Chapter 47 Didn't you ever think about protecting your man closely...?

After that day, Meng Yanxi went on two business trips, and Jin Zhao also had a project application deadline, so the two of them were busy with their own things.

In universities, there is never a shortage of research projects, but the number of places is limited and extremely competitive.

Jin Zhao stayed up for several nights in a row writing the application. Although he didn't have high hopes, he couldn't just give up.

Her only advantage is that her research direction is relatively in line with the times. She studies comparative literature and had just published an SSCI paper before returning to China.

The application form was a thick book, and it was submitted to the teaching secretary before the deadline, who then sent it to the research office.

In late November, the whole country experienced a sharp drop in temperature. Jin Wenyi said on WeChat that her colleague was selling silk quilts as a side business, so she bought a few extra and sent one to Jin Zhao as well, telling her to pay attention to receiving the package in the next few days.

Jin Zhao was in class at the time, and only saw it after class. She smiled and sent a video message back to Jin Wenyi.

Over the years, Jin Wenyi has shown concern for her from time to time.

In fact, Jin Wenyi doesn't usually chat with her much. It's just that during holidays, when the weather gets colder or hotter, or when she sees something happening on the news, she might suddenly ask her a question. That's enough to make Jin Zhao feel like someone cares about her.

She thanked Jin Wenyi over the phone.

Next month on the 21st is Jin Wenyi's birthday, which happens to be a Saturday. Jin Zhao asked Jin Wenyi if she was free that day, as she wanted to visit her and her uncle in a neighboring city.

Jin Wenyi said no need, it's not a full year old, but then suddenly remembered that the postgraduate entrance exam was on December 21st and 22nd, and asked Jin Zhao if he was proctoring on those days.

Jin Zhao's warm heart sank at the thought of possibly having to proctor an exam.

She disliked proctoring, even though there was a proctoring fee. These extremely rigorous, large-scale exams kept everyone on edge. Proctors had to attend online video training and complete the exam two weeks in advance, followed by in-person group training the day before the exam. On the day of the exam, they had to arrive at school an hour early to hand in their phones, then sit in the classroom like machines, recalling the first half of their lives. Afterward, they'd check the time—only 10 minutes had passed.

Each session of the postgraduate entrance examination lasts 3 hours, and there are a total of 4 sessions.

The proctoring arrangements haven't been released yet, and Jin Zhao hopes it won't be his turn.

But Jin Wenyi said that the hope was slim.

Invigilation is usually given priority to younger teachers, unless they are pregnant, in which case pregnant teachers are not required to invigilate. Jin Wenyi used this to urge Jin Zhao to find a partner quickly.

Thinking of Meng Yanxi, Jin Zhao felt a sweet warmth in her heart, and couldn't hide her longing as she muttered softly, "My boyfriend is busy lately."

Jin Wenyi didn't know that Jin Zhao was in a relationship, so she didn't realize it and thought he was just being perfunctory. She said irritably, "Yes, yes, your partner is busy, and you're busy too. You both need a love affair that's like a home invasion robbery."

Jin Zhao: "..."

Jin Wenyi suddenly changed the subject, saying, "Actually, there's someone I thought would be a good match for you, at least in terms of appearance. I even got his phone number for you..."

Jin Zhao didn't know who Jin Wenyi was talking about, but she couldn't possibly be two-timing. If Meng Yanxi found out that she was dating him while secretly going on blind dates, he'd be furious.

"No, no need," Jin Zhao quickly refused.

Jin Wenyi paused for a moment, then said, "Well, I looked into his background later and also felt that you two weren't a good match, so forget it."

*

Meng Yanxi moved on December 9th and didn't return to Suiyi until the evening of December 8th.

The temperature has been in the single digits for the past two days. Jin Zhao is kneeling in front of a small tea table, making a gift for Meng Yanxi, with the air conditioning on in his dormitory.

She has no talent for handicrafts, and with the project application process taking her too long, the materials were piled up in a mess.

Meng Yanxi video-called her after getting off the plane, but she couldn't find a clean corner no matter how hard she tried, so she simply took off her coat and hid on the bed, pretending to be ready to sleep.

Meng Yanxi sat in the car, her eyebrows and eyes deep and dark, her gaze falling from her lowered eyelids as she looked at her on the screen.

"Going to bed so early?" he chuckled softly.

A sudden realization dawned on Jin Zhao; she immediately understood that he actually wanted to come see her.

She missed him too, but if he came now, he would probably just be busy making crafts with her. She should let him go back and rest as soon as possible.

She responded softly, "Mmm."

Meng Yanxi paused for a moment, then said, "Then I'll come pick you up tomorrow."

"Need not."

Moving is tiring enough; how could she let him run around to both places?

Jin Zhao: "Give me an address, and I'll come over myself after class tomorrow."

Meng Yanxi thought for a moment and said, "Okay, it's just a few steps anyway."

Jin Zhao: "?"

Meng Yanxi: "The address has been sent."

Jin Zhao zoomed out of the video and saw the location in the chat box, indicating that she was only 800 meters away. She fell silent.

Meng Yanxi's new home is in Shanshui City, a place she had wanted to rent before but ultimately gave up due to poverty.

This neighborhood is adjacent to two universities, Sui Da and Sui Shi, and is in a dual school district, so the housing prices are ridiculously high. It is indeed close; the map shows it's a 13-minute walk west from the north gate of the university.

"Why did you move here?" Jin Zhao felt a sudden warmth in her heart and asked softly while holding her phone.

Meng Yanxi: "What can I do? Luo Heng insists on selling the house to me."

Jin Zhao: "?"

Meng Yanxi: "Where's my gift? Is it ready?"

Jin Zhao blinked gently: "What gift? Didn't I already make it for you?"

Looking at her on the screen, Meng Yanxi suddenly said, "Jin Zhao, you've got paint on your face."

Jin Zhao immediately touched her face guiltily, only to realize a second later that she hadn't used any paint at all.

"Meng Yanxi!" Jin Zhao was a little annoyed by this bad guy.

The rascal chuckled softly, his tone both cheeky and confident: "Remember to bring a gift tomorrow."

The gift was a handmade goldenrain tree lamp.

November is the late ripening period of the goldenrain tree fruit, just as described in Shi Tiesheng's book - in spring, clusters of small and dense yellow flowers bloom, and after the flowers fall, countless small lanterns, like three leaves embracing each other, are formed. The small lanterns are first green, then turn white, and then turn yellow. When ripe, they fall all over the ground.

The goldenrain tree fruits at the entrance of the Foreign Languages ​​Institute are warmer than described in the book; they are orange, yet more vibrant than orange, with red tinged with orange and a romantic pink hue within the red.

Jin Zhao collected the goldenrain tree fruits in advance, peeled off the peels of each fruit to solidify them, and then pieced them together to make a goldenrain tree lamp.

Warm light seeps through the fruit peel, creating a gradient of pinkish-orange luster.

The next afternoon, in Meng Yanxi's new home, Jin Zhao held the lamp in her hands and presented it to him with a smile.

She had classes in the first two periods in the afternoon, and rushed over as soon as get out of class ended, thinking that Meng Yanxi's move would be as busy as hers, so she came early to help.

When he arrived, he realized it was less about "moving house" and more about "moving people." Everything in the house was new and already furnished; all he needed to do was bring his own people.

Indeed, as he said, the European retro style of decoration, with its overall creamy white and caramel brown color scheme, is elegant and sophisticated. The retro lamps cast a warm and soft glow, which falls on the high-quality solid wood furniture, giving the whole house a warm and comfortable feel.

Meng Yanxi accepted her gift.

The goldenrain tree lamp wasn't large; placed on the bedside table, it was just the size of a small nightlight. It was made with great care. Meng Yanxi held it in her hand and examined it closely; with such good eyesight, she couldn't see a single flaw, not even a speck of glue.

He stared at it for a while, then suppressed a smile and asked arrogantly, "Why did you suddenly decide to give me a lamp?"

In fact, Jin Zhao always remembered that summer after her junior year of high school when he called her. The moment she heard his voice, it was like walking alone in an endless dark rainy night, and suddenly looking up to see a warm light silently shining on her.

But saying that is too sentimental.

Jin Zhao: "Didn't you say you were afraid of the dark, ghosts, and bugs?"

Meng Yanxi raised an eyebrow: "I told you I'm afraid of the dark, ghosts, and bugs, and you brought me a lamp. What am I supposed to do if I'm still afraid of ghosts and bugs?"

Jin Zhao looked at him earnestly: "There are no ghosts in this world."

Meng Yanxi: "What about the insects?"

Jin Zhao mentally assessed his own strength.

She had already used up all her potential making lamps; she simply couldn't make any more insect traps.

"Then call me next time you see a bug, and I'll catch it for you." She made her biggest concession.

Meng Yanxi: "You're quite diligent, coming all this way."

Jin Zhao: "It's not far, only 800 meters."

Meng Yanxi was speechless.

Looking at her, he said with a half-smile, "You really lived up to the nickname I gave you."

Jin Zhao: "?"

Seeing that she herself couldn't figure it out, Meng Yanxi mercifully offered the answer: "Haven't you ever thought about protecting your boyfriend closely?"

After saying this, Meng Yanxi went into the bedroom and turned on the light, leaving Jin Zhao alone in the same spot.

My heart is beating a little fast.

Although I know he always talks like that, a bit cheeky. I even protect him closely, even though I've never lost a fight since I was a kid, yet I portray myself as so delicate.

But when he says that, she can't help but overthink.

Does close protection only mean that you can only be close to someone if you live together?

*

In the evening, Lu Jingyue and Luo Heng arrived. Si Tian was busy at the hospital and would arrive later, so she asked Lu Jingyue to bring her a bottle of wine.

As soon as Lu Jingyue entered, he looked around the house and smiled meaningfully: "You've hidden it well."

Lu Jingyue always speaks in this tone, making it difficult for people to understand what he means.

Luo Heng thought he was referring to houses and was immediately filled with righteous indignation.

"Bullshit! This is my house! I put so much effort into it, spending a whole year to finish the hard and soft furnishings, and I was even planning to let it air out for a year before moving in. But before I could even move in, he snatched it away and forcibly bought it!"

Jin Zhao: "?"

That's not what Meng Yanxi said.

Dinner was prepared by the Meng family's aunt, and later Si Tian also arrived. The five of them sat around Meng Yanxi's dining room to eat their first meal in their new home.

Looking at the house, Luo Heng felt increasingly regretful.

The couple across from him were even flirting with him.

It was mainly because of the flirting they were exchanging glances; at first, he didn't feel particularly reluctant to part with the house. It was indeed a nice place, but Attorney Luo owned quite a few properties, and most importantly, Meng Yanxi's offer was high enough.

There's no house that money can't buy; if there is, then you just don't have enough money.

But looking at Meng Yanxi and Jin Zhao now, especially Meng Yanxi, whose eyes seemed to hold stars under the warm light, and who was so affectionate with Jin Zhao that it made the house seem like a love nest prepared for him to pursue his wife. Luo Heng felt like he was being taken advantage of by Meng Yanxi.

Luo Heng disliked Meng Yanxi and wanted to get him drunk.

Meng Yanxi wasn't a good drinker, and Jin Zhao originally wanted to drink for him, but Meng Yanxi said he was happy to drink today. In the end, Meng Yanxi drank, and Jin Zhao drank too.

Everyone at the table drank alcohol.

After Si Tian finished the bottle of wine, Meng Yanxi took out two more bottles from the wine cabinet.

The five of them were classmates in their youth and had many things in common. They talked about their teachers and classmates from their childhood, about things from long ago, some of whom remembered and some of whom did not.

Luo Heng, his heart heavy with sorrow, drank the most and soon became drunk. Bringing up what shouldn't be brought up, he asked Jin Zhao in front of Meng Yanxi, "How's the No. 1 Middle School in the neighboring city?"

Si Tian glanced at Meng Yanxi, then kicked him under the table in anger.

As a result, she herself got drunk and kicked the wrong person, Lu Jingyue.

Lu Jingyue, who was inexplicably caught in an undeserved disaster: "?"

Luo Heng was drunk, his face flushed, and like Meng Yanxi, he loved to show off his chin: "I actually really wanted to go to the No. 1 Middle School in the neighboring city, but my grades don't allow it, and I can't seem to drop out of Class A no matter what I do."

Jin Zhao: "..." That's enough.

Si Tian bluntly exposed her: "It's really hard to guess who was consistently ranked third from the bottom every year back then."

Luo Heng pretended not to hear and focused on chatting with Jin Zhao: "Are the boys at No. 1 High School handsome? How do they compare to Meng Yanxi?"

Jin Zhao looked at Meng Yanxi.

Meng Yanxi's behavior after drinking alcohol differed from that of ordinary people. While most people blushed, his ears turned red. His complexion remained normal, but the roots of his ears turned red, making him appear shy.

He also looked at Jin Zhao, the light reflecting in his eyes, but his gaze was already somewhat unfocused, he must be quite drunk.

Jin Zhao honestly said, "Not just at No. 1 Middle School, but anywhere else, Meng Yanxi is more handsome than any other boy."

Under the lamplight, a drunken Meng Yanxi grinned.

Si Tian cheered with an "Ooh!" and Lu Jingyue chuckled briefly.

Luo Heng suddenly slammed his hand on the table: "Then why did you lie to him back then?"

The drunken lawyer Luo clearly had mixed feelings of love and hate for Meng Yanxi. He hated that Meng Yanxi was such a scoundrel, but he also didn't want to see someone as despicable as him unable to get what he wanted.

“He actually believed you back then, and he would often travel abroad. He even went to your dad to find out which school you were in.”

With a "bang," Luo Heng tilted his head back and downed the wine in one gulp, then placed the cup back on the table.

Jin Zhao's fingers trembled.

Did Meng Yanxi go to see Jin Wenhui?

*

Later, the quite drunk lawyer Luo was dragged away by Lu Jingyue. Before leaving, he kept shouting that his home was right here and he wasn't going anywhere, while struggling towards the master bedroom.

Lu Jingyue couldn't stop him, and Luo Heng dashed inside.

Meng Yanxi, who was sitting in a chair in a daze as if she were in deep meditation, suddenly remembered something, jumped up and rushed back to the bedroom.

Luo Heng knelt on the ground, staring in confusion at the goldenrain tree lamp on the bedside table.

"Huh, when did this lamp appear here? I don't remember buying it."

He reached out to take it.

"Smack—"

Meng Yanxi rushed in and slapped his hand away.

"Get out of the way."

Luo Heng, enraged by the thugs' outburst, jumped up and yelled, "Meng Yanxi, I gave you my whole house, what's wrong with taking a lamp from you? How can you be so stingy!"

He then went to grab the lamp.

Two grown men, whose combined age is over fifty, got into a fight over a lamp.

If Jin Zhao hadn't arrived in time, Meng Yanxi would have beaten up Lawyer Luo after seizing his house.

Finally, Attorney Luo was dragged away by Lu Jingyue and Si Tian, ​​and Meng Yanxi also fell into a deep sleep.

She was still holding the lamp in her hands.

Jin Zhao was both amused and exasperated. He tried to help him move the bag, but Jin Zhao wouldn't let go, threatening in a low voice, "Don't move, or I'll beat you up."

Jin Zhao said helplessly, "It's me."

Meng Yanxi half-opened her eyes, her beautiful peach blossom eyes filled with confusion. After three seconds, she probably recognized her and obediently let go.

Jin Zhao put the lamp back on the bedside table.

Meng Yanxi was very well-behaved after getting drunk, and slept quietly by himself. Jin Zhao wrung out a wet towel to wipe his face. He was half asleep and half awake, probably because he really wanted to sleep. He was woken up by her, but he just patiently opened his eyes and looked at her.

It was rare for him to be so innocent and adorable, and Jin Zhao couldn't help but laugh, so he took the opportunity to pinch his cheek.

The drunk Meng Yanxi offered no resistance.

She suddenly remembered that Luo Heng had said that Meng Yanxi had gone to see Jin Wenhui.

But Jin Wenhui will definitely not tell him the truth, and he will most likely break down.

"Jin Wenhui said some very hurtful things to you, didn't he?" she murmured.

She stopped fidgeting with his face, and Meng Yanxi's eyelids soon couldn't stay open any longer.

Jin Zhao stopped bothering him and said, "Go to sleep."

She stood up, but her hand was suddenly grasped.

Meng Yanxi closed her eyes and murmured, "Lingling."

"Um?"

He whispered something, but Jin Zhao didn't hear it clearly. He leaned close to Jin Zhao's lips.

His voice was very soft, like a delirious murmur.

Upon hearing what he said, Jin Zhao froze completely.

“I have never done anything wrong... My hands are clean, I am worthy of you.”

-----------------------

Author's Note: This chapter is a little under 5000 words. Then it'll be six chapters a week with one day off. I'll be taking a break tomorrow, see you Wednesday!