Chapter 10, Chapter 10: Like a leaf blown by the wind.
Chen Jizhou returned quickly.
Jiang Meng was in the bedroom when she heard him whisper from afar: "No need for identification, there are people at home."
The door was knocked on twice more.
"Jiang Meng," Chen Jizhou called to her from the doorway.
Jiang Meng ran back and said, "Yes, yes, it's here."
Upon closer inspection, it turned out that Chen Jizhou had actually brought back a locksmith.
Jiang Meng stood there, stunned.
She whispered, "Your idea?"
“Yes.” He nodded.
"..."
The master asked her a few simple questions, and Jiang Meng said that her parents had accidentally locked the door an extra time when they went out.
The foreman was ruthless and didn't talk much; he quickly picked up his tools and started working.
Through the small door, Jiang Meng glanced at Chen Jizhou with a disdainful look that said, "You used to take me to climb over walls when we were kids."
The old, dilapidated two-story building in the South Third District where she lived as a child was so big that you could climb down an old elm tree without falling to your death.
Chen Jizhou looked at her speechlessly: "13th floor, am I Spider-Man?"
Jiang Meng thought nervously, "Isn't this going a bit too far?" "Then maybe you shouldn't use this trick?"
She glanced at the busy locksmith and whispered, "It feels like I'm breaking out of prison."
After Jiang Meng finished speaking, she looked up and found Chen Jizhou looking at her and smiling.
With curved eyebrows and eyes, red lips and white teeth, he was elegant and handsome.
If Jiang Meng stared at him for too long, she would become desensitized to his looks. But if she was suddenly struck by his handsomeness, she would occasionally freeze in surprise. Although she wasn't a fan of his, she had to admit that his smile could make anyone swoon.
He said, "When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it. Can't we be a little more flexible?"
If it weren't for the screen window blocking his view, he probably would have tapped her on the head, as if urging her to get moving.
The locksmith seemed to think the two men had ulterior motives and gave him a suspicious look.
Chen Jizhou lowered his eyes: "It's alright, please continue driving."
The master didn't move, and looked at Jiang Meng suspiciously again.
Chen Jizhou continued to appeal to her emotions and reason with her: "If we can't get through this door, she'll look even worse lying down, won't she? We might even have to carry her away."
master:"……"
Jiang Meng: "..."
Chen Jizhou raised his chin: "Hurry up."
Moral threats are still effective; the tools continue to operate.
The door was opened quickly, and in less than ten minutes, Chen Jizhou slipped some money to his master and thanked him.
The locksmith left, and the door was left open.
Jiang Meng walked in and out, then walked in and out again, utterly amazed: "No, how could it open like this?"
He leaned against the doorframe, a smile playing on his lips as he looked down at her surprised and bewildered expression, like someone still adjusting to their first prison break. He then mimicked her weak, coquettish voice: "Chen Jizhou, I'm going to die, I don't want to live anymore, I'm going to jump off a building~~"
Jiang Meng met his smiling eyes and pushed him away: "You're so annoying, can you stop being so cheeky?"
Chen Jizhou had only just stepped one foot over the threshold when she pushed him back out. He rested his wrist on the doorframe and grinned nonchalantly, "It's just a phone call. If I don't come, you can just suffocate in there."
Jiang Meng glanced at the door lock. "I'm still a little scared."
The door lock is not just a door lock; it is an invisible authority.
She would cry and play the victim, argue and quarrel, and even afterwards coldly swear she would never speak to them again.
But she hadn't considered that there might be other solutions.
She habitually begged for forgiveness from authority, yet she could not break free from it.
However, he said nonchalantly, "I did the bad thing, and I'll take responsibility for it. What does it have to do with you? Even if the sky falls, I'll still be there for you."
Jiang Meng laughed and teased him, "You can even say such outdated lines? You've watched too many martial arts dramas, haven't you?"
However, he is indeed very handsome.
With him around, she felt incredibly at ease.
Chen Jizhou wasn't afraid of his parents at all. In his view, the worst outcome was a beating. Anyway, they wouldn't kill you; you could just wipe your wounds, get up, and continue having fun tomorrow.
"Martial arts masters all pry open their own doors, why would they spend this money?" Jiang Meng's steps became lighter as she walked home.
Chen Jizhou was still leaning lazily against the door: "That's too unethical. With your temper, what if you kick me while I'm down and call the police to arrest me? — Please come in and have a seat."
Jiang Meng said "Oh," and then added, "Come in and have a seat."
He walked in: "Let me see the key."
Jiang Meng placed the broken key she had found on the coffee table.
Chen Jizhou: "Plan A: If all goes well, we'll get a new one for ten yuan downstairs and lock you back in before they come back."
He pieced the broken ends of the key back together. Because the break was clean and there was no wear, the teeth marks were still very fresh, making it "seamless".
Jiang Meng quickly cleared the clutter off the sofa and invited her strategist to sit down: "Young Master Chen, please sit down. What is Plan B?"
Young Master Chen sat down.
"Plan B, your deeds have unfortunately been exposed. I'll use my silver tongue to explain things as clearly as possible, making sure he can't find a single fault with you, turning a big problem into a small one, and a small one into nothing. In the end, I'll stand in front of you. If you have any problems, come at me."
Is that enough?
Jiang Meng said, "Then you'd better not be scared by my dad and run away, leaving me alone to be torn to pieces."
As she spoke, she went to the walk-in closet next door and closed the sliding door.
Chen Jizhou smiled without getting angry, "Jiang Meng, what kind of treacherous image do you have of me?"
After a while, he said seriously, "Auntie is just worried that something might happen to you outside. Don't take it too seriously. If she had told me you had a bodyguard, would she have needed to go to all this trouble?"
Jiang Meng spent a long time changing clothes but couldn't find anything suitable, so she hurriedly came out again. Passing through the living room, she went to the clothes rack on the balcony to look for her clothes: "Yes, I went out for a walk and found that the only bad guy was my bodyguard. Then my mother found out that my bodyguard was the good-for-nothing Chen Jizhou, so she dismembered me in advance."
Chen Jizhou raised an eyebrow: "How did I offend Teacher Ye?"
Jiang Meng: "You didn't provoke her, but my mom said I'm not allowed to hang out with hooligans."
She grabbed a t-shirt, and when she turned around, she saw Chen Jizhou smiling at her, bathed in the midday sun. He was genuinely amused by her, his shoulders shaking with laughter. His dashing and carefree face was particularly handsome. Jiang Meng was momentarily blinded and looked away, saying, "Can you please stop looking at me like that and laughing?"
"Does my laughter bother you?"
Jiang Meng went into the dressing room again: "Can't you learn from Xie Zhuo and be a little more aloof? It's no wonder you attract so many suitors if you keep acting like this."
He hummed in agreement: "You'd be happy if two refrigerators were around to keep you cool all day long."
When she went out again, she was dressed casually in a fitted T-shirt and sporty gray shorts. He didn't know if the shirt was too small or if it was just this style, but it was very fitted and the shorts were very short. Chen Jizhou glanced to the side, but before he could even see her face, two long, straight legs strode towards him. He swallowed back the words he was about to say.
Jiang Meng grabbed her hair, intending to tie it into a ponytail, and stood next to the sofa, asking him, "By the way, what did you want to see me about?"
Chen Jizhou suddenly didn't know what to say.
He felt a dryness in his throat, a sensation that occurred almost instantly, like particles of fire shooting downwards and then spreading uncontrollably, igniting his heart and lungs.
He whispered, "Is there any water to drink?"
When he asked that question, Jiang Meng immediately noticed the bottled water on the coffee table, right next to him, and felt speechless, thinking that he was trying to pick a fight.
Jiang Meng could have simply pointed and told him the water was over there, but to demonstrate her mastery of taunting, she chose to go there herself.
To get past Chen Jizhou and step over his casually open legs, she first stepped between his legs, then easily stepped out with her second foot, scooping up the mineral water bottle lying there.
She didn't notice that her bare knees were touching his leg; the rough fabric of the men's overalls wasn't rubbing against her skin, but against his heart.
Chen Jizhou didn't look at her expression when she turned around.
Jiang Meng weighed the water bottle in her hand, tilted her head to look at him, and then threw the mineral water at him: "Are your eyes on the back of your head?"
Chen Jizhou didn't refute, took the water and drank some. Although he didn't look at her again, his eyes were already glued to her. He leaned back, holding the back of his head, feeling a burning sensation in his chest. He bent over and supported himself with his knees, but still felt uncomfortable. Finally, he simply got up and walked out.
"I'll wait for you outside." His voice deepened.
-
It was indeed quite hot today, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. Jiang Meng ended up going out in her cool short-sleeved shirt and shorts. If it weren't for the fact that it would be easier to change clothes that way—for example, if someone gave her a skirt, she could just slip it on—Jiang Meng rarely wears shorts or skirts.
Sitting in the taxi, Jiang Meng told him about the book model incident, but didn't mention that it was because she was short of money.
He looked at her: "A model?"
Jiang Meng glanced at the driver in front, feeling embarrassed if someone overheard, and leaned close to Chen Jizhou's ear, covering her lips with her hand as she whispered, "Yeah, and I was one of the prettiest people at the interview. The lady there even asked me: Are you mixed race?"
Chen Jizhou glanced sideways and saw her smug expression. Jiang Meng's every little expression was beautiful—smug, angry, proud, even aggrieved. Her delicate face was constantly churning with emotions, which came and went quickly, lively and captivating.
Chen Jizhou asked, "Do you want to pursue a career in this field?"
“We’ll talk about it later,” Jiang Meng patted his shoulder, acting as a generous friend. “When I become successful, I’ll let you benefit from it too.”
He didn't care and looked out the window: "I'm happy as long as I see you prosper."
The filming location was an ancient town.
When Jiang Meng arrived there, there were only two assistants carrying lighting boards and the photographer from last time.
Because they were shooting modern portraits, their tools and props were very lightweight.
While Jiang Meng was engrossed in her "work," Chen Jizhou was standing on an arched bridge waiting for her. He would glance over every now and then, as if he thought none of these people were reliable. His eyes were serious. Jiang Meng smiled at him to indicate that she was safe.
The work process is not complicated. Apart from the makeup and styling taking a little time, during the photo shoot, Jiang Meng only needs to hold props such as books or flowers and pose a few times with the help of the staff, taking advantage of the scenery.
Jiang Meng has a very naive and inexperienced personality; she does whatever the staff asks her to do.
They like people who are down-to-earth.
At the clothing rental shop, Jiang Meng took off her school uniform, came out of the changing room, removed her makeup, and washed her face.
The assistant came over and said, "Send me your bank card number, and I'll transfer your salary later."
Upon hearing about the salary, Jiang Meng's eyes, which had been exhausted from all the work, immediately lit up. However, she asked, "Can I have cash? I don't have a bank card."
The other party chuckled: "Okay, let me ask if the store has enough cash."
Jiang Meng followed her to the front desk.
The assistant, who had been observing the boy standing on the bridge for a while, couldn't resist asking a gossipy question: "Who's that over there...?"
"good friend."
"He's really handsome."
“Right? The school heartthrob,” Jiang Meng was especially happy to hear her friend being praised. She smiled smugly and added, “But he’s very rich and doesn’t like to show his face in public.”
The implication is that you shouldn't even think about messing with him.
The assistant hadn't thought of that, recalling, "It couldn't be someone named Chen... Chen something..."
"Chen Jizhou!" Jiang Meng was very surprised. "You actually know him too?"
"Yes, he is very famous. My sister really likes him and says how handsome he is every day," she shook her head and chuckled. "Oh, these young girls nowadays, I've forgotten who our school heartthrob was back then."
Jiang Meng asked, "What's your sister's name?"
The assistant gave a name, but Jiang Meng didn't recognize it.
"She's only in her first year of high school, it's normal that you don't know her."
Jiang Meng looked outside.
The "big star" being discussed was leaning calmly against the carved white marble railing at the bridgehead.
He wore a black hat, his head was slightly lowered, and his hand was supporting half of his face, as if he was resting because he was tired, or perhaps he was shielding himself from the sun.
His face was smaller than his hands, and his finger bones resembled miniature bamboo joints. They were fair and slender, yet possessed the resilience of a young man. He was tall and handsome, with exceptional looks and bone structure. Standing in the wind, he was both lean and stylish.
Regardless of how handsome his face is, his tall stature, long legs, and upright posture are eye-catching enough. His clear and graceful young body is just like the healthy, strong, and proud poplar in the book. Just standing there is enough to withstand many of the storms and torrents of the turbid world.
"She has a good personality too; she didn't rush me even after waiting for so long."
Jiang Meng nodded: "Yes, he's a really nice person."
It's very hot today.
A person's tolerance for sunlight is a real test of their temper, but Chen Jizhou never showed any signs of irritation.
Even when faced with trouble, Chen Jizhou would not show any signs of hardship or bitterness. He could handle any problem with ease and would not show any sense of sacrifice.
He will allow everything in life to happen, and then face it calmly.
To put it dramatically, as long as he was there, Jiang Meng felt quite safe, no matter where he was, whether she was flying or diving.
So today, being "watched" by him and interacting with these unfamiliar adults, she actually felt more at ease and comfortable.
While counting the money, the assistant said, "Since he's so rich, why are you doing this?"
Jiang Meng stared blankly at the red banknotes in her hand: "His money isn't mine."
"Then you absolutely mustn't let him know that you came here today to take photos to make money."
"Um?"
"What I mean is, he'll feel bad for him."
Jiang Meng blushed and immediately clarified, "We're really not in that kind of relationship!"
The assistant smiled and handed her the service fee.
Today is Children's Day, and Jiang Meng only remembered this when a little boy carrying balloons walked by.
She collected her wages with great enthusiasm, rushed to the bridge, and patted Chen Jizhou on the shoulder: "Why don't you find a shop to sit down for a while?"
Chen Jizhou turned around, looked at the photography studios, and then at Jiang Meng: "Have you ever seen a bodyguard sitting 30 meters away drinking coffee?"
"Thank you, you've worked hard." Jiang Meng took out a small fan, pressed the switch on, and said with a smile, "Let me blow on your face."
A sudden gust of strong wind made him instinctively lean back.
Even a girl's beautiful face suddenly getting close, with a perfect smile, wouldn't make him happy.
Chen Jizhou seemed to dislike her "coquettishness," whether it was the tugging when she delivered the love letter last time or her current attentiveness. He reached out and took the fan from her hand, turned it off, and put it back in her palm.
“Don’t try that on me,” Chen Jizhou told her earnestly. “I’ll wait for you even if you don’t do that.”
Jiang Meng's expression froze for a second.
She could hardly believe that Chi Yu'en would say, "Even if you don't help me deliver the love letter, I still think you're adorable."
It's hard to believe that my dad would say, "Even if you don't become a great daughter, I will still love you."
It's hard to believe, but every one of her classmates told her, "You don't need to greet me with a smile; I'm happy to be your friend."
Her trust in everyone was illusory.
Only Chen Jizhou's voice landed.
While Jiang Meng was still in a daze, Chen Jizhou glanced at his watch: "Is it done taking pictures?"
"alright."
"What time does Uncle get off work?"
"I wonder what he's busy with. I'll ask him."
"Ask away." He went down the bridge and looked for a way out.
Jiang Meng took out her phone and stood there, looking down at her messages for a while. When she looked up again, the tall, long-legged man had already walked quite a distance away. She called out to Chen Jizhou, "Is your silver tongue of yours going to work? Will the plan fail?"
He thought for a moment and said, "There's also a backup Plan C, see if you're willing to implement it."
Her face lit up with surprise: "What is it?"
Chen Jizhou turned to look at her and took two steps backward.
He suddenly laughed and cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone: "Don't go home, come with me."
The green light behind them turned on, he waved to her to follow, and then ran towards the other side of the zebra crossing.
The lush camphor trees, having shed the withered leaves of the previous year, are about to enter a new summer, full of vitality.
The green light was short, and the road was wide, so Jiang Meng didn't hesitate.
Following Chen Jizhou without any scruples was as simple as a leaf being blown by the wind.
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