Chapter 503 - 517: Let’s Talk

An Ning’s affirmation was just what Lin Xiaoxiao was hoping for.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Xiaoxiao adopted the air of a dashing young gentleman. She gave An Ning a bewitching look and said admiringly, "Little cousin, you truly get me."

An Ning met Lin Xiaoxiao’s gaze.

"You’d be a great actress."

"Hm?"

By the time Lin Xiaoxiao let out a questioning hum, the group had already stepped inside the house.

The low, humble house was a traditional three-bay structure. The entrance opened directly into a cramped kitchen. A single door on the left led into another room, where a long kang bed stretched against the south wall. A curtain hanging in the middle of the kang partitioned off a relatively private space.

On the kang sat a prematurely aged woman, struggling to stay upright as she looked toward the door.

"Fen’er... it’s alright, it’s alright."

Lin Cuishan rushed in ahead of the others, supporting the woman who was holding herself up with difficulty.

The woman, Fen’er, nodded in relief. Her eyes, full of gratitude, swept over the newcomers before finally resting on Lin Cuihua.

"This... this is Cuihua, isn’t it?"

The woman’s voice was weak and faint, but surprisingly pleasant to the ear.

An Ning, standing by the door, took the opportunity to get a better look. Though the woman looked prematurely aged, it was easy to tell from her features that she had once been a great beauty.

’No wonder Lin Xiaoxiao is so beautiful.’

Lin Xiaoxiao noticed An Ning’s glance and said with great pride, "It’s a good thing I take after my mom. If I looked like my dad... that would have been a disaster."

An Ning found herself admiring Lin Xiaoxiao’s complete lack of inhibition about her own looks.

’Why should you hate what makes you unique just because other people don’t like it?’

Inside, Lin Cuihua had already greeted her "Second Sister-in-law," and introductions were made all around. The frail woman, her second sister-in-law, leaned back on the kang, mustering what little strength she had to talk with everyone.

Lin Cuifeng had already gotten up to busy himself with pouring water and preparing a meal.

An Sancheng and the other men couldn’t just sit around, so they all followed Lin Cuifeng into the kitchen, peppering him with questions.

"Where’s the basin?"

"Where are the bowls?"

"Where’s the salt—"

The voices of several grown men drifted in from the kitchen. It was a chaotic scene, but it filled the small house with a welcome warmth.

Back in the room, Fen’er, the second sister-in-law, called Lin Xiaoxiao over to introduce her.

At that moment, Lin Xiaoxiao’s bewitching aura was replaced by the dignified air of a well-bred young lady.

She politely greeted everyone and offered her thanks. While she could ignore the outside rumors, her parents could not.

Lin Cuihua then introduced An Ning and the other children to her sister-in-law. What followed was the customary exchange of compliments between the two mothers.

Lin Xiaoxiao pulled An Ning outside. Shooed away by the men busy in the kitchen, the two of them ended up in the front yard.

Although winter was cold, the midday sun was quite warm.

They both struck a classic pose, leaning against a wall with their hands tucked into their sleeves, soaking up the sun.

"You’re An Ning, right? I heard you were the top scorer in last year’s college entrance exams. That’s really impressive."

"Mhm."

An Ning just hummed in response.

Lin Xiaoxiao tilted her head, her playful mood resurfacing.

"So beautiful, and so smart, too. What kind of man will ever be good enough to marry you?"

An Ning kept her face turned to the sun, showing no trace of girlish coyness. She simply retorted, matter-of-factly, "And with your playful nature and a face that could topple kingdoms, what man would ever dare to marry you?"

Lin Xiaoxiao stared at An Ning for three seconds before bursting into a genuinely delighted laugh.

"You... are exactly my kind of person."

"I don’t know what it feels like to be in love, but I’m pretty sure I’m not into women."

An Ning’s blunt, offbeat reply made Lin Xiaoxiao feel as if she’d found a kindred spirit.

She nudged An Ning’s arm with her elbow and asked in a low voice, "Do you ever get the feeling that you just don’t fit in with the rest of the world?"

"No. I only feel my own excellence."

An Ning’s reply sent Lin Xiaoxiao into another fit of laughter.

"Oh, An Ning—you’re just too adorable!"

Feeling not the slightest bit intimidated by An Ning, Lin Xiaoxiao reached out with both hands and gently pinched her cheeks.

"What am I going to do? I want to put you in my pocket."

An Ning pulled Lin Xiaoxiao’s hands away, giving her a warning look. "You’re not the first woman to think that."

The flames of gossip ignited in Lin Xiaoxiao’s eyes, burning brightly.

But An Ning, as if deliberately picking up bad habits, simply gave Lin Xiaoxiao a little smile that revealed a flash of white teeth. "And I’m not going to tell you who."

Lin Xiaoxiao was even more delighted by An Ning’s antics.

"I haven’t been this happy in so long. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so genuinely."

When her lament was met with silence from An Ning, Lin Xiaoxiao nudged her arm again.

"Hey, can’t you show a little concern for your older cousin?"

"My analysis is that you’re going to tell me anyway. You just need me to listen."

This made Lin Xiaoxiao like An Ning even more.

"A sharp mind is a sharp mind."

Lin Xiaoxiao led An Ning a little farther away, the urge to confide bubbling up as she began to speak.

"I’ve looked this way since I was a kid, but my mom always made me try to hide it."

"You can tell by the look of our house how hard life has been for us. As soon as I was old enough, all I could think about was getting out and making money. A good opportunity came up, so I took it."

"It was only after I left that I realized how many people would covet a face like mine. So I simply entered a line of work that I thought could offer me some protection."

"Even though I never crossed my ultimate line, I still had to make some sacrifices. But I don’t regret it."

"In any case, thank you. Thank you all for coming today. My parents really needed this."

An Ning listened to it all, then offered a simple reply.

"I’ll keep your secret."

"I know."

The first time Lin Xiaoxiao laid eyes on An Ning, she knew she was someone she could trust.

Neither of them said anything more, simply basking quietly in the sun.

They weren’t sure how long they’d been out there when one of the adults called them inside to eat.

The meal on the table was more lavish than what the Lin Family usually had for the Lunar New Year. Most of the ingredients had been brought by Lin Cuihua’s group from Shili Gou.

Throughout the meal, no one brought up the past. It felt just like any ordinary family visit.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Lin Cuihua’s group prepared to leave. It was getting late, and the Lin family’s house simply didn’t have enough space for them to stay overnight.

An Guoming, who hadn’t had any alcohol, once again took on the role of designated driver. As everyone piled into the vehicle, Lin Cuihua left her home phone number, telling Lin Cuifeng to call if they ever needed anything and that the two families should stay in touch from now on.

Lin Cuifeng readily agreed. He and Lin Cuihua also set a time to visit the Lin family graves, since it was impossible to get to them now with all the snow.

Everyone was in the car except for An Ning.

An Ning walked up to Lin Xiaoxiao and held out her hand.

Lin Xiaoxiao reached out to take it, her expression turning into a playful leer as if to tease An Ning, but her hand froze mid-air.

"Cousin, it was great meeting you today. Hope to see you again."

An Ning turned and got into the vehicle. Lin Xiaoxiao, who hadn’t expected to see her again, looked down at the slip of paper An Ning had pressed into her palm. For the first time, a slightly foolish smile spread across her face.