On the last day before the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, the members of the drama troupe gathered together, and the troupe even distributed mooncake gift boxes.
After everyone had left, Jiang Li was the last one to go out through the main gate.
Today was the last day in Huacheng before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Sister Chen had booked a restaurant in advance and had just sent her a message urging her, saying that everyone had already arrived.
Jiang Li's lips curved into a smile. After replying to the message, she saw the schedule reminder pop up on the calendar, and her smile froze slightly.
The fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month was not only the Mid-Autumn Festival but also Xiao Yanzhi's birthday.
It wasn't a hard date to remember. In fact, it had flashed through her mind for a moment a few days ago. She had thought she could ignore it, but the phone reminder had brought it back to her memory.
In previous Mid-Autumn Festivals, she would always wait for Xiao Yanzhi to come back from the Xiao family and then celebrate together.
She didn't eat cake, but she would always prepare a small palm-sized cake with the number candles representing his age on it.
Xiao Yanzhi always said that what she did was meaningless, but she said it was the ritual sense of a birthday and insisted on celebrating it with him.
Last year, the number on the cake was twenty-eight, and this year it should be twenty-nine.
She wondered who would light the candles for him this year.
—
Whether it was intentional or not, Sister Chen had specially invited Qiao Jinrun tonight. Xiao Ye insisted on joining in the fun. Originally, it was said that they would pack the food for her and take it back, but she even came with a walking stick.
The meal was relaxed and enjoyable.
Qiao Jinrun checked the fractured part of Xiao Ye and specifically told him to sleep more steadily recently.
He also told her some rehabilitation methods after recovery, which made Xiao Ye extremely grateful.
When they took a taxi back after the meal, one car couldn't fit so many people. Xiao Ye winked at Jiang Li and said, "Well... Sister Jiang Li, you let Dr. Qiao take you. It's just right for the three of us to take one car."
Actually, the back seat of the car could accommodate three people, and with one person sitting in the front, the four of them would have plenty of room.
Jiang Li knew what Xiao Ye was up to. "Alright, you guys go back first. I'll take a walk with Dr. Qiao outside."
After this meal today, Qiao Jinrun had managed to win over all of her "family members", and they were all very satisfied with him.
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Considering that they had to catch a flight the next day, the two of them didn't take a long walk outside. Qiao Jinrun told her to pay attention to rest and sent her back early.
"Are we on the same flight tomorrow?" Before they separated, Jiang Li asked Qiao Jinrun.
Qiao Jinrun replied, "I may be a bit later. I have to do a check-up for President Sheng in the morning. You guys go back first."
Jiang Li asked again, "Isn't President Sheng going back to Beicheng for the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
Qiao Jinrun said, "He rarely spends so much time in Huacheng. He said he's going to have a reunion with his relatives here in Huacheng for the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Jiang Li immediately thought of Cheng Yingchun.
The old lady who lived in the small courtyard, with those wise and kind eyes.
It was just a brief encounter, but she inexplicably missed her a little.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, she must find some time to go and accompany the old lady again.
—
Although the Xiao Group was gradually becoming stable now, there were still some tasks in the company that required Xiao Yanzhi's personal attention.
Just after a meeting, Xiao Yanzhi returned to his office. He leaned back in his chair, lit a cigarette to relieve his fatigue, and pinched the bridge of his nose with the index finger and thumb of his other hand.
Looking at the boss sitting in the office, Xue An couldn't help but quietly sigh inside.
Running back and forth between two places in a short period and then coming back to handle important matters was not something an ordinary person could bear.
Thinking like this, he lowered his head and flipped through his phone a few times, and a message reminder popped up in the notification bar.
During the lunch break, Xue An walked into the office and said with a smile, "Mr. Xiao, I have good news to tell you."
"Speak."
"Sister Jiang Li is returning to Beicheng today and will land in two hours."
Hearing this, Xiao Yanzhi raised his eyebrows, and his tone remained calm. "What's so good about this news?"
"Have you forgotten? Tomorrow is the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. Sister Jiang Li must have rushed back specially to celebrate your birthday."
Jiang Li had no ties or friends in Beicheng now. If she came back at this time for no reason, what else could it be if not to celebrate Xiao Yanzhi's birthday?
Only then did Xiao Yanzhi finally look up at him. "Did she tell you that herself?"
"It's a surprise, definitely a surprise." Xue An knew about the Mid-Autumn Festival arrangements of these two people in previous years and was very certain. He also didn't forget to ask him, "Do you want me to order a cake for you in advance?"
Xiao Yanzhi looked down at the cigarette in his hand and only then realized that he had unconsciously smoked quite a lot.
"Do I smell like smoke?"
"… What do you think?" Xue An said awkwardly.
Not to mention on his body, even a person passing by the office door could smell a strong smell of smoke.
Jiang Li didn't like the smell of smoke.
Xiao Yanzhi stood up. His face remained calm, but the gloom in his eyebrows and eyes had obviously dissipated. "You go and arrange a restaurant. I'll go back and change my clothes."
His tone was still very calm, but one could feel the change in his mood.
Xue An beamed. "Sure thing."
...
After Jiang Li landed, she sent a message to Qiao Jinrun. The other person sent her the location of his home and told her to just take a taxi there. He would arrive in the evening.
Jiang Li thought for a while and called him. "Would it be too abrupt if I go there directly?"
"If you feel embarrassed, you can go to Sister Chen's house first. I can pick you up later." Qiao Jinrun came up with another solution for her.
Jiang Li accepted this plan.
Uncle Qiao and Aunt Qiao were very enthusiastic. She was worried that she wouldn't be able to handle it alone. It would be better to wait for Qiao Jinrun to come back and go there together.
So Jiang Li and Sister Chen went back home together and bought some things from the supermarket.
The house had been empty for a long time. Just as the two of them were in the middle of cleaning, Xixi came back from school after the holiday. When she saw Jiang Li in her house, her eyes immediately lit up, and she rushed over with a smile. "Sister Lili, why are you here!"
Jiang Li smiled and hugged her, stroking her head. "Xixi has grown taller again."
"Of course. The teacher said I'll be a graceful and beautiful girl in the future." Xixi straightened her back, looking extremely proud.
Sister Chen had just finished cleaning the kitchen and walked out to see the two of them. "Where is there a little girl who says she's a beautiful girl herself? Aren't you ashamed?"
Xixi said proudly with her head held high, "This was taught to me by Sister Lili. Girls should be confident!"
"Okay, okay, what your Sister Lili said is right, and what I said is wrong." After Sister Chen finished laughing, she straightened her face again. "What rank did you get in the mid-term exam?"
"…"
In the evening, Jiang Li was accompanying Xixi with her homework. She went out to wash some fruits in the middle, and her phone on the side of the table vibrated.
Xixi picked up the phone and ran to the kitchen. "Sister Lili, your phone is ringing."
"Xixi, help me press the answer button."
Jiang Li was washing peaches and didn't have time to look at the phone. Her first reaction was that it was Qiao Jinrun, so her voice also became brisk. "Dr. Qiao, have you landed? Do you need me to pick you up?"
The man on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, and his hand unconsciously tightened.
"It's me."