Chapter 209 A Shen i Appears Midway
Four years later.
The day Jiang An returned to her ho country happened to be the hottest ti in Jing City, with the scorching sun high in the sky as soon as she got off the plane, the sweltering sunlight baking the earth, and the waves of heat enveloping her, making the weather unbearably hot.
A woman in a blue floral dress followed the crowded flow of people to retrieve her luggage from the carousel, and a WeChat notification chid on her phone while she was waiting.
She checked the ssage bar, nodded slightly, and revealed a clear, shallow smile.
Wei Yan: Welco ho.
Over the years, Jiang An had seemingly grown accustod to Wei Yan always finding out her itinerary through various ans, so she wasn’t surprised to see the ssage sent by the man.
This was good, friends eting eagerly.
After a long ti, the woman dragged her suitcase along the corridor outwards, the crowd bustling by her side, all passing by in a hurry.
Finally reaching the exit, Jiang An had not yet passed through the checkpoint when she saw the man trying hard to wave at her from among the crowd, his figure tall and straight, in a suit and leather shoes, a bunch of hydrangeas in his arms as always.
Wei Yan could hardly hide his joy at the sight of the woman walking towards him, opened his arms for a brief hug with Jiang An, and after so simple pleasantries, looked her up and down.
Jiang An accepted the man’s ambiguous scrutiny, showing a face full of confusion.
The man suddenly, as in the past, patted her on the head jokingly, "You’ve grown taller again!"
His look was affectionate, full of endearnt, like a family mber not seen for a long ti.
Jiang An knew he was teasing her, smiled with a hooked corner of her mouth, raised her hand to remove the man’s hand, and pretended to complain, "If you pat again, I really won’t grow taller!"
As people ca and went in the airport, while the two were joking with each other, suddenly a sharp female voice called out to her urgently from not far away, "Anan..."
Jiang An looked in response and saw an old woman hastening her steps towards her, showing surprise on her face.
Shen i quickly reached their side and grabbed Jiang An’s hand without a second word, her eyes already brimming with tears, "Anan, I’ve finally waited for you, mom has missed you so much."
Jiang An was abruptly pulled into Shen i’s arms, still stunned, she certainly did not expect to et her ex-mother-in-law so soon after returning to the country.
Wei Yan, seeing the woman in front of him self-claim as Jiang An’s mother, was equally puzzled.
"Auntie, why are you here?" After finally being let go, Jiang An asked belatedly.
Shen i, while excitedly looking her over, explained with emotional words, "Of course I ca to pick you up!"
Jiang An was imdiately baffled, thinking that she and Gao Chuan had divorced four years ago, could it be that Shen i didn’t know?
"Auntie, I’m already divorced from Gao Chuan."
But Shen i completely ignored her reminder, her face revealing a kind smile, praising her, "Our Anan has beco more beautiful!"
Jiang An, seeing that explanations were futile, turned her head and cast a helpless glance at Wei Yan behind her, the man realizing her helplessness and stepping up to ask, "Auntie, who are you?"
Shen i looked up at Wei Yan with a glance, asked back with a cold attitude, "And who are you?"
Jiang An revealed an embarrassed smile and quickly introduced them to each other, telling Wei Yan that the woman in front of them was Gao Chuan’s mother.
Shen i’s tension finally eased when she learned that Wei Yan was a friend of Jiang An.
As soon as Wei Yan heard Gao Chuan’s na, his face darkened instantly, and he stepped forward to reiterate for Jiang An: "Auntie, Anan has already divorced Gao Chuan long ago. She has nothing to do with your family anymore."
Shen i looked at the man’s angry deanor and felt anxious, casting him a sideways glance without paying him any further attention.
Turning back to Jiang An, she still held onto her hand and said earnestly, "Anan, I know you are still angry with Gao Chuan. I didn’t co here today to trouble you, it’s just that I missed you too much and ca to pick you up. I’ve asked Nanny Chen to prepare a table full of dishes, and we’re waiting for you at ho!"
Jiang An felt bewildered at the ti and never expected Shen i to co to entangle her. She politely declined, "Auntie, I appreciate your kindness, but I really have nothing to do with Gao Chuan anymore. You don’t have to do this."
She thought Shen i might have co because of a guilty conscience.
"He is him, I am I. My coming to pick you up has nothing to do with Gao Chuan," Shen i hurried to explain.
"Why don’t you co back ho with mom for a al, would that be okay?"
Facing the elderly woman’s plea, Jiang An revealed a troubled expression, not knowing what to do.
She had thought that she severed ties with Gao Chuan clearly four years ago, but never expected Shen i to show up on her way back to the country.
"Second Young Madam, please co back with the lady. It’s been a sweltering day, and we’ve been waiting here for you for over three hours. The lady is almost suffering from a heatstroke," the driver, following Shen i, chid in as the two were at a standstill.
Upon hearing this and fearful that Jiang An might misunderstand, Shen i turned to scold him, "Shoot your mouth off again, and you’re not to call her Second Young Madam anymore."
The weather was indeed hot. Up close, Jiang An could see sweat beads forming on the elderly woman’s forehead and sighed softly, "Auntie, please go back first. I’ll visit you another day."
It would be inappropriate for her, already divorced from Gao Chuan for four years, to go for a al.
"Anan, let’s not talk about Gao Chuan right now. Mom just wants you to co ho for a al purely. If you feel embarrassed, I guarantee I won’t let Gao Chuan know, okay?"
The old lady held tightly onto Jiang An’s hand throughout, not slackening for a mont, as if fearful Jiang An might run away.
Unable to decline any further, Jiang An finally compromised, considering Shen i had always treated her well before, and if the elderly lady really suffered from heatstroke, it would be a big trouble.
After agreeing, Jiang An turned and briefly explained to Wei Yan, assuring him that she would handle the situation before he could rest assured and watch them leave.
Once in the car, Shen i kept holding Jiang An’s hand and asked questions, all concerning her life abroad. Jiang An answered the old woman’s caring questions one by one, patiently.
Knowing Jiang An did not wish to bring up the past events, Shen i tactfully refrained from ntioning them again, and the two chatted and laughed all the way to the Gao Family residence.
As Jiang An followed inside, the golden retriever Yiyi, as always, pounced on her the mont the door opened. Jiang An was surprised to see the little one, not expecting it to rember her after such a long ti.
After a warm greeting with the dog, Jiang An followed into the living room and was shocked to see Gao Lin sitting in a wheelchair. Shen i had only told her along the way that Gao Lin’s health had been poor these past two years; she could never have imagined it had reached this extent.
Four years had passed in the blink of an eye, everything had changed completely.
When Gao Lin saw her, his face shone with relief, repeating, "It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back..."
Thinking of the once fierce and decisive man now confined to a wheelchair, a jolt of sadness struck Jiang An, and she stepped forward to chat with the old master.
Although she had resolutely divorced Gao Chuan at the ti, she held no animosity towards the two elderly people; after all, they had been kind to her.
But since the divorce had been finalized, it would be better to minimize contact in the future to avoid ambiguities, Jiang An thought to herself.
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