Chapter 407 - 402: Meeting

Chapter 407: Chapter 402: Meeting

Hearing the familiar voice, Wang Ming turned around in disbelief. His body went rigid the moment he saw his girlfriend, the one he had been longing for.

"Ying... Yingying, what are you doing here?!" he stammered, his voice trembling with a thrill he never expected.

Shen Ying looked at him with a beaming smile. "Well? Are you happy to see me?"

Wang Ming nodded vigorously, closing the distance in two strides and pulling her into a tight embrace. "Happy! I’m so, so happy!"

His breath hitched violently a few times. "I thought... I thought I wouldn’t get to see you again this year."

Shen Ying hugged him back just as gently, nuzzling her cheek affectionately against his. Her voice was soft and slow. "It’s been so long, and I was worried it would be even longer before we saw each other again, so... I came to see you."

"I’m sorry, Yingying."

"You silly goose, you don’t have to apologize to me. It’s not your fault, you know?" Shen Ying said with a little laugh.

They were in a long-distance relationship, so meeting up was difficult to begin with, and all sorts of other factors made it even harder.

"I miss you. I miss you so, so much." Wang Ming’s eyes welled up as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, greedily inhaling her scent. His voice was thick with adoration.

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t moved by her coming all this way to see him, regardless of the consequences.

"You silly fool. I miss you, too. Every day feels like a year."

A gentle smile on her face, Shen Ying cupped Wang Ming’s cheeks. Softly, tenderly, and with boundless affection, she brought her lips to his.

They embraced passionately, lost in a fierce kiss.

After a long moment, they broke apart.

Shen Ying’s face was flushed with a shy blush, her heart pounding. The intense joy of this moment alone made her entire trip to the Imperial Capital feel more worthwhile than she could have ever imagined.

"Yingying, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?" Wang Ming asked softly, still hugging her happily.

"I was afraid you wouldn’t let me come if I told you," she answered.

"Well..."

’Knowing his own personality, he had to admit she was right. With the New Year just around the corner, he was about to get extremely busy. He definitely would have told her not to come.’

"So, when are you planning to go back? The Spring Festival travel rush means tons of people are heading home, and tickets are a nightmare to get."

Shen Ying met his gaze and gave him a playful little blink, saying nothing.

"Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?"

"Guess~" she giggled.

Wang Ming swallowed hard, holding his breath as his eyes widened. "You’re not... you’re not... planning to stay here in the Imperial Capital with me, are you?"

"Yep!" Shen Ying nodded. "I’m not going back."

Wang Ming took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Is that... really a good idea?" he asked, worried.

A core part of Chinese thinking was the tradition of going home for the New Year, rich or poor. And Shen Ying was still a college student; what reason could she possibly have for not going home for the family reunion?

At the end of the day, his situation was different from Shen Ying’s.

He had grown up relying solely on his mother, and now they were both in the Imperial Capital. For him, the Imperial Capital was home. But for Shen Ying, it wasn’t.

"Oh, relax. I already called my family before I decided to do this."

"And your parents chewed you out."

"Yeah..."

Shen Ying nodded, embarrassed. ’But it was fine. She’d been yelled at so many times growing up, what was one more scolding?’

More importantly, she felt happier here than she did at home.

"You know, you’re just making it harder for me to ask for your hand in marriage," Wang Ming said, gently pinching her soft cheek.

Hearing him mention marriage, Shen Ying blushed. She hadn’t been thinking that far ahead when she decided to come to the Imperial Capital.

"But don’t you worry. I’ll make sure your parents accept me as their son-in-law," he said with great earnestness.

"Okay."

"Yingying, once I’m done with work here, if there’s still time, I’ll go back home with you for a visit."

"You would?" Shen Ying asked, delighted.

"Of course."

A short while later, Li Weiya and Lin Yanwan rushed over, having heard the news. Jiang Xia leaned against the doorframe, holding a teacup with a smile as he watched the reunion unfold.

"Yingying, you silly girl! The New Year is almost here, what are you doing here?"

"Auntie..." Shen Ying darted a glance at Wang Ming, too embarrassed to admit that she was here because she had missed him too much.

’She had been so worried that their relationship would suffer if they didn’t see each other for a long time.’

"It’s all right, it’s all right. You’re here now, and that’s what matters. You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Let’s go, let’s go, Auntie will take you to get some food."

Lin Yanwan pulled her best friend into a tight hug and gave her a thumbs-up. ’Charging headfirst into love like this... she’s even crazier than I was back in the day,’ she thought.

A few minutes later, the four of them were at the noodle shop downstairs. Shen Ying ordered a single bowl of noodles with soybean paste, and the others all sat around watching her eat.

She felt a little self-conscious being watched like that.

"Yingying, if you’re here in the Imperial Capital, what about your family?" Li Weiya asked.

"It’s fine, Auntie. I already called home and told them I’m working overtime at my company through the New Year for triple pay. When I send a chunk of money back home, they won’t think I’m lying," Shen Ying said after swallowing a mouthful of noodles.

"I suppose... that could work."

Generally speaking, when you’re away from home, things are a lot easier as long as you don’t give your parents anything to worry about.

"Tonight, you’ll be sleeping at my place, understand?"

’Every time I visit, I take over his bedroom and he has to sleep on the sofa,’ she thought, unable to stop a blush from creeping onto her face.

’And that idiot would just keep smiling foolishly, as if he was the one getting the better end of the deal.’

"I understand, Auntie," she nodded slightly.

After they finished their noodles, the group broke up. Shen Ying wheeled her suitcase into the bedroom she had occupied for two months during summer vacation, while Wang Ming began hauling his quilt, sheets, and pillow out to the living room.

She glanced at the personal clothing she had left neatly in the wardrobe. ’I wonder if that guy did anything... naughty with my clothes while I was gone for so long.’

’He’s such a simple, honest guy, though. He probably... wouldn’t, right?’

◇

Heavy snow began to fall outside again. Jiang Xia drew the curtains and finally found a moment to call home.

"Dad, my company’s feature film is having its nationwide release during the New Year, so I won’t be coming home."

Jiang Wende nodded. Ever since he’d learned that his son was the boss of Qitian Company, he had been quietly keeping up with any and all news about Jiang Xia.

He even had a D Station account now. Whether it was a new update for *Slam Dunk*, his son winning a major award at an animation festival, or the *Cat and Mouse* animated movie that was about to be released—he knew about it all.

"Your mother and I were just talking about this a couple of days ago. If you’re too busy, you don’t have to come back. Work is important. We were actually thinking about visiting you in the Imperial Capital, but we figured you’d be completely swamped and decided not to cause you any trouble," Jiang Wende said.

"Okay, thanks for understanding, Dad. You and Mom take care of yourselves. I’ll come back to visit if I get a chance."

"All right, all right, you brat. Don’t you worry about things at home. I’ve already worked it out with your father-in-law. Our two families will celebrate the New Year together."

Jiang Xia chuckled softly. ’The four old folks will have each other for company. That’s great.’