Jiang Jianhuan quietly locked the door and reached the bedside. He took off his coat again and got into bed. Just as he lay down, the person next to him, whom he thought was asleep, suddenly spoke.
"Where did you go?"
"Did I wake you up?" Jiang Jianhuan was startled and quickly explained.
"I woke up thirsty in the middle of the night and just went to get some water."
"Why did it take so long?" Su Mo's voice was very calm, and she sounded perfectly lucid in the darkness, which made Jiang Jianhuan's heart skip a beat.
"I ran into Brother Xi in the kitchen when I went out, so we chatted for a bit."
Su Mo didn't speak again, and a silence spread, giving off a strange feeling at this moment.
Jiang Jianhuan kept her eyes open. The curtains were drawn, and the room was pitch black, not letting in a single ray of light. She couldn't see Su Mo's face, but she could feel his gaze.
Time flowed slowly, and she didn't know how much time had passed before her shoulders became slightly stiff.
Su Mo suddenly moved, her fingers threading through the hair at the back of her head, pulling her forward.
Jiang Jianhuan was caught off guard and before she could even speak, her lips were pressed against his.
A familiar scent and softness filled the air, and soon, a hand slipped inside the clothes, and the breathing grew heavier.
Jiang Jianhuan was tormented by him for a long time, tossing and turning without stopping. Finally, when it ended, she seemed to hear the sound of a rooster crowing in her ear.
Shen Zaixi's flight was in the afternoon, and the whole family still got up early to prepare. Jiang Jianhuan was listless and yawned listlessly. Yi Qingxue saw this and couldn't help but scold her.
"What did you do last night? Didn't you sleep well?"
Jiang Jianhuan nodded haphazardly. Just as Yi Qingxue was about to say something, she caught sight of Su Mo to the side and immediately realized what was going on.
"Young people should also be more restrained..." she muttered softly. Jiang Jianhuan was embarrassed and stopped her.
"mom-"
“Auntie is right,” Su Mo replied, and Jiang Jianhuan couldn’t help but glare at him.
As they were talking, Shen Zaixi and Jiang Xin came out, carrying luggage and specially packed local specialties, and drove to the airport.
Jiang Jianhuan dozed off the whole way until they arrived. As they approached boarding, his drowsiness was overshadowed by the sadness of parting.
"Be careful." Shen Zaixi hugged each of them, and Jiang Jianhuan patted him on the shoulder and gave him a word of advice.
"Okay," he replied, smiling as he released her.
"Be careful on the road." Su Mo hugged him back and gave him a word of advice. The two smiled at each other, and Shen Zaixi lined up to go through security.
Before going in, he turned around and waved in this direction.
Su Mo watched the figure gradually disappear into the crowd, recalling the last words he said when they met half a year ago.
"I've protected her for so many years, but in the end, I still couldn't compete with you."
"I wish you happiness."
If the previous ten-plus years weren't enough to make him give up, it's only because she hadn't grown up yet and didn't know what love was.
The four years that followed allowed Shen Zaixi to clearly see Jiang Jianhuan's persistence and stubbornness.
It was like a clear horizontal line, with Su Mo on one side and everyone else on the other. No matter how hard he tried, he could never cross it.
His final confession marked the end of his long-standing relationship. It was also his only, humble hope.
It's alright. Since that's the case, let's just wish them happiness.
Jiang Jianhuan also parted ways with her parents at the airport. She had to go back to work in two days, so she came back with Su Mo early to pack her things.
Only the two of them were left. As soon as they entered the room, Jiang Jianhuan couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed onto the bed, exhausted.
Su Mo opened the suitcase and packed their clothes. After everything was sorted out, he lay down next to her and half-embraced her.
"What would you like to eat tonight?" he asked softly. His face was full of energy, and he didn't look tired at all, a stark contrast to his own appearance.
Jiang Jianhuan stared at him for a long time, then suddenly asked.
"Didn't you say that you were too immature in the past?"
"Hmm?" Su Mo asked, puzzled.
"so-"
"Have you matured enough yet?"
"......"
After Jiang Jianhuan finished speaking, she turned over in resentment and indignation.
Su Mo recalled the events of last night, paused for two seconds, and then apologized.
"I'm sorry, I'm probably only a little bit better now than before."
That's all.
Chapter 69
With the new year bringing new beginnings, on the first day back to work, Jiang Yuan gave everyone a big red envelope. The atmosphere in the office continued the lively spirit of the Spring Festival, and everyone's face was beaming with joy.
Jiang Jianhuan also received many New Year's gifts from celebrity studios. They were all exquisite little gifts with big brand logos, wrapped with bows, and were high-end and beautiful.
While they were beautiful, they weren't very practical. She distributed a lot of them to the girls in the office, which excited them even more.