Xu Keke sat up in bed and smelled a faint, elegant fragrance that permeated the room. The brocade quilt beneath her hands was smooth and soft. A knock sounded at the door, one after another, careful and gentle.
Xu Keke got out of bed, walked a few steps to the door, and opened it. Standing outside was an elderly woman, who, judging from her clothes, was probably a servant. She smiled kindly and said, "Miss, the newspaper that Mr. Ji sent has arrived."
Under her expectant gaze, Xu Keke took the newspaper from her hand.
Not seeing the young lady's joyful expression, the old woman's smile faltered slightly. Recalling the commotion last night, she said with some worry, "Madam is ultimately doing this for the young lady's own good. She wants the young lady to be happy. She knew I would bring the newspaper up after receiving it, but she didn't say anything. Please don't hold a grudge against Madam. Go downstairs and have breakfast together."
Having not yet received the memories, Xu Keke did not understand the meaning of what she was saying, and simply replied calmly, "I understand."
The old woman thought she was still throwing a tantrum, sighed softly, and turned to leave.
Closing the door, Xu Keke opened the newspaper. A large headline greeted her: "Movie Queen Mingyu Returns from Overseas; New Play at the Paramount Boutique: A Young Woman's Tears; Unprecedentedly Luxurious Cast; Exquisitely Sensual."
Xu Keke quickly glanced through the morning newspaper.
The ink was thick, the paper brimming with the atmosphere of everyday life. From politics and finance to people's livelihoods, news of everything imaginable was there. There was a fifty-year-old mother searching for someone, cotton price hikes, and even a female celebrity's secret rendezvous with a charming playboy. The most interesting was the war of words between two film critics in the newspaper, their columns going back and forth, one subtly alluding, the other resorting to vulgar insults. It was hard to say who won, but it was certainly a spectacle to watch.
It wasn't as chaotic as some other newspapers; it was mostly advertisements, serialized novels, and author columns. Xu Keke flipped through it for a while but didn't find anything particularly special. She didn't understand why she had been given this newspaper in the first place.
Xu Keke lay back on the bed, closed her eyes, and slowly sorted through the memories that flooded her mind.
The original owner, Zhou Shaoqiu, is sixteen years old this year and is a female high school student at Nancheng High School.
Her father, Zhou Shiyuan, came from a prominent family in Beijing; his father and ancestors had all served as officials in the imperial court. With the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the once large family gradually disintegrated, and its descendants scattered.
Zhou Shiyuan was originally born out of wedlock. He took the family property allocated to his branch of the family and moved out of the mansion with his wife, children, and sister.
Later, he listened to his friend Feng Shaozhe's advice and wanted to find a job in Shanghai, so he brought his family to Shanghai again.
Not long after arriving in Shanghai, Zhou Shiyuan fell ill and never recovered. He passed away in less than a year, leaving behind his wife Wang Shujin, their son Zhou Zian, their daughter Zhou Shaoqiu, and their young sister-in-law Zhou Xiangnan. The four of them relied on each other to make a living in Shanghai.
Feng Shaozhe, a close friend of Zhou Shiyuan, felt guilty because he had persuaded Zhou Shiyuan to come to Shanghai, which led to Zhou Shiyuan's illness and death. Therefore, he took good care of the family.
Fortunately, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; the Zhou family still had some assets, enough for their entire family's needs. So, although Zhou Shaoqiu had lost his father, life wasn't difficult.
Zhou Shaoqiu's aunt, Zhou Xiangnan, was always restless in Beijing. When she arrived in Shanghai, the glamorous and bustling metropolis, and with her brother no longer around to keep an eye on her, she, as a modern Shanghai woman, indulged in even more fun.
Zhou Xiangnan gradually developed a liking for the new plays. While others might simply go to see plays regularly, Zhou Xiangnan went so far as to establish his own drama club and rent a large theater to stage his new productions.
Influenced by Zhou Xiangnan, Zhou Shaoqiu also frequently participated in the school's drama club performances.
Once, Zhou Shaoqiu was performing in the school auditorium. She was playing a noblewoman who had broken away from her family in the old era. She was holding a book that promoted the virtues of women in the old era and was reciting her lines with great passion. In the heat of the moment, she lost control of her strength and threw the book, which hit a young man in the front row right in the lap.
Although the man was handsome, he appeared to be quite old compared to the young students around him. He was either a teacher or a visitor.
He waved the book in his hand and said loudly, "You women don't want this dregs, are you going to dump it on us men?"
Zhou Shaoqiu stood on the stage and couldn't help but burst out laughing. The students below, who had been stunned, joined in the laughter. The auditorium was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
After the performance, the young man personally delivered the book backstage. However, Zhou Shaoqiu was changing clothes at the time, and was greeted by other students from the school. His classmates told him that the young man had also approached him, but Zhou Shaoqiu just smiled and didn't think much of it.
In Zhou Shaoqiu's eyes, this was just a minor stage 'accident', but she didn't know that it would change her life.
A few days later, Zhou Shaoqiu never expected to encounter this young man again at home. It turned out he was none other than his brother's classmate, the renowned Shanghai scholar Ji Mingkai. Zhou Shaoqiu often read his articles in the newspapers and greatly admired him.
Upon seeing each other again, Zhou Shaoqiu felt that this fate was truly wonderful. She was captivated by Ji Mingkai's profound knowledge, elegant conversation, and handsome appearance. At the height of her youth, Zhou Shaoqiu found herself developing a hazy, budding affection for Ji Mingkai.
After Zhou Zi'an realized his sister's thoughts, he promptly intervened to stop her. This was because Ji Mingkai had a fiancée he had been engaged to for many years in their rural hometown.
Their family would absolutely not allow Zhou Shaoqiu to become a concubine.
Even without Zhou Zi'an saying it, Zhou Shaoqiu, who considered herself a modern woman, couldn't accept it. Not only that, Zhou Shaoqiu believed love should be pure, without any flaws. She couldn't accept anyone or anything that interfered in other people's marriages.
From then on, Zhou Shaoqiu never met Ji Mingkai in private again. Every time Ji Mingkai came to their house to see Zhou Zian, Zhou Shaoqiu would hide inside and not come out.
Zhou Shaoqiu's retreat, however, led to Ji Mingkai's advance. Initially, Ji Mingkai was aware of Zhou Shaoqiu's feelings but did not reciprocate. However, when he realized Zhou Shaoqiu was no longer actively pursuing him, Ji Mingkai instead began to actively pursue Zhou Shaoqiu.
Ji Mingkai fully embodied the romantic spirit of a scholar; while others sent flowers every day, he sent novels every day.
Ji Mingkai published a serialized novel in the newspaper. The protagonist in the novel breaks with his family to pursue his own happiness for the woman he loves. The novel is written with great emotion and subtlety.
The author made no attempt to conceal the fact that it was based on his own true story. Upon learning that the characters in the novel were real people, readers were thrilled, and it quickly became a popular topic of conversation in Shanghai.
Zhou Shaoqiu was naturally moved by Ji Mingkai, especially after he told her that he was fighting against the old system and had already broken off his engagement with his fiancée. Zhou Shaoqiu accepted this relationship.
However, at this time, Ji Mingkai's fiancée arrived in Shanghai.
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