Chapter 9: Mr. Zhou, your imagination is too rich.

Jincheng is neither big nor small, but there are always magical connections between people.

Have you ever thought that one day you will reunite with someone you loved when you were young?

Jiang Xiao didn’t know whether Zhou Xiulin knew about her relationship with Zhou Yanyan, her former classmate.

The orange light enveloped the two of them, creating a peaceful atmosphere in the room.

Jiang Xiao gazed at Zhou Xiulin and suddenly smiled gently. In front of him, she would be nervous, hesitant, insecure, and timid… but she always concealed her thoughts so as not to let him discover her small intentions.

She always told herself to pretend that she didn’t know him before.

“There’s something I haven’t told you.” She cleared her throat.

Zhou Xiulin stared at her.

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“Hbsw Zyduyd yde R yal nzyppxyvlp.” Kkydt Dkys ayd bla qkdtlap vbaswtb bla byka. “Tlu, esd’v fwpv zssj yv xl. Zsw alyzzu eked’v jdso clqsal?”

Hbsw Dkwzkd pxkzle, “Zsw eked’v vlzz xl.”

Kkydt Dkys nzknjle bla vsdtwl, “Pked’v usw nblnj xu kdqsaxyvksd?”

“Rdqsaxyvksd nyd’v vlzz lhlauvbkdt ycswv uswa rypv.”

Kkydt Dkys tzydnle yv bkx, “R eked’v lmrlnv vs xllv usw.” R eked’v lhld lmrlnv ol okzz byhl y zkvvzl clyd praswv vstlvbla.

“Ebyv’p uswa alzyvksdpbkr okvb Zyduyd? R twlpp kv’p dsv tsse.” Hbsw Dkwzkd pyke.

Kkydt Dkys pxkzle ckvvlazu, “Rv’p osapl vbyd usw vbkdj.”

Hbsw Dkwzkd pxkzle oauzu yde pyke, “Ls osdela usw eked’v pyu yduvbkdt obld R xldvksdle Zyduyd y qlo vkxlp. Gduvbkdt lzpl usw dlle vs nsdqlpp?”

Jiang Xiao felt guilty and replied, “No, that’s it.”

Zhou Xiulin smirked and said, “Yanyan probably doesn’t know that you’re my girlfriend.”

Jiang Xiao sighed and said, “Looks like there will be a smoke-free battle tomorrow. Hey, do you regret it now?”

He squinted and replied meaningfully, “Jiang Xiao, I won’t regret it.”

Jiang Xiao composed herself and said, “Well, you should explain it to Yanyan tomorrow.” Although her relationship with Yanyan was not good, she didn’t want their brother-sister relationship to be strained because of her.

He smiled and said nothing.

“Uh, Mr. Zhou, I’m a bit tired now. I’m going to bed.” She turned and walked towards her room.

“Jiang Xiao–” he suddenly called out her name.

Jiang Xiao turned around and looked at him from a distance.

Zhou Xiulin’s lips curled up. “Call my name at home from now on. I don’t want it to be like we’re still in the office when we’re home.”

Jiang Xiao had an illusion that she couldn’t understand him anymore. “Oh…” But she was a little uncomfortable with the idea.

Zhou Xiulin–

Xiulin–

She silently called his name in her heart several times, but still wasn’t used to it.

On the weekend, Jiang Xiao wore a loose baby collar dress, standing next to the sharp-suited Zhou Xiulin, and indeed looked several years younger than him.

Jiang Xiao adjusted her dress and asked him, “It shouldn’t go wrong, right?”

Zhou Xiulin looked at her and said, “Looks good.”

Jiang Xia was used to wearing long dresses, simple and convenient. She lowered her head and said softly, “This way, no one can tell I’m pregnant.”

Zhou Xiulin smiled, “It’s only a little over a month, so it’s hard to tell.”

Jiang Xia rubbed her belly and said, “I feel like my waist has already gotten thicker.”

Zhou Xiulin thought of their intimate contact last night, and in a little over a month, she hadn’t gained much weight. When he held her, she was still… very slim.

On the way there, Jiang Xiao’s expression was a bit heavy, and Zhou Xiulin noticed and comforted her, “Don’t be nervous, I’m here.”

Jiang Xia breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Thank you.” She was really grateful to him, his appearance at least gave her a lot of courage.

The car drove into the courtyard.

Zhou Xiulin got off the car and walked to the other side, and Jiang Xiao followed. He said, “We’re here, let’s go in.” 

At that moment, someone ran out from inside. “Brother–” 

Zhou Yanyan’s voice was full of joy, “You finally came–” 

Jiang Xiao stopped, and at the moment when their eyes met, Zhou Yanyan’s voice suddenly stopped, her eyes were full of disbelief, and her gaze instantly turned cold and angry. 

“Why is it you!” She exclaimed her name fiercely. 

Jiang Xiao curved her lips, “Zhou Yanyan, long time no see.” They were high school classmates who hadn’t seen each other in four years. 

Zhou Yanyan looked at her, then at Zhou Xiulin, and suddenly a trace of grievance appeared in her eyes. 

Suddenly, Zhou Xiulin reached out and grabbed Jiang Xiao’s hand. Jiang Xiao’s fingertips stiffened for a moment, and for a moment she wanted to break free, but found that she couldn’t. 

Zhou’s parents saw them coming in, their faces with just the right amount of smile. 

Zhou Xiulin introduced, “Mom and Dad, this is my girlfriend, Jiang Xiao.” 

Jiang Xiao politely greeted them, “Hello Uncle and Aunt, I am Jiang Xiao.”

Mrs. Zhou discreetly scrutinized her, thinking the girl was quite pretty and had a gentle and quiet demeanor with a good temperament. She was dressed plainly, not wearing any big brands, and from Mrs. Zhou’s observation, it seemed she didn’t care about brands at all. Since her son had already admitted to their relationship, opposing it now would only hurt their mother-son relationship. So she smiled gently and said, “Please take a seat.”

Meeting the parents for the first time was like attending a Q&A session. Especially for someone like her who suddenly popped up as Zhou Xiulin’s girlfriend. Fortunately, Zhou’s parents were people who had seen big scenes before, and they were used to observing with their eyes, so they didn’t ask too many questions. They just inquired about her family background and job. Knowing that she worked in Huaxia Film and Television, Mr. and Mrs. Zhou probably guessed how they had met.

Zhou Yanyan had been holding her hands tightly and sitting with a cold face on the side.

Mrs. Zhou also noticed her silence and said, “Yanyan, Xiao Jiang is your age. You can keep in touch with her in the future. If you have any questions about developing your career in the entertainment industry, you can ask her.”

Zhou Yanyan sneered, “Mom, not only are we the same age, but we were also classmates.”

“Really?” Mr. and Mrs. Zhou were surprised.

Zhou Yanyan looked at Jiang Xiao and said, “Brother, didn’t Xiao Jiang tell you?”

Zhou Xiulin replied in a low voice, “I know.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me? I’ve been back for a few days, why didn’t you tell me?” Zhou Yanyan became excited.

Mother Zhou was confused and patted her hand, “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Yanyan smiled, finally holding back her emotions.

Mother Zhou patted her hand again, “You’re all grown up, why are you jealous? Your brother has found a girlfriend, aren’t you happy?”

Jiang Xiao looked at ZhouYanyan and didn’t expect her to have such a strong opinion of her. After so many years, she still didn’t like her as before. She maintained her expression and glanced at Zhou Xiulin with her black eyes sparkling with fine light. Zhou Yanyan, out of consideration for her elder brother, suppressed her displeasure.

After lunch, Zhou Xiulin took Jiang Xiao to his bedroom to rest.

Jiang Xiao finally took off her mask and was really tired. She looked at Zhou Xiulin and asked, “Aren’t you curious why she and I don’t get along?”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to say.” Zhou Xiulin’s expression remained the same.

Jiang Xiao lazily sat at the foot of the bed, took off her slippers, and stepped on the soft carpet with her bare feet, revealing her snowy white feet. “We were classmates in the same class in our second year of high school, and each class had small groups. Our class was the same. Children like Zhou Yanyan, who came from well-to-do families, naturally played together and could talk about many things that we didn’t know. Although Zhou Yanyan and I sat close to each other, we were not in the same circle and didn’t get along very well.”

Zhou Xiulin didn’t expect her to be so direct. He knew Zhou Yanyan’s temperament well, proud and self-centered. Jiang Xiao’s temperament appeared soft, but was actually strong.

“Do you know that your sister had a crush on a boy during high school?” 

Zhou Xiulin frowned and his tone stiffened. “Who was it?”

Jiang Xiao giggled. “If you close the door, I’ll tell you quietly.”

Zhou Xiulin pursed his lips and turned to close the door.

Jiang Xiao’s expression changed slightly. “There was a boy in our class named Qin Heng. He was smart, handsome, and played basketball really well. Many girls secretly liked him.”

Zhou Xiulin narrowed his eyes and patiently listened to her continue.

“I was classmates with Qin Heng since the first year of high school, and we sat in front and back rows. Whenever I had trouble with a problem, I would ask him for help.”

“Oh,” Zhou Xiulin said with a hint of a teasing tone. “Your classmate seems like a nice guy.”

“Yes,” Jiang Xiao thought of Qin Heng’s gentle eyes and smiled. “That’s why many girls liked him.”

“Were you and my sister one of those many girls?”

Jiang Xiao nearly bit her tongue. “Mr. Zhou, you have quite the imagination.”

“Isn’t it true?”

“Of course not. Zhou Yanyan liked Qin Heng, but the person Qin Heng liked was my deskmate!”

Zhou Xiulin didn’t expect there would be such stories in their high school, and shook his head. “When did the school spirit at  No. 1 Middle School become so lax? You guys have time to think about these things.”

“You didn’t think about it in high school? How is that possible? I think that if I never had a crush on anyone in high school, our youth wasn’t complete.” 

Zhou Xiulin was silent. He never really thought about it.

Jiang Xiao’s face was full of excitement.  “My deskmate was beautiful, had the best grades in our class, and was very kind. She even gave private tutoring to a few of us students. Lin Wu is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, even more beautiful than Cheng Ying.”

Zhou Xiulin joked with a smile, “More beautiful than you?”

“How could I compare to her? Lin Wu…,” 

Because of his surprising remark, her words choked off.  She opened her lips slightly, carefully thinking back to what he had just said. He seemed to be praising her.

Zhou Xiulin saw her silence and changed the subject, “If there’s a chance, I’d like to meet her.”

Jiang Xiao muttered softly, “You don’t even know about your sister’s situation.”

“I was studying abroad at that time, and besides, you little girls were more careful  than anyone else in hiding their small thoughts.”

Jiang Xiao thought for a moment and nodded, “It’s not easy to have a crush, and it’s even more heart-wrenching to love and not be loved in return.” 

Sometimes, even though you know that path will not have a happy ending, you still plunge into it headfirst.

“Have you ever had a crush on someone?” Zhou Xiulin asked.

Jiang Xiao opened her mouth and smiled, “Does a celebrity count? Jin Zhongbei.” 

Jin Zhongbei was about the same age as Zhou Xiulin. When Jiang Xiao was in high school, Jin Zhongbei became popular for his role as a prince in a Qing dynasty drama. It was his first drama and it propelled him to great heights. Many girls in the class were infatuated with him, and his pictures were even used as phone screen savers.

Zhou Xiulin smiled somewhat cryptically and suddenly reached out to touch her lower abdomen.

Jiang Xiao’s body stiffened and she leaned back. “Mr. Zhou, what are you doing?”

He approached her.

Jiang Xiao nervously changed her tone, “Your parents are downstairs, hey, you can’t do this!”

“What can’t I do?”

Jiang Xiao: “…”

For the first time, Zhou Xiulin approached Xiaodouya directly, his hand trembling uncontrollably through the thin layer of her dress. “You have to teach him well from the prenatal stage, you know?”

He slowly stood up and walked to the window, pulling the curtains closed. “Jiang Xiao, you’re teaching little bean sprout about early love during his embryonic stage.”

Jiang Xiao: “…” This is a serious accusation.

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