YJDNY - 68

She had never felt this way before—as if there was someone who had already thought of everything for you, no matter how big or small, as long as it was related to you.

This feeling was a first for Xiang Ge.

It was hard to describe exactly what kind of emotion it was. The only thing that was clear to her was—this person is really good.

And then, hazily, she felt a sense of relief and gratitude. The one and only best Zhou Xingyan in the world had been found by her.

Xiang Ge looked at him, her dark eyes shining brightly. “Xingyan, people are never satisfied.”

Zhou Xingyan raised an eyebrow.

“You’re so good to me. What if I later want you to be even better to me? What will you do if you can’t meet my expectations?”

Zhou Xingyan smiled. “Is this really considered being good to you?”

Xiang Ge nodded.

Zhou Xingyan lowered his head slightly. “Then say something now to repay me.”

It took Xiang Ge a moment to realize what he wanted her to say.

After all, they were still at Zhou Xingyan’s house, and she was here to meet his parents. She hesitated for a moment, cautiously leaned out to glance at the group of people outside, then quickly retreated. Standing on her tiptoes, she gently kissed the corner of his lips. “If you say it, you say it,” she murmured. After settling back down, she looked at him seriously. “But I still want to say it myself.”

Su Yinan’s personality was laid-back. Though it was called a birthday party, it was really just a gathering of friends who hadn’t seen each other in a while, chatting and eating. The cake had been brought by Xiang Ge, and after lighting the candles and singing the birthday song, it was abandoned in a corner of the kitchen. In the end, most of it was eaten by Xiang Ge herself.

Xiang Ge dragged a chair over and sat happily at the small kitchen counter, enjoying her dessert. Just then, Zhou Senior walked through the lively crowd in the living room and entered the kitchen.

Xiang Ge froze for a moment, then stood up to greet him.

Zhou Senior nodded, pulled a small plate from the nearby shelf, cut a piece of cake, speared it with a fork, and took a bite. As he began walking out, he suddenly stopped halfway, as if remembering something, turned around, and looked at Xiang Ge. His voice was deep, his expression unreadable. “If that brat of mine ever treats you badly, come tell me.”

Xiang Ge: “… “

By evening, most of the guests had left. Aunt Xu, who had cooked the meal, was cleaning up in the kitchen. Xiang Ge helped by tidying up the dishes while chatting with Aunt Xu.

Aunt Xu had worked for the Zhou family for many years. Xiang Ge was laughing as she listened to stories about Zhou Xingyan’s childhood when Su Yinan walked in.

Aunt Xu, being perceptive, quietly excused herself and closed the door behind her, leaving only Xiang Ge and Su Yinan in the kitchen. Su Yinan, whose hands had rarely touched household chores, awkwardly wiped a plate with a damp cloth. When Xiang Ge tried to take it from her, Su Yinan didn’t let go.

Her gaze remained lowered, her movements continuing as she spoke. “When I first got married, I signed a contract with Zhou Xingyan’s father. I told him I absolutely did not want children.”

Xiang Ge was startled. She hadn’t expected the conversation to start like this.

“At that time, my career was taking off. I was at the peak of my rise, filming one movie after another. There was no way I could have children, and I was terrified of my figure changing.” Su Yinan chuckled softly. “Later, after I finished filming a movie and won two Best Actress awards, I achieved a bit of success in my career. Suddenly, I felt it all became meaningless. I wanted to have a child—to play around with the idea.”

Xiang Ge: “… “

Xiang Ge’s expression froze momentarily, not expecting the straightforwardness of this Oscar-winning mother-in-law. She listened as Su Yinan continued, “I married relatively young, and by that time, I’d already been married for a few years. Zhou Xingyan’s father actually loved children very much, but he didn’t seem in any rush at all. Even when I told him I wanted to have a child, his reaction was very calm. He said it was entirely up to me, and that the two of us being together was already enough.”

“Children don’t necessarily have an impact on a marriage. Marriage isn’t about carrying on the family line—it’s simply about two people loving each other. As long as you love him and he loves you, then the love you share is what makes you feel fulfilled and happy. Children shouldn’t be the standard for measuring whether a marriage is happy or not. If a child comes, then you prepare yourself for life with an additional little one. If they don’t come, that’s fine too—you can still be happy every day.”

Xiang Ge held the plate in her hand, her lips pressed tightly together, saying nothing.

“You don’t need to think about anything. Children have their own lives, their own choices, and their own decisions. I won’t interfere too much.” Su Yinan raised her head, her smile gentle yet tinged with excitement. Her voice, which had been calm and narrative-like, suddenly became lively. “So, go ahead and call me ‘Mom’ so I can hear it. I’ve always wanted a daughter! That silly son of mine has been like an unopened flower for so many years—it’s been driving me crazy.”

Xiang Ge opened her mouth, but before she could speak, the kitchen door was abruptly pulled open. Zhou Xingyan stood there, leaning against the doorframe with an impassive expression as he looked at the two of them. “Mom, we’re leaving.”

Su Yinan turned around, her eyes widening. “You two are leaving already? Stay the night! Tomorrow morning, you can go to work with your dad, and I’ll sleep with my future daughter-in-law. We can chat tonight.”

Zhou Xingyan glanced back at Xiang Ge, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I’m off tomorrow, so I don’t need to go to work with Zhou Senior. Besides, this little daughter-in-law of yours is timid—she might get scared of you.”

Su Yinan rolled her eyes, placed the plate in the sink, washed her hands, and came out to see them off.

Xiang Ge and Zhou Xingyan got into the car, while Su Yinan and Zhou Senior went back inside. Xiang Ge fastened her seatbelt, turned her head, and burst into laughter as she looked at Zhou Xingyan.

It was past ten o’clock at night, and the car’s interior light cast a warm yellow glow. She smiled with her eyes curved, her long lashes looking soft and fluffy.

The autumn evening was a bit chilly. Xiang Ge hadn’t put on her overcoat, which she held in her lap, and she shrank her neck slightly. “Xingyan, I talked with both Uncle and Auntie today. Why do I feel like you’ve had such a rough time?”

Zhou Xingyan glanced at her, closed both windows, and turned on the heater. “You’re just realizing this now?”

As the car drove out of the villa area, Xiang Ge slumped lazily in the passenger seat, chatting with him. At first, she was still full of energy, her eyes bright, but soon she began yawning nonstop.

She had been on a twelve-hour flight and hadn’t slept since landing early that morning. After more than twenty hours without rest, her body was utterly exhausted.

At a red light, Zhou Xingyan glanced at her. Xiang Ge rested her head against the car window, looking listless, her eyelids beginning to droop.

He adjusted the heater’s airflow downward. “Sleep for a bit. I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”

Xiang Ge yawned again, her dark eyes glistening with moisture. In a drowsy voice, she murmured, “Then remember to wake me up. I have something to talk to you about when we get home tonight.”

Zhou Xingyan hummed in acknowledgment and reached back to grab her overcoat from the backseat, draping it over her.

As a result, Xiang Ge fell into a deep sleep. She vaguely felt someone carrying her out of the warm car. The midnight air was cold, and she instinctively hunched her shoulders. The arms holding her tightened, wrapping her securely in the coat to block out the chill.

Upstairs, into the house, her body sank into the soft bed. Xiang Ge, still half-asleep, struggled to open her eyes but couldn’t manage it.

Giving up, she curled up under the covers.

Three seconds later, Xiang Ge sat up abruptly.

Zhou Xingyan was still sitting on the edge of the bed, slightly taken aback by her sudden movement. He tilted his head to look at her. “Did you have a dream?”

Xiang Ge’s eyes were a bit red from sleep. Sitting up, she mumbled in a low, tired voice, “I didn’t take off my makeup…”

She raised her head, her expression one of despair. “I need to wash my face and remove my makeup, or I’ll break out tomorrow morning.”

Zhou Xingyan didn’t fully understand the intricacies of a woman’s daily routine and would never comprehend how painful the process of removing makeup could be. He simply found her look of desperation and frustration amusing. “Then go remove it.”

By now, Xiang Ge had woken up a bit and wasn’t in a rush anymore. She pulled out the pillow beneath her, propped it up against the headboard, and leaned back. Tilting her body slightly, she adjusted the angle of the bedside lamp.

“Xingyan, I was too selfish before,” she said, leaning back again after a moment of thought.

Zhou Xingyan raised his eyebrows in surprise. “How were you reckless?”

“I used to think that it was normal for girls to have health issues and that it didn’t really affect my life. But now I realize that whether it affects me or not doesn’t matter—I still need to take care of my health.” Xiang Ge paused briefly, then pouted, lowering her head to glance down at her chest. She even raised her hand to adjust herself twice.

She recalled the group of “妖魔鬼怪” (literally “demons and monsters,” metaphorically referring to attractive women) around Zhou Xingyan. She remembered Lin Ran’s curvaceous figure beneath her white lab coat and Wu Qianyan’s impressive bust. Her voice took on a tone of dejection and frustration. “And… I kind of want my chest to grow a little bigger now.”

Zhou Xingyan was dumbfounded, completely unprepared for the conversation to take this turn.

He froze for two seconds, then burst into laughter.

Xiang Ge still had her hands on her chest and glared at him when she heard him laughing.

Zhou Xingyan couldn’t stop laughing, his lips curling as he leaned closer. His large hand covered her slender, pale ones.

Xiang Ge instinctively tried to pull her hands away, but he held them firmly in place, preventing her from moving.

Their hands overlapped, covering a sensitive and ambiguous area. He grasped her hands, preventing her from moving, and warmth seeped through the fabric of her black dress. Flustered and slightly angry, Xiang Ge looked up at him. “Let go first.”

Instead of releasing her, Zhou Xingyan moved his hand slightly, his smile lingering at the corners of his eyes and lips. Leaning in until their foreheads nearly touched, he gazed at her. “I think you’re perfect just the way you are.”

His voice softened, and the atmosphere between them suddenly grew tender. “But if you really want it, then I’ll work harder from now on.”