Visa On Arrival Chapter 20
byPreoccupied
The sky outside the window gradually turned from deep blue to a pale grayish-white.
Qi Ranyue let out a long breath and stood up. Step by step, she walked slowly toward the door.
When she reached the door, she glanced back once, then pushed it open and left.
By the time she reached home, the sky was nearly bright.
She threw herself onto the sofa and closed her eyes.
But with her eyes shut, Chen Rong’s face kept surfacing in her mind—the way she looked while sleeping, the warmth of that sudden kiss, and the fingers gripping her clothes.
She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.
Closed them again.
Opened them again.
She tossed and turned until the birds outside began to chirp, until the sunlight leaked through the gaps in the curtains, and until her phone finally rang.
10:11 AM.
She picked it up and saw it was Xu Xingci.
Her heart skipped a beat. Qi Ranyue pressed answer, her voice raspy. “Hello? Xingci.”
A familiar voice came from the other end, carrying a hint of a smile and a tone that always made her heart soften. “Babe, I’m waiting for you downstairs.”
Qi Ranyue froze for a moment.
“Didn’t we agree?” the voice continued. “We’re going home for dinner today. You said you’d take me to meet your parents and give me an official status. You’re not going to back out, are you?”
She held the phone, saying nothing.
After a two-second silence, the voice softened slightly.
“Are you regretting it? Then you…”
Qi Ranyue walked to the window and pulled open the curtains. Sunlight flooded in, making her squint.
Downstairs, that familiar car was parked.
Xu Xingci was leaning against the car door, looking up.
Her heart felt like a hesitant pendulum. On one side was guilt, on the other was longing. She wanted to leave but feared hurting him. She wanted to stay, yet it wasn’t what she truly desired. Words reached her lips only to be swallowed back; steps were taken only to be retracted. Over and over she wavered, until finally, she told herself to just let nature take its course.
“I’m not,” Qi Ranyue paused. “I’ll come down after I wash up.”
The other end went quiet for a second, followed by a soft laugh that sounded like a sigh of relief. “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”
The call ended.
It was quiet inside the car, with the air conditioner blowing a slight, cool breeze.
“Didn’t sleep well last night?” Xu Xingci asked.
She gave a soft “mm” without turning her head, her eyes fixed on the view outside the window.
The car slowly drove through a pair of carved iron gates, flanked by plane trees stretching along the driveway.
The villa ahead gradually revealed its full form.
It was a classic Baroque-style building.
Ivy climbed the beige stone exterior walls, which glowed with a warm luster under the afternoon sun. Elaborate acanthus leaf reliefs decorated the area above the arched window lintels.
The central main building towered high, topped with a triangular pediment carved with unknown mythological figures, its lines fluid and dynamic. The wing buildings on either side were slightly lower, with arched windows arranged neatly and exquisite stone-carved garlands hanging below the windowsills.
The car rounded a fountain featuring a goddess statue holding a water jar. Clear water poured from the jar into a shell-shaped basin at the base, kicking up fine droplets of spray.
The entire villa stood quiet and magnificent under the sunlight.
The car rounded the fountain and slowly came to a stop.
On the lawn not far away, two people were playing badminton.
The shuttlecock traced arcs in the sunlight, accompanied by occasional light shouts and laughter.
Seeing the car, the two stopped.
She handed the racket to the person beside her, and they walked toward the car side by side.
The man wore a light gray tracksuit, his posture upright, with a gentle expression in his eyes that mirrored the person beside him. The woman wore a white tennis skirt, her hair pinned up to reveal a slender neck. When she smiled, fine lines appeared at the corners of her eyes, making her look even more gentle.
Xu Xingci suddenly felt a bit nervous.
Qi Ranyue had already pushed open the car door and stepped out.
“Dad, Mom, good morning! You’re playing ball!”
Xu Xingci followed her out of the car.
Their gazes fell upon him.
“You’re back.” The woman spoke first, smiling as she sized up Xu Xingci. Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment before turning to Qi Ranyue. “And this is?”
“This is…” Qi Ranyue paused for a second. “My boyfriend.”
His face instantly flushed. He gave a polite greeting, “Uncle, Auntie, good morning. I’m Xu Xingci, Ranyue’s boyfriend!”
“Let’s go inside,” Qi Lan said, his voice sounding a bit muffled.
Xu Xingci followed blankly for a step before remembering something. He turned back to the car to grab the health supplements, tea leaves, and several boxes of fruit that had clearly been carefully selected.
Just as he hauled everything out, a middle-aged man in a dark uniform walked over quickly.
“Sir, let me take those.”
The butler bowed slightly and took the heavy bags with both hands. His movements were efficient and steady as he turned to walk toward the house.
Qi Ranyue glanced at him, her lips twitching as if she wanted to laugh. “Let’s go.”
He gave an “oh” and followed Qi Ranyue inside.
In the living room, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, falling onto the cream-colored sofa and coffee table.
Tea had already been brewed—Chrysanthemum tea. The flowers slowly unfurled in the glass cups. Several plates of pastries and fruit were laid out nearby.
They sat on the sofa, chatting about domestic matters, the recent weather, his parents’ health, and how his work was going.
Xu Xingci answered each question. His palms were slightly sweaty, but he gradually began to relax.
Qi Ranyue chimed in occasionally.
Suddenly, her mother set down her teacup and glanced toward the door.
“Eh, why hasn’t Rongrong arrived yet?” She frowned and checked her watch. “It’s almost time to eat.”
Qi Ranyue’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
That kiss surfaced again.
Those eyes, that sleeping face, the sudden warmth of the touch, and the entanglement of their tongues…
Qi Ranyue frowned, her gaze falling on her teacup. The chrysanthemum floated gently in the water, but her heart had already drifted far away.
“…She said she had something to do today, so she won’t be coming,” Qi Ranyue replied in a low voice.
Her mother paused for a second, then snapped out of it with an “oh” and didn’t ask further.
The dining table was packed with home-cooked dishes.
Steaming white-cut chicken, steamed fish topped with scallion slivers, bright green garlic broccoli, and a pot of chicken bone grass soup that had been simmering for half a day. The aroma filled the entire house.
Xu Xingci had placed a piece of fish on her plate, having already removed the bones, but it was almost cold now.
She hadn’t eaten it.
Her eyes were fixed on a certain spot, but she wasn’t seeing anything. Her mind was a tangled mess that she couldn’t straighten out or cut through.
“Babe, time to eat. What are you thinking about? Is the food not to your taste?” Her mother’s voice suddenly rang out, carrying a hint of a smile and concern.
Qi Ranyue looked up, meeting those gentle eyes.
“What’s on your mind? You look so preoccupied. You should focus on eating; think about things after you’re done!” Her father looked over as well, his chopsticks pausing mid-air as he scolded her lightly.
Qi Ranyue pulled at the corners of her mouth, forcing a smile. “It’s nothing. You guys just eat, don’t worry about me!” After saying that, she lowered her head and took a mouthful of rice.
Xu Xingci glanced at her and put some vegetables on her plate, asking her what was wrong with his eyes.
She only shook her head slightly to reassure him.
The sunlight outside was beautiful, making the dishes on the table glisten.
Throughout the meal, everything tasted bland to her.
After finishing the meal, the table was cleared for fruit and light tea.
Her father set down his teacup and looked at Xu Xingci with a smile. “Come, accompany me to fish for a while?”
Xu Xingci was startled for a moment, then nodded and stood up. “Alright, Uncle.”
He glanced at Qi Ranyue before following Qi Lan outside.
Qi Ranyue sat on the sofa, watching his back as he left the living room, crossed the lawn outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, and gradually walked away.
“Babe, watch some TV with Mom for a bit.” Her mother’s voice came from beside her, tinged with a smile. She sat down next to her and picked up the remote.
The TV turned on to a family drama. The male and female leads were saying something on the screen, but she couldn’t process any of it.
Her mother wasn’t watching very seriously either, occasionally changing the channel or making small talk.
Qi Ranyue responded to each one.
Sunlight shone in from outside, falling onto the fruit plate on the coffee table. The grapes glowed with a tender purple light.