Ning Xuan left, and Ning An could finally relax and take a look at the room's layout. It was evident that the owner of the room didn't have much sentiment towards the home; besides the essential furnishings, the room was empty.
Ning An's mind wandered to the woman she had dreamt about, and her curiosity about her intensified. Her gaze eventually settled on a tightly closed wooden door adorned with a delicate decoration. That should be Ning Xuan's mother's room.
It seemed as if some magic was guiding her towards that door. Good manners told her she shouldn't just barge into someone else's room, but her strong curiosity urged her to open the door...
In the end, she placed her hand on the doorknob. She closed her eyes and gently twisted it. Surprisingly, the door wasn't locked, as if it was intentionally waiting for her to open it.
She couldn't think much anymore and walked into the room.
To her astonishment, the room was even more sparsely furnished. Besides a bed, a wardrobe, and a bedside table, there was nothing else.
What kind of person was this?
Ning An had a feeling in her heart as if this home was just a temporary stop for that woman, with no sense of belonging.
She casually touched the bedside table and found that the handle, where dust should have collected, was clean...
Someone had been here before, deliberately opening this bedside table? Or deliberately leaving traces for her to discover and open?
She opened the drawer and found a photo album. She took out the album and flipped through it. The album was empty, not a single photo on the originally pristine plastic cover. Ning An kept flipping through, persisting until she found a photo tucked in the back cover.
It was a woman holding a little girl. Ning An's eyes widened in disbelief. It was a stranger holding Ning Xuan, just like she had seen in her dream. Had that woman raised him as a girl when he was little?
Why?
As if realizing something, she took a picture of it with her phone and sent it to Qin Li, then deleted the chat history and put the photo back.
Probably someone had been here before her, deliberately taking away all the photos, but hadn't expected there to be one last photo tucked away.
Ning An closed the door of the room and walked back to the living room...
But suddenly, she saw a pair of eyes staring at her in the full-length mirror facing the window. Rather than saying they were staring, it was more like they were watching her!
She broke out in a cold sweat instantly, but knew she couldn't startle the snake. She pretended to casually take out her phone from her bag, then suddenly turned on the flashlight and aimed it at the direction of the gaze. In an instant, she saw a figure at the window.
It was a pair of extremely sinister eyes, flashing with eerie green light in the dark, like a cat's pupils.
Ning An had never seen such eyes before, and just a moment of eye contact made her hairs stand on end!
The person suddenly blinked, seemingly surprised that Ning An had discovered him. There was a trace of astonishment in those sinister eyes, then they disappeared in an instant, except for the sound of fleeing footsteps outside the door, Ning An even doubted if she had imagined it all. Was that person coming for her? Or for Ning Xuan?
She suddenly felt like she was in a huge puzzle... She slumped to the ground as if drained of strength, feeling a wave of post-fear washing over her.
When Ning Xuan opened the door and came in, he saw the girl sitting on the ground motionless.
He rushed forward anxiously, embracing Ning An's cold body.
"Sister? What's wrong? What happened?"
The warm touch brought Ning An back from panic. She looked at the distracted teenager and asked, "Ning Xuan, do many people know you live here?"
Ning Xuan's hands tightened for a moment.
"Basically, no one knows. My mom and I lived here for only a year. After a year, she disappeared... and I went back to the orphanage."
Ning Xuan lifted her up and sat her on the sofa, wrapping her in his arms and gently patting her back.
Ning An rarely stayed so docile in his embrace without speaking. This unusual behavior didn't ease his mind, but rather made him more worried. What happened when he left? There should have been surveillance cameras installed in this room. This feeling of being out of his control made him feel uneasy.
After a moment of silence, neither of them spoke... until Ning An's stomach growled.
Ning Xuan chuckled.
"Are you hungry? Let me cook noodles for you. Can you sit here for a while?"
Ning An, having recovered from her earlier fright, suddenly realized she had been in Ning Xuan's arms for so long and even embarrassingly growled her stomach...
She hurriedly got off Ning Xuan's legs, cheeks blushing slightly, and loudly said in an attempt to cover up her embarrassment, "Didn't I say I'll cook noodles for you? You stay put, I'll go."
Ning Xuan watched amusedly as the girl rushed away, her back fleeing in embarrassment. His previously gloomy thoughts dissipated with her departure. Whatever his sister didn't want to say, he would find out on his own.
Ning An didn't let Ning Xuan help in the kitchen. She worked "ping pang pong" inside, making Ning Xuan worry that she might hurt herself...
When he was on the verge of unbearable anxiety, Ning An finally brought out two bowls of noodles — both with less water, the noodles slightly clumped together, with a broken fried egg sitting on top.
Whether it was the misty steam or something else, Ning Xuan's heart inexplicably felt a sourness, and his eyes became somewhat hot.
Ning An looked at him sitting there, motionless, staring at the bowl of noodles, and sat down, feeling a bit awkward as she touched her nose.
"I followed a tutorial on my phone. It's my first time, so maybe it doesn't look good, but the taste should be okay!"
Ning Xuan picked up the chopsticks, listening to the girl's serious tone.
"You haven't made a wish yet! Make a wish first."
In his heart, he silently said: My greatest wish is for you to love me. Can it come true in this life...
"Sister, you make a wish for me."
"Really? Are you giving me your birthday wish?"
The girl's gaze was gentle and intense, and he nodded gently.
Ning An didn't hesitate. She closed her eyes, still thinking about Ning Xuan's eyes on her. Her heart moved slightly, and she made a wish.
"Okay, eat quickly." She opened her eyes, clapped her hands, and urged Ning Xuan to eat. In the expectant gaze of Ning An, he picked up the swollen noodles and put them into his mouth. The warmth followed the steam into his stomach, seeming to warm up all his organs, no longer as cold as before.
"Very delicious," he said affirmatively to Ning An.
This was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten in his life, a beauty he had never dared to hope for in his previous life. Amidst the memories of love and hate from their previous lives, Ning
Xuan appreciated Ning An's warmth... This warmth was enough to make him willing to die in a moment.