SY - 47

This was also something the production team hadn’t expected: an outsider, whose full name wasn’t even known, had become popular.

According to the production team’s usual tactics, they definitely wouldn’t let go of this hot topic.

The subsequent promotions would likely all focus on this “Mr. Jiang.”

Those netizens captivated by his appearance eagerly waited for the production team to deliver more, but overnight, all hot searches related to Mr. Jiang disappeared.

He himself completely vanished without a trace.

[What??????] [The production team used to deliberately edit for hotness, letting netizens cyberbully ordinary people. Now they’re willing to let go of such a good promotional selling point, it’s a bit strange.] [I inexplicably feel that this Mr. Jiang has a significant background, even the production team doesn’t dare offend him.] [His watch is a limited edition Patek Philippe. I won’t list all the clothes he was wearing one by one, but any random shirt he had on costs an unimaginable price. You can imagine it yourself.] [Not only is he handsome, but he’s also so rich. Damn, I love him even more!!!] [Husband, you have to believe that I love you for who you are, definitely not for your looks and your money.]

Song Zhi casually scrolled through. Almost all the comments were declarations of love for Jiang Yanzhou; comments about her were few and far between.

This was good, at least not many people were cursing her.

She scrolled down further and even found comments telling her to directly get into a “bone-love” (incestuous) relationship with Jiang Yanzhou.

What kind of “bone-love” was that?

She locked her phone and put it back on the table. The makeup artist was applying setting powder to her.

This morning she had a magazine cover shoot, and in the afternoon, she had to continue filming.

Xiao Xu pleaded and pestered for a long time, and Song Zhi finally agreed to let him come along.

Since it was a visit to her “maiden home,” He Hanyang would definitely take them directly to the club.

He had never spoken publicly about his family situation, and whenever hosts asked about it during live events, he never answered.

How could someone who protected his family so well expose her to the cameras?

Because the male model had an issue halfway through, the shoot was delayed by a few hours. The production crew had already gone ahead.

The address was sent to Xiao Xu’s phone, telling them to drive over themselves later.

Xiao Xu squinted in confusion: “This isn’t the AOI base address.”

Song Zhi was changing clothes inside and also removed her makeup.

The lighting made her makeup look too heavy.

She then asked the makeup artist to apply a lighter, more casual makeup.

The address was an old residential area, and it took a while to drive there.

Xiao Xu mumbled: “Shouldn’t we be going to the club?”

Song Zhi found his expression amusing: “How about next time I talk to him for you and ask him to take you to the AOI PUBG division?”

Xiao Xu’s eyes lit up, and he instantly regained his usual energy: “Really?”

Song Zhi feigned hitting her own shoulder: “Depends on your performance.”

Xiao Xu immediately came over like a lackey, massaging her legs and shoulders: “I will definitely serve you comfortably.”

The old residential area hadn’t been developed yet, and the roads were bumpy. The further they drove in, the bumpier it got.

Song Zhi in the car was almost carsick and nauseous. Finally, she heard the driver say, “We’ve arrived.”

She covered her mouth, rushed out of the car, and leaned against a trash can to vomit.

Her stomach felt like it was being tightly clenched by a large hand; it was unbearably uncomfortable.

Xiao Xu handed her a bottle of water to rinse her mouth. After a long while, Song Zhi finally recovered slightly.

She looked at the old but vibrant residential area in front of her.

Although the transportation wasn’t very convenient, the air was excellent.

It was an overcast day, no sun, misty.

Xiao Xu used the phone’s GPS to find the house number the director had sent in the winding alleys of houses.

Number 36.

A rusted iron gate, through which various flowers and plants could be seen growing inside.

There was also an old swing in front of the door, clearly quite aged.

After ringing the doorbell, the living room door opened, and He Hanyang appeared.

He was wearing a gray hoodie and black drawstring athletic pants. His long hair was cut short, giving him a very youthful look.

He opened the door, his gaze falling on Song Zhi’s pale face. He hesitated for a moment: “Not feeling well?”

Her stomach was still uncomfortable, Song Zhi shook her head: “I’m okay, just a bit carsick on the way here, threw up for a bit.”

“The roads here aren’t very good,” he said, taking out a tin of mints from his hoodie’s front pocket and handing it to her, “That should help.”

Song Zhi thanked him and took the tin of candy, putting one in her mouth. She did feel much better.

The outside of the house was old, but the inside was very clean and tidy.

The walls were covered with posters of various basketball stars, as well as certificates of merit. Some were yellowed and faded from age.

Song Zhi curiously leaned in for a closer look; all the names written on them were He Hanyang.

She smiled and asked: “Were you that smart when you were studying?”

The latter looked a bit unnatural, his cheeks flushed: “N-not really.”

Being young is endearing; a couple of compliments and he gets shy.

Grandma went in to pour tea. Hearing movement in the living room, she came out with cups. Seeing Song Zhi, she paused for a moment.

“Who is this?”

Charming elders was Song Zhi’s specialty. Her voice was sweet and pretty, and her smile was well-behaved: “Hello, Grandma, I’m Song Zhi, He Hanyang’s...”

She stumbled on the relationship.

She simply left it vague.

Grandma didn’t ask further, smiling as she served them tea, then pulled Song Zhi to sit on the sofa with her.

“What a pretty girl, how old are you?”

In front of elders, Song Zhi was exceptionally well-behaved, answering every question: “I’ll be twenty-three after my birthday this year.”

“Three years older than my Xiaoyang, just right,” she said, her eyes curving into a smile, “A woman three years older brings golden bricks.”

Song Zhi once again marveled at He Hanyang’s age.

Being young is truly great.

Grandma said she was going to stew her best chicken soup for Song Zhi. Song Zhi tried to go in and help but was shooed out by her.

The scenery here is very nice, and the air is fresh.

Song Zhi looked at the swing in the yard and asked He Hanyang: “This must be quite old, right?”

He Hanyang nodded: “Grandma built it on my sixth birthday.”

Song Zhi looked up.

He said: “My birthday gift.”

It had been over ten years, Song Zhi asked: “Can I sit on it?”

He lowered his eyelashes slightly, imperceptibly hiding the smile in his eyes: “You can.”

Song Zhi cautiously sat on it, still quite afraid the ropes would break, as so much time had passed, with wind and sun exposure.

But the swing was quite sturdy.

She swung a few times, her toes lightly touching the ground, and thought that after being there for so long, she had only seen his grandmother. So she asked him, “Where are your parents, are they not home?”

“They passed away when I was very young. Grandma raised me.” A sentence devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Song Zhi looked guilty: “I’m sorry, I didn’t know...”

He just smiled: “There’s nothing to apologize for.”

Sometimes Song Zhi felt he possessed a maturity unsuited for his age, which was actually a bit like Jiang Yanzhou.

They both became independent too early, never complained or grumbled, and when they were tired or hurt, they waited for themselves to heal.

They never yearned for pity from outsiders.

Nor did they deign to.

She suddenly remembered what Grandma had whispered to her earlier in the kitchen.

“This is the first time Xiaoyang has brought a girl home. Don’t let his quiet appearance fool you; he’s actually just shy. He might not be able to say those sweet words to make girls happy, but he will definitely treat you well. If he bullies you, just tell Grandma, and Grandma will teach him a lesson.”

Song Zhi could tell that Grandma was genuinely happy.

She didn’t know how to tell her at the moment.

The truth seemed a bit cruel. Song Zhi suddenly regretted agreeing to this reality show.

The wind picked up; it was a bit cold.

He Hanyang said: “Let’s go inside, it’s probably going to rain soon.”

Song Zhi actually quite liked this overcast weather; the pace of the whole world seemed to slow down, incredibly quiet.

She looked at the dark cloud slowly moving across the sky: “I’ll sit for a bit longer, I’ll go in when it starts raining.”

He Hanyang didn’t speak again but quietly stayed with her.

Song Zhi looked up: “Aren’t you going in?”

He shook his head: “I’ll wait a bit longer too.”

Song Zhi held the swing ropes, gently swaying a few times: “Don’t you think the dark clouds are especially beautiful, all gray?”

He said: “Beautiful.”

“When I was little, every time it rained, I would secretly peek out the window. I was afraid of thunder, but I loved watching the lightning strike the dark clouds. My friends said it was a weird habit, but I thought they were strange. They just couldn’t understand such beautiful clouds and lightning.”

She chattered on and on, and He Hanyang just listened quietly.

Whatever she said, he nodded.

“Mm.” “I like it too.” “Beautiful.”

Like a stooge without emotions.

Dinner was ready, and Grandma called them in, serving Song Zhi a large bowl: “You must try this; it’s Grandma’s secret recipe, you can’t get it anywhere else.”

Song Zhi smiled sweetly: “Thank you, Grandma.”

The soup was delicious, but there was too much. Song Zhi could only drink it in small sips to avoid getting full too quickly.

Xiao Xu was starving; he had been busy all day and hadn’t eaten much.

At this moment, he devoured three bowls like a whirlwind, making Grandma beam with joy: “You’re much more obedient than that rascal of mine.”

Xiao Xu had been with Xia Wanyue for a long time and had developed ears keen on discovering gossip. Hearing Grandma’s words, he instantly perked up: “So He Hanyang was rebellious before too?”

Grandma sighed: “His parents passed away early, and I’m a teacher, usually busy with my own students, so I didn’t have the energy to manage him. By the time I wanted to, he was already disobedient, not going to school or attending classes.”

“So how did he become obedient later?”

“One day, he suddenly became obedient. He handed in his homework on time and started going to school.”

It wasn’t a very dramatic experience.

Song Zhi really couldn’t eat anymore. She felt her stomach was about to burst, but Grandma kept staring at her.

She could only find a random topic to distract her: “The houses here must be very old, right?”

Grandma put down her chopsticks: “Indeed, they are. I moved here with Xiaoyang when he was three. We know all our neighbors, and we’ve grown fond of living here.”

She sighed, “Unfortunately, it’s going to be demolished soon.”

Song Zhi gasped: “Then you must be very reluctant, right?”

Grandma smiled: “I am a little reluctant, but the compensation for the demolition is generous, and they’ve even allotted us two apartments.”

Well, the sentimental moment was over.

After dinner, it was getting late, time to finish work and go home.

Song Zhi bid farewell to Grandma and got into the car parked by the roadside.

Grandma stood at the door, waving goodbye to them, with He Hanyang standing beside her.

Until the car turned at the intersection and completely disappeared from his sight, he looked up at the sky again.

He wasn’t a thoughtful person, nor did he have much cultural depth; he acted entirely on impulse.

But recently, the thing he thought about most was why he hadn’t met Song Zhi earlier.

Their first meeting, Song Zhi had probably long forgotten, but he remembered it forever.

He was fifteen at the time, skipping class to play games at an internet cafe, and happened to run into Song Zhi, who had just arrived in Beicheng.

She was sitting on her silver suitcase, holding a fan to block the sun, her fair skin flushed from the sun, seemingly talking on the phone.

“I’m practically dying from the sun. I don’t care, you have to be here in ten minutes.” Her whining voice was sickeningly sweet. She looked up and saw him, seeming to smile, and said to the person on the phone, “There are so many handsome guys in Beicheng, I even met one at the internet cafe entrance.”

He was introverted and blushed from her words.

After Song Zhi hung up, she glanced at his school uniform: “Skipped class?”

He hesitated for a long time, ignoring her. He put his hand on the sliding door, just about to go in.

Her smiling voice came from behind him: “Little kids who skip class aren’t good, you know.”

He Hanyang gradually stopped, regretting why he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt today.

He was inexplicably afraid.

He was afraid she would see the tattoos on his body.

Even if he didn’t skip class, he was still a “not good” little kid.

She was still smiling, her voice uncharacteristically gentle: “Good little kids are sitting obediently in the classroom listening to lessons right now. No matter how handsome you are, you can’t neglect your studies. When you’re successful in your career later, remember to come find your older sister for a relationship~”

He Hanyang at that time was in his rebellious phase; he wouldn’t listen to anyone.

He resisted studying, resisted school, resisted everything.

But then he met Song Zhi.

That seemingly not-so-proper, yet very gentle person.

All the stories began that summer, with her smile.

He often wondered if he had been born three years earlier, if he had met her before that man, would the outcome have been different.

After that day, he even dreamed of her constantly.

People who mature early also awaken to emotions faster than others.

He suffered from insomnia every day during that period, due to longing and fear.

Longing for the person he had only met once, afraid that he would never have the chance to see her again in this lifetime.

Beicheng was so big; the chances of two people meeting by chance were truly too small.

Until later, he saw her on television. She was wearing a cute little dress, singing a cute song.

He suddenly realized that the seed that had been inadvertently sown had grown to a height that even surprised him, without him even noticing.

He liked her so much, so much that he wanted to give her his life.