Inside the hotel.
Wen Ran had already left Bai Xiaoxiao’s room.
She pretended to be asleep just now, and after Wen Ran left, she opened her eyes again.
When the notification sound rang, Bai Xiaoxiao was lying with her eyes open, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Was it so kind of telepathy? The sound echoed in her ears, causing her heart to tremble uncontrollably.
She turned her gaze, staring at the phone screen that suddenly lit up, hesitant to reach out and pick it up.
Just as she was staring dazedly at the phone screen, a call ca in, the phone buzzed urgingly, as if prompting her to answer.
Bai Xiaoxiao took the phone, took a deep breath, and pressed the answer key. Her voice was warm and calm, "Hello, Mom."
"Xiaoxiao, are you not resting yet?"
On the other end, Qiao Xiuyun’s voice carried a hint of reproach. Bai Xiaoxiao was a bit amused, "Mom, I was sleeping. It was your call that woke up."
Qiao Xiuyun laughed on the other side, "You can’t bla for that. It was your dad who was worried and insisted I call you. Are you used to it over there?"
Only then did Bai Xiaoxiao rember that she hadn’t called her mom back since she arrived in City B.
Originally, she planned to call her mom that night for peace of mind, but the afternoon’s events completely changed that plan.
After what happened, she lost the courage to call her mom. Just thinking about her mom made her feel incredibly unfilial.
Hearing her mom’s laughter now made Bai Xiaoxiao’s nose sting with emotion. ng Ke’s words echoed in her ears, and guilt and self-bla pierced her heart like countless fine needles.
There was no visible blood, but the pain was unbearable.
Frowning subconsciously, she refused to let herself think about these things while talking on the phone with her mom. She didn’t want her mom to worry from afar.
She forced a smile, "Really, it’s just Dad who’s worried?"
"I was worried too. It was your mom who kept nagging in my ear, so I asked her to call you."
The voice from the phone belonged to Mr. Bai.
It seed like they had the speaker on, and a picture appeared in Bai Xiaoxiao’s mind of Mr. Bai and Mother Bai sitting together, both pairs of eyes filled with longing and concern as they stared at the phone screen.
Concentrating on what she was saying on this end, their emotions would sway with hers, in joy or in sadness.
If they knew what had happened here, how worried they would be.
At this thought, Bai Xiaoxiao’s heart ached fiercely once more.
Forcing a cheerful smile, she said, "Dad, Mom, I knew you’d miss . I’ve realized I can’t live without you either. I’ll co ho tomorrow."
Her tone carried a playful tease, of course Mr. Bai and Mother Bai didn’t take it seriously.
Mother Bai teased lovingly, "Don’t say such nice things. A daughter who marries is like water spilled out; once you’re married, you can’t just keep running back to your maiden ho."
"I’ve regretted it. I’ll co back tomorrow, and even if you get tired of and chase away, I won’t leave." Bai Xiaoxiao said coyly.
In her heart, she was quite firm in her resolve that she never wanted to marry again in this life.
She wanted to stay with her parents. They treated her like a princess, holding her in their hearts for more than twenty years. She couldn’t bear to break their hearts for the sake of love.
"Talk about it when you co back tomorrow!"
Mother Bai’s voice was filled with laughter. They knew how much she liked Luo Haofeng. It wasn’t easy to get their agreent, and it wasn’t easy for her to co to Luo Haofeng’s city. How could she go back the next day?
Not wanting to reveal her emotions, after chatting for a few more minutes, she used sleep as an excuse to end the call hastily.
Mother Bai and Mr. Bai looked at the disconnected call record, their eyes filled with reluctance.
This reluctance was different from when she thought about going abroad and being away back then.
Back then, she was going abroad and was bound to return soday.
Now, she was still in the country. Compared to being separated by the Pacific Ocean, this thousand-mile distance seed insignificant.
But their hearts were filled with more lancholy and reluctance.
Because this ti, their daughter was leaving to seek her happiness and support, to get married.
Even if she and Luo Haofeng hadn’t registered their marriage yet, Mr. Bai felt the bittersweet sorrow of marrying off a daughter, knowing their precious girl would be living with another man from now on.
Facing life’s storms together with that man, hand in hand for a lifeti.
She’s no longer a child; even if she faces grievances in the future, she’ll have to bear them herself.
"Put the phone down and sleep."
Mr. Bai sighed heavily, took the phone from Mother Bai, and placed it on the small bedside table.
"You were the one who persuaded to agree back then, and now you seem even more reluctant than I am."
Mother Bai teased.
Mr. Bai chuckled, admitting openly, "Having cherished her for so many years, how can I not feel heartache knowing she’ll belong to soone else? How can I not feel reluctant?"
"It’s not so far. If you miss Xiaoxiao, she can co back anyti." Although Mother Bai’s words were sowhat nonchalant, her heart shared the sa sorrow as Mr. Bai’s.
Pride flickered across Mr. Bai’s brow, "Didn’t Xiaoxiao just say she’d co back tomorrow?"
"Do you really believe that? It’s just to comfort you." Mother Bai chided playfully.
Mr. Bai raised an eyebrow, "I believe what my daughter says. Maybe she misses and really will fly back."
"Who in the world could be as good to her as this old dad?"
"Stop boasting. Maybe in Xiaoxiao’s heart, Luo Haofeng is even better than you now!"
Mr. Bai imdiately frowned, "That’s impossible."
"I’m only worried that Wu Jingfang woman might not treat Xiaoxiao well when she returns." Mother Bai sighed, her unease lingering.
Seeing her worry, Mr. Bai put his arm around her shoulder and consoled, "Don’t worry, didn’t Luo Haofeng say that Wu Jingfang has already agreed?"
Rembering sothing, an unusual look flashed in Mother Bai’s eyes, "That woman’s words can’t be trusted."
"Stop overthinking it."
**
In the hotel room in City B.
After ending the call, Bai Xiaoxiao finally looked at the ssage from Luo Haofeng.
Just a few simple words: Xiaoxiao, rest early.
As if nothing had ever happened between them.
But, it couldn’t fool others, nor could it fool herself. The grievances between them were a chasm she feared she couldn’t cross in this lifeti.
Even though her mom had let go, Bai Xiaoxiao couldn’t overco her own obstacle.
She deleted the ssage and tossed the phone on the bedside.
After two minutes, she picked up the phone again and directly blocked Luo Haofeng’s number.
In her heart, she told herself that from now on, they were strangers.
A sharp pain spread from her heart, radiating to her limbs, infiltrating every pore, and finally, even each breath carried a thick sorrow.
She shut her eyes tightly and opened them again, turned off the phone, and tossed it onto the small table beside the bed, her body slipping onto the bed to lie flat, the quilt tightly wrapped around her.
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