The most beautiful space

82 Reunion

Wang Lu always considered himself the most considerate and shrewd driver, trying his best to drive quietly as if he didn't exist.

Looking at the familiar features of the man, Su Tong was so overjoyed that she almost forgot her earlier sadness and uttered the name: "Xie Chengjing?"

Xie Chengjing nodded calmly, as if he hadn't suddenly appeared in Country A, but had been with Su Tong all along. He was dressed casually, a rare sight for him, and his hair had grown a little longer during this time. Although his face remained indifferent, his eyes weren't icy; unusually, they lacked sharpness. He quietly looked at Su Tong and simply said, "Surprised?"

"Yes, I did. I didn't expect you to come to Country A." Seeing Xie Chengjing's reaction, Su Tong felt as if their separation had been an illusion, and that Xie Chengjing had always been by her side. This feeling made her very comfortable, so she smiled faintly and asked, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming? When did you arrive in Luo City?"

Xie Chengjing didn't move, but his gaze had already swept Su Tong up and down. Such a scrutiny might seem a little lewd on other men, but Xie Chengjing's open and upright aura only made people feel his focus. Su Tong wasn't afraid of him anymore and smiled as he looked her over. He inspected Su Tong, whom he hadn't seen for a while, as if he were reviewing troops, seemingly confirming that Su Tong hadn't been missing anything while she was alone, before answering, "I arrived in Country A at 5:35 PM. Knowing that you went to dinner with your friends from the film crew, I first visited a friend here. We chatted for a while after dinner and then I came over. I only came to Country A on a whim. I happened to have a few days off and wanted to see you, so I came."

Xie Chengjing was telling the truth. He just felt that without Su Tong around, he was alone at home every day. Although Kongkong was clingy to Su Tong and lost interest in his favorite foods when he couldn't see her, at least he and Erduo had each other for company. Xie Chengjing suddenly felt a bit lonely and wanted to see Su Tong. Then, to Wang Lu's continued surprise, he boarded a flight to country A.

He spoke very casually, but Su Tong almost felt her face flush. She glanced at the small mirror in front of the car and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she wasn't blushing. Xie Chengjing never used sweet words to coax anyone. If a soldier were too good at it in such situations, he would lose some of his dignity. But such an unintentional remark was even more touching. Su Tong quickly joked, "My filming wrapped up today. Actually, I'm not busy at all right now. I can easily pick you up from the airport. You don't need to feel embarrassed to ask me to pick you up just because you didn't see me off."

A slight smile actually appeared on Xie Chengjing's face. He felt that after being apart for a while, he and Su Tong had actually grown closer. He didn't like everyone treating him with the awe and fear one would show to a superior, or interacting with him with the trembling attitude one would have towards someone in a position of authority. He enjoyed this kind of equal and warm interaction, which made him feel relaxed and happy. However, Xie Chengjing keenly noticed Su Tong's slightly surprised gaze, and the smile that hadn't fully formed was forcibly suppressed. He said seriously, "I don't need you to come and pick me up."

But Su Tong wouldn't let him off the hook. She leaned closer to look at him, her faint smile turning into a slightly mischievous one. "Hey, you seemed to have smiled just now. Come to think of it, we've known each other for quite a while, but I've never really seen you smile before."

Xie Chengjing blinked twice, and Su Tong actually detected a hint of embarrassment, as if he had been teased, in his otherwise sharp and narrow eyes. You see, if Xie Chengjing didn't want to, even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, you wouldn't be able to see any change in his expression.

Even Xie Chengjing himself seemed to be experiencing this unease for the first time. He had worn the mask of indifference for so long that it had become a part of his personality. Sometimes, when he wanted to be closer to certain people, to not be so serious and unapproachable, he couldn't even muster a warm and caring expression, so he had to express it through his actions. Just like now, when Su Tong teased him, he instantly reverted to his expressionless face, simply saying, "When you're happy, you laugh. Isn't that how it is usually?"

Are you happy being with me? Su Tong felt that Xie Chengjing had unlocked the "sweet talk" skill today, always speaking in such an extremely serious manner, saying things that made people feel very comfortable. However, Su Tong smiled and said to him, "But our wise, handsome, serious, aloof, intelligent, and skilled in both literature and martial arts, our Second Young Master is no ordinary person."

With a family background like his, even someone who is ignorant and incompetent would have plenty of people flattering him, let alone Xie Chengjing, who has achieved remarkable success himself. He receives endless praise wherever he goes. While others at least feign sincerity in their flattery, Su Tong's tone is completely joking. Xie Chengjing, however, didn't expect Su Tong to casually label him with such a string of adjectives, indicating she had often secretly criticized him in the past. This relaxed, joking demeanor is how Xie Chengjing observes Su Tong when interacting with familiar people. Su Tong's indifferent smile, like Xie Chengjing's cold face, is merely a mask she wears when dealing with those she doesn't know well.

Xie Chengjing said calmly, "Is that how you see me?"

Xie Chengjing's expressionless face no longer frightened Su Tong. After a brief moment's thought, Su Tong smiled and replied, "Yes."

But Xie Chengjing's deep, focused eyes seemed to silently encourage Su Tong to continue. Su Tong thought to herself, "Is he trying to coax all my thoughts out of me?" But she had nothing to hide and quickly gave the truth: "I was just exaggerating a bit earlier. You really are like that. You're very good-looking, very capable in all aspects, have a high position, and are very authoritative and decisive. You also seem to be calm at all times. But of course, you're not just like that. There are other aspects that others can't see. To be honest, I can't express it clearly. The fact is, you do have many qualities that I couldn't have imagined when I first met you... well, some qualities."

"So, when you first met me, what did you think of me back then?" Xie Chengjing asked, as if listening to a report.

Su Tong sighed helplessly, "Then if I tell you, you can't get angry."

Xie Chengjing asked, "Have I ever been angry with you?"

It seemed like there really wasn't, but Su Tong really didn't dare to say it out loud. She laughed and said, "There's a first time for everything. You might go crazy if you hear me say that. After all, anyone who values ​​life probably wouldn't dare to say something like that to you."

Xie Chengjing then assured him, "I won't be angry."

Su Tong glanced at him before speaking: "Okay, actually I didn't dare to look at you much at the time, but you are tall and have a strong presence. Even in the crowd of wedding guests, you can be spotted at a glance. But you look cold and fierce, and I didn't dare to look at you again after just one glance. My first impression of you can be summed up in four words: a human weapon."

Then she quickly added, "It's a promise, you won't be angry."

Although he had a general idea of ​​how others perceived him, this was the first time Xie Chengjing had heard it from someone else. He was slightly taken aback, but seeing Su Tong's expression as if she feared he might cause a massacre if he got angry, he lost the slight sense of unease that others feared. A smile appeared in his eyes as he said, "Don't worry, I never break my promises."

Su Tong smiled and said, "That's good. So, being around people like you who keep their word means I'm quite safe."

After talking for a while, Su Tong remembered a question. For someone of Xie Chengjing's status, going abroad was never a trivial matter. She had always thought that she would only be able to see him after she finished her work and returned to China. She never expected that Xie Chengjing would actually come to Country A. So she asked, "Your status must be quite sensitive in our country, right? Is it okay for you to come here?"

Xie Chengjing explained, "It's alright, I came here using someone else's identity."

Although Su Tong knew Xie Chengjing wasn't impulsive and that she couldn't offer much help, she almost instantly thought of Xiao Yang. He was the eldest grandson of the Xiao family, the only family in the dynasty comparable to the Xie family. Despite not having spent much time together, Su Tong knew Xiao Yang was extremely obsessive, the kind of person who wanted what he couldn't have. She also vaguely knew that Xiao Yang had been unable to bother her recently because Xie Chengjing had been protecting her while simultaneously causing trouble for Xiao Yang. She guessed that the conflict between him and Xie Chengjing had intensified. Moreover, given Xie Chengjing's ruthless nature, there were undoubtedly many people in the capital who couldn't stand to see him succeed. Su Tong couldn't help but ask again, "Won't your enemies take this opportunity to cause you trouble?"

"Of course." Xie Chengjing answered directly, then added, "But it's okay, I made all the arrangements before coming here. My dad and older brother know about my trip to Country A and will help cover for me, so there won't be any problems."

Xie Chengjing had a perfect grasp of Su Tong's psychology. By mentioning that Old Master Xie was at the pinnacle of power in the capital, a figure Su Tong looked up to like the top leader of the country, Su Tong immediately felt much more at ease. She also realized that she might have been worrying unnecessarily, and relaxed, saying, "That's perfect. You were so busy when you were in the country. Now that you're in an imperialist country, you don't need to be so strict with yourself. You can go around having fun and enjoying yourself. Tell me, where do you want to go?"

As they talked, the car arrived at the hotel parking lot. Wang Lu, maintaining his quiet and nonchalant style, turned off the engine and got out of the car. Xie Chengjing naturally opened the car door with one hand and reached out to take Su Tong's hand with the other. Su Tong, who was originally going to open her own door to get out, hesitated for a moment, then quickly handed his hand and got out of the car from his side.

Xie Chengjing reached out and took her hand, saying, "What? Are you going to show me around Luo City?"

Author's Note: My aunt was diagnosed with cancer recently. The doctors said it was incurable and sent her home. I went to stay with them and then went on a trip with them for a while. I lived with my aunt throughout my childhood, and she's practically like my own parents to me. I haven't felt like writing lately. Now that everything is settled, what's done is done, and those who are gone can't come back, so I'll focus on writing again. I'm extremely sorry for everything. Although I've been away for so long and probably not many people are reading anymore, I promised to finish this story. Thank you everyone. (166 Reading Network)