Chi Nuan’s heart suddenly beat faster. After a brief lag, Gu Ningzi’s face appeared in the center of the screen.
“……”
“……”
“Auntie Gu! It’s Auntie Gu!” Little Wutong excitedly squeezed in, and Chi Nuan’s face in the video window was replaced by a wide-open mouth missing a front tooth.
“Auntie Gu, I wish you good health and all your wishes come true!” Little Wutong said as he covered his mouth, giggled twice, and ran off.
Chi Nuan’s face reappeared in the video. She smiled at Gu Ningzi, her gaze lingering on Gu Ningzi’s eyes, Gu Ningzi’s lips… Her heart felt like it was being tickled by tiny claws. “Hi……”
Gu Ningzi: “Hi.”
Gu Ningzi’s voice carried a hint of hoarseness. Chi Nuan nervously said, “……Are you not feeling well? Or did you not rest enough?”
Gu Ningzi: “Can’t shake the jet lag.”
From what Chi Nuan remembered, Gu Ningzi hadn’t seemed troubled by jet lag the last time she returned to Yuncheng. Chi Nuan couldn’t think of any reliable solution and said in distress, “What should we do then? Would it help if I read to you?”
The video timer ticked forward second by second. Gu Ningzi lowered her head slightly, and when she lifted it again, a faint smile had crept into the corners of her eyes and lips.
Her smile wasn’t intense, but Chi Nuan was still dazzled by it. In her daze, her cheeks slowly turned red.
Gu Ningzi: “We can try it.”
Chi Nuan: “Okay……”
Soon, Gu Ningzi ended the video call due to work. Chi Nuan collapsed onto the sofa and covered her eyes.
The next day, close to noon, Chi Nuan—having calculated the time difference—messaged Gu Ningzi first: “Are you asleep?”
Gu Ningzi: “No.”
Chi Nuan: “Want to hear a story?”
After sending those five words, Chi Nuan stared unblinkingly at the screen. Gu Ningzi’s reply was to call her directly via voice.
Chi Nuan happily said, “Which one do you want to hear?”
She read the story titles from the table of contents, and Gu Ningzi said, “Start from the beginning.”
Chi Nuan read The Frog Prince in a soft, gentle voice. There was no sound from the other end of the phone. Chi Nuan tentatively called, “Gu Ningzi?”
Gu Ningzi slowly said, “Keep going.”
Chi Nuan turned the page and finished the second story. Before she could speak, Gu Ningzi said, “Next one.”
“……” Chi Nuan continued flipping pages.
Little Wutong lay beside her, listening with great interest. After finishing the fifth story, The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats, Chi Nuan perked up her ears again to listen for any sound from the other end.
Little Wutong leaned close to Chi Nuan’s ear: “Mommy, the big bad wolf is so mean. He tricked the little goats and ate them.”
In Chi Nuan’s other ear, pressed against the phone, Gu Ningzi let out a soft chuckle.
“……Is it not working? Or can’t you sleep?” Chi Nuan felt disappointed that she couldn’t help Gu Ningzi.
Gu Ningzi: “I haven’t slept yet. I’m outside.”
Chi Nuan: “……”
??? So why did she have her read stories then???
Gu Ningzi seemed to guess what was on Chi Nuan’s mind, her faint laughter carrying a teasing edge: “Your voice is nice.”
Chi Nuan’s ears kept burning, and in an instant, her cheeks flushed red as well.
The next morning, He Zhen messaged her: “Got you some flowers. Happy Birthday~~”
Chi Nuan immediately replied, “Thank you.”
He Zhen: “Don’t forget to thank BOSS. [wink]”
The flower shop confirmed the delivery time with Chi Nuan. At noon, the flowers arrived. Little Wutong struggled to hold the huge bouquet: “Mom… Mommy, this is… so… big!”
Chi Nuan pulled out the card inside. It was signed “Spider.”
She took a photo of the card against the light and sent it to Gu Ningzi: “Thank you for the flowers from BOSS. I love them.”
Gu Ningzi sent back a screenshot of flight information.
!!!
Chi Nuan looked at it again and again, confirming repeatedly that Gu Ningzi had booked a flight back to Yuncheng a week later.
Nothing could make her happier than Gu Ningzi’s return. Compared to the enormous bouquet, this was the birthday gift she truly wanted.
From that day on, Chi Nuan counted down the days. But then He Zhen messaged that BOSS’s original flight had been canceled. Chi Nuan asked if the new time was set, and He Zhen replied, “She has a sudden personal trip, so it’s uncertain. If she’s coming back to Yuncheng, she’ll let you know in advance.”
The brief winter break ended in the blink of an eye. On the first day of school, while taking Little Wutong to school, Chi Nuan received a call from Xiao Pan.
Xiao Pan was still interning at the school this semester and, wanting to build rapport with the other teachers, had invited everyone to dinner.
“Sister Chi, even though you’re not working here anymore, you’ve always taken such good care of me during my time at the school……”
Chi Nuan knew the other teachers from the office would be there too, but since Xiao Pan had asked, she couldn’t refuse.
The dinner was set at a fairly upscale restaurant not far from the elementary school. As Chi Nuan rode the elevator up, Teacher Zhao from Little Wutong’s toddler class suddenly called: “Chi Zheng’s Mom, are you having a friend pick up Chi Zheng today?”
The signal in the elevator was poor. Chi Nuan hurriedly said, “Is Chi Zheng still there? Teacher Zhao, I didn’t ask anyone to pick him up for me.”
As she spoke, she pressed the nearest floor button and squeezed out of the elevator.
