At the reception hall of Tian Xing City airport…
As 5 PM drew closer and closer, Sun Shaoying lost her calm. She would stand up from her seat from time to time, looking towards the arrival gate in anticipation.
Sun Shaoying’s husband, Xi Hai, had worked as an ordinary civil servant for the city administration office for his entire life. He had a rather steady personality. Seeing his wife pacing back and forth before him, he couldn’t help but crease his brow and reminded her, “Shaoying, just sit down and wait patiently. The plane hasn’t arrived yet. Looking over doesn’t do anything.”
“Ai, it’s not your niece, so you’re not anxious, are you? Listen here…”
Sun Shaoying nearly exploded, glaring at her spouse, wanting to call him out.
“Aiya, mom, look at where we are. Don’t be bickering like you do at home,” their daughter, Xi Muyun, hurriedly urged them to stop, seeing as they were about to start arguing.
At this moment, Xi Muyun’s five-year-old daughter, Lin Xin’er also widened her eyes and said seriously, “Grandpa, grandma, don’t quarrel. Teacher said that those who like to quarrel are bad children.”
Sun Shaoying hurriedly put on a smile and came over to caress her granddaughter’s head. She said gently, “Good girl, Xin’er. Grandma and Grandpa aren’t quarreling. We’re all good children.”
Lin Xin’er nodded seriously and said without missing a beat, “That’s more like it!”
“Haha.. hehe..”
The three of them were brought to laughter instantly, each of them covering their mouths, giggling.
“Eh? Shaoying, you’re here to receive someone, too? I’ve never heard of you having any relatives outside the city?”
At this moment, an older woman similar to Sun Shaoying cried out in shock. Moments later, she walked over from the side.
“Oh, your whole family is here, except for Wenshan. Looks like you’re really here to receive your relative!”
As that middle-old-aged woman decorated in jewely walked over, Xi Hai’s entire family stood up. Sun Shaoying replied with a smile, “Ah, my niece is coming from Bei Du to visit me. It’s been decades since we met. Sister Guo is also here to catch someone’s flight?”
“Right, an important client of our company rushed over from Bei Du to talk about a huge deal. That’s why I came to receive his flight.”
Sister Guo had a proud look on her face. She feigned to not pay any attention and asked, “Eh, you have a niece? You haven’t met for decades, and she’s coming over to visit you specially, how hard must it be? But it’s really very dangerous to take airplanes nowadays. I just heard the news that a flight, along with its convoy from Bei Du, was blown up by exotic beasts. There was not a single survivor. How tragic!”
Sun Shaoying’s complexion suddenly darkened when she heard that. Her heart leapt into her throat.
Xi Muyun hurriedly assured, “It’s fine, mom. Didn’t cousin say she’s taking the sky shuttle? I’ve never heard of a sky shuttle being attacked by exotic beasts. Don’t worry.”
It was only now that Sun Shaoying realized that. She patted her chest, still feeling the lingering fear and chuckled, “Look at me, getting confused because of my anxiety. I forgot Xiaolan and her son were taking the sky shuttle.”
Sister Guo’s eyes lit up. “Hm? Shaoying, looks like that long lost niece of yours is doing pretty well. Not everyone can afford to take the sky shuttle! Do you know what she does? How about introducing her to me later?”
Sun Shaoying smiled in embarrassment, “I don’t know, either. We only reconnected today. It’s been decades since we met; I don’t even know what she looks like now.”
“Huh, then this niece of yours is at fault. Since she’s doing so well, how could she not visit her relatives for so many years?” Sister Guo said righteously.
Sun Shaoying’s family knitted their eyebrows slightly, but it wasn’t good to speak about it in detail. Only Sun Shaoying started to respond to her.
At this moment, an announcement was made through the speakers in the hall. “The flight K-302 from Bei Du to Tian Xing has safely arrived. Friends and relatives here to receive them please maintain order and do not push around, to prevent affecting the normal traffic in the hall.”
“The flight K-302 from…”
“Ah, my client is about to arrive. Let’s talk again some time, Shaoying.”
Sister Guo’s eyes immediately lit up. She waved at Sun Shaoying’s family and walked towards the hall ahead with two staffers following behind her.
Xi Muyun looked at Sun Shaoying and said happily, “Mom, this is the flight cousin is taking, right? Remember to contact her later, or we might not recognize one another.”
Sun Shaoying was so agitated that her body was trembling slightly. She hurriedly nodded in response, “Right, right. Back then when your Uncle and Aunt left Tian Xing City with your cousin, she was only as old as Xin’er. She must not remember what I look like.”
As she spoke, she opened up her personal terminal and called Sun Lan. After the call was connected, she told Sun Lan where they were at, and what outfit they were wearing.
After ending the call, although she knew for sure that her niece would exit from the hall ahead soon, Sun Shaoying grew so agitated that her eyes were turning red.
A few minutes later, at the passage ahead, a few dozen people turned the corner and came walking towards the arrival hall.
“They’re here, they’re here!”
Sun Shaoying wanted to go over immediately, but she quickly remembered that the opposite party might not recognize her at all. It was better to wait right here, or her niece might not find her.
“Aiya, Director Xiang, you’re finally here!” Sister Guo went up to a couple together with her two followers. After shaking hands passionately, she spread her arm and invited them, saying, “Come, this way please. I’ve already booked a table at Tian Xiang Restaurant. We’re just waiting for your grand arrival!”
On the other side, Zhang Che also walked out from the crowd holding his mother’s arm.
Sun Lan swept her gaze across the hall, and soon her eyes settled on Sun Shaoying’s family.
“Mom, is it that way?” Zhang Che asked. Sun Lan didn’t answer him. Her body shook nervously, and she directly walked towards Sun Shaoying.
In the large hall, Sun Shaoying watched as a middle-aged woman who bore a resemblance to her deceased brother and sister-in-law walking in their direction, along with a tall, burly youth. Her eyes immediately reddened.
Sun Shaoying took two steps forward and asked in a shaky voice, “Ar-are you Xiaolan?”
Tears immediately fell from Sun Lan’s eyes. She quickly walked forward and hugged Sun Shaoying, crying, “Aunt, it’s me. It’s me! I’m Xiaolan! Wuhuu…”
“Aiya, my poor Xiaolan…”
The two embraced each other, crying in one another’s arms.
At this moment, Xi Muyun hurriedly came up and persuaded, “Mom, co-cousin, let’s go back first.”
It was only now that the two elders remembered they were in public. They quickly stopped their crying. The two families introduced themselves, and walked out to the main hall.
“Can I call you Brother Zhang Che? Do I get any presents?”
Lin Xin’er walked beside Zhang Che, looking up at him. Her round eyes were filled with excitement.
Zhang Che was immediately caught in an awkward position. He came here in a hurry; where would he find the time to prepare any presents?
“Uh, hehe, I didn’t have time to prepare any presents. But, we’ll go buy them later, alright? I’ll buy Xin’er whatever present she wants.”
Lin Xin’er blinked her round eyes in succession, then extended her little soft, white hand out and held it in a fist, with her pinky sticking out. She said seriously, “Here, pinky swear!”
Zhang Che had no choice but to extend his own pinky out and hooked it with Lin Xin’er’s pinky, shaking them. He felt his head swelling; this little doll was truly blunt, asking for a present the moment they met!
Seeing the big and small children pinky swearing seriously, the two families laughed out happily.