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Jiangcheng Airport.
The announcements kept repeating the flight information over and over again. Jiang Jianhuan glanced at the time and was just about to make a phone call when she saw a familiar figure walking towards the exit.
Among the pedestrians and travelers, one tall and slender figure stood out, and Jiang Jianhuan waved to him.
"Hey, Xige! Here."
"Jian Huan—" The man pushed his suitcase over, a smile on his handsome face, his eyes deep and unfathomable, giving the impression that it was hard to look away when he stared at someone.
"Was the journey alright?" Jiang Jianhuan walked side by side with him, and Shen Zaixi let go of one hand and rubbed her head.
"You've lost weight."
"No, I've been eating a lot lately." Jiang Jianhuan puffed out her cheeks, pretending her face was round.
Shen Zaixi couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Come on, I'll take you out for a big meal."
After putting her luggage at home, Shen Zaixi drove her to the restaurant he had booked in advance, and habitually ordered a table full of food, which made Jiang Jianhuan feel a little helpless.
"When are you going to change this bad habit?" This was how it was when they were abroad. Because they had to save money to pay off their debts, Jiang Jianhuan was very strict with himself. Sometimes a loaf of bread would last him a whole day.
After Shen Zaixi discovered this, he would take her out to eat whenever he had the chance, feeding her like a fish, until Jiang Jianhuan was so full she couldn't eat anymore before letting her go.
"When someone can take good care of you, things will probably change." He lowered his eyes and smiled, and the atmosphere immediately quieted down.
“Brother Xi…” Jiang Jianhuan looked at him, hesitating to speak.
“Jianhuan, you don’t need to go back to China because of that. I told you, I will always treat you as my sister.”
Shen Zaixi gazed at her, his eyes appearing even gentler under the orange light. Jiang Jianhuan whispered.
"No, I was planning to come back anyway. My dad is getting old, and I want to spend more time with him."
This is the truth. Jiang Jianhuan had planned to return to China a long time ago. In the past few years abroad, the debt pressure has been somewhat relieved. In addition, although Jiang Xin always reports good news and not bad news on the phone, Jiang Jianhuan can also detect the abnormality of his body from his occasional cough.
The incident Shen Zaixi mentioned refers to when he suddenly confessed his feelings to her six months ago.
Jiang Jianhuan never imagined that Shen Zaixi had such feelings for her. In Jiang Jianhuan's heart, she had long regarded him as her brother. The feelings she had grown up with were not something that could be severed in a day or two. Jiang Jianhuan took this opportunity to return to China and let them separate for a while, which would be good for both of them.
"I'll probably stay for a week, visiting several universities with my teacher," Shen Zaixi said with a gentle smile, changing the subject.
"I probably won't be coming back often in the future."
Shen Zaixi obtained her green card last year and her whole family immigrated there, so she really has no ties to China.
"Then let me know when you leave, and I'll see you off," Jiang Jianhuan said softly, her fingertips tracing the rim of the cup.
"We'll see when the time comes; the date hasn't been set yet," Shen Zaixi replied with a faint smile, as if nothing had changed.
When they had almost finished eating, Jiang Jianhuan got up to go to the restroom and ran into an unexpected person when she came out.
"Jiang Jianhuan?!" In the corridor, a man in a dark blue suit stared wide-eyed in surprise, pointing at her incredulously.
"You're back in China?!"
"When did you get back? I hadn't heard anything about it."
"Zhou You." Jiang Jianhuan smiled and greeted him calmly and naturally.
"haven't seen you for a long time."
"I've only been back for a few months."
"Ah, you, that—" He scratched his head, stammering as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. Shen Zaixi, who was sitting not far away, heard the noise and looked up at her. Jiang Jianhuan nodded slightly to the person in front of her.
"I'll head over now, let's talk next time." She remained extremely polite. Zhou You followed her gaze and saw Shen Zaixi sitting there, her expression instantly becoming incredibly complicated.
"Okay, then go ahead."
After sitting down in his original seat, Shen Zaixi turned his gaze away from Zhou You and casually asked a question.
"Did you see someone you know?"
“Yes, an alumnus.” Jiang Jianhuan lowered his head, straightening his cuffs, and silently added the last sentence.
—Also Su Mo's college roommate.
In the waiting room, with twenty minutes to go before the flight took off, Su Mo's phone received a message with a ding. The moment she saw the content, the air seemed to freeze.
The image displayed was a photo of Jiang Jianhuan and Shen Zaixi sitting opposite each other in a restaurant.
Accompanying this is Zhou You's passionate voice.
"Holy crap!! Jiang Jianhuan is back in China! Su Mo, can you believe it?!"
Chapter 8
Su Mo had just finished listening to the voice message and hadn't even had a chance to reply when Zhou You's call came in, the phone vibrating slightly in her palm.
"Did you see the message I sent you? Jiang Jianhuan is back in China!!"
"Hmm," he replied softly.
"Huh? Huh???" Zhou You seemed incredulous on the other end of the line.
"Is this all you're going to do?!"