Chapter 28: The first time I called “husband”.

Zhou Xiulin held her hand and explained, “Today is Teacher Liang’s birthday.”

Jiang Xiao tilted her head and suddenly remembered, “I know.”

“You know?”

“I looked up her on Baidu Baike.” Jiang Xiao explained, “I spent some time with her on a drama set before.”

“When was that?”

Jiang Xiao thought carefully, “The last time I told you, when I was sick, Xinran was still just Female No. N.”

“Assistants have to remember many dates, especially the birthdays of celebrities. When other artists have their birthdays, we remind our own artist to send birthday wishes. It helps build relationships.”

“So, you reminded Zhao Xinran about Jin Zhongbei’s birthday this year?”

The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.

Kkydt Dkys rwaple bla zkrp yde pxkzle, “R pldv kv. R wple vs xydytl Dkdayd’p Elkcs clqsal. Fbl byp y pvayktbvqsaoyae rlapsdyzkvu, yde bla Elkcs rspvp wple vs cl iwkvl eau. Nyvla, ol ekpnwpple kv, yde R vssj shla vbl xydytlxldv. R esd’v jdso obs kp xydytkdt kv dso.”

Gp vblu nbyvvle, vblu wdnsdpnkswpzu oyzjle sdvs y pxyzz ryvb kd vbl xswdvykdp.

Mbl pvallvzktbvp sd csvb pkelp lxkvvle yd saydtl tzso, yde wdela vbl ekx zktbvp, vblal oyp y rlynlqwz yvxsprblal.

Kkydt Dkys ypjle, “Ps usw yzps qszzso vbl Elkcs ynnswdvp sq yavkpvp wdela vbl nsxrydu?”

Hbsw Dkwzkd pxkzle tldvzu, “Ebu dsv?”

Kkydt Dkys yzps pxkzle, okvb y bkdv sq rzyuqwzdlpp, “Gv qkapv, R vbswtbv…”

“Zsw vbswtbv obyv?”

Kkydt Dkys ckv bla zkr, “Psd’v tlv xye obld R pyu vbkp!”

Zhou Xiulin’s eye twitched slightly.

“I thought you were interested in Xinran. She suddenly went from being Female No. N to the lead actress, which made people suspicious.”

A gentle breeze blew, carrying a trace of coolness.

Zhou Xiulin felt a pang in his chest. “So, you followed Zhao Xinran all the time to protect her?”

Jiang Xiao blushed, “Not exactly…” Actually, she also wanted to keep an eye on him.

Zhou Xiulin felt amused and exasperated at the same time. He glanced at her and spoke in a low voice, “Do I need to resort to ‘hidden rules’ to achieve my goals?”

Jiang Xiao playfully shook his hand, “Mr. Zhou, you know that in this industry, it’s necessary to be cautious.”

Zhou Xiulin chuckled, “Assistant Jiang, how do you know that Zhao Xinran wants to be cautious around me?”

Jiang Xiao stared at him in disbelief, “… You!”

Zhou Xiulin held onto her waist and leaned his face close to hers. “Jiang Xiao, it seems like you have ulterior motives for me.”

Jiang Xiao’s heart pounded like a drum, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say. Unfortunately, everything he said was true. “If I have ulterior motives for you, what would you do?”

Zhou Xiulin’s eyes sparkled, and he smiled, “You’re more than welcome.”

Jiang Xiao fell silent again, and Zhou Xiulin noticed. He asked, “What are you thinking?”

“What kind of woman do you think is considered successful?” Jiang Xiao asked.

“It depends on what she wants for herself. Some women want a peaceful life, so for them, having a happy family would be considered success. Some women pursue their careers, and for them, everything else can be overlooked. Everyone has different pursuits, and outsiders don’t have the right to make unwarranted judgments.”

Jiang Xiao smirked, “In the eyes of the world, someone like Teacher Liang is considered the epitome of a successful woman. She has career success, love, and family. Many female artists in the industry admire her.”

Zhou Xiulin rarely saw her so contemplative. He didn’t comment on Liang Yue’s situation. Regardless, Jin Zhongbei was a divorced man with a son, and Liang Yue chose to marry him. The reasons behind her decision weren’t worth delving into. After all, such examples were not uncommon in the entertainment industry.

That was someone else’s life, and besides, Liang Yue indeed had everything.

They strolled for over forty minutes before returning to their room.

The hotel had various entertainment facilities like a swimming pool, cinema, and pool room. Due to Jiang Xiao’s pregnancy, she couldn’t participate in many activities. She looked a little disappointed, but Zhou Xiulin reassured her that he would accompany her in the future.

They didn’t know when the next opportunity would arise, but for now, she was already content with this trip.

After taking a shower, Zhou Xiulin came out wearing a bathrobe, with droplets of water on his hair.

Jiang Xiao lay on a chaise lounge, listening to piano music. It was one of her daily must-do activities to cultivate the child’s sense of music from prenatal education.

Zhou Xiulin didn’t dampen her spirits and thought to himself that after the child was born, signing up for a music class at a certain age would be crucial.

Jiang Xiao squinted her eyes and glanced at him. He had only fastened his belt loosely, casually revealing his well-built chest muscles. She shifted her gaze and continued to listen to the piano music. Thoughts of his physique involuntarily surfaced in her mind—he had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, a really nice physique.

Zhou Xiulin dried his hair and got onto the bed, sitting at the headboard. He called out, “Jiang Xiao—”

“Mmm—”

“It’s already ten o’clock.”

“Wait until I finish listening to this piece.”

Zhou Xiulin smiled gently. He had come here without any work this time. “Tomorrow morning, let’s go watch the sunrise.”

Jiang Xiao felt delighted. “I’ve never seen a sunrise before. What time should we wake up?”

Zhou Xiulin patted the bed, but Jiang Xiao paid no attention and climbed onto it. Zhou Xiulin took a pillow and placed it behind her back.

“We’ll wake up at five o’clock. It only takes half an hour to get there.”

Jiang Xiao squinted her eyes. “I read online that the sunrise at Jiuyun Mountain is comparable to the sunrise at Huangshan.”

Zhou Xiulin nodded.

Jiang Xiao curved her lips. In August, Huang Ya had invited her to visit Huangshan, and at that time, she felt a tinge of regret. In these past few years, her schedule had always been packed, with studying and part-time jobs. She had never taken a break or had a proper vacation.

“If I tell you that this is my first time traveling, will you laugh at me?” Jiang Xiao asked.

Zhou Xiulin briefly paused, “Then I’m honored to accompany you on your first time.”

Jiang Xiao blushed, “Thank you.” She knew that he had deliberately come along with her on this trip.

The next morning, Jiang Xiao was awakened by his kiss.

Pregnant women tend to be heavy sleepers, and she was no exception.

Zhou Xiulin called her several times, but she kept her eyes closed and murmured, “Let me sleep for five more minutes, just five minutes.”

Zhou Xiulin waited for five minutes and called her again, but she responded the same way, “Just five more minutes…”

He had no other choice, so he deeply kissed her.

Jiang Xiao, in a daze, struggled to breathe. His hand had already slipped inside her nightgown, moving up and down. She had nowhere to escape, and her breathing became erratic. “Hey, I’m up, I’m really up now. Stop it!” Every time she begged for mercy, her voice would become soft and coquettish. Zhou Xiulin realized that only in these moments would she drop her usual seriousness.

Zhou Xiulin was intentionally teasing her, and his hand gradually slid down.

Jiang Xiao’s body instantly tensed up. “Hey, why are you doing this?”

This “hey” further stimulated him. He had planned each step carefully, but he didn’t expect her to resist like this. Without any hesitation, his hand went further in.

Jiang Xiao’s breath quivered. “Zhou Xiulin…”

Zhou Xiulin leaned down, his eyes locked tightly on her. “Who am I?”

“Zhou Xiulin…”

“That’s not right.”

“Mr. Zhou…”

“That’s not right…”

“…Xiulin, is it right?”

“That’s not right!” Zhou Xiulin kissed the corner of her mouth. “It’s husband.”

Jiang Xiao couldn’t resist. She was no match for him, with a six-year age difference. Zhou Xiulin wasn’t one to be trifled with. “Husband…” she pleaded softly.

With that plea, Zhou Xiulin kissed her even deeper, full of affection and emotion.

In the end, they were late for the sunrise.

Fortunately, there weren’t many people watching the sunrise at Jiuyun Mountain.

The sun gradually rose, and sunlight bathed the entire mountain top.

Jiang Xiao opened her eyes wide, focused on the eastern horizon, and was awestruck by the scene before her.

The panoramic view was magnificent, encompassing all the mountains. Lush green hills stretched as far as the eye could see, gently swaying in the breeze. Her mood relaxed along with the scenery.

“Traveling really helps people relax,” she exclaimed. “Confucius said, ‘When Confucius ascended the eastern mountain, he felt small in the presence of Mount Lu. When he ascended Mount Tai, he felt small in the presence of the world.’ As for me, ascending Jiuyun Mountain makes me feel small in the presence of my own life.”

Zhou Xiulin didn’t expect her to have such sentiments. “Small what in life?”

“Life is short, so enjoy it. The past is like smoke, there’s no need to dwell on it too much,” Jiang Xiao said seriously. The invisible shackles on her shoulders seemed to have disappeared without her noticing.

Zhou Xiulin raised an eyebrow. “It seems like I should take you out more often.”

Jiang Xiao couldn’t help but ask, “Do you have time?” It wasn’t easy to squeeze out these past two days.

He looked at her with a half-smile. “Your husband always has a day or two to spare.”

Jiang Xiao: “…” She remembered the morning encounter, feeling awkward as she averted her gaze.

Zhou Xiulin gazed at her flushed face. “There are few things I want to do, but there are many things I want to do with you.” In his twenty-something years of life, everything had been smooth sailing. He approached everything with extraordinary ease, as if he didn’t care much about many things.

Jiang Xiao was moved, her eyes shimmering.

Now, for her, watching the sunrise and sunset with the person she loved was the greatest happiness in life.

The two of them spent two leisurely days in the mountains and returned home on the first day of the new month.

Zhou Xiulin had three days’ worth of piled-up work waiting for him, and as soon as he returned, he was busy every moment.

Jiang Xiao, on the other hand, enjoyed the relaxation. During her time off, she contacted a few friends to catch up and also checked on Li Li, who was also pregnant.

Li Li seemed lonely as well, and she poured out her frustrations to Jiang Xiao.

Xiao Moli: “Only after getting pregnant did I realize how difficult it is. Being a woman is really not easy. Why can’t men get pregnant?”

Jiang Xiao: “What happened?”

Xiao Moli: “The day before yesterday, I went to his company and saw him chatting happily with a female coworker. It made me uncomfortable.”

Jiang Xiao: “Don’t overthink it. It’s just work-related.”

Xiao Moli: “You don’t understand. Now that I’m pregnant, I can’t… He sometimes wants to, but I haven’t agreed.”

Jiang Xiao fell silent.

Xiao Moli: “Men are more likely to cheat during pregnancy.”

Jiang Xiao thought of Zhou Xiulin and didn’t know how to comfort Li Li.

Zhou Xiulin faced even more temptations.

In their industry, both men and women were prone to losing themselves.

In the afternoon, Jiang Xiao basked in the sun on the balcony. The doctor said it would help replenish calcium.

When her phone rang, she was dozing off and took a while to pick it up. Seeing the caller ID on the screen, Jiang Xiao got excited and almost jumped up.

“Dad!” She quickly answered the call.

Jiang Yi had a brief moment of distraction. “Xiao Xiao…”

“Dad!”

The father and daughter fell into a short silence, but it dispersed in an instant.

“Xiao Xiao, I’m in Jincheng now.”

“Aunt told me.”

“I’m sorry, I haven’t been in touch with you for so long.”

“Dad, it’s good that you’re back. Dad, where are you now? I’ll come see you. I have a lot to say to you.”

Jiang Yi took a deep breath. “Alright.” He gave her an address and reminded her, “Be careful on the way.”

“Dad, don’t worry, I’m not a child anymore.”

In his eyes, she would always be his child.

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Xiao ran excitedly to the study.

“Zhou Xiulin, my dad called.” She walked in, unable to hide her joy. “My dad is staying on Qingdao Road, we’re meeting tonight.”

Zhou Xiulin set aside his work and composed himself. “Tonight?”

“Yes.” Jiang Xiao’s eyes lit up with joy.

Zhou Xiulin noticed that she was barefoot and furrowed his brow slightly. “Come here—”

Jiang Xiao walked over, and he lifted her up, letting her sit in the chair. “The floor is cold.”

Jiang Xiao stuck out her tongue. “I’m just too excited.”

Zhou Xiulin pondered for a moment. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Jiang Xiao hesitated for a moment. “I forgot to mention you to my dad just now. But… let’s go together.”

Zhou Xiulin curved his lips into a smile.

“I’ll go change clothes.” She slipped off the chair and hurried back to the room.

Zhou Xiulin let out a sigh of relief. His father-in-law was quite efficient.

Jiang Xiao had been struggling for a long time. She wanted her father to see that she was doing well, and clothing was a direct way to convey that. In the end, she chose a goose yellow pullover sweater with a doll collar, an A-line silhouette, and a loose fit around the waist.

After changing her clothes, Zhou Xiulin also entered the room and opened the wardrobe. “What should I wear?”

Jiang Xiao let out a sound of surprise.

Zhou Xiulin’s fingertips brushed over the clothes inside. “What style does dad like?”

Dad…

Jiang Xiao was momentarily stunned.

“Hmm?”

Jiang Xiao: “…”

Zhou Xiulin selected a black shirt and buttoned it up. Then, he fastened cufflinks. “Could you hand me a tie?”

Jiang Xiao opened a drawer and casually picked up a red tie.

Zhou Xiulin paused for a moment. “Red?”

Jiang Xiao gestured with the tie. “Isn’t this the one you bought?” Although it did give a bit of a feeling of wearing a red scarf.

He chuckled.

Jiang Xiao then changed to a dark blue tie. After a moment of consideration, she raised her hand. “We don’t need to be too formal. My dad is more casual in his style. He’s a simple person.”

Zhou Xiulin smiled. “Alright, I’ll follow the lady’s lead.”

Jiang Xiao: “…”

---

Thanks for visiting. If you like this story, then I’m shamelessly asking you to visit NovelUpdates and give a 5⭐ review. (人❛ᴗ❛)♪тнайк　чоц♪(❛ᴗ❛*人)

You can also check out my other translations Here