Xin Gan corrected him with a serious smile, "Don't give me a nickname. I have a name." After a pause, he continued, "Before marriage, I did not approve of x behavior."
So he thought the matter of driving without a license was ruined.
Impossible.
Cheng Jiu didn't bother to tease her with his words either. He took a cigarette, lit it, and didn't rush to smoke. He said, "Then let's get back to the topic just now. Is it because you have someone in your heart that you rejected me?"
Xin Gan fell into deep thought, paused for a few minutes and said, "No."
"None?"
"Um."
Cheng asked, "True or false?"
"The truth." Xin Gan said, "I have lived in Lundun for eleven years, but I know I'm not an extroverted person. During my years abroad, I never found a boyfriend."
She also openly confessed to her past. In fact, during her time studying abroad, she was not without pursuit, but she never had a crush on someone. Maybe it was due to the difference in aesthetic standards, and her parents had high expectations for her, allowing her to study abroad instead of dating. She could clearly distinguish between primary and secondary relationships.
Xin Gan is not lacking in the care of her family. She has her own ideas and won't be confused by a few sweet words from boys. Some female classmates around her have also asked her, "You are so beautiful and do well in your studies. Why don't you find a boyfriend?"
Of course, there were also some classmates who privately discussed whether she was pretending to be aloof or not. Otherwise, why would she keep turning down boys' pursuits?
The malice among girls often comes out of the blue. They can develop strong aversion and malice towards the same sex over various trivial matters. When Xin Gan was in high school and lived in a boarding school, she also encountered cold violence on campus. This is almost something everyone experiences, of course, there are exceptions.
This is an exception to Xin Gan, who seems lucky but is not so fortunate.
The cause was also that a boy had a crush on her. After pursuing her for a week without success, he joined forces with other classmates to carry out cold violence against her. They didn't even take action directly, but the shadow of cold violence on her was not small.
After that, she was even more reluctant to get too close to boys, let alone have any romantic relationship.
She didn't lie to Cheng Jiu, and there was no need for her.
Cheng Jiu had feelings for her. She knew it in her heart, but the shadow in her heart was still very big. Besides, she was going to emigrate and couldn't marry him. If she got married, she wouldn't be able to go abroad.
She negotiated with Cheng Jiu that they would not get married for the time being, also because of the matter of immigration.
Of course, the matter of immigration can't be told to others for the time being, especially Cheng Jiu.
Xin Gan's little calculation in his heart was meticulous, taking it step by step slowly.
She remained silent and deep in thought for a long time. It was Cheng Jiu who called her back. The cigarette between his fingers had burned by more than half, and the ash fell to the ground and was blown away by the wind. He seemed not to notice and asked, "Xin Gan, have you never been in a relationship?"
Xin Gan said, "No."
It was Cheng Jiu's turn to fall silent. He couldn't quite believe it because the relationship between He Cheng and her was unclear. She said she had never been in a relationship, so was that not the kind of relationship between she and He Cheng? So was it He Cheng who unilaterally pursued?
It's not without reason.
If He Cheng had really talked to her, it was impossible that no one had leaked out. There would have been some rumors, but none of them were about the two of them. If it was because they kept it a secret, it was not impossible.
Cheng Jiu held back the urge to ask her, but in the end, he still couldn't get it out.
Xin Gan said, "If you can agree to my preconditions, I can cooperate with you. When the time comes, we'll confront both families. We'll see what happens then."
Cheng Jiu said, "What if I don't agree to these two preconditions of yours?"
"Then I'll have to confront Uncle Cheng first, and then go home and confront my family. Whether it's life or death, I have to give it a try." "
Cheng Jiu was both angry and helpless, saying to her, "So I can only agree. Maybe there's still a chance."
Xin Gan shrugged his shoulders, neither agreeing nor denying.
And whether there is a chance or not, his life and death are all in a single thought of hers.
Xin Gan forgot in which book he read a sentence that went: "Easily obtained happiness cannot last." This realization was more derived from lessons rather than experiences.
She was afraid that one wrong step would lead to a series of mistakes and that she would end up blaming others, so she was very cautious at the beginning.
It was settled this way. Cheng Jiu paid the money and took her to the nearest scenic spot for a visit. Considering the weather at this time, they stayed in the car and didn't get out to go deep into the scenic area.
Leaving aside other reasons, Xin Gan still loves the natural scenery here very much. There is a vast and boundless skyline, and animals can be seen everywhere in the wild, such as herds of cattle and sheep, either grazing with their heads down or in groups of two or three. They coexist harmoniously with nature and blend into one. If you are lucky, you may even encounter rare wild animals.
This is a scenic line that you won't even have in the city.
She really likes the primitive, natural and comfortable environment, which can make her forget her worries for a short time.
Around the summer vacation, tourism in the scenic area is booming and the number of tourists is increasing. Tourist coaches with various logos are parked in the parking lot beside the entrance of the scenic area. The entrance is crowded with people, making it very lively.
Cheng Jiu was careful to avoid pedestrians and slowed down the car, which also allowed Xin Gan to enjoy the scenery outside the window.
Xin Gan always went on self-driving Tours with her family. She had never joined a tour group before and found it quite interesting that many of them followed the tour guide holding a flag for sightseeing.
Cheng Jiu said, "Have you never seen such a scene?"
"No, my family and I always go on trips during the off-season. I've never joined a tour group. My parents are old and say that joining a tour group is too much trouble. It's better to drive by ourselves." "
"Going abroad?"
I also bought the air ticket myself. If I didn't know the place, I would look up information online.
The whole family has no problem with foreign languages and their economic conditions are good. Generally, they have no problem going anywhere they want.
Cheng Jiu said, "Joining a tour group also has the meaning of joining a tour group. It's different from driving by oneself or traveling alone."
Have you followed?
"Well, when I was in college, I went on a group tour with my classmates." "
Xin Gan nodded. When the car drove away and was out of sight of the scenic area, she withdrew her gaze and looked ahead.
They could only look at the surrounding grassland from the national highway. At this time, the sun was shining brightly, and the sunlight reflected one reflection after another on the emerald green grass, making the grassland full of vitality.
When they reached a place with few people, Xin Gan saw a Wolf standing at the foot of a distant mountain, eyeing the nearby flock of sheep greedily. This scene was rare, and Xin Gan couldn't help but want to see it. So she pointed in the direction of the mountain foot and asked Cheng Jiu, "Is that a Wolf?"
"Um." Cheng Jiu looked over and nodded.
The car came to a stop and the two of them sat in it without getting out.
Xin Gan took out his mobile phone and took a few photos of the Wolf in the distance. However, due to the limited pixel of the phone, the photos taken when the lens was enlarged were very blurry and lacked texture.
Cheng Jiu said, "Why did you film that Wolf?"
It's the first time I've seen a real Wolf. I want to take a photo to look closely. Xin Gan was a little excited.
Cheng Jiu couldn't help teasing her, "Who was scared out of their wits that night when they heard the howling of wolves?"
I can't see at night, of course I'm scared. This will be in a safe place. I'm not that afraid. Moreover, he is there too.
But she didn't say it.
Cheng Jiu said, "If you stay here for a long time, you will not only see wolves but also other rare wild animals. Those on the verge of extinction will have to go to the deep mountains where no one lives. Besides artists who want to capture rare species through photography or those engaged in wildlife protection, by the way, there is a third type of people, thieves."
Xin Gan knew very little about his life. Regarding what he said, she would only see reports in documentaries or the news.
Especially the third type of people he mentioned, the thieves.
Xin Gan: "Who were those people we met before?"
A group of criminals. Cheng Jiu frowned slightly. "A group of criminals who are doing evil deeds in this area."
However, this had nothing to do with Xin Gan. Cheng Jiu didn't say much and started the engine again, continuing to drive forward.
In the afternoon, as dusk gradually fell, the sun gradually set, and a vast, grayish-white hue emerged spontaneously.
They went to another small town. Before getting off the vehicle, Cheng Jiu took out a clean mask from somewhere in the car and put it on her. She blinked her eyes as if asking why.
Cheng Jiu said, "Don't ask. Just wear it."
He didn't forget to put the hat on her.
Xin Gan followed him and came to a house. There was a grape trellis in the yard, and under the trellis was a shady place.
Cheng Jiu walked in and gently held her wrist with his other hand. As soon as he entered the room, he saw a heated brick bed, on which was a deep red embroidered blanket. There was a faint smell of Chinese herbal medicine in the room. Xin Gan didn't have time to say a word when a young man in local clothing came out. Seeing Cheng Jiu, he immediately smiled and walked over to shake his hand and greet him.
Both of them spoke in the local dialect, which she couldn't understand, so she obediently stood beside Cheng Jiu.
Cheng Jiu introduced her to that man and pointed at her, but since Xin Gan didn't understand, she had no idea what they were saying.
The man warmly entertained Cheng Jiu and invited him to enjoy local delicacies. He even specially prepared fresh fruits and vegetables. However, he was the only one at his home. After staying for a long time, there was no one else.
The man answered a phone call halfway through and walked away for a while. Cheng Jiu took half a melon for her to eat. Xin Gan pointed at her mask and nodded. Only then did she take it off and let out a breath, saying, "Why can't I take off my mask?"
Cheng Jiu said, "I'm afraid you'll be too beautiful and attract bees and butterflies."
You speak human language.
There's a lot of dust here. Your face is already allergic, so keep it away from the dust.
Xin Gan thought he was talking nonsense and stopped listening. But she was also thirsty. Seeing the freshly cut melon, she took it and said thanks.
Cheng Jiu said, "His name is Wa Mu. He's my friend. He used to be my colleague, but later got injured and retired. I happened to pass by today, so I came to sit for a while."
Xin Gan said awkwardly, "Then you take me along. It's not that it's inconvenient."
Cheng Jiu smiled but said nothing, offering no explanation.
If she had understood, she could have heard that when Cheng Jiu introduced her identity to Wa Mu, he used the word "fiancee". There was also such a custom in the local area, so Wa Mu could have understood who she was to Cheng Jiu.
Wa Mu came back again, holding an extra bottle of ointment in her hand. She handed it to Cheng Jiu and said, "This is the ointment you want. Apply it once or twice a day after washing your face."
Cheng Jiu took it and put it away, saying "Thank you."
Wamu patted her head and said, "You're welcome, Ninth Brother. This is a small matter and nothing."
Cheng Jiu said, "It's getting late. Next time, I'll bring Xiao Shi over to see you."
"All right, then I won't keep you. Goodbye, Ninth Brother."
After leaving Wama's home, several barefoot and dark-skinned children immediately darted by the off-road vehicle. Wama realized something and immediately ran over to call those children back, but none of them came back. The child ran fast and soon rushed into the corner and disappeared.
Cheng Jiu wasn't in a hurry yet. When Wa Mu went up to check the tire, it was already flat. He was frustrated and apologized to Cheng Jiu, "Those naughty kids punctured your tire."
Cheng Jiu's face turned dark and he said, "Are there any car repairmen nearby?"
"No. We're going to the neighboring town." Wamu said, "Those kids are notorious for being naughty here. Whenever there are foreign vehicles or strangers, they will do bad things. The reputation of our small town has been tarnished by these kids."
Cheng Jiu said, "How long does it take to get to the neighboring town?"
It will take at least two hours. Besides, there won't be a tow truck to get there now. The car can't be driven either. Tomorrow morning, I can borrow a villager's car to go to the next door and ask someone to come and repair it.
Xin Gan had no idea what was going on. Standing behind Cheng Jiu, she noticed that Wa Mu's expression was not right. She couldn't help but ask Cheng Jiu, "What's wrong?" What happened?
Cheng Jiu said, "The tyre was punctured by those little kids just now."
Xin Gan was stunned: "What should we do then?"
Wamu meant that we could only go to the neighboring town to ask a technician to come and fix the tire tomorrow. It's getting dark now.
Xin Gan tugged at the hem of her clothes and said, "Are we going to spend the night here tonight?"
Judging from the current situation, that's indeed the case.