Chapter 61: Coming Home
The international airport in Jiang Xue’s city was huge. After getting off the plane, Xiao Luohan stayed close to her, afraid of getting lost if she looked away for even a moment.
Seeing this, Jiang Xue took her sleeve.
“Okay, now you can look around,” she said.
Xiao Luohan paused. “Is that alright…?”
“I only have one bag, and holding your sleeve won’t be a problem.” Jiang Xue smiled. “Take a good look. The next time we come to the airport will probably be during summer vacation after the college entrance exam.”
Xiao Luohan finally felt at ease observing her surroundings.
Crowds of people with luggage waiting in line, large screens displaying various data, the electronic female voice announcing flight information from time to time…
Everything from the videos she had seen came to life before her eyes. She was still young and hadn’t seen much of the world, so she looked around curiously wherever she went.
Seeing her actions, Jiang Mei, who was observing from behind, breathed a sigh of relief.
It was good that she was energetic. It seemed Xiao Luo had almost fully recovered and was adapting well to the new world.
They collected their luggage from the baggage carousel and led Xiao Luohan to the parking lot.
Sister Cheng was already waiting there. Seeing the slender girl beside Jiang Xue, she felt a surge of emotion and hurried over, sighing with relief. “I’ve been waiting for you, Third Miss!”
This was the little girl from ancient times who had traveled across time and space!
Hearing the familiar voice, Xiao Luohan felt a little dazed. When she saw the person approaching, even though she had been prepared, her eyes teared up, and she couldn’t hold back her tears.
It was the Shizhu of this world…
Shizhu should be able to live a good life with her daughter here, right?
“Oh dear, oh dear! Don’t cry!” Sister Cheng was startled and hurriedly took out a clean tissue from her bag. “Don’t worry! Eldest Miss, Second Miss, and the whole family are very kind. They won’t let you suffer anymore!”
Although she didn’t know the specific reason for the tears, the girl’s crying melted her heart.
As they walked towards the car, Sister Cheng couldn’t help but say a few more words. “Your clothes and belongings are all ready. The new quilt and pillows are still being aired. I’ll put them away when we get back. By the way, the plum blossom branches you sent are at home. Second Miss specifically instructed me to put them on a sunny windowsill…”
“Thank you!” Xiao Luohan hurriedly wiped her tears with the tissue, her voice choked with sobs. “Thank you…”
“You’re welcome! No need to be so polite, oh dear…” Sister Cheng was a little flustered. Fortunately, they had reached the car. She quickly opened the door and started the engine.
After getting in the car, Jiang Xue gently patted Xiao Luohan’s back to comfort her.
Dr. Qi, who was also in the car, sat in the passenger seat, explaining Xiao Luohan’s condition to Sister Cheng: what she could eat, what she should avoid, how to take care of her health… she covered everything she could think of.
Jiang Mei sat next to Jiang Xue, deliberately letting them sit together.
She had already heard from her younger sister about the correspondence between Sister Cheng and Shizhu.
Just seeing Sister Cheng had made Xiao Luo so emotional. She didn’t know how she would react when she saw Ms. Wei and Ms. Jiang later.
But compared to them, Jiang Mei still felt that her own presence might cause Xiao Luo even more pain.
She couldn’t be Xiao Luo’s elder sister.
They had different backgrounds and different aspirations. Even if they had almost identical appearances, personalities, and preferences, even if there was a chance for her to inherit Xiao Linghan’s memories in the future, she was still “Jiang Mei,” not “Princess Zhemei.”
For Xiao Luo, Xiao Linghan was irreplaceable.
She herself could face Xiao Luohan calmly, but how would Xiao Luohan face her, someone who was both “similar and different” from her elder sister?
Thinking of this, Jiang Mei couldn’t help but look at Xiao Luohan.
The young woman was looking at the scenery outside the window, but she quickly turned around and asked Jiang Xue with concern, “Are you feeling unwell?”
“…It’s nothing, I just get carsick, it’s an old problem.” Jiang Xue leaned against the seat listlessly. “What about you? Are you okay?”
Although it was Xiao Luohan’s first time in a car, perhaps because she had ridden in bumpier carriages during her journey for the marriage alliance, she felt that Sister Cheng’s driving was very smooth. She shook her head slightly and asked, “Do you need me to open the window for some fresh air?”
“No, no, it’s too cold outside!” Jiang Xue hurriedly refused, afraid that the wind would make Xiao Luo, who had just recovered from a severe cold, sick again. “I’ll just sleep for a while, I’m really fine!”
Seeing her about to close her eyes, Xiao Luohan hesitated for a moment, then patted her lap. “You can lie here, it might be more comfortable.”
Jiang Xue: …?
Her mind short-circuited, and the words “lap pillow” flashed through her mind like a barrage of comments.
Before she could respond, a pair of hands rested on her shoulders, guiding her to lie down.
“She’s a bit heavy. If she sleeps all the way home, your legs will go numb,” Jiang Mei explained calmly.
“Yes, yes, I’ve gained weight recently, I’m heavy!” Jiang Xue quickly agreed, resting her head on her older sister’s lap and closing her eyes.
Seeing this, Xiao Luohan didn’t insist on her “kind offer,” only nodding slightly at Jiang Mei and continuing to look at the scenery outside.
But she was analyzing the details in her mind.
She felt that Jiang Xue probably didn’t mind lying on her lap, but precisely because she didn’t mind, she was embarrassed.
Indeed, regardless of the customs of either world, before a relationship was defined, if both parties were interested, they would try to avoid such intimate actions that could easily lead to misunderstandings, at least in front of others.
And in this world where same-sex couples could marry and have children, even between two girls, they couldn’t be too close.
She made a mental note, planning to test her guess when she was alone with Jiang Xue.
Even though it was a weekday, Ms. Wei had taken leave to welcome the “Third Miss” from afar.
She still remembered the last time she met Xiao Luo, when Xiao Luo had transformed into a cute Ragdoll cat in a dream. Although she hadn’t been able to see the cat, she had felt something soft and fluffy nestled against her, then disappearing at some point.
Now, this young woman was truly standing before her, bowing respectfully and calling her “Ms. Wei.” She couldn’t help but step forward and pull her into a hug.
Even though Xiao Luohan was wearing a thick down jacket, Ms. Wei could still feel her thinness and frailty.
But she didn’t say anything, only ruffled Xiao Luohan’s hair and patted her back, saying softly, “The ‘welcome dinner’ will be ready soon, all your favorite dishes.”
As she was hugged, Xiao Luohan instinctively thought of her own mother.
Her mother had lived in the cold palace for many years. Even though she seemed optimistic about everything, Xiao Luohan always felt that there was a hidden shadow in her heart, something even she couldn’t see—it must be the scars her mother didn’t want to talk about.
…Most importantly, no one could “drag” her mother into the sunlight and completely dispel that shadow, not even the late Empress.
But the woman hugging her now was completely different.
—Ms. Wei seemed to radiate warmth and gentleness. Not only did she have no “shadow,” she herself was a source of light.
She replied with an “Okay,” but was reluctant to leave, feeling her nose tingle again.
This world was so good, everyone was living a good life.
Ms. Wei also didn’t want to let go of her so easily. The young woman in her arms, although human, reminded her of a real Ragdoll cat, so well-behaved, gentle, and quiet, completely different from her other two energetic daughters.
She couldn’t help but hold the girl a little longer, stroking her soft and smooth hair.
It wasn’t until Jiang Xue gently called out “Mommy” that Ms. Wei let go, smiling brightly. “Take Xiao Luo to your bedroom and study. Sister Cheng already tidied up a bit this morning.”
Slippers for Xiao Luohan had already been prepared at the entrance. After changing into them, she followed Jiang Xue upstairs.
“This is my bedroom, and that’s my older sister’s room,” Jiang Xue introduced the rooms one by one. “There’s a piano and a guqin in my study. But I haven’t learned much guqin, and I haven’t touched it in a long time. If you want to play, you might need to have it tuned first.”
There were too many things in the study, so it wasn’t convenient to introduce them. She first took Xiao Luohan to her bedroom, which she used more often, and showed her the ensuite bathroom. “Every bedroom has an ensuite bathroom, similar to Uncle Seuss’s place. Look, your toiletries are all ready. If you need anything else, just tell Sister Cheng… Oh right! I haven’t added her on WeChat yet.”
Seeing the WeChat contact card with the name “Shizhu’s Mom,” Xiao Luohan stared blankly for a long time.
“There’s also a ‘Shizhu’ in this world, but she’s Sister Cheng’s daughter, her name is Cheng Shizhu,” Jiang Xue explained, seeing what she was thinking. “Cheng Shizhu is still in university, but she’ll be back for winter break soon. I’ll introduce you then. Sister Cheng loves her very much.”
After hearing about the Shizhu here and her daughter, Xiao Luohan’s heart softened, and she nodded.
After adding Sister Cheng on WeChat, her gaze landed on the screen in the room.
It was the Japanese-style screen she had chosen, temporarily placed by the bed by Sister Cheng.
Jiang Xue hadn’t thought much about the screen before, but seeing it now, she was quite satisfied.
“It’s so elegant!” she praised generously, touching it. “It looks very sturdy. I can even hang clothes on top!”
Most importantly, when there was a light source, she could see the silhouette of the person behind the screen, but only a silhouette.
This hazy feeling was beautiful and polite. Even if she stared, she wouldn’t be noticed… cough, it seemed her mind was wandering again.
“It’s best if you like it too,” Xiao Luohan nodded with a smile. Just as she was about to continue familiarizing herself with the environment, a knock came at the door.
“Second Miss? I’ve brought the quilt and pillows that were being aired,” Sister Cheng said from outside.
Jiang Xue quickly opened the door, then pulled Xiao Luohan to the side and watched as Sister Cheng efficiently made the bed—Sister Cheng didn’t like others interfering when she was doing housework.
“…Although my bed isn’t small, will it be too crowded with two body pillows?” Jiang Xue whispered after Sister Cheng closed the door and left.
“We can also do without the pillows,” Xiao Luohan said, her beautiful eyes filled with innocence and purity as she looked at her. “When we were at Uncle Seuss’s house, I was thinking, if we unconsciously hug each other in our sleep, does it mean that we can give each other a sense of security?”
“…Eh?”
“If it were someone we were wary of, we wouldn’t even be able to sleep soundly, let alone hug them,” Xiao Luohan continued. “Besides, only we know about this. As long as we don’t mind, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“You always say to let things take their natural course. I think this is good, there’s no problem.”
Jiang Xue: “…Yes, there’s indeed no problem.”
But she still felt something wasn’t quite right.
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