Chapter 412: Arriving in Jinling

Chapter 412: Chapter 412: Arriving in Jinling

Wang Chenning had promised he would come and keep her company, and Zhao Xiao’an had been waiting.

But after all the earlier excitement, she was getting a little sleepy.

Around eleven o’clock, she couldn’t hold on any longer and drifted off to sleep.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when she felt a stir beside her, but Zhao Xiao’an couldn’t be bothered to move.

Then, she felt someone lie down next to her, and a large hand slipped inside her pajamas.

Smelling that familiar masculine scent, Zhao Xiao’an subconsciously snuggled closer...

Still, Zhao Xiao’an was too lazy to open her eyes.

She savored the intimacy of this half-asleep, half-awake state...

Afterward, she fell back into a deep sleep, as if it had all been a dream.

She slept so soundly that if someone hadn’t started bothering her, she had no idea when she would have woken up.

This time, she woke up quickly, and her reaction was just as fast.

"You performed well last night, so here’s a little reward for you!" she said, leaning over to look at the pair of sparkling eyes in the darkness, a wide smile on her face. "But you can’t let me fall behind your sightseeing pace today. I need to save my strength!"

"Of course, no problem!" said Wang Chenning with a grin, currently pinned down by Zhao Xiao’an. "I’ll give you some acupuncture in a bit. I guarantee you’ll be bursting with energy!"

And just as promised, Zhao Xiao’an was indeed fired up, much to Wang Chenning’s surprise and delight.

He kept his promise. After taking a shower, he performed some acupuncture on her, which completely restored her vitality.

When Luo Yuqing came to knock on Zhao Xiao’an’s door, Zhao Xiao’an went to open it with a light spring in her step, sweetly calling out, "Auntie!"

Seeing Zhao Xiao’an’s unusually radiant complexion, Luo Yuqing was practically green with envy.

"You little minx, being so reckless. Aren’t you afraid of getting into trouble?" She resentfully pinched Zhao Xiao’an’s delicate cheek. "If your mom saw you like this, she wouldn’t even need to guess what happened between you and Wang Chenning!"

Luo Yuqing was an old hand at this now; how could she not see that the relationship between Zhao Xiao’an and Wang Chenning had definitely taken a substantial leap forward?

She had seen that same glow on her own face in the mirror before, except she was more experienced than Zhao Xiao’an and knew how to cover it up a little.

"None of your business!" Zhao Xiao’an slapped Luo Yuqing’s hand away. "Didn’t I tell you before? Safety is definitely not an issue!"

Luo Yuqing said through gritted teeth, "I hope you remember that when you go home today, your dad or your grandfather might give you a talking-to. Thinking about that, maybe you could tone down that blissful expression a bit?"

Zhao Xiao’an understood what Luo Yuqing was trying to tell her. After rolling her eyes, she went back to the bathroom to fix herself up.

When she appeared in the restaurant, her once-rosy complexion had returned to normal, but her eyes still couldn’t hide the happiness that came from her heart. Luo Yuqing could see it, and Li Fuzhen could see it, too. Only the two innocent young women, Zhao Xiao’an and Li Yanxian, didn’t completely take notice.

Since they were heading to Jinling first thing in the morning, everyone woke up quite early. It was only 7:10 when they all met in the restaurant.

They would soon be taking the 8:20 high-speed train from Gusu to Jinling.

"If we leave Gusu so early in the morning, won’t it look like we’re running away with our tails between our legs?" Yang Xiaofei wasn’t very happy with Wang Chenning’s arrangement.

She knew Wang Chenning had made this arrangement for Zhao Xiao’an, which was why she wasn’t pleased.

Besides, logically, the talks in Gusu should have continued. After all, they hadn’t signed a formal cooperation agreement yet!

"It’s fine!" Luo Yuqing, however, told Yang Xiaofei not to worry. "If all goes according to plan, we can continue our talks with Dai Xingfeng in Jinling. He’s definitely going to Jinling today. Certain people in Jinling are also hoping we’ll get there as soon as possible. So, we’re just going along with their wishes by heading there first thing in the morning!"

After hearing this, Yang Xiaofei didn’t say anything more.

What Wang Chenning, Luo Yuqing, and the others hadn’t expected was that Dai Xingfeng would come to see them off as they were preparing to leave for the high-speed rail station.

"I thought you’d be staying in Gusu for another day or two to have some fun. I didn’t expect you to leave so early!" As he shook hands and said his goodbyes to Wang Chenning, Luo Yuqing, and the others, Dai Xingfeng asked, a little sheepishly, "Is it that Gusu is too small? That our culture and scenery aren’t appealing enough?"

"There is a little bit of that feeling!" Luo Yuqing replied with a bright smile. "But, although Gusu isn’t large, it’s full of hidden talents! Great things can be accomplished in a place like this, so we’ll definitely be back often in the future. We need to get the investment we agreed on last night sorted out as soon as possible!"

Wang Chenning also said with a smile, "We’ll talk more when we get to Jinling!"

Dai Xingfeng gave Wang Chenning a meaningful look, then glanced at Luo Yuqing, and finally replied with a smile, "Then we’ll talk more when we get to Jinling!"

There weren’t many people who came with Dai Xingfeng to see them off at the station, but everyone knew that those who did were surely his trusted confidants.

"Hanging around you guys for so long, I feel like I’ve been dropped into some kind of palace intrigue drama!" Zhao Xiao’an muttered quietly to Luo Yuqing and Wang Chenning after boarding the train. "I’ve never felt like this before. I’m starting to feel a bit on edge!"

"That’s because your parents protected you too well. They got you into the TV station so you could live a comfortable life!" Luo Yuqing shot Zhao Xiao’an a look. "But from the moment you met Wang Chenning, you were inevitably drawn into the palace drama. Setting aside everything else, your own love story is more dramatic than anything you’d see in one of those shows!"

Zhao Xiao’an rolled her eyes at Luo Yuqing, not wanting to take the bait.

Luo Yuqing didn’t mind and went to chat with Li Fuzhen instead.

Li Yanxian sidled up to Wang Chenning and told him about the sights she wanted to see.

"I want to go to the President’s Mansion, the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Zhonghua Gate, Xuanwu Lake, and Mochou Lake. And especially the Qinhuai River at night—we have to see that!" Li Yanxian said, looking at Wang Chenning with a grin. "I want to take a night cruise on the Qinhuai River in a Qinhuai Painting Boat, and maybe even hire a few girls to sing. Sipping fine wine, listening to songs and watching dances... how blissful would that be!"

Li Yanxian’s words earned her a glare from Zhao Xiao’an. She had to leave Jinling that afternoon, yet here was Li Yanxian, talking right in front of her about dragging Wang Chenning out to experience Jinling’s nightlife and enjoy the romantic sights and sounds of the Qinhuai River. She was thoroughly annoyed.

"Today, we’ll go to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum first," Wang Chenning said to Li Yanxian with a smile. "As for the other spots, we’ll see if we have time."

An idea struck Zhao Xiao’an. "I want to visit the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre."

"Then after we arrive in Jinling, we’ll go to the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre first," Wang Chenning said, his expression turning serious. "We’ll go to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in the afternoon."

Then he added to Li Yanxian, "You and your aunt can do your own thing this morning."

"Why should we do our own thing?" Li Yanxian was stunned for a moment, but then she understood what Wang Chenning meant. She shook her head. "We want to go with you!"

"Then suit yourselves," Wang Chenning said, not pressing the issue.

The trip from Gusu to Jinling was quick, taking less than an hour.

At 9:15, the train pulled into Jinling South Station.

The train had just come to a stop when the sharp-eyed Wang Chenning noticed a large welcoming party standing on the platform outside their business-class carriage.

"A lot of important people have come to welcome us!" Zhao Xiao’an also saw the scene outside and nudged Wang Chenning’s arm, whispering, "You’ve got a lot of clout!"

"I’d say it’s all of us together that gives us this much clout," Wang Chenning said with a laugh. "Since they came to greet us, we might as well go meet them."