Chapter 32 (2/2)

His aunt lived in a very s.p.a.cious house.  The interior decorations were not as luxurious as some of the mansions in China, but it wasn’t as simple as the average American family.  It made you feel warm and fas.h.i.+onable.

The sound of children playing emanated from the living room.  Someone was busy in the kitchen.  A women came out of kitchen after she heard the sound from the front door.  She looked to be around the age of 40, wearing an ap.r.o.n.  She had kept herself in good shape and looked very gentle.

“You’ve arrived?”  She greeted with a smile and took over the bag from Song Qiyan.

“How are you.  I’m Xia Liang.  I’m Song s.h.i.+xiong’s schoolmate.”

The women glanced at Song Qiyan.  Then she smiled at her. “How are you, Xiao Xia.  Come in.  Your don’t need to change shoes. Make yourself at home. Just call me Xiao Yi like Ah Yan.  By the way, my husband has gone out for some company business.  He will come back in the afternoon.”

Xia Liang looked at Song Qiyan and saw that he was bending over to look at her.  So she nodded quietly and politely greeted her. “Xiao Yi.”

Su Wei let them in.  Then she called out to the living room.  Two 12 or 13 years old girls ran out from the living room immediately.  They were obviously twins.  The two young girls had the same long dark hair, brown eyes, identical appearance and identical body shape.  They looked at her with the same curiosity.  Then they flew to Song Qiyan’s side and simultaneously shouted, “Albert!”

“Morning.”  Song Qiyan bent over.  He touched the young children’s heads one by one. “Introduce yourselves to Summer.”

Then he stood straight up.

The young children looked at each other.  The young girl at left spoke first, “Hey, Summer, I’m Annie.”  Then she added in Chinese, “My Chinese name is Qi Ning.”

The girl at right spoke next, “Hey, Summer, I’m Angie.  Uhm, my Chinese name is Qi Jing.”

Su Wei, who was next to them, began to complain, “Alright, alright, you two go back and play.”  Su Wei helplessly shook her head as she watch the two children run back hand in hand. “Their names don’t match their personalities at all.  How are they Ning and Jing.”[1]  Both Xia Liang and Song Qiyan laughed.

Then Su Wei went to the kitchen to drop off the bag.  After she came out, she saw Song Qiyan was keeping Xia Liang company in the living room.  She could not help herself from walking up to pat Song Qiyan’s arm and become somewhat unusually serious.  “Ah Yan, you go to take a nap.  I’ll keep Xiao Xia company.”

Song Qiyan understood his Xiao Yi’s personality.  Most of the time she was gentle but there were times when she could be very stubborn. In addition, he was indeed tired; he already felt the onset of a headache.  He nodded.  Then he looked down at Xia Liang.

Xia Liang could hear that even his voice was a little hoa.r.s.e.  She pulled his sleeve. “s.h.i.+xiong, you go take a rest.  I’ll be all right.”

“Go quickly now.”  Su Wei patted his hand.

Su Wei sighed after Song Qiyan walked upstairs. “I have to worry about everybody.”  She turned to look at Xia Liang with a gentle smile again. “Ah Yan just arrived this morning and ran to pick you up after he took only a very short nap.  He was very picky.  So he surely didn’t sleep well on the plane.  He can’t keep it up if he still doesn’t get some rest.  He was so busy for several weeks back in China and he was in such a bad mood, so he most certainly hasn’t had a chance to rest.  He looks like he has a mild personality but he’s actually a very stubborn person.”

Xia Liang carefully listened to Su Wei’s comment about Song Qiyan.  But her mind was not calm inside.

Did he go to pick her up right after he got off the airplane?  Actually it was not far from here to her apartment, she could come over here by herself.  He only needed to tell her.

Besides, what did it mean that he was busy in China and he was in bad mood?

Xia Liang stuffed all these questions inside herself as she was too embarra.s.sed to ask.  Finally, she could only ask Su Wei cutely, “Xiao Yi, do you need any help?  Uhm, I can be your a.s.sistant.”

[1]:  In Chinese, Ning means calm and Jing means silent.

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