Gift
Shen Anxia tried her best to ignore the heavy, pounding of her heart, making herself appear no different from an ordinary person, but a sentence she had seen online suddenly flashed through her mind—
The evening breeze, the streetlights, and the crush bow down before you, utterly alluring.
She seemed to have the same feeling at this moment—gentle smiling eyes, soft whispers, and the silhouette of Yang Zheng's profile, all of which were extremely captivating.
This person is really good at flirting.
It can't be because he's too handsome; it can't be because I haven't seen a normal man in a long time.
She thought for a moment and asked the question she had been wanting to ask all evening, which also served as a way of changing the topic that had made her too excited: "There's a question I've been wanting to ask—Da Jing keeps emphasizing that you don't like to talk, especially with girls, but I think you're quite talkative?"
Upon hearing Shen Anxia's question, Yang Zheng was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled: "This question is actually the same as the one we just discussed. I'll tell you later."
Huh? What did she just ask? She asked so many questions, which one? And when is "later"?
Yang Zheng glanced at his watch, then picked up Shen Anxia's down jacket: "It's ten o'clock, I'll take you home."
After saying goodbye to the people who were still going to stay out until late at night at the Sea and Sky Love Club, Yang Zheng took Shen Anxia home and dropped her off at the entrance of her apartment building.
After Shen Anxia entered the house, she was questioned by Shen Ke and Zhao Ping. After Shen Anxia explained the evening's itinerary, the attendees, and even the fact that she had drunk hot milk, the siblings hid on Shen Anxia's small balcony.
"I think you're quite happy, sis." Shen Anyi said with a smile that seemed to see through everything.
Shen Anxia found his expression hilarious: "How did you come to this unprecedented and unparalleled conclusion?"
"I am the person who knows you best in this world," Shen Anyi said proudly.
Shen Anxia neither agreed nor disagreed with these remarks.
"So there's hope for this future brother-in-law," Shen Anyi confirmed.
Shen Anxia neither agreed nor disagreed, but brought up something seemingly unrelated: "My mother once said that a girl must have her own means of support, so love must be based on financial security."
Shen Anyi also agreed with Shen Anxia's opinion: "And with your hard work, sister, you might just be the next chief. Your future is very bright."
“I like hearing that. You can say more,” Shen Anxia teased Shen Anyi.
...
After Shen Anyi left, Shen Anxia lay down on her small bed. The moment she closed her eyes, the scene of Yang Zheng whispering in her ear flashed through her mind. She suddenly opened her eyes and then slowly sat up.
A man of the opposite sex, who is excellent both inside and out and of impeccable character, gradually lays himself bare before her, guiding her step by step into his world. It seems that he wants to lay out his entire life over the past 28 years without reservation in Shen Anxia's world. It is hard not to be moved by such a person.
During this winter break, she went on several blind dates with Zhao Ping's help. Each blind date was a painful experience for her, but this time it wasn't.
She remembered one blind date where the man scanned her from head to toe, his eyes filled with undisguised lust, like a wolf eyeing a piece of meat with predatory intent. The second blind date involved a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses who claimed to be a PhD graduate. He said he hadn't wanted to go on blind dates but agreed after the matchmaker told him the woman was extremely beautiful—a picture of a refined scoundrel. Another time, the man immediately declared himself a rich second-generation, looking down on women and saying most women were materialistic, treating Shen Anxia like a commodity to be appraised. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and asked him, "Isn't your mother a woman?" The result was predictable…
However, the atmosphere during her two meetings with Yang Zheng was quite relaxed. He seemed to be a rare white moonlight in the world of blind dates, standing out brightly against a sea of mudslides.
The next day was Saturday. When Shen Anxia woke up in the morning, she received a call from the dance troupe asking her to return immediately so that she could have the final rehearsal for Xinfeng's Spring Festival Gala.
Shen Anxia picked up her already packed suitcase, said goodbye to Shen Ke and Zhao Ping, left a note on the small balcony for Shen Anyi saying "Sister is leaving," and then embarked on her journey to Xinfeng.
She was used to listening to English materials while traveling, so it wasn't until she got back to her dorm and Yang Zheng texted her to go out on Sunday that she remembered she had forgotten to tell him about her trip back to Xinfeng.
After telling Yang Zheng that he had returned to Xinfeng, Yang Zheng called him.
"Have you had lunch yet?" Yang Zheng asked, his voice still as gentle as ever.
"I just got to the dorm and haven't had time to eat yet."
Around when will you be back?
"There will be a live broadcast on TV on New Year's Eve. Our program will be the opening act and will end around nine o'clock. I booked a train ticket for nine-thirty and I should be home around eleven-thirty."
"How long can you stay in Yi'an for the Spring Festival?" Yang Zheng asked a very direct question.
"I have to go back to school on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month to prepare for the English exam and graduation."
“Then we’ll have plenty of time together. We’ll go back to work on the seventh day of the new year.” Yang Zheng on the other end of the phone seemed to be laughing.
Just as Shen Anxia was about to say that they would make an appointment later, Yang Zheng asked, "Anxia, if you happen to be free on my weekend, can I come to Xinfeng to spend the weekend with you?"
Shen Anxia thought for a moment and hesitated, "Isn't it too troublesome to come from Yi'an? It takes two hours to travel by high-speed rail round trip. Besides, I will be very busy for the next six months and may not have time on weekends. In particular, I remember that you also have to wait tables and teach boxing on weekends."
“If you have activities on the weekend, I can serve dishes. If you need to memorize vocabulary, I can keep you company. As for the boxing class, I can talk to the manager and reschedule it for Friday and Sunday,” Yang Zheng suggested.
Shen Anxia felt tired just thinking about his back-and-forth travel, but Yang Zheng's suggestion made it hard for her to refuse, so she suggested, "Then let's make an appointment later?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a soft chuckle came from the other end of the phone.
"good."
There are six days left until Lunar New Year's Eve.
During breaks from rehearsals with the production team and in any spare moments in her dormitory, Shen Anxia would study English with extreme self-discipline. There was an English proficiency test at the end of March, and she had to pass it this time. This was a condition she had agreed upon with Zhao Ping for being able to study dance professionally in college—to pursue a double degree.
Actually, after getting a 7 on the IELTS, Zhao Ping felt that the agreement between her and her daughter had been fulfilled. However, Shen Anxia set her sights on the TEM-8 (Test for English Majors-Band 8). She felt that since she had already learned so much and still had time, she might as well take the TEM-8.
The more you put in, the more you get out.
This is Shen Anxia.
My lifelong belief.
Six days passed in the blink of an eye. On the morning of New Year's Eve, all the actors waited in the theater. That afternoon, after the staff lunch, Shen Anxia received a call from Yang Zheng—
"Anxia, do you have time? Let's meet."
"Huh?" Shen Anxia was taken aback for a moment, then asked tentatively, "I'm in Xinfeng. Where would you like to meet? Where are you?"
"At the back door of the theater where you're going to perform."
"..." Shen Anxia's heart clenched heavily. "Wait a minute, I'm coming over."
"Don't rush."
Shen Anxia put down her English dictionary, picked up her down jacket, and ran out while putting it on. When she reached the back door, she saw Yang Zheng's slender figure standing outside through the huge floor-to-ceiling window. She slowed down, calmed her breathing, and then walked over, pressed the door open button, and let Yang Zheng in.
"What are you doing here?" Shen Anxia's surprise had not yet faded.
Seeing that Shen Anxia was wearing such a thin gauze dress for her performance, with a down jacket casually draped over her shoulders, Yang Zheng frowned almost imperceptibly and handed her a cup of hot milk: "We're on holiday, so we came to pick you up."
Shen Anxia took the hot milk; it was still scalding hot. She tilted her head back and asked, "Did you come by high-speed rail?"
As Yang Zheng took off his coat, he said, "Drive."
Shen Anxia still couldn't believe it: "Why didn't you tell me before? When I heard you say you were here, I thought I misheard. It's such a long journey, it would take you at least three hours, maybe three and a half hours. I'm used to taking the high-speed rail back, you don't need to come from a different city."
Yang Zheng noticed that Shen Anxia had become noticeably more talkative because of his sudden visit. He smiled gently and wrapped his coat around her lower body, saying, "How about I take you somewhere warmer?"
Seeing Yang Zheng's actions, Shen Anxia refused his coat and lifted the hem of her skirt, which reached her ankles, to show him: "I'm not cold, I'm wearing something warm underneath. If you don't mind, come with me backstage, there's a dressing room there that's not crowded."
"I don't mind," Yang Zheng smiled.
Shen Anxia pushed open the door to a dressing room on the second floor and smiled: "As expected, no one's here."
Yang Zheng followed her in, put his coat aside, and sat down on the sofa opposite Shen Anxia, saying, "The milk will get cold soon, drink it while it's hot."
Shen Anxia took a sip of milk, and her stomach immediately felt warm. She asked him, "Do you want to see the show? I'll ask the director if we can get some seats, but they might not be the best ones."
Yang Zheng laughed: "I have a ticket, it's in the middle of the third row, right exit seat. I'll wait for you at the back door after your performance, and we'll go back to Yi'an together."
Shen Anxia exclaimed in surprise, "The third row? The third row is full of people from the Xinfeng Municipal Government, how did you manage to get tickets?"
“My parents and second brother all helped.” Yang Zheng paused and then said, “You should cancel your high-speed rail ticket first.”
Shen Anxia made a phone call to cancel the high-speed rail ticket, and then asked, "But you went through so much trouble to get this ticket, are you just going to watch my show? Do you want to watch some other shows too?"
“If we go straight back to Yi’an after your performance, we can get home around 11:30, just in time for the New Year. I’ve already told Uncle Chen and Aunt Zhao that they will take you home safely. As for the other programs, we can watch them when we have time.”
Shen Anxia felt very touched. On one hand, she thought about his parents' reaction when they found out he had come to such a far-away city. On the other hand, she thought about how he had said that his second brother was the best driver. So his driving skills must not be that good. She asked softly, "But, you came all this way to see me. Won't your parents think I'm too much trouble?"
As if understanding Shen Anxia's worries, Yang Zheng still smiled gently: "They can't wait for me to take a liking to some girl."
After a moment of silence, Shen Anxia's worry deepened. She spoke slowly, her voice soft: "But I'm afraid I'll hold you back."
Yang Zheng looked intently at Shen Anxia.
After a brief silence, he spoke earnestly: "Anxia, I can sense that you don't dislike me, which is gratifying to me. So let's just get along naturally. As for the outcome, you don't need to feel any burden. All results, good or bad, are a worthwhile experience and a gift from God."
Shen Anxia's obsidian-like eyes seemed to be bathed in the summer moonlight, shimmering with a dazzling array of colors.
She pondered the weight of those words repeatedly.
OK
Bad.
They were all gifts.
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