Chapter 63

While he was mulling it over, Jiang Yihao got into a quarrel with his mother on the other side. The situation unfolded exactly as Bai Xingmiao had predicted. The people around them all crowded over to stop the Duke of Tapei and his son, including his own mother and Bu Chen.

Without a second glance, he slipped through the crowd and left the noisy banquet, then started his own car.

In just a few short months of acquaintance, he had already dug up every detail of Ruan Ning's background. He had assumed that information would stay buried in his memory forever, but now it came in handy. He floored the accelerator and drove straight across half of Talun City.

Bai Xingmiao rarely ventured into circles outside his own life, so this was the first time he had been so impulsive in seeking someone out. That person was neither familiar nor entirely a stranger.

Nightfall provided his cover, and the navigation guided him smoothly all the way to Ruan Ning's doorstep. It was as if some invisible force was pulling him there. Even Bai Xingmiao, who was good at analyzing and attributing causes, couldn't pinpoint the source of this pull, and it made him frown slightly.

"You have reached your destination. Have a pleasant journey."

Bai Xingmiao braked and sat in the car.

Night had fallen, and the quiet neighborhood was surrounded by dark tree shadows. The streetlights gave off a faint, serene glow like pearls. Rows of brightly lit villas were hidden behind the dark clusters of trees.

He spotted Ruan Ning's house at once.

Because hers was the only one that was especially lively. The room was lit with the most dazzling crystal chandelier, and laughter from guests kept spilling out, as lively as the banquet he had just escaped.

Bai Xingmiao's cold gaze passed over the steering wheel and landed on the bright windows. He picked up his phone to call Ruan Ning, but then he saw it again.

【Thank you for your help. I'll remember every moment we spent together.】

【May sunshine always surround you from now on, may you smile often, and may your life be enveloped in happiness.】

Bai Xingmiao's eyes darkened slightly. He closed the chat app, paused for a moment, and then opened the car door.

It was his first time setting foot in the southern suburbs. When he stepped onto the checkered tiles of the neighborhood, he felt a little out of place.

The neighborhood was quiet. Occasionally, night joggers passed by, and they would turn their heads in surprise, even glancing back as they ran off.

Not just because of his aristocratic, aloof looks, but also because the license plate from the old city of Talun revealed his extraordinary origins. People were shocked to see a luxury car from the central district in this neighborhood.

Bai Xingmiao never cared about the gaze of outsiders. He took off his suit jacket and walked step by step toward the small yard of Ruan Ning's house.

Ruan Ning's yard had many grapevines, climbing all over the black iron fence around the wall.

Now that late autumn had arrived, the vines had shed their leaves, leaving only gnarled, twisting dead tendrils, starkly exposed like bare nerves. Bai Xingmiao's brows unconsciously furrowed.

He lowered his steps and scanned the yard through the winding old vines. The yard was dark, with no lights on. Although he couldn't see anything clearly, it inexplicably put him at ease.

Then he turned his head and saw, in the dimly lit garage, Ruan Ning crouching on the ground, holding a puppy and inhaling its scent with abandon.

Bai Xingmiao's breath hitched for a moment, then quickly returned to calm. He stopped in his tracks.

The person on his phone was right in front of him, yet Bai Xingmiao didn't approach. Instead, he stood behind the lattice of grapevines, watching Ruan Ning from a distance.

Ruan Ning was wearing a fluffy bear pajama set, the hood thick and large with a pair of round bear ears, framing her small oval face, looking utterly charming.

Bai Xingmiao only then remembered that he had seen her in person just once, and in her profile picture, she was always sitting formally, serious and proper, the model student.

At home, with no makeup on, she looked even younger, like a high schooler. Her clear eyes curved into gentle crescents, her jet-black hair fell from the hood past her ears, and the dim garage light fell on her fair, full face like a soft sunset, casual and endearing.

Ruan Ning held the sleeping golden puppy in both hands and apologized seriously and guiltily.

"Ah Huang, I'm sorry, Auntie can't keep you guys, can't give you a city household registration."

"But I'll come visit you in the countryside often. You don't have to be tied up in the yard there; you can run wild all over the place, and Sister Huanhuan will take good care of you."

"You have to grow up healthy and strong, promise Auntie, okay?"

She held the sleeping puppy and nodded it a few times, then spoke in a high-pitched voice, making it talk: "Okay, okay, we love Auntie too."

Ruan Ning's eyes sparkled with delight. "Really? Then give Auntie a kiss, okay?"

"Okay, okay." Ruan Ning held the oblivious puppy up to her cheek and gently pressed it, then bashfully said, "Thank you, baby. Auntie loves you too."

Then, with a mischievous grin, she openly kissed the puppy on the forehead.

The sleeping puppy stirred, yawned, its tongue curling into a little tube.

Bai Xingmiao, hidden behind the grapevines, saw a sliver of pure moonlight reflected in his deep eyes. He turned his head and let out a soft sigh.

And so, the two of them stood in silence, separated by the wall, one inside and one out.

Before long, someone inside called Ruan Ning back. She turned and answered, "Coming," then reluctantly set the puppy down, patted her clothes, and got up to leave.

The girl's slender, straight legs moved in alternating steps inside her fluffy pajama pants, like a light, lively tune. By the time Bai Xingmiao snapped back to reality, she had already climbed to the second floor.

The warm yellow light silhouetted her black figure. She took off her furry pajama hood, and as she pulled her long hair out from inside her clothes, her hair flew loose for a moment. Bai Xingmiao could almost smell the lily of the valley fragrance from under her neck.

…

Ruan Ning gripped the windowsill. Just now, Bai Xingmiao had told her in person, "I want to see you."

The gloom and heaviness that had been stuck in her chest suddenly dissipated with the wind, but her reason told her she couldn't leave.

She shook her head repeatedly, a faint blush rising on her cheeks from agitation. "No, I can't. Today is your mother's birthday. You should go back right now. I respect your mother very much. If I ruin her birthday because of this, I'll feel terrible."

Bai Xingmiao still kept his head slightly tilted, his voice as calm as the autumn night breeze. "Don't you want to watch the meteor shower with me?"

Ruan Ning's eyes glimmered with ripples. When she had first added Bai Xingmiao on social media, she had mentioned wanting to watch a meteor shower with him.

The corners of her eyes turned slightly red, and she murmured, "Why does it have to be at this time?"

She had finally made up her mind to leave Bai Xingmiao, but his appearance had interrupted her peace. She realized she still couldn't easily let go of the comfort she had grown to depend on day and night—a kind of quiet companionship, like a heartfelt talk.

"I'm sorry, I've already made my decision. I think you should have received my message. When can you give me an answer?"

A hint of coldness crept into Bai Xingmiao's calm eyes. "I came all this way specifically not to hear that."

"Then what did you come for?" Ruan Ning gave a hoarse laugh.

The situation around them was getting tenser by the moment. The fireworks and drone show tonight were on a grand scale, and neighbors were gradually coming out to watch.

They passed by, noticing the handsome Bai Xingmiao parked outside Ruan Ning's building, gazing up at her seriously. Spotting a juicy piece of gossip, they sneaked around to peek.

Everyone was astonished—wasn't this the girl from the Ruan family? Why was a man secretly visiting her in the middle of the night? They all stole glances, trying to figure out what was going on.

From inside, the sound of her cousin's footsteps approached, and she called out, "Ningning, do you have an extra jacket? I want to borrow one to go out."

If they caught her sneaking off to meet a strange man during the birthday party, she would never be able to explain herself no matter how many mouths she had.

Ruan Ning's heart raced. She bent down and pleaded in a low voice, "Please, just go back, okay? If they find out, I'm done for!"