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He Hansheng returned to the villa early the next morning.
Once he entered, he sat down on the sofa and rubbed his temples, a faint trace of fatigue crossing his usually cold face.
“Xu Xingran, come here and massage my head.”
He waited, but there was no response.
In the past, as soon as he came home, Xu Xingran would happily rush to greet him, asking how he was, rubbing his shoulders, and trying to cheer him up.
He glanced around the large, empty villa, its silence unnerving.
There was no sign of Xu Xingran.
Instead, Aunt Chen stood at the kitchen door, looking somewhat helpless, and spoke up.
“Miss Xu hasn’t come back since yesterday…”
A flash of impatience crossed He Hansheng’s handsome face as he rubbed his brow once again.
He knew. She was upset after he canceled the engagement party yesterday.
And now, she was throwing a tantrum.
He took out his phone and opened the chat window with Xu Xingran.
There, he saw the breakup message she had sent.
He Hansheng laughed, a mix of amusement and disbelief.
“Break up?”
Did she really have the heart to do that?
He stood up, his tall frame stretching as he picked up his coat from the sofa and contacted his secretary on the phone.
“Qin An, book a ticket to Country M immediately. We need to discuss the MA1 conference.”
Aunt Chen, feeling sympathetic, took a step forward and spoke softly.
“Sir, Miss Xu hasn’t come back all night. Aren’t you worried?”
Aren’t you going to comfort her?
After all, something as significant as an engagement—canceled just like that.
What girl could handle that?
He Hansheng understood the implication in Aunt Chen’s words.
He smirked slightly.
“No time to comfort her.”
He left with those cold words, walking away without a second glance.
The meeting in Country M would take a week.
He gave Xu Xingran one week to calm down on her own.
By then, she’d surely come crawling back, wouldn’t she?
—
Xu Xingran took a flight back to Xiangcheng. She spent the night at the airport and only took a taxi back to her small villa the next day.
Standing in front of the two-story house, she was reminded of the beautiful childhood memories it held.
A warm current flowed through her heart.
This sense of belonging was something she had never felt during her seven years in the bustling, extravagant capital.
She was about to push open the door when the door of the adjacent house opened, and a hurried figure rushed out, running in the opposite direction.
The footsteps were quick and filled with urgency.
Xu Xingran recognized him.
She called out, “Brother Huaichuan.”
Shen Huaichuan, his heart filled with urgency, suddenly heard a familiar, soft voice. He turned around in surprise and saw Xu Xingran smiling brightly at him.
“Xingxing? You’re back?”
Xu Xingran smiled gently.
“Brother Huaichuan, I’m back.”
She had grown up under Shen Huaichuan’s watch.
He was like the older brother next door to her.
Their relationship had always been good.
But in recent years, she had been caught up in the whirlwind of He Hansheng’s world, with no time to return.
Shen Huaichuan was surprised for a moment, then his eyes lit up with immense joy.
He quickly stepped toward Xu Xingran.
“Xingxing, I need a favor.”
“What favor?”
“Marry me.”
Xu Xingran instinctively took a step back.
What kind of favor was this?
It was too absurd.
Shen Huaichuan knew he had been too hasty. He quickly explained, his voice trembling with emotion.
“Jiao Jiao got into an accident in Country J. She left behind a child, and I need to bring the child back. But the policies there require me to be married in order to adopt the child. I have no other choice.”
“Xingxing, please help me by just getting the marriage certificate with me. When I return, I’ll divorce you.”
This request was incredibly unreasonable.
After all, with just one trip, Xu Xingran would become a divorcee.
But at this moment, Shen Huaichuan couldn’t think of anything else.
Country J was embroiled in war, with bombs and chaos everywhere.
Jiao Jiao was already dead, and the child she left behind was something Shen Huaichuan had to bring back.
Xu Xingran’s heart ached.
She suddenly realized the terrible outcome, her face paling as her voice trembled.
“Jiao Jiao… what happened?”
She had always kept in touch with Jiao Jiao.
She knew Jiao Jiao was in Country J.
When the war broke out, she had urged Jiao Jiao to return quickly.
But she never received a reply.
A tear slid down Shen Huaichuan’s cheek.
“She… she’s gone.”
Xu Xingran’s steps faltered, almost causing her to fall to the ground.
When they were children, Jiao Jiao had taken care of her so much.
She had always seen Jiao Jiao as a gentle yet strong older sister.
She never expected that now Jiao Jiao’s only bloodline was in such a dangerous place, and Shen Huaichuan had to bring the child back.
Xu Xingran quickly said, “Brother Huaichuan, wait for me. I’ll grab my ID and we can head to the civil affairs bureau together.”
Marriage was such an easy thing.
Both parties just needed to go to the civil affairs bureau, take a photo, do a simple notarization, read a declaration, and with a stamp, the marriage certificate would be handed over.
It was such a simple thing that she had waited seven years for with He Hansheng, but never received.
Just before their engagement, he had even canceled the engagement banquet.
It was laughable!
But at least she was still young, and it wasn’t too late to turn things around.
Her life was still long ahead.
Shen Huaichuan took the marriage certificate, thanked Xu Xingran, and hurried off to the airport.
Time was of the essence; not a second could be wasted.
Every moment of delay meant more danger for that child.
Watching Shen Huaichuan rush off in such a hurry, Xu Xingran clasped her hands together.
“I hope Brother Huaichuan and Jiao Jiao’s child will return safely.”
What Xu Xingran didn’t know was that as she said these words, a circle of white light surrounded her.