"No way?" The boy was clearly surprised.
The girl was actually quite pretty, young and full of energy and vitality. It was just a pity that she spoke such sarcastic and mean words that she seemed somewhat ferocious: "Would I lie to you? Why don't you go and see for yourself? Your face is covered in scars, you're fucking ugly."
Huo Shenyan, who had been standing quietly to the side, took a slight step forward.
The girl, who was still laughing heartily, suddenly blushed the moment she saw him, and she seemed inexplicably shy and at a loss.
Her boyfriend whispered, "Stop talking, they seem to be a couple."
They had just seen Huo Shenyan and Ni Jingxi holding hands, and now they were openly mocking his girlfriend, which was overheard. It was quite embarrassing.
So the boyfriend quickly pulled the girl away.
When Ni Jingxi came out, she noticed that Huo Shenyan looked unwell and asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Huo Shenyan reached out and took her hand, a faint smile on his face.
So the two walked on and came to a dock where small boats were moored for tourists to ride.
That couple from earlier was also there.
The girl kicked her boyfriend and said with a grin, "Look, look, the ugly freak is here again!"
Her boyfriend looked over and his eyes met Ni Jingxi's.
The girl kept calling him ugly, and the boy thought she really wasn't good-looking. But he didn't expect that the girl's face was actually very beautiful, except for some scars on her face.
If this is considered ugly, then there are probably no beautiful women left in the world.
He knew his girlfriend was petty; he really had only glanced at her. Now, she was not only nagging him but also embarrassing him in public.
He tugged at his girlfriend's sleeve, a little embarrassed, and said, "Keep your voice down."
"What's there to be afraid of? She wouldn't dare hit me, would she?" The girl raised her chin, still looking spoiled.
Ni Jingxi hesitated for a moment, then asked Huo Shenyan in a low voice, "Is she talking about me?"
Huo Shenyan's face darkened completely.
He was already displeased when she spoke, but he didn't expect her to be so unscrupulous.
Ni Jingxi suddenly laughed, not seeming to care much, and instead asked with a smile, "Is she blind?"
Then, remembering the girl's irritating look, she slowly said, "If I were to actually grant her wish and beat her up right now, wouldn't she be dumbfounded?"
Huo Shenyan: "..."
At this moment, the girl stopped looking at Ni Jingxi and the others, and instead said to her boyfriend in a coquettish voice, "If you think I'm your little fairy, then take me on this boat."
"Didn't you say you get seasick?" The boy was at a loss, unable to understand her unpredictable actions.
At this moment, Huo Shenyan released Ni Jingxi's arm and whispered, "Wait for me here for a moment."
He walked to the back and whispered instructions to the bodyguard who had been accompanying him, then walked back.
A moment later, Ni Jingxi heard the girl scream, "Why can't I take the boat? What's wrong with you? You can't even bear to spend the money for a boat ride?"
"It's not that I'm unwilling to spend the money, it's just that all these boats have already been chartered."
The boy was furious. He had made a good deal with the boatman, but then a man in a black suit came out and chartered all the boats.
And the contract was valid until the boatmen finished their shift.
"You're talking nonsense! How could anyone possibly book the whole thing?" the girl shrieked, drawing the attention of people on the shore.
Huo Shenyan took Ni Jingxi's hand and chuckled, "Let's go, let's take a boat."
Ni Jingxi was slightly taken aback.
As they boarded the boat, Ni Jingxi saw the girl on the shore with a shocked, angry, and extremely embarrassed expression on her face. She turned to look at Huo Shenyan and said, "Huo Shenyan, you..."
She was at a loss for words; how childish was this man?
He actually argued with such a young girl and chartered the entire boat.
"She spoke rudely to you." Huo Shen's tone was calm, but his face was full of displeasure.
As Huo Shenyan drew closer, he heard Huo Shenyan's low voice chuckle as he asked, "When you saw her expression, did you feel happy?"
Ni Jingxi blinked and looked at him. To be honest, she did feel happy and relieved.
He lowered his head slightly, and Ni Jingxi instinctively closed her eyes. The next second, his lips pressed against her soft eyelids.
This time, his voice was almost a murmur: "I just want my wife to be happy."
Chapter 36
The small boat glided slowly forward along the calm lake surface. Not far from the riverbank were clusters of white-walled and black-tiled buildings. At this moment, the setting sun dyed the entire sky a warm and tranquil reddish-orange hue.
The neon lights outside many guesthouses and restaurants started ringing, creating a strange scene where the ancient architecture and modern, bright lights intertwined.
It's like boarding a time machine, traveling between the modern and the classic.
"It's so relaxing here." Ni Jingxi's gaze lingered, and finally she let out a soft laugh.
Huo Shenyan turned to look at her: "Would you like to stay here a few more days?"
Ni Jingxi shook her head.
She chuckled and said, "Have you forgotten where my ancestral home is?"
Her father was from Nanxun, Zhejiang. Although Ni Jingxi was born in Shanghai, her father would take her back to his hometown of Nanxun. Life in a small place is indeed slow and peaceful.
Just like traveling, it's about going from a place you've had enough of to a place others have had enough of.
"Occasionally experiencing life here can be comfortable and pleasant, but if I had to choose, I would still prefer a fast-paced place."
Huo Shenyan said in a deep voice: "Shanghai?"
Ni Jingxi stared at the calm river surface for a few seconds in silence: "Israel..."
Or more accurately, it should be the Middle East.
When Huo Shenyan heard this answer, his expression appeared calm, but his slightly lowered eyes were like a calm lake gradually rippling, revealing a turbulent undercurrent.
He turned slightly to the side, his eyes fixed on Ni Jingxi's face, and said in a low, deep voice, "Why?"
“If you can’t stop the war, then tell the world the truth about the war.” Ni Jingxi spoke slowly, then turned her head and chuckled, “When I was a freshman, a senior who had graduated many years ago was invited back to give a lecture. That was the first thing he said. At that time, I just felt that the events he talked about were inspiring.”
Yes, as a journalist, especially one with ideals and professional aspirations, one is always easily attracted to such people and events.
At that time, Ni Jingxi was sitting in the small auditorium, and all the classmates around her were quiet and attentive.
No one was needed to maintain order; everyone listened attentively to every word the senior brother said and looked at the photos he took on the front lines.
Huo Shenyan did not interrupt her, but continued to listen quietly.
Ni Jingxi said in a low voice, "Until I truly saw what war is."
She thought Israel had been peaceful enough in recent years, unlike neighboring Syria which was ravaged by war. But the next moment, countless shells rained down on civilian areas, injuring so many civilians, including women and children.
But in the end, no one could give them the answer or tell them why.
After Ni Jingxi finished speaking, she remained silent for a long time, then turned to look at Huo Shenyan and chuckled softly, "But I won't go."
Huo Shenyan looked into her eyes: "Because of me?"
“Because of you.” Ni Jingxi gazed at the orange ray of light on the horizon. In such a leisurely and pleasant environment, people seemed more willing to speak their minds. She turned to look at him and said, “With you here, how could I bear to leave?”
She married Huo Shenyan, and her life was no longer just a matter for her alone.
She used to think too much about herself, but now she's more willing to consider things together with him.
Huo Shenyan's expressionless face finally broke into a smile. The warm orange twilight fell on his handsome cheeks, and her heart skipped a beat.
Even the slight curve of his lips was so perfectly pleasing to the eye.
Of course, the smile on his face carried a hint of smugness. Although he didn't say anything, it practically filled his entire face, as if to say, "I can tell you're reluctant to part with me."
To prevent Mr. Huo from becoming too smug, Ni Jingxi coughed lightly and said seriously, "Of course, it's mostly because of my grandmother."
The old lady is very old, her daughter died young and her son-in-law has been missing for many years. If something were to happen to Ni Jingxi, it would be the death of her grandmother.
To everyone's surprise, Huo Shenyan chuckled softly and said, "It's alright, I know you have me in your heart."
He was so easy to talk to that Ni Jingxi couldn't help but laugh, so she reached out and pinched his cheek, saying with a grin, "How come you're so well-behaved?"
Huo Shenyan froze instantly, and all the smiles on his face vanished as if frozen in time.
After all, a mature 31-year-old man being pinched on the cheek and told "good boy" by his wife...
"Ni Jingxi." He called her name solemnly.
Ni Jingxi realized she had gone a bit too far, so she immediately withdrew her hand and obediently placed it on her knees, just like a child listening attentively in class, with her back straight.
Huo Shenyan laughed again.
At this moment, the middle-aged man standing at the bow of the boat rowed, watching the young couple sitting on the deck bathed in the setting sun, looking just like a perfect couple.
It's truly a feast for the eyes.
*
The two did not return to the resort for dinner that night, but instead found a restaurant outside, which was the most recommended restaurant that Ni Jingxi had seen on the travel app.
I was just trying it out of curiosity, but it turned out to be quite delicious.
Although they deliberately chose a secluded seat, two girls who looked like best friends at the table diagonally opposite them kept staring at them.
"It's not your online group of wives, is it?" Ni Jingxi teased him on purpose.
It's no exaggeration to say that Huo Shenyan really has fans. He has a public account on Weibo, but he has never posted a single message. He registered it in the first place to prevent others from impersonating him.
He is naturally low-key and doesn't like to use social networks; he even rarely posts on WeChat Moments.
However, he actually has a super topic on Weibo, and the number of followers in the topic exceeds 100,000, basically ranking first in the finance section.
Even if he keeps a low profile and doesn't give interviews, fans can still find videos and photos of him attending public events and post them repeatedly on social media.
Even Ni Jingxi sometimes thinks that these fans are actually cute and fun.
Huo Shenyan glanced at her and said in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense."
Ni Jingxi chuckled lightly, thankfully not teasing him any further. As for the two girls who kept watching them, Ni Jingxi didn't pay them any mind.