CHAPTER 289: CHAPTER 247

"Grandma, you all should head back, I’ll board the train with Mo Junhua myself." Mo Yuanle was still going to see Lan Tian onto the train, but she refused. Her uncle, once he’d helped her onto the train, would want to escort her all the way to Beijing, and once in Beijing, he’d want to take her to school. He wouldn’t stop at just taking her to school; he’d also want to pick her up and drop her off every day.

That had been her life since primary school.

Before boarding the train, Lan Tian turned to look back at Grandma Sun and the others still on the platform watching them, waving to them, "Grandma, aunts, uncles, Granny Lin, you all take care of yourselves, I’ll call you when I arrive in Beijing."

Mo Yuanle never had much to say to Lan Tian; as the train was about to depart, he tersely said, "Take care of yourself."

The train clanked forward, carrying Lan Tian and Mo Junhua toward Beijing.

The ticket was bought by the grandpa, a luxurious sleeper carriage with just one bed for Lan Tian and Mo Junhua - their compartment had space almost as large as a utility room, with a sofa set across from the bed and a coffee table, on which laid a stack of newspapers.

The setting was very nice, Lan Tian liked it.

The train ride from Shanghai to Beijing would take almost two days. With so much time, they would have to find things to do to pass the time. Mo Junhua already knew about the Sleeve Universe, and Lan Tian had no intention of hiding it any longer. With a wave of her hand, all the tea-making tools appeared on the coffee table, complete with a stove with burning charcoal inside.

Mo Junhua tidied up the beddings and came to sit, Lan Tian nodded toward the pile of items on the coffee table, "Make some tea."

Having seen the girl make things disappear suddenly, Mo Junhua could stay calm with the sudden appearance of items on the coffee table. If one day she told him she was going to space for a trip, he wouldn’t be surprised. He picked up the stove and skillfully prepared the tea.

Lan Tian was originally reading a magazine when she inadvertently noticed Mo Junhua’s tea-making movements. It flowed like clouds, as graceful as a dancer’s performance, spirited and fluctuating between stillness and motion, imbued with an inexpressible charm. She truly dazzled, setting down the newspaper, and snuggled into the sofa, resting her chin in one hand while watching him make tea, her loose sleeve slipping down to her elbow, revealing a stretch of porcelain white arm. The sunlight outside the window shined in, bathing Lan Tian within its glow, her figure ethereal, as pure and serene as winter plum.

From the corner of his eye, Mo Junhua noticed Lan Tian on the sofa watching him make tea, her expression lazy with a hint of flirtatious charm. A flash of light passed through the depths of his eyes. He poured a cup of tea and handed it to her, asking casually, "Girl, do you know Ji Feng?"

Lan Tian took a sip of the tea first, then raised her eyes to look at the opposite sitting Mo Junhua. His face was as usual, showing no emotional fluctuations, as if he had just asked a casual question. He looked up at Lan Tian, holding his tea and sat down beside her.

"Are you very interested in him?" Lan Tian stared at him guardedly. The last time they met, he had wanted to kill Ji Feng, what was he up to this time?

Mo Junhua seemed not to notice Lan Tian’s wariness, "He looks at you differently, his eyes shine, as if he has found a long-lost lover. I can feel it, he cares a lot about you... you cried," Mo Junhua wasn’t sure how else to describe that feeling, "I feel like he posed a threat to our marriage, that’s why the moment I saw him, I wanted to kill him."

Lan Tian was taken aback, then asked after a long pause, "Then why did you change your mind?"

Now, mentioning Ji Feng, Mo Junhua’s eyes remained tranquil.

"I never understood why you treated an outsider better than you treated me. I’ve been lost, in pain, heartbroken, and even wanted to give up. Girl, I’m an extreme person. I either don’t care at all about someone I dislike, or if I like someone, I like them to an extreme extent, willing to do anything to keep them by my side. I don’t believe in the nonsense that if you like her, you shouldn’t force her, just as long as she’s happy."

This was the first time Mo Junhua confessed his feelings that were buried deep in his heart to Lan Tian. Over the past few days since his return, Mo Yuanle had noticed the problem between them and had a talk with him alone, sharing his experience as someone who’s been through it all and advising him that to get closer to the girl, he should lay all his cards on the table in front of Lan Tian.

"The reason I let him go is simple; he’s important to you. I don’t want you to hate me, that would be a harsh punishment for me. Anyone important to you, I will protect with you." What mattered most was that he could see the guilt in the girl’s eyes when she looked at Ji Feng, and that was the real reason why Mo Junhua let Ji Feng go.

"Protect with me?" Lan Tian’s eyes flickered with disbelief, thinking Mo Junhua had been struck silly by lightning. Then, they both sat in silence, drinking tea. Mo Junhua was constantly looking for chances to serve Lan Tian, pouring tea, preparing water, almost attending to her every need, fostering their connection up close. There’s a saying that goes ’familiarity breeds fondness’ – as days go by with someone, feelings will develop even if there were none at first.

...

Back in Beijing, she had returned. Lan Tian got off the train and stood on the platform, her eyes gleaming with nostalgia as she looked at the distant streets, recalling how Ji Feng used to take her around Beijing, exploring even the alleys.

Mo Junhua felt nothing special, thinking the architecture here was no different from Shanghai – crowded with people and vehicles, and lacking a sense of belonging. To him, it was just a different name for a place.

It was crowded with people coming off the train; it was easy to get separated if not careful, and worrying that Lan Tian might get lost in the crowd, Mo Junhua held her hand and followed the throng towards the exit.

At the exit, there were people holding signs and calling out names on both sides of the railings.

"Lan Tian, over here."

Halfway through, they heard someone calling Lan Tian’s name. Mo Junhua’s gaze shot towards the voice like radar, locking onto the target – a stranger, a fairly attractive man, and keyly, someone who knew the girl, evidenced by how excited he seemed to see her.

Lan Tian recognized the voice as familiar and looked towards its source, spotting Wu Zongyu waving in her direction. Wu Zongyu, noticing Lan Tian looking his way, quickly raised the sign he was holding.

It was him!

Lan Tian walked towards Wu Zongyu with Mo Junhua, while explaining to Mo Junhua, "His name is Wu Zongyu, the grand disciple of my great-grandpa. He has visited Mo Village before with him, but you were enlisted in the military at that time and did not meet him. He’s a good person. Some of the materials for my weapons were sent by him."

Mo Junhua subtly glanced at Wu Zongyu, realising his dreams had no trace of this man. Him not appearing in dreams did not mean Wu Zongyu was unimportant – the girl was highly cautious, and the number of people who could get close to her could be counted on one hand.

"Brother Wu," Lan Tian approached with Mo Junhua, "long time no see."

"Long time no see," replied Wu Zongyu, giving Mo Junhua a glance, taking Lan Tian’s bags, and starting to walk out, "The old man had some urgent matters and couldn’t make it, so he asked me to pick you up. Come on, let’s talk outside."