'SEE YOU MORNING' 037 Kissing Your Wind

The morning sunlight grew weaker, lazily shining on the thin layer of winter snow from last night. The sparkling snowflakes along the edge of the flowerbed refracted the sunlight into a spectrum of colors, embodying the only vitality of winter.

After finishing her morning work, Qin Wenjing stretched and glanced at Li Haojun. "Christmas is almost here. Are you going to invite your new assistant and your star student over? To spend Christmas together?"

"Hmm?" The question caught Li Haojun slightly off guard. He hesitated, then asked, "Then how did we used to spend Christmas before?"

"How did we spend it? I'd spend it watching you lie there," Qin Wenjing said, then giggled.

"Oh, and before that?"

"Back then—" Qin Wenjing paused. "Back then, you only had me. That was our whole world."

"Then why should we change?"

"What never changes? Time, feelings..." Qin Wenjing stood up, came over, and sat in Li Haojun's lap. Softly she asked, "When you're with them, do you ever think of me?" Her eyes quietly watched Li Haojun.

"Yes, I do."

Qin Wenjing gave a faint smile. "Then, when you're with me, do you ever think of them?"

"Oh, sometimes... just for a moment."

Qin Wenjing looked away, burying her head in Li Haojun's chest as she murmured to herself, "You're someone who doesn't like change. But if change is good for both of us, why not accept it?"

Hearing these words, Li Haojun didn't quite understand why she was saying them. He simply held her gently in his arms.

After a moment of silence, Qin Wenjing's mood lifted again. She stood up and pulled Li Haojun's hand. "Come on, let's go for a walk." This time they didn't go to the backyard but walked out the front gate, leaving shallow footprints in the snow across the courtyard.

The snow had just stopped and the sky had cleared. The slanting sun had barely risen above the bare treetops, yet its gold was still brilliant. Gusts of north wind carried the scent of snow, crisp and refreshing in the nostrils. The clear blue sky, set against the white snow, looked even more beautiful. Walking beside Qin Wenjing, she would occasionally turn to him with a smiling face.

"Ask them if they'd like to come for Christmas. Send them a message," Qin Wenjing said softly.

Taking in the snowy scenery along the road, Li Haojun thought for a moment and asked, "When it was only you and me, what were our days like?"

Qin Wenjing glanced at Li Haojun, then turned her gaze back to the road ahead. Sighing, she said, "Back then you were younger, more driven in your career. Not exactly obsessive, but just a young heart always charging forward."

"Was I chasing promotions and raises?"

"Heh, are you that kind of person? Look at all your stuff in the basement. You've always just longed for freedom."

"Am I not free? Aren't we free?"

"No, it's that you wanted to be with me without any constraints."

Li Haojun didn't quite understand, so he asked, "You and me—was there ever anyone interfering?"

"Hmm," Qin Wenjing thought for a moment. "Because you were never satisfied. You always wanted more time with me."

As Li Haojun listened to her, he tried to piece together a clear logical thread while walking. Seeing him lost in thought, Qin Wenjing smiled and urged him, "Go ahead and send the message, you romantic."

"Haha," Li Haojun gave a sheepish laugh. But being called that by the one he loved truly made his heart swell with joy.

Qin Wenjing pulled his arm close to her chest and explained further, "Invite them over. That way your little wandering thoughts won't have to fly away, right?"

Li Haojun grinned, unable to say a word. Gusts of wind shook snowflakes off the treetops, which danced in the sunlight, crystal clear, and scattered onto both of them. Qin Wenjing's hair lifted in the wind, bringing her scent to his face along with her smiling glance over her shoulder. At that moment, in Li Haojun's eyes, she was so beautiful.

On their way back from the walk, Li Haojun waited for a reply. It wasn't a workday—maybe Kesiya and Malaya, like him, had gone out or were busy with their own lives. Or perhaps he was just flattering himself?

Qin Wenjing didn't notice his absent-mindedness. She just walked and talked to herself, planning how to spend Christmas. "If they both come over, we'll need to prepare small gifts for them. After all, they're young, our juniors. Think about what they'd like. If they arrive early, we can all go for a stroll in town, then come home in the evening."

After a few steps, she thought again and said, "I wonder if they'll take an air taxi and land right at our front door?" As she spoke, she pointed toward home, then looked back toward the road leading to town, estimating the distance. "If it's not snowing heavily, we can drive to town for the Christmas festivities. Round trip... hmm, less than an hour. You drive. But we'd better be back before dark—the road lighting isn't great, so we can't drive too fast."

Li Haojun, who had been silent all along, couldn't help asking, "Are you so sure they'll accept the invitation?"

Qin Wenjing paused, then thought for a moment. "I think they will. I feel Malaya is a very nice girl; we get along very well." She pondered further. "I haven't really interacted with Kesiya. What is she like? I mean, between the two sisters, does the older one make the decisions?"

"Not really. I think the younger one is cleverer, maybe a bit more calculating. The older sister seems more emotional."

"Oh, I see." Qin Wenjing didn't say anything more.

Li Haojun, on the other hand, grew more and more uneasy. Malaya was a young woman, always so smart and shrewd. Though they had spent a fair amount of time together, in his heart she had always remained as pure and beautiful as a fairy, untouchable.

Kesiya, on the other hand, was close to him. Yet she too was young, in the prime of her life. She still had many possibilities ahead. Perhaps, one day, she would set off on her own life's path.

He hadn't seen her for a long time since their last parting. He wondered if she had changed. At this thought, Li Haojun couldn't help but examine himself. Was he starting to worry about something? Was he being too greedy? Had he, starting from pity and care, slowly fallen in love with her?

Perhaps it was just that he had grown used to having them around him. Yet that little tug at his heart, that trace of worry, constantly reminded him otherwise.

Just as they were almost home, Li Haojun felt the notification of a new message. But he didn't check it immediately. He wanted to sit down inside first, then look. Or maybe it was just his procrastination.

Back in the living room, Qin Wenjing went into the inner room to take off her coat. Li Haojun sat in a chair and opened the new message. It was from Malaya, replying that she and her sister would both come. Malaya listed several flight times, asking which would be more convenient. She was always so thoughtful and thorough.

As Li Haojun was comparing the different flight schedules, Qin Wenjing came over. She leaned in, her hair brushing against his face, tickling him.

Li Haojun couldn't help but take her hand. Gazing at her face, he asked, "When do you think would be a good time for them to come?"

Qin Wenjing looked at the schedule for a moment, then muttered to herself, "If they could come a bit earlier, we could go to the town's holiday parade." With that, she grabbed the keyboard from Li Haojun and sent a message directly to ask.

Li Haojun was a bit surprised—she seemed so keen on inviting other women. He asked roundaboutly, "Do they even like bustling crowds?"

Qin Wenjing glanced at him. "Don't you?"

"Me? Haha, maybe you know me better." Li Haojun laughed self-deprecatingly, then put his arm around Qin Wenjing's waist, gently caressing her, as if some form of compensation for her easy acceptance of the other women around him.

"Yes, I do know you." Qin Wenjing turned to look him in the eye, answering firmly. But she seemed to have only said half of what was on her mind. She hesitated for a moment, then turned back to stare at the screen, waiting for a reply. Li Haojun could only wrap both arms around her waist from behind and nuzzle up to her.

Qin Wenjing enjoyed it too. She leaned back into his arms and murmured, "It's better for you to be with them than with those field agents."