"Got it," Blair replied.
Cecelia and Baldwin got back in the car. But Cecelia was still worried. She rolled down the window and said, "Blair, remember what I told you. If you ever get tired of staying in Y City, quit your job and come here. This is Wesley's hometown. He will return here anyway."
Blair teared up a little at her concern. "Okay," she replied with a nod.
The car engine roared to life. She finally mustered up enough courage and said as she waved her hand to Wesley's parents, "See you later, Mom, Dad."
Cecelia gasped when she heard Blair call her "Mom." She was so excited that she wanted to wrap her arms around the girl and hug her tight, but Blair was too shy to stand there for a second longer. She turned around quickly and walked into the departure lounge.
That evening, Wesley got a call from Cecelia. She exclaimed, "Wesley! Blair called me 'Mom' today! She is truly a part of our family now. Cherish her. Call her whenever you can, so that she knows that you really care about her."
A smile crept over Wesley's face. "I will," he said.
"All right then. Take care of yourself." Cecelia knew that Wesley would be fine. But to a mother, her son would always be a child, no matter how old he gets. She couldn't help worrying.
"I will, Mom. You too."
On the 72nd day after Wesley had left, Niles called Blair. "Hi, Niles," she said into the phone.
"Blair, some of my coworkers and I are going on a trip. Do you want to join us?"
'A trip?' It sounded nice, but she was worried that she wouldn't fit in with his crowd. "I think I'll pass. I don't know your coworkers. I'll feel completely out of place."
"You know me. I'll keep you company. My mentor is the organizer of this trip. She has made an exception for you this time."
"Thank you, Niles, but I'm really busy—
"We're going to the border."
"What did you say?" Blair's heart skipped a beat.
"We're going to the border," Niles repeated. That was why he insisted that she go with them.
And now, Blair couldn't wait to go. "When's the trip?" she asked without bothering to conceal her happiness.
"Next week. But, there are no direct flights to the border. We'll have to take the train. The journey will take more than twenty hours."
'More than twenty hours on the train? That sounds horribly tiring.' But her eagerness to see Wesley triumphed everything else. "No problem," she said firmly.
"Good! It's decided then. Bring some thick clothes, because we're going to higher altitudes and the temperature will drop dramatically between day and night." Niles thought that he was being a really good brother. He was working so hard for his brother's happiness. He decided to ask Wesley for a reward when they got to the border.
"Got it. Thank you," Blair replied. She was grateful for what Niles was doing for her and Wesley.
On the day of the trip, Blair met up with Niles' colleagues. There were more than ten of them. As soon as they gathered, Niles introduced a woman to her. "Blair, this is my mentor, Ingrid Chu. Ingrid, this is my sister-in-law, Blair Jing."
Blair sized up the woman in front of her. Ingrid Chu looked Blair's age. Her long hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she was wearing a casual lilac outfit. Blair reached out her hand and said with a smile, "Nice to meet you, Ingrid."
At that moment, she couldn't have imagined in her worst nightmares that many years down the line, this elegant woman would fall victim to a false charge and die without being vindicated.
Nor did she know that their sons would end up becoming good friends.
Or that Ingrid Chu's son and Debbie's daughter would be madly in love with each other.
Ingrid Chu observed Blair carefully. She shook hands with Blair and complimented softly, "You're gorgeous. No wonder Senior Colonel Li fell so hard for you."
Blair blushed. "You know Wesley?"
Before Ingrid Chu could reply, Niles cut in, "She does. Ingrid is married to the eldest son of the Tang family in Y City. The second son of the family is one of Wesley's soldiers."
The Tang family was a big, old clan in Y City. But the members always stayed low-key. "What a coincidence.
Thank you for letting me hang out with you guys," Blair said politely.
Ingrid Chu smiled. "It's a pleasure to have you on board with us."
After exchanging pleasantries, the crowd moved into the train station lounge.
They could have taken a flight to the city near the border and then transferred to a train. That would have been quicker. But the scenery along the way was said to be breathtaking. They didn't mind spending a few more hours to enjoy the beauty of the nature. So, they had eventually chosen to take the train.
Blair's suitcase was huge. Luckily, Niles was sweet enough to
take care of it for her.
Blair seldom travelled by train. She usually took a flight for long distances and drove a car for shorter rides.
This was the longest trip she had ever taken by train.
And she was going to meet Wesley! She could barely contain her excitement.
She was still mad at him, but that didn't change the fact that she missed him; she missed his strong embraces, his touch, and the way his lips felt on hers. He was in her thoughts at all times.
Niles bought the tickets. They got seats in the soft sleeper carriage. Blair, Ingrid Chu and two other girls were in the same compartment, while Niles, along with some other guys, was in the compartment next to theirs.
At night, they talked and played poker together. Blair had some urgent work to finish, so she couldn't join the game and sat in the aisle.
Niles stuck out his head from the compartment and asked, "I haven't told Wesley that we are coming yet. Would you like to tell him yourself?"
Blair thought about it and said, "Let's wait a bit longer."
Niles was confused at first. He thought Blair would be more excited about this trip. Then he realized her intention and said with a grin, "You want to surprise him, don't you? How romantic."
Blair flushed. "Go play your poker. I don't want to talk to you about this. You're such a kid."
Niles went back to his game, laughing heartily.
After some time, Ingrid Chu stuck her head out and asked, "Blair, do you need Wi-Fi? I have unlimited data on my phone."
Blair shook her phone and replied, "So do I. Thanks, though."
"No problem. I'll leave you be," Ingrid Chu replied. Then, she turned to the others. "Let's keep our voices down. Blair is working."
Blair didn't want to be a buzzkill. She remarked, "Don't worry about it. I'll put on my earplugs. Have fun, you guys. Don't mind me."
"Okay. But if we're being too loud, just tell us." Ingrid Chu was in her early thirties. She was older than the others and was also their senior at work. So, the younger ones listened to her.
Blair nodded. They were having a good time. Looking at them, she felt better and couldn't help smiling.