That Girl Who Skipped Class — You're In Big Trouble! - Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Xiao Xuan received a call from Song Yingming inviting her to her house for Christmas just as she got off the plane at C City Airport. Xiao Xuan exchanged greetings and readily agreed. She dragged her suitcase out of the airport, hailed a taxi, and headed towards the city center. C City’s economy had developed rapidly in the past two years. Along the airport road, one could vaguely see clusters of high-end villa areas that were still under construction. The driver was talking on the phone while driving. Rain gradually began to fall outside the window. Xiao Xuan tightened the collar of her brown coat and huddled in the car to catch up on sleep.

…

The duty manager had already gone off work. An Qingyang finished organizing the guest room files in the office, stretched, and prepared to go downstairs for a hot bowl of beef noodles. She looked at the rain outside the window and sighed softly: “No snow this winter again?”

Tomorrow was Christmas. An Zixiang was too busy with work abroad to rush back, and A Mu had returned to her hometown for a rest, leaving An Qingyang alone in C City. Thinking back to this time last year when she traveled to Sanya with Li Chenchen and An Dong, she wondered how they were doing now. An Qingyang shook her head, clearing her mind of random thoughts, and tidied up her desk, ready to leave.

Her phone rang. It was Zhang Xiaoxiao: “An’an, are you free tomorrow? Want to come to my place for Christmas?”

An Qingyang held her phone, the corner of her mouth turning up: “You and Sister Song have made up?”

“Huh, how did you know?”

“Your tone is so smug; anyone could guess.”

Zhang Xiaoxiao laughed upon hearing this and continued to ask: “Come over tomorrow and I’ll tell you all about it. You’re free tomorrow, right?”

An Qingyang was silent for a moment. The person on the other end seemed to guess something: “Xiao Xuan is still on vacation abroad, right? This is a gathering for the three of us, it has nothing to do with anyone else. Don’t worry, cough, haha.”

“Should I buy anything?”

“No need. Just come and wait for our BBQ. We have chicken, lamb, beef, and pork—we’ll definitely scorch our balcony tomorrow.”

An Qingyang couldn’t help but laugh: “I’m going to report that to Sister Song. Wasteful woman, bad review!”

…

The next day, An Qingyang finished work early. Passing the hotel lobby, she saw red wine displayed in the showcase and remembered the incident when the red wine was broken last time. She stopped at the counter to register a few bottles of wine with the service staff and then headed out in her high heels for the gathering. The trees in the residential complex where Zhang Xiaoxiao lived were going through winter, with only a few leaves left on the branches. The cleaners, however, were diligent, and the walkways were spotless, with only a few puddles of residual water. An Qingyang rushed into Zhang Xiaoxiao’s house, hunching her shoulders. As soon as she entered, she rushed to the heater to warm her hands. The gray Garfield cat looked at her arrogantly and reluctantly gave up its spot.

Song Yingming was still busy in the kitchen. Zhang Xiaoxiao was wearing an orange fleece jacket, leaning back on the sofa with her hands behind her head, staring at a historical idol drama on TV. An Qingyang patted the sofa: “You just made up, and you’re already bossing Sister Song around like this? Zhang Xiaoxiao, you’re too bold.”

“Shhh…” Zhang Xiaoxiao made a shushing gesture. “Don’t talk so loud. She hasn’t noticed yet. Let me rest for a bit.”

“Are the grill and seasonings ready? When are we going to eat?”

Zhang Xiaoxiao’s eyes were still glued to the TV: “In about two hours.”

An Qingyang looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost eight o’clock, and she was speechless. She pinched Zhang Xiaoxiao’s ear: “Go help quickly! I’ll go get the grill and seasonings!” Zhang Xiaoxiao jumped up from the sofa in pain: “Ouch, my dear Miss, I have a work injury here. Let go quickly.”

Just then, the phone on the coffee table rang. Zhang Xiaoxiao snatched it up, scurried into the kitchen like a monkey, and closed the door behind her. An Qingyang only snapped out of her daze after watching her series of actions: “What are you doing, being so secretive?” There was no reply from inside.

An Qingyang warmed her hands and walked through the room into the backyard. The winter wind blowing in was a bit cold. Sliced fruits and a few bottles of soda were arranged on the neatly cleaned dining table. An Qingyang leaned by the door, recalling the fiasco of their last dinner party at Zhang Xiaoxiao’s house. It seemed like an unhappy experience. Why did she always feel like there was an argument whenever she thought of Xiao Xuan?

Deep in thought, An Qingyang heard a knock on the back door. She turned around. The cat was standing in the corridor, its tail held high. She walked into the yard, forcefully turned the cold lock, and the door opened.

Xiao Xuan stood outside. A camel-colored scarf wrapped around her neck, leaving most of her delicate face exposed. Her fair cheeks were reddened by the cold. The light from the room illuminated her eyes. Those dark eyes were looking at An Qingyang, and her warm breath brushed against An Qingyang’s face as she softly called out: “An’an.”