âWhen did I say you canât be his friend?â asked Nian Xi innocently. She gave Jiang Yuning a nudge and said, âPlease explain to her.â
Huh? He was a bit confused.
Xi is capable of change, he thought.
Just now, in the room, she acted all mean and petty...
Of course, she used those words to describe herself, too.
âIt has nothing to do with her,â Jiang Yuning said to He Xin after a short hesitation. âI found your name sounds a little like hers. Also, calling you Xinxin sounds a little too intimate. So I decided to call you by your full name. If you donât like it, Iâll call you Ms. He.â
He Xin was at a loss for words.
Seeing the sad expression on He Xinâs face gave Nian Xi a jolt of joy. The education she gave Jiang Yuning just now was working wonders. The boy was a quick learner!
âHe Xin is fine.â Forcing a smile, she said, âIâve been thinking about what Ms. Nian said earlier. Youâre right. I should bring this robot home and take my time to find out whatâs wrong with it. Iâll leave tomorrow morning. Let me stay here for the night. Itâs already four oâclock. The airport is far away. If I leave now, I wonât get home until midnight. Bringing this robot with me can be inconvenient, too. Besides, weâve already dissembled it. Itâll take me a couple of hours to put all these parts back together.â
Jiang Yuningâs heart was thumping. Oh, this is bad! He Xin spending the night? Nian Xi will be even angrier at me.
What He Xin said wasnât wrong, though. He couldnât possibly make her leave right now.
He looked at Nian Xi. His lips were even shaking.
To his surprise, Nian Xi nodded with a smile and said, âOf course. Youâre Yuningâs friend. You can stay in the guest room. Yuning and I will sleep in the master bedroom. Let us know if you need anything.â
Now Jiang Yuningâs legs started to tremble.
What? Would they sleep in the master bedroom?
Would he sleep together with Nian Xi tonight?
He couldnât stay calm.
He Xin was stunned. She tried to stay composed, but her face grew pale.
âAre you... living together already?â she asked.
âOh, no,â Nian Xi said smilingly. âWeâve slept together occasionally. Weâre a modern couple. Weâre not married yet, but that doesnât mean we canât sleep with each other. Well, if youâre asking when we started doing that, I think it was in France.â
Jiang Yuning felt as if his brain wasnât working anymore.
He Xinâs mouth corners twitched. âFrance? That was last year.â
âYeah. I was responsible for his safety back then.â Nian Xi continued with, âWe knew each other way before that, though. He often got lost. Every time he couldnât find his way home, he came to the police station to find me. He refused to go with anyone but me. So later on, I brought him to my place. Eh, enough of our stories. Ms. He, you can stay here and clean the lab. Yuning and I are going out to do some shopping. We wonât back for dinner. Weâll come back before bedtime.â
After saying that, she dragged Jiang Yuning toward the door without waiting for He Xinâs response.
By the door, she turned and said, âOh, forget about the compensation. I donât need that little money. Besides, Yuning has already bought me new kitchen appliances.â
After they left, the smile on He Xinâs face gradually faded.
This girl isnât easy to deal with at all, she said to herself.
...
After getting into Nian Xiâs car, Jiang Yuning finally realized what was happening. With red cheeks, he stuttered, âXi, if you... if you donât want me to stay here with her for the night, I can go to your place tonight. You donât have to share a room with me. Thatâs... not good.â
âNo. I have to sleep at your place tonight.â Nian Xi started the car and said with determination, âAnd we will share a room.â