Chapter 21: Formal bed-sharing

Mr. and Mrs. Zhou fell into contemplation, shocked and saddened. They probably didn’t expect Zhou Yanyan to do such a thing.

Zhou Xiulin raised his hand and rubbed his temples, his mind in turmoil. Last night, when he entered the hospital and saw Jiang Xiao sleeping alone on the hospital bed, he understood the meaning of fear.

He didn’t know that his sister would become like this. In that moment, a sense of failure emerged in his heart.

When they were children, Zhou Yanyan was obedient and gentle. They had always been together as siblings, and during the more than ten years from his high school graduation, he never thought there would be a problem with Yanyan’s character.

What happened during their three years of high school to turn her into what she is now?

Did her resentment towards Jiang Xiao stem from her unrequited love for Qin Heng¹This is the ML in another novel called, Hello, Dr. Qin. Lin Wu (in chapter 1) and Qin Heng are Jiang Xiao’s bestfriends. ?

Zhou Xiulin let out a long sigh. “Mom, Dad, if we don’t correct Yanyan’s problem properly now, she will be the one to suffer if something happens in the future.” If parents don’t educate their children properly, others will, but it won’t be as gentle and lenient.

Father Zhou understood that his son also wanted to help their daughter. “I’ll make her come back tomorrow.”

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Ysvbla Hbsw dseele. “Zlp. Psd’v cl ydtau yduxsal. Qs cynj yde ynnsxrydu Kkydt Dkys. Fbl’p dsv lhld vball xsdvbp raltdydv ulv, ps pbl dllep vs vyjl tsse nyal sq blaplzq. Psd’v zlv bla ts vs vbyv nsxrydu yde zlv bla alpv yv bsxl.”

Hbsw Dkwzkd bye yzoyup xykdvykdle bkp nsxrspwal yde ayalzu pbsole ydu pktdp sq ydtla. Jwv Kkydt Dkys’p ynnkeldv bye xyel bkx zspl nsdvasz.

Ysvbla Hbsw vakle vs rlapwyel bkx ytykd. “Mbkp kdnkeldv xktbv byhl clld yd ynnkeldv. Zyduyd eked’v jdso vbyv Kkydt Dkys oyp raltdydv. El eked’v vlzz bla. Rv oypd’v kdvldvksdyz sd bla ryav.”

Hbsw Dkwzkd’p lmralppksd vwadle nsze, yde bl pzsozu wvvlale y qlo osaep, “Zyduyd kp vbl sdzu sdl obs jdsop vbl vawvb sq vbkp xyvvla.”

Ysvbla Hbsw bye dsvbkdt xsal vs pyu.

Hbsw Dkwzkd eked’v oydv vs eolzz sd vbkp kppwl ydu zsdtla. Tl pvsse wr yde pyke, “Ysx, Pye, kv’p tlvvkdt zyvl. R’zz ts cynj qkapv.”

Ebld Hbsw Dkwzkd zlqv, Ysvbla Hbsw bye y xlzydnbszkn lmralppksd. “Tso nswze Zyduyd rwpb Kkydt Dkys qsa ds alypsd? Rv xwpv cl y xkpwdelapvydekdt.”

Wyvbla Hbsw’p qynl eyajldle pzktbvzu. “Psd’v pyu vblpl vbkdtp kd qasdv sq swa psd yduxsal. Dkwzkd byp y tsse vlxrla, yde bl eked’v tlv ydtau vbkp vkxl. Jwv obyvlhla bl rzydp vs es okvb Zyduyd dlmv, esd’v kdvlaqlal.”

“Why are you men so heartless?”

“If Yanyan continues like this, there will come a day when Xiulin might not even recognize her as his sister.”

Mother Zhou thought seriously and realized that Xiulin had never tolerated sand in his eyes. “I’ll try to talk to Yanyan.”

At this moment, Zhou Yanyan, who was in Hong Kong, had just returned to her apartment. She had been absent-minded all day, thinking about Jiang Xiao’s appearance yesterday, feeling confused and unsure if it was real or fake. If it was real, she was afraid that Jiang Xiao would complain to her brother. Zhou Yanyan struggled for a long time and then decided to call Tina.

“Tina, did Jiang Xiao come to the company today?”

“No, Jiang Xiao took a week off yesterday. Yanyan, what’s going on?”

“I accidentally pulled her, and she bumped into the table by herself. Have you heard anything?”

“No, this morning, Jiang Qin said that Jiang Xiao took a week off.”

“What did Jiang Qin say?”

“He was very tight-lipped.”

“Oh, then it’s fine. I won’t chat with you anymore. Get some rest. I’m coming back the day after tomorrow. Bye!”

“Bye!”

Zhou Yanyan thought to herself that Jiang Xiao must have been pretending that day, such a drama queen.

After a while, her phone suddenly rang again, and she saw that it was her father calling. She answered happily, her voice soft and sweet.

“Dad…” her voice softened and turned sweet.

“You book your ticket now and return to Jincheng tomorrow morning.”

“Dad? What happened?”

“You caused an accident and now you want to run away from it.”

Zhou Yanyan felt a surge of injustice in her heart. “Dad, Jiang Xiao was pretending. I just pulled her a little, and she bumped into the table herself. Dad, please don’t just listen to her side of the story.”

Father Zhou’s anger surged. He had indeed been too lax in disciplining his daughter, which led to her current inability to distinguish right from wrong and her tendency to argue. “Zhou Yanyan, even if the sky falls down tomorrow, you must come back. Do you know that because of your recklessness, Jiang Xiao almost lost the child in her belly, but you don’t have an ounce of remorse.”

Zhou Yanyan: “…How is that possible?”

Father Zhou sighed. “Your brother is very angry, Yanyan. You’ve disappointed us this time.”

Zhou Yanyan murmured, “Jiang Xiao is pregnant… I didn’t know, I didn’t mean to, I just wanted to talk to her and clarify…” Her face turned paler.

Father Zhou interrupted her, “Save it for when you come back.”

Zhou Yanyan shouted a few more times, but the other end of the line had already hung up. She sat on the couch, looking lost and hollow, as if the whole world had abandoned her.

Before Zhou Xiulin returned home, he went to a nearby cake shop and bought a piece of mousse cake. Girls seemed to love these desserts. Yanyan was no exception, but she was afraid of gaining weight, so she would only take a bite or two before throwing it away. Jiang Xiao, on the other hand, savored every bite, her satisfied expression making others unable to resist wanting a taste.

It was already 10 o’clock when they arrived home. Jiang Xiao was leaning on the sofa in the bedroom, playing with her phone. He walked in and asked, “Hungry?”

Jiang Xiao narrowed her eyes and replied, “Did you bring something for me? Thanks, Mr. Zhou!” She looked satisfied, like a little greedy cat.

Zhou Xiulin noticed a few notebooks placed beside her and glanced at them briefly.

Jiang Xiao explained, “These are my analyses of the rising stars and their managers’ experiences in the past three years.”

Zhou Xiulin politely asked, “Can I take a look?”

“Of course! You have more experience than me, so please help me see if there are any analysis errors.” She took a bite of cake, squinting her eyes in delight.

Was the cake really that delicious? If Little Douya turned out to be like her in the future, a foodie, it wouldn’t be too bad.

Zhou Xiulin was quick when it came to reading things. He flipped through a few pages and quickly glanced over a few analyses. “The analysis is good. Just…,” he changed the subject, “Mo Lingchen’s rise to fame is largely due to the backing behind him.”

“Mo Lingchen is the new artist signed by Dongyang Company last year, right? What background does he have?” Jiang Xiao pondered.

Zhou Xiulin took out another notebook. “You know him too?”

“Mo Yiheng? He’s Mo Yiheng’s younger brother?”

“More accurately, they have the same father but different mothers.”

Jiang Xiao sighed, “The entertainment industry is becoming more and more like a family business. Both the older and younger brothers are here, monopolizing everything.” After speaking, she realized that she had also criticized him.

Zhou Xiulin lowered his head and opened the notebook in his hand. On the first page, it was written:

“To Lin Wu, from Jin Zhongbei.”

Jiang Xiao explained, “I helped Lin Wu ask for Jin Zhongbei’s autograph.”

Zhou Xiulin said leisurely, “You didn’t ask for your own?”

“Mine is in another notebook.” She took out that book, and the cover looked slightly old. “He signed it for me here.”

Zhou Xiulin saw Jin Zhongbei’s words to Jiang Xiao.

“To Jiang Xiao, carefree forever.”

This notebook had the autographs of more than ten celebrities. He flipped through a few pages and noticed that one paper had been torn. Zhou Xiulin raised his eyes and looked at her. She had already taken a shower and was wearing light-colored pajamas, without any makeup. She exuded an elegant and comfortable aura. “Congratulations, your wish has come true.”

Jiang Xiao had finished eating the cake. “I’m going to brush my teeth.”

Zhou Xiulin put down the notebook and held her arm.

Jiang Xiao glanced at him and said, “I can do it myself.”

Zhou Xiulin said leisurely, “Still want me to carry you?”

She silently thought to herself that Zhou Xiulin was quite overbearing in certain matters!

After brushing her teeth, he helped her onto the bed and then left the bedroom.

Jiang Xiao lay on her side, her right waist still aching, and she didn’t dare to make any big movements.

No one expected what happened yesterday. Zhou Yanyan was completely insane. Jiang Xiao sighed in relief that Little Bean Sprout was fine, otherwise she would have fought with Zhou Yanyan.

Half an hour later, the bedroom door opened again. Jiang Xiao caught a faint scent of shower gel drifting into the room with the breeze.

Zhou Xiulin, wearing slippers, walked step by step to the edge of the bed. “Jiang Xiao, stop playing with your phone.”

Jiang Xiao was astonished. “…What’s the matter?” She was at a loss for words, not knowing what to say.

Zhou Xiulin calmly lay on the empty side of the large bed. His voice was calm and deep. “You’re pregnant, we’ll sleep together from now on.”

Fortunately, Jiang Xiao was injured; otherwise, she would have definitely bounced off the bed at this moment.

The room suddenly became extremely quiet.

“Okay, you’ll have to get used to it gradually.” Zhou Xiulin extended his long arm and rested it on her arm.

Jiang Xiao looked at him, her pitch-black eyes swirling.

He asked, “Aren’t you going to sleep?”

“Mmm, I’ll sleep soon.”

“Is your waist still hurting?”

“It’s much better.”

“I’m sorry for making you suffer this time. It won’t happen again in the future.”

Jiang Xiao’s throat felt a twinge, and she closed her mouth tightly without speaking. Her chest felt hot, and the warmth extended all the way to the tip of her heart, warm and sour.

“Jiang Xiao, what’s the name of that male classmate from high school that Yanyan liked?”

“Qin Heng.”

“Which ‘heng’?”

“Add ‘Xing’ next to the prince.”

“So, this Heng, he’s a gem. No wonder the girls in your class liked him.”

Jiang Xiao ignored his teasing. “Why are you suddenly asking about this?”

“I want to know what kind of boys you girls really like.”

Jiang Xiao pondered for a moment. “Good in academics, good-looking.” She paused. “Probably someone like you.”

“Oh—” he laughed, “What am I like?”

Jiang Xiao pursed her lips. “Very warm.” That was her initial impression of him.

Being so close to him tonight, Zhou Xiulin naturally wouldn’t miss the opportunity to ask this question. “You said you’ve seen me before? The first time you saw me, what did it feel like?” His hand wrapped around her hair, circling his fingertips.

Jiang Xiao remained silent for a long time, as if a century had passed.

“First year of high school, you came to school to deliver homework to Zhou Yanyan.”

No matter how much Zhou Xiulin had thought about it, he couldn’t have imagined it happened seven years ago. “How come I have no recollection at all?”

“At that time, I was still living at my aunt’s house, and I would often be late in the winter mornings. That morning, it was very foggy. You got out of the car, walked to the school gate, and chatted with the security guard. When I approached, the security guard stopped me because I was frequently late, and he remembered me—”

“So, you were that little girl back then?”

Jiang Xiao nodded heavily, her eyes fixedly gazing at him. “Yes.” She had always remembered that foggy winter, him standing in front of her wearing a dark gray coat, like a warm ray of sunshine that entered her life.

He said to her, “Classmate, can you help me?” His voice was pleasant, and she was stunned for a few seconds.

“Classmate, my sister’s name is Zhou Yanyan.”

Jiang Xiao became annoyed. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have brought it to you.”

Zhou Xiulin smiled helplessly. “You were wearing a furry hat at the time, and your face was mostly covered. I couldn’t see your face clearly.”

Jiang Xiao: “…”

“So, later on, you came to Huaxia to work?” His voice slightly rose.

“I didn’t come here for you, of course. I came here for… my ideals.”

“Alright, don’t get worked up.” Zhou Xiulin really didn’t connect Jiang Xiao with the little girl who helped him back then.

Jiang Xiao fell silent for a moment. “Initially, I didn’t know you were in Huaxia, and I didn’t think you were suited for this profession.”

“What did you think I was suited for?”

“A university professor or a researcher in a laboratory.” Afraid that she would say more and more, she simply closed her eyes. “I’m tired.”

“Sleep.” Zhou Xiulin pressed her against his chest, lowering his head slightly, and placed a cool kiss on her forehead.

Jiang Xiao’s eyelashes trembled. In fact, she wasn’t sleepy. She just didn’t know how to face the man she had liked for so many years.

The next day, Zhou Xiulin’s phone rang, waking them up from their slumber. Zhou Xiulin picked up the phone and saw that it was Jiang Qin calling.

Jiang Xiao opened her eyes groggily. “What time is it?”

“It’s still early, you go back to sleep.” He got up and walked to the balcony, answering the call.

“What’s the matter?”

“President Zhou, something happened to Ying Jie. This morning, she fell off a horse.”

“What’s the situation now?”

“She’s been taken to a nearby hospital. However, her assistant said the situation seems to be quite serious.”

“Get ready, we’re going there.”

“Alright.”

“Keep the news sealed for now.”

Zhou Xiulin had a close relationship with Cheng Ying, so naturally, he was concerned when Cheng Ying had an accident.

When he returned to the room, Jiang Xiao had already gotten up.

Zhou Xiulin said, “Cheng Ying fell off a horse and has been taken to the hospital. I have to go and see her.”

“Is it serious?”

Zhou Xiulin nodded.

Jiang Xiao frowned. “Then go quickly.”

Zhou Xiulin looked at her and instructed, “Remember what the doctor said. Don’t try to be strong.”

“I know.” Jiang Xiao said solemnly, “After going through it once, I won’t dare to be careless anymore.”

“Okay. Mom should be coming today.”

Jiang Xiao’s face froze slightly.

“Don’t worry, just talk to her. They all know about your injury and are concerned about you. They want to come and see you.”

Jiang Xiao curled her lips. “It’s fine. She’s Little Bean Sprout’s grandmother. What do I have to be afraid of? You should hurry up and leave.”

She wasn’t afraid of Mother Zhou, but she felt a little uneasy seeing her.

Who could have imagined that the aunt sitting behind you at a high school parent-teacher conference would one day become your mother-in-law?

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