Chapter 145: Time To Go Home

Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Time To Go Home

"No." Qiao Meixia rejected the proposal instantly, without a moment’s hesitation.

She did not maintain a strict workout routine out of any desire to win medals or become an athlete. She adhered to it purely because a strong physical condition benefited her body. Her work often required her to sit glued to a computer monitor for days on end. Without an exceptionally strong physique, she would eventually lose the silent, high-stakes battles waged across her screens.

"You rejected us so fast!" The man was not offended in the slightest. Instead, both he and his companion burst into good-natured laughter. "That’s alright! If it’s fate, perhaps we will cross paths on the track one day. See you around in the future!"

The two men politely stepped aside, clearing the exit for her. Qiao Meixia gave them a brief, polite nod before stepping out of the gym and heading back toward the elevators.

"She is an unpolished diamond in the rough. It is a real shame she has zero interest." The man remarked, watching her leave.

"Ah, don’t worry about it. Who knows what the future holds?" His friend replied with a grin.

When Qiao Meixia returned to her hotel room, she found Jiang Fenfang sitting up in bed, yawning and rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Eh? Cousin Meixia, where did you go so early?" Jiang Fenfang asked through a yawn.

"I went up to the gym for my morning run." Qiao Meixia replied casually. ℯ

"Woah, Cousin Meixia... You don’t even skip your morning workouts while staying at a hotel? That’s amazing!" Jiang Fenfang exclaimed, looking at her with newfound admiration.

"Hmm..." Qiao Meixia hummed softly.

She grabbed a fresh towel from her bag and headed into the bathroom to wash off the sweat. Fifteen minutes later, she emerged clean and fully dressed.

Jiang Fenfang was currently standing beside the bed, lazily stretching her arms over her head.

"I am going to jump in for a super quick shower!" Jiang Fenfang announced.

She immediately took off running toward the bathroom door, but her foot caught on the polished floor, causing her to slip awkwardly. She was on the verge of crashing face-first into the ground, but Qiao Meixia’s lightning-fast reflexes kicked in instantly. Reaching out in a blur, she caught Jiang Fenfang by the arm and pulled her upright, steadying her.

"Phew! Thank you so much, Cousin Meixia! If you had not caught me, I definitely would have knocked out my front teeth!" Jiang Fenfang gasped, clutching her chest as she thanked her saviour for her quick action.

"Don’t run. Walk slowly." Qiao Meixia reminded her sternly, yet gently.

"Mhm!" Jiang Fenfang nodded obediently before carefully walking into the bathroom to get ready.

Half an hour later, Jiang Fenfang was already fully dressed and ready to head out. They packed up their belongings and were just about to leave the room when a series of sharp knocks echoed at the door.

Jiang Fenfang glanced toward the entryway before strolling over to pull the door open. Standing outside in the hallway were her parents and her brother.

"Mom, Dad, Brother? What are you all doing here?" Jiang Fenfang asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

Without missing a beat, Qi Meifeng reached out and delivered a light smack to Jiang Fenfang’s shoulder.

"You have the audacity to ask us that? I nearly had a heart attack when I went to your room earlier! I knocked on your door forever and you did not answer, so we genuinely thought something terrible had happened to you. We were on the verge of calling the front desk to force the door open so we could check on you. Then your brother came out of his room and casually mentioned that you slept over in Meixia’s room instead. Why on earth didn’t you bother telling us beforehand?" Qi Meifeng vented, huffing with exasperation.

"Mom... You can lecture me all you want, but do you really have to smack me like that? It actually hurt!" Jiang Fenfang whined softly, rubbing the sore spot on her shoulder.

"You little..." Qi Meifeng raised her hand to smack Jiang Fenfang a second time, but her husband, Jiang Nianzu, quickly stepped in and caught her arm.

"Honey, stop hitting the poor kid. If you are still feeling that restless and want to smack someone, you can smack me on the bed later." Jiang Nianzu said, flashing a playful, shameless grin.

"You! Right in front of the children?!" Qi Meifeng gasped, glaring daggers at her husband while her face flushed slightly.

Jiang Nianzu merely broadened his grin, utterly unbothered.

’This husband of mine is truly incorrigible,’ Qi Meifeng thought, rolling her eyes in fond resignation.

She turned her attention back to her daughter, eyeing her outfit.

"Well, look at that. You actually managed to wake up early today." Qi Meifeng commented dryly.

"Mom... Since when do I ever wake up late?" Jiang Fenfang protested, crossing her arms.

"Literally every single weekend." Qi Meifeng shot back without hesitation.

"Well, that’s only when I am stuck at home with nothing to do!" Jiang Fenfang retorted smoothly.

Qi Meifeng was prepared to launch into another counter-argument, but the sight of Qiao Meixia appearing right behind Jiang Fenfang brought her to a halt. Her expression instantly softened.

"Good morning, Meixia! Did you sleep well last night? Did this noisy girl end up disturbing your rest?" Qi Meifeng asked with genuine concern.

"Mom! I did not disturb anyone’s sleep!" Jiang Fenfang squawked indignantly.

"No... She was fine." Qiao Meixia offered with a quiet, calm nod.

"Alright, let’s all go downstairs and get some breakfast. We can continue catching up over food." Jiang Nianzu suggested, steering the family away from the doorway.

Just as they turned, the door to the neighbouring suite swung open, and Jiang Suhan stepped out into the hallway.

He froze, mildly surprised to see the small crowd gathered right outside Qiao Meixia’s room.

"What is going on here?" Jiang Suhan asked, looking between them.

"Mom had a total panic attack when my sister did not answer her room door after several frantic knocks. When I came out of my room, I mentioned that she had stayed over in Cousin Meixia’s room. So, here they are, confronting her." Jiang Boqin explained concisely with a slight smirk.

"Ah... You really did not bother giving Uncle and Auntie a heads-up about sharing a room with Qiaoqiao?" Jiang Suhan asked, looking at his younger cousin.

"Hehehe... It completely slipped my mind!" Jiang Fenfang admitted, flashing an innocent grin.

"Alright, alright. Everything is settled now, so let me lead the way down." Jiang Nianzu said with a laugh.

The group stepped into the elevator and rode it down to the ground floor where the hotel’s high-end dining room was located. As the elevator doors slid open, they spotted Old Master Jiang and the rest of the extended family emerging from another elevator bank across the lobby.

"Mom, Dad, good morning!" Jiang Nianzu greeted his parents cheerfully, strolling right over to affectionately cling to his mother’s arm.

"Look at you! Can’t you act a little more like a mature adult? Your own grown children are standing right there." Old Madam Jiang scolded her youngest son, though her eyes crinkled with fondness.

"Well, if they feel left out, they can come over and cling to their mother too." Jiang Nianzu replied without a shred of shame.

Qi Meifeng and Old Madam Jiang could only shake their heads at his antics, while Jiang Boqin looked at his father with an expression of pure, unadulterated embarrassment.

The family was escorted into a private dining room reserved specifically for them. The hotel management was giving the prestigious Jiang Family elite VIP treatment, catering to their every whim and ensuring that a lavish spread of fresh breakfast dishes was prepared to perfection.

"Meixia, if there is anything at all you need or want, just tell your Grandpa. Grandpa will personally see to it that you get it." Old Master Jiang announced, looking warmly at his long-lost granddaughter.

"Hmm." Qiao Meixia acknowledged with a polite nod.

"If you ever feel uncomfortable at home, you are more than welcome to come stay with us." Yin Xiuying added softly.

The more time she spent around Qiao Meixia, the more fond of the girl she became. She was quiet and reserved, yes, but that certainly did not mean she lacked backbone or intellect. She simply chose not to waste her energy on things that did not interest her.

Yin Xiuying genuinely adored her.

’It would be wonderful if she were my own daughter.’ Yin Xiuying thought to herself.

If not because of that incident, she would already have a daughter by now.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko***