Chapter 59 - 58: I’m Coming to See You

Chapter 59: Chapter 58: I’m Coming to See You

He shook his head and got back to writing.

It wasn’t until after two in the morning that he finally lay down in bed, ready to sleep.

That night, Xiao Ran had a very strange dream. He dreamt that he had gone to the Yan family to ask for her hand in marriage!!!

He looked at a shocked Mrs. Yan and said nervously, "Ma’am, how about... you let me marry Xici?"

And with that, the entire house descended into chaos.

His perpetually frail father-in-law shot up from his seat and started beating him with his cane.

Mrs. Yan cursed him for being heartless.

Yan Li was even more vicious. "Wasn’t ruining me enough for you? Now you want to ruin my sister too? You scoundrel! I must have been blind to misjudge you so badly!"

***

Xiao Ran woke with a start, taking a deep breath and wiping the sweat from his forehead.

He couldn’t help but sigh in relief. ’Thank goodness it was just a dream. If that had been real, it would have been absolutely terrifying.’

He glanced at the alarm clock. It was already seven. Time to get up.

He sat up and gave his arms a simple stretch.

The girl didn’t have classes today. She was probably sleeping in, as she wasn’t up yet.

Xiao Ran didn’t call out to her. After all, sleeping in is a universal pastime.

He couldn’t bear to disturb her sweet dreams.

He tiptoed out the door, got on his electric scooter, and headed for the university library.

He still had to show up for work, after all. He’d heard a saying that the only money you truly earn is the money you make while slacking off.

The money you get for actually working is just a salary.

Xiao Ran felt that even though he didn’t make much, his earnings still fell into that "truly earned" category. After all, his job was incredibly relaxed.

He was heading up the stairs, not yet at the third floor, when his phone chimed in his pocket.

He pulled it out and saw it was a WeChat from his mom.

’She’s probably going to give me some instructions again,’ he guessed.

With that thought, Xiao Ran opened the message as he continued up the stairs.

Mom: Xiao Ran, your father and I talked it over, and we’ve decided to come see you tomorrow.

The couple had been so worked up about this that they hadn’t slept all night, talking back and forth until four in the morning.

They had only slept for a few hours before waking up again.

Xiao Ran frowned at the message on his phone.

’Jeez, they’re coming already?’

Xiao Ran: Mom, don’t worry. I’m really fine.

Mom: It’s settled. By the way, do you want some pickles? I can bring you some.

Qiu Yuru was originally from Sichuan Province, and her pickled vegetables were truly one of a kind.

Ever since she married Xiao Shengrong, there had always been a jar of her pickles in the house. Both Xiao Ran and Xiao Shengrong sang praises for them; if they went a few days without eating any, it felt like something was missing.

Besides, it was so convenient nowadays; you could buy anything you wanted just by stepping outside.

Therefore, Qiu Yuru felt that bringing her son some of her homemade pickles was the most fitting gift.

Xiao Ran: Isn’t this a little sudden?

Mom: You don’t want us to come?

Staring at his mom’s message, Xiao Ran swallowed hard.

He replied against his better judgment: Of course not. My home is your home, you’re welcome anytime. The door code is my birthday!

He knew that once his mother made up her mind, there was no stopping her. Trying to would probably just earn him a scolding.

Since their visit was inevitable, there were a few things he needed to get out of the way.

For example, the fact that Yan Xici was living with him, and that he had moved.

These weren’t huge issues, but Xiao Ran felt he should mention them to give his mom a heads-up.

Xiao Ran: Mom, uh, you know Yan Li’s sister, Xici? She’s still staying with me. The main thing is, the girl’s a junior, and it’s her last month of the semester, so she can’t apply for a dorm now. Once she starts her internship, she’ll move out.

Reading her son’s message, Qiu Yuru blinked as her mind went back.

The girl had lived with Xiao Ran and Yan Li for three years. She herself had only met her twice: the first time at the engagement, and the second at Xiao Ran’s wedding, where they had eaten at the same table.

Qiu Yuru had a good impression of her.

She was fair-skinned and pretty, but more importantly, she was polite and seemed very well-behaved.

Mom: Okay, I understand. But you absolutely cannot get any ideas about that girl just because you and Yan Li got divorced. After all, you were once family.

That was Qiu Yuru for you. She might have a bad temper, but her heart was in the right place.

Seeing his mom’s reply, Xiao Ran breathed a sigh of relief.

Honestly, he had expected his mom to say something like, "You’re already divorced, so what’s her sister doing living with you? Gossip is a fearful thing!"

But unexpectedly, his mom was quite open-minded about it.

’Since that problem is solved, on to the next one,’ he thought.

He still hadn’t had a chance to tell his parents that he had moved.

If he didn’t tell her and she showed up at the wrong door, she would eat him alive!

Xiao Ran: There’s one more thing I need to tell you...

Mom: What else? Spit it out all at once, and stop dawdling!

Xiao Ran: I just wanted to tell you I moved. This new place isn’t as big as the old one, but it’s on the new campus, and the area is nice...

Seeing Xiao Ran’s message, Qiu Yuru pursed her lips, deep in thought.

’See? Something is definitely wrong. He even moved, and to a smaller place!’

’Don’t tell me he moved into a tiny place, planning to just get by and live alone for the rest of his life?’

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became.

Mom: Send me the address!

Moving, she thought, was no small matter!

She frowned, her mind made up. Forget tomorrow, she would go right now. Otherwise, she was sure to have another sleepless night!

***

After sending the messages, Xiao Ran finally continued up the stairs.

As usual, he took the laptop out of his bag, placed it on the table, and started writing.

He hadn’t even written a few hundred words before he stopped.

The character design for his new book was proving to be really difficult. After all, he wasn’t a girl, so it was hard for him to grasp a female perspective.

Even using Yan Xici as a prototype, he was still uncertain about many of the plot points.

This was especially true for the scene he was currently writing. He had revised it over and over, but something still felt off. He was just confused, with no clear direction.

So, Xiao Ran decided he would just wait until he went home for lunch and ask her then.

After all, if an author doesn’t make things difficult for himself, the readers will start making things difficult for him.

Since Yan Xici didn’t have classes this morning, she woke up a little late.

It was already nine o’clock when she opened her eyes. The girl stretched contentedly, got out of bed, quickly washed up, got dressed, and headed for the flower, bird, fish, and pet market.

Today was the second day she had her very own little yard.

She was in desperate need of some flower seeds and gardening tools.

After buying what she needed, she also picked up some handmade dumplings on her way back.

The moment she got home, she eagerly dove headfirst into her little yard.

When Xiao Ran got home, the girl was bent over with her cute butt in the air, diligently sowing seeds in her little patch of earth where she had already loosened the soil.

The plot wasn’t very big, but the girl was incredibly focused.

Every few inches, she would pinch a tiny seed between two fingers and carefully place it in the ground.

Finally, she would gently cover the seed with a small trowel and give it some water from a small watering can.

The warm sunlight danced on her soft hair, seeming to coat her entire being in a gentle glow.

For some reason, it created a picture-perfect scene of tranquil bliss.

Hearing a noise at the entrance, the girl turned her head and saw Xiao Ran standing by the shoe cabinet, looking over at her.

She squatted on the ground and waved to Xiao Ran, her smile bright and sweet. "You’re back!"

Xiao Ran nodded. "Yeah."