YJDNY - 67

Zhou Xingyan’s house was located relatively far from the city center, in what could be considered the suburbs—the kind of place where Zhou Senior had to commute for an hour every morning to get to the hospital.

That is, assuming there was no traffic. Otherwise, taking the subway would have been faster.

In the end, Xiang Ge settled on a black dress—simple and elegant yet still stylish. She removed all the earrings from her ears, leaving only one simple pair.

Just before heading downstairs, Zhou Xingyan handed her a coat.

Xiang Ge resisted weakly: “This dress—”

Zhou Xingyan paid no heed, directly draping the coat over her shoulders while blatantly lying through his teeth: “This dress looks a bit ugly without a coat. Put it on—it’ll look better.”

“…”

You’d really say anything just to make someone wear a coat, wouldn’t you?

Xiang Ge completely ignored his nonsense. Although she firmly rejected that chunky sweater, she eventually chose a thin overcoat herself, finally deeming her outfit acceptable enough to leave the house. She had already bought everything she needed during her afternoon outing with Xia Wei, but when they got downstairs, Zhou Xingyan’s backseat was already piled high with things.

Zhou Xingyan placed the items she was carrying into the backseat as well, then walked around to open the car door for her. “I was afraid you’d forget.”

The entire ride, Xiang Ge remained silent, sitting quietly in the passenger seat like a mute. During a red light, Zhou Xingyan reached over and grabbed her hand, holding it in his.

Her hands were delicate, with neatly trimmed nails, clean and smooth, exuding a healthy pale pink hue. Zhou Xingyan’s lips curved slightly as he remembered that she had done her nails earlier that morning.

He played with her hand for a while before Xiang Ge finally turned her head, looking at him with a somewhat wilted expression.

Zhou Xingyan raised his hand and patted her head. “Don’t be nervous.”

Xiang Ge turned her head, staring straight ahead. Her throat moved slightly, and her voice lacked its usual lazy tone, sounding tight instead. “Where do I look nervous?”

Zhou Xingyan glanced at her sideways, nodding solemnly. “Not a trace of it.”

By the time they arrived, it was already dark. The car turned into the villa area and drove up along a small hill. Several luxury cars were already parked at the entrance of the yard.

Xiang Ge suddenly grabbed Zhou Xingyan’s hand and squeezed it, turning to glare at him. “Is this what you call ‘a simple family dinner’?”

The man looked at her innocently. “My mom told me that’s what it was going to be.”

Xiang Ge stared at him for a few seconds, then let go, her shoulders slumping.

Then, she quickly rummaged through her bag, pulling out a small mirror and handing it to Zhou Xingyan. She positioned his hand at a satisfactory angle, then took out her powder, lipstick, and eyeshadow. Turning on the car’s interior light, she began to touch up her makeup.

The entire process was smooth and seamless, executed with practiced ease.

Zhou Xingyan watched as she swiftly applied her makeup with deft movements. When she finished, she ran her fingers through her hairline, tucking strands of hair behind her ear. A few shorter strands naturally parted at the front. Xiang Ge snapped the compact mirror shut, stowed it back in her bag, shrugged off her coat, and gave Zhou Xingyan a sultry glance. “Well? How do I look?”

Zhou Xingyan observed her impassively. “Let’s skip the birthday party. Wait here for two minutes while I drop off a gift, then we’ll go home and do something else.”

“…”

Halfway through her sultry glance, Xiang Ge rolled her eyes dramatically, giving him a disdainful look before opening the car door and stepping out.

Zhou Xingyan chuckled, grabbing the coat she had left on the passenger seat and walking over to drape it over her shoulders without asking. Then, he pulled her along.

But before Xiang Ge even stepped inside, she spotted Bai Yuandao standing at the entrance, talking on the phone.

The veteran director was momentarily stunned when he saw her. He seemed somewhat surprised, and even more shocked when he noticed Zhou Xingyan beside her.

At that moment, Zhou Xingyan was adjusting the coat that was slipping off her shoulders, straightening the collar of her overcoat, and frowning slightly as he said something to her.

Bai Yuandao was astonished.

Bai Yuandao had known Su Yinan for many years and was naturally familiar with her son, whom she had always kept well-hidden from the public eye.

He even forgot to hang up his phone as he watched the two of them approach. Pointing at Zhou Xingyan, he exclaimed, “Since when did you get to know our leading lady?”

Zhou Xingyan smiled faintly. “Probably earlier than when you met her.”

As they entered the house, Su Yinan looked up and immediately spotted Xiang Ge. Peeling an orange, she walked over with a warm smile.

Xiang Ge had spent some time with Su Yinan on set and was relatively familiar with her. However, meeting under such different circumstances and identities still made her a little nervous.

Su Yinan noticed it. After peeling the orange, she handed it to Xiang Ge with an expectant look. “Now can you call me ‘Mom’?”

Xiang Ge: “… “

Su Yinan had been in the entertainment industry for decades and had always maintained good relationships. Compared to the extravagant birthday parties of other top celebrities, she had indeed kept things low-key, inviting only a few close friends.

Xiang Ge was pulled into a group of veteran figures in the entertainment industry, and Su Yinan proudly introduced her as her future daughter-in-law.

Even the legendary diva of the 1970s music scene, who had long since retired and rarely appeared in public, chimed in teasingly, “Her son is nice, but he seems so cold and uninteresting. Little girl, come be my daughter-in-law instead—my son has a much better personality.”

Su Yinan shot her a glare. “My dumb son finally found someone he likes, so back off.”

It wasn’t until later in the evening that Xiang Ge was finally rescued from the crowd of elderly women by Zhou Xingyan, who had grown tired of the commotion. The two slipped into the kitchen, where Xiang Ge looked at him with gratitude.

Zhou Xingyan opened a cabinet, took out two cups, and poured her a glass of water. Lowering his head, he asked, “What’s it like meeting the parents?”

Xiang Ge let out a long sigh. “You know that famous matchmaking park downtown? It felt just like walking through that park. For the first time, I realized how down-to-earth the world of superstars really is.”

Zhou Xingyan chuckled and handed her the glass. “You seemed to be chatting quite happily.”

Xiang Ge accepted it, holding the cup and leaning casually against the kitchen tiles. “Of course I’m likable.”

Zhou Xingyan hummed in agreement. “I even heard you praising someone’s son for having a great personality.”

Xiang Ge nodded. “So you’d better treat me better. I’m quite in demand, you know. Things like making me drink porridge at night should be controlled—otherwise, you might lose your wife by accident.”

She stopped abruptly mid-sentence.

Zhou Xingyan smirked faintly. “Seems like you’re eager to marry me.”

Xiang Ge rolled her eyes. “I’m still young. I don’t want to step into the grave of marriage just yet.”

Zhou Xingyan didn’t seem to care whether she was listening or not. Taking the glass from her hand, he placed it on the counter, then braced one hand against the wall, trapping her within his arms. His voice was low, with a gravelly texture, coaxing her gently. “Let’s get the marriage certificate first.”

Unswayed by his charm, Xiang Ge pushed him lightly. “What difference does that make?”

Zhou Xingyan lowered his gaze. “I remember the other party already expressed their willingness through actions without restraint.”

Xiang Ge smiled at him, tilting her head to give him a light peck. “The other party is willing, but I never said I’d marry now.”

Pleased and mollified by the fleeting kiss, Zhou Xingyan nodded. “Alright, until when does the other party plan to make me wait?”

Xiang Ge’s eyes curved mischievously. “Until my health improves.”

Zhou Xingyan didn’t respond further. Pressing his lips together, he fell silent as he gazed at her.

Laughter continued to echo from the living room outside, but the kitchen grew quiet. The large glass sliding door separated the two spaces.

After a long pause, Zhou Xingyan finally spoke slowly. “Xiang Ge—”

He barely managed to utter her name before Xiang Ge cut him off. “I know.”

“I know you don’t care, but have you talked to Auntie about it? Dating is between two people, but marriage involves both families. Are you sure Auntie and Uncle will accept a daughter-in-law like me?”

Zhou Xingyan remained silent, and Xiang Ge lowered her eyelashes, smiling faintly as if nonchalantly. “What to do? I’m not very confident. Most parents wouldn’t easily overlook this issue, right? Auntie is so kind to me now—I don’t even want to imagine what it would be like if she told me to break up with you.”

Her long lashes were lowered, obscuring the emotions in her eyes, but the smile on her lips grew increasingly stiff.

He remained silent, as if tacitly agreeing, as if pondering her words and unsure how to respond.

Biting down hard on the soft flesh inside her lower lip, Xiang Ge finally raised her head, her brows slightly lifted, her expression relaxed as she looked at him. “So—”

“What?” This time, it was Zhou Xingyan’s turn to interrupt her. He lowered his eyes to look at her. “Why do you always dislike letting others finish their sentences?”

Xiang Ge blinked. “I don’t.”

Zhou Xingyan calmly gazed at her. “I’ve already said it all.”

“I’ve talked to them about it. The problems you’re worried about don’t exist. And it’s not like it’s a serious issue. My mom isn’t the type of mother-in-law who sees her daughter-in-law as just a tool for carrying on the family line. So—” He paused, his voice indifferent yet tinged with helplessness. “What exactly are you worrying about every day? Do you think I can’t handle such trivial matters?”

Xiang Ge stared at him blankly. “I didn’t—”

“No buts,” Zhou Xingyan sighed softly, pulling her into his arms. “From now on, you don’t need to worry about these meaningless things. Leave them to me.”

Nestled in his embrace, Xiang Ge blinked twice. “How could I possibly stop thinking about everything myself? Wouldn’t I become an idle fool every day?”

Zhou Xingyan chuckled softly. “Hmm, you have a point.”

He leaned back slightly, lowering his head to look at her again. His dark eyes carried a faint smile. “If you’re truly that bored, then spend the time you’d use worrying about these trivial matters telling me you love me instead.”