Chapter 458 If this isn't true love, I'll eat this bulletin board on the spot!
The taxi drove smoothly on the road leading to the city's aquarium.
Chu Zihang's gaze habitually swept across the rearview mirror, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.
The white BMW behind them had been following them for more than five minutes.
Although the woman in the driver's seat tried her best to conduct a covert tracking, she was ultimately just an ordinary person without any training, and she was exposed immediately in front of Chu Zihang, who had received professional training.
At first, he thought he was incredibly lucky to have successfully lured out Odin's minions as soon as he landed.
But he quickly dismissed the idea, reasoning that given Odin's shrewdness and meticulousness, his subordinates' tracking methods would never be so crude and obvious.
Just now, taking advantage of a brief lull in traffic at the intersection, Chu Zihang stared intently into the distance.
His superhuman eyesight allowed him to clearly see the familiar face in the driver's seat of the BMW.
Aunt Ya Ya is the most outgoing and energetic one in my mom's group of best friends.
In the passenger seat was his mother, Su Xiaoyan.
The beautiful young woman, barely over 30, was craning her neck, staring excitedly in their direction, as if afraid of losing them.
In the back seat, you can also see the figures of three other aunties who watched him grow up and often joked about taking him home as their son.
Chu Zihang was immediately speechless and overwhelmed.
What a coincidence!
He had just returned to his hometown and hadn't even ordered any food when he was targeted and followed by this group of drunken aunties.
He began to reflect silently, wondering why he had only realized it now. Could it really be as Lu Mingfei had said—
Women only slow me down the speed at which I draw my sword?
No way! He's still unharmed after his blood loss, and his sword-drawing speed is getting faster every day. It's all thanks to Xia Mi's support behind the scenes. She's the kind of woman who silently carries every successful man.
Yes, a female dragon.
In reality, while his perception was outstanding, it was primarily focused on his keen ability to detect killing intent and danger.
The warning mechanism is basically ineffective when faced with friendly stares from moms and aunts who are just curious and gossipy.
In addition, their presence on the roadside had already attracted the attention of many passersby, making them even more oblivious to the intense gazes from the coffee shop in the distance.
As for Xia Mi...
As the queen of the earth and mountains, her perception of her surroundings is only more acute than his.
But she was already used to the attention she received because of her outstanding appearance, so she naturally didn't take those harmless glances from afar to heart.
The king himself lives in the light of being admired by thousands.
Even without this face, Jormungandr is still the weakest of the dragon kings!
However, the former Rumi is a thing of the past, and the current Xia Mi could not possibly be unaware that someone is following her.
She tilted her head slightly, glanced behind her out of the corner of her eye, then turned her face to look at Chu Zihang's somewhat helpless expression, and suddenly laughed.
But she quickly stopped herself, reaching out to gently poke Chu Zihang's muscular forearm. She deliberately furrowed her brows, feigning a timid and pitiful appearance, and lowered her voice, as if afraid of being overheard.
"Is that your mother following us in the car behind us?"
She seemed to be playing the role of an innocent high school girl who was secretly dating but was caught red-handed by the boy's parents. Her acting was very realistic; she was practically huddled in Chu Zihang's arms, trembling with fear.
Chu Zihang watched her exaggerated performance, his lips twitched almost imperceptibly, and he wanted to laugh, but in the end he maintained his expressionless face, nodded, and confirmed her guess.
"Then...what should we do?"
Xia Mi continued her performance, her large, watery eyes fixed on Chu Zihang, filled with panic and helplessness:
"If she finds out we ran off together... will she be angry? Will she hate me?"
The driver in front, who had been listening intently to the sounds behind him, immediately perked up upon hearing this, gave him a knowing look through the rearview mirror, and eagerly chimed in:
"Don't be afraid, young lady. I'm the legendary car driver of Fuzhou, known in the streets as Fujiwara Takuya. I know this area very well. Just give me a nod and I can leave them so far behind that they won't even see my taillights!"
He had clearly misunderstood, thinking they were a pair of star-crossed lovers whose relationship was opposed by their parents, and he wanted to help them with their hopes for a bright future.
Chu Zihang really wanted his master to get rid of his mother and her group of girlfriends and have some peace and quiet, but he knew his mother's personality too well, and he was also very clear about the fighting power and persistence of her group of girlfriends.
They are only following secretly now, which means they are still in the observation and testing stage. Although the fire of gossip is burning brightly, they are still careful not to scare their future daughter-in-law.
If I were to forcefully shake them off right now, my mom would probably start bombarding me with calls the next second and then come over to gossip about me in person.
Moreover, Chu Zihang had almost never lied to his mother since he was a child, especially when the facts were undeniable and he didn't want to use lies to appease his mother.
I didn't want Xia Mi to feel bad either.
After weighing his options, he declined the driver's offer and looked at Xia Mi, who was still trying to play the victim. Despite feeling helpless, he still tried to comfort her:
"Don't worry, she's a very nice person. Besides, you're so pretty, she'd love you more than anything, she won't be angry."
Upon hearing this, the driver in the front seat gave him a knowing smile, as if to say, "It's so good to be young." He felt his mood brighten considerably, and even his slightly balding forehead seemed to glow.
The light of righteousness shone on his face, which had once been handsome in his youth.
Upon hearing this, Xia Mi immediately dropped her pitiful look and smiled slyly and triumphantly, like a little fox who had succeeded in her scheme.
"But~" she drawled, "aren't we just skipping class to hang out now?"
Why would she not be angry that I'm a bad influence on her precious son, and even like me, simply because I'm pretty?
Chu Zihang: "..."
He felt that the Dragon King was a bit too lively and mischievous today.
Is it because ugly daughters-in-law are nervous when meeting their in-laws, while beautiful daughters-in-law are arrogant because they are favored?
He paused for two seconds, then replied very seriously, "Because she likes pretty girls."
That's true. Su Xiaoyan herself is a top-tier beauty and has an extraordinary love for beautiful things and people.
My dad managed to win over my mom, the star dancer of the city's dance troupe, by pretending to be a good-for-nothing. His handsome face and his silver tongue were indispensable to that.
Xia Mi, on the other hand, is outstanding in both appearance and temperament, as well as in her lively spirit. She is the kind of person that people of all ages would find appealing.
Xia Mi listened, and like a cat whose fur had been stroked, she hummed contentedly twice before asking:
"So what's next? When we get to the aquarium, should we surprise your mom and aunties and formally introduce myself?"
She had actually met Su Xiaoyan before. At the parents' meeting at Shilan Middle School, the most outstanding and beautiful mother always attracted everyone's amazement whenever she appeared, saying that like begets like, and the child of a beautiful woman is also a beauty.
I just hadn't met her before, since her identity was fake and none of her parents could attend, so she was always absent from parent-teacher conferences.
I was just being mischievous and teasing Chu Zihang.
Chu Zihang shook his head: "Let's see what they want to do first. If they don't show up on their own, we'll pretend we don't know anything."
Maintaining the status quo is currently the easiest and least likely option to go wrong.
Thus, one side deliberately indulged, while the other thought they were keeping their distance, and the two groups maintained a delicate balance, arriving at the aquarium one after the other.
After paying and getting out of the car, Chu Zihang and Xia Mi politely said goodbye to the driver who had a kind smile throughout the journey.
Standing at the entrance of the aquarium, Chu Zihang looked around at the building he hadn't visited in a long time; its exterior didn't seem to have changed much.
Nearby, there were many teenagers of similar age, walking hand in hand or arm in arm, their love filling the air with the sweet scent of romance.
Xia Mi noticed the young couples, her eyes darting around. She put her hands behind her back, leaned forward slightly, and turned her head to look at Chu Zihang with a smile. Sunlight cast dappled shadows on her long eyelashes.
"How about it, Chu, how about giving Auntie a little surprise?"
She waved her hands behind her back, her tone sweet and seductive: "If you'd like, I can be so kind as to lend you my hand to hold~"
Although the two had held hands and even acted more intimately in the capital, this time it was Chu Zihang's home turf, and under the noses of his mother and the aunts who had watched him grow up. Xia Mi's mischievous and possessive thoughts began to stir again.
Without turning around, Chu Zihang could tell from the reflection on the glass, the occasional curious glances from passersby, and his own keen senses that his mother and her aunties had gotten off the bus and were peeking out from a short distance away.
He recalled Lu Mingfei's wise saying: "It's a fool not to take advantage of a freebie!"
He's a man destined to be the Dragon King, how could he be a turtle's egg?
So, meeting Xia Mi's provocative and teasing gaze, Chu Zihang nodded without hesitation and said, "Okay."
This answer made Xia Mi's smile almost overflow.
When they first came to this aquarium a few years ago, although they were also traveling as a couple, they always kept a distance between each other, clearly separated.
Now, she has finally succeeded in legitimately bringing him within her reach, allowing her to touch him, kiss him, and push him away at will.
Subordinates are not allowed to kiss their superiors, but I am the Dragon King, I can kiss whenever I want!
I'm going to slap him on the lips today, let's see who dares to stop me!
However, it's not appropriate to announce that in public for a hundred days.
She straightened up and confidently extended her hand to Chu Zihang: "Here you go~"
Chu Zihang naturally reached out and grasped that soft, slightly cool hand.
Like many ordinary couples outside the museum, the two walked hand in hand toward the ticket window.
Behind a sign not far behind, five pretty aunties peeked out and silently watched. When they saw the handsome young man and the beautiful girl holding hands, they almost simultaneously let out low, excited screams.
"We held hands! We really held hands!" The group of girlfriends, dressed in Chanel suits, covered their mouths excitedly. Anyone who didn't know better would think she was about to give birth.
"Oh my god! Zihang is really in a relationship! He actually held a girl's hand?!"
"Did you see that girl's profile just now? She's so cute! She's a perfect match for our Zihang!"
"This guy's been keeping it a secret for a while now. When did they start dating? Is it a long-distance relationship?"
"It must be! Think about it, it's the crucial time for his final exams, and he specially traveled all the way back from abroad to be with his girlfriend. If this isn't true love, I'll eat this sign!" Aunt Ya Ya said, secretly taking pictures with her phone while analyzing the situation seriously.
"Are you here to freeload again?"
"Not necessarily. I heard that foreign universities have different holiday schedules than ours. Maybe Zihang has already finished his exams, but he's just pretending to be late to be with his girlfriend," someone offered a different opinion.
"Then why keep it a secret? Isn't that redundant?"
"Is that even a question?!" Su Xiaoyan finally snapped out of her daze and looked at her son and the pretty girl holding hands as they walked away. She felt a surge of relief and pride, thinking, "My little pig has finally found a cabbage!"
She straightened her back, her tone tinged with smugness, her pink lips curving into a Nike logo, her smile even more irrepressible than an AK:
"They're probably afraid of scaring the girl away by you gossipy types asking them all sorts of questions!"
"Oh, Su Xiaoyan, so you think we're the only ones gossiping? You think you're so great and high and mighty!" Aunt Ya Ya and another friend immediately laughed and grabbed Su Xiaoyan's shoulders, pretending to push her towards the parking lot.
"Alright, we'll continue following and watching. You can just sit in the car and wait."
We'll see and hear whatever we want, and I promise I won't tell you a single word, okay?
"Hey, stop fooling around." Su Xiaoyan was unlikely to agree. She struggled, giggling, but seeing the two people in the distance had already bought tickets and entered, she turned around and stopped their playful fight.
"Hurry up and buy tickets, they're going in, don't lose them later."
With a shared goal/gossip, the five beautiful young women, whose average age is just over forty, instantly forgot their earlier infighting. Like a group of star-struck girls, they rushed to the ticket window, bought their tickets, and quickly entered the venue, thus beginning their diligent but still flawed journey of following and consuming sweetness.
Inside the aquarium, the light suddenly dimmed, replaced by a deep, dark blue atmosphere.
Behind the enormous glass curtain wall, schools of colorful tropical fish swam and darted about like flowing jewels. Chu Zihang and Xia Mi strolled hand in hand along the winding visitor corridor.
He and Xia Mi tried their best to ignore the group of mothers behind them who were trying to hide their figures, but because of their outstanding appearance and temperament, and their strange behavior, they still stood out.
Xia Mi was clearly in a great mood, occasionally pointing to a strangely shaped fish or an adorable turtle, then tugging at Chu Zihang's arm to show it to him:
Doesn't this look like Lao Tang? Doesn't that look like Lu Mingfei? Doesn't that look like Chen Motong? Doesn't this look like Caesar...?
Chu Zihang looked in the direction she pointed and began preparing a science popularization explanation with great seriousness and meticulousness:
"The scientific name of this fish is..."
"Stop!" Xia Mi raised her hand to cover his mouth, both amused and annoyed: "Be serious, stop trying to make me laugh, or Auntie and the others will think I'm crazy!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Zihang recalled how she used to burst into laughter when she was amused by simple explanations of marine life habits...
Although he's a bit eccentric, he's still very cute, isn't he?
He wanted to explain, but she covered his mouth, so he could only blink to indicate that he understood.
Xia Mi then released his hand with satisfaction and continued to pull him forward.
A dozen meters behind them, several furtive figures used various marine life models, pillars, and shadows as cover, following closely behind.
"Oh dear, look! Zihang made her cover his mouth!"
"He didn't dodge, he even nodded?! My God, if he doesn't truly love me, I'll drink all the water in this aquarium!" Aunt Ya Ya continued to freeload.
"That girl has a wonderful personality, lively and beautiful, she complements Zihang perfectly." Aunt Chanel said with great satisfaction.
Su Xiaoyan remained silent, simply holding up her phone, the camera pointed at the beautiful couple in front of her, constantly adjusting the angle, wishing she could record every single frame.
Looking at her son's usually expressionless face, which seemed to have its sharp features softened by the girl's chatter beside him, she felt an indescribable joy and sweetness in her heart.
Looking at them, she couldn't help but think of her own youth.
At that time, she was just as beautiful as the girl next to her son, like a fairy.
Unfortunately, she had poor eyesight and was young and naive, so she was easily deceived and lost the best years of her life.
Fortunately, she raised Zihang to be so outstanding and responsible that she wouldn't let the girls who liked him be heartbroken.
(End of this chapter)
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