Chapter 19 Identity Self-Sufficiency
They had to return to the Zhou family before the New Year's Eve dinner, and time was running out. Ji Shian glanced at the clock and asked, "How about we go back now?"
Qin Yinghuai had no objection. When someone came over with two cartons of Han Emperor Moutai, he quickly stepped forward to lend a hand. When he got closer, he said in silence, "You don't need something this good."
He jokingly said, "Assistant Ji has started a business that loses money?"
Ji Shian reached for his coat after freeing his hands. "You forgot, this was given to me by the boss of the Xiyuan project. You didn't ask me to bring it back then, so just consider it as a gift."
She turned to look at Qin Yinghuai, "I don't drink, so I don't need to prepare it myself. Brother Zhou used to take good care of me, so I might as well give it to his family."
“Good things are better when they are cheap and belong to familiar people.”
Qin Yinghuai was persuaded by her words, but he felt something was wrong and sighed, "Why don't you give me such an expensive gift?"
So far, the most valuable gift Qin Yinghuai has received from Ji Tezhu is a large cup of Strawberry Duoduo with pudding, cheese and rice mochi.
"It's sore." He shook his head and stretched out his long legs, throwing Ji Shian more than ten meters away.
Unable to shout at people in the street, Ji Shian simply took out his cell phone to send him a message, and then bought him an extra-large cup of full milk tea from the milk tea shop at the door which was still closed.
She trotted back to the car and stuffed the milk tea into the man's arms, with a grin on her face, "Yours, Zhou Xingzhi doesn't have any."
Qin Yinghuai was shocked by her overly cooperative attitude. He felt a little amused and a little distressed. He inserted the straw and took a sip. "What if I can't finish it?"
Ji Shian took the trick calmly, "Drink one sip and throw one cup, we have money."
"Okay!" Qin Yinghuai nodded and pointed to the seat belt. "Sit tight, rich little woman. Your driver is about to start working."
Ji Shian's mind went blank for a second, he blinked quickly and came back to his senses. He reached out and buckled the seat belt, pretending to be calm and said, "Let's go~"
Only she could hear the thundering heartbeat in her chest.
The villain in her heart clenched her fists in excitement. She had climbed mountains and crossed rivers, overcome obstacles and defeated enemies, and now she had finally turned against Tian Gang and summoned her immediate superior.
The workers have turned their fortunes around today. Ji Shian closed his eyes and felt as if he was floating in the air in sublimation.
、
The night was as dark as ink. In the distance, the crackling sound of firecrackers and the whistling sound of fireworks rose to the sky. Every household had lights on, and from time to time, there were calls for food.
Mother Zhou glanced at the time, then looked towards the silent door, wondering, "Where did that damned Zhou Xingzhi go?" She nudged Father Zhou, who was standing beside her, and said, "Hey, Old Zhou, give him a call and ask."
Father Zhou reluctantly put the book aside and stood up to get his phone. "Why don't you call?"
Mother Zhou snorted, "I'm busy watching TV with Xiao An. Go quickly."
Grandma Zhou was also urging them.
Zhou Xingzhi was not at home, and Zhou's father, who had the lowest status in the family, responded and walked towards the mobile phone on the dining table.
Ji Shian came back to his senses from the beauty of the female lead in the TV series, looked at the clock hanging on the wall, and asked curiously: "Has Brother Zhou not come back yet?"
Mother Zhou picked up a strawberry and shook her head. "No, I went out shopping with Ying Huai this morning and haven't come back since."
Ji Shian was stunned: "What about the things I bought?"
Mother Zhou sneered, "That little bastard kept saying he'd be home soon, but less than half an hour later he told me something urgent had happened and he couldn't come back. In the end, his dad had to go out and buy it."
Ji Shian calculated the time in his mind and guessed that Zhou Xingzhi seemed to be busy chatting with his charming sister at that time.
Not sure if he had told his family about the relationship, Ji Shian didn't know for sure, so he whispered comfortingly, "He should be back soon."
"Tsk, where has that bastard Zhou Xingzhi been? Why isn't he answering the phone? Has something happened?" Father Zhou looked a little anxious as he held the phone.
"What's wrong?" Old Master Qin came over with a cane.
Father Zhou's face, which was always dignified without being angry, darkened. He didn't want to make the old man anxious. "It's okay. I'll urge Zhou Xingzhi to stop going crazy outside."
Grandma Zhou had already heard what Father Zhou had just said. She didn't bother to tease Ji Shian anymore and stood up from the sofa. "Can't contact anyone?"
Ji Shian quickly supported Grandma Zhou's arm and said, "Don't worry, I'll give him a try via Fetion."
Beep, beep, beep... Ji Shian frowned slightly as he looked at the phone that no one answered.
Qin Yinghuai had just come out of the bathroom when he saw everyone standing in the living room. The atmosphere seemed a little off. He stopped beside Ji Shian and whispered what was going on.
Ji Shian pointed at Zhou Xingzhi's name on the screen and mouthed: Don't answer the phone, can't find anyone.
The two looked at each other and thought about the last time they saw Zhou Xingzhi at noon.
Ji Shian poked the system in his mind: [System, when did Zhou Xingzhi and the charming young lady meet for the second time?]
The system was reading a comic strip with great interest when it was suddenly called. It looked up blankly and slowly recalled: [It seemed like a banquet...]
Then it wouldn't be today. Ji Shian didn't know what had tripped Zhou Xingzhi, but his life shouldn't be in danger. After all, there was still a second act to his life.
Several people stood in the living room anxiously like ants on a hot pan. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Mother Zhou's eyes lit up, then she narrowed her eyes, rolled up her sleeves and rushed to the door.
"Zhou Xingzhi, I think you're itching to get your ass kicked, so I called you..." Seeing the scene behind the door, Mother Zhou's brain short-circuited for a moment, and her anger was extinguished by the water. Almost in the blink of an eye, a gentle smile appeared on her face, and her voice was soft and delicate, "Come in~"
Mr. Zhou's view was blocked. When he heard Mrs. Zhou's voice, his eyelids twitched and he jumped out, then he also stood there in a daze.
At the door, Zhou Xingzhi pulled a young woman into the house and carefully took off her scarf. Every move he made was as if he was treating a rare treasure.
The woman curled her lips towards Zhou Xingzhi, her chestnut curly hair draped softly over her shoulders. The light from the crystal chandelier shone through the carved glass into her eyes, as if water were constantly shining through them.
Zhou Xingzhi was heartbroken: he wanted her to be happy and not look sad anymore.
Mother Zhou tried to appear reserved. "Who is this?"
Zhou Xingzhi slowly exhaled and said solemnly: "This is my girlfriend, Zheng Xiaoxiao."
Mother Zhou's smile grew softer. "Hello, Xiaoxiao. I'm Xingzhi's mother."
Zheng Xiaoxiao politely greeted Mother Zhou: "Hello, Auntie. Sorry to bother you during the New Year."
Seeing that no one was feeling unwell, Mother Zhou enthusiastically led them into the house, with a smile on her face as big as a flower.
When Zheng Xiaoxiao greeted Zhou's father, his jaw was tense and he dared not speak loudly, for fear of breaking the porcelain in front of him: "Hello, hello."
Grandma Zhou had long been unable to contain her desire to peek over, but considering her status as an elder, she was afraid of scaring others, so she excitedly hugged Ji Shian's arm and screamed silently.
God bless her husband, and someone finally wants her silly grandson!
Ji Shian was also very shocked at this time. They had agreed that the second meeting would be at the banquet, but how come Zhou Xingzhi got a formal status within one day?
She excitedly poked the system, but it didn't respond.
Ji Shian met Zheng Xiaoxiao's eyes and smiled friendly. She didn't know why, but when she got closer, she felt that inherently broken look more like a fake filter. Suppressing the uncomfortable feeling in her heart, she turned her head to look at Qin Yinghuai.
Zheng Xiaoxiao was greeting Qin Yinghuai: "You must be Mr. Qin, right? Xingzhi often tells me about you." She pursed her lips and smiled, her posture graceful and appropriate. "If you don't mind, I'll follow Xingzhi and call you brother."
Ji Shian's mind was filled with comments, and he felt like an alarm was going off in his head. He called out loudly: [System? 089—Where have you been? If you don't come out, I'll eat all your cookies!]
The familiar electronic sound did not sound, Ji Shian's palms began to sweat, and his bad premonition became stronger.
Zheng Xiaoxiao was looking at Qin Yinghuai shyly. There was nothing wrong with his etiquette, but the people in this room were all experienced veterans with sharp intuitions. Seeing this, they all felt a pang in their hearts.
Zhou Xingzhi was still laughing happily on the side. Qin Yinghuai took in everyone's expressions and moved closer to Ji Shian. He said sincerely, "You misunderstood. I am not Zhou Xingzhi's brother."
Ji Shian swallowed, afraid he would follow up with "I'm his father." Zhou Xingzhi's biological father was still watching from a distance.
"I'm Zhou Xingzhi's creditor. He owes me 80 million and hasn't paid me back yet."
The smile on Zheng Xiaoxiao's face froze.
Ji Shian: Damn it.
The identity he had gained was his own. Qin Yinghuai politely turned his gaze to Zhou Xingzhi: "When will you pay me back?"
Zhou Xingzhi was stunned for a moment and scratched his head. "Let it go since Xiaoxiao is here today."
Qin Yinghuai's gaze grew deeper. Before Zheng Xiaoxiao could become suspicious, he turned to look at Ji Shian and shrugged, "Looks like I won't be coming back today either."
Their eyes met, and they both saw the solemnity that flashed across each other's eyes. Ji Shian grabbed Qin Yinghuai's forearm and shook it coquettishly, "This is Zhou Xingzhi's first time in love, let's give Miss Zheng some face."
Qin Yinghuai nodded reluctantly, "I'll listen to you."
Zheng Xiaoxiao's eyes flashed with surprise. These two people turned out to be a couple.
Old Master Qin was the first to speak and invite everyone to eat, and then he downplayed the matter.
The servants had been given a holiday several days ago, and the New Year's Eve dinner was prepared by Zhou's father and mother, and it was all home-cooked dishes.
During the meal, it was clear that Zheng Xiaoxiao had learned table manners well, and she didn't do anything that would raise any eyebrows. Instead, Zhou Xingzhi kept asking about her well-being. Ji Shian suspected that Zhou Xingzhi was just about to spoon-feed her.
"Ahem." Grandma Zhou cleared her throat pretending to be indifferent, but Zhou Xingzhi continued to pick up food for Zheng Xiaoxiao without noticing.
Mr. and Mrs. Zhou were terrified as they watched from the side. Could it be that their husky-like son could even cross species and turn into a golden retriever when he met someone he liked?
Ji Shian glanced over there from time to time, his heart full of doubts. Could it be that these two had also awakened, realized that they were the protagonists of the novel, and were planning to resist.
But that's not right. Except for her and Qin Yinghuai, the two unlucky guys, all other novels in the world are documentaries.
Suddenly, a piece of exquisite pork belly appeared in his sight. Qin Yinghuai used the serving chopsticks to put it into the bowl for the customer and said in a very gentle voice, "Eat well."
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