Chapter 172 Free Meal

The next morning.

When the first rays of sunlight shone on Ye Fan's face, he slowly opened his eyes. His chiseled features were as handsome as if carved, and his deep eyes carried a hint of grogginess.

As the sleepiness gradually faded, the haze disappeared, replaced by clarity.

Ye Fan straightened out the wrinkles in his clothes and got up to fold the blanket on the sofa.

Then, he walked to the window, gazing at the rising sun on the horizon. A beautiful silhouette flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but smile.

In the bedroom.

When Ye Xian opened her eyes and glanced at the time on her phone, it was just eight in the morning. Her flight was at ten, so she figured she could sleep a little longer.

She turned over and was about to close her eyes again when she suddenly sat up, her face showing surprise.

What was going on?

After walking around so much yesterday, based on past experiences, she was sure her entire body would be aching today.

But now, she felt none of that.

Not only that, but her body felt warm and extremely comfortable.

This...

This was incredible!

As she got out of bed, Ye Xian could feel the changes more distinctly. Compared to before, her entire body felt extraordinarily light.

She tried doing a movement she usually found difficult and accomplished it effortlessly.

This result made her gulp involuntarily.

Oh my goodness…

After a day of shopping, she felt like she had transcended herself!

"Xiao Fan, Xiao Fan..."

Ye Xian called out as she entered the living room. She saw her son sitting on the sofa reading a book and quickly walked over, her face brimming with excitement.

"Put that down for a moment."

Ye Fan closed the book in his hands and smiled as he asked, "Mom, what's going on?"

"I have a big announcement!"

Ye Xian sat down next to her son, her expression serious. "After shopping for so long yesterday with Xiao Xi's mom, I slept for a night, and now I feel perfectly fine. My arms don't ache, and my legs aren't sore."

"It's clear that my exercise over the past few days is paying off. So, you'd better not say your mom's in bad shape anymore, understood?"

"Have you been exercising recently?"

Ye Fan chuckled inwardly. He had called Luo Shan and knew exactly what his mother's routine was like recently.

Cooking, watching TV, and playing mahjong.

Exercise?

Most likely, it was only happening in her imagination!

As for his mother's physical improvement, Ye Fan knew the reason clearly.

Before six in the morning, he had already woken up, juiced the constitution-enhancing fruit, and fed it to his mother bit by bit.

"Of course I have!"

A hint of guilt flashed across Ye Xian's face.

Seeing the smile on her son's face, she playfully smacked him.

"The tickets are booked. After I leave, you must study hard and pursue Xiao Xi seriously. Don't let me down, got it?"

"Got it, don't worry."

Ye Fan felt helpless yet amused at such reminders.

Studying hard was one thing, but being told to pursue Ning Xi seriously?

His mother was still as straightforward as ever!

"I can't rest assured. Only after you've turned uncooked rice into cooked rice will I be at peace."

Ye Xian gave her son a knowing look and said, "If you can bring Xiao Xi home to visit someday, you'll definitely make Auntie Li and the others green with envy. Just thinking about that scene makes me excited."

"…"

Uncooked rice into cooked rice?

Even with Ye Fan's thick skin, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by such words.

Changing the subject, he said, "Mom, you should start packing now. I'll go make you something to eat so you can fill your stomach."

"I've already packed everything."

"No."

"Really, I've packed everything."

"Not true, go check again."

…

10:30 a.m.

By the roadside outside the airport.

Ye Fan let out a sigh of relief. He had finally sent his mother off; otherwise, he wouldn't know what unpredictable things might happen next.

Just as he was about to hail a taxi, the phone in his pocket rang.

The caller ID showed that it was a call from Zhuang Li. A trace of confusion flashed in Ye Fan's eyes as he pressed the answer button. A soft, sweet voice came through.

"Ye Fan, has Auntie boarded the plane?"

"The flight has already departed."

Ye Fan pressed his thin lips together. "Xiao Xi, it's inconvenient for you to keep using Uncle Zhuang's phone to call me. How about I buy you a phone?"

"No need."

Ning Xi's voice suddenly became much softer, with a hint of guilt.

"I'll tell you a secret. This phone is mine now, but you can't call me in the future. I can only call you. If my dad finds out, he'll definitely take it away."

"Oh?"

As a gentle breeze swept past, Ye Fan's lips curved into a smile. He lowered his voice and protested, "That's not fair. I refuse."

"Refusal denied!"

Ning Xi snorted. "If you don't want to lose… your good friend, then just go ahead and call. Anyway, if the phone gets confiscated, it doesn't matter to me. I don't care."

"…"

Ye Fan smacked his lips and smiled wryly.

This girl was getting harder to deal with!

"Let's not talk about that for now. By the way, can I come over for lunch later?"

"Lunch?"

"Yeah, my mom went back to Linhai. Now I'm all alone, so I wanted to use some food to comfort my lonely soul. I hope the great Miss Ning won't turn me down."

"Sweet-talker!"

Ning Xi hesitated and stammered, "You… you can come if you want. I'll just let my mom know later."

"Alright, see you later."

"…Mm."

After hanging up the phone, Ye Fan hailed a taxi from the distance, his eyes filled with warmth.

"Driver, to Haihuang District."

…

Under the scorching sun.

Ning Xi stood at the doorway wearing a long dress. Her fair, jade-like hands swayed slightly in the air. Her petite, graceful figure was curvaceous, and her ethereal, otherworldly aura was indescribable with words.

She gazed expectantly in the direction of the south. Her waist-length hair was tied at the ends with a small cherry-red hair tie.

Simple, yet beautiful.

"Why hasn't he arrived yet?"

Ning Xi furrowed her delicate brows, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes. She murmured to herself, "Could something have happened?"

She turned her head cautiously to look around. Just as she was about to call Ye Fan to ask, she noticed a figure appearing at the far end of the road.

A beautiful, radiant smile appeared on her face, and her heart settled.

As Ye Fan approached, Ning Xi took the initiative to ask, "The airport is only about twenty minutes from my house. Why did it take you so long to get here?"

The moment Ye Fan saw Ning Xi, his attention was completely captured by her. He couldn't look away for even a second.

Noticing her slightly flushed cheeks, he realized she must have been standing outside in the blazing sun for a long time. He felt a pang of heartache.

He raised his hands and clasped them together above Ning Xi's head, shielding her from the sun.

"Girl, in this heat, why are you standing outside? Are you silly?"

Ning Xi pouted her red lips and snorted, "What does it matter to you? I'm happy to!"