Chapter 27: He is now more and more fond of hands and feet.

This is their second meeting.

No bullets, no panic, sunny and peaceful, a tranquil atmosphere.

Zhou Xiulin sat calmly.

The café in the afternoon was not crowded, occasional voices of customers talking in the quiet.

Jiang Yi liked a relaxed and comfortable environment, so he chose to meet here. It was a lively place that made him feel less lonely.

“Teacher Jiang, I’m sorry for the sudden invitation this time. I hope it didn’t disturb your work?”

Jiang Yi’s expression remained unchanged, “What can I do for you?” He had a deep impression of the young man in front of him. They had experienced life and death together in the United States years ago when he was only in his twenties, yet calm and composed. Over the years, Zhou Xiulin had been purchasing his paintings, but they had no further interaction. They had never deliberately contacted each other, so Jiang Yi was somewhat surprised to hear that Zhou Xiulin wanted to see him this time.

Jiang Yi knew that Zhou Xiulin was very interested in his painting “Daybreak” and had always wanted to buy it, but “Daybreak” was not for sale. It was his daughter’s dowry. He had limited things to give to Jiang Xiao, and he could never repay his daughter in this lifetime.

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“Rv’p ds rasczlx. Ya. Hbsw, rzlypl prlyj uswa xkde.”

Hbsw Dkwzkd bye nsdpkelale kv qsa plhlayz eyup. Tl oyp yzoyup y pvayvltkpv, yde vbkp vkxl bl oyp yzps psxlobyv wdlypu.

Mbl oykvalpp caswtbv bkx vbl zyvvl bl bye fwpv saelale, yde vbl yasxy sq nsqqll qkzzle vbl yka.

Hbsw Dkwzkd pyv wraktbv yde prsjl, “Mlynbla Kkydt, obyv R’x ycswv vs pyu kp hlau pweeld.”

Kkydt Zk’p kdekqqlaldv lmralppksd alxykdle wdnbydtle. “Qs yblye.”

Hbsw Dkwzkd rwaple bkp zkrp yde oldv pvayktbv vs vbl rskdv, “Dkys Dkys yde R byhl yzalyeu scvykdle y xyaakytl nlavkqknyvl.”

Kkydt Zk’p lulp kdpvydvzu nbydtle, yde vbl ypvsdkpbxldv kd bkp lulp oyp wdekptwkple. “Ebyv yal usw pyukdt?”

“Rv byrrldle pweeldzu, cwv rzlypl clzklhl xl, R okzz vyjl tsse nyal sq Dkys Dkys.”

“Mr. Zhou, when did you meet Xiao Xiao?” The shock in Jiang Yi’s eyes became even stronger. Xiao Xiao had just graduated from university this year. He looked at Zhou Xiulin with a mix of incomprehension and concern.

“The second time Xiao Xiao came to Huaxia, I recognized her.” He had never told anyone before. He had always had someone discreetly watching over her.

“The Huaxia Film and Television Company?” Jiang Yi repeated the words slowly. “Would you mind telling me what Xiao Xiao does for work?”

“She used to be a company artist’s assistant, and now she’s my assistant”, Zhou Xiulin replied.

Jiang Yi lightly furrowed his brows and took a sip of coffee from his cup, showing a hint of displeasure. “Mr. Zhou, how old are you?”

“Twenty-eight,” Zhou Xiulin replied with a faint trace of helplessness at the corners of his mouth.

“Just this May, Xiao Xiao turned twenty-two,” Jiang Yi’s voice sounded hoarse. “I haven’t been a good father. These years, I haven’t fulfilled my responsibilities as a father.”

“Uncle—” in this situation, he couldn’t easily change to calling him “father.” It might provoke this cold-hearted painter. “Xiao Xiao never blamed you.”

A flicker crossed Jiang Yi’s lips. “I know. Xiao Xiao is kind-hearted. I raised her, how could I not know? It’s just that she has a stubborn nature. I planned to visit her in a couple of days.”

Zhou Xiulin braced himself. “Uncle, Xiao Xiao is over four months pregnant.”

Jiang Yi was once again shocked. His expression changed multiple times, even his breathing altered. His hand clenched tightly, and the veins on the back of his hand stood out, intensifying his gaze upon Zhou Xiulin. “So, you got married because she’s pregnant?”

Zhou Xiulin hadn’t expected Jiang Yi to ask such a question, but he replied firmly, “No, even if there was no child, I would still marry Xiao Xiao.”

Jiang Yi let out a sigh and gradually calmed down. “I have some matters to attend to in the next few days. After the National Day, I will meet with Xiao Xiao as soon as possible.”

Zhou Xiulin nodded. “Okay.”

Jiang Yi took another large sip of coffee, black and bitter, but he didn’t seem to mind. He couldn’t help but admit that this young man in front of him was outstanding in all aspects. What exactly was the relationship between him and Xiao Xiao?

“Uncle, how has your health been these years?” Zhou Xiulin asked.

During the shooting incident in the United States, Jiang Yi had pulled Zhou Xiulin over, but he himself had been shot, although it wasn’t a fatal wound, it still had some impact on his body.

“It’s no longer a problem,” Jiang Yi replied, looking at him. Then he quirked a smile, “Mr. Zhou, are you treating Xiao Xiao this way as a form of gratitude?”

Zhou Xiulin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Uncle, are you underestimating your daughter’s charm?”

Finally, a trace of amusement appeared on Jiang Yi’s face. “My daughter is naturally the best girl.”

Zhou Xiulin smiled. “I agree.” Today, even he found it somewhat unbelievable when he thought about it, but it also made sense.

When Jiang Yi was shot that year, he was afraid that something might happen to him. He took out a photo from his inner pocket. “This is my daughter. If something happens, please return to the country and find her, and have her scatter my ashes into the Yangtze River. Her name is Jiang Xiao, studying at J University.”

“You won’t have any problems. I will find your daughter and take care of her for you.”

Zhou Xiulin fulfilled his promise and even married Jiang Xiao.

In the evening, when Zhou Xiulin returned home, Jiang Xiao was engrossed in watching a TV drama. He glanced at it and realized it was a period drama from over a decade ago.

She seemed quite interested, not even lifting her head, her eyes were red, and she held a tissue in her hand.

As Zhou Xiulin walked closer, he unbuttoned a few buttons on his shirt and finally sat beside her. “What drama is this?”

Jiang Xiao snapped out of her thoughts and tugged at the corner of her mouth. “You’re back? It’s a Republican-era drama.”

“What’s it about?”

Jiang Xiao blinked her eyes. “Something like a little dragon searching for his mother.”

Zhou Xiulin glanced at it. “The young actors’ performances are quite good.” His hand brushed against the corner of her eye as he sighed softly. “Have you been crying?”

“No,” Jiang Xiao looked away, not wanting him to see.

Zhou Xiulin let out a faint smile and reached out to touch her belly. “During the National Day holiday, where do you want to go?”

“Do you have time?”

“I definitely have time to accompany you.”

“It’ll be crowded everywhere during the National Day holiday. We might even get stuck on the highway.”

“We’ll leave tomorrow afternoon and go to Jiuyun Mountain. It’s peaceful there.”

“But I can’t hike.”

“That’s alright. If you can’t walk, I’ll carry you.” In reality, they could simply drive up the mountain without needing to walk much. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

Jiang Xiao turned her head to look at his profile and smiled slightly. “I’m not light now.” Since getting pregnant, she had gained ten catties.

Zhou Xiulin held her soft waist with one hand and laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, I can carry you.”

That night, Zhou Xiulin and Jiang Xiao packed their luggage.

Mother Zhou knew they were going out and felt a bit worried. She called them, “Take Aunt Qiao with you.”

Zhou Xiulin refused. “No need.” He had originally wanted the two of them to go out together, and bringing Aunt Qiao along would be better off staying at home.

“It’s almost five months now. There’s no rush to go out.”

“There won’t be many people at Jiuyun Mountain, so don’t worry.”

Mother Zhou couldn’t persuade him and couldn’t change his mind. “Fine, just be safe. Take good care of Jiang Xiao and don’t let her be alone.”

Jiang Xiao looked at his expression and grinned.

Zhou Xiulin glanced at her. “Now you know your status. It’s at the level of a national treasure.”

Jiang Xiao had a sense of self-awareness and pointed to her belly. “The little sprout is the national treasure.”

Zhou Xiulin suddenly pinched her cheek, his eyes and eyebrows shimmering with tenderness. “You’re mine.”

Jiang Xiao quickly pulled his hand away. He was becoming more and more playful with his hands. “Hey, if we don’t leave now, it’ll be dark soon.” Her heart was filled with joy.

Along the way, Jiang Xiao was in a very excited mood. It had been a long time since she went on a trip.

Jiang Xiao noticed the snacks prepared in the car. “When did you buy these?”

“I had Jiang Qin buy them this morning.”

Jiang Xiao muttered, “Jiang Assistant works really hard.”

“He’ll get a raise at the end of the year.”

Jiang Xiao: “…”

Music was playing in the car.

“Is this the song sung by Zhou Yanyan?”

Zhou Yanyan had a soft voice and couldn’t hit high notes. This song completely discarded her shortcomings. The lyrics were beautiful, and the melody was simple and pleasant.

As the song ended, Jiang Xiao spoke, “Ji Lan is really amazing. I didn’t expect her to establish a strong presence in such a short time. If she stars in another TV drama and gets good ratings and attention, Yanyan’s future path will be much smoother.” But when she thought about it, Zhou Yanyan’s background would make things easier for her compared to Zhao Xinran and the others.

“After ‘Years of Youth,’ she will be in a suspense web drama,” Zhou Xiulin said.

Jiang Xiao was somewhat surprised. “A web drama?”

Zhou Xiulin understood her thoughts. “That drama is good, and the character of the female lead is very likable.”

If he said it was good, then it should be. Jiang Xiao added, “Actually, I don’t think Ji Lan should have let Yanyan take on the ‘top student’ image.”

Zhou Xiulin fell silent for a moment. “That was Yanyan’s own request.”

Jiang Xiao didn’t know what to say for a moment. Later, upon further thought, she understood. In the past, when they were surrounded by Lin Wu and Qin Heng, they almost always ranked in the top three of their grade, and Qin Heng’s grades were consistently within the top five. Jiang Xiao’s grades weren’t as good as theirs, but she still stayed within the top fifty of her grade.

Yanyan was much weaker in comparison, with her ranking only being average in the grade.

They always called Lin Wu the “beautiful top student.”

It turned out that Yanyan cared about it all these years.

Everyone has a knot in their heart, big or small. Perhaps this knot can be untied on its own, or maybe it can never be undone and can only be held onto.

Wasn’t she the same?

Time can heal pain, but it’s irrelevant to the itch.

In the evening, around six o’clock, the two arrived at Jiuyun Mountain. The scenery in the mountains was beautiful, the air was fresh, and birds chirped freely.

Zhou Xiulin had already booked a room in a hotel halfway up the mountain.

The room was spacious and bright, with a balcony. Standing on the balcony, one could see the distant mountain view.

Jiang Xiao took a deep breath. “It’s so beautiful.”

Zhou Xiulin looked at the contentment on her face. “We should come here often when we have time.”

“I can do that. Do you have time, Mr. Zhou?”

Zhou Xiulin was busy with work, and his holidays were indeed limited. He raised his hand and tousled her hair. “Let’s go downstairs to have dinner first.”

Jiang Xiao hesitated. “Shouldn’t we have them deliver the food to the room?”

“Don’t worry, ordinary people won’t come up here.”

She really didn’t understand the world of wealthy people.

When they went downstairs, Zhou Xiulin picked up a windbreaker for her. The temperature in the mountains at night would always be a few degrees lower.

After they finished their meal, they came out of the restaurant.

Jiang Xiao went to the restroom, while Zhou Xiulin waited for her in the lobby.

A voice came from the front, filled with surprise. “Brother Zhou—”

Zhou Xiulin turned around and didn’t expect to encounter the Jin family of three here.

Jin Shuyan walked gracefully in a white long-sleeved dress. “Brother Zhou, what a coincidence to meet you here.”

Zhou Xiulin smiled faintly. “Hello, Shuyan.”

Jin’s father and Liang Yue also approached.

Jin Shuyan explained, “It’s my mother’s birthday, and we came here to have a meal.”

“Happy birthday, Teacher Liang.”

“Thank you.” Liang Yue looked at him, standing there under the bright lights, exuding elegance. No wonder her daughter was infatuated with him. Her gaze fell on the women’s windbreaker on his arm. “Xiulin, are you here to have a meal too?”

“Just taking a break from the hustle and bustle of life, enjoying some leisure time.”

Jin Shuyan said they were about to leave. She looked at Zhou Xiulin, rarely encountering him and having to leave again.

Jin’s father understood his daughter’s thoughts. “Xiulin, last time I took a few calligraphy and painting pieces. If you have time, let’s take a look together.”

“Sure, Uncle Jin.”

Jin Shuyan’s lips curled into a smile. “Well then, Brother Zhou, we’ll head back first.”

Liang Yue held her daughter’s hand, and the family walked out of the lobby, waiting for a car at the entrance.

Jin Shuyan turned back and glanced in Zhou Xiulin’s direction, reluctant to part.

“Yanyan—” Liang Yue followed her daughter’s gaze. In the distance, she saw someone beside Zhou Xiulin.

Jin Shuyan said weakly, “Mom, if I could work as an assistant for Brother Zhou, that would be great.”

Liang Yue chuckled. “Let’s talk about it after you graduate. Do you know that girl?”

“We met once before. She is Brother Zhou’s new assistant. I heard from Yanyan that Brother Zhou holds her in high regard.”

Liang Yue knew Zhou Xiulin’s character. If she’s an assistant, then she’s an assistant. She affectionately touched her daughter’s hair. “Alright, let’s go home. Put on an extra layer of clothing. It’s cold outside.” As she spoke, she took her own scarf and draped it over her daughter.

In the lobby, Jiang Xiao stood there, her gaze sweeping slightly over the figures at the entrance.

She asked softly, “Is that Teacher Liang?”

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Sansukini: There were a lot of instances in this novel where I thought they will be outed as a couple already, but then, in the end nobody suspected. Even their son cooperates perfectly with them.

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