Stay in the group
After eating the cake, Yang Zheng drove out of the residential area.
"Where are we going?" Shen Anxia asked.
"suburbs."
Yang Zheng drove to a secluded spot in the suburbs, a place with mountains, water, trees, and flowers. In the distance, the mountains were bathed in a pale golden afterglow, like a piece of melted matcha chocolate. Streams babbled, and green meadows were covered with various yellow, purple, and blue wildflowers. Sunlight slanted through the trees behind him, cutting into this paradise and gilding everything with a light golden hue.
"How beautiful! I never knew Yi'an had such a beautiful place."
“Although Yi’an is not as good as Xin Feng now, there are many projects that can be developed in Yi’an. The government is now vigorously attracting investment, and it will only take five years to catch up with Xin Feng.” Yang Zheng opened the trunk and took things out one by one.
Shen Anxia also helped carry the boxes one by one.
Yang Zheng found a relatively clean spot, laid out a placemat, and then called to Shen Anxia, "Anxia, come and sit down."
Shen Anxia sat down by the placemat, carrying two multi-layered boxes, and began to lay out the items one by one.
Yang Zheng brought a wide variety of food: pizza, sushi, seafood in gravy, various fruits cut into cubes, several small boxes of multi-flavored jams, several flavors of small cakes, and a large box full of snacks and braised dishes. When she saw that Yang Zheng had brought over another lunchbox containing seafood in gravy, Shen Anxia finally couldn't help but ask, "Are Brother Da Jing and the others coming later?"
Yang Zheng was taken aback: "Why aren't they coming?"
"You brought so much food, are we going to eat it all?" Shen Anxia asked, somewhat worried.
"I can finish it. Apart from your cake, I haven't eaten anything all day," Yang Zheng said confidently.
"Why didn't you eat?"
"Of course we have to have a good meal tonight," Yang Zheng said while supporting the frame.
Shen Anxia felt a little heartbroken. Yang Zheng had prepared these things, which couldn't be bought in just one store. She wondered how many stores he had visited.
She asked, "Were all of these bought?"
"Some were bought, some were made by me, especially the seafood."
Shen Anxia roughly imagined that Yang Zheng probably hadn't rested all day to prepare for all this. Seeing that he seemed to be assembling something, Shen Anxia asked again, "What are you doing?"
"Barbecue grill."
"You can even barbecue?" Shen Anxia asked in surprise.
"Of course you need to be fully prepared when you go out to play."
With everything ready, Yang Zheng lit a fire to heat the charcoal and placed the skewered pieces on the rack.
“I thought you would take me to meet your friends,” Shen Anxia said.
Perhaps Yang Zheng's brothers wanted to give Yang Zheng and Shen Anxia a chance to meet alone. In any case, after the "Love in the Sea and Sky" incident, Shen Anxia never saw that group of particularly interesting people again, not even Xu Qingjing, who lived downstairs.
“They’re all very busy, and it’s rare for you to come back to Yi’an. It would be uncomfortable if there were too many people.” Yang Zheng didn’t say that he would rather spend some time alone with Shen Anxia.
After working for a while longer, Yang Zheng finally sat down next to Shen Anxia: "Do you like it here?"
“I like it,” Shen Anxia took a deep breath. “Actually, nature has already given us everything the best. But how did you discover this place?”
“My company came to visit, and I thought you would like it here.”
"Cleansing, that's the only word that comes to mind. It's like even the air feels fresher." Shen Anxia really liked it.
"Have some fruit." Yang Zheng picked up a piece of watermelon with a small fork and handed it to Shen Anxia.
Shen Anxia took the small fork but didn't eat it.
"how?"
"Um..." Shen Anxia said somewhat awkwardly, "There aren't any restrooms around here, are there?"
So that's what Shen Anxia was worried about.
Yang Zheng didn't dare to laugh, and pointed to the distance: "There's a makeshift toilet over there."
Shen Anxia took a bite of watermelon, then tugged hard at Yang Zheng's sleeve and exclaimed in surprise, "Yang Zheng, Butterfly!"
Yang Zheng also saw the blue butterfly with yellow spots flying freely, but at this moment he was more focused on the snow-white hand that was tugging at his sleeve.
Shen Anxia was overjoyed: "I haven't seen butterflies in so many years! This place is wonderful!"
"Yes! This place is really nice!" Yang Zheng handed the grilled chicken wings and meat skewers to Shen Anxia.
"Thank you," Shen Anxia said, taking a bite. "It tastes really good. Did you pickle it yourself?"
"Yes, it was pickled last night."
"I don't know how to celebrate my birthday with you like this," Shen Anxia said, munching on fruit while looking worried.
"The form is not important; whether the wish can be fulfilled is more important," Yang Zheng said while eating.
"Then I hope your wish comes true soon," Shen Anxia said in advance.
Yang Zheng smiled: "I hope so too."
Shen Anxia stood up: "I'm going to take a walk by the stream—is this stream a tributary of some river?"
Yang Zheng also stood up and followed Shen Anxia: "Do you remember the river with ancient buildings around it to the southeast of your house? It's a tributary of that river."
"So that's the river. The scenery here and this stream complement each other perfectly." Touching the stream water, which was still a bit cold, Shen Anxia said with some regret, "It's so clean, I really wanted to wade across and step on the stones, but it's too cold."
"We can come back to play after the Dragon Boat Festival, when the water won't be cold anymore."
Shen Anxia didn't respond; she didn't dare to make a promise to Yang Zheng about the future.
She never expected that her blind date with Yang Zheng would keep them in touch, and now, with each passing day, she finds herself increasingly unsure how to bring it up.
Looking back at the placemat, Shen Anxia said, "Let's go back to the placemat."
"good."
Dusk was falling.
They ate, played, and chatted, and in the end, there wasn't much food left. Shen Anxia once again lamented the difference in their appetites.
"When are we going back?" Shen Anxia asked as she packed up the remaining things.
"In a little while, the moon will rise. Although it won't be full, it will still be beautiful—are you cold?" Yang Zheng packed up all the trash and put it in the trunk. He glanced at Shen Anxia, who was sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest by the placemat.
"A little."
Yang Zheng got up, went to the car, took a cushion, unzipped it to turn it into a small blanket, and wrapped it around Shen Anxia.
Have you seen the moon here before?
"I've been here once before. Luckily, there's no wind or rain today, otherwise my plans would have fallen through."
After waiting a while, the moon indeed lit up. The moon in the wild was much brighter than in the city. Coupled with such beautiful scenery, Shen Anxia felt a sense of ease, like "the bright moon shining among the pines, and the clear spring flowing over the rocks."
“It’s so beautiful. You must be very happy living here,” Shen Anxia said to Yang Zheng. “Yang Zheng, thank you for giving me such an unforgettable birthday.”
"I should be thanking you for giving me so much time today."
Looking at his watch, Yang Zheng asked Shen Anxia, "Going back?"
"good."
He escorted Shen Anxia downstairs and handed her a box: "Anxia, happy birthday."
Shen Anxia asked in surprise, "Are there any more gifts to receive?"
"Of course I have to receive gifts on my birthday."
Shen Anxia thought about the perfume Yang Zheng had given her last time and thanked him again: "Thank you, I'll give you a gift for your birthday."
Don't worry about these things too much.
Back home, Shen Anxia glanced at the time; it was ten minutes to ten o'clock. Zhao Ping and Shen Ke questioned Shen Anxia, and she answered truthfully. Then she took out the gift Yang Zheng had given her and opened it.
"Wow!" Shen Anxia exclaimed, "It's gold!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ping took the unassuming gift box from Shen Anxia's hand and took out a stylish gold bracelet. Shen Ke also leaned closer to take a look.
"We've only known each other for a few months? Why would Yang Zheng give such an expensive gift?" Zhao Ping was also surprised.
Shen Ke laughed: "This kid has really taken a liking to our daughter."
"Why does this style look so similar to the necklace I bought for Xiaxia?" Zhao Ping thought it matched better and better the more he looked at it.
Shen Anxia went back to her bedroom, took out the necklace, and compared them. They did match very well.
“This won’t do,” Shen Anxia frowned. “I thought the gift would be similar to the perfume from last time, but I didn’t expect it to be so expensive. I can’t accept this.”
She picked up her phone and messaged Yang Zheng, explaining that the gift was too valuable and she couldn't accept it, saying she would find a chance to return it to him.
Yang Zheng replied almost instantly: "This bracelet goes perfectly with your necklace."
Shen Anxia found it a little strange; she didn't seem to have mentioned the gift she received to Yang Zheng today. She asked, "How did you know I had a necklace?"
Yang Zheng replied, "I happened to see it when Aunt Zhao was preparing the gift: Happy Birthday, Anxia."
Shen Anxia felt that she still couldn't accept such a valuable gift, and said to Shen Ke and Zhao Ping, "I'll return it to him next time I see him."
Zhao Ping disagreed, saying, "These past few days, I've been listening to you talk about your relationship with Yang Zheng, and I think Yang Zheng is truly one in a million. I never expected to meet someone with such good qualities on a blind date. Xiaxia, you two can try spending more time together. When it's Yang Zheng's birthday, you can give him a gift back; you don't necessarily have to return it."
Shen Ke chimed in, "Dad thinks so too, and at least you don't dislike Yang Zheng. You may not realize it, but when you talk to your parents about the boys who are pursuing you, you usually feel a bit disgusted."
“Not at all,” Shen Anxia retorted. “Yang Zheng is a person with a sense of propriety, and he is not someone that people find annoying.”
“No matter why, let’s try getting to know each other first. If it works out, great. If not, you can still be friends, right?” Shen Ke said.
"Your parents didn't intentionally find a man to tie you down in Yi'an. The Yang family's child is truly exceptional. It's rare that you two are destined to be together. Xiaxia, you don't know, once you miss a period of good fortune, it's very difficult to turn it around. So, give yourself a chance and don't push people away."
Shen Anxia didn't respond. Her parents seemed to want her to stay in Yi'an. Arguing with them now would be pointless. She should wait for the troupe to make a decision before deciding whether to stay or leave.
Another half month passed, and in mid-May, Shen Anxia checked her results online and found that she had passed the TEM-8 (Test for English Majors-Band 8).
These days, Zhao Ping has been humming English songs all the time, radiating joy from the inside out. With her passing the TEM-8 (Test for English Majors-Band 8), Shen Anxia can now develop in many fields. But then he thinks that the Xinfeng Dance Troupe hasn't let Shen Anxia stay with the troupe yet, so the matter is probably over. After all, that dance troupe is basically all backed by powerful figures.
Zhao Ping was pleased to see it succeed.
Shen Ke was beaming with joy, so happy that he always wanted to have a drink to celebrate his daughter's imminent return to Yi'an. He even praised Yang Zheng every time he saw Xu Qingjing. Xu Qingjing knew that Shen Ke was really satisfied with Yang Zheng and felt that he had accomplished a lot as a matchmaker.
Even Xu Qingjing and his brothers said that the matchmaker did a good job.
Shen Anxia is beautiful and hardworking, with a double degree in her undergraduate studies. She has a great figure and a good personality. Girls like her are usually snapped up by college. It's quite a coincidence that Shen Anxia hasn't had a boyfriend for various reasons. What's even more remarkable is that Yang Zheng, who used to be extremely resistant to words like "blind date," "finding a partner," and "marriage," hasn't argued with his family since he met Shen Anxia.
The brothers were relieved, not to mention how happy Yang's parents were, whose hair had turned white from Yang Zheng's repeated insistence that he would never talk about having a girlfriend.
Shen Anxia, on the other hand, was a little anxious. There had been no news from the troupe. She tried to keep a calm mind, but she was still worried that she would never have the chance to perform again, no matter how sunny or rainy or how difficult the situation was.
She endured this anxious wait until the end of May, when Shen Anxia finally received a call from Director Wang of the dance troupe.
"Anxia, the troupe has decided to let you stay!" Commander Wang was also happy for her.
Upon hearing this news that she had been looking forward to for many years, Shen Anxia was so excited that she almost cried, and she kept thanking Commander Wang.
She could learn all sorts of skills and use all sorts of enhancements, but she hoped to spend her whole life with dance. Now that wish has come true, she has finally obtained the key to the end of her life, so how could she not be happy?
Shen Anxia knew that everything was going in the direction she had originally planned and expected. Although her parents might be depressed for a while after hearing the news, they would eventually accept the result, just like when she chose her major.
With that in mind, she dialed Zhao Ping's number.
"Mom, I just got the news that I can stay with the group." Shen Anxia tried to keep her tone normal so as not to hurt Zhao Ping's feelings by being too excited.
Hearing Shen Anxia's slightly suppressed joy, Zhao Ping and Shen Ke were so shocked that they couldn't speak for a long time.
For the Shen family, who were just two days ago relieved that the notice to stay in the group had been delayed, this news was undoubtedly a bombshell. It meant that Shen Anxia would have to stay in Xinfeng for the rest of her life. How could they bear to part with her!
The couple's plan to keep their daughter was thwarted, their minds were in a jumbled mess, and their lips opened and closed several times but no sound came out.
Shen Anxia hadn't heard Zhao Ping and Shen Ke's words for a long time, so long that she couldn't help but call out "Dad, Mom..." again.
Shen Ke coughed lightly first, pulling Zhao Ping back to his senses.
Zhao Ping tried his best to hold back his mouth and asked, "Xiaxia, have you really thought this through? If you stay in Xinfeng, our family will see each other less often, and if you need anything, your father and I won't be able to get to you right away."
The voice on the other end of the phone was extremely low, and only then did Shen Anxia feel a tightness in her chest. She comforted her, "Mom, I will go back often."
“Do you really have to choose dance as your career for the rest of your life? You’ve worked so hard to learn English all these years, are you really willing to give it up? Your current English level is more than enough to work for a foreign company. There are many foreign companies in Yi’an… Or you could just want a government job. It’s not difficult for us to get one.” Zhao Ping wanted to try one more time.
Shen Anxia listened attentively to Zhao Ping finish speaking before speaking: "Mom, you know, I really love dancing. If there's one thing I can do for a lifetime and maintain my initial passion for, it's definitely dancing. I also want to treat my work that way, and the only way to have a permanent position in the dance troupe is to stay there."
“I’ve thought about staying in Yi’an, for example, opening my own dance class to teach children. But that would require two opportunities – either I would first be a famous dancer, or it would be difficult to get accepted into the troupe. In that case, I would be constantly busy with student recruitment, student performances, and the reputation of my studio, and I wouldn’t be able to focus on just studying dance. That would be contrary to what I want to do.”
"Of course, I can use my English skills to work for a foreign company or become a teacher at a school, but Mom, compared to dancing, English is just my skill, not my passion. If I go down this path, I will really be unhappy for the rest of my life."
Zhao Ping fell silent again. As a mother, her daughter's happiness was of course more important; otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed to let her major in dance in college.
Shen Ke asked again, "Xiaxia, what about you and Yang Zheng? Dad can tell you like him, and he doesn't hide his affection for you at all. We all think you two are a perfect match. You're a handsome man and a beautiful woman, your values are similar, and your personalities are compatible. If you stay in Xinfeng, it will be a long-distance relationship, and his family is pressuring you to get married..."
Yang Zheng.
What should she do about this?
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