DXXZL - 54

The street no longer bore its old, dilapidated appearance of years past. It was bustling with people, clean and tidy. Behind them, the silhouettes of skateboarders zipped by. Jiang Tu didn’t let go, and Zhu Xingyao didn’t move either, tacitly accepting the embrace.

The noise of skateboards scraping against the ground approached again. Who knew which troublemaker had started it, but a group of teenagers on skateboards surrounded them, circling and whistling.

Passersby stopped to watch curiously, murmuring among themselves. Some commented on how handsome the man was and how good the woman’s figure looked, though her face was hidden under her hat. Others joked, “Were these skateboarders hired? Is this some new kind of romantic gesture?”

Zhu Xingyao: “...”

Zhu Xingyao looked up at Jiang Tu in confusion. Jiang Tu was gazing down at her, his deep, dark eyes visible behind his glasses. His hand moved from her waist to her hand, and he whispered, “Lower your head and follow me.”

Zhu Xingyao hesitated for a moment, pulling her hat further down, and softly replied, “Okay.”

Jiang Tu turned to look at the group of teenagers, his gaze icy. They immediately skated away. Keeping her head down, Zhu Xingyao followed Jiang Tu across the street toward the newly opened shop. When they reached a secluded corner, Zhu Xingyao looked up at the man walking slightly ahead of her. Gone was the uncertainty of her youth; she now understood her feelings for Jiang Tu clearly.

Her fingertips moved, lightly brushing against his palm.

Jiang Tu paused mid-step, unsure if she wanted to pull her hand away or was responding. Without hesitation, he tightened his grip on her hand.

It wasn’t until they reached the entrance of the shop that Jiang Tu finally let go of her hand. He looked down at her and said, “Let’s go in.”

At this hour, there were few customers in the shop. Jiang Tu had Zhu Xingyao sit at a corner table while he went to order. He ordered two servings of duck blood vermicelli, a few snacks, and a bottle of room-temperature soy milk. The brand wasn’t the same one she had liked back in school.

After tasting a bite of the noodles, Zhu Xingyao looked up and said, “It’s not as good as Cao’s.”

Seeing her earnest critique, Jiang Tu couldn’t help but smile. “That shop has been around for many years. Their taste has always been the best. Let’s go there next time.”

Zhu Xingyao agreed, lowering her lashes thoughtfully. She wondered if the owner still remembered her—the time she cried in his shop, asking about Jiang Tu’s family and address. Even though she tried to stay low-key, she was still somewhat of a public figure. And the owner clearly recognized Jiang Tu. If she appeared with him, would the owner remember? She didn’t want Jiang Tu to know about that incident.

Having just gotten off the plane, Zhu Xingyao didn’t have much of an appetite. She sipped the soy milk through a straw while Jiang Tu finished the remaining food. Noticing the obvious fatigue in her eyes after a long flight, he quickly stood up and said softly, “Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”

Zhu Xingyao dozed off for about ten minutes in the car before it stopped. Jiang Tu turned to look at her and gently asked, “Do you have any plans for the next few days?”

“Tomorrow is my mom’s birthday,” Zhu Xingyao replied, looking at him. “I promised the principal I’d perform at the school anniversary gala. Xixi will be back tomorrow night, and we’ll rehearse on the 3rd and 4th.”

Jiang Tu recalled that October 4th was Shu Xian’s 50th birthday. He nodded. “Alright. I’ll help you carry your luggage inside.”

Zhu Xingyao quickly responded, “No need. My parents are here... I’ll call Old Liu to help me with the luggage.”

Old Liu soon came out to assist with the bags. As he walked with Zhu Xingyao into the yard, he couldn’t help but ask, “Miss, are you secretly dating that young man? Without telling the family…?”

Zhu Xingyao corrected him. “Uncle Liu, his name is Jiang Tu.”

After Zhu Xingyao took a shower, Ding Yu helped her unpack. Half an hour later, Zhu Xingyao emerged from the bathroom in her sleepwear, catching Ding Yu counting her medication bottles. Unhappy, she said, “Mom, why are you counting my pills again?”

Ding Yu set the bottles down and looked at her fondly. “You’ve only taken three pills. That’s much better than before.”

Zhu Xingyao sat down at her vanity table to begin her nightly skincare routine. With her head bowed, she softly said, “Yes, it’s much better. I don’t have nightmares anymore.” Her nightmares had decreased significantly. She rarely dreamed of chasing Jiang Tu anymore—those dreams where she could never catch up and ended up falling, her legs covered in blood.

Ding Yu glanced at the white robot on the table, patted Zhu Xingyao’s head, reminded her to sleep early, and then left, closing the door behind her.

In the living room, Zhu Yunping was still watching the evening news. Ding Yu sighed beside him. Zhu Yunping looked down and asked his wife, “What’s wrong? Did our daughter take too many pills again?”

“No, she only took three,” Ding Yu smiled. “Did you see that robot? She treasures it so much, but I don’t know who sent it... Wasn’t Lu Ji studying computer science back then? Could it be from him?”

Zhu Yunping chuckled. “They broke up in college. It’s been so many years.”

Ding Yu said, “I’m wondering if they’ve rekindled their romance.”

“It’s unlikely. If they could reconcile, they would have done so long ago,” Zhu Yunping sighed. “When Xingyao was sexually harassed in her senior year, it was Jiang Tu who beat the guy up for her. An ordinary classmate wouldn’t have done that. Xingyao got into a fight with Chen Yi because of Jiang Tu. Didn’t the psychologist suggest finding Jiang Tu? I did. He studied artificial intelligence in the U.S.”

Fate had already intertwined these two long ago. Sooner or later, they were bound to meet again.

That evening, Zhu Xingyao and Zhu Yunping were helping Ding Yu cut her birthday cake when messages began flooding the WeChat class group chat. After finishing her cake, Zhu Xingyao glanced at her phone. Xu Xiangyang was organizing a reunion, scheduled for the evening of the 5th.

Almost everyone had signed up.

Xu Xiangyang: “We’ve never had such a full turnout during New Year gatherings.”

Class Monitor: “Jiang Tu and Zhu Xingyao haven’t spoken yet. Are they coming?”

Li Xixi: “If I’m going, Xingyao will definitely come. We’ll leave right after the performance at eight.”

Someone dared to @Jiang Tu but received no response.

The group fell silent for a moment.

Zhu Xingyao thought for a moment and typed, “I’m coming.”

The next second.

Jiang Tu: “Mm.”

Li Xixi: “...”

Soon, Zhu Xingyao received a private voice message from Li Xixi: “Are you two together? You even send messages at the same time. When you say something, and he responds with an ‘Mm,’ it feels like you’re speaking for both of you.”

Zhu Xingyao realized it really did seem that way...

She sent Li Xixi a picture: “I was just helping my mom cut her birthday cake.”

Her phone buzzed with a private message.

Jiang Tu: “Should I turn on Xiao Jiang?”

After Zhu Xingyao gave Ding Yu her birthday gift and spent some more time with her, she went upstairs. She took a photo of Xiao Jiang with a handkerchief covering its “head” and sent it to Jiang Tu before removing the cloth and tapping the “On-Demand Assistant” service.

Zhu Xingyao and Li Xixi had prepared two performances: one where Li Xixi sang while Zhu Xingyao accompanied her on the cello, and another solo cello performance by Zhu Xingyao. In the afternoon, Lin Jiayu sent a string of crying emojis and asked Zhu Xingyao, “Where are you guys? I want to come visit. Writing manuscripts is driving me bald!”

Zhu Xingyao sent her the address. Li Xixi added, “Jiayu, it’s almost afternoon tea time. Bring us some snacks, okay?”

Not long after, Lin Jiayu burst through the door with a large bag of afternoon tea. Li Xixi immediately stopped working and ran out to greet her. “Xingyao, pause for a bit. I’m starving.”

The three sat at the table enjoying their tea. Suddenly, Li Xixi remembered something and turned to Zhu Xingyao. “Where’s your robot? Didn’t you say you’d show it to me?”

Zhu Xingyao set down her cake fork, stood up, and retrieved Xiao Jiang from her bag, placing it on the table. Li Xixi said, “I want to see the On-Demand Assistant.”

Li Xixi had been curious ever since Zhu Xingyao mentioned it. While phones could connect anytime, the robot’s service sounded romantic. Zhu Xingyao glanced at her and tapped the screen.

Jiang Tu was driving when the call connected. After answering, he placed his phone back, so only his voice came through: “Is this you calling, or is Xiao Jiang acting up again?”

Lin Jiayu: “...”

Li Xixi: “...”

Both turned to look at Zhu Xingyao.

Zhu Xingyao quickly explained, “It’s me. Xixi wanted to try the robot, and Jiayu is here too.”

Lin Jiayu asked, “What do you mean by ‘acting up’?”

The phrase “acting up” was Zhu Xingyao’s description. Jiang Tu, looking ahead, found it rather cute. He chuckled, “It’s a test unit. The functions aren’t very stable.”

After Zhu Xingyao ended the service, Li Xixi stared at the robot pensively. “Xiao Jiang... Doesn’t the name sound like it could belong to your son?”

Zhu Xingyao: “...”

Lin Jiayu burst out laughing. “Now that you mention it, it really does!”

Zhu Xingyao glared at her. “Isn’t this better than all those names you suggested? Anyway...” She changed the subject. “What manuscript are you writing that’s making you go bald?”

“This...” Lin Jiayu hesitated, unable to tell her that she was writing a story about Zhu Xingyao and Jiang Tu. Of course, the story included their entire group, but she couldn’t fully capture everyone’s perspective. She could only write what she knew and understood—a mix of reality and imagination. Especially from Zhu Xingyao’s point of view, which was particularly difficult to write. After a pause, she quietly asked, “What if I told you I’m writing a story about our group? Would you be okay with it?”

Both women froze. Zhu Xingyao asked, “Our group?”

Lin Jiayu decided to come clean. “Yes, think about it! Our group includes Lu Ji and Xu Xiangyang, who won gold medals in physics competitions and were directly admitted to Tsinghua. Xingyao was the school goddess, holding solo concerts since she was a teenager. Xixi rose to fame through talent shows, and now everyone knows her. Ding Xiang became a police officer, and Zhou Yuan gained recognition as a photographer. Don’t you think this is great material?”

Especially Zhu Xingyao, who was undoubtedly the protagonist.

Li Xixi suddenly became interested. “Write it! Include me and Xu Xiangyang too. Ask whatever you want—I’ll tell you. My rival company even published a book, and my agent wants me to write one, but I can’t possibly do that.”

They stopped practicing songs and the cello, instead reminiscing about their high school days.

In the end, while Zhu Xingyao was in the restroom, Lin Jiayu pulled Li Xixi aside and whispered, “There are some things I can’t ask Xingyao directly. Can I ask you instead?”

Li Xixi raised an eyebrow. “You want to ask about her and Lu Ji?”

Lin Jiayu nodded fervently. Li Xixi spilled everything she knew.

Lin Jiayu was stunned. “You mean Lu Ji wrote eighty-seven love letters to Zhu Xingyao? Starting from the freshman welcome party, every Friday?”

Li Xixi nodded. “Yes, for nearly three years. Except for one week—when Zhu Xingyao and Lu Ji were reported for early dating, there was no letter that week. Every other time, rain or shine, the letters arrived. Each one was signed with a ‘J.’ You sat next to Lu Ji for a year—you know how bad his handwriting was. He often used letters instead of signing his full name.”

Zhu Xingyao walked back in, and Lin Jiayu turned to look at her, stunned.

Zhu Xingyao asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

Lin Jiayu forced a smile. “Nothing.”

Lin Jiayu had sat next to Lu Ji for a year and never saw him write love letters. His handwriting was indeed terrible—he avoided writing whenever possible. Sometimes, when she asked him to write out math steps, he’d lazily sign with a “J” afterward.

But...

“J” could also stand for Jiang.

Eighty-seven love letters, all signed with a “J”—bad handwriting... Yet, Jiang Tu’s handwriting was beautiful.

Lin Jiayu racked her brain trying to recall everything about Lu Ji back then. She still couldn’t imagine him patiently writing eighty-seven love letters. It seemed more like something Jiang Tu, hiding in the shadows, would do.

On October 4th, for Shu Xian’s birthday, Jiang Lu booked a restaurant and invited several of Shu Xian’s close friends, along with Lin Jiayu’s family. During the candle-lighting ceremony, Jiang Lu hugged Shu Xian’s shoulders and said, “Mom, make a wish for some romance this year.”

Shu Xian was startled and playfully slapped his hand. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Jiang Lu grinned. “I’m serious! You’re only fifty—still young. You should find someone to spend your life with. If you remarry, my brother and I won’t object, right, Brother?” He tilted his chin toward Jiang Tu.

Jiang Tu stood on the other side, his expression unreadable. He glanced at Shu Xian and said, “This is Mom’s business.”

Shu Xian’s eyes reddened, and she wiped away a tear. “Oh, stop talking about this. I haven’t thought that far ahead. What I hope for now is that you’ll find a girlfriend soon, get married, and if you have kids, I’ll help raise them.”

Jiang Lu puffed out his chest confidently. “You can count on me for that.”

Shu Xian glared at him. “I wasn’t talking about you.”

Jiang Lu said, “I know. I was guaranteeing it for my brother.”

Jiang Tu glanced at him but said nothing more.

After a while, he took the bill and went outside to pay.

As the group left the restaurant, Jiang Tu dropped Jiang Lu and Shu Xian off at their apartment complex. Just as he was about to drive off, someone tapped on the car window—it was Lin Jiayu.

Jiang Tu and Lin Jiayu stood in front of the car. He looked down at her and asked, “What is it?”

Lin Jiayu looked up and asked directly, “Jiang Tu, did you write love letters to Xingyao in high school? Eighty-seven love letters—did you write them?”

Jiang Tu frowned, paused for a moment, and asked, “How do you know about that?”

Lin Jiayu sighed. “So it was you who wrote them.”

She added, “But your handwriting is beautiful. Did you intentionally write badly?”

“What are you trying to say?” Jiang Tu frowned.

Lin Jiayu said helplessly, “Xingyao thinks those eighty-seven love letters were written by Lu Ji.”

Jiang Tu was shocked, unable to believe it. “What did you say?”

Lin Jiayu had never seen Jiang Tu look so astonished. She repeated, “Xingyao thinks the eighty-seven love letters were written by Lu Ji. The letters, the starlight lamps, and what else? There must be more, right? Aren’t you pushing her toward Lu Ji with all these things?”

“Jiang Tu... If I were Xingyao, I’d definitely be furious with you.”