Chapter 50 A kiss wouldn't be too much to ask.

The venue was arranged by Chen Jizhou.

That day, Qi Yunqing and a new male colleague went there. Chen Jizhou ran into the two of them in the parking lot.

The newcomer had fought with Qi Yunqing a few times, and this was Chen Jizhou's first time meeting him.

Jiang Meng arrived a little earlier; she was already sitting there leisurely waiting when Chen Jizhou entered the venue.

When Jiang Meng saw him, Chen Jizhou was also looking over. He was wearing a white shirt and black shorts, with his backpack slung over one shoulder. The shorts were a little above his knees, revealing his lean yet powerful limbs. His hair was a bit longer than during the summer vacation, swaying gently under the central air conditioning, allowing the cool breeze to create shapes on the ends of his hair. He exuded a refreshing and invigorating aura.

Jiang Meng raised her clapperboard to greet him.

Chen Jizhou walked over, looked at the racket in her hand, put down his schoolbag, and said in a low voice, "You haven't changed the grip tape?"

Jiang Meng also looked at her racket: "Hmm? Do I need to change this one?"

He pulled an unopened glove from a small pocket on the outside of his backpack: "I have a new one here, I'll replace it for you."

"...Okay, thank you."

While Chen Jizhou sat down to wrap her hands with duct tape, Qi Yunqing and his partner went to the side to practice a couple of singles matches.

Jiang Meng sat quite obediently next to him, or you could say she was a little shy.

But her eyes weren't shy; she stared unabashedly at Chen Jizhou's face.

Chen Jizhou tore off the tape from where she was holding the racket and then slowly rolled up new tape layer by layer.

This job requires a lot of patience.

However, Chen Jizhou is a very methodical person, and he has no shortage of patience.

Especially for her.

Jiang Meng stared at his nimble and rapid finger movements, and for the ten thousandth time thought that his hands were really lewd.

Jiang Meng pointed to his clean wrist: "Why aren't you wearing your iWatch today?"

Chen Jizhou also subconsciously glanced at his wrist, then looked up at her.

Jiang Meng must have secretly moved closer to him, because when he sat down, he made sure to maintain a normal social distance from her. But now her eyes were so close that they made him hold his breath. Her light pink sportswear also gave her face a natural blush.

Chen Jizhou looked at her and said, "Your heart is racing. No need to test it, I'm sure."

Jiang Meng's light brown pupils flickered under the light, and she heard a small voice in her heart calling for help. She softly said "Oh," pursed her lips, and blinked: "Me too."

She caught a glimpse of him wrapping his hands with duct tape. Chen Jizhou was so focused on looking at her that he neglected his work. Jiang Meng quickly pointed it out and said, "It's crooked. Keep an eye on it."

Chen Jizhou tore off the crooked section and glued it back on.

Jiang Meng asked, "What is this thing used for?"

"It's non-slip and shockproof, and feels better in the hand."

He handed the glued-on racket to Jiang Meng: "Give it a try."

Jiang Meng picked it up with great interest; the dry and firm texture was indeed much better.

Qi Yunqing, standing nearby, looked at Chen Jizhou with envy and smiled. When he came over, she patted his back lightly and said softly, "How can someone get starry-eyed admiration just for wrapping a beautiful woman's hand with duct tape?"

Chen Jizhou glanced at him: "Then why don't you pester her?"

"I asked her and she said no."

"She doesn't understand, can't you explain it to her?"

"I explained, but she said she didn't need it."

Chen Jizhou tapped him on the chest with his racket and grinned arrogantly, "I'm way more handsome than you, there's really nothing I can do about that."

The tone is particularly irritating, but when spoken through that face, it's quite easy to make people feel dejected.

Qi Yunqing scratched his head, making room for them.

Jiang Meng's badminton skills have really improved very quickly. Chen Jizhou's praise for her last time had an element of encouragement, but this time he genuinely felt that she had talent. However, badminton can be said to be a sport with strict levels. Although Jiang Meng has made rapid progress at the beginner level, she still can't compare with those who have been playing for several years.

She hit the ball at the net, and Chen Jizhou usually returned it from behind. After the rackets collided twice, Jiang Meng became a little hesitant to receive the ball.

Qi Yunqing's partner on the other side seemed to have a particularly bad temper. He would put on a sullen face after losing and even made a sarcastic remark to Jiang Meng: "If you're so delicate, you shouldn't be playing."

Jiang Meng was baffled by his retort and angrily retorted, "But I still won, didn't I? If you're not delicate, you'll lose everything!"

The other side scoffed, "Don't you even know who won?"

Jiang Meng was very confident: "Whoever wins is still a win. Aren't Chen Jizhou and I on the same team?"

"How dare you say that?"

"Of course I have the nerve to say that, it wasn't me who got blown up, hehe."

Chen Jizhou stopped to drink a couple of sips of water, but choked on it. He pulled Jiang Meng behind him, raised his chin at the man, and said, "Even you haven't beaten her, have you? If she had performed well, would you have had a chance to stand here?"

Chen Jizhou was significantly taller, and his height gave him an advantage. His downward gaze naturally conveyed contempt as he said indifferently, "What are you so upset about?"

The man simply didn't like playing with newbies, but he didn't have any complaints about Chen Jizhou. "You should find a different partner next time."

“No change,” Chen Jizhou said, looking at him. “Of course I’ll spoil my teammate. I’m happy to take her along. I haven’t even asked you to sit on the side yet.”

Qi Yunqing, who had been dismantling a few balls nearby, looked up and saw the tense atmosphere, so he quickly came over to smooth things over. Fortunately, the other person wasn't really trying to cause trouble; he was just unhappy about losing the game and, to give Qi Yunqing face, didn't cause any more trouble.

Chen Jizhou turned around and saw that Jiang Meng behind him still had a smile on her face.

He didn't ask her why she was laughing, but instead looked down and tidied his gear, saying, "I'm going to take a shower."

Jiang Meng: "Does hot water here cost money?"

"Um."

She nodded and kindly advised, "It's okay to spend a little money, but boys shouldn't take cold showers."

Chen Jizhou knew that you shouldn't take a cold shower after exercising, but he didn't expect her to blurt out, "I heard it can cause sexual dysfunction."

"..."

Luckily, he swallowed the water quickly enough, otherwise he would have choked to death or spat it out. Chen Jizhou looked at her with a humiliated expression, almost as if he was about to say, "Why don't you come in and watch me wash? Take a good look at whether I'm disabled or not." He quickly put his things away and said, "Don't worry about me."

Jiang Meng watched him leave with a smile.

She was happy because she could always get preferential treatment from Chen Jizhou, absolutely and indefinitely.

When Jiang Meng was in third or fourth grade, she accidentally spilled some noodle soup on a little girl's skirt in the cafeteria. She was stunned and didn't know how to handle the situation. She subconsciously and quietly said sorry, but the girl didn't hear her apology. When she realized her clothes were dirty, she thought Jiang Meng had done it on purpose and grabbed Jiang Meng, saying, "Don't run away! I'm going to tell the teacher!"

Jiang Meng hadn't intended to run, and being pulled like that terrified her even more. Moreover, the other person was tall and strong, twice her size. Jiang Meng, on the verge of tears, said, "I'm not running, please let me go..."

Her voice and figure seemed too weak in front of the other party, but soon someone rushed in front of her with quick eyes and hands. Chen Jizhou grabbed the girl's wrist and pushed her away violently.

He said angrily, "What do you want to do?!"

The only time in his life that the usually polite Chen Jizhou lost his manners towards a girl, and dumped her without even asking what happened, was to vent his anger for Jiang Meng.

Jiang Meng quickly grabbed him: "It's my fault. I dirtied her dress and didn't apologize properly."

Fortunately, the girl wasn't pushed over, but she was still very upset and burst into tears.

Chen Jizhou looked at the other person, then at Jiang Meng, awkwardly pursed his lips, and offered a way out for both of them: "Well, she shouldn't have made a move!"

His particularly self-righteous expression clearly showed that he didn't care, and no one could bully him anyway.

That was the first time Jiang Meng thought he was so handsome.

A child's definition of cool is simple: it depends on who stands up for them and who stands behind them.

Jiang Meng stood on the open-air staircase platform on the second floor of the stadium for a while, smiling as she recalled things from a long time ago, until she heard a soft voice behind her: "Were you waiting for me?"

She turned around and saw that Chen Jizhou had already finished showering and come out.

"Um."

He exuded a pleasant citrus scent, which mingled with the thin summer night breeze. Chen Jizhou walked downstairs with her and asked, "Was it fun?"

"I think it's pretty fun, but I guess it wouldn't be a very engaging experience for you guys? I think I'll join the rookie team from now on to ease the psychological pressure." Jiang Meng smiled, clenched her fist, and said with high spirits, "Believe me, I will definitely advance!"

Chen Jizhou smiled slightly, glanced at her, and said, "I believe you."

Jiang Meng saw his car parked downstairs and asked him, "What are you going to do now?"

Chen Jizhou drove off: "I'm having dinner with my colleagues."

She gave a bewildered "Oh..." No, what should she do then?

Chen Jizhou then asked, "Are you going?"

Her eyes lit up: "Can I go?"

He said, "Okay."

Jiang Meng followed her into the car, muttering to herself, "Don't think I'm clingy. I thought we could eat together, so I didn't make any plans. If you had told me earlier, I would have asked my friends to eat out too."

Chen Jizhou smiled faintly, fastened his seatbelt, and looked down at his phone: "Anyway, I'm going to introduce you to them, so I hope you'll come."

He caught a glimpse of her expression out of the corner of his eye.

If Jiang Meng had a tail, it would probably be wagging its tail in the sky by now.

The colleagues I had lunch with were named Gao Yusen and Pei Su.

When they met, Gao Yusen was about to call Jiang Meng "sister-in-law" when he saw her, but Chen Jizhou glanced at him and he quickly shut up.

Chen Jizhou introduced the two men to her, noting that they were both very polite and well-mannered. When it came time to arrange seating, Pei Su quickly said, "Sister-in-law, please sit in the middle."

Jiang Meng: "..."

Chen Jizhou: "..."

Gao Yusen held back his laughter. Then two more men came in. Before Chen Jizhou could introduce them, the two men immediately understood the situation and each greeted, "Hello, sister-in-law."

Chen Jizhou's face almost turned black. He turned his head and saw Jiang Meng smiling while holding her face.

...Why is her tail getting higher and higher?

Gao Yusen was quite astute; he immediately understood the subtle, turbulent emotions between them.

He could also tell that Jiang Meng had some feelings for Chen Jizhou.

—This is completely unlike what Chen Jizhou described to him back then; it was just wishful thinking on his part.

Gao Yusen had experienced his views on love to some extent. Chen Jizhou was always the kind of person who could take things in stride and let them go. Moreover, he didn't just talk about it; he truly let go. Otherwise, why would he have a tattoo where he wore his wedding ring to declare that he would remain chaste for love?

He asked him if he had ever thought about owning it.

Chen Jizhou said, "If she is happy, I will be happy too. Doesn't that count as having her?"

At that time, Gao Yusen pondered these profound words for a long time: "Isn't that still revolving around her?"

Chen Jizhou said, "This can't be changed; it's already set in stone."

Gao Yusen asked, "Does this count as physiological attraction?"

Chen Jizhou raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

He said, "Seeing her makes me want to love her."

Chen Jizhou replied without hesitation: "I will love her as soon as I see her."

That day, downstairs at the company, Gao Yusen saw Jiang Meng coming to give him a gift.

He later joked about this with Chen Jizhou, but Chen Jizhou said that love is hard to define.

She has liked many people; she might become briefly infatuated with whoever is nice to her.

Therefore, Chen Jizhou was unsure of what kind of feelings Jiang Meng had for him.

Because they hadn't seen each other for many years, she realized that after all they had been through, he was still the best to her; because of her habitual attachment to him, she felt he was indispensable; because she felt lonely in this city and needed someone to accompany her; because her mother said she should get married soon, she found a very good candidate right in front of her.

Love is hard to define.

Chen Jizhou didn't want to speculate too much, nor did he want to confide too much to her.

There's no need to talk about his sacrifices or his love. It's his own business, and bringing it up will only burden the other person.

“I was afraid she would feel burdened, afraid she would be too tired. I didn’t want her to feel indebted to me. She doesn’t owe me anything.”

As long as she's cheerful, happy, and beautiful every day, she can continue to move forward with joy.

Let's stop discussing the rights and wrongs of the past.

He couldn't help but love her, nor could he ignore her.

Even if the separation is so painful, like being broken bones, it wouldn't matter if she had to go through it again, as long as she could feel happy.

He just wanted her to be happy, regardless of whether it had anything to do with him.

He gets involved if it concerns him, and leaves if it doesn't.

If he feels needed, it doesn't matter if it's tormenting; he will return to her side again and again.

-

The end of this summer was not pleasant.

First, one of Jiang Meng's students, a sophomore, complained to his parents because he didn't receive his scholarship. The student's father called angrily to question him, and Jiang Meng was inexplicably scolded. She asked the class monitor to resolve the issue, but the monitor reported that there was no problem. Jiang Meng grew two gray hairs because of the parents' unreasonable behavior.

At the end of the month, a girl in the class was suicidal because of a breakup. The student has bipolar disorder, and the intervention process is very complicated. It requires completing a risk assessment and reporting, forming a working group, and continuous follow-up. Jiang Meng hadn't slept well for a week. She had to be on call 24 hours a day. Until today, the student's parents came to the school to apply for a leave of absence, deciding to let their child get better first. After finishing everything, Jiang Meng glanced at the time and realized it was already late.

Jiang Meng wanted to order some noodles after work, but when she sat down at the noodle shop, she was so exhausted that she had no hunger left at all.

I don't have much of an appetite.

She sat at the counter by the window in the noodle shop, watching the flowing traffic outside.

She watched night fall, watched the stars rise. Day after day, the sun rose in the east and set in the west.

She no longer reads fairy tales, nor does she dream of beautiful balls and starry skies.

But she occasionally recalls the night of Qixi Festival, when they were stranded at sea and he spontaneously sang love songs to her.

That was the place where she was closest to the stars.

Thinking about this, Jiang Meng finally showed her first genuine smile of the day.

She wasn't sure if he would still consider her his little follower.

Jiang Meng made a phone call to Chen Jizhou.

She especially liked his phone number.

She felt that this number, this name, was full of hope for her, no matter when or where.

A few seconds later, the call connected.

"Chen Jizhou," Jiang Meng asked him directly, "Do you still keep that sign?"

Her question was so sudden that he was taken aback: "What?"

"The one for Qixi Festival."

After a moment's reaction, Chen Jizhou said, "It seems to still be there. What's wrong?"

"Can I use this to exchange for one day of your time?"

"..."

"Will you be my boyfriend?"

Even she herself felt that her words were too rash and blunt, but since she had already said them, Jiang Meng's heart started racing. With a burst of energy, she controlled her voice and said, "One day is fine."

Chen Jizhou didn't answer her, but he sensed something was off in her tone, so he asked, "Did something happen?"

Jiang Meng said, "No, it's just that work is a bit stressful. I... I want to talk to someone. If you agree, can I ask for a longer phone call today?"

Chen Jizhou still didn't say whether he agreed or not. He asked, "Where are you?"

Jiang Meng looked at the road outside. She had found this noodle shop on the spot and didn't know its name, so she just said, "At the school gate."

Which door?

Jiang Meng was silent for a moment, then asked him, "Will you come to see me?"

Without hesitation, Chen Jizhou said, "I will come to see you."

Jiang Meng pinched her slightly sore nose.

That's so strange...

She clearly didn't want to cry today.

She's so busy every day that she doesn't want to cry, and she doesn't want to cry even when someone points their finger at her and yells at her. She's become a proper adult now, and when she encounters something unpleasant, she just mutters a few curses and it's over quickly.

It's really nothing, just working two extra hours.

Jiang Meng touched her cheeks, which were already soaked with hot tears.

Hearing her sobs, Chen Jizhou softened his voice, even speaking with the patience of someone coaxing a child: "Tell your boyfriend where you are right now, okay?"

Jiang Meng said "okay" with tears in her eyes.

Many years ago, she was hurt by her father's indifference; he would patiently answer her phone calls late at night.

He would come to see her the moment she showed the slightest sign of sadness.

She wanted to skip class, so he took her to a very, very far place, away from all the people and things she didn't want to see.

She called him after drinking too much, and before he could cruelly say goodbye to her, he had to comfort her first.

This is what Chen Jizhou looked like many years ago.

No matter how she tested him, he never let her lose.

He's 26 years old, and he's still like this.

Just when she had firmly believed that "people are fickle," he appeared once again, overturning her disheartening perception.

We're all adults; we shouldn't be so intensely and outwardly displaying our emotions.

But he's 26 years old, why is he still like this?

When Chen Jizhou arrived, he was wearing a black sports jacket. She saw him from afar and remembered the rainy night they said goodbye during their university years.

He was wearing a similar black coat at the time, probably not the same one, but it looked equally crisp and handsome; time hadn't changed his youthful appearance.

He still exudes that same flamboyant and spirited air. He casually tosses his hair, unafraid to show off his striking features, without needing to put on airs or find a particular angle to flaunt his superiority.

Because it looks good no matter what, from any angle.

Jiang Meng stood on this side of the road, watching him quickly cross the zebra crossing.

She had once stood in front of him and cried, and at that time he told her twice, "I am not important to you at all."

At this moment, Jiang Meng shed tears again. She wasn't particularly sad this time, but there was an inevitable element of her wanting comfort and acting coquettishly. Then, Chen Jizhou hugged her.

He crossed the road and pulled the person standing by the curb into his arms.

The rustling sounds of people and cars seemed to freeze in her world for a moment.

She was drawn into a vacuum, a spotless environment.

In his arms.

Chen Jizhou calmed his breathing slightly, and spoke to her with a half-smile, his first words being: "We're boyfriend and girlfriend now, a hug isn't too much to ask, is it?"

Sometimes, doing something else is much more powerful and effective than just offering verbal comfort.

He didn't want to keep arguing with her; he didn't have that many reasons to give.

He wanted to hug her, to kiss her.

When Jiang Meng nestled in his arms, all her unhappiness vanished. In other words, she was so stunned that she didn't have time to recall why she had been sad just now.

A kiss wouldn't be too much to ask—

Jiang Meng blinked, thinking excessively.