YJDNY - 62

As soon as the two stepped out of the airport, they heard someone calling Xiang Ge’s name.

The voice was very familiar—soft and gentle, yet low and raspy. Back in the car, Zhou Xingyan had heard it clearly and was already mulling over how to address this man.

If he wasn’t “my mom’s husband” but rather “boyfriend,” that meant they weren’t married yet. Zhou Xingyan frowned slightly in contemplation before Xiang Ge pulled him over directly.

The sky outside was still bright; 8 PM felt like 4 or 5 PM back home. The man with deep laugh lines at the corners of his eyes—”my girlfriend’s mom’s boyfriend”—was smiling warmly at Xiang Ge and the man beside her, Zhou Xingyan.

Zhou Xingyan pieced together a few French words he knew and greeted him. Then he listened as the man responded enthusiastically, speaking rapidly in French.

Xiang Ge couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

When the man turned to walk ahead, Zhou Xingyan calmly looked at Xiang Ge, lowering his voice. “What did he say?”

Xiang Ge replied seriously, “He said you’re very handsome.”

Zhou Xingyan nodded, adjusting the luggage in his hand.

He knew for sure that the long, syrupy string of words didn’t mean “you’re very handsome.”

The group exited the airport and got into the car. The driver took their luggage, and as soon as Xiang Ge sat down, she began yawning, her eyes misty with fatigue. Still, she didn’t forget to secretly tug at Zhou Xingyan’s hand.

Zhou Xingyan turned his hand around and held hers firmly.

Xiang Ge lowered her gaze, playing with his fingers, gently rubbing the lines on his palm. “Alright, alright. You’re about to meet my family. I’m so nervous.”

Zhou Xingyan chuckled softly at her. “I haven’t said anything yet. Why are you so nervous?”

Xiang Ge blinked. “I’m nervous on your behalf. How can you be so calm? Don’t you feel nervous or scared?”

Zhou Xingyan pressed down on her fingers as they fidgeted in his palm. “Yes.”

Xiang Ge leaned back in her seat, completely unfazed, jokingly asking, “Oh? When did you feel that way?”

Zhou Xingyan paused, then reached up to touch her ear. “When I saw you get hurt.”

Xiang Ge froze.

Her skin was warm, while his fingertips were slightly cooler. The faint chill made her shrink her neck slightly.

Zhou Xingyan smiled, his gaze lowered. “I’ve never met anyone like you who refuses to go to the hospital. I was terrified back then; my hands were shaking.”

Seeing that Xiang Ge didn’t respond, he raised an eyebrow. “And later, when you came to see me after spraining your ankle, I was scared too—scared I wouldn’t be able to resist dragging you over and giving you a beating.”

Xiang Ge stuttered, her lips curling slightly. “Well, that must have been tough for you. Not only did you hold back, but you also pretended not to know me for so long. Was it hard to endure?”

Zhou Xingyan smirked faintly, nodding as he spoke softly. “Very hard. I had to constantly remind myself that domestic violence is not allowed.”

Xiang Ge glanced at the driver in front, then turned back to him. “Alright, alright.”

“Hmm?”

“Bati understands Chinese. Your desire to beat me up will reach my mom very soon.”

Zhou Xingyan: “… “

The man driving chuckled softly, glancing at them through the rearview mirror. “It’s fine. I won’t tell your mom.”

By the time the car entered the courtyard, Su Jingnian was already waiting at the door.

The woman wasn’t very tall, with a delicate frame. She wore a white chiffon dress, her soft long hair framing her clear, gentle features. Her demeanor exuded warmth and tranquility.

As soon as she saw the group step out of the car, her eyes welled up with tears. She pouted at Xiang Ge, looking as pitiful as a little girl.

Xiang Ge seemed completely accustomed to this scene. She walked over and hugged the petite woman, patting her head gently.

Su Jingnian tilted her head up, her voice soft and tender. “Mom misses you every day.”

Zhou Xingyan watched from the side, recalling a certain Ms. Su back home who could scream loud enough to blow the roof off when angry, even while wearing eight-centimeter heels. He began to wonder why, despite sharing the same surname, there could be such a stark difference between the two.

In this light, Xiang Ge and Su Yinan did seem more like mother and daughter.

Su Jingnian held Xiang Ge at arm’s length, inspecting her from all angles before finally letting go. Her gaze then fell on Zhou Xingyan.

Before she could speak, a small boy came running up to Zhou Xingyan, his footsteps quick and determined.

The little boy had black eyes, brownish hair, and a face with striking mixed-race features. He wasn’t even as tall as Zhou Xingyan’s leg and looked up at him, blinking curiously.

Aside from the eyes, his mouth and face bore a striking resemblance to Xiang Ge.

With pursed lips, the little boy spoke a string of French in a childish voice.

Zhou Xingyan lowered his gaze and slowly crouched down to meet the boy at eye level.

The little boy furrowed his brows, tilting his head. Switching to perfect Chinese, he asked, “I just saw you holding my sister’s hand. What do you do for work?”

Zhou Xingyan suppressed a smile. “I’m a doctor.”

The little boy nodded solemnly, looking thoughtful.

Zhou Xingyan didn’t rush him, remaining crouched in front of him. “So, am I qualified?”

The little boy shook his head. “My sister is very difficult to take care of. How much money do you make?”

Xiang Ge couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly. “Hey, Axel.”

The boy named Axel turned his head, glaring at Xiang Ge indignantly. “What did you tell me before?”

Xiang Ge blinked innocently. “What did I say?”

She looked as if she had completely forgotten, and Axel’s little face puffed up in frustration, his baby cheeks making him look even chubbier. His round eyes widened as he exclaimed, “You said I could only get a boyfriend after I win over Chloe!”

Xiang Ge couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer.

The little tyke was so upset that his ears turned red, his lips pursed tightly, and his eyes welled up with tears as he stared at her.

Xiang Ge cleared her throat and walked over to pick him up. At four years old, the boy was already a bit heavy, and she struggled to lift him. Zhou Xingyan stood up naturally and took him from her arms.

Xiang Ge stood by, her earlier laughter fading into a serious expression as she watched the child in the man’s arms. She switched to French.

Axel’s eyes widened, clearly surprised. “Really?”

Xiang Ge nodded solemnly. “Really.”

The little boy immediately wrapped his arms around Zhou Xingyan’s neck, snuggling closer into his embrace, and planted a loud, smacking kiss on his cheek.

“…”

Zhou Xingyan froze.

No one knew what Xiang Ge had said to the child, but for the rest of the evening, the boy clung tightly to him, his chubby little hand gripping the hem of Zhou Xingyan’s shirt and refusing to let go. During dinner, he insisted on sitting next to him.

After the meal, Zhou Xingyan took out the gifts he had prepared. Xiang Ge was completely astonished. “When did you prepare all this?”

Before Zhou Xingyan could respond, Axel grabbed his hand and pulled him upstairs to his room.

The boy’s room was decorated with red-and-blue wallpaper, and there was a soft little sofa in the corner. Axel tugged Zhou Xingyan over, pressing him onto the sofa, then climbed up beside him. In a soft voice, he declared, “Xiang Ge was originally mine.”

Zhou Xingyan tilted his head slightly, correcting him earnestly. “Not yours—mine.”

The little tyke pouted unhappily, his words still a bit unclear. “But if you teach me how to win over Chloe, I’ll agree to let you be my sister’s boyfriend.”

Zhou Xingyan nodded seriously, shifting slightly to pat the spot next to him. Slowly, the boy climbed up and sat down.

The two of them sat side by side on the small sofa. Zhou Xingyan leaned forward slightly to make room for the little one, listening intently as the child recounted his love story: “Chloe used to play with me, but not just with me. My sister told me that if I hugged her, she’d only play with me afterward,” the little tyke said dejectedly, lowering his head. “So I hugged her, and then… she stopped talking to me altogether.”

“…”

Zhou Xingyan didn’t have much experience pursuing women either. He pondered for a moment before giving a very serious suggestion: “Why don’t you try hugging her again?”

The man and the little man stayed locked in deep conversation in the room for a long time. Eventually, Zhou Xingyan managed to coax the boy to sleep and came downstairs. Xiang Ge was lying on Su Jingnian’s lap, fast asleep.

Su Jingnian looked up and saw him, smiling faintly.

Zhou Xingyan walked over and sat down beside them.

In her arms, the woman slept like a child, her bangs brushing against her eyelashes, perhaps tickling her slightly. Her expression scrunched up, and she rubbed her eyes clumsily.

Zhou Xingyan’s lips unconsciously curved upward as he gazed downward.

The living room was silent, the atmosphere soft and tender. Su Jingnian gently stroked Xiang Ge’s soft hair. “The last time Ge’er left, we had an argument.”

Zhou Xingyan listened quietly, saying nothing.

“She had just graduated from university then, and I wanted her to stay in France, but she refused.”

Su Jingnian lowered her gaze. “When I first brought her here, she wasn’t really happy. I was so busy with my own things back then—art exhibitions, spending entire days in the studio. Even though I brought her over, I didn’t pay much attention to her emotions. I thought that as long as she was with me—growing up, studying, graduating, working—I could find her a good man and plan the best life for her.”

“She was always so obedient until later, when she told me she wanted to return to China for university. No matter what I said, it didn’t work. Her stubbornness is just like her father’s. She insisted on going back no matter what. I was so angry that I didn’t even see her off. That was our first fight. Later, when she graduated, I wanted her to stay in France, but she refused again. That was the second time she defied me. She said she had lost something and needed to go back to find it.” Su Jingnian smiled faintly. “I didn’t understand her at the time.”

“When her father and I separated, I left without taking her with me. She cried and begged me to take her, but I still left on my own. I consoled myself, telling myself that I didn’t have the money or the ability to raise a child alone. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to take her—it was that I couldn’t. Now, looking back, I realize that I was just selfish. In the end, I chose myself over my child.”

“Our Ge’er never had responsible parents. From childhood to adulthood, she has always been on her own. Both her father and I failed her.” Su Jingnian raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at Zhou Xingyan. “Can you promise me that you’ll take good care of our Xiang Ge? Can you guarantee that you’ll always stay by her side, protect her, ensure she never suffers or gets hurt, and give her all your love?”

Zhou Xingyan raised his eyes, his lips pressed tightly together.

He gave a low hum in response.

His voice was soft, yet carried a weighty sincerity: “I’ll give her my life.”