Chapter 532 - 562: Missing You Makes a Day Feel Like a Year
At the dinner table, the brothers Qin Bogang and Qin Zhonghui started talking, and soon both grown men were crying. But then, through their tears, they began to laugh.
Middle-aged people carry many burdens, and sometimes their emotions are far more complex than simple joy or sorrow.
Sun Li didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but she ignored the two brothers. She turned, pulled Su Yun aside, and asked where she had bought her necklace, saying it was absolutely gorgeous.
And Xiao Shi... she was eating while reading an English classic she held in her hands.
She was reading *The Three Musketeers*, a book Qin Jiao used to love.
In truth, Ping’an Town hadn’t changed much over the past year. Leaning against the window, Qin Jiao looked outside and suddenly saw the road she and Shen Yi had walked to and from school countless times.
"Sis, Xiao Shi is unbelievable! Are all elementary school students this diligent nowadays?" Qin Xiaolan was completely astounded, watching her younger cousin study English even while she ate. ’She’s just an elementary schooler!’
Qin Jiao smiled and said, "She’s skipping to the seventh grade next year. She says she wants to be a successful career woman someday, so she has to study hard now."
Qin Xiaolan was stunned. She turned to look at her younger cousin again, instantly filled with profound respect.
She said, "My deskmate is so lazy, but he’s always going on about how hard he works. I’ll finally have something to shut him up with. I’m going to tell him, ’Your ’hard work’ isn’t even a third of my little cousin’s!’"
Qin Jiao suppressed a smile.
’My youthful days with Shen Yi, Lin Nian, and Shen Feng are well and truly over,’ she thought. ’But for my cousin Xiaolan and her friends, it’s like a rerun just starting.’
’Everyone only has one youth. Whether you choose to fight for your goals or to squander it all depends on you.’
After the meal, the four members of the Qin family boarded a long-distance train early the next morning. Qin Jiao called Shen Yi during the trip, and he told her everything at home was fine, except that he missed her.
Qin Zhonghui and Su Yun were standing right beside her, so Qin Jiao couldn’t say much, replying only, "We’ll be home the day after tomorrow."
After a bumpy overnight trip, they arrived in North City. As soon as they stepped off the train, they saw Shen Yi waiting there.
Shen Yi gave Qin Jiao a long, deep look, but without saying anything else, he immediately went over to help Qin Zhonghui and Su Yun with their bags.
Besides their personal luggage, the Su family and Qin Bogang and his wife had also given them lots of local specialties and farm products. They weren’t valuable, but it was the thought that counted.
Once they were in the car, Qin Zhonghui, Su Yun, and Xiao Shi naturally sat in the back, leaving Qin Jiao and Shen Yi in the front.
As Shen Yi started the car, he glanced at the three in the backseat, then reached out and gave Qin Jiao’s hand a squeeze.
It was just a light squeeze of her fingers, but his hand felt searingly hot to her.
When she turned to look at him, she found a pitiful look in his eyes, as if he had a thousand things to say but couldn’t with Qin Zhonghui and the others in the back.
He looked absolutely pitiful.
Qin Jiao pursed her lips. "Just drive carefully."
"Mm."
The two of them simply exchanged glances for the rest of the ride without saying another word. When they got back to the courtyard house, everyone was tired from the overnight trip, so they went to their separate rooms to rest.
The moment Qin Jiao and Shen Yi entered their little room, Shen Yi dropped the bags in his hands, turned, and pulled Qin Jiao into his arms, kissing her fiercely.
"Jiao Jiao, I missed you so much."
"It’s only been a few days."
"But my longing for you made every day feel like a year."
Since they had gotten together, they truly couldn’t stand to be apart for a single moment, yet this time they had been separated for several days.
Before long, Qin Jiao found herself lying on the bed.
She said, exasperated, "Are you serious? It’s the middle of the day! Besides, you have to at least let me take a shower first."
"Fine. You go take a shower. After that, we’ll go into the space!"