At 6 p.m., the plane arrived at Donsbogenlo International Airport.
Dunsbo, the capital and largest city of Massachusetts, is located on the northeastern Atlantic coast of the United States. It is a center for higher education and healthcare. Several world-renowned and leading American universities are located in the surrounding area, including prestigious institutions such as Harvard University and Bridgemont University.
Li Bingjie is studying Western classical music at the Dunsbo Conservatory of Music.
Actually, Jiang Lan didn't want Li Bingjie to study music, but Li Bingjie insisted on studying music and was very resistant to Western music. However, she had to agree to go to school in the United States because she had to reach a compromise with her mother.
Li Bingjie's focus and love for learning music is simply because... Xu Zhengyang likes the feeling of the guqin, which is as gentle as a mountain stream and as intense as a stampede of horses.
Ever since she learned that Xu Zhengyang had indeed come to the US to find her, Li Bingjie's heart had been pounding like a deer's, her face flushed, and her eyes darted away shyly. She kept remembering those two sentences Xu Zhengyang had said during their online chat that made her blush and her heart race after she understood them. But, but someone else was living in her place.
Today, despite the freezing cold, Li Bingjie arrived at the airport early to pick up the passenger.
The terminal building of Genluo International Airport was brightly lit inside and out. Stepping out of the terminal, Xu Zhengyang finally had the chance to look up at the foreign night sky. The deep blue sky seemed no different from the night sky of his hometown. It was equally deep and vast, with twinkling stars.
But do the people of this foreign land know that above the land they inhabit, in another dimension, there exists a celestial court?
Of course, that heavenly court had long been completely destroyed.
"Zhengyang, Miss is waiting for you over there," Li Chengzong reminded him softly.
Xu Zhengyang was stunned for a moment, and followed Li Chengzong's gaze. He saw Li Bingjie, wearing a white down jacket and black jeans, standing next to a black car. Her face was flushed, whether from shyness or cold. She looked at him quietly with teary eyes, but did not say anything.
A little behind Li Bingjie, a girl who looked to be in her mid-twenties stood there in a sharp black suit, looking dashing but with a cold expression.
Xu Zhengyang walked over with a smile, his hands already outstretched.
"Bingjie, are you cold?"
"It's not cold." Li Bingjie lowered her head and offered her hands, which were covered with cotton knitted gloves.
Xu Zhengyang gripped it tightly and whispered, "Did you miss me?"
"Um."
Behind Li Bingjie, the girl who clearly looked like a local stared at Li Chengzong and Liu Ming through the two of them, her gaze fixed on them like an eagle.
The black Ford sedan beeped twice, reminding the two to stop trying to be romantic here; it was so cold, they should go home...
Li Bingjie quickly withdrew her hands, blushed, and lowered her head, saying, "Let's get in the car."
"Um."
Xu Zhengyang nodded, then turned to look at Liu Ming and Li Chengzong.
Liu Ming was an extremely clever man. Upon seeing this, he immediately said, "Mr. Xu, I'll take a taxi there and find a hotel nearby. You can call me if you need anything."
"good."
"Um, Mr. Xu, the money..."
Xu Zhengyang waved his hand: "No need." What a joke! Li Bingjie is now a major shareholder of Huatong Network Company; how could she be short of money? Li Bingjie also has another identity: she's about to become Xu Zhengyang's wife. Xu Zhengyang would never hypocritically elevate something like "living off a woman" to such a high-class level.
"well."
Liu Ming smiled, hailed a taxi, got in, and prepared to leave.
This left Li Chengzhong in an awkward position.
Inside the car, there was a woman in her thirties in the driver's seat, and outside, there was a beautiful, icy-cold female bodyguard, plus Xu Zhengyang and Li Bingjie... Poor Brother Li, where are you sitting?
The quick-witted Li Bingjie saw Li Chengzhong standing there awkwardly and somewhat guilty, silent. Feeling sorry for him, she said softly, "Lingqing, why don't you and Brother Chengzhong take a taxi back together?"
"Yes," the girl named Ling Qing answered crisply.
“Miss.” Li Chengzong gave a bitter smile.
Li Bingjie smiled at him, then turned and walked to the back door. Ling Qing had already opened the door, and Li Bingjie leaned forward and got in.
Xu Zhengyang sighed, thinking that Li Chengzong really had it tough.
...
As the car drove away from the airport and onto the highway, a few snowflakes began to fall from the deep night sky.
Xu Zhengyang and Li Bingjie sat in the back seat without saying a word.
Xu Zhengyang had intended to hold Li Bingjie's small hand after she took off her gloves, but Li Bingjie avoided it with some embarrassment and shyness. As a result, Xu Zhengyang felt two cold glares staring at him through the rearview mirror.
Xu Zhengyang had no choice but to give up on his little tender moment.
The woman driving in front is no pushover. According to Li Bingjie, her name is Jiang Huiying, and she's Li Bingjie's cousin, from a distant relative of the Jiang Lan family (not even three generations removed). She's thirty-two years old and still unmarried. The reason is probably because she's incredibly shrewish, and when she's angry, she's definitely more terrifying than a lion.
Clearly, from the cold glint in the rearview mirror, Xu Zhengyang could sense that Jiang Huiying was very dissatisfied with him, as if she harbored a deep-seated hatred.
Xu Zhengyang thought to himself, "I didn't do anything to you."
"So you're Xu Zhengyang?" Jiang Huiying asked coldly.
Xu Zhengyang found this statement utterly meaningless and replied with a wry smile, "Yes, yes, I am Xu Zhengyang."
Perhaps it was Xu Zhengyang's expression and tone that made Jiang Huiying uncomfortable, because she snorted and said, "What brings you to the United States?"
That's just another pointless statement.
Xu Zhengyang sighed and reached out to grab Li Bingjie's hand. Li Bingjie was about to dodge again, but Xu Zhengyang wouldn't let her escape this time. He tightly gripped her small hand, pulled it close, held it with one hand and covered it with the other, gently patted it, and smiled, "I came to see Bingjie. It's been more than two years since I last saw her. I've missed her quite a bit."
Li Bingjie tried to pull her hand back, but didn't. Her face was burning red, and she lowered her head.
"Hmph." Jiang Huiying's gaze, peering through the rearview mirror, grew even sharper, like a knife. "I heard you only have a junior high school education?"
"Yes." Xu Zhengyang answered matter-of-factly, without blushing or feeling ashamed.
Is your hometown, a rural area, very underdeveloped?
"It's alright."
"Aren't places where superstitious beliefs are still prevalent backward?"
Li Bingjie looked up and glanced at Xu Zhengyang with some concern.
Xu Zhengyang gripped Li Bingjie's hand tightly, smiled slightly at her, and ignored Jiang Huiying's question.
"You made your fortune by tomb raiding and selling cultural relics, didn't you?" Jiang Huiying sneered, and before Xu Zhengyang could answer, she continued, "You even became some kind of general manager. These days, all sorts of strange things happen."
It was obvious mockery and contempt.
“Sister Huiying, how could you say that to him?” Li Bingjie finally couldn’t help but scold him, then turned to Xu Zhengyang and said softly, “Zhengyang, I’m sorry, my cousin isn’t very good at speaking, it’s all my mom’s fault…”
"It's okay, I know." Xu Zhengyang smiled, seemingly unconcerned.
"Hmph!" Jiang Huiying said sternly.
In Jiang Huiying's heart, she still remembered her aunt Jiang Lan's simple account and evaluation of Xu Zhengyang.
It's no wonder she didn't know. After all, Jiang Lan didn't know that Xu Zhengyang was coming to the United States. Otherwise, she would have called her niece in advance to warn her not to provoke Xu Zhengyang or she would be in big trouble. As for Li Ruiyu and Li Ruiqing, they didn't even think about what kind of person Jiang Huiying was. What did it matter whether she provoked Xu Zhengyang or not?
When Jiang Huiying learned that Xu Zhengyang was coming to visit Li Bingjie, she was immediately furious. This country bumpkin actually dared to come all the way to the United States to see her cousin. Did he not know his own limitations? She was unaware that Xu Zhengyang had been ill for more than two years because Jiang Lan had not told her when he came to the United States, and Li Bingjie had never mentioned Xu Zhengyang to her either.
Jiang Huiying originally thought that Li Bingjie's parents must not know that Xu Zhengyang had come to the United States, but when she learned from Li Bingjie that Xu Zhengyang had come, she quickly called back home and found that she could not reach her aunt. Her uncle simply said, "I know, treat him well."
Treat him well? Why should we treat him well? Who does he think he is?
Jiang Huiying was furious, and what made her even angrier was that her cousin insisted on coming to pick up Xu Zhengyang on such a cold day.
Xu Zhengyang ignored her sarcastic remarks, which only made Jiang Huiying despise him more. She thought he was a coward and a wimp.
I really don't know what my cousin could possibly have fallen for with a guy like that.
Volume 5, Spirit Official, Chapter 231: Repaying Evil with Kindness
The phrase "first impressions matter" perfectly describes Jiang Huiying's feelings and impressions of Xu Zhengyang.
On the highway, Xu Zhengyang thought helplessly that his somewhat impure thoughts when he came here would probably be difficult to realize in this foreign land. He couldn't have the passionate and romantic premarital cohabitation drama that most young people do nowadays, and after returning to China this year, there was even less chance of a man and woman sharing a room alone at night.
Fashion is out of reach, and old traditions and feudal ideas have to be carried forward again. Xu Zhengyang can only sadly look forward to the so-called wedding night...
So beneath his outward humility and forbearance, Xu Zhengyang harbored a deep-seated hatred for Jiang Huiying.
You can be a light bulb, but if your wattage is too high and you're too close to people, blinding them, you should be shot down with a slingshot.
Li Bingjie's residence in Dunshibo is a typical two-story house with a narrow courtyard, a garage, and a beautiful iron fence gate, exuding a strong sense of rustic charm.
It only took about ten minutes to get here from the airport; Xu Zhengyang roughly estimated it to be about thirty kilometers.
Ling Qing and Li Chengzong arrived in their taxis almost one after the other, just like Xu Zhengyang and the others.
Under the dim light of the streetlights, snowflakes shimmered and drifted down, carpeting the road in a silvery white. Cars came and went, their bright headlights mingling, while pedestrians hurried along the sides of the road. In the distance, the neon lights of bars and shops had already begun to flicker.
Located in the suburbs, it is not far from the city center, but it is a few kilometers away from Li Bingjie's school.
The house was naturally bought by Jiang Lan specifically for her daughter. There was a nanny in the house, surnamed Shen, who was over forty years old and had been brought from China. Xu Zhengyang had seen Aunt Shen once during a video call with Li Bingjie. She was an ordinary-looking woman who spoke fluent English.
Aunt Shen was pleasantly surprised by Xu Zhengyang's arrival, probably because she rarely saw unfamiliar faces from China. She warmly greeted them and led them into the house.
A sumptuous dinner had already been prepared on the dining table, just waiting for Li Bingjie and the others to return.
Jiang Huiying probably loathed Xu Zhengyang, and after making sarcastic remarks and mocking him, she realized that he was too lazy to pay attention to her at all. She felt ignored, so when she got home, she simply said that she had something to do, glared at Xu Zhengyang, and then stomped away from home.
The people inside the room seemed a little embarrassed.
Xu Zhengyang didn't seem to care much. He shook his head with a wry smile. After all, Jiang Huiying was going to live with Li Bingjie for a long time. If he really taught her a lesson, wouldn't it be very awkward for Li Bingjie to live with her in the future?
Li Bingjie said softly and apologetically, "Zhengyang, I'm sorry..."
"It's nothing," Xu Zhengyang said with a smile and a wave of his hand.
Aunt Shen seemed to have just come to her senses, and quickly smiled as she invited them to sit down, then brought out some wine and filled their glasses one by one.
The meal was enjoyed in a harmonious, comfortable, and warm manner.
During the meal, Aunt Shen was probably homesick, so she chatted with Xu Zhengyang for quite a while.
Li Chengzong kept his head down and ate his meal without saying much; while Qingling looked cold and aloof, seemingly indifferent to everyone.
After dinner, Li Bingjie suggested going for a walk outside, and Xu Zhengyang nodded, saying it was no big deal.
Aunt Shen grumbled that it was snowing outside, and going out for a walk would easily make her catch a cold; besides, what was there to see in this place…
The light snow was still falling gently. Although there were cars coming and going on the street, it was peaceful with no honking. There were no particularly tall buildings nearby. It felt more like a quiet, elegant, and developed rural town.
The two walked along the street, their feet crunching on the thin layer of snow, letting the snowflakes gently fall on their bodies, heads, and faces.
It was very quiet; neither of them spoke much.
Xu Zhengyang actually quite liked this feeling, whenever he was with Li Bingjie. He always felt a wonderful sense of unspoken understanding.
Li Chengzong and Ling Qing walked behind, about ten meters away from Li Bingjie and Xu Zhengyang.