6:00 p.m., International Airport, City A;

"Prime Minister called the base today, Chief. He has signed the paperwork for you to step back into your 'Military Chief shoes'.", Shou Wei informed the girl over the phone, "So when would you like to join?"

"Tomorrow.", the girl replied, her eyes glued to the exit of the airport.

"Will your brothers be fine with you coming back to work?", the old man inquired.

"Do you really think the Prime Minister would allow me back without the 'Green Card' from the Six tigers, Ms. Shou?", Rong Xinghe rolled her eyes, "Dr. Su Rogguang must be assured of my recovery by now."

Shou Wu let out a short laugh before he exchanged a few more words with the girl and hung up.

And she sat there. Alone. On one of those cold benches. Clenching her fists. Looking at those doors. Anxiously. Her brothers had offered they'd come along. But she had refused. Because she knew she was going to cry. And who, in their right state of mind, cried over a week-long long-distance relationship? It was silly. She was aware of that. But she couldn't do anything about it.

When they'd parted, they had believed it would last for months. That they would have to repeat those empty days, missing each other, for months. And that thought made it even more difficult. Unbearable. Unacceptable.

An announcement interrupted her train of thoughts and the girl lifted her head up to look at the exit doors. There he was, striding towards her with hurried footsteps. Wearing his Mandarin Plaid Check Collar Anchor Gray Suit, he looked as dashing as ever. While his one hand was occupied with a ceramic keep cup, his other hand was tucked inside his trouser pocket.

The man was roughly ten feet apart when he raised his cup towards her and smiled, "Virgin Mojito, Ma'jolie?"

With tears in her eyes, the girl stood up and rushed towards him, as if he was her only source of oxygen. Desperately. The second she got to him, he wrapped his powerful arms around her waist and gave her a warm comforting hug. He leaned down and buried his face into her shoulders, taking in her unique scent. Oh god! He had missed this so damn much.

Meanwhile, the girl was in her little paradise herself. She had never felt this complete. As if a puzzle had been just solved, and she had found the last piece. How did she even let him go in the first place, she wondered.

"I am not going to leave you again. Not in a million years.", he promised, pulling away from her, sweeping her hair back from her ears.

"You better not.", the girl laughed, wiping away his tears, "Look how thin you have become. Expensive clothes can't hide that, you know?"

"Sister-in-law!", at this time, Xi Fang's came from the man's behind. Rong Xinghe tilted her head and waved at the young man, rushing towards him and giving him a quick hug. "How is my favorite Xi doing?", she asked.

"I missed you, Wei and Ying very much, Sister-in-law.", the man confessed, "Working like a machine over there was torture, you know?"

"Aw.", the girl rubbed the man's shoulder, "Get some rest. I am stealing your brother for tonight. Okay?"

"Tonight, huh?", Xi Fang smirked at Xi Yuan, passing the car keys to Rong Xinghe.

"For the love of God, stop it, Fang.", Xi Yuan sighed.

"What?", Rong Xinghe switched her eyes from one brother to another, with a muddled expression plastered across her face.

"Wei told me about how you got into that accident.", Xi Fang grinned, "We would gladly welcome a baby in the family, you know."

Before the girl could even process his words completely, the man disappeared from the couple's line of sight, getting into one of the cars waiting for him. "So they've been-", the girl laughed.

"Teasing and poking me about it?", the man cut in, "Yeah. Pretty much. Forget it."

"Let's go home.", the girl held onto the man's hand, planting a kiss upon his right cheek.

"I will cook food."

"No. You will get some rest.", the girl countered, "I will do it."

"Let's fight about that in the car."

___________________

9:00 p.m., Elite Diamond Penthouse ;

"How are you always able to convince me with things like these?", Rong Xinghe pouted as she looked at the man chopping capsicums in the kitchen, as she sat on the dining table. He wasn't supposed to 'cook', dammit.

"Because I look super hot as a chef?", the man winked mischievously, "Or maybe because you are a lazy foodie?"

"Shut up.", the girl squinted her eyes at him.

"Okay.", Xi Yuan laughed, "You need a refill on that wine, don't you?"

"Yeah.", the girl nodded. Xi Yuan mixed the capsicum into a container placed on the gas stove and closed its lid, grabbing a seat beside the girl as he poured her another round of the drink. "We just have to wait for a few more minutes and the dinner will be ready.", he said.

"What about your work in Mexico?", Rong Xinghe asked after some time, turning to face him, their lips inches apart.

"It should be fine. I can take care of it from Country X itself.", the man answered, "We still need to know which rival had poisoned the school meals though. But I am not going back again. This is permanent, Xinghe."

"Besides, do you really want to talk about work right now?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is...", the man cupped the girl's face with both his hands, pulling her in a passionate deep kiss, her hands clutching onto his shirt collar, "...that I need to make it up to you for the nine days we were apart."

And at that very moment, she knew she was 'in love'. It wasn't just a relationship anymore. This man was her home. She felt like everything in her life had led her to him. Her choices, her regrets, and her heartbreaks. Everything. When they were together, her pain seemed worth it. He was worth all of it. Because if she had done one thing differently, she might've never met this amazing man. She belonged there. Beside him, her bartender.