Chapter 10

Reaching the mountain summit, one gazes into the distance with the profound feeling of “all other peaks seem small in comparison.”

At the top stood a small platform, on the inner side of which were arranged a row of deities, with the God of Wealth and the Child-Giving Guanyin as the central figures.

Each deity displayed their divine powers, resolving worries and difficulties for the faithful.

The cooled incense ashes revealed which deity was the most popular.

Chen Xi hadn’t worshipped earlier, but now seeing the statue of the Wenchang Emperor placed in the middle, she took a few small steps forward, stood before the stone figure, closed her eyes, and sincerely made a wish.

Zhou Yanzhou stood by the railing, bored, staring at the distant mountain ranges. He glanced back to see Chen Xi kneeling devoutly before the statue, bowing and praying as if beseeching for something monumental.

Zhou Yanzhou wasn’t very attached to such things, but seeing Chen Xi so focused in her worship piqued his curiosity—what wish could she have made?

When Chen Xi finished her worship, she stood up and gazed deeply at the kindly face of the Wenchang Emperor, silently praying, “I ask the emperor to bless me so I can be admitted to Beijing.”

On the way down the mountain, Zhou Yanzhou glanced at the little girl walking ahead and casually asked, “What did you just wish for?”

Chen Xi paused briefly, then met Zhou Yanzhou’s teasing gaze and made up, “Bless me to become the top liberal arts scorer in Xiping City’s college entrance exam.”

Zhou Yanzhou paused for a moment, then praised, “Good girl, you have ambition.”

On the way back, Chen Xi felt listless, leaning back in the seat quietly watching the scenery flash by on either side of the road.

Zhou Yanzhou took two business calls, all about big deals. Hearing only the numbers, Chen Xi felt they were worlds apart.

When the car returned to the city, Zhou Yanzhou didn’t take Chen Xi straight home but instead took her out for a meal.

Only upon arriving at the restaurant did Chen Xi realize the meal was incidental; the real purpose was business negotiations.

In one of Xiping’s top restaurants, Zhou Yanzhou headed straight for the best private room. Opening the door, they found some people already waiting.

Chen Xi hesitated at the doorway, unsure whether to enter as she looked at unfamiliar faces. Zhou Yanzhou noticed and turned back, putting his arm around her shoulder and ushering her inside, seating her beside him.

The guests in the room were all much older than Chen Xi, dressed in suits with impressive airs, and their accents suggested they were not local to Xiping.

One dish after another was served by the waiter—mostly lavish fish and meat dishes. Even a simple three-yuan tofu was prepared in an extravagant style beyond ordinary means.

Chen Xi found it amusing that such a small place as Xiping could have a restaurant comparable to those in first-tier cities.

The guests were indeed outsiders, but having heard the Zhou family was making big moves in Xiping, they had come smelling an opportunity to get involved.

Those years, real estate was booming; it was easy to make a fortune.

The Zhou family had assets from previous generations, plus the elders’ keen insight who always followed the path of reform and kept pace with the times, almost always reaping bountiful profits.

Hence, when Zhou Yanzhou arrived in Xiping, people immediately came seeking investment partnerships.

The leader at the table spoke so passionately, it seemed he wanted to lay out the entire proposal right then and there and collaborate to expand the project.

Chen Xi initially perked up to listen but quickly became confused, understanding nothing.

Hungry from not eating all afternoon, her stomach growled loudly, and she could no longer pay attention. She quietly picked up her chopsticks and began eating voraciously.

The large round table for twenty was laden with a dazzling array of dishes. Chen Xi wanted to try the sweet and sour pork with pineapple but sat opposite it, awkward and unwilling to turn around, so she could only watch, hoping someone might coincidentally pass the dish her way.

After watching several times with no one moving their chopsticks, she put them down regretfully.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she set down her chopsticks, the motionless turntable began to rotate, and by chance, the bright, glossy pineapple sweet and sour pork stopped right in front of her.

Chen Xi blinked, hesitating between taking it or not.

Just as she was wavering, a piece of pineapple was steadily placed into her bowl.

Following the chopsticks, she saw Zhou Yanzhou calmly picking up a few pieces of meat for her.

He didn’t forget to answer a question while serving, his manner languid and unhurried.

Chen Xi looked at the extra sweet and sour pork in her bowl, feeling a complex mix of emotions.

Zhou Yanzhou glanced at her during a lull, seeing her staring blankly into her bowl, and smiled as he asked, “Anything else you want to eat?”

Chen Xi licked her lips and shook her head softly.

He tapped the table with his hand and said frankly, “Consider this meal my treat. Just eat, don’t worry about anything else.”

Chen Xi hesitated for a long moment but, hearing Zhou Yanzhou say this, felt a warm current flow through her chest.

A man diagonally opposite noticed this and his eyes glinted as he teased, “Young Master Zhou is so gentle and considerate. Is this little girl your girlfriend?”

Chen Xi froze, raised her head, and slowly looked at Zhou Yanzhou to see how he’d respond.

Zhou Yanzhou lifted his eyelids slightly, glanced silently at the man, and calmly replied, “What girlfriend? She’s my business partner’s niece. The girl is still a high school student; don’t joke around.”

The man realized his mistake and quickly laughed it off, ending the topic.

But Chen Xi, hearing “don’t joke around,” pursed her lips subtly without showing it.

—

The meal lasted less than two hours.

Chen Xi didn’t understand the business they discussed at all, only noticing that at the end, the leading man stood, shook Zhou Yanzhou’s hand, and said, “Pleasure doing business.”

They must have reached some agreement.

Leaving the private room, Zhou Yanzhou grabbed his jacket and glanced sideways at the sullen Chen Xi, kindly asking, “Not full?”

Chen Xi slowly lifted her head, met his concerned gaze, and calmly shook her head, “I’m full.”

Zhou Yanzhou hadn’t eaten much, only drinking a bowl of soup; the rest of the meal was spent drinking wine.

He recalled how Chen Xi occasionally pointed at certain dishes, telling him which were delicious and which were not, and teasing her, “Would you want to come to these kinds of dinners with me again?”

Chen Xi stopped abruptly.

She thought of the man with glasses at the table, his probing gaze and tentative guesses, and suddenly found it pointless.

What use was she at such dinners? She was merely a prop.

The more she thought, the more she felt it was meaningless. She bit her lip and refused bluntly, “No, I don’t want to come.”

Zhou Yanzhou had only been teasing her, but seeing her upset, he paused, rarely asking, “You’re not happy?”

Chen Xi looked at him calmly, hesitating, then asked, “Why do you bring me to places like this?”

Zhou Yanzhou looked puzzled, “Just for a meal. What else?”

Chen Xi smiled faintly, tilting up her fair face, and earnestly replied, “I don’t like these occasions. Even eating is uncomfortable.”

“You talk business and I just sit quietly, like a dish on the table, at others’ disposal.”

Zhou Yanzhou nearly laughed in disbelief, pinching her ear and lowering his voice a few notches, “You really think you’re just a dish?”

“I bring you out for a meal with good intentions, and it hurts your pride. So it’s all my fault for bringing along such an ungrateful person.”

Chen Xi flushed crimson at his words, her eyes moistening, and she looked at him with a stubborn glint.

Zhou Yanzhou saw the signs of tears and regretted it—what had he done to upset such a young girl?

The two stood facing each other in the restaurant corridor for a moment before Zhou Yanzhou surrendered.

A waiter carrying a tray nearly bumped into Chen Xi, and Zhou Yanzhou quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her close.

Once the waiter passed, Zhou Yanzhou looked down at the tearful girl in his arms and sighed, “Alright, I shouldn’t have brought you here today.”

“Want me to take you home now?”

Without waiting for her reply, Zhou Yanzhou firmly grasped her wrist and led her into the elevator.

Only upon reaching the parking garage and seating her in the passenger seat did he release her hand.

The car ride home was silent. Zhou Yanzhou tried to say something to cheer Chen Xi up but she ignored him completely.

He found it pointless; the girl was proud and difficult, a handful to please.

Stopping at her doorstep, Zhou Yanzhou looked back at Chen Xi, who had buried her head, lost in thought, and his tone softened, “Let’s go in. We’re home.”

Hearing this, Chen Xi’s nose tingled, and tears spilled uncontrollably.

Zhou Yanzhou panicked at once, grabbed some tissues, leaned over, and wiped her tears, still asking, “What’s wrong all of a sudden? Why are you crying?”

Chen Xi kept crying, unable to hear what he said.

After some time, Zhou Yanzhou, worn out from coaxing, gave up and said sardonically, “How about I cry with you?”

Chen Xi suddenly burst into laughter through her tears.

Zhou Yanzhou relaxed, “Finally smiling. If you kept crying like that, I’d start questioning life.”

Chen Xi took the tissues he handed her, wiped her tears and runny nose clumsily, then turned her head toward the disappointed Zhou Yanzhou and said firmly, “This isn’t my home.”

“This is my uncle’s home. My home no longer exists.”

Zhou Yanzhou was taken aback, clearly unaware that his words, “We’re home,” had caused her tears.

After this ordeal, Zhou Yanzhou felt somewhat stuck by the girl before him.

Though he found her interesting, he couldn’t endure the repeated troubles she brought.

At moments like this, he couldn’t help but reflect that wounds from one’s original family were like the incessant plum rains of a June in Jiangnan—

always damp, never ceasing.

Such people were delicate and sensitive, which could be seen as attentiveness but also troublesome.

And Zhou Yanzhou hated trouble the most.

He would rather stir up trouble with someone he despised than get entangled with a girl like Chen Xi.

One reason was exhaustion, the other was that he couldn’t afford the cost.

Sincerity was most important to such people, and what he lacked most was sincerity.

Lost in thought, Zhou Yanzhou restrained his emotions and his tone unconsciously softened, “Whether it’s your home or not, you still have a place to belong.”

“From now on, study hard and get into a good university.”