Two months ago, I was just an office drone, living a monotonous life from nine to five, dull and uninteresting. Two months later, I had become like this, a twist of fate.
After sleeping enough, I sat up, got out of bed, and poured a glass of water. This spa room was like a sauna, quite hot, and my body felt damp. I went to the adjoining shower room, took a bath, and brushed my teeth. All the while, I pondered what to do today.
It seemed there was nothing else to do but go to Jinling. Being suddenly idle, I still felt a bit unaccustomed to it.
After my shower, the two of them were also woken up by the sound of water. They took turns showering, changed their clothes, and went out for breakfast.
I wasn't too fond of northern breakfasts; most of them were a mix of sugar and oil. Although fragrant, they weren't very healthy. I still missed the xiaolongbao from Jinling, steaming hot out of the steamer, dipped in chili sauce, and taking a bite, the juice flowing out, absolutely divine.
After breakfast, they went to work, and I was about to head to the airport when the fox spirit called. She said Yaoyao wanted her to accompany me to Jinling. It was no longer about protection but more about companionship and service.
I waited on the spot. Before long, the fox spirit and Xu Ran drove over to pick me up. Since there weren't many passengers flying from Lüshun to Jinling, the fox spirit bought tickets on the fly.
At half-past nine in the morning, the three of us boarded the plane, soaring into the sky.
It was raining in Jinling, and not lightly, accompanied by thunder and lightning. The plane dared not land for a while. After circling for more than ten minutes, they decided to divert to Hang Zhou and wait. I asked the flight attendant if I could disembark at Hang Zhou because my aunt was there. I had arranged to meet her after her work, but she was still working at the hospital.
However, the flight attendant refused, saying it was not allowed. The fox spirit wanted to call Sabia to complain, but I stopped her. "Forget it," I said, "It's not a special mission, no need to use special powers."
After waiting for a full hour and a half, the plane finally took off again. The two places weren't far apart, and it felt like the plane hadn't even reached its highest altitude before beginning its descent.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, we finally landed in Jinling. The rain had stopped. Due to the winter river fog, the entire city was hazy and grey, which was quite atmospheric.
We first followed Xu Ran home to familiarize ourselves with the place. If we come to Jinling in the future, we'll definitely visit her. Xu Ran wasn't short of money and had many residences in Jinling. She took us to a villa in the suburbs of Jinling. It was very large and beautifully decorated, a luxurious mansion with a strong classical style.
"Why doesn't your home even have a servant? How lonely," I asked Xu Ran. I knew she was single.
Xu Ran rolled her eyes at me and said, "I'm used to being alone. You don't need to worry about me, boss."
I smiled. Although Xu Ran's words were stern, I knew her attitude towards humans wasn't very good. But I thought, with such beauty, it really wouldn't make sense for her not to find a partner.
"You two play at home. I'll go buy some groceries. I'll cook dinner," Xu Ran instructed before leaving.
The fox spirit and I went to the living room. The fox spirit looked around at the furnishings in the room and gave me a thumbs-up, exclaiming, "Boss, your Jinling is indeed a six-dynasty ancient capital. It seems that every household's decoration here is quite elegant."
I smiled and said, "It's okay, it's just imitation."
After speaking, I walked to the balcony and took out my phone, preparing to call my aunt. But as soon as I opened my phone, I found it was out of battery. Perhaps because this was a phone I bought in the north, and it couldn't handle the southern humidity?
Seeing my displeased expression, the fox spirit hurried over and asked with concern, "Boss, what's wrong?"
I gave a wry smile, "Nothing."
Then, I found a charger and put my phone on the table. I returned to the living room and sat on the sofa watching television.
I watched the news for a while. On the TV, the host was introducing an advertisement for a new product. Listening to those advertising slogans, I always had an illusion, as if I had returned to two months ago. I hadn't watched TV in a long time.
The fox spirit wasn't very interested in television and went out to the courtyard to tease the birds.
After watching the news for a bit, the fox spirit came in, "Boss, someone is looking for you outside."
"Who is it?" I asked.
"I don't know."
I thought for a moment, stood up, and walked downstairs. I opened the door and indeed saw a girl standing outside.
"Hello," I called out politely.
The girl was wearing a white shirt and black trousers. Her skin was fair, and her features were exquisite. She was a standard beauty.
"Excuse me, who are you?" I asked the girl curiously.
The girl smiled, "I'm here to see Ah Ran."
"Ah Ran? Oh, Xu Ran, right? She's not home," I said.
"I'm Ah Ran's classmate. Are you... her boyfriend?" the girl asked cautiously.
I shook my head. "No."