Chapter 393 Parents

"Yueyue, we..."

Zhou Xingzhi's gaze fell on her reddened earlobes, but his personality prevented him from uttering formal words to express his feelings.

Zhang Yueran looked up and smiled brightly, "We, Zhang Yueran and Zhou Xingzhi, will become the closest revolutionary partners and spend our lives together!"

A smile spread across Zhou Xingzhi's phoenix eyes, like spring water melting thin ice.

"Okay, we... will stay together forever."

"Um!"

Zhang Yueran nodded emphatically.

The two sat side by side on the official hat chairs, their fingers still tightly intertwined.

Zhang Yueran looked at him and smiled, feeling that she would be willing to solve ten physics problems right now.

Zhou Xingzhi gazed at her joyful profile and no longer regretted using that letter to force out her true, despicable nature.

Now that she's by his side, the act of deliberately distancing himself from her can no longer continue.

He has always been good at waiting, and once he has achieved the desired result, he will never let go.

Around noon, Zhou Xingzhi drove her to the Kang Le Restaurant. He had bought the car from a trust company last year; although it was a bit old, it was a rare find these days.

Zhang Yueran ate the signature cherry pork while looking at the handsome Zhou Xingzhi, and almost burst out laughing. Such a good-looking Zhou Xingzhi, and she'd actually managed to win him over.

Looking at her smiling eyes, Zhou Xingzhi realized for the first time that this bland food actually tasted quite good.

Halfway through the meal, he ladled a bowl of soup for Zhang Yueran and pushed it in front of her.

"Did the institute give you a day off?"

"Okay! The experiment is over. Professor Chen has granted me a week's leave. I'll officially start as an assistant researcher when the semester begins, and I'll be going three times a week..."

Zhang Yueran blurted out all her plans for the summer vacation and beyond.

Zhou Xingzhi listened quietly, and only after she finished speaking did he ask, "And these past few days..."

"I want to come see you every day!" Zhang Yueran blurted out, then realized it was too direct, and lowered her head to stir the almond tofu in her bowl. "I'd love to read books with you, fix furniture, or do anything..."

Sunlight streamed through the white gauze curtains, dancing in her joyful eyes. Zhou Xingzhi suddenly felt that this ancient city, which he had wandered alone for so long, was finally bathed in the brightest light.

He took her hand across the table: "Okay, I'll pick you up every day."

Zhang Yueran was startled: "No need!" Seeing Zhou Xingzhi's eyes darken slightly, she quickly explained, "I'm staying at my sister's house these days, what if she sees me..."

Zhou Xingzhi lowered his eyes, a hint of grievance showing in his expression: "Am I so shameful? Or do you not want me to meet my family..."

"Of course not!" Zhang Yueran grabbed his fingers anxiously, "You're so kind, it's just... I haven't figured out how to tell my sister yet, it might be a bit sudden..."

Seeing that she was so anxious that beads of sweat were forming on her nose, Zhou Xingzhi didn't press the matter further: "Then I'll wait for you outside the compound."

"good."

Zhang Yueran breathed a sigh of relief.

She lowered her head and stroked his fingers. His fingers were long and slender, with distinct knuckles, and his nails were neatly trimmed, like fine white jade.

Such a good guy like Zhou Xingzhi, yet she managed to get him.

The sweetness in her heart was like a boiling experimental solution, about to overflow from her chest, making her want to announce it to the whole world.

"Can I... tell my sister?"

Zhou Xingzhi chuckled and cupped her fingers in his palm: "Of course. If you'd like, I'd like to formally visit your family."

Zhang Yueran's face immediately turned as red as a ripe tomato: "I...I'll tell my sister."

She imagined her sister meeting Zhou Xingzhi; he was such a pure and gentle person, everyone would like him. Her sister would surely understand how wonderful he was.

That evening, after the newly formed "revolutionary comrades" had dinner together, Zhou Xingzhi drove Zhang Yueran back to the Army Compound.

When they arrived at the gate of the compound, Zhang Yueran insisted that he not drive in, so Zhou Xingzhi obediently parked the car on the side of the road.

"See you tomorrow." Zhang Yueran reluctantly unbuckled her seatbelt, her eyes still fixed on him.

Zhou Xingzhi nodded, his voice gentle: "I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow morning."

Zhang Yueran walked into the courtyard, turning back every few steps. Her heart was pounding like a happy little bird; she was both reluctant to part and overjoyed at the prospect of seeing him again tomorrow.

Seeing the lights in the courtyard from afar, she couldn't help but skip and run forward.

The courtyard gate was ajar. Just as she was about to push it open, she saw through the crack that her older sister was standing on tiptoe and biting her fifth brother's chin.

......

Zhang Yueran's face flushed red, and she quickly made her footsteps louder before gently pushing open the courtyard gate.

Hearing the noise, Gu Xiao released Nan Zhiyi and turned around without changing his expression: "Yueyue is back. You two chat, I'll go give Xiaoman a bath."

Nan Zhiyi glared at him reproachfully; Yueyue must have seen it.

Gu Xiao pinched her waist discreetly before going inside.

"Have you eaten? I saved some dinner for you," Nan Zhiyi asked Zhang Yueran.

Zhang Yueran sat on the swing with a blush on her face, unsure of what to say.

Nan Zhiyi didn't urge her. She walked over and sat down next to her, gently tapping the ground with her toes to make the swing sway slowly.

The evening breeze rustled through the grapevines, making the leaves whisper softly.

"Sis, I've got a boyfriend."

When did this happen?

"Today." Zhang Yueran twisted the hem of her clothes and couldn't help but laugh again.

Nan Zhiyi said "Oh," having already anticipated this, but she hadn't expected that they hadn't discussed it before and that it was only starting today.

Seeing her sister's calm reaction, Zhang Yueran breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the swing and swinging her legs: "Sis, I'm so happy, I'm so happy!"

"Great!" Nan Zhiyi put her arm around her sister's shoulder. "Our Yueyue is really growing up. Your happiness makes me happy too."

She had originally intended to say something about girls needing to protect themselves, but seeing her sister's delight, she didn't want to spoil the mood. Instead, she asked, "Is your boyfriend a classmate from school, or a colleague you met in the lab?"

Zhang Yueran leaned on her sister's shoulder, no longer bothered by the heat, her voice tinged with shyness: "Sister, do you know..."

Nan Zhi hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Is it Duan Jiaming? Or the researcher surnamed Chen? Or your senior brother Wan?"

"None of them!" Zhang Yueran shook her head with a smile. "Didn't I already say? I'm not interested in them."

Nan Zhiyi really couldn't guess this time.

Zhang Yueran stopped keeping him in suspense: "You and Fifth Brother both know him, it's Zhou Xingzhi..." Even just saying his name made Zhang Yueran feel a sweet warmth in her heart.

Nan Zhiyi was stunned.

This was indeed unexpected for her.

How could Zhou Xingzhi, such a cold and aloof person, end up with her lively and cheerful younger sister? She remembered his always distant demeanor, and... he was quite a bit older than Yueyue, how could he... Could it be that they met while playing mahjong at the Qin family's house?

Nan Zhiyi frowned: "Yueyue, Boss Zhou is not young anymore, why are you..."

"No way!"