First meeting her
Zhuang Yu'an has an important business dinner tonight.
The pet toy and supplies company he founded is preparing for an IPO on the Hong Kong stock market, and tonight he and his two co-founders are hosting a dinner for the sponsor team. The key figure on the team is a Yunnan native who has lived in Beijing for a long time, so he asked his secretary to make a reservation at this Yunnan restaurant.
The Zhuang family has always had a gene that doesn't allow alcohol. Compared to his father and grandfather, the well-trained Zhuang Yu'an is the best drinker among the three generations of men. However, he only drank two taels of baijiu before he was already drunk. Seeing that the other party continued to urge him to drink, he didn't want to make a fool of himself by getting drunk. So, he took the opportunity when the restroom in the private room was occupied and resorted to urinating.
As he slowly walked towards the bathroom, a slender and graceful silhouette came into view. In an instant, he felt that time had slowed down.
The girl wore a light purple dress, her straight black hair flowing naturally over her shoulders, highlighting her slender neck and jade-like skin. Her posture was quiet and relaxed, a kind of extraordinary and peaceful beauty that suddenly reminded him of a graceful lotus bud waiting to bloom in a lotus pond after rain.
There was a lotus pond near the neighborhood where he grew up. Every evening in the height of summer, he would take his sister for a stroll by the pond to help digest their food. Sometimes he would go alone, sitting on a bench by the pond, reading a book. Once, during a heavy rain, he hid under the gazebo and watched the lotus buds tremble under the raindrops. But when the rain stopped and the sky cleared, the slender stems unfurled again, and the layers of pink and white petals, washed by the rain, shone with a moist luster. They opened slightly, revealing tiny drops of crystalline water, a breathtaking beauty beyond words.
At this moment, he was standing outside the door with his hands hanging down. The girl was only two meters away from him. Although she was in the blind spot behind him, her presence was very strong.
Perhaps it was because he'd had a few drinks tonight, but the breath he exhaled felt hot. His arm, wrapped in a black shirt, seemed to sense something; on the side closest to him, his skin felt a slight tingling heat, unlike the rest of his body, as if stained by the humid summer night air.
This was an experience he had never had in his 27 years of life, and he didn't know how to describe the subtle and strange atmosphere and feeling at the moment. Unconsciously, his eyes moved to the top of the washbasin.
The face in the mirror instantly captured his attention. It was like a face that should appear in a dream. Although he had never met it before, it seemed to have lived in the depths of his mind for a long time.
This was just a sudden flash of thought, and he didn't have time to think about it. Suddenly, the wooden door opened and a middle-aged man with a big belly walked out, instantly breaking all his inappropriate thoughts.
When he walked out of the bathroom, the girl was no longer there. It was just like a dream in a moment when he was half drunk and half awake.
It was late at night when I got home.
Zhuang Yu'an was still changing his shoes when his sister jumped up from the sofa and came quickly to him with a sly smile in her eyes.
"Brother! I did something big today!"
Not wanting to let his sister down with the smell of alcohol, Zhuang Yu'an inconspicuously took a half step to the side and said with a smile, "Don't you always quietly accomplish great things? Tell me, what great things did you do today?"
"I won't tell you!" Zhuang Jinghao, having fulfilled her wish and kept the secret, said proudly, "Anyway, I've prepared a huge surprise! But it's not time for the miracle to be revealed yet, so just wait!"
"Really? Then I'm looking forward to it."
"We're going to Grandpa and Grandma's house the day after tomorrow, right?" Zhuang Jinghao confirmed cautiously, "You'll be home all day tomorrow, right?"
"Yes." Zhuang Yu'an pursed his lips and smiled, "I have to watch my sister perform magic."
Zhuang Jinghao jumped back to the sofa, grabbed the nail clippers with his right hand, and continued the unfinished preparations. Zhuang Yu'an looked at it curiously and took a closer look:
My sister still has beautiful manicure on her right hand, but the four fingers on her left hand are bare, with only a long nail left on her little finger, but it is about to say goodbye to its owner.
Unexpectedly, his sister, who loves her nails so much, cut her nails completely for the first time. Zhuang Yu'an felt that this was something serious and asked quickly, "What are you going to do?"
"It's a magic trick!" Zhuang Jinghao said, shaking his head, "But I can't reveal the secret to you yet!"
To maintain suspense and create a surprise, she not only kept her mouth shut, but also hid the guitar she brought home today in the closet. This way, her brother wouldn't know that she had successfully conquered the younger author in just one day and was about to trick him back home!
Hehe... when the miracle is revealed tomorrow, my brother will be shocked!
Looking at her beaming face, Zhuang Yu'an couldn't help but start to look forward to it: What kind of "surprise" or "shock" did his sister prepare?
From childhood to adulthood, she had prepared surprises for him, including but not limited to:
a portrait of "My Brother" that looks like an alien;
A bowl of salty longevity noodles;
After deleting his important archive data, the entire high-definition Blu-ray series of "Breaking Bad" in the USB drive;
She used her first salary to buy a men's suit, but it was pink...
His sister seemed to be very good at equating creating surprises with getting into trouble, but it didn't matter. Zhuang Yu'an smiled gently: his lovely sister, kind sister, creative sister... Even if her thinking was peculiar or her behavior was out of line, how much trouble could she cause?
"Oh, right." Before going upstairs, Zhuang Yu'an suddenly remembered something and turned around to ask, "Have you found the author of that interrupted novel?"
He had been so busy the past few days that he had handed the search to his secretary, Chen Quan, asking him to find time to work with her. He didn't know how the job was going. Seeing his sister's good mood return, she didn't bring it up. Perhaps she had moved on from her short-lived enthusiasm?
It's best to turn the page. That kind of cultural dregs and spiritual garbage should never pollute my sister again!
"Not yet..." Zhuang Jinghao muttered, "How can it be so fast..."
Zhuang Yu'an murmured a faint "hmm" and went upstairs to shower. As he immersed himself in the humid mist, his head and face gently washed by the dense stream of water, a summer lotus pond suddenly emerged in his mind. Then, a picturesque figure emerged, and a face, a face he would never forget.
I drank a little too much tonight... he thought a little sadly.
The next day was sunny again, and the temperature was even higher than yesterday, hinting at the arrival of summer. Sitting in front of the dressing mirror, Zuo Xiao glanced at the bright sky outside the window and hung his coat back in the closet.
Considering that today was her first home teaching session and she might even meet the student's brother, she decided to stick with her look from yesterday. She wore minimal makeup, unbuttoned hair, and a gentle, intellectual light blue shirt dress. The waistband was tied, with two buttons undone, revealing a small sliver of her collarbone. She accessorized with a thin silver clavicle chain, a pair of silver teardrop earrings, and white loafers. Her whole look was as fresh and clean as the sky after an early summer rain. She finished her look with a light-colored straw bag, looking even more like the good-tempered sister next door.
It was three in the afternoon, the hottest time of the day. Zuo Xiao walked through the villa complex, holding an umbrella. The heat tinged her cheeks with a faint pink, and a fine layer of sweat formed. Fortunately, she had only applied a thin layer of light foundation today, and given her good skin, her face in the small round mirror was makeup-free.
But she still felt a little regretful. If she had known earlier, she should have taken some time to wait for the security guard to report to the owner and let the online car-hailing driver drive the car in, instead of relying on her own two feet from the door - how could she have known that this community was so big?
She and Zhuang Jinghao had activated location sharing and were gradually approaching each other's location. Passing a rose wall on the road, the flowers bloomed like a waterfall, and she couldn't help but stop and pull out her phone.
"Woof!" Suddenly I heard a dog barking. When I looked down, I saw a little yellow and white Corgi running towards me with a grin on its face.
The puppy had a retractable leash tied around its neck, and was not restrained when running. Its round belly twisted and turned, making it look silly and cute.
"Hello, little cutie!" Zuo Xiaoqing couldn't help but squat down and stroke the furry head.
"Woof! Woof woof!" The puppy barked softly under the umbrella and rubbed her wrist with its face, as if saying: Sister, push harder!
Zuo Xiao laughed heartily, catching a glimpse of a shadow cast to the side. He looked up, his gaze sweeping over a pair of dark grey slacks, a white T-shirt, and finally settling on a handsome face.
Their eyes met, and both sides were stunned.
Zhuang Yu'an's breath hitched, and he suspected he was hallucinating. He stared at the person he had just encountered last night, forgetting to blink, his heart pounding so hard it threatened to burst out of his chest.
She was like a small, glowing mushroom, looking up to meet his gaze, waiting for him to take her home. Or like a legendary mythical bird, spreading its pale blue feathers, about to take flight before him...
Zuo Xiao didn't recognize him. She just thought the dog owner looked pretty good, and couldn't help but take a few more glances.
"What a good dog! How old are you?" she asked with a smile.
The man was quite silent and didn't say anything for a long time. Only when Zuo Xiao frowned did he say in a heavy tone with a stern expression, "Five years old."
Zuo Xiao snorted inwardly. This guy seemed like a difficult, oddball type. She had a neighbor like that before, a lonely, solitary man in his thirties. Once, when she petted his dog, he quickly pulled the leash back with disgust, as if he'd been infected by a virus if he wasn't even a step behind. Later, her roommate said the man was a misogynist who even created an online account specifically to insult female celebrities.
She wouldn't bother herself! Zuo Xiao stood up, ignoring the dog owner, and waved to the dog: "Sister is leaving, goodbye!"
"Woof woof!" The dog shook his little butt anxiously, as if saying: Sister, don't go!
Zuo Xiao suppressed a laugh. As she turned around, a gust of wind lifted her skirt, and pale blue waves rippled around her fair calves.
Zhuang Yu'an stared blankly at her retreating figure, feeling as if a hand were slowly squeezing his heart. After a long moment, a sense of melancholy welled up in his heart.
After this departure, I don’t know if we will meet again.
When Zuo Xiao rang the doorbell at the courtyard entrance, Zhuang Jinghao was setting the table. She had placed a vase of flowers and prepared a lot of food and drinks. She was currently arranging halved strawberries into the shape of sunflowers on a white carved bone china plate.
"Here I come!" She ran out to greet them with joy, and took the teacher's arm to lead her in.
Zuo Xiao passed a small garden surrounded by a wooden fence, with a swing chair and a wooden doghouse nearby. Once inside, he saw a large number of cat and dog toys and climbing frames. It felt like a pet park, but without the pets.
As soon as my butt touched the sofa, a glass of ice drink was stuffed into my hand. "It's hot outside, right? Take a sip, it's delicious!"
Zuo Xiao lowered his head and saw a crystal yellow ice drink bubbling in the glass, with pineapple, small green oranges, mint leaves floating in it, and a plum on closer inspection.
She took a sip and commented under her apprentice's hopeful gaze, "Delicious, refreshing."
"This is homemade pineapple lime sparkling water. My brother—and I—made it ourselves!" After Zhuang Jinghao presented this treasure, he picked up a plate of strawberries and said, "I made this on my own!"
Zuo Xiao couldn't help but smile: "It's very beautifully presented. Let's eat it later."
Next, Zhuang Jinghao asked her to try this and that. When it finally came to an end, she took her hand again and said, "I'll take you on a tour!"
Unable to refuse her kindness, Zuo Xiao was dragged along to tour the villa. The first floor wasn't much to say, aside from a large number of pet toys and supplies, an oversized kitchen, and a refrigerator, everything else was pretty ordinary.
Upstairs is a different world.
"While my brother is not around, I'll take you to the third floor first." Zhuang Jinghao took her upstairs with his hand, his tone full of "stealth", as if the two of them were embarking on an adventure hand in hand.
Zuo Xiao couldn't help but feel a little excited. Zhuang Jinghao had mentioned this brother countless times, someone she had heard of but never met. She hadn't expected him to go straight in and explore his private space right from the start.
So exciting!
"This is my brother's gym."
Zuo Xiao followed him inside and saw the room was neatly organized. It was fully equipped with equipment like a gantry, a rowing machine, a treadmill, and even a red boxing bag. Despite being a place where people sweated year-round, the room didn't have any unpleasant odors. Instead, it was filled with a refreshing, citrus-like scent.
He seems to be a clean man.
"This is the study."
When Zhuang Jinghao pushed open the door, Zuo Xiao's eyes lit up. The room was enormous, with a large horizontal window, over ten meters long, directly opposite the door. Outside, lush greenery and swaying tree shadows filled the air. A gentle breeze blew in through the two open windows, bringing with it the fragrance of plants and roses.
As a study, it holds a vast array of things: bookshelves fill one wall, countless CDs and LPs line another, a stereo system sits in the front, and a single sofa is positioned in the perfect listening position. In the middle of the room, besides a vintage cherrywood desk, sits a black grand piano, tilted at an angle.
Before Zuo Xiao could take a closer look, she was pulled out by Zhuang Jinghao. Zhuang Jinghao was clearly worried that the owner of the third floor might come home at any moment and catch her doing something. The thought of this made Zuo Xiao even more amused.
Suddenly, a meow sounded behind her. Zuo Xiao turned around and saw a pure white ragdoll cat standing in the corridor, tilting its head and looking at her curiously.
"This is great news. She's very attached to my brother and usually stays on the third floor and refuses to come down."
Zuo Xiao was about to tease it, but Daxi turned his face away proudly and walked away with an elegant cat-like gait. Zuo Xiao followed it with her eyes until it disappeared at the door of the room she had not visited.
Someone squeezed his palm and said, "That's my brother's bedroom and storage room. There's nothing to see there. Let's go!"
Zuo Xiao was actually a little disappointed that he hadn't been able to visit a strange man's bedroom. Was this a form of voyeurism? He hadn't expected that he had such a nasty taste in him.
"Come on, I'll take you to my place!" Zhuang Jinghao led her downstairs, and she felt relieved. It seemed that she was not very experienced in trespassing on her brother's territory, and at least the psychological pressure was not small.
Just then, there was a sound of a door closing downstairs, followed by two dog barks.
Zuo Xiao's heart tightened, and the next moment her hand was grabbed. Zhuang Jinghao quickened his pace and took her downstairs and into a huge cloakroom.
"Huh...you scared me!" Zhuang Jinghao patted her chest, looking as if she had just survived a disaster. Zuo Xiao looked at her playfully and burst out laughing.
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