Respecting Xu Lie's wishes, Xu Qiao and Cheng Lang did not personally accompany him to Nancheng, but took him to the hospital for a full-body examination. After confirming that his injuries were fine, they sent him to the plane to Nancheng.
The two took care of everything in Nancheng remotely, leaving him enough time and space to accept a new life. Xu Qiao also officially launched a jewelry business in Beicheng.
The fact that Yan Lizhen sold her drawings without authorization gave her a "blessing in disguise" opportunity to cooperate with Pan De's personal fashion show. After the two parties formally signed the contract, the entire jewelry studio was put into a busy state of work.
There are countless types and series of jewelry accessories involved in a fashion show, and it is not a small challenge for one person to carry out a show.
Xu Qiao continued to produce drafts in three days, refined drafts in five days, and digital drawings in seven days. In the first month, she felt comfortable, but at the end of March, her inspiration gradually dried up behind closed doors, and she suddenly fell into a bottleneck.
After drawing a draft for a week, Xu Qiao was still dissatisfied. After work, Xu Qiao cried to Cheng Lang, "Am I exhausted?" Cheng Lang assured her that the inspiration would come in early April. Take a few days off.
She didn't quite believe this nonsense, so she just took a rest, and every day in the studio she crossed her legs to read magazines, but she was dejected and preoccupied.
Qingming is approaching, and other employees in the studio leave work on time. Xu Qiao stays in the studio after a working meal to ponder the manuscript, because Cheng Lang said that he will work overtime tonight.
She was used to him coming to pick her up after get off work every day, and she felt as if her leg was broken, and felt that she couldn't go home alone.
Sitting in the studio until nearly ten o'clock, a bunch of headlights came on, Xu Qiao's cell phone vibrated, and received a message from Cheng Lang: "Honey, you're home."
She was like a child tired of studying, who finally waited until her parents came to pick her up from school, and ran down alive and well.
As usual, Cheng Lang got out of the car and opened the back door for her, as if no matter how long it had been, he would always treat her as meticulously and tenderly as before.
Xu Qiao gave him a kiss before getting into the back seat.
Cheng Lang got into the car from the other side and asked her how she was doing today.
"Still no inspiration..." Xu Qiao held his arm in difficulty, "Mr. Pan's follow-up project sent an email today to ask me about the progress."
"Then how about I take you to find inspiration tomorrow?" Cheng Lang smiled.
"Where to go?"
"How about Nancheng?"
"Huh?" Xu Qiao was taken aback.
"The theme of the fashion show is related to the sea. The inspiration for your early works also comes from your childhood life at the seaside in your hometown. I think Nancheng may help you clear your mind."
"So you said that inspiration will come in early April, is that what you mean?" Xu Qiao squeezed his arm, "It's a mystery again! I planned it earlier, why didn't you tell me?"
"Originally, I had a business trip during the Ching Ming holiday, but today it is confirmed that the itinerary can be postponed until after the holiday."
Xu Qiao's eyes lit up: "It means you can stay with me in Nancheng for two more days?"
Cheng Lang nodded.
"Then I can take a look by the way..." Xu Qiao stopped suddenly when she said this.
It's not a matter of passing or not. Going to the beach to find inspiration, why go all the way to Nancheng, and why just pick Qingming Festival, Cheng Lang had already planned everything.
Seeing her in a daze, Cheng Lang stretched out his index finger and flicked her forehead lightly: "Girlfriend, take me to meet a parent?"
—
Tomb-sweeping was mostly in the morning. In order to catch up with the schedule, the two of them set off from the North City before dawn the next day, and landed in the South City in the early nine o'clock.
The weather in Nancheng is overcast. At this time, the sky is still gray, like sleeping in the night.
On the way to the cemetery, the sky began to rain. Xu Qiao sat in the back seat of the car, looked outside, and sighed: "It rains every year on this day."
"Did you come here every year before?" Cheng Lang held her in his arms and lowered his head to ask.
"Ching Ming holidays will come, but not necessarily on the day of Ching Ming, sometimes it's hard to make time."
"Whose time is it?"
"My dad, although I'm free, but he's busy. For a few years, he couldn't spare and asked his assistant to accompany me. We also had the idea of moving the tomb before, but after much deliberation, my mother was born and raised in Nancheng She has never been to Beicheng before, so she will not be used to it if she moves to such a strange place."
Cheng Lang nodded thoughtfully.
"Do you think my father is affectionate and righteous to my mother?"
"Yes, but it should."
"You seem to have higher demands on my dad than I do." Xu Qiao looked at him.
Cheng Lang smiled and said nothing.
Perhaps because he grew up in a happy family, he took it for granted.
But Xu Qiao couldn't think so.
She had to make herself look down on these things early in order to live a less self-contained life.
Xu Qiao suddenly remembered something: "Before New Year's Eve, didn't you ask me what you think about my father marrying my stepmother?"
Cheng Lang nodded and listened to her quietly.
"What I told you at the time was almost the truth. I really didn't mind it a long time ago. Although there were complaints at the beginning, I was just taken to Beicheng and learned that I had an extra stepmother and younger brother. I really hated it. My dad, my dad cried and quarreled for a while. Later, on my birthday that year, I opened the letter my mother wrote to me." Halfway through she said, she added an explanation, "It was entrusted to you by my dad before. Those letters were left by my mother before she was alive, and they were written to me on my birthday every year."
Cheng Lang pinned her hair behind her ears and touched her cheek: "You said last time that your mother left a letter saying that if your father marries again, don't blame him."
"Yes, in fact, I didn't necessarily forgive my dad after reading these words, but the timing of opening this letter happened to be the most sad time for me. I was wondering if my mother had been in the sky all the time. Look at me, otherwise how could it be such a coincidence? I feel that I can no longer cry with my father, my mother will be worried when she sees it. And my mother knows me so well, I just pretend to accept my stepmother on the surface, It's useless to pretend nothing happened, I have to look at it from the bottom of my heart. After thinking about it like this, slowly, I really figured it out. "
Xu Qiao blinked and said: "Speaking of it, it seems that my mother is enlightening me. Otherwise, I don't know what kind of prickly middle-aged and non-mainstream pain girl I will grow into!"
Cheng Lang lowered his head to look at her.
When she said these things, she was completely straightforward, and she even thought about joking, as if she really didn't feel sad anymore.
On the contrary, he was sore in his heart and wanted to do something for her.
He held her tighter and kissed her forehead lightly.
Xu Qiao glanced at him with a smile: "Do you feel sorry for your baby?"
"Yeah." Cheng Lang nodded in agreement.
"Then see the parents behave well later!" Xu Qiao poked at the front of his shirt.
—
After an hour's drive, Xu Qiao and Cheng Lang arrived at the cemetery.
The facilities in the cemetery built 20 years ago are outdated. Although the steps up the mountain have been repaired a few years ago, there are still some potholes in rainy days.
The two were dressed in black, Cheng Lang was in a suit, and Xu Qiao was in a long windbreaker. After walking a few steps, the clothes were splashed with mud.
Xu Qiao knew that Cheng Lang must have never been to such a crude cemetery, so she instructed him to go this way and that way, avoiding the unstable brick surface.
Cheng Lang held a long-handled umbrella in one hand and supported her arm in the other, and said with a smile: "I can watch the road, you just need to take care of your feet. If you do this, your mother should be angry."
"Why are you so angry?" Xu Qiao was amused by him, "My mother has a super good temper!"
Because Cheng Lang has always faced this tomb-sweeping with the attitude of seeing his parents, Xu Qiao's usual gray mood on this day every year seems to have become lighter. Just halfway through the rain stopped, she pointed to the sky and said: "Look, My mother is very happy with you."
Cheng Lang put away the umbrella, handed it to the assistant behind him, and said with a smile, "That's a blessing."
When they arrived at the place, the two took the cleaning tools from the assistant, knelt down and wiped the tombstone with their own hands, brushing away the rainwater and mud stains on it, and then solemnly placed the bouquet in front of the tombstone.
When Xu Qiao stood up, Cheng Lang gave her a hand in time, fearing that she would faint again after squatting for a long time.
Xu Qiao pointed to Cheng Lang, and said to the tombstone, "Mom, did you see, this is my boyfriend."
"Hello, Auntie." Cheng Lang bowed to the tombstone.
"He remembered that I had hypoglycemia and knew that I needed a hand when I stood up. Isn't it pretty decent?"
"Why don't you usually praise me like that?" Cheng Lang turned his head and smiled.
"What's so disgusting at ordinary times, isn't this a critical moment to get you some impression points?" Xu Qiao looked at him, "Don't let it go!"
"Yes," Cheng Lang rubbed her head, "Say a few more words for me."
Xu Qiao thought for a while and said, "Mom, you also know that I am very delicate. I thought that if my father started a business abroad, I would not be able to live as carefully as before. But I didn't expect that this person It's even more exaggerated than my dad!" She poked Cheng Lang's waist, "Recently, my mental work is hard. He just cares about my three meals a day and afternoon tea, and prepares a supper for me in the evening. I eat five meals a day. Dun, I gained four catties in two months, and my weight was almost over 100! And he didn’t allow me to walk at home, and carried me everywhere, do you think he wants to turn me into a pig, so that no one will Steal a girlfriend from him?"
Cheng Lang cooperated and said: "Auntie, you have raised your daughter too well, which really bothers me. But don't worry, I will make her fat and healthy."
"Give you some sunshine and you think the sun won't set! I'm not fat, whoever wants to be fat will get fat!" Xu Qiao scolded.
The two were arguing, laughing and scolding. For some reason, Xu Qiao really felt that this scene was very similar to the first time she brought her boyfriend home to meet her parents, even though her mother didn't say anything. .
When it was time to part, Xu Qiao waved at the tombstone: "Mom, we are leaving now, take good care of yourself, we will come to see you next year."
Cheng Lang seemed to have some feelings for the word "together". After a moment of silence, he bowed again to the tombstone: "Goodbye, Auntie. I hope three people will come to see you together next year."
Xu Qiao nodded with a smile, and followed Cheng Lang down the mountain along the original road. Halfway there, she suddenly felt something was wrong.
"Wait a minute, you just said the last sentence, did the three refer to me and you, and my dad?" Xu Qiao expressed her understanding when she acquiesced in saying this, but she lost her confidence while talking.
"Why is the third person your father?" Cheng Lang really didn't mean that.
"Who else could it be?" Xu Qiao looked at him warily.
Cheng Lang wrapped his hand around her waist to her lower abdomen, and stroked it lightly: "What do you think?"