Chapter 39. Zhu Xu was so ashamed and indignant that he felt like he was dying, yet he was also anxious to…
At this moment, He Yanzhou had just entered the house. Seeing that everyone was waiting, he did not go upstairs to change his clothes. He simply took off his suit jacket, washed his hands, and sat down at the dining table.
Wang Yajie had prepared a table full of exquisite dishes and opened two bottles of fine wine.
He Yanzhou first chatted with his father about business, but Wang Yajie stopped him, saying that it was the New Year and they shouldn't talk about lighthearted topics.
The phone vibrated on the table. He Yanzhou looked down and saw that it was a photo sent by Zhu Xu. In the photo, she had a peace sign on her face, her eyebrows were curved, and the corners of her mouth were turned up. Her radiant smile was like the warm sunshine of spring, making everyone who saw the photo feel good.
He knew she had spent New Year's Eve with Zhao Siqiao, but there were more than just the two of them in the picture. She looked very happy, and He Yanzhou's brows relaxed and the corners of his lips twitched slightly.
He handed her a large New Year's gift bag: "Xiao Xu, Happy New Year."
The recipient quickly accepted the message: "This is my first red envelope since I became an adult. I'll spend it wisely. Thank you for your generosity, Mr. He."
He Yanzhou couldn't help but smile. Before she could reply, she sent another message: "What are you doing?"
"Have a meal."
"Send me a picture of yourself too, I haven't seen you for several days."
He Yanzhou frowned in embarrassment. He rarely took photos, let alone selfies, especially since there were other people at the table.
The voice on the other end urged, "Hurry up!"
He Yanzhou rubbed his nose with his index finger, opened the camera, stretched out his arm to raise it at a certain angle, quickly took a picture, and sent it to Zhu Xu.
Not long after, he said, "I miss you so much."
He Yanzhou's breath hitched slightly; those four words made his heart clench. It had been almost two months since they parted, and they had only met once during that time—she was on the other end of the phone, unreachable, unable to hug or touch.
Switching my phone to my recent schedule, I glanced at it and compressed the time a bit: "I'm flying to Singapore tomorrow morning and returning two days later. I don't have anything else to do. I'll be back in the North Island by the fifth day of the Lunar New Year at the latest."
I was so engrossed in chatting with her that I barely ate any food.
Wang Yajie placed an abalone in his bowl and casually asked, "Who are you chatting with that's making you so happy?"
He Yanzhou put down his phone and replied, "Girlfriend."
Wang Yajie was taken aback: "When did this happen? I've never heard you mention it before."
“It’s been a few months.” He Yanzhou opened the photo again and placed the phone in front of his mother: “The one in the very front, the one smiling the most happily.” He had always been exceptionally satisfied with her in every way, and sharing it with others was like showing off.
"I want to see too!" He Xi, on the other side, immediately jumped up, ran around the dining table, and scurried towards her mother. "Oh, isn't this Sister Xu..." She suddenly fell silent, realizing she had caused trouble again, and subconsciously turned to look at He Yanzhou. But his expression showed no displeasure, and he seemed to have no attempt to hide their relationship.
Wang Yajie's complexion was already quite unpleasant.
He Yanzhou still asked, "Do you think it looks good?"
"Appearance is not the point. I still maintain that dating and marriage are major life events. Regardless of social status, at the very least, you should choose a girl with good character and a clean past."
The atmosphere at the table cooled off for a moment.
He Yanzhou's expression remained largely unchanged. He put away his phone and said in a gentle voice, "What you said isn't the point. I really like her as a person."
Wang Yajie took a deep breath, not wanting to cause any unpleasantness on this day. "I won't get involved in your affairs, but I hope you can consider this carefully."
"I've thought about it."
Wang Yajie was speechless, and even angrier inside.
The restaurant fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of chopsticks touching the bowls and plates.
Fireworks burst into vibrant colors outside the window, while the sound of firecrackers seemed distant, rising and falling intermittently.
He Cheng, who was in the main seat, cleared his throat and asked in a friendly tone, "What kind of girl is she? Let me see her."
He Yanzhou leaned forward slightly and handed over the phone.
He Cheng wiped his mouth, took off the reading glasses clipped to his lapel and put them on. He tilted his head and examined the glasses for a moment, then said, "Hmm." He paused, then nodded again, nodding repeatedly. After a long while, he said, "You have good taste. You can tell he's a kind child."
He Yanzhou: "Yes."
On the other end, Wang Yajie silently glared at He Cheng. He Cheng pretended not to notice, took off his glasses, and handed the phone back: "What does this girl do?"
He Yanzhou put down his chopsticks: "I partnered with a friend to open a plant rental company, whose business includes plant landscaping for various companies and private courtyards."
"So you're studying design?"
"I used to be a front-end developer, but I switched careers later."
"Girls who can be programmers are all amazing." He asked, "When are you going to bring her home for a visit?"
He Yanzhou paused for a moment, then simply replied, "No rush."
Before confirming his mother's attitude, he did not intend to bring Zhu Xu to face the situation. He should protect her and never let her suffer any more grievances or cold looks from either side.
Moreover, Zhu Xu might not be willing to take that step. Dating and marriage are two different things, and for her, there's a huge gap between them. It might take her a long time to muster the courage to cross that threshold.
When he chose to be with her, he was prepared not to use the framework of marriage to coerce her.
What his mother perceived as a sense of superiority was probably not something Zhu Xu valued.
After a quick dinner, He Yanzhou went upstairs to take a shower.
The couple and He Xi were left at the table. Wang Yajie leaned back in her chair, glaring at He Cheng, and said angrily, "You're the one who's good, and I'm the bad guy, the enemy of the whole family."
He Cheng said, "Yanzhou is 29 years old this year. He's not a child anymore. You should interfere less in his affairs."
"Are we just going to let her marry a girl like that?"
"What kind of person?" He Cheng asked in return. "I think she has a nice face and seems like a kind and understanding person."
He Xi, munching on a crab, quietly raised her hand and cast her vote in a low voice: "I agree, Sister Xu is indeed a very nice person."
Wang Yajie ignored her and looked at He Cheng: "I mean, her background and experience."
“Yanzhou said those things are not within his consideration.” He Cheng put down his chopsticks, took out a wet tissue to wipe his hands: “This child did not grow up around you and me, so our relationship is somewhat distant, but you know his personality. Since he is willing to make his relationship with that girl public, he has made up his mind and generally will not change it. Why do you have to go against my wishes?”
"I..." Wang Yajie couldn't refute it, as if her words were quite convincing: "But Ningning said she..."
“It’s all one side of the story. You’ll see for yourself when you meet him.” He Cheng stood up and said, “As for that child’s past experiences, you’re a woman too. Shouldn’t you be more understanding and empathetic? Put aside some worldly and vain things and be more forgiving.”
Wang Yajie paused for a moment, wondering if she was as narrow-minded as her husband had described.
The two left one after the other, leaving her sitting alone at the table for a long time. Actually, she lied. She had seen the girl's photo on He Xi's phone before, and her first impression was that she was very beautiful. Putting aside any preconceived notions, she did indeed have a gentle, kind, and bright and charming appearance.
/
He Yanzhou returned to Beidao on the evening of the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, accompanied by He Xi.
Bored during her winter break, she insisted that He Yanzhou book an extra plane ticket to bring her over.
They went straight to Zhu Xu's house, and He Xi naturally went with them.
As soon as she entered the door, she rushed over and gave Zhu Xu a big hug: "Sister-in-law, I'm here!"
Zhu Xu felt a slight jolt in her heart from a small hand, and instinctively turned to look at He Yanzhou beside her. His gaze was also fixed on her; the chill emanating from him had not yet dissipated, his cheeks were a little thinner, but his eyes were deep and his heroic spirit undiminished.
Zhu Xu gently tapped her forehead: "Don't shout."
"It's only a matter of time anyway." He Xi was a very outgoing person. On his first visit, he acted as if he were at home, taking off his coat, kicking off his shoes, and rushing into the living room.
The corridor fell silent for a moment.
Zhu Xu scratched her face somewhat awkwardly. She was usually as unrestrained as could be on the phone, but after waiting day and night for him to finally stand in front of her, she became nervous and at a loss. It was as if some emotion was playing tricks on her, surging and fermenting unrestrainedly.
He let out a soft chuckle. Zhu Xu looked up and saw him unbuttoning his coat. He then took the coat and suit jacket that the man had taken off and hung them on the hangers. He then leaned the man's suitcase against the wall and bent down to take slippers from the closet.
Everything proceeded silently.
Just as she was wondering which topic to start with, He Yanzhou suddenly stepped forward, leaned slightly, and gently rubbed the back of his hand against her earlobe.
Zhu Xu froze, a tingling sensation running through his body. He heard the man's deep voice, which seemed to contain a smile: "Don't you recognize me again?"
"Yes, who are you?" she asked softly, straightening up as she let the hand slide across her cheek, earlobe, and finally down to the back of her neck.
She looked up, and He Yanzhou looked into her eyes. The atmosphere around them was tense and heated, yet they had to suppress and restrain themselves.
Suddenly, a voice came from the living room: "Sister-in-law, do you have anything to eat? I'm so hungry."
Zhu Xu took a deep breath, dodged He Yanzhou's hand, and turned to run away.
She had just made lotus root and pork bone soup that afternoon, added a handful of noodles to it, and sprinkled it with pepper and salt before serving each of them a bowl.
He Xi loved the chewy, thin noodles, and the bone broth was delicious: "It's so good!" she exclaimed dramatically.
Zhu Xu sat across the table, looking at the table, and smiled: "When do you start school?"
"Early next month."
Is the course intensive?
He Xi shook her head, slurped up a mouthful of noodles, "I don't want to study for even a day..." She paused halfway through her sentence, glanced at He Yanzhou, and seeing that he was focused on eating his noodles and didn't bother to pay attention to her, she whispered, "I'm just thinking about my tattoo shop."
Zhu Xu rested his chin on his hand: "Your technique has become rusty."
"No, I'm very confident in that regard." She looked up, her gaze involuntarily falling on Zhu Xu. She was dressed casually today, wearing wide-leg trousers and a round-neck, fitted black top. The thin fabric perfectly outlined her bust, which, while not exactly full, was perky and three-dimensional, shaped like a teardrop.
“Sister-in-law,” she said very quietly, “your breasts are very beautiful, it would be a waste not to get them tattooed.”
Zhu Xu laughed: "Your professional habit has kicked in."
“I’m serious, look.” She pulled out a picture on her phone, a hand-drawn sketch. In the drawing, two thin red snakes crawled up the sides of a human arm toward the chest, then turned in opposite directions at the middle. One snake went upward, its curved tongue pointing toward the throat, while the other went downward, disappearing between the breasts. The snakes’ shapes were delicate and graceful, their undulating lines perfectly matching the shape of the breasts, alluring yet daring.
Zhu Xu chuckled dryly: "I probably can't handle it."
"You can," He Xi said confidently. She leaned forward and lowered her voice even further: "Not just anyone can get this design tattooed. First, you need a good bust shape; second, you need fair skin; and third, you need to be beautiful. You meet all three requirements, so why are you worried about not being able to pull it off?"
Zhu Xu thought He Xi was suited for sales. Whether he was telling the truth or lying, he always spoke with a sincere face, praising people until they were completely confused.
Before she could say anything, He Xi stretched out his arm in front of her: "Look, compared to you, you're dazzlingly fair-skinned. This tattoo will definitely look good on you."
“Right?” she replied.
“Of course.” He Xi cupped her hand to her cheek, shielding He Yanzhou’s view. “I think it suits your personality very well. It’s that kind of contrast between being gentle on the surface and wild when you take your clothes off. He’ll definitely be hooked and unable to resist.”
He Xi's ramblings became increasingly outrageous, making Zhu Xu a little embarrassed. He coaxed her to end the conversation, saying, "Okay, I'll think about it. The noodles are almost clumped together, eat them while they're hot." He paused, then turned his gaze to the other side, "Shall I get you another bowl?"
"I'm full," He Yanzhou said.
He had finished the entire bowl of noodles, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and finished eating faster than He Xi because he hadn't said a word the whole time. He checked the time and said to He Xi, "Hurry up, I'll take you home."
"May I stay here for one night?"
"What do you think?" He Yanzhou said, "Don't try to join in every little thing."
"Just kidding." He Xi drawled, "Look how scared you are."
He Yanzhou: "Tsk."
He Xi shrank her neck and said, "Let me get some more." With that, she got up and walked towards the kitchen.
Soon, there was a lot of clattering and clanging inside, and she was humming an off-key tune. Girls who grow up pampered easily find happiness.
There was a moment of silence.
"Take a look?" He Yanzhou asked.
Zhu Xu turned his gaze back, and suddenly reached out and pinched her cheek.
"Hmm..." Zhu Xu's mouth was forced to purse, and his chin was raised with that force.
He Yanzhou turned his wrist from side to side, carefully examining her face: "Let me see just how white you really are."
Zhu Xu slapped his hand. "You're so annoying," she whispered.
He Yanzhou smiled and instead lightly pinched her cheek before withdrawing his hand: "Do you two really think I'm deaf and can't hear you?"
Her room was so cramped that there wasn't enough space for a separate dining area; the dining table was placed next to the sofa, and there was barely enough room for six chairs. Just now, Zhu Xu and He Xi were sitting opposite each other, while He Yanzhou was sitting alone at the other end.
The two whispered to each other, very close, and he heard every word of their conversation.
He Yanzhou asked, "Did this praise you so much that you're dizzy?"
"Isn't that right?" Zhu Xu smiled gently, her voice soft as well. She unconsciously straightened her back, her curves naturally revealing themselves before him.
He Yanzhou lowered his gaze for two seconds: "She's just using you as a practice subject, don't believe her."
"No way." Zhu Xu raised his voice slightly: "I think He Xi's technique is skillful, and he has a lot of creativity and ideas in his head."
He Yanzhou paused for a moment: "I advise you to be careful and consider my feelings a little."
Zhu Xu chuckled twice: "It seems... like it's tattooed on my body."
He Yanzhou knew that this little fox could understand, and planned to settle old scores and new scores together later.
He leaned back in his chair and simply said, "No."
After dinner, He Yanzhou escorted He Xi downstairs.
The He family has an old house in Beidao, where my parents lived before we moved to Lincheng. It's not far from here; it's about a 15-minute taxi ride.
He Xi said, "Brother, you go back. I can manage on my own."
"Let me take you home." He Yanzhou looked at the road and prepared to hail a car.
“Actually…” He Xi pressed his hand down, “I called Zheng Zhi, and he said he would be there soon.”
He Yanzhou's tone was not good: "Your driver and my driver? Can't you even give a person a breather?" Zheng Zhi arrived a day earlier than him and came over to handle some miscellaneous matters. He had just landed and it wasn't early, so he didn't bother him to come pick him up: "Don't bother him too much in the future."
"Oh," He Xi replied obediently. She secretly stuck out her tongue, feeling a pang of guilt.
The two stood by the roadside and waited.
The temperature on the North Island is lower than inland cities, and the cold wind, mixed with the moisture of the sea, blows against your face, making it bitterly cold.
He Yanzhou glanced at his sleeve to check the time, then turned and asked, "Are you cold?"
He Xi shrank his neck and jumped up and down, nodding.
He pulled her closer to him, shielding her from the wind: "Don't try to mess with Zhu Xu in the future."
"What?" He Xi looked up.
"Have you ever seen a normal person get snakes tattooed on their chest, let alone two?"
"That's prejudice of yours." She pouted. "I just had an itch to do it."
"I got itchy hands and tattooed myself."
"Just kidding, how can I get a tattoo myself?" She raised an eyebrow. "How about you let me get one?"
He Yanzhou glanced absentmindedly into the distance: "What kind of tattoos can you do?"
"It can run in the sky, fly on the ground, walk in the water, and swim on land—it can do everything." She asked, "Do you want a dragon or a phoenix, a full back or full legs?"
He Yanzhou chuckled at her quirky antics and patted her head, saying, "Who knows how good your skills are? It's such a big area, I wouldn't dare try."
He Xi didn't take it seriously at all and continued to ramble: "Small things are fine too, little ants, little bees, little stars, little water droplets, cats, dogs, flowers, leaves, anything."
"become."
He Xi was taken aback.
He kept looking at the busy road and said, "Let's get a tattoo."
He Xi's little brain works so fast! Suddenly, she remembered the peony on Zhu Xu's arm and thought to herself that her brother was really love-struck. In an instant, something came to her mind, and she immediately found the peony image on Zhu Xu's arm on her phone. She actually had a pretty good idea in mind.
"Brother, I'm free tomorrow." He Xi pressed on while the iron was hot, afraid that he might change his mind.
He Yanzhou looked back at her and nodded, saying, "I'll contact you when I have time."
He Xi jumped up and down happily, beaming with pride: "I told you, you'd need my help someday. What did you say back then?" She pouted, narrowed her eyes, and repeated his words in a strange tone: "Don't even think about it in this lifetime... Hahaha, lol."
He Yanzhou's face darkened: "Never mind."
"No, no, no, my brother." He Xi stopped laughing in a second, grabbed his arm, and almost knelt down: "I beg you, I'm begging you, okay?"
After seeing He Xi off, He Yanzhou turned back, walking briskly all the way. He was so eager that he didn't even notice the freezing weather, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
With the key to Zhu Xu's house on him, he unlocked the door and went inside. As he turned around, he caught a glimpse of a white figure running towards him barefoot.
He Yanzhou subconsciously let go of the keys and phone in his hand, and with a bang, he caught the person who jumped on him steadily.
He stumbled backward half a step due to inertia, his back hitting the wall.
The air smelled fresh; she had taken a bath.
Her eyes were wet, and her hair was damp and hung over her shoulders. She was wearing a satin, open-front, long-sleeved nightgown, but underneath she was completely naked, because He Yanzhou had clenched his fists without any obstruction.
His breath hitched, and he stared into her eyes.
Zhu Xu wrapped her legs around his waist and said apologetically, "You dropped your phone."
After a moment, he murmured, "Who cares about the phone?" His gaze slowly descended, finally settling on her slightly parted lips.
The room was quiet, their eyes met, and then at a moment, they kissed each other's lips gently, the touch fleeting.
They parted slightly, and Zhu Xu looked into his eyes. She couldn't tell if it was because he favored her too much that she felt so emboldened, revealing her wild, primal desires to him.
She could hear her own strong, erratic heartbeat, her chest heaving noticeably, and she struggled to breathe like a stranded fish.
He Yanzhou suddenly chuckled in a trembling voice, "Take it slow." But it seemed as if he was speaking to himself. His eyes were unfocused, and his breathing was heavy and hot.
Zhu Xu cupped his face, tilted his head, and kissed him again, his lips slightly parted, his tongue brushing against his teeth. The next second, he felt dizzy as his back was slammed against the wall.
His kiss was forceful, biting and teasing, making her tongue ache slightly.
A monotonous buzzing sound filled the air, interspersed with disordered breathing and wet kisses.
Finally, he stepped away slightly: "Your hair doesn't smell any different."
"Um?"
"Didn't they switch to a new shampoo?"
"...I was just kidding."
He chuckled silently, already guessing: "Tell me, how much you need a good beating?"
After saying that, He Yanzhou carried Zhu Xu to the bedroom. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the recliner she had placed on the balcony. He paused, turned his toes, walked over and placed her on it, then rested his calves on the armrests on either side.
He knelt down on one knee in front of her.
The interior is brightly lit and offers a clear view.
Zhu Xu was startled and struggled to get up, but his hands were held tightly down, preventing him from moving. This was different from last time; it was more obvious.
She dared not look where his eyes were fixed on, feeling so ashamed and angry that she felt like she was going to die, and desperately wanted to know if she would actually die.
"He Yanzhou." She addressed him by his full name for the first time.
"exist."
"You dare!"
His actions spoke volumes.
He Yanzhou knew very well what was the quickest way to make Zhu Xu submit—whether through punishment or appeasement, his life or death in those two or three minutes was entirely in his hands.
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