Chapter 14.3: To Understand, To Love and To Promise Ourselves to One Another
Both were also first time in this male-female thing. Although impetuous, reckless and inexperience, they still got their satisfaction. It gave them a sense of peace and security, that they would be together through anything, even the troubled times.
Xu Mo Ting held her in his arm but failed to calm the agitation in his heart. His fingertips were running through her hair and he kissed her slightly damp forehead.
An Ning opened her tired eyes. She felt the stormy pa.s.sion that had pa.s.sed a bit too much to bear. But she did not regret it one bit. She just felt very contented. She moved sideways to embrace his neck and rubbed against it. Then she muttered softly: “Very sleepy.”
Mo Ting’s heart felt hot, so the body also started to feel a burning sensation. He could not help but lean over her once again. However no matter how much was the yearning, he also cannot bear to demand over and over again from his girlfriend on her first time. Mo Ting bent down and kissed her lips. Then he reached out to turn off the light and said softly in the dark: “Sleep la.”
An Ning said okay and slowly closed her eyes.
When she woke up again, the person next to her had already gone. The room was dark and quiet because the thick curtains were blocking everything bright. Only the LCD alarm clock on the bedside table was displaying the time.
An Ning got up and went to the bathroom to wash the face and rinse the mouth. The towel and clothes were placed neatly on the gla.s.s table. The shirt and knitwear belonged to him. After bathing and dressing, she discovered that the sleeves were too long, so she has to roll them up twice. When she walked downstairs, Xu Mo Ting was sitting on the dining table in the living room table with his laptop on. Seeing her coming down, he smiled and said: “I am boiling porridge which should be ready soon.”
“Okay.” An Ning walked over and sat beside him. She looked languid and blurry. When she was just about to lie on the table, he reached out and propped her chin, “The tabletop is cold.”
An Ning straightened up, rubbed her eyes and unconsciously mumbled: “I am still a little tired.”
Xu Mo Ting was smiling when he put his hands on her neck to ma.s.sage and pinch it. His strength was neither light nor heavy making her so comfortable until she gasped. Xu Mo Ting looked at her with his clothes on. The shirt was open at the collar, revealing some of her fair skin and stirring up some peculiar emotion in his heart again. He withdrew his hands and hesitated for only two seconds before asking softly: “An Ning, we’ll get married after the Lunar New Year?”
An Ning stared blankly at him and her face turned red instantly. Although he has previously mentioned the ‘marriage’ topic every few days, he has never made her nervous like this time. Also, remembering their intimate behaviour last night, even her ears were also red.
“Why …… I …… isn’t it too sudden …… I have not graduated yet ……”
Mo Ting had already taken her hand and with tender emotion in the eyes said, “An Ning, I don’t want to wait for another two to three years. I want to be together with you. I think we share the same thought on this. Since we love each other, marriage is only a matter of time. Furthermore I am more timid. If we get that piece of paper a little earlier, it can make me feel at ease. Are you willing?”
An Ning was blushing and did not know how to respond all of a sudden. It felt like pledging to marry without parents’ approval.
“I …… never thought so fast …… get married.” She has not even thought of love before, only thought of accompanying her mother step by step until the end.
When he saw her awkward and helpless expression, he felt somewhat distressed. Thus he leaned forward slowly to hold her shoulder and appease her by saying: “I’m sorry for being too impetuous.”
An Ning felt guilty, bent her head and leaned on his chest, “I love you.”
“I know.”
“I …… I love you too.”
“I know.”
An Ning’s mobile phone which was placed on the coffee table, was ringing. Mo Ting let go of her, smiled and said: “I’ll go and bring out the porridge.”
When she walked over, the phone stopped ringing. There was a total of four missed calls. The latest one was from Qiang Wei, the other two was from her father and one from Zhou Jin Cheng. An Ning returned Qiang Wei’s call first. The other side picked up the call right away and a hearty voice can be heard, “Meow Meow, where are you and brother-in-law? Do you want to come out?”
“What do you want to do?” Much safer to ask clearly first.
“You left halfway through the meal yesterday, so we’ll continue today. Hey, bring brother-in-law along.”
An Ning was not sure of his plan for today, “I’ll ask him.”
“Aiya, I know that brother-in-law is a very busy person, but he still needs to eat lunch, right?” Then she gave a meaningful smile, “Did something happen?”
An Ning was surprised but she did not show any emotion, “What happened?”
“Don’t pretend la. Leniency to those who confess.” Qiang Wei laughed again: “When you saw brother-in-law yesterday, you pounced on him so enthusiastically. You must have ahem ahem ahem-ed last night, right?”
“Wei Wei, your thought cannot be healthier!” An Ning criticized with a guilty conscience.
Qiang Wei paused, “I mean eat together and watch movie hand in hand ――Where are you thinking?”
“……”
“Strolling down the street hand in hand with such a person like Xu Mo Ting, you must be overwhelmed by emotions. Oh, such an unattainable figure ah!”
Xu Mo Ting switched off the computer and came over to murmur in her ear: “I am going to the car to get something.”
An Ning nodded slightly and Mo Ting smiled. Not wanting to disturb her talking on the phone, he turned around and went out.
Qiang Wei was overwhelmed by emotions and talked a lot, but there was no respond, so she cannot help but felt indignant, “We are talking about your boyfriend, but why are you so quiet? It can’t be …… you’ve been dumped?”
“You are the one who has been dumped.” An Ning did not know whether to laugh or cry. She did not want to talk nonsense with her anymore, “Qiang Wei, if Xu Mo Ting has time later, we’ll go over, okay?”
“Not okay also can only be like this. I just want you and brother-in-law to show your faces and dazzle everyone there at the gathering. Tell you la, I’ve always disliked that woman who I called out yesterday. That girl once stole my boyfriend in high school. Later she flaunted herself as beautiful and kind-hearted, like hiding the moon, shaming the flowers (an idiom meaning female beauty exceeding even that of the natural world). Yuck! I suspect that she has never looked at herself in a mirror! In comparison to you and brother-in-law, she cannot even be regarded as morning glory flower! At most, she’s a daisy, and on top of that, one that’s been deflowered.”
Really malicious ah, An Ning blushed with shame. She really felt Miss Qiang was too bored. After hanging up the phone, Xu Mo Ting happened to come back with a bag in his hand.
An Ning walked over to lend a hand. Mo Ting handed it to her with a smile, “It should be your size. Change into it when we go out later.” She was wearing his clothes. He was not willing to let other people see that.
An Ning took it and was surprised. After walking to the dining table and sitting down, only then she took out the things inside to have a look. This was incredible, “How do you know my dress size?”
“Feel it.”
An Ning glared at him but leader Xu said innocently, “Your figure is very standard (It is p.r.o.nounced as biaozhun in Chinese), exquisite and delicate. My vision has always been accurate (It is p.r.o.nounced as zhun).” The last sentence seemed like a pun.
An Ning was at a loss for words. Anyway hearing him praising her figure, she felt very happy. Putting down the bag, she took the porridge from him. When she smelt the aroma, only then she realized that she was very hungry. After drinking a mouthful, it warmed the heart and stomach. Tasting good, she nodded, “Really aromatic.” After she finished drinking half of a small bowl, An Ning said: “I seem to have put on weight recently.”
Xu Mo Ting smiled and said softly: “Not at all, just the right size to hug.”
Someone could not help thinking of a restricted comic and blush. She coughed and a.s.serted eloquently: “Anyway, fat or not, you can only love me in the future.”
The smile on Xu Mo Ting’s face was getting bigger. His deep eyes were full of sincere affection. An Ning was a bit embarra.s.sed by his stare, so she simply immersed in drinking porridge.
“Unlikely.” A low and soft voice can be heard.
An Ning did not hear clearly, so she raised her head to look at him. Mo Ting chuckled and said seriously: “Impossible to have others.”
During your youthful years, amidst the throngs of people, you find the one you love, and you allow her to love you also – this is the greatest blessing in life.
After a long time, An Ning only whispered ‘yes’.
After they finished eating, it was already nearly eleven o’clock when they left home. Thinking he has to return home today, inevitably An Ning felt a bit sad. However she knew that she cannot be wilful, since he has always have more things to do that her. Moreover Chinese New Year’s Eve was fast approaching, so she has to let him go back to accompany his parents to celebrate the new year.
The car traveled along smoothly. It was very quiet inside the car. Xu Mo Ting’s right hand has been holding her hand.
The temperature outside dropped to below zero today. Even at noon, the mist still filled the air. There was not many cars on the road.
An Ning turned sideways to look at him and said softly, “Drive a little slower even when you are on the highway.”
She can feel the hold on her left hand tightened slightly. An Ning pursed her lips and chuckled before continuing to say: “I’ll go and see the kitty you are keeping after the new year.”
Xu Mo Ting sighed and started to talk with a very low voice, “Really want to be with you every day.”
An Ning blushed and her heart beat fast because she knew what he said was not sweet talk and honeyed words, rather his real thoughts.
Xu Mo Ting stopped the car at the roadside, in front of her Volvo. Before getting off the car, An Ning saw that shop they ate noodles yesterday. Qiang Wei and a male and female were sitting in the same seat.
Remembering Wei Wei’s previous phone call, she turned her head to ask the man at the driver’s seat, “Do you want to meet Qiang Wei and friends for a while?” While saying that, she pointed to the French window across the street.
“No, you go to the car and get the key. I’ll wait for you.”
“Oh.” Aiya, should have known that he will not be interested. After getting out of the car, she said hesitantly: “Then I’ll go over and say h.e.l.lo to Qiang Wei?”
Mo Ting was smiling when he nodded, “I’ll wait for you.”
He said ‘I’ll wait for you’ twice, making An Ning blushed.
Xu Mo Ting watched her running across the street, walked up two steps, pushed open the door and entered the restaurant. He leaned back on the chair and switched on the stereo sound system. Soft music flowing out.
At this moment, someone knocked on the window of the pa.s.senger seat. Mo Ting saw the person and slowly rolled down the car window.
“Can I say a few words with you?”
Xu Mo Ting opened the door and got out of the car. He put both hands into his pocket. Zhou Jin Cheng walked to his side. Looking over from the restaurant across the street, a sport utility vehicle half covered the two tall figures.
Mo Ting leaned against the car and said faintly: “What’s up?”
“I saw her car parked here yesterday.” Zhou Jin Cheng smiled, then said: “Did you come here to see Ning Ning?”
Xu Mo Ting’s facial expression did not change, “Mr. Zhou, you can say what you want in a straightforward manner.”
Zhou Jin Cheng was not surprised at his cold and detached manner. He handed something wrapped in kraft paper to him. After pondering for a moment, only then he slowly said: “There is a book inside which belongs to Ning Ning. I hope you can help me to return it to her. When she was in senior high school, she was involved in a car accident. There is a letter tucked inside the book, which she did not manage to see.”