Ni Jingxi thought for a moment and said, "Dad, we still need to go to the Chinese Embassy tomorrow. I want to restore your identity first, so it will be easier to get through customs."
Ni Pingsen agreed, after all, he was not Liu Sen, but Ni Pingsen.
Although this identity document is genuine, it ultimately feels like a false shell.
Now he wants to break free of this shell and be himself again.
Ni Pingsen suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly, "Dad doesn't even have the money to buy a plane ticket right now."
He truly meant what he said and left everything to Liu Hui. As for Liu Hui, she didn't actually demand five million; in the end, she silently watched Ni Pingsen pack his bags and leave.
Ni Pingsen only took a few changes of clothes.
As he was leaving, Liu Hui held his arm, saying nothing but not wanting him to go.
But in the end, Ni Pingsen brushed her hand away and turned to leave.
The meal was rather quiet for everyone. After all, so many years had passed, and there was a sense of unfamiliarity and distance between Ni Jingxi and Ni Pingsen, as well as between Huo Shenyan and Ni Pingsen.
The distance brought by time makes it impossible for anyone to find a better time to close the gap.
It wasn't until Ni Pingsen looked up at Huo Shenyan and asked, "When did you and Jing Xi get married?"
Huo Shenyan immediately gave a time.
Ni Pingsen nodded, and as he was eating with his head down, he seemed to remember something and immediately looked up to ask, "How old are you this year?"
This question caused Ni Jingxi and Huo Shenyan to stop eating at the same time.
Ni Jingxi turned to look at Huo Shenyan, whose expression was clearly one of surprise or something else entirely.
Until he said in a calm voice, "I am thirty-three years old this year."
Ni Jingxi raised her hand to cover the corner of her mouth, trying to hide her suppressed laughter. She could hear a hint of grievance in Huo Shenyan's tone.
Ni Pingsen on the other side nodded.
He had already lowered his head to eat, but in the end, as if he couldn't resist, he raised his head again to talk to Huo Shenyan.
“You are seven years older than Jingxi.”
Although it was a declarative sentence, both Ni Jingxi and Huo Shenyan could detect their dissatisfaction in it.
Huo Shenyan took a deep breath. So, the pickiness of his father-in-law, which he had never experienced before his marriage, had finally arrived today?
Ni Pingsen's words were tantamount to openly criticizing Huo Shenyan for being too old.
Ni Jingxi couldn't hold it in any longer and turned her head to look out the window before bursting out laughing. Actually, the night view of Vietnam is quite beautiful.
*
They stayed in Vietnam for two more days to verify Ni Pingsen's identity. Although the embassy also felt his experiences were too extraordinary, they ultimately provided him with the greatest possible assistance.
As for his past act of illegally crossing into Vietnam, everyone assumed it was due to circumstances and did not pursue the matter further.
On the fourth day, they finally embarked on their journey back to Shanghai, with Huo Shenyan's private jet waiting at the airport.
They entered the tarmac directly through the VIP entrance.
When he boarded the plane, Ni Pingsen was clearly surprised.
Once inside the plane, even someone as composed as Ni Pingsen was amazed by what he saw. The spacious cabin not only had several seats where one could lie down freely, but also a bedroom at the back.
As for the restroom, it's not the cramped little cubicle you find on a regular airplane.
There were also staff members on board who brought them fruit, tea, and snacks as soon as they boarded.
Ni Jingxi had flown on Huo Shenyan's private jet before, but neither she nor Huo Shenyan liked being disturbed. Once on board, the crew would only appear if they pressed the service bell.
They were unusually attentive today.
At this moment, Ni Jingxi and Ni Pingsen were sitting together, and Huo Shenyan's seat was across the aisle. After a while, the crew members came over again, but this time they were carrying a stack of magazines.
The other party respectfully placed the magazines in front of them and said with a smile, "We have prepared some magazines to help you pass the time during your tedious journey."
Ni Jingxi looked down at the magazine cover, at the man's handsome and arrogant face, so dazzling.
At this moment, Ni Jingxi wanted to applaud Huo Shenyan.
What a low-key and unpretentious approach!
This immediately made his father-in-law realize that his family really did own a mine.
Author's Note: Ni Pingsen: A very old son-in-law
When I saw the magazine cover, I was like, "Ni Pingsen...?"
Chapter 67
Unexpectedly, Ni Pingsen actually took the top-of-the-line financial magazine with Huo Shenyan on the cover. Huo Shenyan rarely gives interviews, but he doesn't absolutely refuse.
It happens at most once or twice a year, and the media outlets they meet are all top-tier magazines and media in the industry.
This article focuses on the massive reforms that Huo Shenyan spearheaded at Hengya Group last year, highlighting how a young leader is taking control of this vast business empire.
As for Ni Pingsen, he naturally knew the situation of his suddenly appearing son-in-law's family.
Even in places like Vietnam, you can occasionally see advertisements for Hengya Group on the streets, especially their smart home series that they have been promoting in recent years.
Half an hour later, Ni Jingxi glanced to the side and noticed that Ni Pingsen was still holding the magazine.
Ni Jingxi whispered, "Dad, do you want to rest for a while?"
It takes about four hours to fly back to Shanghai from here, enough time to get some sleep.
But as soon as she finished speaking, Ni Pingsen seemed to be startled awake. He turned to look at Ni Jingxi, staring at her for a long time without saying a word.
Ni Jingxi: "What's wrong?"
Huo Shenyan's low-key and unassuming self-introduction might not have actually fooled his father. After all, Ni Pingsen had clearly expressed his opinion that he was seven years older than Ni Jingxi.
Ni Pingsen thought for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Are you happy? What about his parents? Do they like you?"
Ni Pingsen didn't feel happy at all when his son-in-law, who had previously seemed a bit older and not a good match for his daughter, suddenly became the heir to a wealthy family that had been rich for generations.
His first thought was, given such a large difference in their family backgrounds, did Ni Jingxi suffer any injustice when she married him?
Will his parents dislike her?
Ni Jingxi paused slightly upon hearing his words.
But soon a feeling of joy rose in her heart. Even though her father had really lost his memory, he was still the same as before, always putting her first.
He didn't care whether she married into a wealthy family or not; he only cared whether she was happy.
Ni Jingxi leaned closer to him as if whispering, and said in a low voice, "Kaixin, Dad, I married him because I love him."
It was something she had longed to do so much.
When she brings home someone she likes for the first time, and sees her father picking and choosing him, and then the two of them whispering to each other, she will tell her father without hesitation that she likes this person.
This is something that all fathers and daughters in the world would do.
But those ordinary yet heartwarming scenes seemed so distant to her. Now that her father has returned, everything has come back to normal.
Ni Pingsen turned his head and saw that the corners of her eyes curved up, and her big, dark eyes were bright.
The smile on her face as she spoke made her look exceptionally gentle.
At that moment, Ni Pingsen suddenly felt a pang of sadness, an inexplicable feeling, as if his precious daughter had been snatched away because she had married someone else and fallen in love with another man.
At that moment, Ni Pingsen seemed to have found the connection that was buried in their blood.
Even if her memory fades, her every move still captivates his heart.
Ni Pingsen finally nodded, looking somewhat helpless but having no choice but to comply: "Alright, since you like it, Dad will try to accept it."
That tone really conveyed a sense of helplessness.
Ni Jingxi glanced to the side, and the man who had been looking down at the tablet in his hand seemed to sense her gaze and looked up in her direction.
She winked at Huo Shenyan, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, revealing a hint of a smile.
Huo Shenyan was amused by her sudden flirtatious gesture, and a smile crept onto his face.
When Ni Jingxi looked away, she whispered to Ni Pingsen, "Dad, he is my husband."
Not a boyfriend, but the kind of husband who's already married and has a marriage certificate.
Finally reminded, Ni Pingsen was once again helpless; he had no choice but to accept it, whether he wanted to or not.
After they arrived in Shanghai, Huo Shenyan and Ni Jingxi took Ni Pingsen directly to the villa. The old house had been uninhabited for a long time, and even if they went there now, no one could move in immediately.
Besides, Ni Pingsen had just returned, and Ni Jingxi didn't want to be separated from him so soon.
Ni Pingsen didn't object to their suggestion and went home with them.
After dinner, before going upstairs to his room, Ni Pingsen said, "May I visit your mother tomorrow?"
"Of course, I'll go with you."
Ni Jingxi originally wanted to take him with her to pay respects to her mother.
The next morning, Huo Shenyan got up and went to the company. He had been in Vietnam with Ni Jingxi for the past few days, which had already delayed his schedule. Now, there were indeed many things waiting for him at the company in Shanghai.
Ni Jingxi didn't ask him to accompany her; instead, she drove Ni Pingsen directly to the cemetery.
Cemeteries are not a relaxing place.
But this time, Ni Jingxi felt more relaxed than ever before, as if a stone that had been weighing on her heart for many years had finally been lifted. She had said countless times at her mother's grave that she would definitely bring her father back.
She has finally done it.
On the way here, Ni Pingsen bought a bouquet of flowers, but he didn't remember Gu Mingzhu's favorite flower until Ni Jingxi told him it was baby's breath.
At this moment, Ni Pingsen placed the flowers he had bought in front of the grave and carefully looked at the photo on the tombstone.
Ni Jingxi's appearance is mostly inherited from Gu Mingzhu. They have the same pair of eyes, which are cunning and lively yet also reveal a bit of determination.
For a long time, Ni Pingsen remained silent, and Ni Jingxi stood quietly to the side without saying a word.
I don't know why, but the weather is always gloomy whenever I come here.
Even today wouldn't be surprising.