Chapter 495 Anxious
With the start of the new semester, the launch of a new research project, and the constant supervision from Professor Zhou to learn new knowledge in the evenings, Zhang Yueran had been working non-stop for several days, leaving her with noticeable dark circles under her eyes.
After successfully completing the property transfer procedures.
Nan Zhiyi pulled Zhang Yueran to a quiet coffee shop, saying they wanted to celebrate.
Neither of the sisters liked the bitterness of coffee, so she ordered a fruit and herbal tea, along with some delicate Western pastries.
The afternoon sun shone through the glass window and fell on the small round table covered with a checkered tablecloth.
Nan Zhiyi picked up her teacup and looked at her younger sister across from her.
Zhang Yueran wore a light layer of powder on her face, which couldn't hide her fatigue. However, her eyes and brows exuded a delicate and languid charm, like a flower that had been thoroughly nourished by rain and dew; even though it was somewhat wilted, its underlying color was still fresh and vibrant.
However, the moisturizing seemed a bit excessive, intertwined with the obvious signs of fatigue...
Nan Zhiyi took a sip of tea, carefully choosing her words, and stammered, "Yueyue...you...even if you like Zhou Xingzhi a lot, you have to be a little more restrained. Look at you, you're so tired, your eyes are all dark. Your body is your own; you don't feel it when you're young, but it's hard to make up for it later. Besides, Xingzhi isn't going to run away. You two have a long life together, why are you in such a...hurry?"
Zhang Yueran was about to put a small cake in her mouth when she heard this, her hand trembled, and the dessert almost fell onto the table.
Her face flushed red and then turned pale; she looked so wronged it was as if snow would fall in June! In her sister's eyes, was she really that... that lustful for men?
"Sis! No! It's not what you think..."
She tried to explain herself.
But halfway through her explanation, she started to feel a little uneasy.
Thinking back carefully... it seems, it seems that I was always the one who couldn't help but flirt with Zhou Xingzhi first.
Whether it's looking at his handsome profile, smelling his pleasant fragrance, or simply wanting to rub against him or hug him.
However, the developments after the flirting often slip out of her control. Zhou Xingzhi may seem gentle, but he has a quiet and unassuming persistence in certain aspects.
As a result, she got herself into trouble, and the next day she had back pain and weak legs.
Thinking about it this way, it seems... it really is my responsibility?
Zhang Yueran opened her mouth, her eyes darting around, and finally slumped her shoulders in despair: "Oh... sis, well... it's not entirely like you think... but, but I understand! I'll pay attention... I'll get more rest in the future!"
She gave up, her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost a mumble.
Seeing her embarrassed and ashamed, Nan Zhiyi didn't press the matter further and just sighed, "Well, you know what's going on. Your health is the most important thing."
She thought for a moment and then said, "This weekend... um, how about tomorrow? I'll bring you some donkey-hide gelatin, ginseng, and the like, along with two mild and nourishing herbal tea recipes. You can brew them in water and drink them regularly to replenish your qi and blood. You're still so young, don't let yourself become weak."
Now, Zhang Yueran's face turned even redder, as if it were about to bleed.
But then I thought, taking some supplements... seems like a good idea.
She was ready to throw caution to the wind, stubbornly insisting, "...Fine. Then, sister, bring more." She'd already lost all face, so she had to make sure she got her money's worth.
Nan Zhiyi laughed out loud and shook her head: "You really are..." She found Yueyue's unpretentious nature to be adorably frank.
Seeing her sister smile, Zhang Yueran remembered her unfinished mission of sharing, and leaned closer to whisper, "Sis, I asked Zhou Xingzhi to help me find two books, one... well, it's a serious book, and the other... the content is quite rich, a bit inappropriate. I've studied them both... I'll show them to you when your husband goes on his business trip? You can read them yourself, but don't let your husband know."
She remembered Zhou Xingzhi's words: try not to let her brother-in-law find out.
Nan Zhiyi politely declined, saying, "No, really, you don't need it. You can keep it for yourself to study, I don't need it." She wasn't as "studious" or bold as her younger sister.
After being politely refused by her sister, Zhang Yueran gulped down a large mouthful of tea to calm herself down, but she still couldn't give up: "Really don't want it?" She felt like she had discovered a new continent and really wanted to share it with her dearest sister.
Nan Zhiyi spat at her, her attitude resolute: "Really not. You can study it yourself at your own pace."
She quickly changed the subject, "By the way, have you and Zhou Xingzhi figured out what to do with that house?"
When the topic turned to business, Zhang Yueran's attention was diverted, and she said, "Zhou Xingzhi said that it's a bit far from my school, research institute, and his studio, making it inconvenient to get around. And..."
She wrinkled her nose. "He also said that living in an apartment building is not close to the earth, you don't get enough sun, and the yard is small. It's not as comfortable as the small courtyard house we live in now, and it's not good for my health."
“So,” Zhang Yueran shrugged, “we decided to rent it out first. He said I could keep the rent myself.”
At this point, her eyes crinkled into a smile. "And he also said that he would give me three times the rent every month from now on, as pocket money, which I could spend however I wanted!"
Nan Zhiyi nodded after listening.
“Xingzhi has thought this through carefully. Then you can rest assured and keep it, and make your own plans.” Nan Zhiyi smiled. She saw the light that unconsciously appeared in her sister’s eyes when she talked about Zhou Xing, and she knew that her sister was truly happy, which was enough.
As Zhang Yueran ate her snacks, a bittersweet feeling welled up inside her.
She received stipends from school and research institute, and with occasional financial assistance from her sister and parents, she was always financially secure and never worried about money.
This was especially true after she got together with Zhou Xingzhi; he took care of everything for her, from food and clothing to shelter and transportation, with meticulous care.
She would occasionally buy him a small gift on a whim, like a tie clip or a book, and he would always return the favor with a more expensive or thoughtful gift, always saying, "What's mine is yours."
After they got married, he always kept a lot of cash in his study drawer for her to take as she pleased, but apart from buying some small items, she couldn't think of anything else to spend money on.
Now he has to give her extra spending money, and three times the rent...
Holding the fork, she was genuinely worried. How should she spend so much money?
Should we go to the Friendship Store and buy those imported chocolates labeled with foreign exchange certificates? Or should we subscribe to several ridiculously expensive foreign language professional journals?
Something doesn't seem right.
As she was thinking about it, she suddenly burst out laughing.
Sitting across from her, Nan Zhiyi was elegantly sipping her black tea when she saw her younger sister grinning foolishly. She couldn't help but smile and say, "What are you thinking about? You're grinning like a little mouse that just stole some oil."
Zhang Yueran chuckled and rested her chin on her hand, looking at her sister: "Sis, I just feel... I'm so lucky that I'm actually starting to worry about having too much money and nowhere to spend it."
Nan Zhiyi: "What's so troublesome about this? It's a blessing. But money lying there doing nothing is dead money. Do you want to just keep it like this, or do you want to make it move?"
Zhang Yueran sat up straight, stopped eating the cake, and placed her hands properly on her knees, adopting a humble and attentive posture.
In her heart, her sister is not only a relative, but also a role model who is knowledgeable, intelligent, and decisive.
"Okay! I'm fine with anything, sis. What do you think? I'll listen to you."
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