91 The Japan Trip 3 (1/2)
After the driver dropped her off, Xiu Ling walked into the airport dragging her luggage.
As she entered, Xiu Ling looked around the place and failed to spot her best friend. According to the message she received on the way over, Joann should have arrived already.
Xiu Ling frowned with confusion as she fired off a message to Joann to enquire about her position. The reply came quickly and Xiu Ling moved to find her friend.
Instead of standing in the middle of the airport where every passing individual could see her, Joann selected the seat at the farthest corner of a café attached to the airport. Joann did not wish to be seen in the public and Xiu Ling could understand her sentiment.
Joann stood up to give Xiu Ling a hug when the two friends met. Xiu Ling then sat down across from Joann. The smile on Xiu Ling's face was genuine while the one on Joann's was a bit forced.
To be perfectly honest, Xiu Ling was more excited about this trip compared to Joann. Joann just wanted to hide herself at home like a hermit as this scandal blew over. Even though this trip began as a favour for Joann, Joann agreed to it more for the sake of Xiu Ling. She heard how excited Xiu Ling was on the phone, and she did not have the heart to say no. This was the kind of friendship the two women shared.
Since the boarding time was still quite far away, Xiu Ling sat down and started with small talk, ”Joann, have you been here long? Who brought you here and how was the family's reaction to this sudden trip?”
”No, I've just arrived.” Joann said, ”Xu Jing and Sylvia were understandably shocked when I told them the news but they agreed for me to go with you. Then again, they probably only said that because I prefaced the news with the announcement that I've already made the decision to go with you. They knew they wouldn't be able to stop me even if they tried.”
Joann managed a weak smile. ”It was Xu Jing who drove me here and he told me to thank you for treating me to this trip.”
”Aww, he shouldn't have. It's not me who is paying after all,” Xiu Ling answered as dictated by the social rules, however, there was another train of thought at the back of her mind. 'Xu Jing, Xu Jing. I've almost forgotten all about him. Should I tell Joann during the trip? But the purpose of the trip is to leave every problem back at home… In that case, perhaps I should wait until the trip is over then…'
Joann nudged her. ”Xiu Ling, what's wrong, why are you spacing out?”
”Oh, it's nothing.” Xiu Ling smiled as she stood up. ”Come on, let's go check-in already.” To avoid an awkward situation, she suggested that they move on.
Both women were lightly packed. Xiu Ling and Joann only had a small carry-on and a single suitcase each so they did not need to lug a heavy load across the airport, an experience that was not enjoyable, especially when you were racing against time.