Chapter 30 The Rise and Fall of the Heart Within

Chen Jizhou never posts anything on his WeChat Moments.

Jiang Meng has changed phones several times in the past few years, and many chat records have been lost. She has been using this phone for more than a year, and when she opened the chat box with him, it was completely empty.

Several times, when she thought of him, she would ask him how he was doing.

But Jiang Meng felt guilty towards him.

She had a bad boyfriend during college who hurt Chen Jizhou. Jiang Meng only found out about this later, and it was the key reason why their relationship was so difficult to repair.

Even now, she still doesn't know if she has the right to ask for forgiveness.

With so many friends, he probably wouldn't care whether he could win her back or not.

Just as Jiang Meng was about to turn off her phone and take a shower, Ye Jing sent her another message.

First came a sigh: "Alas."

This leads to what she wanted to say: "A captain is hard to find even with a lantern."

She was still talking about Zhou Xun.

If my cousin hadn't already gotten married last year, judging from her infatuated expression, she probably would have taken matters into her own hands and won him over.

Jiang Meng couldn't hold back any longer and retorted, "I don't have a thing for uniforms, and you should watch less TVB dramas."

This man was a handsome and wealthy civil aviation pilot. When Jiang Meng received his friend request, she had already seen his photo from her cousin. To her, he was just an ordinary handsome guy. Jiang Meng was never short of handsome men; she had countless suitors and had seen all kinds of men. So she didn't take him seriously at all.

After exchanging contact information, the other party, having apparently completed their task, didn't even bother to say hello.

However, by evening, Jiang Meng discovered that all of her selfies on WeChat Moments had been liked, and the other person sent her a voice message: "Hello, hello, do you have time? Want to grab some coffee?"

His voice sounded familiar to her, clear and clean, like that of a teenage boy, without any pretentious depth, even though he was three years older than Jiang Meng.

The sound touched her, bringing to mind the camphor leaves of a summer evening, the bright eyes and captivating smile beneath the leaves, and the person looking up at her, saying, "I wish you happiness and freedom."

Jiang Meng went to meet with him.

Zhou Xun is quite tall, has a good physique, a sunny smile, and a strong youthful vibe. At 28, he looks no different from an 18-year-old.

Very similar.

He looks a lot like Chen Jizhou.

She couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly resembled him; it wasn't his appearance, but perhaps his demeanor.

So in the coffee shop, she explained what had been on her mind: "You're a lot like a friend of mine."

Zhou Xun raised an eyebrow: "Ex-boyfriend?"

She shook her head: "Just friends."

The other person wasn't very interested in her friend and changed the subject, asking, "How many boyfriends have you had?"

Jiang Meng said, "Both times, but both were online romances."

She thought for a moment and added, "There was a period in high school, or maybe not really, because we weren't officially in a relationship then."

Zhou Xun said, "Then that shouldn't be considered experience?"

"What experience?" she asked, a little confused.

"Dating experience, well, it's just holding hands, kissing, and stuff like that."

Jiang Meng hadn't yet grasped the meaning behind his words, but she didn't want to answer such private questions directly. As she lowered her head to sip her coffee, the other person noticed her reluctance to discuss further, so he changed the subject and talked about something else.

In the afternoon, Zhou Xun asked her where she wanted to go for fun.

Jiang Meng wasn't really in the mood for fun, so she just said, "You make the arrangements."

As a result, this person took her to the basketball court.

Zhou Xun said he often comes here to play golf, and he plays with a few friends he knows to show her how they play.

Jiang Meng was quite shocked.

It was an open-air venue. Although there were places to sit, it was hot, and her carefully applied makeup was starting to come off. To keep her hairstyle in place, she didn't even wear a hat and had to use her hand to shield herself from the scorching sun.

The water he bought for her was next to her.

Zhou Xun slammed in a few three-pointers, and as he left the court, he asked her with a smile, "Do you want to play? I'll teach you."

Jiang Meng said she wasn't interested.

"Come on, how will you know you're not interested if you don't try? Those guys are my brothers, I know them all very well."

Jiang Meng had already rolled her eyes ten times in her mind: If you want to show off, just say so. What's the point of making me stand here in the sun for an hour?

She picked up her bag, stood up, and said, "I have something to do tonight, so I'll head back now."

Zhou Xun called out "Hey" from behind. Thankfully, he still knew to catch up and ask if she needed a ride. Jiang Meng had driven herself there and waved her hand repeatedly.

The man's expression clearly showed his bewilderment. Why was the girl so difficult? She wouldn't say where she wanted to go, and she wasn't happy about being taken out to play.

Jiang Meng was indeed unhappy.

But after reflecting on it, she realized that perhaps her sudden emotional outburst was indeed impolite, since not everyone can understand her or accurately guess what she needs.

She should tell him where she wants to go, and he will most likely respect her wishes and take her there.

He didn't do anything too wrong.

But she was inevitably somewhat disappointed.

When Jiang Meng interacts with people, she often focuses on details. She believes that details reveal a person's character. Their interactions were magnified and scrutinized, which made her uncomfortable, but not particularly intolerable.

It's nothing more than being a bit narcissistic and childish.

The main reason was that he looked so much like Chen Jizhou, which made Zhou Xun retain some goodwill in her heart.

A few days later, Jiang Meng posted a beautiful photo of herself at a bar on her WeChat Moments.

Zhou Xun's message popped up: "The photos look better without editing."

Jiang Meng frowned: "?"

Zhou Xun: "I'm complimenting your good looks."

She said, "Oh, oh."

Zhou Xun: "I really enjoy going out and having fun."

Jiang Meng: "When work pressure gets too high, I go for a drink."

Zhou Xun: "With colleagues"

Jiang Meng: "Mm"

Zhou Xun: "I'm going to sleep now. I'll get up at 5 AM [on a plane] to Hong Kong to share the sunrise with you."

Jiang Meng: "No need."

She didn't wait for the sunrise; after thinking for about ten minutes, she decided to delete him.

Still disappointed.

Leaving a girl under the scorching sun and showing off his ball skills for an hour, thinking he's cool—he wouldn't do that even if you held a knife to Chen Jizhou's throat.

Substitute literature is so fake.

The reality is that a small error can lead to a huge difference.

The more she spent time with people like him, the further she drifted away from him.

Only afterwards did she slowly question herself: why did she try to develop a romantic relationship with someone like Chen Jizhou?

Jiang Meng didn't think about the question in depth; in short, she felt that this person was unreliable.

Later, when Ye Zhaoxu came to Yunzhou, he brought up this matter: "What about you and that pilot from last time?"

Jiang Meng began to list the charges against her.

Invading someone's privacy when they are not familiar with them will result in a deduction of points.

Overemphasizing one's own charm is a bad thing.

Ignoring her feelings is a complete failure.

Oh, and he seems to have a bit of a smoking habit. He went out for a smoke twice after just one meal. Men like that get stale before they even reach middle age.

-10,000 points.

Ye Zhaoxu was stunned: "Just because he went to play basketball and made you wait for a while?"

Jiang Meng said, "What do you mean by 'just because'? Do you know how sunny it was that day? Would you have agreed to it? Besides, I don't like playing basketball at all, I can't even understand it."

“If you don’t communicate with him, how will he know what your opinions are? I’ve even put up with your dad, so why would I be unwilling? Everyone has flaws, as long as their bottom line isn’t too low. I’ve never seen anyone as picky as you, wanting someone handsome and someone who can please you. You’re so arrogant, what kind of man can even catch your eye?”

Jiang Meng didn't retort. She felt that her mother's statement, "I even tolerated your father," made a lot of sense and had a touch of self-deprecating humor.

Ye Zhaoxu really wants Jiang Meng to find a boyfriend, but to be honest, she's not in a rush. She only goes along with what her relatives say when they tease her. But if she really meets someone good, she hopes Jiang Meng will settle down soon.

Especially after Jiang Meng didn't want to stay in Pingjiang and came to Yunzhou alone.

Ye Zhaoxu understood her daughter better than anyone else; she knew that her daughter was very afraid of being alone.

Let's put aside things like settling down and starting a family for now; even just having someone to talk to would be nice.

Regarding this, Jiang Meng said, "Having friends is enough for me."

Ye Zhaoxu stopped talking about it: "Fine, I'm not going to bother with you anymore."

The mother probably forgot the origin of her daughter's inherent pride.

She once gave an answer because Jiang Meng had long been spoiled rotten by Chen Jizhou.

Back when Jiang Meng angrily complained to her roommate about her ex-boyfriend, her roommate chuckled and adopted a similar attitude: "Huh? Is that all? It's not a big deal."

Then, as if watching a spectacle, she added: "I'm quite curious about what kind of man you'll marry in the future."

Yes, Jiang Meng admitted it; she was just that picky.

Is it wrong for the Princess and the Pea to not want to sleep on a bed that's uncomfortable?

Someone taught her to always put your feelings first.

She will always remember.

On Saturday afternoon, Jiang Meng went downstairs to blow-dry her hair, letting down her long, black, wavy hair. She wore a green, fitted long dress, teardrop earrings, a platinum diamond bracelet, and light blue extended nails. She carried a small black GUCCI handbag and appeared on the bar street right on time.

Yan Yuqing held her beautiful nails and admired them closely: "Aren't you afraid Director Yin will scold you?"

Jiang Meng moved her finger: "I put it on, I took it off when I got to work."

Yan Yuqing always said that she was completely different at work and off work. Once she lost her work persona, she was a bright, generous, cute, lively, and confident super beauty who could easily make all the men in the room look down on her. She glanced at Jiang Meng's clothes and said, "She has a devilish figure and is incredibly hot."

Then, making a grasping motion with both hands, he asked, "It's so big, can I touch it?"

Jiang Meng made a gesture as if calling 110: "I'll make sure you get arrested on the street."

The two went inside, laughing.

Half of the opposite sex turned around to look at them.

Jiang Meng doesn't usually go to bars often, but Yan Yuqing has recently been thinking about hunting, so she has come to accompany her.

"You stingy little brat who won't even let me touch it, how much is this bag?"

Jiang Meng looked at the bag in her hand: "I don't know, it's probably a few tens of thousands, but it shouldn't be too expensive."

She noticed the other person's surprise: "My dad bought it for me, don't get the wrong idea."

Yan Yuqing said enviously, "Your dad is so nice."

“He owes me.” Jiang Meng was too lazy to say more. “Don’t spread this around, or Bald Eagle will say I’m morally corrupt again.”

Yan Yuqing is nearsighted, so she took out her glasses from her bag and put them on for the convenience of hunting.

She looked around, and then grabbed Jiang Meng's arm with great surprise: "Great, great, the first man with sense tonight has appeared."

As Jiang Meng followed her gaze, she swallowed a mouthful of wine.

After the intensely spicy and pungent sensation comes a long period of coolness.

The minty flavor of summer filled her mouth.

The raw, light fragrance made her feel the vibrant and lush growth of green plants in a fresh rainforest, and it was like being stuffed with a bite of a newly ripe fruit. The taste wasn't sweet enough, but the aftertaste was long and pleasant.

His aura was exactly the same as Chen Jizhou's.

She didn't need to see his face or have any other evidence to help her recognize him.

Fingers, hair, a clean nape of the neck, the outline of the shoulders.

She knew it all too well.

The moment Jiang Meng saw him, even with his back to her, she knew that this was her former best friend.

Men have long legs, so they don't need to curl up their legs to sit on a bar stool; they can be comfortable on the ground.

Ralph Lauren's grey shirt.

The wrist was smooth and there was no watch on it.

A silver ring adorned the middle finger of the person holding the wine glass, and the veins on the back of their hand and forearm shimmered in the light.

When she's not playing the piano, her slender joints are relaxed, which is very sexy and makes even an ordinary transparent glass look elegant.

In Jiang Meng's aesthetic sense, Ralph Lauren has a rather honest temperament, with a very textured and steady linen style. She never expected that he could also show a casual, lazy, and even flirtatious side.

The band on the stage next to us was playing "Lost Sandbar".

"Back to this end again."

I also want to move forward.

The more I see, the more expansive the sea and sky seem.

The greater the regret, the less I feel that you are there to share my emotions.

He kept looking at the stage, only turning his head slightly in their direction to show his profile.

This posture could indicate that someone is waiting for someone, or that they are simply relaxing alone.

It's difficult to tell from his back view whether he's relaxed or serious.

"Looks like there's a story behind this," Yan Yuqing murmured.

The passersby did not disturb him. The man sat alone in the cold white light. The calm scene stirred a surge of emotion in Jiang Meng, like waves crashing on the shore.

Thump, thump, she heard her own heart.

Strangely, the people she used to spend every day with didn't give her any romantic feelings.

Years later, one might find oneself experiencing a stirring of emotions within one's body.

Jiang Meng's teeth bumped against the wine glass, and she realized that she was also staring at him absentmindedly, and her face probably unconsciously showed a similar infatuated expression to Yan Yuqing.

She recalled a phenomenon: if you stare at a word for a long time, you will gradually stop recognizing it.

Jiang Meng studied this phenomenon and eventually came up with the concept of "semantic saturation," which roughly means that the brain gets tired of continuous information, and focusing on details will destroy the overall perception.

Chen Jizhou's reappearance completes her understanding of this passage.

It turns out that in the past, she had achieved "semantic saturation" with him.

This can also be attributed to the fact that people's need for hormones increases dramatically as they get older.

After several years of separation and the onslaught of hormones, she couldn't help but confront his masculine charm and re-examine the person she had "grown tired of" back then.

Yan Yuqing, still wearing her glasses, carefully examined his figure: "I really like his broad shoulders."

"This finger is so lewd."

"Those pecs... damn, they're really reliable."

She was practically drooling from looking at it, and finally decided to take action. She took off her glasses, switched to a small mirror to check her makeup, and said urgently, "I'm going to see what my face looks like!"

Before Jiang Meng could stop her, Yan Yuqing had already gotten up and gone over.

Just as she was about to approach the bar, a hot girl suddenly darted out from the side. She quickly turned back and whispered to Jiang Meng, "That girl is fierce, she just came up and handed over the room key."