolve. Xiao Moyan knew the woman in her arms needed her protection. She must not fall.
There are countless reasons to live. After living freely for so many years, Xiao Moyan never thought she would one day live for someone else. She liked her. She thought about her all the time. She worried she might be treated coldly at her new job, so she specially asked A’Sen to follow Mrs. Xu at noon to check on her, to bring a warm lunch, to hug her in her place.
….
Xia Lingying held the lunch brought by Mrs. Xu and quietly ate it. Though it wasn’t anything fancy, her heart felt especially sweet.
“Sister Xia, more flowers for you again—”
The intern assistant nearby spoke sourly. Normally, everyone called her Xiao Yan. She was specially arranged by the radio station for Xia Lingying. Just graduated from college, she got in through connections. When they first met, she was amazed by Xia Lingying’s beauty. She didn’t expect her thoughts to be confirmed so soon. In just a week after the beauty arrived, the single guys in the station, like wolves and tigers, sent bouquet after bouquet of flowers nonstop.
To be honest, she really liked Xia Lingying. Not only was she pretty, but she wasn’t arrogant. She didn’t order people around. She treated her more like an elder sister. But over time, Xiao Yan found out that Xia Lingying wasn’t just like this to her. She was like this to everyone. No matter how hard you tried to get close to her, all she gave back was that faint smile, like separated by a layer of gauze. Get a little closer, and you’d feel that clear sense of distance. Because of this, the male coworkers in the station sighed a lot.
After just having dinner with a few bosses, and for once having free time, Xiao Moyan, who had drunk a little, waved her hand and told A’Sen to drive straight to the gate of Xia Lingying’s workplace. But as soon as the car stopped, she saw something she shouldn’t have seen.
A handsome man with a nice figure and good looks was standing in the snow, holding a bouquet of bright blue enchantresses, saying something to Xia Lingying. Xia Lingying’s attitude was clearly cold, but the guy didn’t give up. He only wanted to hand over the flowers. Around them, a bunch of coworkers were laughing and teasing. In the end, Xia Lingying turned and walked away, and that ended it. Xiao Moyan’s face turned dark. Most of her drunkenness faded. She flung the car door open and staggered out.
Her steps were a bit unsteady. Xiao Moyan clenched her teeth and gathered her strength, heading straight to Xia Lingying’s office. She raised her hand, but before she could knock, Xiao Yan opened the door.
Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Moyan, face full of amazement. A double-breasted black long coat made of lychee grain leather wrapped around her tall and slender figure. Her delicate face, those angry eyes slightly shimmering with moisture. Xiao Moyan’s red lips were tightly pressed. Her mind was only on the person inside the room. She completely ignored Xiao Yan, who was starstruck while staring at her, and boldly walked in.
Xia Lingying, who was reviewing the script, heard the sound, frowned, looked up, and showed a face full of surprise. She stood up and looked at Xiao Moyan.
“Why are you here?”
Xiao Moyan gave a snort and didn’t answer. She crossed her arms and glanced sideways at Xiao Yan, who was still dazed.
A powerful presence suddenly rushed in. Xiao Yan’s face turned red. She quickly closed the door in a panic and ran out. Watching her back, the surprise in Xia Lingying’s eyes slowly faded. She lowered her head and sat back down.
“Not happy I came?”
Taking off her coat and revealing the brown knit sweater inside, Xiao Moyan cupped Xia Lingying’s cheeks with both hands and asked with displeasure.
Those lively eyes blinked slightly. At the tip of her nose was a faint mint scent mixed with alcohol. Xia Lingying frowned.
“How much did you drink?”
“No matter how much I drank, I still saw some guy confessing to you.”
Xia Lingying froze for a second. When she came back to her senses, she looked at Xiao Moyan, both laughing and crying.
“Why are you jealous ? Didn’t I reject him? And why didn’t you call me when you were out there?”
Xiao Moyan rolled her eyes. Bending down like this to look at Xia Lingying was uncomfortable, so she simply plopped down on Xia Lingying’s lap, wrapped her arms around her waist, and whispered with a hint of complaint.
“Xiaxia, you won’t let me flirt around, but you went and attracted a whole swarm of hornets. Tell me, how should I punish you?”
As soon as she finished, Xiao Moyan bit down on Xia Lingying’s soft earlobe. Xia Lingying’s face turned red in an instant. She pushed Xiao Moyan off her and gave her a playful glare.
“You say you didn’t flirt? The moment I opened the door, a butterfly stuck to you. And you still blame me?”
“You’re the one being jealous for nothing.”
Xiao Moyan spoke lazily, resting her head on Xia Lingying’s neck, rubbing against her uneasily.
“Xiaxia—”
“Mm?”
Xia Lingying’s body trembled a little. She looked down at Xiao Moyan, who was nestled in her arms.
“You’re not allowed to like anyone else.”
“…”
A faint smile spread from her lips. Xia Lingying shook her head, reached out to lift Xiao Moyan, and helped the half-asleep woman onto the sofa. She tucked a throw pillow under her head and covered her with a coat. Xia Lingying squatted beside her, gently rubbing Xiao Moyan’s cheek and softly said,
“Fool.”
When Xiao Moyan woke up, three hours had passed. Since the New Year was coming, Xia Lingying could leave early after recording her show. When Xiao Moyan heard, she was naturally happy. Holding Xia Lingying’s hand, she smiled and walked out with her. But as soon as the door opened, they saw Fang Ruoxi holding a stack of files.
Fang Ruoxi froze for a moment when she saw the two of them. Her eyes drifted to their tightly clasped hands. She gave Xia Lingying an awkward smile.
“Are you leaving?”
“Mm.”
Xia Lingying smiled back. She turned to look at Xiao Moyan, who seemed to be moving her lips as if wanting to say something. She quickly turned around and pulled her away. Fang Ruoxi stood still, staring at Xiao Moyan’s back. A strong feeling of loss hit her chest.
Xiao Moyan had changed. She actually came to the company in the dead of winter just for a woman. That was something Fang Ruoxi had long wished for. But now it was another woman who made it happen. Shaking her head helplessly, Fang Ruoxi sighed and walked off with the files.
In the car, seeing A’Sen’s gloomy face, Xia Lingying gave an apologetic smile.
“A’Sen, sorry. You waited long, huh?”
A’Sen gave a shy smile and said nothing, started the engine, and headed home. Xiao Moyan still looked tired. She leaned on Xia Lingying and dozed off lightly. Xia Lingying gently kissed her forehead, her gaze complex as she looked out the window. She bit her lip and hesitated for a while before finally speaking.
“Xiao, are you busy tomorrow?”
“I have some investors to deal with. Why?”
Xiao Moyan looked up, eyes tired as she stared at Xia Lingying. Xia Lingying shook her head and turned away to hide her expression.
Tomorrow would be her 25th birthday. She just wanted Xiao Moyan to stay by her side. But...
Xia Lingying shook her head harder, trying to comfort herself. Xiao Moyan had been too busy lately, no time to care about such small things. Even so, she still felt a bit disappointed inside. Xia Lingying looked down at Xiao Moyan’s pale face, the faint dark circles under her eyes making her heart ache. She slowly reached out and gently touched them.
If possible, she really wished the two of them could leave everything behind, go somewhere peaceful, and happily spend the rest of their lives.
But right now—
Xiao Nian was still secretly running Tianhuang. With Xiao Moyan’s personality, how could she let him succeed? Her father still held a grudge over her “betrayal,” and her mother was stuck in the middle, torn between the two. In the end, it was all this word “hate” that tangled them up, tying them tight, never letting go. She really didn’t know when Xiao Moyan would give all this up… maybe, it was just wishful thinking.
Xia Lingying sighed, forcing herself not to overthink. After getting out of the car, she helped Xiao Moyan walk slowly inside. Under Mrs. Xu’s long string of nagging, she brought her into the bedroom, took off her shoes, kissed her on the forehead, and hugged her to sleep.
When she woke up, the sky was still dim, and the space beside her was already empty. Xia Lingying let out a sigh, got up, dressed, and washed up.
Gently brushing her hair in front of the mirror, Xia Lingying softly said to herself, “Happy birthday,” then gave a small smile and grabbed her bag before heading out. The moment the door slammed shut, Mrs. Xu snuck out like a thief, picked up the phone, and called Xiao Moyan to report.
“Miss, Xiaxia left. You can let A'sen and the others come now. I mean, I don't havemuch strength, but I can still blow up some balloons or something. You see—”
“Alright, Mrs. Xu, just don’t make a mess.”
On the other end of the line, Xiao Moyan chuckled softly. She thought about the disappointed look on Xia Lingying’s face when she asked yesterday if she had time. Her heart ached a little. But when she imagined the surprise waiting at home, a glimmer of warmth lit up her eyes.
Xiaxia, how could I ever forget your birthday?
****
Because the New Year was near, everyone at the station was a little distracted. After quickly finishing the recording, Xia Lingying threw on her coat and headed out. Deep down, she still held a bit of hope, hoping Xiao Moyan would remember.
She picked up her phone and dialed Xiao Moyan’s number. Her heartbeat rose with each ring. But after only two rings, the call was hung up. Then a text message followed:
“I’m in a meeting, let's talk at home.”
Pressing her lips together, Xia Lingying gripped the phone tight. Another wave of disappointment hit. Before she could think more, the ringtone suddenly rang again. She quickly looked at the screen, it was Gu Yuan’s number. A mix of surprise and disappointment passed through her heart.
Since they parted after that conversation, it had been over a month without contact. She’d heard Gu Yuan was heading abroad to the head office. Why would he suddenly call?
Though unsure, Xia Lingying still answered politely. Gu Yuan’s calm voice floated through the phone:
“Xiaxia, happy birthday.”
For no reason, her eyes turned red. Xia Lingying didn’t speak. She just quietly held the phone.
“Xiaxia, I’m leaving the country tomorrow and won’t come back. Can you… let me spend this last birthday with you?”
Gu Yuan’s voice was sincere, without pressure. After a moment of thought, Xia Lingying softly replied:
“Okay.”
After all, Gu Yuan had helped her and taken care of her before. No matter what, she had to give him this bit of respect. Xia Lingying thought for a moment, still afraid her vinegar jar would burst, so she called again.
But the reply was still those same words:
"In a meeting, wait."
She sighed, closed her phone, and let out a soft breath. Then she stepped forward, ready to go drive. Just then, a beam of light hit her face. Xia Lingying raised her arm halfway to block her eyes and looked ahead—only to see Gu Yuan behind the wheel, smiling at her.
Author's Note:
^_^ It's almost New Year! Yezi ate a lot of delicious food~ So happy~