Chapter 66 Heart-Fluttering Levels Exceed Standard

Jiang Wan slept very comfortably.

The familiar environment, the familiar bed, the familiar temperature, and perhaps, the familiar companionship.

In short, under the influence of my subconscious, I slept exceptionally soundly.

Just before she opened her eyes, she wondered if she was dreaming, but she felt a deep gaze upon her.

There shouldn't have been any feeling, but that gaze seemed tangible, an existence that couldn't be ignored.

Like the winter sun, bursting forth with intense heat from its crispness.

In the final moments before waking up, one is always both lucid and confused, with consciousness drifting between dream and reality, making a final struggle.

Jiang Wan couldn't tell if she was dreaming or not.

She struggled to open her eyes a few times before finally managing to open them.

The winter afternoon sun was bright, shining through the thin white gauze curtains. It wasn't glaring, but it was hot enough.

Jiang Wan narrowed her eyes. This must be the source of the gaze in her dream.

After her eyes adjusted to the light, she slowly lowered them and unexpectedly saw Zhou Chong sitting on the carpet with his back to her.

He leaned against the edge of the bed, one long leg casually stretched forward, the other leg bent at the knee and propped up on his elbow, while he held a book in his hand, which he couldn't quite place.

She quietly turned around, silently watching his back so close to hers, and unconsciously raised her hand, slowly tracing his outline in the air along his broad shoulders and back.

His tall and imposing figure made her feel at ease.

As if sensing something, Zhou Chong suddenly turned around. Jiang Wan's fingertips were still in the air, and she stared blankly into his eyes.

A few seconds later, Zhou Chongxian chuckled softly, "Awake?"

"...Um." Jiang Wan seemed to just come to her senses, awkwardly withdrawing her hand and nodding. "Why are you sitting on the ground? Aren't you cold?"

Zhou Chong shook his head. "The carpet is thick and not cold."

He selectively skipped the first question, and just when Jiang Wan thought he didn't want to answer, Zhou Chong suddenly spoke up: "I was afraid you wouldn't see me when you woke up, so I wanted to sit closer to you."

Jiang Wan was taken aback. "Then... you can sit on the bed."

As she spoke, as if to prove something, she patted the empty seat next to her.

Zhou Chong simply smiled and shook his head, repeating what he had just said: "The carpet is thick and not cold."

"Oh..." Jiang Wan realized that her action just now looked exactly like inviting Zhou Chong to bed together.

...That really shouldn't be the case.

She cleared her throat, preparing to naturally change the subject, "How could I possibly fall asleep..."

She paused abruptly, pursing her lips. "I mean, how could you sleep... for so long? What time is it now?"

She instinctively wanted to ask why she was sleeping in her own bed, since she clearly remembered sitting on the sofa before falling asleep. But then she realized there was no need to ask.

If Zhou Chong hadn't carried her in, what else could have happened?

Although just thinking about it made her feel incredibly happy, she wisely refrained from asking.

Zhou Chong raised an eyebrow, raised his wrist, and held the watch in front of Jiang Wan. "It hasn't been long, it's only 1:30 now."

"Oh, that's alright." Jiang Wan threw off the covers, turned around, and got out of bed. "Let's start our afternoon review quickly."

She wasn't sure if it was because she had just woken up and was still a little dazed. She sat down at her desk and couldn't concentrate for a while. The words on the book seemed to crawl around in front of her eyes.

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind.

Suddenly, I heard a soft laugh from beside me.

She stopped shaking her head, turned to look at Zhou Chong, and awkwardly tugged at the corner of her mouth, "Are you laughing at me?"

Zhou Chong chuckled and shook his head. "No."

"Then what..."

Before Jiang Wan could ask any further questions, her cheeks were suddenly cupped by a pair of large hands.

Zhou Chong rubbed her face and asked with a chuckle, "Are you still a little sleepy? Will this make you feel better?"

"Okay." Jiang Wan pursed her lips and nodded. "I... I'll go wash my face and be right back."

After saying that, she stood up abruptly and ran into the bathroom without looking back.

Jiang Wan turned on the tap, looked at her slightly flushed cheeks in the mirror, scooped up a handful of cold water and splashed it on her face.

Today's heart-fluttering level is definitely a bit too high.

How come Xiao Zhou seems to know how to manipulate her more and more?

She's even better at it than Mr. Zhou, who's 28 years old.

-

The day before Lunar New Year's Eve, Zhou Chong was stopped by his mother before leaving home in the morning, and she told him to take a few boxes of New Year's gifts with him.

“You’ve been staying at your classmate’s house these past few days. You’ve been well taken care of by his parents. They’ve been having lunch at their house every day, and sometimes they’ve even let you stay for dinner before you come back. Mom is busy with work, but we can’t be rude.”

Feng Qing pointed to the New Year's gift boxes piled up in the storage room, "Those are all New Year's gifts that Mom prepared in advance. She prepared a lot. Go pick out a few and send them to your classmates' homes as a New Year's greeting. It's also a token of our good wishes."

Zhou Chong thought for a moment, then turned and went into the storage room. He picked out two boxes of Da Hong Pao tea, a box of Ganoderma lucidum spore powder, and a set of bronze sculptures.

"Mom, then I'll take these items with me."

Feng Qing was changing her shoes at the door when she glanced back and said, "Okay, take them all."

After changing her shoes, she slung her bag over her shoulder and said to Zhou Chong, who was about to leave, "Mom has a day off tomorrow, so I have to work tonight. Make sure you go home early tonight."

"Okay." Zhou Chong nodded, changed his shoes, and went out with Feng Qing, parting ways downstairs.

Arriving at Jiang Wan's house on time, I rang the doorbell, and Jiang Wan answered the door as always.

Jiang Wan had obviously just gotten up not long ago. She was wearing soft coral fleece loungewear with the hood up and her long rabbit ears drooping down, making her look like a little rabbit with droopy ears.

The little rabbit held the doorknob in one hand and covered its mouth with the other, yawning widely. "You're here! Come in!"

Zhou Chong followed her into the house, placing the gift boxes he was carrying one by one in the entryway. "Aren't your aunt and uncle home?"

"Yes, they've already gone to the company. But before they left, my mom said they'd be home early tonight, since it's the eve of the Lunar New Year."

As she spoke, Jiang Wan turned around and noticed the extra gift boxes in the entryway. "What are these? Did you bring them?"

"Yes." Zhou Chong nodded and explained, "My mom knew I was coming to your house, so she asked me to bring some New Year's gifts and also to wish your uncle and aunt a Happy New Year."

Jiang Wan was stunned for a moment, then looked down to look through the gift boxes. The tea and tonics were very suitable for her parents, and there was also a set of intangible cultural heritage handmade bronze sculptures, which her parents would love at first sight.

"Mom... oh no." Jiang Wan bit her tongue, almost slipping out a string of words, "Your mom is so thoughtful."

After all, she and Zhou Chong were just classmates, and their families had no relation whatsoever, so it was naturally inconvenient for her to visit them for the New Year. But unexpectedly, Feng Qing actually had Zhou Chong bring New Year's gifts to visit the elders.

It has to be said that her mother-in-law is really thoughtful.

Zhou Chong raised an eyebrow, smiling without saying a word.

He thought he heard Jiang Wan unconsciously call out "Mom" just now; it was probably just an unintentional slip of the tongue, but...

That was indeed very prescient.