Chapter 53 Self-Deception: What is the purpose of life? ...
At this moment, Jin Zhao felt a strong resonance with Shen Yu.
He had never seen such a shameless boy.
Shen Yu and Ye Qishan's rivalry was open and aboveboard. Even though it was jealousy and rivalry, which might be off-putting, it was at least honest and straightforward, and not so offensive as to be unspeakable.
At this moment, Jin Zhao stared at Shen Xiu, and he could clearly see a fleeting hint of provocation in Shen Xiu's watery eyes.
But when Shen Xiu faced Jiang Xiliu, he had an innocent and aggrieved expression. Jin Zhao could even foresee that if he coldly refused directly, Shen Xiu would likely pretend to be pitiful and say, "Sister, I'm really so tired~", making himself seem aggressive and unreasonable.
What's even more annoying is that while Shen Xiu said he wanted Jin Zhao's help, he never looked in Jin Zhao's direction and didn't even ask him.
He leaned forward slightly, one shoulder tilting towards Jiang Xiliu, and asked in a soft, coquettish tone, "Sister, can my brother help me?"
Well, whether Jin Zhao agrees or not is irrelevant; what matters is Jiang Xiliu's attitude.
Jin Zhao remained silent, only calmly looking at Jiang Xiliu. He was also eager to know how she would respond.
Jiang Xiliu was completely unaware of the turbulent tension between the two men. She took a bite of the crispy fried king oyster mushroom and glanced at Chen Xiu indifferently: "If you can't move it, what does it have to do with me?"
She had already gone above and beyond by letting Shen Xiu stay in her house. Did he really think he was the young master of the Shen family? Wasn't it enough that he was staying in her house? Did he also want to boss her around?
Even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner. Does he even respect her?
Jiang Xiliu is a good boss and considers herself a good partner. Even if she occasionally wants to bully Jin Zhao, it doesn't mean that just anyone can bully him.
Caught off guard by Jiang Xiliu's words, Shen Xiu looked up, feeling wronged and guilty, and could only reply dryly, "I just thought that since my brother is strong, he could move things faster. I didn't think it through, and I shouldn't have troubled my sister and brother so easily..."
Jiang Xiliu didn't listen carefully to Shen Xiu's words at all. She tasted it and thought it was good. She then handed the oil paper bag containing the remaining king oyster mushrooms to Jin Zhao to carry.
She didn't look at Chen Xiu again, turned around and walked towards the next fragrant stall. After taking two steps, she realized there was no movement behind her, so she stopped and turned around.
Seeing that Jin Zhao was still standing there, Jiang Xiliu impatiently raised her chin: "Jin Zhao, hurry up and come over to pay the bill."
Jin Zhao, carrying a handful of things, glanced indifferently at Chen Xiu, then ignored him and walked briskly toward Jiang Xiliu: "You're here."
After paying the bill without hesitation, Jin Zhao even offered, "There's a really good roasted chestnut place up ahead."
Jiang Xiliu's eyes lit up: "Really? Then I want to eat!"
...
Jin Zhao still lives in the school dormitory.
Jiang Xiliu would occasionally come to have dinner with him, and every time she came, Shen Xiu would "coincidentally" appear next to them.
For Jin Zhao, Shen Xiu was a persistent and haunting presence.
This made him even more eager to find an internship as soon as possible. His thinking was simple: as long as he and Jiang Xiliu stopped appearing near the school so frequently, they would not run into Shen Xiu.
Strangely, he submitted dozens of resumes but didn't receive a single interview invitation.
He is not someone who is unrealistic and has high expectations but low abilities. Most of the positions he applies for are a good match for him. Even if some companies have strict requirements, he would never be so bad as to not even get a proper interview opportunity.
Jin Zhao has a clear understanding of himself. He has excellent grades and work experience in the laboratory. Before submitting his resume, he even asked his supervisor to review it.
"Something feels off," Jin Zhao frowned.
“Is there anything wrong with this?” Jiang Xiliu looked up at Jin Zhao. “The job market is saturated right now. Companies will definitely prefer to hire employees with work experience rather than recent graduates. It’s normal that you didn’t get an interview opportunity.”
Jiang Xiliu had never experienced job hunting, and Jin Zhaoming understood that his troubles were different from hers.
Although he suspected that someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes, Jin Zhao didn't want unfounded suspicions to spoil her mood, and he didn't want her to think that he was making excuses for not being able to find a job.
Since they got their marriage certificate, apart from formally meeting Jiang Xiliu's parents, they haven't had a proper discussion about wedding preparations or future life plans.
Jin Zhao was a thoughtful person, so he thought he would wait until his job was stable before slowly talking to Jiang Xiliu about these things about the future.
"Have you been busy with work lately?" Jin Zhao changed the subject, naturally taking Jiang Xiliu's plate and carefully removing fish bones from her plate.
"It's alright." Jiang Xiliu almost never talks to Jin Zhao about work. Even if Jin Zhao asks, she always gives a perfunctory answer, "Anyway, if the sky falls, my dad will hold it up."
Just then, Jin Zhao's phone suddenly lit up.
After Jin Zhao removed the fish bones, he placed the plate in front of Jiang Xiliu before opening the message. After reading it word by word, his tense body finally relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief, saying, "I found a job."
This job was specifically recommended to him by his lab supervisor.
The position is in a research institute. Although the salary and benefits are average, the career prospects are good. As long as he doesn't make any mistakes during his internship, he can stay on smoothly.
Jin Zhao thought Jiang Xiliu would be happy for him.
But Jiang Xiliu raised her face, her round almond-shaped eyes showing no hint of a joke, and asked, "Why do you have to go outside and work for someone else? Can't you just quit?"
The two of them ate at a grilled fish restaurant, which was so popular because of its unique flavor that there was a long queue.
Even though the outdoor temperature had dropped below ten degrees Celsius, the store was still so lively that it made your palms sweat.
Jin Zhao clenched his fist under the table, the faint smile on his face vanished, and his tone deepened: "What do you mean?"
Jiang Xiliu remained calm. A Biao was sitting at the table next to her, and she wasn't worried that her words would anger the "aloof male lead."
"I'll take care of you, why go out and make yourself suffer?"
The veracity of this statement remains to be verified. From the time they registered their marriage until now, whenever it comes to paying, the young lady has always confidently called on Jin Zhao to pay.
Fortunately, Jin Zhao had sold the mini-program he had previously acquired for a good price; otherwise, he would probably have had to use his savings to barely meet her demands just to cover these extra expenses.
Jin Zhao stared at Jiang Xiliu, opened his mouth, but swallowed the words back.
He couldn't help but rationalize Jiang Xiliu's words in his mind: Jiang Xiliu's personality was innocent and carefree, perhaps she didn't think that much, she just genuinely felt that he was suffering when he went out to work.
[System 0777: Main quest progress +1, now at 76.]
System 0777 had long since materialized into a physical form, transforming into a fluffy little hamster, conveniently carried in Jiang Xiliu's pocket at all times.
In the original storyline, after Jin Zhao was forced to get a marriage certificate, he never had the chance to leave the Jiang family villa, let alone look for a job.
The last plot point is only mentioned in a few sentences in the novel, but for Jiang Xiliu, it took three whole years to act out.
In other words, she has to maintain her marriage with Jin Zhao for at least three years. During this period, she must not only maintain her character and avoid being too out of character, but also ensure that the plot completion level after three years can reach the passing grade of 60 points.
"Hey." Jiang Xiliu stretched out her foot and kicked Jin Zhao's shin under the table. "You'd better turn down the job."
Seeing that Jin Zhao remained silent, Jiang Xiliu lost her patience and tried to take his phone directly without any reason.
But as soon as his hand touched the edge of the phone, Jin Zhao pressed it down.
After their relationship changed, Jin Zhao became exceptionally patient, tolerating the men who kept bothering her and the occasional unreasonable demands she made.
He pressed his palm tightly against hers: "Give me a reasonable explanation."
The young lady blinked: "Because I don't want you to go to work."
Before Jin Zhao could lose his temper and try to reason with her, the young lady continued, "Once you go to work, will I still be able to play with you when I'm bored?"
Of course not. Work is not like school, especially work in a research institute. The pace is fast, and once an experiment starts, you may not even have time to look at your phone.
"If you can't be with me, then I'll have to find someone else." Jiang Xiliu's words weren't entirely untrue.
Shen Yu never returned to Berlin. Ye Qishan visited her home every day and occasionally attended banquets. Jiang Xiliu was surrounded by men who wanted to climb the social ladder.
Although she wasn't interested in any of them, it was still worth taking advantage of the situation.
At this moment, Jin Zhao remembered what Xi Zhen had said.
He looked at Jiang Xiliu, whose face was completely innocent, and loosened his grip for a moment.
This is almost the default.
But before Jiang Xiliu could unlock it, he snatched the phone from her hand and put it in his pocket.
"Let me think about it some more." His voice sounded weak.
This was not an easy decision, especially for a child from a poor family like Jin Zhao.
But his hesitation displeased Jiang Xiliu.
The young lady was furious. She angrily finished the fish that Jin Zhao had just deboned for her, picked up her bag, and left.
Jin Zhao did not chase after him.
He quietly finished the rest of Jiang Xiliu's food, got up to pay the bill, and then took a taxi to the hospital.
Grandma Jin was unaware of Jin Zhao's marriage. She was wearing her reading glasses and knitting a sweater against the headboard of her hospital bed.
She is feeling much better since the surgery, but she still needs to stay in the hospital for a few more days before she can go home.
"Why are you here? Isn't the lab busy lately?" Grandma Jin immediately put down her crochet hook, got up from the bed, and went to wash an apple for Jin Zhao.
Jin Zhao stopped her, saying, "I just ate, and I don't have time to eat anymore. Grandma, don't bother."
"Okay." Grandma Jin didn't stand on ceremony with her grandson, and started chattering with concern, "It's been cold lately, have you been wearing enough clothes?"
“I put it on.” Jin Zhao sat down by the hospital bed.
Grandma Jin looked her grandson over and then suddenly patted his hand: "If you can't smile, then don't smile."
Jin Zhao looked blankly at her: "Grandma."
"Hmm?" Grandma Jin asked gently, "What's troubling you?"
What is the purpose of life?
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Author's Note: A rain of red envelopes! [Pity]
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