Chapter 41 I'll do anything with you
Standing in front of the wardrobe, Jiang Meng happily picked out what to wear today, then suddenly thought for a moment and asked, "By the way, you didn't call me to play ball, did you?"
Chen Jizhou: "I don't play ball."
Jiang Meng: "Can I wear high heels?"
She sent a cat emoji with a "w" mouth.
Chen Jizhou: "Okay, but don't make it too high."
Jiang Meng: "Don't worry, I won't be taller than you."
He typed for a while but didn't send anything. A few minutes later, he repeated, "Okay, do as you please."
What is it that you're hesitating to say?
Jiang Meng opened the shoe cabinet.
The closet only had one shelf reserved for her three pairs of high heels. Today she was wearing a dark orange chiffon slip dress. What shoes should she wear with it?
Jiang Meng tapped her chin and looked at the three pairs of high heels in front of her.
Finally, she chose a pair of rose gold strappy sandals. The shoes weren't expensive, and they weren't from any brand name. When she was shopping at the mall, she couldn't find a particularly suitable size. She wears a 37.5, but she really liked them and had no choice but to get a size 37. After all, she doesn't often have the opportunity to wear high heels, so she doesn't need to walk around a lot. If it's a date, beauty naturally takes precedence over comfort.
A strap was tied below the toe bone, and another strap encircled the ankle. The straps were a shimmering light gold. As Jiang Meng struggled to slip her foot into the strap, Chen Jizhou sent her a message: "Arrived."
Yan Yuqing said that it is one of the social etiquette rules for girls to be late.
Whether it was a set of social etiquette she made up herself or not, Jiang Meng, who was naive, believed it. So she wasn't in a hurry and sent him a message saying, "Not ready yet, wait for me."
Jiang Meng admired her feet in a good mood.
She thought her feet were very beautiful, with a jade-like luster like the moon, and slender bones that seemed fragile. A touch of radiant curve, coupled with just the right amount of fragility, made them perfect for being exposed at night.
Jiang Meng's period came at an inopportune time. Before leaving the house, she went to the bathroom and quickly took an ibuprofen extended-release tablet.
She hasn't taken good care of her health in recent years, indulging in delicious iced milk tea, which sometimes causes her to suffer from menstrual cramps.
Jiang Meng pressed her lower abdomen, thinking, "No way, no way, no way..."
She winked and thought, "Oh well, I'm already on a date. Beauty comes before comfort."
The apartment building had a unique layout; it was located at a crossroads with heavy traffic, making parking difficult. Seeing that she wasn't coming down, Chen Jizhou parked his car a little further away and walked over.
He walked slowly, approaching Jiang Meng's building. As he got closer, he saw her emerge from the revolving door.
She was the only one walking out.
Her figure was reflected in the glass of the revolving door, a bright, warm orange hue, like fiery clouds spreading across the sky, gradually enveloping one's will and immersing one in the breathtaking beauty, leaving only the desire to stop and admire.
We could only watch in silence, for no one can hold back the sunset.
The dress was a halter style, which flattered her figure and showed off her beautiful body. However, her temperament was too healthy, and she had a face full of vitality, which did not show any sexiness.
It is a very grand and beautiful sight.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Jiang Meng approached with a smile, and generously turned around to show him her outfit for the day. Her long, black hair flowed naturally and gracefully, draped over her arms, and the scent of citrus perfume wafted into the hot evening breeze.
Like a peony swaying in the wind.
It also looks like a little fox.
She stopped, blinked at him, and asked, "Is it pretty?"
Chen Jizhou was wearing a plain black shirt today, without styling his hair or wearing perfume like her. He still seemed to have gotten rid of the stale office smell caused by tobacco mixed with the low temperature of the air conditioning.
However, no matter what she wears, whether it's simple and plain or sexy.
Chen Jizhou's gaze towards her held only admiration, not disrespect or staring.
He smiled faintly: "So grand."
Jiang Meng pursed her lips, and after a moment, decided to say what was on her mind that gave her goosebumps. Her expression showed an awkward resignation: "Of course, seeing you will be a grand affair."
This move was also learned from Yan Yuqing—
Be bold in saying sweet nothings, don't be afraid of being a little cheesy, men are easily charmed.
Jiang Meng later noticed something: Chen Jizhou had thin skin, which might also be due to his fair complexion. He would blush easily, whether he was angry, drinking, or shy. However, he rarely got angry. The fact that his ears were burning was probably because he was shy.
Jiang Meng smiled with relief and walked alongside him, asking, "You came from the company?"
"Um."
Where are we going?
"Would you like to have a drink?"
"OK."
With a smile in her eyes, she thought, "I'll do anything with you."
...Never mind, I'd better not say anything more. I almost died from being so oily.
The two walked to the parking space, keeping a distance between them. To onlookers, what kind of relationship did they seem to have? Perhaps a couple on a blind date, someone they barely knew.
Jiang Meng tried to start a conversation: "You haven't introduced your partners to me yet. Who are your bosses?"
Chen Jizhou: "With my classmates from abroad."
"They're all willing to work for you."
He said, "Recruiting people is also a skill."
Jiang Meng quickly smiled and said, "I know. Just like Liu Bei taking down Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, making him even stronger, he needed some clever tricks."
He said, "You still remember these?"
"You told me these things when I was little, of course I remember everything you said."
Upon hearing her words, Chen Jizhou couldn't help but laugh.
Jiang Meng coughed softly.
It seems... going too far with flirting makes me a bit cunning?
Let's use this trick sparingly.
She got into the car and fastened her seatbelt: "By the way, why didn't you bring Xie Zhuo with you? He's really capable too."
Chen Jizhou turned the steering wheel, looked in the rearview mirror, and reversed the car out. He spoke slowly and deliberately: "Isn't he a tech guy? He's here to work for me. Ask him if he can handle this kind of treatment. I have no objection."
Jiang Meng: "Don't let him hear this, he'll definitely beat you up."
He said, "That's it, they can't beat me even if they fight, what should we do?"
Jiang Meng was overjoyed. "Two tigers cannot share one mountain."
Chen Jizhou raised an eyebrow and revealed a sharp smile: "Sorry, I've already established myself as the king of this mountain. If he comes, I'll only kill his spirit."
Jiang Meng said, "Go ahead and spread rumors while he's not around. He probably won't bother competing with you for territory, but he might just fly over and kick you into a ditch."
Chen Jizhou said, "I haven't even let him lie in the ditch yet after he kidnapped my sister. Come to think of it, being the brother-in-law is much better than being his boss. I don't even need Liu Bei's tricks; he still has to serve me tea and water."
Jiang Meng couldn't stop laughing.
Jiang Meng soon understood why Chen Jizhou told her not to wear anything too tall, because there were men in the venue who were not tall enough.
He said he would take her to a bar by the sea, but she didn't expect Xu Fang and Jiang Jiaming to be there too.
It turns out it wasn't a time for just the two of them.
Jiang Meng showed a moment of dejection and disappointment, then raised her eyebrows, forced a smile, and cheered herself up.
Xu Fang smiled in surprise when he saw Chen Jizhou bring a beautiful woman over: "You've managed to snatch the girl away?"
Chen Jizhou glared at him, "Can you please not speak so rudely?"
Xu Fang gave an apologetic smile: "I'm sorry, I thought you two were already together."
"No."
Chen Jizhou replied casually, picked up a cushion, and gestured for Jiang Meng to sit in the inner part of the booth, then sat down next to her. He leaned back lazily on the sofa and said to Jiang Meng, "These two are pretty good at fighting, and they're quite serious. Don't hang out with Qi Yunqing and his group, or you'll get led astray."
Xu Fang said, "Are you afraid that people will be led astray, or are you afraid that the girl will actually fall into his trap?"
Chen Jizhou, with sharp features, kicked him from below.
Jiang Meng remained silent. Her seat was by the window, a perfect spot for enjoying the sea view. As she quietly gazed around, the two men sitting opposite her had already ordered their drinks. Xu Fang was treating them today, and they were having a badminton seminar to discuss how to improve their skills. Also, Xu Fang was planning to open a badminton hall and had come to Chen Jizhou to discuss strategies.
It turns out it was all to teach her how to play ball.
Is this how you flirt?
Jiang Meng pursed her lips, lowered her head, and remained silent, a fairly friendly smile always on her face. She heard Chen Jizhou ask her, "What would you like to drink?"
She said, "I can't drink it."
"Non-alcoholic?"
She shook her head, "I can't drink it either."
Chen Jizhou understood a little. He stared at her for a moment and then ordered her a cup of hot milk.
Jiang Meng thought she was in a pretty calm state of mind, probably unaware that her lips were pouting so much they could hang an oil bottle on them.
Chen Jizhou quickly noticed that she was in a bad mood and wanted to pat her head to comfort her, just like before, but after calming down, he stopped in time.
He had tied her hair up before.
He held her soft, fine hair in his hand, letting it gently slip through his fingers amidst the snow and wind of the Lantern Festival.
However, the hair he touched has long been cut up and thrown into the annals of his past. Now, his hair is more manageable, without any stray strands sticking up. It is meticulously styled, exuding a pleasant fragrance, and looks like a work of art.
But to him, each one was new and unfamiliar.
They've already crossed that line in their relationship.
Jiang Meng tilted her head to look at the sea, while Chen Jizhou tucked his fingers together and calmly returned to the conversation on the other side.
Chen Jizhou usually plays singles against Xu Fang. The other players are not of a high enough level for them to win against.
Jiang Jiaming, a more refined man, is a resident singer known for his husky voice. He is currently talking about his past experience running a livehouse here. He gained some fame by becoming popular online through cover songs and held a few small concerts. Although he made some money, he ruined his reputation. Some people said his husky voice was too pretentious, while others said his live performances were a disaster.
Chen Jizhou listened casually and spoke without holding back: "If you're going to cook, just practice more."
"You can't practice it well."
"You're the one who profited." He had an incredibly good attitude. "They paid money to listen to you sing even though it's not good. Who's getting a bargain and who's losing out? I'd be ecstatic. That's what they call a jerk."
Jiang Meng wanted to laugh. Chen Jizhou was a master at dealing with sensitive and fragile people like him. He could shut someone down with a single sentence, or bring them back to life with the same one.
She turned around and finally gave him a genuine smile: "You still love to be so unreasonable."
He glanced at her and said dismissively, "I've been tempered and refined."
Jiang Meng had barely taken a few sips of her milk when she suddenly received a call from a teacher in the college's Youth League Committee.
Seeing her hurriedly walk out to answer the phone, Chen Jizhou didn't ask, guessing it was probably about work. Worried about her safety, he followed her and waited for a while not far from Jiang Meng.
Jiang Meng answered nervously, "Teacher Lin, what happened?"
What good could a call from a college leader be coming up so late at night? Sure enough, Professor Lin's voice was extremely urgent, almost spitting out words into the microphone: "There's a freshman boy in the software engineering class named Chu Xinkai, is he your student?"
"Yes," Jiang Meng said, gripping her phone tightly with both hands, extremely nervous. "What happened to Chu Xinkai?"
"You won't answer my calls, and you won't reply to my messages in the group chat. What's wrong with you?! We can't find you when something happens to a student!"
Before even discussing the matter, she was immediately subjected to a barrage of criticism, which she was already used to. She lowered her head and said meekly, "I'm sorry, I wasn't at school, and I hadn't checked my phone since I got off work."
Teacher Lin said, "He was scammed out of almost 10,000 yuan. He just reported it to the police. Are you far from the school? Go to the police station right away and see what happened!"
Jiang Meng's mind went blank for a moment. She hurriedly said "okay, okay," and then hung up the phone in a daze. She was about to go to the main road to flag down a car when the man gently grabbed her outstretched arm. Chen Jizhou pulled her back and stared at her intently, asking with his eyes, "What do you want?"
Jiang Meng said, "Could you please give me another ride? I have some urgent business to attend to."
In the car, Jiang Meng explained the situation to him. Chen Jizhou drove much faster on the way to the police station, and he brought out the bag he had left behind for her. Jiang Meng gripped the bag chain, her palms sweating nervously. However, in her extreme panic, even her tendency to cry incontinently prevented her from shedding tears. She was on edge until Chen Jizhou played her a gentle English song, which made Jiang Meng feel a little better.
They soon arrived at the police station and met Chu Xinkai.
The other person was a rather thin boy with a bookish look. He seemed very well-behaved. When Jiang Meng arrived, Chu Xinkai had already cooperated with the police to complete some registrations. He adjusted his glasses and looked at Jiang Meng with a pitiful expression.
As Jiang Meng listened to his account, she felt a surge of anger: Telecom fraud! How many times have I told you to be extra careful when it comes to money?! How could you just give out your bank account number so easily?
You got scammed, fine, but do you realize I'm going to suffer along with you?!
However, seeing that Chu Xinkai was so sad that he was about to cry, he honestly said, "I'm sorry, Teacher Jiang, it's kind of you to make this trip today."
Jiang Meng immediately suppressed her agitation and cursed inwardly, "Those swindlers are the worst!" She then spoke gently to the student, "Don't worry too much about the money. Whether you get it back or not, go home and get a good night's sleep. It's just ten thousand yuan; a teacher can earn that back in a month's salary. When you're my age, you'll be even better than me, and you'll earn it back in ten days. It's not a big deal at all. Learn from this experience, and you won't fall into this trap again, right? It's good to be optimistic. Don't try to commit suicide! My phone is on 24/7. Call me immediately if you want to kill yourself."
Chu Xinkai responded repeatedly, "I know, I know."
A few more sentences were mixed in: "No, no, no."
Jiang Meng raised her chin. "Can't do what? You promise me."
"I will not commit suicide, I will not take my own life."
"Anything else?"
"I earned it back in ten days."
Jiang Meng was relieved: "You're pretty good at grasping the key points. If you're having trouble thinking, just call me."
"good."
A gentle night breeze blew as the two stood at the entrance of the police station. Below the steps, Chen Jizhou leaned against the car door, waiting for her. Jiang Meng caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye and chuckled.
The student came with two roommates, so Jiang Meng didn't see them off personally. After the three of them left in a group, Jiang Meng went over to look at him with displeasure and said, "What are you laughing at?"
He glanced at me sideways and said, "I'm laughing because you look just like a teacher now."
Jiang Meng, barely able to speak, said, "There's nothing I can do. I was forced to become a parent, and a parent of a hundred college students at that. I worry about them every day."
She crossed her arms, unable to hold back her anger: "How could anyone actually be scammed out of money? At least when I had an online relationship, I was only scammed emotionally. I'm so angry!"
Jiang Meng thought for a moment and decided not to get angry. She felt like she was doomed. She hunched her back in dejection and said, "He has come to terms with it, but I can't. Chen Jizhou, I might be finished."
As Jiang Meng spoke, her forehead drooped down along with her dejected mood.
He raised his fingertip, pressed it against her brow, lifted her beautiful, delicate face, and asked, "How did it end like that?"
"I'm going to get yelled at by my boss."
"Getting scolded won't cost you anything."
"We might even get reported to the authorities."
He dismissed it, saying, "So what if it's a notice? It won't cost me any money."
"They might deduct it."
"So what if they deduct money? It's not like they'll fire you."
Jiang Meng looked at him incredulously, "What if you really get fired?"
Chen Jizhou's smile widened. With one hand in his pocket, he leaned against the car door with a roguish air, tilting his head and smiling at her. His eyes were still so bright, with an innocent purity that seemed untouched by the world. Despite having traversed the complexities of life, he still held the purest enthusiasm for it. He said, "Nothing could be better. Be my secretary."
"..." Jiang Meng was at a loss.
She was silent for a while, then sat down in the car, clutching her stomach.
Chen Jizhou didn't get into the car with her. He opened the passenger door, kept his hands in his pockets, leaned against the door, and quietly watched her for a while.
His gaze swept downwards, obscuring her expression, revealing only the bag draped over her skirt and her hands clasped together in unease. The skirt's color, like the afterglow of the setting sun, was fastened into the seatbelt, left in his small world, as if possessed by him.
Jiang Meng was in a terrible mood today, and he knew it wasn't just because of this one thing.
After she calmed down a bit, Chen Jizhou quietly said, "There's a phrase I've always particularly liked: 'a turning point.' People don't get stuck in one situation forever; turning a corner is always the way out."
"Just remember this word, take it as your motto in life, think of it when you encounter setbacks, think of it when you feel like you can't get through it, think of it a thousand times, think of it ten thousand times, and there will be nothing to be unhappy about, okay?"
After a while, Jiang Meng looked up at him. Although her face was a little pale, she nodded as if she had listened. Meeting his concerned gaze, she pursed her lips and asked, "Do you ever have difficult times?"
His eyes crinkled into a smile, and he said gently, "Of course I have difficult times."
Of course he had his difficulties. Wasn't it difficult when the car couldn't turn around? Wasn't it difficult when the restaurant wasn't doing well? And so on and so forth, things she had no idea about, but he treated them all as part of a game, easily overcoming them. He once said that life is a game of challenges. Jiang Meng calmed down a bit and murmured, "What philosophy books have you been reading? Can you recommend some?"
Chen Jizhou's eyes held a hint of frivolous amusement: "I never read philosophy; I have my own philosophy."
Jiang Meng finally couldn't help but laugh.
He held onto the corner of the open car door, turned slightly to this side, saw her face clearly, looked down at Jiang Meng, and asked her, "Still not happy?"
Jiang Meng whispered, "I'm quite happy."
Chen Jizhou chuckled: "If you say it with that kind of expression, I'll be quite happy. My sins are too great, aren't they?"
Jiang Meng didn't say anything.
He stared intently at Jiang Meng, and bluntly pointed out, "You were unhappy at the bar."
“Yeah, when you’re down on your luck, even drinking cold water can be a problem,” Jiang Meng muttered, looking down and rubbing her bag chain. “When the students are down on their luck, I’m down on my luck too. I have menstrual cramps today, and I’m wearing shoes that don’t fit properly to drink with your friends.
The sheer volume of words left him speechless, and Chen Jizhou remained silent for a moment.
Jiang Meng then complained even more quietly, "I thought you asked me out... on a date."
He whispered, repeating, "A date?"
I'm still a little confused by this tone.
She hummed in agreement: "Just the two of us."
Dining at a high-end restaurant, a candlelight dinner, champagne candles, you looking at each other, it's exquisite and romantic, how wonderful!
I don't want to be in this sorry state.
Chen Jizhou remained silent for a moment, not answering her question. Jiang Meng also didn't look up to see what expression he was making. After he bent down and squatted down, he asked her in a deep voice, "Which foot is uncomfortable?"
“Right foot,” Jiang Meng stretched out her right foot, acquiescing to his action of untying the shoelaces, “Your heel is chafed and must be red. It’s like this every time I wear these shoes.”
He helped her remove the heel from her shoe, and Jiang Meng rubbed her ankle as if she had been granted a pardon. After a moment of silence, she heard Chen Jizhou say in a low voice, "It's my fault."
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