Chapter 73

Chapter 73 "The potato chips at home are all gone. I'll go downstairs and buy some more." Xi Mu, who was playing games in the room, said as he walked out. Xi Ning raised her gaze and saw that he had changed his clothes, styled his hair, and even sprayed some perfume. She raised an eyebrow and said, "The nearby convenience stores are all closed." Xi Mu tugged at his clothes and changed his shoes at the entrance, smiling, "There's still a snack vending machine." Going out to buy a snack and even dressing up with perfume... Xi Ning couldn't be bothered to nag at him. She simply reminded, "You better be back before our parents come home. I won't cover for you if you lie." Seeing that Xi Mu couldn't hide anything and wasn't pretending anymore, hehe, he smiled, "I'm just going out to meet a few friends. I'll be back soon. They won't stay out past midnight. Don't worry." Xi Ning, a tall and sturdy high school boy over 1.8 meters tall, didn't have much to worry about going out at night, so Xi Ning didn't say much more. "Well, I'm off. Do you want anything to eat?" Xi Ning impatiently waved her hand, indicating that he should leave quickly. The door made a "thud" as it closed, leaving the house empty and suddenly quiet. The only noise came from the lively laughter of the audience on the television. In a family of four, Xi Ning was probably the only one who didn't enjoy socializing. She spent a fair amount of time alone at home, and this situation was not unheard of. However, compared to the past, this New Year's Eve made her feel a bit lonely. Lowering her head and glancing at her phone, Xi Ning opened Kong Nian Xi's WeChat, pursed her lips slightly, and was about to send a message when a soft sound rang out, with a few words appearing on the screen: [What are you doing?] Xi Ning paused for a moment, then typed a few letters, thought about it, and deleted and re-edited: [Watching the Spring Festival Gala, how about you?] [Kong Nian Xi: Thinking of you.] Accustomed to Kong Nian Xi's sweet words, Xi Ning unconsciously lifted the corners of her mouth. [Kong Nian Xi: Longing for you.] [Kong Nian Xi: Want to see you.] [Kong Nian Xi: Right now.] Xi Ning blinked. [Where are you now? Are you home?] Without replying, the other party initiated a video call. Kong Nian Xi's face appeared on the screen. It looked like she was outside, with bright street lights behind her, slowly walking forward while holding her phone. "Guess where I am." It was already past 11 o'clock in the evening, and the outside was very dark. It was hard to see the street side clearly, but there was a vague sense of familiarity. "Why are you still outside at this hour..." Xi Ning didn't finish her sentence, noticing the very familiar security room in the bottom corner of the screen. Kong Nian Xi chuckled, "You're so silly. You can't even recognize your own neighborhood." Xi Ning didn't hesitate and put her phone in her pocket, threw on a coat, and rushed downstairs. Arriving at the neighborhood gate, she immediately saw the slender figure standing alone by the road. Kong Nian Xi was wearing a black knitted hat, a light-colored padded jacket, and her fair skin under the streetlights was dazzling. She hugged herself and seemed even more fragile in the cold winter night. Xi Ning quickly walked over, about to say something when Kong Nian Xi immediately threw herself into a hug, saying, "I thought about it, and the first person I want to see in the new year must be you, so I came over~" Xi Ning was about to reprimand her for coming over so late without informing her, but her words got stuck in her throat. But with her neck against Kong Nian Xi's freezing cheek, Xi Ning still furrowed her brows slightly. "How long have you been standing here? Are you cold?" "Not that long, but..." Kong Nian Xi took a step back, a little aggrieved as she held out her hand to her, "It is a bit cold. My hands are freezing. Feel it." Xi Ning gave her a disapproving look, but still took her cold hand and gently rubbed it in her own palm to warm her up. "The show isn't over yet. I had my mom's driver secretly bring me here. I have to go back in a while," Kong Nian Xi's voice was weak as she looked at her phone. It was already half past eleven, and there was still half an hour left until the new year. Then she raised her head and smiled, "But at least we still have thirty minutes." Xi Ning looked at her for a moment, then put Kong Nian Xi's cold hand in her pocket. "Let's go upstairs." "Huh?" Kong Nian Xi looked surprised, then glanced slightly shyly at the residential area, saying softly, "But I'm not ready to meet your parents yet." Xi Ning chuckled, "It's okay, they're both out. It's just me at home now." "Really?" Kong Nian Xi widened her eyes. "Why didn't you say so earlier." With that, she seemed to shake off the shyness she had a moment ago, grabbed Xi Ning's arm, and walked into the residential area. In the elevator, Kong Nian Xi asked, "When will they be back?" "I don't know," Xi Ning replied. Kong Nian Xi made a soft sound, "How thrilling." Xi Ning turned her head with a puzzled look. Kong Nian Xi linked her arm with Xi Ning and smiled slyly, "I feel like we're having an affair." Xi Ning...