DXXZL - 71

Jiang Tu’s message in the group chat caused a brief silence, followed by a flurry of messages that scrolled too fast to read. The classmates from Class 1 still remembered Jiang Tu as a cold and poor boy, while Lu Ji and Zhu Xingyao were seen as the perfect couple, a match made in heaven.

Who would have thought that years later, Jiang Tu and Zhu Xingyao would become a couple?

A little later, Zhu Xingyao came out of the restroom, unaware of the messages in the group. Jiang Tu was already dressed and helped her put on her scarf. Zhu Xingyao kept her head down, too shy to look at him. She had been the one to ask for help earlier but lost strength halfway through. Jiang Tu guided her hands to finish the task, and she still felt her palms burning, her mind filled with the image of Jiang Tu’s slightly red eyes and heavy breathing.

This man always shattered her perceptions in small ways.

Seeing her still-red ears, Jiang Tu smiled with his eyes lowered.

At that moment, Zhu Xingyao’s phone, which had fallen on the carpet, rang. Jiang Tu bent down to pick it up and handed it to her. The call was from Hua Ling, who was calling about the Weibo incident and to confirm work arrangements.

Jiang Tu grabbed the car keys and took her out.

As Zhu Xingyao stepped into the elevator, she softly said, “Let the netizens do what they want with the Weibo thing.”

She hung up and turned to Jiang Tu, “Is this okay? Let Jia Yu handle it herself. And...” She hesitated before whispering, “Jia Yu liked Lu Ji in high school. You might not know, but this situation is affecting him the most. Jia Yu probably told him. Let them handle it, okay?”

Jiang Tu fell silent. Back then, for various reasons, he had pushed Zhu Xingyao towards Lu Ji. Though he despised himself at the time, it wasn’t entirely true that he didn’t care. But from start to finish, the only person he ever wanted was Zhu Xingyao.

The elevator doors opened. He looked down at her, recalling her shy yet curious reaction earlier, and pulled her into his arms. “Alright,” he murmured.

At around ten o’clock, Zhu Xingyao returned home. The living room TV was on, but Zhu Yunping and Ding Yu weren’t watching. They were engrossed in their phones, reading novels and trending topics, barely noticing her return. She called out, “Dad, Mom, I’m back.”

Zhu Yunping glanced back at her, raising an eyebrow. “Finally decided to come back?”

Zhu Xingyao walked over to them. Ding Yu finally looked up from her screen. “Is everything in Waiting for Stars true?”

Zhu Xingyao blushed, mumbling, “Why are even you guys reading it...?”

“It’s trending, and it’s about you. How could we not?” Ding Yu gave her a calm look. “And you went to Beijing to see Jiang Tu without telling us the truth. We thought you were there for work. When you came back, you didn’t even come home—you went to his place.”

“Mom...”

Zhu Xingyao sat beside her, clinging to her arm, pouting playfully.

Ding Yu sighed. “If you have time this weekend, bring him home for dinner. You don’t know how many calls your dad and I got tonight, all asking if you and Jiang Tu are really together.”

Ding Yu and Zhu Yunping hadn’t liked Jiang Tu much before, but now that their daughter was with him, and knowing how long he’d loved her, it was impossible not to be moved. Finding another man who loved their daughter so deeply, and whom their daughter was willing to be with, would be hard—if not impossible.

Zhu Xingyao happily returned to her room and called Lin Jiayu.

Lin Jiayu nervously asked, “Jiang Tu hasn’t replied to my message or called to yell at me. Is he furious?”

“No.” Zhu Xingyao lay on her bed. “I’ve already talked to him. He said you can handle it however you want.”

Lin Jiayu fell silent, then suddenly laughed. “Xingyao, you must have sacrificed a lot, right? Jiang Tu has had a crush on you for so many years. I don’t believe he hasn’t had any ulterior motives. After finally winning you over, if he decides to take things further, he should...”

“No, no!” Zhu Xingyao’s face flushed as she quickly interrupted. Perhaps she had grown up; Lin Jiayu and Li Xixi spoke freely about such matters, but Zhu Xingyao awkwardly said, “Don’t guess randomly. We haven’t done anything yet.”

Lin Jiayu burst out laughing. “I bet Jiang Tu can wait until marriage. He’s the most restrained person I’ve ever met.”

Zhu Xingyao: “...”

Her gaze dropped, feeling a pang of reluctance for his restraint.

That night, Lin Jiayu unlocked the chapter of Waiting for Stars that had been locked for years and posted the newly revised manuscript, adding tens of thousands of words compared to the original version.

Instantly, readers flooded in by the millions.

Late that night, Lu Ji sat in a private room drinking with Xu Xiangyang and Zhou Yuan. His phone buzzed incessantly on the table. He glanced at it a few times, expressionless, as he poured himself another drink. Empty cans were already piled up beside him.

Zhou Yuan, who had stood by Lu Ji through thick and thin, casually skimmed a few lines of the romance novel and angrily tossed his phone aside. “I can’t stand it! Lin Jiayu is such an ingrate! You spent so much effort tutoring her in high school, and she didn’t appreciate it. She even gave you the cold shoulder and sided with Jiang Tu... Now she’s released Waiting for Stars , causing chaos everywhere. I can’t bear to look at it. Everyone online is attacking you—it’s cyberbullying!”

“Stop cursing.” Lu Ji refilled Zhou Yuan’s glass. “I agreed to let her release it.”

Xu Xiangyang and Zhou Yuan froze simultaneously. Xu Xiangyang looked at Lu Ji. “You let Lin Jiayu release it? What are you thinking?”

Lu Ji lit a cigarette, deeply inhaling as smoke enveloped him. His expression was unreadable. “After all these years, that post has remained pinned on the First High School forum. Could Jiang Tu not have deleted it if he wanted to? I could have, too. But neither of us touched it. He probably thinks those things have already become history in everyone’s minds—deleting them wouldn’t change anything. Back then, when Zhu Xingyao and I were dating in high school, he reported us. I don’t think either of us was blameless. All of you sided with me because we’re close, but after all these years, I know the one who wasn’t blameless was me. I had countless opportunities to confess to Zhu Xingyao, but I didn’t.”

“Rewriting this piece of history might be a kind of liberation for me.”

Xu Xiangyang and Zhou Yuan fell silent.

Another wave of messages popped up on Lu Ji’s phone. He glanced down and saw they were from Lin Jiayu—red packets, one after another, endlessly streaming in.

He frowned, picked up his phone, and opened them.

Lin Jiayu didn’t know how many red packets she had sent. She messaged Lu Ji: “Compensation for emotional distress. If it’s not enough, I’ll sell blood to make up for it.”

Finally, she sent a meme of someone kneeling.

Lu Ji’s lips twitched as he replied, “Stand up.”

...

Overnight, the number of favorites for Waiting for Stars surged from over 500 to 60,000 and continued to climb.

The next day, when Jiang Tu arrived at the company, he noticed everyone looking at him with curiosity and envy. First, because everyone now knew Zhu Xingyao was his girlfriend after she rushed into the private room to find him that night. Second, because everyone had seen the trending topic and read Waiting for Stars . The story of a cold and stoic boss secretly loving a girl for twelve years sounded like something out of a fairy tale.

“No wonder the boss never accepted any woman’s advances—he already had someone he liked.”

“How much must a man love a woman to secretly pine for her for twelve years? I’m not envious of anyone in this world except Zhu Xingyao... Wuuuu...”

“Don’t underestimate a poor youth. Did you all read the book? Who would have thought our boss had it so hard back then? Just thinking about it breaks my heart.”

Jiang Tu heard some of the chatter and furrowed his brows.

He was used to being the subject of gossip during his school days, whether it was disdainful or curious looks. But now, being the center of attention and envy because of his relationship felt strange and uncomfortable.

With an impassive expression, Jiang Tu returned to his office. Lao Yuan followed behind him, dark circles under his eyes.

Last night, upon seeing the trending topic, Lao Yuan immediately messaged Lin Jiayu. She sent him the document, and he stayed up all night reading Waiting for Stars . It felt like he had witnessed the youth of Jiang Tu, Zhu Xingyao, and their group of friends. He was moved by Jiang Tu’s restrained and hidden emotions and mourned for himself.

Lao Yuan sighed. “There’s no hope for me and Little Lin anymore...”

Jiang Tu sat behind his desk and looked up at him. “How do you know?”

Lao Yuan sat down in front of him, helpless. “I messaged her last night, and she made things clear.”

Jiang Tu recalled Zhu Xingyao’s words and fell silent.

Lao Yuan was the same age as Jiang Tu. At this age, relationships were often pursued with marriage in mind. He believed feelings could develop over time, and eventually, love would grow. But Lin Jiayu believed love shouldn’t be a compromise for age or marriage. Even if life ultimately settled into calmness and routine, it should at least have been breathtaking while it lasted.

Like Zhu Xingyao and Jiang Tu.

Or Li Xixi and Xu Xiangyang.

That night, news of Ding Xiang waking up arrived.

The next evening, Friday, Jiang Tu, Zhu Xingyao, Li Xixi, and a group of others went to visit Ding Xiang in the hospital.

Ding Xiang’s wife had been staying by his side almost nonstop. Now that he had woken up, she was even less willing to leave. She greeted them warmly and turned to Ding Xiang with a smile. “They’ve come to see you.”

Ding Xiang’s injuries were severe. He had multiple fractures and had just been transferred from the ICU. Though awake, he was still weak and unable to move. Still, he was glad to see Jiang Tu and the others. With a faint smile, he said, “My wife told me you rushed back to see me the other night. I was so moved.”

Jiang Tu and Xu Xiangyang placed the fruit and supplements they bought on the table. Jiang Tu asked, “How are you feeling?”

Ding Xiang grinned. “Not bad. Falling from the third floor, I’m lucky to be alive and not disabled.”

Ding Xiang’s wife immediately glared at him. “What are you saying?”

Li Xixi chimed in, “Can you stop being so crude? Say something auspicious, will you?”

Ding Xiang looked委屈 (wronged), weakly replying, “Isn’t saying I’m lucky… auspicious?”

“Stop talking,” Ding Xiang’s wife said, tears welling up again. “I almost became a widow, and your child almost lost his father. How can you still laugh…?”

Ding Xiang quickly consoled her. “Sorry, sorry…”

Li Xixi hugged her. “It’s alright. A narrow escape brings great blessings!”

Ding Xiang’s wife nodded tearfully and turned to grab some fruit from the basket, heading toward the restroom.

The general ward wasn’t large. Since entering, Zhu Xingyao had deliberately stood farther away, near the restroom door. As Ding Xiang’s wife reached the doorway, her steps faltered, and she collapsed softly toward Zhu Xingyao. Zhu Xingyao screamed in shock, her face pale, stumbling backward.

Jiang Tu reacted swiftly, stepping forward to catch Ding Xiang’s wife before she fell on Zhu Xingyao.

Ding Xiang’s wife fainted against Zhu Xingyao, who felt the bulge of her belly pressing against her. Taking a few deep breaths, she stiffly reached out to support her. Seeing this, Li Xixi immediately ran over and helped shift Ding Xiang’s wife onto herself.

“Xiangyang, come help!” Li Xixi shouted.

Xu Xiangyang quickly came over and carried the pregnant woman to the nearby accompanying bed.

Lin Jiayu ran off to call the doctor.

Jiang Tu felt Zhu Xingyao trembling slightly in his arms, thinking she was frightened. He held her tighter and whispered soothingly, “It’s alright. She’s probably just exhausted from the past few days.”

Zhu Xingyao’s slender fingers clutched tightly at his clothes, her face buried in his chest as she tried to steady her breathing.

Li Xixi turned her head, looking at her with concern.

Soon, the doctor arrived. Ding Xiang’s wife, who hadn’t rested properly in days and had been constantly worried, couldn’t handle the strain as a pregnant woman. She had gone into premature labor and was transferred to the obstetrics department, leaving Ding Xiang so shocked he nearly fainted again.

At ten o’clock that night, the group left the hospital.

After Ding Xiang’s wife fainted, Zhu Xingyao became unusually quiet.

Jiang Tu led her to the car. Suddenly, Zhu Xingyao remembered the screenshot Li Xixi had sent her the night before. Jiang Tu’s message in the group chat—”When we get married, I’ll invite everyone to our wedding banquet”—had been sincere. He truly wanted to marry her. Jiang Tu opened the car door, but Zhu Xingyao suddenly tugged at him and softly called, “Tu Ge?”

“Hmm?” Jiang Tu turned around. “Get in the car and talk. It’s cold outside.”

Zhu Xingyao didn’t move. Her hand slipped through his open coat, hugging his waist tightly. She looked up at him, struggling to speak. “Tu Ge, if I don’t want to have children, would you mind? Or if I don’t want to get married… if we break up…”