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墨書 Inktalez
The plane landed on time at Qingcheng Airport, and the sky was almost dark. This city had become a backdrop for his farce, a place he came and went from repeatedly, with no audience but himself, finding both joy and suffering in his solitude.
"Are we going to eat?" Jia Man asked, dragging her suitcase beside Zhou Xuanyu.
"No."
"Then will you take me home?"
"Take a taxi."
"How can you be like this!" Jia Man pouted. "Where did your gentlemanly demeanor go? Letting a beautiful woman go home hungry, aren't you ashamed?"
"What do you think?" Zhou Xuanyu retorted.
Jia Man couldn't help but laugh; her red lips resembled blooming petals, enough to enchant any man. Yet Zhou Xuanyu's heart had long since drifted away.
"Is this how you were in your past relationships?"
"We're not in a relationship now. There's no comparison," Zhou Xuanyu replied coldly.
He quickened his pace toward the exit, his car parked in the lot right outside the door.
Jia Man jogged to catch up with him.
"I'm increasingly doubting why she is so devoted to you. You are clearly not charming at all."
Zhou Xuanyu knew who Jia Man was referring to, and he couldn't help but feel even more irritated.
He stopped in his tracks.
Jia Man was caught off guard and bumped into him. He carried the crisp scent of tobacco, a remnant from before he boarded the plane. This aroma mixed with his original fragrance was quite pleasant. She instinctively wanted to reach out, but feared being poisoned.
Perhaps she had already been poisoned...
"Don't you think you've been excessive lately?" Zhou Xuanyu looked at Jia Man. "Just because you helped me deal with that Foreigner situation doesn't mean I should indulge you."
Jia Man didn't flinch at all.
"Are you telling me not to mention her because you're about to forget her?"
"Shut up!" Zhou Xuanyu glared at her.
"Alright, alright, I'll keep quiet. You just keep deceiving yourself," Jia Man waved her hand at Zhou Xuanyu. "I'm leaving now. I won't disturb you."
As Zhou Xuanyu watched Jia Man's figure disappear into the flow of people at the airport entrance, the agitation within him gradually calmed down.
He didn’t linger at the airport and headed straight to Junxi's place.
He wasn't sure if she would be there, but he found himself driving in that direction uncontrollably. He was eager to know what was going on with Junxi and Zhou Ziyan, yet terrified of finding out... These conflicting emotions tore at him, but ultimately, the desire to see her prevailed.
Zhou Xuanyu stood downstairs for a moment; lights were on upstairs. The warm yellow glow soothed his cold, aimless heart, and he still went up to knock on the door.
The doorbell rang for quite a while without anyone answering. Just as he was about to call Junxi, the door suddenly swung open.
"Uncle Xuan Yu."
It was Junxi's younger brother, Jun Xuan, who opened the door.
Zhou Xuanyu was a bit surprised.
Jun Xuan, however, seemed unfazed. He poked his head out and smiled at Zhou Xuanyu, his bright eyes sparkling like a clear blue sky.
"Hello," Zhou Xuanyu replied with a smile.
"You’re here to see my sister, right?" Jun Xuan asked. Before Zhou Xuanyu could confirm, he added, "But my sister isn’t home."
"Where did she go?"
Jun Xuan knew that Junxi had gone to see Zhou Ziyan, but after thinking for a moment, he answered, "I don’t know where she went, but she should be back soon. Do you want to come in and sit for a bit?"
"No, that's alright," Zhou Xuanyu smiled. "I'll just come back another time."
The two men really had nothing much to say to each other; sitting together would only add to the awkwardness.
"You should come in," Jun Xuan insisted, grabbing Zhou Xuanyu's arm. "My sister will be very happy to see you."
Will she be happy…?
Zhou Xuanyu hesitated for a moment.
Jun Xuan opened the door wider, leaving enough space for him to enter.
Zhou Xuanyu moved slightly and suddenly asked, "What’s that smell?"
He frowned.
"Ah! I'm making fried rice and forgot to turn off the heat when I came to open the door!" Jun Xuan exclaimed, rushing toward the kitchen.
In addition to the burnt smell, smoke began to billow out as well.
Worried that Jun Xuan might be in danger, Zhou Xuanyu hurriedly followed him.
The once golden fried rice had now turned into a charred mess; it was unappetizing even to look at.
Jun Xuan was momentarily stunned, unsure of what to do.
"Don't move, I'll handle this," Zhou Xuanyu said as he rolled up his sleeves and pushed Jun Xuan aside.
"No, no. I can do it myself."
Jun Xuan felt embarrassed to let Zhou Xuanyu help him clean up the messy kitchen, so he quickly stepped forward.
Zhou Xuanyu had already grabbed a spatula from the cabinet and scooped out the blackened mass from the pan, tossing it into the trash bin in the corner.
Jun Xuan was taken aback; he couldn't believe someone could use his kitchen utensils so skillfully.
Moreover, the man in front of him seemed to be more familiar with the layout of their kitchen and the placement of items than he was.
This was definitely not the first time he had used a kitchen.
"What's wrong?" Zhou Xuanyu turned around and asked when he noticed Jun Xuan's thoughtful expression.
"Xuan Yu Uncle, do you often come to my house as a guest?"
"Hmm?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just asking casually," Jun Xuan quickly waved his hand.
Zhou Xuanyu didn't seem to mind. He helped tidy up the kitchen and then turned to look at Jun Xuan.
"Go put on a jacket. I'm taking you out to eat."
"You want to take me out for a meal?"
"Why not?" Zhou Xuanyu glanced at the freshly cleaned kitchen. "Do you want to cook instead?"
Jun Xuan immediately shook his head.
Zhou Xuanyu raised his hand and gently ruffled Jun Xuan's hair. The two siblings shared the same soft locks.
"Go on."
"Okay."
This was Jun Xuan's first time going out with Zhou Xuanyu. Perhaps worried that he might get hungry, Zhou Xuanyu didn’t drive him far but chose a small restaurant nearby.
For someone of Zhou Xuanyu's status, this kind of restaurant was usually beneath his notice.
Jun Xuan was a bit surprised, but Zhou Xuanyu remained calm. When he got out of the car, he noticed that his vehicle was blocking pedestrians behind him. He even got back in to move it to a more open spot.
In this society, there were plenty of people who, because of their nice cars and wealth, acted arrogantly. But Zhou Xuanyu was truly impressive. Jun Xuan couldn’t help but feel his admiration for him growing.
Once inside the restaurant, the Boss Lady greeted them warmly, and it seemed she recognized Zhou Xuanyu.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with her, Zhou Xuanyu handed the menu to Jun Xuan.
"Order whatever you want," he said.
Jun Xuan looked at the home-style dishes on the menu and then glanced at Zhou Xuanyu.
"Do you come here often?"
"Your sister likes the White Cut Chicken here."
"Oh, really..." Jun Xuan casually marked the White Cut Chicken on the menu. "Is it very good?"
"She said the Boss Lady raises her own free-range chickens at home, so it's healthy."
Speaking of Junxi, Zhou Xuanyu's gaze softened unconsciously. Even from a distance, Jun Xuan could sense the affection.
"What else does my sister like?" Jun Xuan asked nonchalantly, pretending to be troubled as he looked over the menu, as if he were merely seeking advice on what to order.
Without needing to think, Zhou Xuanyu quickly listed a few more dishes.
Jun Xuan checked them off one by one; indeed, these were all dishes his sister loved. Some she had liked for a long time, while others were more recent favorites. Zhou Xuanyu seemed to know her preferences better than he did.
If this were a test for a prospective brother-in-law, Zhou Xuanyu would score full marks—at least in his heart, it was a perfect score.
After ordering, the two sat across from each other, quietly waiting.
"Your sister..." Zhou Xuanyu said suddenly, gripping his teacup. "What happened yesterday..."
"What happened yesterday?" Jun Xuan continued to feign ignorance.
Zhou Xuanyu thought for a moment but decided not to press further. It wasn't appropriate to ask about Zhou Ziyan's confession; even if Jun Xuan knew about it, it would be inappropriate for him to pry into such matters with someone so young.
"Nothing much."
"Speaking of which, it seems there is something after all."
Zhou Xuanyu chose not to ask further, and Jun Xuan took the initiative to speak up.
"What happened?" Zhou Xuanyu prompted.
"My sister went out for a long time last night. It seemed she was looking for someone important for some important meeting." Jun Xuan paused for a moment before continuing, "But she probably didn't find them. When I saw her come back, she looked lost and disheartened. This morning, she got up looking like a wilted eggplant."
Zhou Xuanyu tightened his grip on the teacup slightly.
He shouldn't have left in anger last night.
If he had just waited a little longer, perhaps today's outcome would have been different.
"Uncle Xuan Yu. Did she meet with you last night?" Jun Xuan seemed to see through him.
Zhou Xuanyu didn't hide it; he nodded.
"We did have an appointment last night."
"Did you stand her up, or did she stand you up?"
Jun Xuan asked earnestly, his serious expression making Zhou Xuanyu chuckle. He was still just a child, and only a child would see right and wrong so clearly.
But in love, these distinctions of right and wrong held no meaning.
“Jun Xuan, that’s not important.”
Jun Xuan seemed to understand but not fully: “Then what is important?”
What was important was that they had missed each other, they had misunderstandings, and they might really end up apart…
“You're still young, you don’t understand.”
“Why do you say the same thing as my sister? I’m actually not that young, and I understand just as much as you adults do.” Jun Xuan deliberately emphasized the word "adults."
Seeing Jun Xuan getting worked up, Zhou Xuanyu became interested. He patiently looked at Jun Xuan: “Then tell me, what do you understand?”
This was clearly the tone adults used when teasing children. Jun Xuan was not pleased and decided to go for a big question: “Xuan Yu Uncle, do you like my sister?”
Zhou Xuanyu had prepared himself, but Jun Xuan's question still caught him off guard.
“Do I like her?” Seeing Zhou Xuanyu silent, Jun Xuan felt a sense of triumph.
“Yes,” Zhou Xuanyu replied.
Compared to his earlier teasing, this time Zhou Xuanyu's gaze and expression were sincere.
The weight that had been hanging over Jun Xuan's heart suddenly lifted, and he smiled: “See? I understand quite a bit.”
Zhou Xuanyu took a sip of tea, noncommittal.
Jun Xuan's intelligence was on par with Junxi; he shouldn't just see him as an inexperienced child.
"Jun Xuan, if I were to be with your sister, would you be happy?"
Jun Xuan thought for a moment before answering, "As long as my sister is happy, I will be happy."
Zhou Xuanyu smiled. "That's a good answer. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I'm the one who can make your sister happy."
Jun Xuan could see the bitterness and insecurity hidden behind Zhou Xuanyu's smile.
This man had his doubts, just as he had concerns about him.
"Xuan Yu Uncle, let's make a deal," Jun Xuan leaned in and said softly to Zhou Xuanyu.
"What kind of deal?"
"You answer one of my questions, and I'll tell you a secret." Jun Xuan winked and added, "This secret is related to my sister; I bet you'll like it."
It sounded like a pretty good trade.
Zhou Xuanyu adjusted his sitting position and looked at Jun Xuan.
"You can ask."
"I want to know if there was an unavoidable reason for your departure five years ago." Jun Xuan's tone was cautious because that night, he had seen how panicked Zhou Xuanyu was when he left, as if the whole world had collapsed.
Zhou Xuanyu furrowed his brows, countless fragments of memories flashing through his mind, memories he wished to forget. But he could tell Jun Xuan with certainty, "Yes. I have my reasons that I cannot disclose."
"Good, that's good," Jun Xuan replied.
He didn't want to know what those reasons were; he only needed to understand that Zhou Xuanyu had left his sister against his will, and that was enough.
Zhou Xuanyu felt deeply moved by the understanding displayed by this child.
Indeed, this was a well-raised child with high emotional intelligence, thanks to Wen Junxi.
"I can now tell you for sure that the person my sister likes is you."
"Why?"
Jun Xuan chuckled lightly.
"Because I accidentally saw her diary."
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