Wen Liang left the capital alone and quietly, just as he came quietly. The only small episode was when he passed the underground passage near the train station and met the long-haired girl who sang on the train. She and two other men formed a band and sang a self-composed Baroque song. The British lyrical rock singing voice made even Wen Liang, who was tone-deaf, hear the classic and gorgeous sound.
"… From the direction the wind blows, whose longing is it? Staring at the cliff where my husband is looking, whose tears are broken by the pain? With my bare hands I cut down the bamboo that has been swaying for a thousand years. Who is blocking your way back…"
After the song, people applauded from time to time. Wen Liang took out his wallet, took out a few hundred-yuan bills and put them in the violin case on the ground, then turned and left. Compared with the curly five-cent and one-yuan bills in the box, the old man's bills immediately stood out, causing a commotion among the crowd. The long-haired girl stared at Wen Liang's back blankly, then suddenly grabbed the money in the box and ran after Wen Liang.
"Wait, gentleman in front, please wait!"
Wen Liang stopped in response, looked at the panting girl, and joked, "Why, giving money is against the law?"
The long-haired girl saw his face clearly and said in surprise: "It's really you! I thought I was seeing things. By the way, thank you for saving me on the train..."
"Don't mention the past, it was just a coincidence," Wen Liang pointed at his watch and chuckled, "I still have to catch a train..."
"Ah, I won't delay you any longer. This is too much money. I can't accept it!" Seeing Wen Liang's surprised expression, the long-haired girl patiently explained: "We don't sing for money..."
Wen Liang originally just admired the girl's talent, but now he thought she had good character, so he said, "What I gave wasn't you, but the voice and music that moved me... How about this, don't refuse it, just consider it as my investment in your art in advance. If you become famous in the future, remember to give me free tickets to your concert."
The long-haired girl nodded excitedly. In her opinion, money was far less important than a word of encouragement and praise from others. She said, "If there really comes a day like that, you will definitely be the most important guest at my concert!"
Wen Liang laughed and said, "I don't deserve that. Well, I'm leaving now. I hope your dream will come true soon."
"Well," the girl said with a slightly embarrassed face, "Can you give me your contact information? I don't mean anything else. If I become famous and can't find you, won't that mean you lose money on your investment?"
Wen Liang immediately thought that the girl in front of him was quite cute. Meeting each other was fate. He readily gave her his mobile phone number and said, "If you need any help in Beijing in the future, you can call me! Of course, if it's not a big deal, then you don't have to. I'm very busy."
The long-haired girl chuckled, recited the number several times to make sure she had memorized it, and said, "Got it, busy man."
To Wen Liang, this episode was just a small embellishment during the journey, and he quickly forgot about it. After another day and night of travel, when the train arrived at Guanshan Station, Wen Liang got off the train and followed the crowd out of the station. From a distance, he saw Ning Xi leaning against a Porsche, wearing a windbreaker and sunglasses, looking indescribably elegant and charming.
Wen Liang walked up to her and frowned, saying, "I haven't seen you for more than ten days. Miss Ning has become more and more beautiful, but did I allow you to come out and attract men? Look at those people around you, their eyes are almost fixed on you."
Ning Xi gathered her long hair that was blown by the wind and snorted, "You've already drunk the water in the capital, why are you still so vulgar? What do you mean by eyes growing on me? It's like 'A traveler sees Luofu, puts down his load and strokes his beard. A young man sees Luofu, takes off his hat and covers his head with a scarf. A farmer forgets his plow, a hoe forgets his hoe'. Everyone has eyes that appreciate beauty!"
"With the poor quality of the water in the capital, I'm lucky I didn't become vulgar! But you, after drinking the water from Qingzhou, immediately became refined and even recited "The Mulberry Field". It's true that when you've been away for three days, you should look at you with new eyes!"
The two looked at each other for a moment, and suddenly laughed at the same time. Wen Liang took a step forward, opened his arms and hugged Ning Xi into his arms, saying softly: "Ning Xi, long time no see!"
Ning Xi twisted her body slightly, snuggling tighter into Wen Liang's arms, resting her chin on his shoulder, but she finally kept the words in her heart unspoken.
No, it’s not a long time, just more than ten days, but I feel it’s as long as a lifetime!
The Porsche sped towards the suburbs. Wen Liang stretched himself. Although he was sleeping in a sleeper, he was still very tired after thousands of miles of bumpy ride. He said, "Aren't we going to find a hotel to get a room? What are we going to do in the suburbs for?"
"There is a villa in the suburbs that is registered under the name of Mr. Ning. After receiving your call, I rushed to Guanshan overnight to requisition it. After all, it is more comfortable to live there than in a hotel, and it is also convenient to discuss things with my senior sister."
Wen Liang was troubled and asked, "How exactly do you rank your Ning family? Who is this Third Ning?"
"Ninghe, my third uncle's beloved son, has been a rebel since he was young. After graduating from the National Defense University, he was unwilling to join the army to take over, nor did he want to work in the government to gain experience. He ran to the south to engage in real estate, which almost pissed off my third uncle to death. But this guy loves to make friends and has many connections. He must have made a lot of money by cheating and deceiving people over the years. He is a typical nouveau riche."
Wen Liang moved his fingers and said, "Your elder brother, the eldest Ning, is called Ning Hai, and this third Ning is called Ning He. Is there another one called Ning Jiang?"
Ning Xi sneered, "You thought we were all illiterate like you. This is how my grandfather named his children. He named them from the eight characters 'Seas are peaceful and rivers are clear, mornings are dry and evenings are calm'. The third son of the Ning family was named 'He', and I was named 'Xi'."
Wen Liang was puzzled and asked, "That's not right. Why did Xiao Ning take the character Ning and also the character Ning Lan..."
As soon as he said this, Wen Liang regretted it. He scratched his head and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up..."
Ning Lan was the girl from the Ning family who married Xu Ting after Ning Xi went abroad. Ning Xi hid her beautiful face behind sunglasses all day, which had a lot to do with her betrayal. Although it was a thing of the past, with a gentle personality, he would never use such a thing to hurt the heart of a girl around him!
This is his demeanor and also his charm.
Ning Xi's hands didn't even tremble as she drove. Her mood was not affected at all. She said calmly, "Ning Lan is my sister. She was, is, and will be. Do you not even dare to hear my name? Or in your heart, I still haven't let go of the past, or in other words, have I forgotten Xu Ting?"
She turned her head and stared into his gentle eyes. Her flawless face was so beautiful that it was almost breathtaking. The Sialey lip gloss made in France perfectly embellished her seductive red lips. Her faint smile made her look like an elf in a dream.
"Master Wen, is it you who hasn't let it go, or me?"
Wen Liang coughed lightly and said, "Let's talk about your grandfather's naming..."
Ning Xi was already used to this skill of changing the subject, but she didn't take it too far. A smart woman always knew when to press on and when to stop. She smiled and said, "I think we should first talk about the issue of asking you to send chili peppers to my grandfather. I asked Brother Gu to cook the chili peppers for a long time. Have you delivered them?"
Wen Liang smiled bitterly and said, "I originally wanted to ask Lei Fang to do it for me, but something like that happened on my first day in the capital. This Lei Shao doesn't seem to be that reliable, so I didn't mention it again. You should wait until you have time and take him back in person."
Lei Fang may seem rude, but he is actually quite scheming. One should not get too close to such a person, nor should one reveal his true colors. The relationship between Wen Liang and Ning Xi is shrouded in mystery, so it is best to keep him suspicious. Once Lei Fang knows that Wen Liang has the qualifications to enter the Ning family's inner house to meet Mr. Ning, he will definitely be more attentive and enthusiastic, but this will only give Wen Liang a headache.
Some people are like a volcano. If you stay away from them, you won't be able to take advantage of their volcano to keep warm. If you get close to them, you might get burned!
Only by maintaining the relationship at a reasonable balance point can we be able to attack or defend and remain invincible!
Ning Xi shrugged her shoulders and said, "Well, if the old man wants to enjoy his meal, he'll have to wait for a while!"
Wen Liang didn't wait for a long time, just a little while, and seeing Ning Xi just driving seriously and no longer mentioning the name, he couldn't help but stare at her. Ning Xi asked in surprise: "What's wrong, is there dust in your eyes? Good boy, you're so pitiful, come and let your sister blow on you..."
Although he knew she meant to blow his eyes, Uncle Wen, who had been influenced by the later generations, couldn't help but think wrongly, and nodded hurriedly: "Okay, okay, turtles are different, unrestrained!"
Ning Xi was at a loss at first, but when she saw his obscene expression and the saliva that was about to flow down from the corners of his mouth, she knew what he was thinking. She pouted and decisively changed the subject, saying, "The eight characters my grandfather chose were only for the most outstanding boys in the family. I am the only exception in the family. As a woman, I have the character 'Xi'!"
Although she said it lightly, Wen Liang could still hear Ning Xi's pride in her words. To be favored and loved by the old man in a family full of elites meant that she was regarded as one of the successors who was being trained with emphasis. If it weren't for the incident with Xu Ting, Ning Xi's life trajectory might have been completely different from what it is now.
Wen Liang deliberately attacked him, "Let's not talk about your feudal ideology of favoring boys over girls. The word 'Xi' means sunset or dusk. What's there to be proud of?"
"It's much better than just saying 'forgiveness' when you're a grown man. Do you think it's so impressive to cry and beg others to forgive you every day?"
"It's terrible to be uneducated. In Shuowen, there is a separate entry for "forgiveness" and "trust", which means that I am an honest and trustworthy gentleman..."
"Gentleman? Oh, they say a gentleman is open and honest. If you have the guts, take off your clothes and run around right now, and I'll believe you're a gentleman!"
"… It's better to share the joy with others than to be alone. How about we share the joy together?"
The Porsche was speeding along the tree-lined paths on the outskirts of the city. From time to time, laughter could be heard from the car, floating over the mountain streams, over the treetops, and quietly disappearing into the white clouds.
(Please vote and subscribe. Maru has definitely turned over a new leaf. I feel uneasy seeing this deserted scene...) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)