Chapter 64. Choose me, please choose me, I'll sell myself to...
Xia Chan's eyes flickered slightly, and her hand holding the chopsticks paused.
Soon, a faint smile appeared on her lips as she silently put down her chopsticks. "I thought you wouldn't find out about this for a while."
The sunken boat's gaze is deep and unfathomable.
"right."
She looked up at him again, her tone frank and open, and quietly said, "I did receive 600,000 yuan from your family."
His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, as if he were truly stunned. A thousand questions surged through his mind, yet he lacked the courage to ask for details. His voice was hoarse, "Why..."
He said, "Back then, was it because of this... that you deleted me and insisted on disappearing to sever all ties with me?"
When Yang Yuan told him all this today, he initially refused to believe it, finding it utterly absurd, and then became angry.
“It’s true.” Yang Yuan showed him the various irrefutable transfer records from back then.
"That year, after you came back... your father and I actually went to Qingshui again. At that time, wasn't that girl's sister still short of 300,000 for surgery? Your father wanted to give her 300,000 to stop her from contacting you, but in the end, the girl asked for 600,000 herself... Zhoudu, look for yourself, although many years have passed, you can check these records! Look!"
Chen Zhoudu was even more shocked and incredulous, but in an instant, he felt an even more indescribable surge of anger, and he wanted to completely break ties with Chen Jinghai.
So back then, they really did go to see her again behind his back and bother her;
So ultimately, perhaps it was because of him that she resolutely broke off contact with him and missed so many years.
"Part of it, I suppose." Xia Chan's tone was light and airy, as if she were telling someone else's story, but her calm expression was already gradually distancing herself from him.
"After all, if you take someone's money, you have to do their bidding. They want to use money to keep my 'misfortune' away from them. Since I've taken the money, I have to keep my word. Otherwise, wouldn't I be too heartless?"
Shen Zhoudu's gaze deepened and became exceptionally complex in an instant. When she met his eyes, she felt as if she were being cut by his gaze, but on the surface, she still smiled calmly and said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you."
She faced him calmly and said, "So... what do you want now?"
"What?" Chen Zhoudu raised an eyebrow slightly, as if he didn't understand.
"Since you already know about this, you must have some thoughts on it, right?" She smiled gently. "So what do you want? For us to... break up, or treat it as a one-night stand, a casual sex relationship, or something..."
His gaze flickered slightly, and he pursed his lips. She smiled calmly at him and said, "I'm fine with anything."
"..."
"However, it's impossible for me to repay the money. Because that money is long gone... If you insist on repaying it, I can write you an IOU and pay you back in installments."
Chen Zhoudu's deep gaze remained fixed on her, unfathomable. After a moment, he sighed very softly, then stood up and squatted down beside her, looking up at her with a smile: "Xia Chan."
He said, "Choose me."
“…What?” Xia Chan stared at him blankly, not understanding.
"I now have more than 600,000."
The restaurant's warm yellow lights shone brightly, like a warm moonlight falling from the sky. He smiled, his eyes also holding a pure, star-like light, quietly reflecting her image.
“I have six million, sixty million… Choose me, I’ll give you everything, I’ll sell myself to you.”
Xia Chan stared at him blankly, still looking utterly incredulous. After a moment, she frowned and said, "Chen Zhoudu, are you crazy?"
“If you think so, then I am.” Shen Zhoudu just smiled and looked at her quietly, saying, “But if the reason you left me was because of money, then I would be overjoyed.”
“Problems that can be solved with money are not problems in my eyes. The biggest problem between us before was that I didn’t have money, so I had no say in Shen Jinghai’s affairs. Now that I have money, choose me! I’ll give you all my money, I’ll give you myself, I’ll give you everything.”
Xia Chan stared at him, her eyes growing increasingly red. All the emotions she had suppressed for so long surged up, making her nose, eyes, and heart ache. Her voice was hoarse, "Chen Zhou will ferry you..."
"you……"
He simply looked at her with warm, bright eyes, smiling at her, and suddenly stepped forward to kiss her lips.
He gripped the back of her head with his hand and pressed his upper body down, suddenly knocking her onto the stool.
Xia Chan was caught off guard and accidentally knocked a chopstick off the table, but no one paid any attention. She immediately pressed another lip against hers and they fell into a deep kiss.
The faint taste of the throat lozenges he had just eaten lingered on his lips and teeth, spreading and lingering on her tongue.
The light flickered gently as he kissed her lips, then gradually moved upwards along her lips, nibbling at the tip and bridge of her nose, until he reached her eyes.
He gently kissed the mottled tears on her eyelashes, feeling her eyelashes tremble like butterfly wings under his lips, a slightly salty taste melting on his tongue and turning into a hint of sweetness.
He chuckled softly, licking his lips as if savoring the moment, and slightly parted his lips. Xia Chan, her eyes red, lightly slapped him, staring into his eyes and scoldingly saying, "Chen Zhoudu, are you an idiot!"
Her eyes were red and moist as she looked at the starry sky in his eyes. "If I were a liar, you would have been swindled out of everything by now..."
"I'm not afraid of you lying, I'm afraid of you not lying at all." He gently kissed her hand. "Whatever you want, I'll give you. I'll even give you my own money..."
Xia Chan's eyes were red and moist as she looked at him. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed down to kiss him.
Her kisses were faster and more intense than his, like a sudden downpour desperately trying to devour and demand, the chair legs scraping against the ground with a creaking sound.
The surrounding air and body temperature were rising rapidly.
Chen Zhoudu's breathing grew heavy, and her body became hot. Just as she was about to fall between the two stools, someone quickly supported her back with one hand and gently stroked her face with the other. "Want to?"
His voice was extremely hoarse, and she just stared at him intently, her pupils shining like stars, before leaning in to kiss him again.
...
When the stars and moon were asleep at night, Xia Chan and Shen Zhoudu huddled under the covers, their bodies dry and warm after the sweat had evaporated.
Xia Chan's hair was almost half wet and sticky, so Chen Zhoudu took the initiative to set up a stool and put a basin of water on it to wash her hair.
My hair is washed, and the hairdryer is blasting warm air.
Xia Chan hugged her knees and nestled in the blankets, letting him blow-dry her hair. Thinking about something, she said slowly, "I... took a week of annual leave next week."
Once her hair was almost dry, Chen Zhoudu turned off the hairdryer and heard her say the last half of her sentence, "I'm planning to go back to Qingshui."
"Why did you suddenly think of taking a holiday?" Shen Zhoudu asked in surprise.
"Yeah, I've been a bit tired lately and want to rest. It just so happens that Grandma... went back home too, and I want to go back and see her. I haven't seen her in a long time," Xia Chan said hastily.
Xia Chan didn't tell Si Yi and the others about her suspension, not wanting them to worry. But she couldn't pretend to be at work and wander around outside every day, and she didn't know how long her suspension would last. So she decided to leave Shanghai for a while.
But she didn't intend to tell Shen Zhoudu about it.
Chen Zhoudu is busy enough, her own schedule is so full she can't even take care of herself, so she shouldn't be distracted by her affairs.
If he knew about this, she believed he would help her resolve it, but she didn't know what kind of conflict would arise between him and Shen Jinghai.
“Okay.” Chen Zhoudu’s eyes lit up when he mentioned his grandmother, and he said, “Then I will try to squeeze out a couple of days to go back with you.”
"No!" Xia Chan suddenly turned around and said.
The sunken boat ferryman was stunned.
She met his astonished gaze, and after a couple of seconds realized that her reaction had been a bit too extreme. Her face paled slightly, she closed her eyes, sighed softly, and tried to smile as she explained, "You... you're so busy with work, so don't cause any more trouble. The controversy surrounding Qu Yao's podcast hasn't even died down yet, so don't create another one."
"It's just a matter of squeezing out two days; I can manage to find that much free time." Chen Zhoudu smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, saying, "It just so happens that I haven't seen my grandmother in a long time, and I miss her very much."
Xia Chan's face turned pale, but she casually wrapped her arms around his neck and coaxed him with a soft laugh. He hadn't had a lot of things to do lately, but they were quite complicated. He had a concert coming up and needed to negotiate with various parties.
Let him focus on his work; she will go to his concert then.
Unable to refuse, Chen Zhoudu had no choice but to agree.
-
The next day was Monday.
The next day, Xia Chan returned to Taoyuan Lane from her apartment in Chenzhoudu, packed her luggage briefly, gave Siyi and the others a few more careful instructions, and then headed to the airport.
Xia Chan told Si Yi and the others that she had to go on a business trip for a period of time, ranging from a week to half a month, and also asked them to take good care of themselves in all aspects of their lives and health.
When Xia Chan set off that day, Chen Zhoudu was working and unable to personally see her off.
I only received one message from her after she boarded the plane: "I'm on board, don't worry."
At that time, Chen Zhoudu was waiting to record a song in the recording studio. When he saw her message, he smiled and replied, "Have a safe journey, and I'll be waiting for your return."
Chenzhoudu was in good form for recording today. He only took a little over half an hour to record a three-and-a-half-minute song and even recorded it multiple times as backup.
Even his agent, Jiang Cheng, found it strange and joked, "Why is everything going so smoothly today? Were you possessed yesterday? Is there some good news?"
Chen Zhoudu just smiled and remained silent. Ah Sen found his smile particularly strange, and it was probably related to his so-called love affair. His expression turned bitter.
Chen Zhoudu subtly signaled to him with his eyes that he should not be afraid to keep the secret.
Four hours later, Chen Zhoudu received Xia Chan's second message, saying that the plane had landed safely and that she was on her way to the train station to catch a train to Qingshui.
It's good that the sunken boat has returned; let her also send her greetings on behalf of her grandmother.
He really wanted to take some time to video chat with his grandmother and greet her in person, but in the following days, Xia Chan only replied to his WeChat messages a few times every long time.
She said she often forgot to check her phone because she was taking care of her grandmother, so she replied to messages less often.
Several times when she responded, it was already late at night and her grandmother had gone to sleep. He told her to go and keep her grandmother company without worrying about him, and to get plenty of rest.
Three days later, in the afternoon, Chen Zhoudu received Siyi's birthday invitation amidst his busy schedule.
Siyi is twenty-five years old this year. She has passed the "death date" that the doctor predicted for her a long time ago. Huang Mao and his friends decided to hold a small birthday party for her at home to celebrate. She really hopes that Chen Zhoudu can come.
That day, the ferry crossing was packed with work, and time was tight.
But since I was still thinking about them, I agreed.
It was already quite late when Chenzhoudu finished his work and arrived at Taoyuan Nongzhi that day. He originally thought he would just show up, deliver the gifts, and talk to them, but he didn't expect them to be waiting for him.
The cottage was decorated romantically and warmly, with nightlights throughout and colorful ribbons and balloons scattered on the floor. The cake on the table was uncut, and all the dishes were kept warm by covering them with plates. The chopsticks were neatly arranged and had not been touched.
The moment Chen Zhoudu stepped into the house, Huang Mao pulled a ribbon and sprayed colorful streamers all over his head with a "bang." Immediately afterward, enthusiastic cheers erupted in front of him. Chen Zhoudu was startled and entered the house with a hand full of gifts, chuckling to himself.
"Is this a celebration for me or for my memories?"
"This is a celebration for me, and also a celebration for Brother Zhoudu that you could come. It's an honor to have such a big star here!"
As Siyi spoke excitedly, Chen Zhoudu smiled and gently tapped her forehead, distributing the gifts to them one by one.
Chenzhoudu not only brought a birthday gift for Siyi, but also a gift for each of them.
What he gave to Fat Tiger was a laptop. He spends most of his time writing code in front of the screen, so he specifically chose a brand new model with an eye-protection screen.
I'll give Lala a set of high-end cosmetics and professional live-streaming equipment.
What was given to Huang Mao was a motorcycle, which he said had been registered in Shanghai and parked downstairs, as long as it wasn't parked in the city center.
The gift of remembrance is a seven-day unlimited trip across the country;
Because of her chronic illness, she is often confined to her home and unable to go anywhere. She longs to go out and see the world like a normal person, but her finances don't allow it. The beautiful scenery that can only be seen online seems like a dream that can only be realized in the next life.
The group was greatly surprised to receive their gifts and repeatedly declined, refusing to accept them.
"Please accept this," Chen Zhoudu said. "Consider it a gift to make up for all the years I've spent with you. I feel ashamed that I didn't know what you all liked and took the liberty of making this decision. Please forgive me if you don't like it."
After several people couldn't refuse, they had no choice but to accept it, their happy smiles unable to hide their genuine joy.
That night, the four of them lit candles for Siyi and sang a birthday song.
Siyi made three wishes, and the moment she opened her eyes and blew out the candles with a "whoosh," Huangmao and Lala Panghu immediately started clapping their toy hands and cheering.
The lights were turned on at Chenzhou Ferry, and several people rolled up their sleeves and began to cut the cake and eat.
"Sigh... If Sister Xiaochan were here too." Siyi cut six slices of cake, looking at the extra slice with a sigh, "It's really something, of all times she had to go on a business trip... I'll just have to wait until Sister Xiaochan comes back and then I'll make her another slice..."
"Business trip?" Chen Zhoudu sipped his cake, his brow furrowing slightly as he vaguely sensed something was amiss. He looked up in confusion, "Xia Chan...didn't she take leave to go back to Qingshui to see her grandmother?"
"See Grandma?" Yellow Hair was puzzled, even surprised. "But Grandma is already—"
Siyi's face turned pale instantly, and she bumped into the blond-haired man, only then vaguely realizing what was going on.
Only then did the blond-haired man realize what was happening and shut his mouth as if facing a formidable enemy.
Shen Zhoudu's mind was filled with even more doubts, "What... happened to Grandma?"
They stopped talking and kept urging him to eat cake and rice.
“Siyi!” Chen Zhoudu’s expression turned serious. A premonition was growing in his heart, but he couldn’t believe it. His face was taut and he said, “Even at this point, you’re still hiding things from me? What happened to Grandma? Xia Chan… if she didn’t go back to take care of Grandma, then what did she go to do? What exactly happened back then that you didn’t tell me?”
"Didn't you say I was one of you? Why have you been keeping this from me all this time? Why?!"
As Siyi was pressed for answers, her eyes gradually reddened, and her thoughts swayed like a lone flag being blown about by the wind.
"Brother Zhoudu...Grandma is gone." She finally managed to say it through gritted teeth, closing her eyes tightly as tears streamed down her face.
Like rain that has been falling for years, finally, at this moment, it falls slowly.
"Grandma passed away nine years ago... not long after you left..."
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