YJDNY - 66

Mid-October, the big and small shows of Paris Fashion Week finally came to an end. After staying for two more days, Xiang Ge prepared to return to China.

On the day of her departure, Su Jingnian and Axel came to the airport to see her off.

The little boy followed behind Su Jingnian, pouting as he looked at Xiang Ge with his big eyes darting around. In a childish voice, he asked, “Xiang Ge, when will your boyfriend come to play with me again?”

Xiang Ge chuckled, reaching out to poke his little nose. “Call me ‘Sister.’”

Axel blinked, then suddenly leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her legs. His little head nuzzled against her as tears welled up in his eyes. He looked up at her pleadingly. “Sister, I’ll miss you. Come back soon.”

Xiang Ge placed her luggage aside and crouched down to hug him. “If Axel behaves well, I’ll come back sooner.”

The chubby little arms of the child wrapped tightly around her, and he nodded vigorously while nestled in her embrace.

Xiang Ge rarely returned to France even once a year, and Axel had only met her a few times since he was born. She had assumed their relationship would be distant, but unexpectedly, the little boy was especially fond of her. Every time she left, he would cry his heart out like a sticky rice dumpling.

Blood ties were truly a mysterious thing.

After saying goodbye to the two of them, Xiang Ge went to check in her luggage. She had arrived with just one suitcase, but by the time she left, it seemed as though her belongings had mysteriously multiplied.

The temperature in Paris was slightly higher than in China. By the time Xiang Ge landed, it was already 5 a.m. the next morning. Her car was parked in the airport parking lot. Since it was so early, she didn’t inform Zhou Xingyan and decided to drive home herself.

Xiang Ge hadn’t slept on the plane, and by early morning, she was both exhausted and drowsy. It wasn’t until after 6 a.m. that she slowly drove home. Dragging her luggage upstairs, she opened the door to find Zhou Xingyan just waking up.

He was still in his pajamas, looking slightly surprised as she walked in. Xiang Ge lethargically tossed her keys onto the shoe cabinet by the door, pushed her suitcase aside, and without taking off her shoes, stood in the doorway with her head tilted back, eyes closed, and arms stretched high toward Zhou Xingyan.

After waiting for what felt like forever, Xiang Ge cracked open an eye to look.

Zhou Xingyan’s face appeared right in front of her. He had walked over, lowering his head to look at her, his fingers brushing against the dark circles under her eyes. “Every time I take my eyes off you, you stay up all night?” Zhou Xingyan raised his gaze. “Not telling me when you’re coming back—when did this become such a good habit of yours?”

Xiang Ge ignored his question entirely, pretending she hadn’t heard it. Her voice was sticky and soft, almost like she was pouting. “Xingyan, I’m so tired, so sleepy. I sat on a plane all day and even drove myself back. I want to sleep.”

Unmoved, Zhou Xingyan replied, “Is that your excuse for staying up late?”

Xiang Ge blinked. “No, I was actually trying to adjust my jet lag in advance.” Her thin arms remained stretched high, and seeing that the man hadn’t made a move, she wiggled her arms, shaking them endlessly in his direction.

Zhou Xingyan let out a long sigh and took a step forward, lifting her up directly.

Xiang Ge’s feet left the ground, and her knees instinctively bent. “Ah!”

She had only intended to ask for a hug, but he had picked her up completely.

Zhou Xingyan carried her into the dining room and placed her in front of a chair at the table. He crouched down, gripping the heels of her shoes to help her take them off.

Even though she had only been on a long flight, the heels of her high heels were no shorter than usual—not a centimeter less. Zhou Xingyan hooked both shoes with one hand, walked to the entrance, and placed them in the shoe cabinet. He then brought over a pair of wool slippers and placed them by her feet, succinctly instructing, “Put them on.”

Her pale little feet slid into the slippers, revealing just the tips of her toes. Xiang Ge curled her feet slightly, rested her head on the table, and looked down at the man squatting before her. Suddenly, she spoke. “Xingyan, from now on, you can only like me. You can’t like anyone else.”

Zhou Xingyan glanced up at her, standing up and walking into the kitchen. “That’s something I should be saying. You ungrateful little thing.”

Xiang Ge’s eyes widened, and she stood up, following him into the kitchen. “What do you mean, ungrateful?”

Zhou Xingyan chuckled softly, not turning around. “Go wash your hands and come out to eat before you sleep.”

Xiang Ge pouted, reluctantly shuffling toward the bathroom in her slippers. Suddenly, Zhou Xingyan seemed to remember something and called out to her with an “Ah.”

Xiang Ge turned back.

Zhou Xingyan said calmly, “Today is my mom’s birthday. She asked me to bring you home for dinner tonight.”

Xiang Ge: “… “

Xiang Ge: “?!!!”

Xiang Ge froze on the spot for three seconds, letting out a soft “Ah?”

Zhou Xingyan smiled as he watched her dumbfounded expression. “Don’t be nervous. It’s just a simple meal with family.”

Xiang Ge definitely didn’t believe Zhou Xingyan’s words. How could the birthday of a superstar like Su Yinan possibly be just a simple family dinner?

However, Su Yinan had always been low-key, and lately, she had been living a reclusive life, rarely appearing in public, so it wasn’t entirely impossible.

The moment Zhou Xingyan spoke, Xiang Ge’s drowsiness vanished completely. With great composure, she washed up, changed clothes, ate breakfast with Zhou Xingyan, and watched him leave for work.

Standing at the entrance, Zhou Xingyan turned back. “What are you going to do today?”

Xiang Ge leaned lazily against the doorframe with one hand, yawning. “Sleeping, of course.”

Zhou Xingyan studied her for a moment, then smiled faintly. “Shall I pick you up when I get back tonight?”

Xiang Ge replied nonchalantly, “Sure.”

Zhou Xingyan nodded, suddenly bursting into laughter.

“…”

Xiang Ge: “What’s so funny?”

Zhou Xingyan lowered his eyes, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. After a while, he finally looked up, licking his lips as he grinned at her. “Nothing. I’ll head off now.”

Xiang Ge: “… Hurry up and leave.”

The moment Zhou Xingyan left and the door closed, Xiang Ge shot upright, let out a long sigh, and rushed into the living room to grab her phone from the coffee table. She quickly dialed Xia Wei.

It was the weekend, so only poor Zhou Xingyan had to work. Xia Wei was lounging lazily in bed when Xiang Ge called. Seeing the time, she assumed she hadn’t woken up yet. “Are you still asleep or about to sleep? This isn’t your usual active time.”

Xiang Ge’s voice was serious and cold. “Xia Xia, something big has happened.”

There was a pause on Xia Wei’s end. Her lazy, drawn-out tone disappeared, and she cleared her throat. “What’s wrong?”

“A day at the spa—interested? My treat.”

“…”

Xia Wei: “?”

After hearing the full story, Xia Wei mercilessly mocked Xiang Ge.

“You spent quite some time with your mother-in-law during filming, didn’t you? Why are you so nervous? You’re not strangers.”

At that moment, the two were lying on massage beds in a private club. Xiang Ge, wrapped in a bathrobe with a jelly-like face mask on, licked the corner of her lips and frowned, sticking out her tongue. “That’s different. Back then, we were on set. Even though I felt a bit awkward after finding out, it’s still different.” She paused, then sighed deeply. “This time, it’s a formal family gathering. Zhou Xingyan’s dad might even be there. The occasion and atmosphere are different. I’m nervous.”

Xia Wei gloated. “In my lifetime, I never thought I’d see you nervous. Aren’t you the fearless ‘Thunder Battle King Pigeon’ who doesn’t know the meaning of stress?”

Xiang Ge remained expressionless. “Get off the bed. I’m not treating you anymore.”

After returning from the spa and changing into pajamas, Xiang Ge reconsidered, feeling that being too casual might seem disrespectful. She emptied her closet and suitcase, spreading out piece by piece of clothing on the bed, agonizing over each choice until Zhou Xingyan returned from work.

Xiang Ge sat on the carpet, staring blankly at the mountain of clothes on the bed.

Zhou Xingyan stood at the bedroom door, stunned for half a second, tilting his head. “You have this many clothes?”

Xiang Ge turned her head, abandoning all pretense, and looked at him with a pitiful expression. “Xingyan…”

Zhou Xingyan walked over, feigning ignorance. “What’s wrong? What’s making you unhappy?”

Xiang Ge sighed. “What should I wear? I feel like I can’t dress too flashy or too stiff. My makeup needs to be just right too. Zhou Xingyan, I’ve dominated the fashion world for years, and this is the first time I’ve ever worried about what to wear. When I was seducing you, picking outfits and makeup was effortless.”

Zhou Xingyan watched her earnest fretting, licking his lips as he chuckled. “When exactly were you seducing me?”

Xiang Ge glared at him sideways, then sighed again. “What kind of girl does Uncle like? Innocent and pure, or elegant and mature?”

Zhou Xingyan squatted down, raising an eyebrow, his gaze level with hers. “Why care about what he likes? What I like is more important.”

Xiang Ge rested her chin on her hand, frowning as her gaze shifted between a black dress and wide-leg pants on the bed. Indecisively, she muttered, “Oh, so what do you like?”

Zhou Xingyan didn’t answer.

Xiang Ge wasn’t paying attention to his reply anyway; all her focus was on what to wear tonight. That is, until a large hand pressed onto her head, turning her tilted head toward him.

Zhou Xingyan leaned in, his palm sliding from the top of her head to the back. He bent closer, nibbling her lips briefly before pulling back and laughing softly.

Xiang Ge blinked, watching him lean in again, capturing her lower lip as if savoring a piece of jelly. His voice was low and murmured. “Whatever you’re like, that’s what I like.”