Chapter 2 - First Meeting

Chapter 2: First Meeting

Cen Ning’s grandfather used to be a war correspondent. In that era, Yan Guofeng was a soldier and the two had a sworn friendship on the battlefield, even making a promise to become in-laws.

However, it was just a verbal agreement. After that, Yan Guofeng went higher and higher up in his own career path, and Cen Ning’s grandfather went back to his hometown, refusing to use their friendship as a way to climb up the social ladder.

However, Yan Guofeng spent his whole life in the military, so brotherhood was of significant importance to him. Although he had not contacted Cen Ning’s grandfather for a long time, after hearing that he had passed away and only a single mother and child remained in this fragile family, he did not hesitate to take Cen Ning and her mother into his family.

Besides, he felt a lot of guilt in his heart.

Actually, he had always thought that his old friend was living a good life. When the two were in contact in their earlier years, this old friend never revealed an appearance of a difficult life, and the two even joked about the engagement between their grandchildren. So he never doubted, and never went to find out more.

He should have thought of it earlier, Old Cen was a stubborn person, he was always so unwilling to trouble others.

As for their previous verbal agreement, Yan Guofeng had never forgotten it. However, there was no reason to force this agreement to fruition in this era. Besides, Cen Ning was indeed still young, so there was no need to emphasize the topic of marriage.

But he swore in his heart that he would never let this little girl suffer anymore. If she was willing to marry into the family in the future, then there was absolutely no reason why the Yan family would not allow it.

“What are you doing standing there, won’t you come over now.” Yan Guofeng said in a deep voice to Yan Xingzhi.

Yan Xingzhi raised his eyes slightly. From Cen Ning’s angle, she just so happened to see the indifference and carelessness under his gaze that was then concealed quickly. He put the milk carton aside and walked over.

After he approached them, he gave a nod to Wei Pinfang sitting on the sofa: “Hello..”

Distant and polite, unable to pick out a single fault.

Then his gaze fell upon Cen Ning again, he briefly curled his lips at her, and then said politely with an emotionless expression, “From now on, auntie and…this little sister, if there is anything you cannot resolve, please come and find me anytime.”

Wei Pinfang hurriedly smiled and said, “You must be Xingzhi, are you in high school?”

Yan Xingzhi nodded: “Third year of high school.”

“Oh, your grades should be very good, right? Ningning just entered her first year of middle school, her grades are not really that good.”

Cen Ning indeed did not have good grades, but at the moment when Wei Pinfang praised one and put the other down, she felt inferior and embarrassed. She clasped her hands tightly, lowering her head without saying anything.

“It’s okay. If you have poor grades, you can always catch up. Ningning is still young.” Yan Guofeng comforted her, “You can get him to tutor you in the future. His grades are okay, you can ask him whenever you don’t know something.”

Wei Pinfang: “Aiya, that won’t do. The third year of high school is a critical time. Don’t let Ningning disturb him.”

“It’s fine, he usually doesn’t even study at home, he’s free.”

Don’t need to study?

Then how can his results be so good?

Cen Ning secretly looked up at Yan Xingzhi, and suddenly felt that the halo around him seemed to widen a bit more.

“Xingzhi, come and sit here.” Yan Guofeng pointed to the position next to Cen Ning.

Cen Ning’s heart tightened inexplicably, but in the next second, the person said, “I just finished playing basketball, my whole body is sweaty. I will take a shower first, you all keep talking.”

Her whole body relaxed, but she also felt a bit disappointed.

Cen Ning raised her gaze and watched him go straight upstairs. The white sportswear quickly disappeared from the stairs, as if the wind had passed by, leaving no room to stop him.

Afterwards, Yan Xingzhi did not come back down. It was not until dinner time, when Aunt Chen, the cook at the Yan family went upstairs to call for him, did he come out of his room unhurriedly.

At this time, the dining table was full of delicacies, so sumptuous that it was almost luxurious.

At the table, there was also Yan Xingzhi’s parents who had just returned home.

Cen Ning ate her food in a well-behaved manner, but occasionally, she would secretly look at the uncle and aunty who were practically strangers to her.

Father Yan was very serious and looked a bit scary. On the other hand, mother Yan was very beautiful. The aunties that Cen Ning had seen in the places where she had lived before were all in their old age and no longer full of elegance, but the woman in front of her… she should be older than her mother, but she looked really youthful and pretty.

“Ningning, why aren’t you eating, eat more, you are too thin.” Yan Guofeng said with care.

Cen Ning came back to her senses and hurriedly picked up a piece of meat: “Yes, I, I am eating!”

“Well, don’t be cautious, this will be your home in the future.”

“… Thank you, Grandpa.”

After dinner, Yan Guofeng asked Yan Xingzhi to take Cen Ning and Wei Pinfang to where they would live.

Actually they lived not too far away, in a small building next to this villa. Because it was attached to the villa, there was a small corridor in the middle.

Yan Guofeng was quite considerate. He was afraid that Wei Pinfang and Cen Ning would feel uncomfortable to be suddenly eating and living with them, so he let them live in this small independent building

Although it was called a small building, it was not small at all. It had a living room, a kitchen, and two large rooms. After Wei Pinfang came in, she went to the kitchen and living room to look around. On the other hand, Yan Xingzhi took Ceng Ning to look at the rooms.

“You will sleep here in the future. There are food and drinks in the kitchen. If you still lack anything, tell Old Gao and he will buy it for you.” He stood at the door of the room and didn’t go in, simply informing her using a business-like tone, “Your luggage will be sent to you later.”

Cen Ning stood cautiously beside him, and nodded when she heard the words.

“Why aren’t you going in to take a look, are you not satisfied?”

“No no.” Cen Ning waved her hand quickly.

Yan Xingzhi lowered his gaze and he saw the little girl’s small palms dangling in front of his eyes. She was flustered and looked a bit funny.

Cen Ning: “I’m not, unsatisfied, it’s very, very good here.”

“Okay, that’s good then.”

Ceng Ning didn’t speak much, so it was only until now that Yan Xingzhi realised that she stuttered a bit when talking

He squinted his eyes slightly, but said nothing more: “You can rest, I’ll go now.”

“Yan, Yan…”

As he turned around, the little girl called him timidly, but when he looked back at her, she blushed and couldn’t call his name.

In Yan Xingzhi’s whole life till now, those around him were all from noble and rich families, even those in bad circumstances, were still outstanding compared to ordinary people.

He had never seen someone as pitiful and timid as Cen Ning.

So until now, he was still puzzled about the fact that his grandfather kept on saying, “She is his fiancee.”

Of course, this matter wouldn’t have any effect upon him. After all, she was just a small kid, what would she understand?

Yan Xingzhi: “What else is there?”

“Nothing…” Cen Ning pursed her lips and whispered, “It’s just, thank you.”

“No need.”

Once Yan Xingzhi left, soon after, Old Gao brought their luggage over.

Cen Ning now had her own separate room and was happily organizing her clothes, but she had so little clothes that it was pitiful. When she put her clothes in the luxurious and bright wardrobe, it looked a bit sad.

However, this did not affect Cen Ning’s good mood.

“Ningning.”

Cen Ning stopped and turned her head to look at Wei Pinfang who had entered her room, “Mom.”

“Your Yan Grandpa has found a school for you, you will attend it after settling down.”

Cen Ning was taken aback for a moment, “Then, will we, will we go back home?”

“Go home?” Wei Pinfang laughed coldly, “Where is there a home for us to go back to your father, that irresponsible person left us like this and died, where can we go back to? And how can my frail body raise anyone.”

Cen Ning’s eyes trembled slightly: “But, this is not our home, how long will we live…”

“It will be your home in the future.” Seeing Cen Ning’s somewhat naive appearance, Wei Pinfang said solemnly, “Your dad did us wrong, and I also did you wrong too…but Ningning, now is your chance. You must seize this opportunity, study hard, and be obedient, do you understand?”

Cen Ning partly understood but was also partly confused. Looking at Wei Pinfang’s haggard face, she finally agreed in a low voice.

**

Yan Guofeng sent a lot of things to the mother and daughter, especially for Cen Ning. He ordered his people to buy a lot of new clothes for her. But in the next few days, Cen Ning never saw Yan Xingzhi again. Hearing from Old Gao, he had gone to school. So Cen Ning often sat alone in the small courtyard, staring at this luxurious villa in a daze.

She was very lonely, but, she was lonely wherever she went anyway.

Her mother was always bedridden because of her illness. Before, there was no one to accompany her at home, and no one wanted to play with her at school. So this current bored state she was experiencing – she was used to it.

On this day, she secretly took out the camera from the suitcase and sat on a chair in the small courtyard to fiddle with it.

This camera was her father’s favorite and the only thing he had left her. But Wei Pinfang hated the camera, so she never took it out in front of her, only taking it out secretly when she missed her father.

“Look, it’s her, that’s what Brother Tang Zheng told me, he said she’s my brother’s wife!” Suddenly, a boy’s voice echoed in front of her. It was clear and crisp, and somewhat young.

Cen Ning looked up and saw that several children around her age had appeared in the small courtyard.

“

“

“What kind of wife, nonsense, she is way worse than Sister Feiyan.” A white-skinned beautiful young girl sneered contemptuously, walking towards Cen Ning, “Hey, get up.”

“Who are you all?”

“My name is Xue Xiaoxiao!” The little girl was thirteen or fourteen years old, about the same age as Cen Ning, but she was a full head taller than her, “Get up and let me see.”

Cen Ning was not used to facing so many people at once, she was silent, got up, turned her head and walked into the building.

“You are not allowed to leave!” Xue Xiaoxiao stopped in front of her. After stopping, she looked her up and down, “Hey, I will only say it once. Brother Xingzhi is Sister Feiyan’s. You are not allowed to be there.”

Xue Xiaoxiao glared at her, Cen Ning’s silent appearance caused her burning hot blood to be splashed with a basin of ice water.

After a few seconds of silence, Cen Ning wanted to walk around her again. Xue Xiaoxiao’s became even more upset, so she snatched the camera that Cen Ning was carefully holding in her arms, “You stop there!”

Her arms were suddenly empty, Cen Ning looked back at her in surprise, ‘This, give it back.”

Xue Xiaoxiao saw that she was finally willing to speak, and said with a smug, “No, unless you move out.”

“I won’t move.”

“If you don’t move, I won’t give it back!”

“You, you give it back.”

Xue Xiaoxiao retreated to stand beside the other children who were watching the commotion, and said arrogantly, “We don’t have small-town bumpkins like you here, so you should leave immediately, and I will give it back to you when you leave.”

“You, you!” Cen Ning’s cheeks flushed, she couldn’t say anything to curse her out, so she could only rush forward to snatch it.

She was very afraid of causing conflict with others, but this was her father’s camera, and it was also her most precious posession. She could not let others take it away, no matter what.

But after all, there were so many people against her, and she was short and small, how could she snatch away the camera from Xue Xiaoxiao’s hands?

She was so anxious that she was about to cry, and someone beside them said uneasily: “Xiaoxiao, how about we give it back to her, what if she cries.”

“I didn’t mean to make things difficult for her on purpose, I just asked her to leave this place.” The words of a child who was accustomed to being spoiled at home, even if it was unreasonable, she would make it seem like it was. Xue Xiaoxiao went ‘hmph’ and said, “Who cares about her, let’s go.”

Just as she turned around, she turned back and said, “Hey Cen Ning, let me know when you leave, and then I will return your stupid thing.”

The group of children slowly became further and further away, and sparse conversations could be heard.

“Hey, she looks like she’s going to cry.”

“If she cries, then let her cry, what are you afraid of?”

“Ah… What should we do if my brother finds out?”

“Yan Xingyao, are you a coward? Do you still want Sister Peiyan to tutor you?”

“Yes!”

“Then that’s fine. Everyone says that Brother Xingzhi doesn’t like this person, don’t you know? She’s counting on him to back her up? Isn’t she dumb.”

[Translator’s Note: Aww what will our little FL do huhu)