Chapter 683: A Million Times for You (45)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
It was drizzling outside when Jin Qingyan drove out of Wei Ni Estate.
He went out alone without any bodyguards with him.
The car was headed toward Beijia Bay.
When he arrived, the rain had gotten heavier.
He parked his car at a distance away and turned to grab a black umbrella before getting down from the car.
After locking his car, he leisurely walked toward the wooden door.
The door was unlocked.
Jin Qingyan pushed open the door, and what came to sight was a white lantern hung before the door of the main house. It was a solemn and respectful sight.
A man came out and, upon seeing that it was him, immediately turned and went back into the house, presumably to report his arrival.
An Xiaoning was kneeling down before the coffin and folding paper gold ingots. Jin Qingyan kneeled down before her and asked, “Why didn’t you call me?”
“What for?”
“For me to fold these with you.”
“I feel that Mr. Jin’s body and hands are much more precious. There’s no need to trouble you with such things.”
He brought over a cushion and kneeled there together with her, naturally taking a piece of golden paper to fold the ingots with her.
“We shouldn’t be this distanced.” There was a slight pause after his clear voice sounded. “After all, we’re very familiar with each other.”
An Xiaoning did not bother much about him and continued to fold her gold ingots while he helped her out as well.
During these past few days, An Xiaoning lived with the old lady, accompanying her to live the final days of her life.
Once humans depart from this world, they no longer leave their mark around.
Nothing else matters anymore as well.
She accepted her teacher’s last words and buried her within the house.
The place for the burial had already been dug. Unfortunately, it started raining, and they could bury her only after the rain had stopped.
Who could have expected that instead of stopping, the rain would grow heavier?
They could only wait on in silence.
The elderly lady had just passed away, and An Xiaoning did not call the Xu family, so they were unaware of it.
This was part of the elderly lady’s instructions.
She did not want those unimportant people disturbing her.
“Before I came here, Gu Dongcheng went to find me.”
“What did he find you for?”
Jin Qingyan stared at her with his eyes twinkling. “Make a guess.”
An Xiaoning answered, “You laid a blow.”
Her statement was a declarative one.
As to what it was that she was referring to, both of them knew it well and clear.
He blinked his eyes at her a few times, and An Xiaoning retracted her gaze, lowering her head as she continued folding.
“You can buy a lot of these with just a bit of money, why do you have to fold them one by one yourself?”
“Sincerity.” She was still rather curious and asked, “How did you handle it?”
“Give me a kiss and I’ll tell you.”
“You can tell or not, it’s up to you.”
He naturally could not hold it in and explained it to her in detail.
An Xiaoning did not expect that he would be so prudent in handling this matter, leaving no loopholes at all. “You’re indeed an expert, after all.”
“You’re complimenting me?”
“Yeah.”
Although he knew that she was just patronizing him, he was still pleased inside. “I’m going to the Autumn Palace as well.”
“I know.”
“Shall we go there together?”
An Xiaoning responded bluntly, “So that we can appear on the news together?”
“…”
“Boss, someone is calling you again!” Her phone, which was placed on the table, started ringing, and since it was nearer to Jin Qingyan, he picked it up before she could.
Looking at the name on the display screen, his face turned very ugly.
“Give it to me.”
He immediately slid the “answer” button and placed the phone by his ear. “Hello.”
An Xiaoning went forward to snatch the phone from him, but Jin Qingyan nimbly switched the phone to answer with his other ear. “Speak.”
“I’m looking for Xiaoning, pass the phone to her.”
“Alright, wait a moment.” He then passed the phone to An Xiaoning.
An Xiaoning glared at him ferociously before answering, “Hi, it’s me.”
“Are the two of you together?”
An Xiaoning darted a glance at Jin Qingyan beside her and replied, “I’m at Teacher’s place. He came over on his own.”
These words were not soothing to Jin Qingyan, so he purposely added, “Look at how you’ve made my face full of lipstick marks, I have to wash it away.”
An Xiaoning got annoyed and threw a kick at his leg. She only chatted briefly with Ji Yu before ending the call quickly.
“What do you want?”
“I don’t want anything. I just don’t want to see you talking to other men apart from me.”
“Is this something you can interfere with?” She started chasing him away. “This place is not somewhere you should be, you should go if there’s nothing else.”
However, Jin Qingyan kneeled down again instead and started folding the paper gold ingots quietly.
Seeing him like this, An Xiaoning did not say anything further as well.
When the rain outside gradually became lighter, it was already two hours later.
An Xiaoning got her men to remove the plastic wrap over the burial hole and properly lower the coffin into the grave.
Finally, they covered the coffin with soil.
She watched as the soil slowly covered the coffin until it could no longer be seen.
At last, the grave was finally made.
When her mentor was alive, she had said that death was like a lamp being extinguished. As such, she saw no need for graveyard-keepers to watch over her grave since the location was already isolated.
She had enjoyed peace for the latter half of her life and, hopefully, after her death, she would be able to continue enjoying this peace.
An Xiaoning helped her fulfill her wish by allowing her to rest quietly in her own home.
After burying the elderly lady, she took away the thick book she had given her.
She locked the main gate and drove out of the place.
The two cars left Beijia Bay one after another.
An Xiaoning returned to the Gu residence while Jin Qingyan returned to Wei Ni Estate.
She placed the book in her room and took a nice warm bath. After changing into a new set of clothes, she went downstairs and had dinner with the rest.
After dinner, Lin Mingxi dragged her into her bedroom, presenting to her the clothes and shoes that were arranged nicely on her bed. “Dang dang dang dang! Quick, look, these are specially prepared for you.”
An Xiaoning took a closer look. There was a bright red fur coat, a pair of black leather pants, and wine-red high heels.
“They’re getting married, and you’re asking me to wear such a bright red color? I’ll steal the limelight away from them.”
Lin Mingxi laughed, “Red symbolizes prosperity. I really think you look great in red. Other people may look flashy in it, but I think you look elegant.”
“You’re praising me to the skies like that, what if I get blown into outer space?” [1. “Praise” and “blow” have the same pronunciation in Chinese.]
“I’m serious about it. Quick, try it on.”
An Xiaoning tried on the coat, and it was absolutely fitting.
Lin Mingxi remarked as she touched her chin, “Beicheng and I have good judgment indeed. You look absolutely stunning in it.”
Gu Beicheng came in at just this moment and, seeing that she had tried it on, chimed in, “It looks nice indeed.”
The pants brought out the perfect proportions of her legs as well. As for the shoes, An Xiaoning pointed to them and said, “These are too high, I really don’t like wearing high heels.”
“But it’s absolutely ugly if you don’t wear high heels with a coat.” Lin Mingxi pointed to the shoes. “I’ve tried on these shoes. They don’t hurt your feet at all. It’s very steady when you walk as well. Try it on if you don’t believe me.”
An Xiaoning listened to her and put on the shoes while sitting on the sofa.
With the high heels on, she felt like she had grown taller. She walked a few steps and found that they were indeed comfortable.
“Not bad.”
“Of course.”
“I appreciate it. Our Majesty hereby thanks our beloved Consort.” She changed her shoes back. “Let me tell you both a piece of good news.”
“What good news?”
An Xiaoning said in a low voice, “All of us know that it’s very likely that the one who changed your fate was Yuan Mingzhu. After all, Gu Dongcheng is cooperating with your sister, Mingxi. Gu Dongcheng and his wife gave Yuan Mingzhu so many rewards, it was obvious enough already. Now, Xu Youran…”