Chapter 44

Driver Lao Xie had been waiting at the airport parking lot for quite a while, simply keeping watch for Zhou Yanzhou to emerge.

After losing track of time, he finally caught sight of Zhou Yanzhou walking unhurriedly toward the parking bay, pulling a suitcase behind him. To his surprise, a young girl was trailing right beside him. Lao Xie shifted his gaze to Chen Xi's face, his expression freezing in bewilderment.

Wasn't this girl about the same age as his own daughter?

The previous driver had to resign on short notice due to a family emergency. Feeling uneasy about Zhou Yanzhou driving himself, Teacher Meng had handpicked a trusted driver from among her relatives.

Strictly speaking, according to their family hierarchy, the new driver, Lao Xie, was supposed to address Zhou Yanzhou as his uncle.

As Zhou Yanzhou handed the suitcase over to the driver and addressed him hesitantly as Uncle, Lao Xie broke out in a cold sweat of sheer panic and hastily waved his hands in refusal. "Please, just call me Lao Xie. I couldn't possibly accept such a title."

Watching the entire exchange from the side, Chen Xi felt a strange twinge in her heart as she witnessed an uncle old enough to be her own father bowing and scraping before Zhou Yanzhou, his entire face etched with apprehension and deference.

She climbed sluggishly into the back seat, scanning the interior decor carefully until she spotted a purple doll tucked inside.

It hung from a hook right by the edge of the window, its plump little legs swaying clumsily whenever a breeze drifted through.

It was palm-sized and quite adorable, hardly matching Zhou Yanzhou's usual aesthetic.

It must have belonged to a girl, right?

Chen Xi leaned her upper body forward, reaching out with innocent curiosity to poke the doll.

Just as she did, Zhou Yanzhou ducked into the car and caught the scene. Following her gaze to the doll, he arched an eyebrow, smoothed down the hem of his jacket, and settled onto the seat beside Chen Xi, asking lazily, "You like it?"

Chen Xi's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she instinctively pulled her hand back.

Zhou Yanzhou thought nothing of it, simply saying offhandedly, "If you like it, keep it."

Closing the trunk, Lao Xie squeezed into the driver's seat and glanced nervously into the rearview mirror. Catching sight of the doll dangling from the ceiling, he explained with a terrified expression, "I'm so sorry, sir. That was accidentally left behind by my daughter a couple of days ago."

"I figured I'd be staying in Xiping for quite some time, and since she was left alone in our hometown with no one to look after her, I went ahead and arranged her transfer to a school here. When I picked her up at the station yesterday, she must have accidentally left it in the car."

"I really didn't mean to..."

Aside from apologizing for his daughter leaving her belongings behind, Lao Xie was primarily terrified that Zhou Yanzhou would fire him for using the car for personal reasons. Zhou Yanzhou was well aware of Lao Xie's anxieties. He lifted his eyelids, casting a sidelong glance at Chen Xi beside him. Seeing her sitting with her head lowered and remaining completely silent, looking very much like a child who had done something wrong, Zhou Yanzhou swallowed hard and asked with an impassive expression, "How old is your daughter this year?"

Lao Xie froze for a moment before answering honestly, "She's turning seventeen shortly, a sophomore in high school this year."

Zhou Yanzhou crossed one leg over the other, tapping rhythmically against his knee with a relaxed hand.

By the fifth tap, he reached out a long arm, plucked the doll from the window hook, and turned it over in his palm for a brief moment before remarking casually, "This doll is quite cute. Where did you buy it?"

Upon hearing this, Lao Xie's mind raced, and he plastered on a sycophantic smile. "My daughter won it at a toy arcade. It's nothing valuable—please take it if you like it."

"She has a mountain of dolls at home; she won't miss this one."

Zhou Yanzhou murmured an indifferent acknowledgment and reminded Lao Xie that it was time to leave.

Realizing he had narrowly escaped trouble, Lao Xie turned back around with a look of lingering relief and frantically engaged the engine.

Zhou Yanzhou reached out and pressed a button. The partition between the front and rear seats descended smoothly, cutting the driver off from the two of them.

Chen Xi, having never witnessed such a feature before, let out a soft gasp of wonder.

Amused by her naive astonishment, Zhou Yanzhou the corners of his mouth twitched into a smile. He shoved the doll into her hands, cutting her off before she could utter a refusal: "Throw it out if you don't like it. It's hardly worth anything anyway."

Clutching the doll by its ears, Chen Xi found herself entirely incapable of refusing.

Zhou Yanzhou seemed thoroughly exhausted, closing his eyes to catch some sleep not long after the car pulled away.

The night was deep, and with barely any traffic along the stretch from the airport to the city center, the interior of the car remained dead silent.

The dim glow of the streetlights filtering through the window washed over Zhou Yanzhou's face, casting a gentle, warm radiance across his features.

Chen Xi sat rigidly beside him, the distance between her arm and his thigh measuring no more than a few centimeters.

sheltered by the darkness, she lifted her head to gaze at the car window, which reflected the silhouette of a man leaning his shoulder against the seat.

With his legs crossed and his hands resting casually across his abdomen, his sleeping expression was serene and languid.

Leaning forward closer to the window, Chen Xi extended a finger and gently tapped twice against the man's lips.

Zhou Yanzhou was startled awake by a sudden, harsh braking of the car.

At a crossroads ahead, an elderly person pushing a tricycle had ignored the traffic light and blindly crossed the wide road as if no one else existed.

Fortunately, the driver was steady behind the wheel, or else today's outcome might not have ended so peacefully.

Startled just as badly, Chen Xi's head lurched forward uncontrollably to strike the glass, prompting an involuntary cry of pain.

Zhou Yanzhou blinked open his weary eyes, a lingering haze of sleep still clouding his indifferent gaze. He instinctively turned his head toward Chen Xi to find her clutching her head, wincing and grimacing in pain.

Straightening up, Zhou Yanzhou reached out a long arm to brush against her reddened forehead, scolding her with mock annoyance, "Are you an idiot?"

As he spoke, his other hand cupped the back of Chen Xi's head, pulling her closer with a hint of helpless resignation in his tone: "Let me see if you knocked your brains out."

Chen Xi: ""

The hand resting against her forehead was warm and dry, and a faint, subtle scent drifted from the cuff of Zhou Yanzhou's sleeve right into her breathing space.

Her mind short-circuited instantly, completely banishing any lingering pain.

Even though it was already January, Chen Xi felt so feverish that her palms were slick with sweat.

She didn't dare to breathe, nor did she dare to raise her head, terrified of drowning within those affectionate peach-blossom eyes.

She guarded her tiny world with nervous care, simultaneously longing for Zhou Yanzhou to recklessly trample into her private sanctuary and terrified of offering up her sincere, hopelessly devoted heart to him.

Zhou Yanzhou harbored no such elaborate thoughts; he merely wished to treat the young girl a bit more kindly during these final moments.

He would grant whatever she desired while he could—after all, he wouldn't be staying much longer.

Having recently made a trip to the United States, he had witnessed a vastly larger market there and developed much grander ambitions.

He refused to remain constrained within this third-tier provincial city, nor did he wish to limit his horizons solely to the domestic sphere.

He wanted to venture into international trade and forge a commercial empire of his own.

Of course, he also appreciated the peace and stability of Xiping, and he enjoyed having a lively, chattering young girl by his side to keep things entertaining, but the two realities were fundamentally incompatible.

Inevitably, he was destined to leave.

With these thoughts trailing off, Zhou Yanzhou lowered his gaze to regard the young girl clutching her forehead, whose innermost thoughts were as transparent as glass before him. A trace of regret, one he failed to register himself, flashed across his eyes.

As competing notions warred endlessly within his mind, Zhou Yanzhou let out a soft sigh, ultimately resolving that, at the very least, he would not touch her until she came of age.

The car came to a halt outside the hotel where they had previously stayed. The driver tactfully excused himself, leaving only the two of them inside the cabin.

Chen Xi's calves had grown numb from sitting still. When she tried to stretch her foot out, the resulting ache twisted her facial features into a grimace.

Pushing the door open, Zhou Yanzhou stepped outside to light a cigarette.

The winter night wind blew fiercely, and it took several clicks of his lighter to coax a flame from the tip.

The crimson ember stood out sharply against the dark night. Seated inside, Chen Xi watched the smoking man outside without blinking.

He appeared weighed down by heavy thoughts, smoking with a fierce, intense rhythm. With each inhalation, his cheeks hollowed inward, only to gradually fill out again as he exhaled the hazy white smoke.

Resting her forehead against the car window, Chen Xi's scrutinizing gaze slowly filled with perplexity.

What was he thinking about? Had something happened?

Once he finished the cigarette, the turbulent emotions churning within Zhou Yanzhou seemed to subside completely.

He tossed the butt away and brushed at his clothes to rid them of the lingering scent. Once the smoke had sufficiently cleared, he turned back toward the car, peering through the window at her curled-up form to say indifferently, "Get out. Let's go eat."

Chen Xi murmured a docile acknowledgment, pushed open the door, and slid out of the car.

Her down jacket was too long, and a section of the hem accidentally got caught as she shut the door. Before she could turn around to fix it, Zhou Yanzhou effortlessly pulled the door open again and bent down to free her fabric.

At that exact instant, gentleness seemed to become exclusively defined by Zhou Yanzhou.

Chen Xi's heart fluttered wildly.

Having wrestled with a grueling day, Zhou Yanzhou lacked the energy to entertain Chen Xi further at this point.

Instead of heading out to a restaurant, he called the dining manager and had a meal delivered directly to their hotel suite.

Chen Xi followed Zhou Yanzhou blankly into the elevator, trailed him into the suite in a daze, and sat beside him in the dining area in an uncomprehending fog to accompany him through dinner.

The dishes ordered were entirely light and wholesome. The takeout packaging bore the name of a certain upscale establishment—an eatery Chen Xi recognized as one of the most famous in Xiping, where a single dish could cost as much as two months of her living expenses.

Her younger uncle had previously booked a table at that very restaurant to host her aunt's family, running up a bill exceeding four thousand yuan.

Upon returning home after paying, her aunt had spent considerable time grumbling about how exorbitantly expensive the restaurant was and vowing never to return.

Chen Xi had been present on that occasion as well, though she existed merely as an insignificant tagalong.

Though her aunt's relatives hadn't explicitly insulted her to her face, they all privately regarded her as a burden. Consequently, to avoid drawing any attention, Chen Xi had behaved with extreme discretion throughout the meal, barely touching the dishes and subsisting almost entirely on plain rice.

Every single dish Zhou Yanzhou had ordered consisted of the restaurant's signature items, many of which Chen Xi had never tasted before.

She ate with genuine satisfaction, entirely free of the restraint and humiliation she had felt that previous time.

It seemed that every time she dined with Zhou Yanzhou, she always managed to eat her fill.

At the thought, Chen Xi nibbled on her chopstick tip, casting a covert glance at the man sitting opposite her.

He ladled a bowl of soup for himself, lifting the spoon to sip it at a leisurely pace.

Swallowing a spoonful, he appeared pleased with the flavor, instinctively raising an eyebrow before taking a few more mouthfuls.

The warm broth soothed his stomach, smoothing out his furrowed brow and restoring much of his vitality, leaving him looking far less sullen than before.

Chen Xi averted her gaze from his face and stared in bewilderment at the pot of lotus root and pork rib soup.

Was it really that delicious?

Noticing Chen Xi staring at the soup with a look of utter internal conflict, Zhou Yanzhou lowered his spoon, extended a hand halfway across the table, and stated calmly, "Hand me your bowl."

Before she could process the request, Chen Xi instinctively pushed her bowl toward him.

To her surprise, Zhou Yanzhou took it and patiently ladled half a bowl of soup for her, making sure to select two pieces of exceptionally tender rib meat and lotus root.

Fearing she might scald herself, he didn't hand it directly to her; instead, he stood up and placed the heavy bowl of broth securely right beside her hand.

Chen Xi stared at the gesture, deeply moved.

She ended up drinking every single drop of that soup.

By the time they finished eating, it was already eleven o'clock. Zhou Yanzhou checked the time, cast a glance out the dim, indistinct window, and asked with an unnameable gentleness, "Are you full?"

Lowering her spoon, Chen Xi murmured a soft acknowledgment toward Zhou Yanzhou's broad back.

Untying his tie and loosening the top two buttons of his shirt, Zhou Yanzhou stood up, scooped his coat off the back of the chair, and stated matter-of-factly, "I'll take you back."

Caught entirely off guard, Chen Xi had assumed he would let her stay the night.

Her gaze swept past the approaching man to land on the rose-patterned bag resting on the sofa, where her undergarments were still tucked away inside.

Perhaps because the man's tone was so serious, Chen Xi finally realized he wasn't joking.

While Zhou Yanzhou stepped into the bathroom, Chen Xi pushed back her chair, hurried over to the sofa, grabbed the rose bag, unzipped it, and shoved her undergarments deep into the bottom.

In truth, Zhou Yanzhou had no intention of rummaging through her belongings, making her actions entirely redundant, yet she still felt an overwhelming sense of shame.

Emerging from the bathroom with clean hands, Zhou Yanzhou saw Chen Xi standing stiffly by the entryway with her bag slung over her shoulder. He raised his chin and teased, "Practicing your military standing?"

Chen Xi: ""

Zhou Yanzhou had driven the route between the hotel and the Xu household countless times, rendering navigation unnecessary.

With the New Year approaching, local migrant workers had flooded back to their hometowns, instantly transforming normally quiet streets into a bustling, crowded thoroughfare.

At this hour, the streets would normally have been entirely deserted, yet tonight the storefronts lining the road remained lit, with occasional customers wandering in and out.

The phoenix trees bordering the street were adorned with palm-sized red lanterns and colorful string lights that trailed in continuous streams from the branches, casting a festive and lively glow across the night.

A heavy stream of vehicles choked the roadway, causing Zhou Yanzhou to get stuck in traffic shortly after pulling away from the hotel.

Watching the brake lights of the car ahead, a faint smile surfaced on his face as he remarked to Chen Xi with genuine amusement, "Beijing is always packed with people, yet it turns into a ghost town the moment the New Year arrives. It's the complete opposite of Xiping."

Unable to decipher the thoughts running through his mind, Chen Xi simply went along with his words. "Probably because everyone goes home."

At that remark, remembering that New Year's Eve was only a week away, Chen Xi blinked and couldn't help asking, "Aren't you going back to Beijing for the New Year?"

Casting a sideways glance at her, Zhou Yanzhou replied lazily, "Didn't you ask me to stay in Xiping to watch the fireworks show with you?"

Chen Xi: ""

Of course she wanted him to stay and watch the fireworks with her, and she wanted him to spend the New Year in Xiping too, but surely he had a family of his own to return to.

Before she could voice her thoughts, the congested line of vehicles ahead finally began to creep forward.

Zhou Yanzhou shifted gears and steered the car slowly down the avenue lined with red lanterns.

For a stretch, many words were rendered unnecessary; sharing a couple of moments like this was more than enough.

Once they finally cleared the congested section of the road, Zhou Yanzhou let out an inexplicable sigh of relief.

He accelerated during the second half of the trip, covering a journey that normally took over ten minutes in a mere eight.

Parking the car along the roadside outside the courtyard, Zhou Yanzhou showed no inclination to step out.

Unbuckling his seatbelt, he retrieved a black gift box from the center console and handed it to Chen Xi. "A New Year's gift."

Chen Xi hesitated to accept it.

Though she couldn't read the foreign brand name printed across it, she instinctively sensed that the gift must be exceedingly expensive.

Seeing her lingering hesitation, Zhou Yanzhou forcefully thrust the box into her lap.

Lowering the window, he peered past Chen Xi toward the pitch-black foreign-style house. Frowning slightly, he couldn't help asking, "Is there no one home?"

Recovering her wits, Chen Xi turned her head to follow his gaze and shook her head lightly under his scrutiny. "My younger uncle and his family went to visit her parents, and the housekeeper is on vacation."

Zhou Yanzhou's frown deepened. Swallowing hard, he asked, "You're all by yourself?"

Chen Xi intended to say that her younger uncle would probably return, but the words died on her lips, and she changed her response to, "I suppose so."

Pondering for a brief moment, Zhou Yanzhou asked, "Are you scared?"

After hesitating for two seconds, Chen Xi shook her head. "No."

Nodding, Zhou Yanzhou pushed open the car door and announced, "I'll walk you in."

His movements were swift, affording Chen Xi no opportunity to protest.

Zhou Yanzhou maintained strict propriety, walking Chen Xi only as far as her front doorstep before turning back.

Before departing, he lingered for a moment to look at the despondent girl, feeling a sudden surge of reluctance.

Sighing softly, he reached out and pulled her into his embrace, resting his warm palm against her back and patting it rhythmically.

Chen Xi stood frozen in absolute shock, taking a long while to process what had just happened.

Zhou Yanzhou harbored no ulterior motives; he simply wanted to offer her an embrace.

He merely felt that during the New Year, it was rather pitiful for her to be left guarding such a massive house all by herself.

Moments later, Zhou Yanzhou slowly released Chen Xi and stated in a calm tone, "I'm leaving."

Standing rigidly in the hallway, Chen Xi watched with stiff limbs as Zhou Yanzhou's retreating figure vanished into the night.

Back inside her bedroom, Chen Xi's composure gradually returned, and a fiery blush spread unbidden across her face.

After rolling back and forth twice across her bed, she finally remembered the gift Zhou Yanzhou had given her.

Scrambling up in a flash, she grabbed the gift box from the nightstand and carefully lifted the lid.

Nestled inside was a wristwatch—a steel model with a blue dial, exuding an air of elegance and luxury. Even at a glance, it was evidently worth a small fortune.

At the time, Chen Xi was unfamiliar with such luxury brands, only learning long afterward that it was a matching couple's timepiece from Patek Philippe.

The women's edition belonged to her, while the men's counterpart was the watch Zhou Yanzhou frequently wore thereafter.

Tucked into the bottom of the gift box was a small note. Picking it up, Chen Xi read the inscription: You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.