Fog Returns to the Capital

Is there anything you want in Chapter 79?

After a long time, Li Wu still couldn't hail a taxi, and she was feeling a bit lost.

A black Mercedes-Benz G-Class slowly pulled up in front of her.

The car window rolled down slowly and steadily, revealing a clear and dignified face.

"Come up."

Xu Xiling casually rested one hand on the car window, looked at Li Wu, and said in a deep voice, "I'll give you a ride."

Hear sounds.

Li Wu looked up.

The moment Li Wu saw Xu Xiling, she suddenly froze.

It seemed she hadn't expected to run into Xu Xiling at this time.

But at times like this, being on the street in a car means you're rushing back to reunite with your family.

"Do not bother."

Li Wu gently refused, pointing to her phone screen, "I can take a taxi home myself."

"At a time like this, is it possible to get a taxi?" Xu Xiling asked casually.

"..."

……

Li Wu eventually got into Xu Xiling's car.

Between the back seat and the front passenger seat, Li Wu chose the front passenger seat; she couldn't really treat Xu Xiling as her driver.

After Li Wu got on the bus, Xu Xiling asked her for the address.

Upon hearing this, Li Wu thought for a moment and finally gave the address of Imperial View No. 1.

The words fell.

Xu Xiling was about to turn the steering wheel when he suddenly paused.

He grew up with Zhou Jinghuai since he was a child, so he naturally knew the Zhou family's rules for New Year's Eve.

If I go back now, I'll probably be all alone.

As Xu Xiling turned the steering wheel, he asked casually, "Have you eaten?"

"We'll eat when we get home."

Li Wu readily agreed.

She spent the whole day training and rehearsing. During her break, she ate a few packets of cookies and drank some water. Exhausted after a long day, all she wanted to do was lie in bed and rest.

As for whether or not to eat... we'll see.

There was a pause.

Looking at Xu Xiling, who was dressed in all black, Li Wu hesitated for a moment before asking, "...Did you just come back from outside?"

When she overheard He Yanting chatting with Zhou Jinghuai, she inadvertently mentioned that Xu Xiling rarely stayed in Beijing throughout the year.

It must be because of the nature of his profession.

Hear the words.

Xu Xiling hummed in agreement, "I stayed in Kush for two months."

Li Wu knew that was the most chaotic place on the border, so she didn't ask any more questions.

More than ten minutes after the car drove off.

Xu Xiling looked at the streets gradually quieting down after midnight, his deep voice devoid of any emotion, "Want to have dinner together?"

"Ok?"

Li Wu turned her head and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Xu Xiling's well-defined hands gripped the steering wheel, his deep, calm eyes also fixed on the road ahead, his tone indifferent, "If we go back at this hour, my grandfather and the others will probably have already finished eating and are resting. It's not good to disturb them any further."

"I've been driving all day and I'm really hungry."

After listening.

Li Wu did not immediately agree.

Xu Xiling didn't look at her, his gaze remaining fixed on the road ahead. His calm and deep tone carried a sense of solitude, as if he had traveled thousands of miles alone. "Whether you go or not is up to you. After I drop you off, I'll just grab something to eat by myself."

The Xu family members who were waiting for Xu Xiling to return at the Xu residence were speechless.

……

She didn't know if it was because Xu Xiling kindly offered her a ride that night, or if Li Wu empathized with the "alone" Xu Xiling mentioned.

In the end, Li Wu still had a meal with Xu Xiling.

The dishes on the table were all of state banquet standard, and most of them were dishes that Li Wu liked.

Li Wu initially dismissed it as a coincidence and didn't think much of it.

During the meal, Li Wu originally thought that there would be some awkward silences.

After all, she had witnessed Xu Xiling and Zhou Jinghuai interacting with the others. She would respond with a single sentence if possible, and never say a second.

but no.

Xu Xiling told her some interesting stories he encountered in the area, as well as some customs that were rare in the region.

His deep, calm voice was unhurried and composed. After shedding his previous cold and solemn demeanor, his voice had excellent texture, was steady and unique, and had a storytelling quality.

Li Wu became completely engrossed in the conversation without even realizing it. Later, when she heard something interesting, she asked Xu Xiling to tell her more.

Xu Xiling remained calm and agreed to all her requests.

Midway through the journey, Li Wu asked for some wine. Xu Xiling didn't stop her, but simply had someone bring her the lowest alcohol content wine.

After finishing a small cup, Li Wu's eyes were a little red, but she still smiled and said to the only person who had spent the New Year with her, "Xu Xiling, Happy New Year."

Xu Xiling looked at the barely perceptible emptiness in Li Wu's eyes, and his gaze deepened slightly.

Then, Xu Xiling toasted her with tea instead of wine, saying, "Happy New Year."

Xu Xiling seemed to say a few more words afterward. But perhaps his voice was too soft, or perhaps Li Wu's head was a little dizzy at the time.

She couldn't hear her clearly.

When Li Wu woke up the next day, it was already afternoon.

When she opened her eyes, her head was still groggy. She turned her head slightly and saw the sunset gradually sinking on the horizon.

The orange glow of the sunset painted the entire sky, showering the world with gentle light.

This unconsciously reminded Li Wu of the sunrise she watched with Xu Xiling that morning.

Later, Li Wu also talked about her experience on the Spring Festival Gala and when she first came to Beijing. Before they knew it, they had been chatting for a very long time.

When Xu Xiling brought her back.

As dawn broke, the warm, orange-red sun slowly rose from the horizon. The rosy glow painted the sky, seemingly bathing the entire avenue in a golden light. It was like a dream.

Xu Xiling stopped the car and watched the entire sunrise with her.

……

Li Wu sat on the bed, staring blankly into the distance.

Her eyes were looking out the window, but her vision was blank, unable to find any focal point.

This is the scene that Zhou Jinghuai saw when he came in.

He stood there, quietly watching Li Wu, watching her silently, seemingly lost in thought.

After a long while...

When Li Wu came to her senses, she caught a glimpse of a figure at the door out of the corner of her eye and screamed in fright.

Upon seeing that it was Zhou Jinghuai, she complained, "Why were you standing there without saying a word? You scared me to death..."

"What are you thinking about so intently?"

The slight ripples in Zhou Jinghuai's eyes subsided, and he walked towards Li Wu.

"You startled me so much that I forgot what I was thinking just now..."

Li Wu had only been awake for a short time, and her hazy voice naturally carried a soft tone, as if she were being coquettish.

Zhou Jinghuai approached.

Li Wu reached out her hands, wanting him to hug her.

See this.

Zhou Jinghuai sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled Li Wu into his arms.

The girl's soft, boneless body pressed closer to him. Even though the room was at a constant temperature, his embrace seemed to offer extra warmth.

He paused slightly.

Zhou Jinghuai seemed to sense something, looked down at the girl in his arms, and asked, "Have you been drinking?"

Hear the words.

Li Wu's pupils widened slightly as she looked at Zhou Jinghuai with disbelief.

When Mingming came back this morning, she had washed herself thoroughly and was completely clean. I don't know how he could smell it.

Li Wu leaned against Zhou Jinghuai and said in a very low voice, almost inaudible to herself, "...just a little bit."

Zhou Jinghuai rarely drinks... Li Wu has almost never seen him drink.

the end.

Fearing Zhou Jinghuai wouldn't believe her, Li Wu lifted her head from his embrace, her clear black and white eyes looking at him, and softly emphasized, "It really is just a little bit."

The uneven glow of the setting sun spread behind her, casting a soft, hazy light on her fair, snow-white face, making it appear slightly dim.

But her overall aura was clear and pure, so the faint hint of darkness transformed into a soft veil, hazily shrouding her.

Zhou Jinghuai's gaze fell into her eyes, and he paused for a moment.

She looked so beautiful and lively, yet there was an indescribable fragility about her.

Two completely different characteristics are combined in her, yet they can be strangely integrated into one.

Zhou Jinghuai raised his hand and stroked her fair and delicate face. His large palm could easily envelop her face.

Li Wu smiled, her eyes crinkling, and gently rubbed her cheek against his palm.

Gentle and obedient.

"Li Li."

Zhou Jinghuai called her name softly.

"Ok?"

Li Wu responded and looked up at him.

"Is there anything you want?"

Zhou Jinghuai looked into her eyes and asked.

The bedroom was large, and the whole room was completely silent. The last rays of the setting sun cast a hazy glow into the room.

Zhou Jinghuai's deep and calm gaze inexplicably gave Li Wu a strange feeling—

Whatever she says she wants right now, he will give it to her.

But in the end, Li Wu smiled at him and obediently replied, "No."

"You have already given me so much."

The wealth he has given her so far is more than she could spend in several lifetimes.

"Anything else?" Zhou Jinghuai asked again in a low voice.

besides……

Li Wu's heart skipped a beat.

……

……

P.S.: If nothing unexpected happens, it will be finished by the end of the month!

(End of this chapter)