Meeting a certain someone

Zhiyuan was just as startled as Xinyi. Suddenly, they were standing so close to each other that it almost looked intimate. He instinctively held onto her waist, assuming that she would trip.

And now they were in this strange position where both didn't know what to do next because they had been rarely stuck together so close like this.

Xinyi felt his arm around her waist, and her already crimson face turned even more beet red. His long, muscular arms had perfectly and safely held onto her waist for her support.

Th-this this position... Gosh, why did I startle so much? It was Zhiyuan, not a ghost! She was internally scolding herself.

On the other hand, Zhiyuan was observing her expressions. She looked flustered. He noticed her small nose turning slightly red after bumping into his chest and heard her slightly ragged breathing. But then he furrowed his brows.

"Xinyi, your waist is so small."

Xinyi froze.

That one statement sent shockwaves across her body. Her confused head and flustered emotions cleared up in an instant, and suddenly, a certain memory just barged into her mind, triggered by what he said.

And that single memory gushed forth the most dreaded incident in her life like a dam breaking and water pushing out with full force.

She recalled that nightmare again that had become a thorn in her life and broke her heart.

There wasn't anything wrong with what Zhiyuan said. He simply commented what he thought.

But unfortunately for Xinyi, that same comment was the start of how that particular nightmare unfolded to become her worst reality, that at times, she desperately wished it to be just a dream.

Xinyi silently clenched her jaw and forced herself not to break down. It had taken a long time for her to come out of that depression.

No, no. No, no, no! I cannot sink into that despair again. Not... again, please...I-I have come out of it...

Zhiyuan had no idea what went wrong, but he felt her body stiffen and her expression turning uncomfortable. For a second, he thought that she looked as white as a sheet, but she recovered so quickly that he believed he saw it wrongly.

What happened?

He gently released her and said, "Are you okay? Did I say something wrong? I am sorry that I startled you. My fault."

Xinyi's smile faltered a little, and she shook her head. "No... nothing."

But he could clearly see tiny beads of sweat on her forehead.

"Are you sick? You are sweating."

"Oh?" She put her hand on her forehead. "It's nothing. I mean, it's a little hot here."

Zhiyuan didn't feel right.l

The air conditioning is in full swing.

Xinyi quickly stepped back and asked, "So, I guess you will be away next week for the cruise trip."

She didn't want Zhiyuan to dwell on it anymore because she knew well how he didn't like not getting answers. If it gets stuck with him, then he would do anything to find it out.

Zhiyuan stared at her for a second and then slowly nodded. "En."

"Okay. I will keep things all ready and pack your bag."

"Hm? You are coming with me too."

Xinyi was taken aback. "Huh? Me?"

"Yes. Mu Chuanli personally invited you to be a part of the cruise trip," he smiled, "he praised you when we were in the meeting. He still mentions it from time to time how he loved working with you."

Xinyi felt a little embarrassed. "Oh...he is giving me too much credit. I mean, I did make a lot of mistakes that time."

"Everybody makes mistakes Xinyi. But everybody until now has only praised you for your work. So, be more confident."

Xinyi softly smiled.

"And um...thank you for doing all that when I couldn't."

Zhiyuan had always felt ashamed of that phase in his life where his wife had to do and take over everything when he was incapable of his depression.

Xinyi sighed. "You have already thanked me at least a thousand times already, Zhiyuan. Any more and I will faint."

Zhiyuan laughed. "Alright. I won't anymore. By the way, show me that invitation."

She handed it over, and he looked through the invitation. He carefully read it, but there was no mention of Xinyi's name.

Strange. Mu Chuanli invited her, but her name isn't on the card? He never makes such mistakes.

"Anything wrong?"

"Ah? Nothing. Even if Mu Chuanli hadn't invited you, I would have taken you with me anyway."

"Why?"

Zhiyuan flicked her head and chuckled. "Because firstly, we can bring our partners to the cruise trip and secondly, you seemed like you really want to go to this cruise. You always like such scenic places, right?"

Her face flushed again. "Y-yes…"

He remembers it…

She felt a tinge of warmth in her heart.

"So, pack your bags too. We will go together next week."

---

The next day in preschool, Siying was excitedly waiting for Leina to come and was walking back and forth in front of the gate. The other kids had already rushed into the classroom.

"Siying! Come inside," the teacher called him.

"I am waiting for Leina! I will come with her."

"Don't wait for too long, okay?"

"Okay."

He waited and walked so much in excitement that the shoelace on his left foot got untied, and he almost tripped.

"Oopsie."

Siying bent down and clutched the laces in his fists. But he couldn't remember how to tie them, so he fumbled with them.

His small brows furrowed. "How Mama did it? This lace here and then this into this and then, then...I forgot…"

He tried his best to tie the laces, but his attempts never succeeded. Siying sulked in defeat and looked around for help.

Siying saw a woman sitting on a bench under the shade of a tree.

He carefully walked up to her, paying attention to his laces so that he didn't trip again. He reached near the bench and looked up at the woman.

She is pretty…

But Mama is prettiest, he thought.

He gently nudged her leg.

The woman stiffened but didn't react to him.

Siying blinked his eyes and nudged her again. The woman got irritated and glared at him.

"Don't bother me, Chyou-" then, as she realized it, her mouth formed a small O. "Oh…"

Siying got startled a bit by her reaction.

The woman quietly observed him for a moment and seemed to be in deep thought. "Who are you?"