Best to Have Met You - Chapter 14.1

Chapter 14.1: To Understand, To Love and To Promise Ourselves to One Another

An Ning was in a daze when being led out of the elevator. To her surprise, he already started to kiss her in the elevator. Furthermore got video camera inside! She vaguely heard a passer-by said: “Her boyfriend is so handsome.”

An Ning recalled Yin Su Su said to Zhang Wu Ji in ‘Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber’, “the better looking a person is, the more dangerous.” She cannot help but feel as if she had experienced it herself.

After entering into the room, An Ning was cautious because after all this is a hotel and leader Xu is very dangerous.

Then after putting down the luggage, Mo Ting poured her a glass of water. The television was broadcasting the evening news. He washed his hands and asked her: “Where is the earthquake?”

“New Zealand.”

“Oh.”

An Ning despised herself for being so narrow-minded!

The room was very bright. The broadcaster’s voice can be heard from time to time. Mo Ting sat down beside An Ning. After taking off his coat, he was wearing a gray sweater, making him look refined and handsome. An Ning looked at him and her heart cannot stop pounding. Xu Mo Ting was watching the news attentively. Then he very naturally picked up her glass and drank a mouthful.

An Ning had no choice but to get up and go to refill the glass. Mo Ting reached out to pull her back, “No need, sit down and accompany me for a while longer.”

An Ning did not know why she was blushing, sat down again and looked around to avoid looking at him, “How long do you intend to stay here?” He was sitting very comfortably. An Ning was leaning against him. He did not release her hands at all.

“Three days.” Xu Mo Ting smiled, “If you want me to stay a few more days, I can consider.”

An Ning’s first reaction was so short. But after hearing him uttered the second sentence, she said firmly, “No need!” It was mainly because he must also accompany his parents during Lunar New Year. She cannot be selfish and make him stay here to accompany her to celebrate Lunar New Year.

Mo Ting smiled, turned around and looked at her. Then he said casually: “Oh, by the way, I have a cat.”

“Really?” An Ning was a little surprised. It was inconceivable that leader Xu has a cat. Holding his arm tightly, she asked: “When did you start keeping it? What does it look like? Let me see next time!” She has always wanted to keep one, but unfortunately her apartment building expressly stipulated that keeping pets is not allowed.

Xu Mo Ting said casually: “Originally I wanted to use it as a betrothal gifts.”

After hearing that, An Ning immediately understood. She lifted up his hand and nibbled it. Mo Ting laughed silently and pulled her over sideways to face him directly. He approached slowly and kissed her lips. Then he reached out to cover her eyes, gradually deepening the kiss.

On that day, Xu Mo Ting sent her home like a true gentleman.

Before getting out of the car, Mo Ting caressed her face and jokingly said: “You look like you are a little disappointed?”

An Ning got out of the car with a flushed face. Only then she dared to turn around and said: “I am just wondering when did you turn over a new leaf?”

Seeing his sweetheart had ‘fled’, Xu Mo Ting pressed the space between the eyebrows. He has not turned over a new leaf but was taking his time to make his move  …… He was glad that she did not know what he was thinking when they were in the hotel. He was also glad that his self control was exceptional and was not utterly defeated.

Xu Mo Ting looked at the closed door again before starting the engine without a word. The hands that were holding the steering wheel was a little sweaty.

When An Ning entered the living room, she met Zhou Xi who came out from the kitchen.

“Ning Ning.” Without make-up, the nearly thirty five years Zhou Xi still looked very beautiful.

An Ning nodded and gave a faint smile. When she passed by, Zhou Xi called her: “Ning Ning, do you have time? I bought you a few clothes last time—— ”

An Ning frowned, “Thank you but I have my own clothes.”

Zhou Xi looked a bit distressed. Then she immediately regained her calm composure. She stepped forward and wanted to hold An Ning’s hand, but she deftly avoided Zhou Xi.

An Ning did not want to be so cold, but it was conditioned reflex.

Zhou Xu looked at her with apologetic eyes, “Ning Ning, that time ……”

An Ning interrupted her in a low voice. She did not want her to talk about the past especially her mother. But she was not good at speaking harsh words, “I am going upstairs.”

After bathing, An Ning lay in bed and tossed about for most of the night. She cannot sleep so she dialed the phone number she knew by heart.

“Hello?”

“You are still awake?”

“I am waiting for your call.”

Although she was feeling melancholy, she still laughed, “Mo Ting, did you dislike anyone before?”

“To what degree?” His low and soft voice slowly accompanied her to kill time.

An Ning thought, “Not willing to have any contact with her, meet her, talk to her ……”

“That’s a lot.”

“Hey, be serious.”

Xu Mo Ting smiled, “Only you always think I am joking. Why don’t you ask me whether I’ve liked anyone? I’d be able to say one person. Do you want to hear?”

“No need.” An Ning turned over her body and said softly: “Mo Ting, I feel that I am becoming more and more bad.”

“Well, if you want to kill, I’ll help you to get the knife.”

An Ning was speechless but her spirit was no longer low. She spoke one minute and kept quiet the next while chatting with him. His low and soft voice seemed to be able to hypnotize because gradually she closed her eyes. Xu Mo Ting heard her relaxed breathing. Only after a long time, he whispered, “good night”and hanged up the phone.

An Ning slept for five to six hours then woke up in good spirit. She went downstairs and saw her grandmother. When the elderly lady saw her, she was all smiles and beckoned her over. Of course, it was unavoidable that she will inquire about her darling granddaughter’s ‘boyfriend’. An Ning told her grandma everything, held back nothing. She replied whatever the elderly lady asked, name, family background, appearance, character …… In the end, the elderly lady laughed and said: “Don’t you feel ashamed to praise your boyfriend sky high? A countenance that radiates health and vigour and is clean and handsome. Intelligence that is unequalled? When are you bringing him back to let me have a look?”

“I’ll ask him.” An Ning touched her forehead, feeling a little embarrassed.

At this moment, auntie Zhan came over and said: “Ning Ning, your father is looking for you. He is in the study.”

“Oh.” She looked helpless.

Li Qi Shan was a busy man, so he was often not around. However to her surprise, he did not need to go out in the last two days. When he saw his daughter coming in, he got up from the leather chair, walked to sit on the sofa and patted the place next to him, “Ning Ning, I want to discuss something with you.”

His father’s tone of voice appeared serious and probing. Her premonition was accurate because once she sat down, he asked: “Are you dating the Xu family’s son?”

“Yes.” An Ning did not want to hide this matter.

Li Qi Shan was silent for five seconds, “Ning Ning, I am aware that maybe you have a pretty good relationship with him but a love relationship is not so simple. Both of you are still too young to be in a committed relationship. It is understandable if you are after a moment of happiness. If it is only purely dating, I will not oppose. But if it is a long-term relationship, or even involving marriage, then I do not agree. The Xu family is too complicated, involving a lot of politics and power. Ning Ning, Xu Mo Ting is not suitable for you.”

An Ning looked a bit stiff and she did not say anything.

Li Qi Shan has always been a man with an iron fist. If not for his habitual tolerance for his daughter, he may have already directly ordered her to break up with the Xu family’s young master.

“He is twenty-five years old now but is already in a pretty high position in Control Yuan. Jin Cheng took five years to get to that position but he got there in two years. Many people are envious and jealous but they are only a small part of the Xu family power. His future position, career and marriage will definitely not be simple.”

While talking, he picked up a file from the coffee table and said slowly: ” Ning Ning, Jin Cheng’s mother was originally Xu Mo Ting’s second uncle’s lover. They met while studying abroad. The Xu family was set on entering into an alliance with the IT industry tycoon at that time, the He family through marriage. Initially they thought the young couple is not serious, so they were not too concerned. Later, when they discovered the situation was out of hand, they quickly summoned the Xu family’s second son to return to the country to fulfill the marriage contract with the He family’s daughter. This was a very big news at that time, but the Xu family used their influence to suppress it. Although I do not know the specific details, I heard Jin Cheng mentioned a little about it. He remembered his mother has always been low in spirit. Before I recommended  Jin Cheng for a position, I investigated his family background. Only then I found out that his mother committed suicide and died when he was young. Moreover before that, there have always been rumors that she was still in contact secretly with that second son of the Xu family. Then after the death of his mother, his father threw in everything to go against the Xu family. Eventually he suffered a crushing defeat. Later, he died without achieving his goal. Ning Ning, the Xu family is too unscrupulous. I do not want you to suffer this kind of harm, do you understand?”

When An Ning came out from the study, she received a text message from Xu Mo Ting, “Have you woken up yet? I’m calling you.”

She momentarily did not know what to reply so she went back to her room to wash her face. Qiang Wei called to ask her out. An Ning thought for a while, then agreed.

She met up with Qiang Wei in a Japanese-style noodle shop. She brought along two men and a woman, all also her senior high school friends.

When Qiang Wei saw An Ning appeared at the doorway, she got up and waved, “Meow Meow, over here!”

A guy had already taken the initiative to pull the seat next to him for her to sit down. An Ning said, “Thank you”. Qiang Wei patted that guy on the shoulder and said: “Don’t even think about it. She already have a boyfriend.”

The guy did not mind and just chuckled, “I purely want to be of service to a beautiful woman.”

While other people laughed and joked, An Ning’s mind was preoccupied by something else all along. They were eating and chatting at the same time. An Ning talked very little and only replied with a sentence when asked.

The three people who did not know her well also felt that she was cold and thought that it was probably not easy to get close to a beautiful woman. Qiang Wei did not sense anything unusual at all because Meow Meow being lost in thought was a very normal occurrence.

An Ning did not have much appetite. After eating a bit of noodle, she drank some warm water and listened to their conversation. The sun was shinning through the glass, warming the body. But it could not even dilute a little of the gloom in her heart.

“I’m sorry sir, but we don’t accept credit cards.”

She cannot hear clearly what the deep and low voice replied. An Ning stiffened, turned around and saw a familiar figure standing calmly at the counter.

An Ning recovered her composure, immediately got up and walked to the counter. She took out her purse from her bag to pay the bill with cash. The cashier who has come across all sort of people but saw for the first time a beautiful woman paying for a handsome guy. She smilingly handed the change to her. An Ning felt the person beside her was looking at her. Suddenly her eyes became red. Without thinking, she reached out and hugged him. He looked soft and calm like water.

It goes without saying that beautiful woman and handsome guys are eye-catching. But such intimacy made people looked with longing.

The guy who was particularly attentive to An Ning just now sighed softly, “Aiya, who said she is cold?”

Qiang Wei was shocked as to why brother-in-law has come to G City?!

Xu Mo Ting nodded faintly at her from a far and took his girlfriend into his arms to go out of the restaurant.

When they were in the car, Mo Ting switched on the heater. He was not in a hurry to start the car. Instead he gently held her in his arms.

“When I messaged you, my car was already in your neighbourhood. I saw you driving your car out, so I followed close behind. When I saw that you had an appointment with your friend, I did not want to disturb you.”

An Ning felt a little guilty, hugged him and buried her face in his chest.

Xu Mo Ting did not ask why she felt downcast all of a sudden. He only caressed her on the back.

When An Ning woke up, the car was gently moving forward and soft music was flowing in the car.

When the person next to her saw her awake, he said softly: “A relative here has a vacant house, so I borrowed it for two days. Still sleepy? We’ll be arriving soon.”

An Ning looked clearly at the scenery outside. They were in a place tucked up against mountains and beside a lake. The occasional villa was sprinkled amongst the tall, old trees that stretched up to the sky. Xu Mo Ting turned into a quiet bypath and drove to the front of a two-story red brick villa. There was a garage to the side but he did not park inside. Instead he stopped the car in front of the garden gate.

Xu Mo Ting leaned over to help her unfasten the seat belt.

An Ning got out of the car and looked around. She cannot help but exclaim, “It is so beautiful here.”

Mo Ting came over to hold her hand and said: “We can go to the lake to see the sunset later.”

An Ning was smiling while nodding her head. She forgot to ask why they came here?