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墨書 Inktalez
After Zhou Xuanyu got up, he drove with Junxi and Jun Xuan to the only supermarket in town to prepare for the New Year.
This was the only large supermarket in the town, and with the holiday approaching, many people were shopping for the festivities, creating a bustling crowd that seemed to push everyone around.
"Keep up," Zhou Xuanyu occasionally glanced back at Junxi.
Junxi clung tightly to Zhou Xuanyu's arm like a child, while Jun Xuan had already darted off into the supermarket, disappearing in an instant.
"Mom, I want this," a little boy squatted in front of a shelf, pointing at a chocolate bar while looking back for his mother.
Following his gaze, Junxi saw a young couple leading a little girl toward them.
They were twins.
The little girl looked exactly like the little boy.
"But your sister said she wanted to buy this. We can only choose one," the young mother squatted down and gently patted the boy's head.
The boy's hand lingered on the chocolate packaging; though reluctant, he obediently let go.
"Mom, I don't want my Oreo Cookies anymore. Let's buy the chocolate my brother wants," the sweet-looking little girl took the cookies out of the shopping cart and placed them back on the shelf.
Junxi followed Zhou Xuanyu as they walked further away, but she couldn't help glancing back at that family.
"What's wrong?" Zhou Xuanyu noticed something was off with Junxi.
"Nothing," she shook her head, a slight smile appearing on her lips. "I just suddenly remembered the past."
In the past, she often went grocery shopping with her parents and younger brother. But back then, she and her brother weren't as close as they should have been. Ever since her brother Jun Xuan was born, Junxi felt that her father had started to favor boys over girls, and his love for her diminished.
Because of this, she often clashed with her brother and frequently argued with her father, even running away from home. Looking back now, she realized how spoiled she had been during that time.
If she could return to the past, she would never waste those precious moments on such meaningless jealousy.
"Your dad loves you just as much as he loves Jun Xuan."
That was the last thing her father Wen Wei said to her before he went to prison. Whenever Junxi thought about it now, her heart ached uncontrollably.
"Junxi." Zhou Xuanyu stopped and looked at her. He noticed her slightly reddened eyes.
A young lady who had once been sheltered from the hardships of life had somehow transformed into an ordinary girl easily moved by emotions.
Zhou Xuanyu felt a pang of sympathy.
"I'm fine," Junxi quickly waved her hand dismissively.
Zhou Xuanyu didn't respond; he simply reached out and gently touched Junxi's hair.
"Sis! Sis!"
Jun Xuan's voice came through the crowd.
Junxi turned around and saw Jun Xuan excitedly waving at her.
Next to Jun Xuan stood a man.
"Uncle Li," Junxi murmured.
"Sister, look who I ran into!" Jun Xuan exclaimed, gripping Li Mu's hand and pulling him toward Junxi. "It's Uncle Li!"
Li Mu had been her father Wen Wei's assistant back in the day, but after her father was imprisoned, he left Qingcheng. Junxi had always wondered where he had gone, so she was surprised to run into him again in Yilan.
"Uncle Li," Junxi called out.
Li Mu nodded, though his expression did not reflect the joy of a long-awaited reunion. Compared to Jun Xuan's excitement, he seemed rather subdued.
However, Junxi knew that was just his nature.
"It's been a while; you both have grown up," Li Mu said, glancing at Junxi and then at Jun Xuan. "When Xuan called me just now, I almost didn't recognize him."
Junxi smiled.
"Is Uncle Li living in Yilan now?"
"No," Li Mu quickly denied, as if afraid that taking a moment too long would reveal his whereabouts.
Junxi paused for a moment.
Li Mu seemed to feel that something was amiss and quickly explained, "I'm just here visiting relatives; I'll be leaving in a few days."
At this point, the conversation seemed to have reached a natural pause. Coincidentally, a woman on the other side of the shelf was calling out Li Mu's name loudly.
Seizing the opportunity, Li Mu took his leave, and Junxi did not try to stop him. Before he left, he hesitated for a moment and glanced at Zhou Xuanyu before departing.
Zhou Xuanyu did not know this person, yet it felt as if he recognized him.
"Uncle Li doesn't seem to want to see us," Jun Xuan said, suddenly coming back to reality after being excited just moments before.
Junxi wrapped her arm around her brother. "No, Uncle Li just has something urgent to attend to."
This was, of course, Junxi's way of comforting her brother. She had noticed how Li Mu had been avoiding them.
However, she did not blame him.
After their father was suddenly imprisoned years ago, Uncle Li had come to her offering money, but Junxi had refused. Losing his job meant that he was no better off than they were.
Whether to give or not was one thing; whether to accept was another. In any case, she felt touched by his intentions.
Now, she preferred to believe that it was simply a matter of estrangement.
She couldn't tell if it was because he feared hurting her feelings or if her brother was just oblivious, but soon enough, Jun Xuan bounced back to his earlier excitement. He darted around like a little monkey.
"Stop running around," Zhou Xuanyu reminded him.
"I'm just trying to give you two some time alone."
"With so many people coming and going, what difference does it make if there's one more you or one less you?"
Jun Xuan pouted, "Uncle Xuan Yu, why don't you understand my concerns?"
Zhou Xuanyu scanned the items on the shelves and asked leisurely, "Jun Xuan, since you support me being with your sister so much, when will you change how you address me?"
"What?" Jun Xuan was momentarily taken aback.
"Call me 'Brother.'" Zhou Xuanyu said seriously.
Jun Xuan couldn't help but laugh.
Zhou Xuanyu raised an eyebrow. Shouldn't she change how she addressed him? Just yesterday, when facing Bai Zigou, didn't she enthusiastically call him 'brother-in-law'?
Jun Xuan blinked, clearly feeling shy.
"Let's take it slow on this."
"How much longer do we need to wait?" Zhou Xuanyu said, somewhat dissatisfied.
"Until you actually marry my sister."
Jun Xuan put on a principled expression.
Zhou Xuanyu nodded; such a request was still acceptable.
After finally organizing the New Year shopping list that Grandma had given him, Jun Xuan was still clamoring to buy firecrackers, seemingly without a hint of fatigue.
He really hadn’t set off firecrackers during the New Year for a long time, as doing so in Qingcheng would lead to complaints being filed under the guise of disturbing the peace.
But Yilan was different; the customs here were genuine, and with ample space, setting off firecrackers was an essential part of the Spring Festival for every household. It was no wonder that Jun Xuan had this on his mind.
Zhou Xuanyu had no objections to Jun Xuan's sudden whim. Even though the store selling firecrackers was a bit far from the supermarket, he drove there without a second thought.
Along the way, Jun Xuan animatedly described to Zhou Xuanyu how his father used to take him back to Yilan to set off firecrackers when he was a child.
Junxi leaned quietly in the passenger seat, listening.
Over the past five years, she had experienced too much heartache that most people couldn’t imagine. For Junxi, some of those happy times from the past were memories she dared not revisit, while others she had truly forgotten.
To her surprise, those things she had forgotten, Jun Xuan still remembered.
“My dad always lit the firecrackers himself. I would watch with my heart in my throat every time. But he always said that a man should be brave and face demons and monsters in the world; what’s there to be afraid of?”
Facing demons and monsters… To say such things to his own son, Director Wen’s integrity and courage could already be guessed at.
A man like that would never engage in any wrongdoing.
“I wasn’t scared anymore after that, but my sister is a coward.” Jun Xuan suddenly shifted the topic to Junxi: “Every time the firecrackers went off, she would run away in fright. My dad would have to chase after her to cover her ears. Uncle Xuan Yu, don’t you think that’s embarrassing?”
“Wen Junxuan, can you please give me some face?” Junxi turned back and shot her brother a glare before quickly looking at Zhou Xuanyu: “He’s just making things up; I wasn’t that scared.”
Zhou Xuanyu focused intently on the road ahead, but a smile had already crept onto his lips.
"Don't laugh!" Junxi blushed.
Just then, the traffic light turned red. He stopped the car, turned his head, and gently removed the hand that was covering Junxi's cheek, looking at her tenderly. "Junxi, admitting to being timid is not shameful."
The next day was New Year's Eve. Early in the morning, Bai Zigou personally came to invite Zhou Xuanyu and Junxi's family to dinner at his home.
Zhou Xuanyu initially didn't plan to go, but then he thought about how the old lady would be living in Yilan and would rely on Bai Zigou's care. It would be inappropriate not to accept this favor.
After some discussion, Zhou Xuanyu took Jun Xuan along to the Bai Family. Zhou Xuanyu figured that such social obligations were better handled by men.
Junxi stayed at home with her grandmother to prepare for the reunion dinner that evening.
There are many customs in the countryside, and New Year's Eve feels even busier than a regular workday. However, thinking about celebrating the New Year with Zhou Xuanyu and her grandmother and younger brother made Junxi quite excited.
Zhou Xuanyu and Jun Xuan returned quickly. Zhou Xuanyu had been fed some alcohol by Bai Zigou and collapsed into bed as soon as he got home.
"Why didn't you stop him?" Junxi came out of Zhou Xuanyu's room and couldn't help but scold her brother.
"Does Uncle Xuan Yu not know his limits? He accepted drinks without hesitation, hoping that Bai Zigou would take good care of Grandma in the future," Jun Xuan replied seriously, clearly understanding the underlying social dynamics.
"Alright, alright, hurry up and prepare some hangover soup," their grandmother urged Junxi, who was still in a daze.
Junxi smiled. She could tell that if her grandmother had doubts about Zhou Xuanyu a few days ago, now her heart had completely melted for him.
Zhou Xuanyu was the kind of man that, having him, was her fortune.
Junxi went to the kitchen to make a hangover soup and brought it to Zhou Xuanyu's room.
He had his eyes closed, not fully asleep. Upon hearing Junxi enter, he opened his eyes.
"Get up and drink some hangover soup," Junxi said as she walked over, placing the bowl on a small round table beside him and gently helping him sit up.
"I'm fine," Zhou Xuanyu replied, pressing his fingers against his temples. He lightly embraced Junxi, resting his head on her shoulder.
Perhaps due to the alcohol, his body felt warm, and his gaze was heated.
Junxi took a sip of the hangover soup herself first to check the temperature before bringing the bowl to Zhou Xuanyu's lips.
"Drink this. Otherwise, you won't have any appetite for all the delicious dishes Grandma made."
Zhou Xuanyu nodded and took a deep breath before finishing the soup. The taste was not pleasant, causing him to furrow his brow.
"Wait a moment; I'll get you a piece of candy," Junxi said as she started to stand up. Zhou Xuanyu quickly pulled her back, holding her by the back of her head and drawing her closer.
"Mm..."
Junxi was taken by surprise as he kissed her lips.
He kissed her as if he were about to savor a piece of candy. Junxi responded passively, her delicate body caught in his fiery embrace, gradually melting into him.
After a long while, he finally released her.
Junxi, blushing, asked him softly, "Do you want more candy?"
Zhou Xuanyu shook his head.
It was already sweet enough; there was no need for any more candy.
As night fell, the entire world seemed to come alive with noise. With Zhou Xuanyu by her side, the sounds of fireworks and firecrackers felt more festive than in any previous year.
Grandma had prepared a feast laid out on the table, most of which consisted of Zhou Xuanyu's favorite dishes.
Zhou Xuanyu seemed a bit overwhelmed by the attention.
Junxi winked at him. Love is mutual; his respect and care for Grandma earned him her trust and affection. Everything was just right.
What made Junxi feel happy was that the person she loved also loved her in return.
"Come on, Xuan Yu, eat more."
The old lady occasionally called out to Zhou Xuanyu, making both Junxi and Jun Xuan feel a twinge of jealousy.
"Grandma, why are you so biased?" Jun Xuan pouted playfully.
The old lady smiled, "It's not that Grandma is biased; it's that you're stingy."
"Where am I stingy?" Jun Xuan huffed, "I even gave my sister to Xuan Yu Uncle."
That was his beloved sister.
"That's exactly why Grandma treats him well!" The old lady gently patted Jun Xuan's forehead and turned to Zhou Xuanyu. "Xuan Yu, you should know the hardships our Junxi has faced over the years. I ask for nothing but for you to treat her well in the future."
The warmth in Grandma's voice made Junxi's eyes sting. She lowered her head, pretending to eat her food.
"I will."
Zhou Xuanyu's firm voice came through.
Junxi blinked, and tears fell down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away.
"Sis, why are you crying?"
Although Junxi acted quickly, she was still caught by Jun Xuan.
"I'm not. I'm happy."
"If you're happy, then smile!" Jun Xuan set down his chopsticks and walked over, lifting Junxi's chin with one hand. He pressed his fingers against the corners of her lips and gently pulled them upward. "There, smile!"
Junxi couldn't help but burst into laughter at her brother's antics.
Jun Xuan took the opportunity to wrap his arm around Junxi's shoulders, looking at Zhou Xuanyu with the same intensity Grandma had just shown him.
“Uncle Xuan Yu, let me tell you, if you ever bully my sister again, I will definitely come to fight you!”
Junxi pinched her younger brother's cheek. “It's the New Year, can you say something nice for once? Besides, who knows who will bully whom in the future?”
After saying that, Junxi made a funny face at Zhou Xuanyu.
Zhou Xuanyu curled his lips slightly, his eyes filled with affection.
Jun Xuan nodded thoughtfully and then, as if to complain, said to the old lady, “Grandma, you have no idea! I saw my sister get up this morning and demand Uncle Xuan Yu carry her to brush her teeth. Can you believe he actually did it? At this rate, Uncle Xuan Yu is definitely going to be a henpecked husband.”
Hearing Jun Xuan's words, the old lady also noticed the subtle interactions between Zhou Xuanyu and Junxi. She thought that an older husband and a younger wife wasn't necessarily a bad thing; one was charming while the other was considerate, and their love could last longer that way.
After dinner, Jun Xuan started clamoring to set off firecrackers.
The firecrackers he bought with Zhou Xuanyu were hung at the front door. When they were buying them, Zhou Xuanyu had wanted to buy fireworks too, but Junxi objected, saying they were too flashy.
After all, in this rural area, very few people could afford fireworks for entertainment. The Wen Family was already seen as a declining household by many; it was better to maintain this “decline” and live a simple life.
Jun Xuan was the one excitedly insisting on buying firecrackers but was too scared to light them. In the end, it was still Zhou Xuanyu who had to step in.
Zhou Xuanyu took the firecrackers out to the wide cement ground in front of the door and secured them with a long stick. Once he confirmed everything was safe, he lit a cigarette.
“Here it goes!” Jun Xuan clapped his hands excitedly like a child.
As Zhou Xuanyu ignited the firecrackers with his cigarette, he quickly ran back.
Junxi had not yet reacted when the man was already standing in front of her, covering her ears.
The sound of firecrackers suddenly diminished by several decibels in her ears.
Zhou Xuanyu's eyes sparkled as he looked at her with such tenderness, and in that moment, she felt his love.
Junxi's eyes began to well up with tears again.
Zhou Xuanyu instinctively pulled her into his embrace.
The sounds of firecrackers echoed around them, and the fleeting sparks exploded in front of her. She watched and listened while feeling the warmth this man provided.
"Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year."
Junxi and Zhou Xuanyu spoke simultaneously, then paused and exchanged smiles.
"What is your New Year's wish?" His voice seemed small amidst the firecracker sounds, but Junxi heard him clearly.
She thought for a moment.
"I hope to clear my parents' name soon."
Zhou Xuanyu did not expect her to express such a wish for the New Year, but after a moment of reflection, he found it reasonable.
At a time that should have been a family reunion, her parents were imprisoned, which truly tugged at the heartstrings.
"Is there anything else?" he asked.
Junxi shook her head, holding Zhou Xuanyu tightly.
"I am so happy right now, happy to the point that whenever I think of my parents in prison, I feel overwhelming guilt. How could I dare to wish for anything more? All I want is for them to come out and enjoy their old age peacefully."
Zhou Xuanyu gently patted the back of her head, her long hair entwining and then falling away from his fingertips.
He could sense Junxi's urgency and fully understood her feelings.
"Did I ruin your mood?"
Seeing him silent, Junxi asked with a hint of guilt.
"No," Zhou Xuanyu denied, lowering his head to lightly kiss her forehead. "You don't need to worry. I will find a way to handle this."
"Really?"
Junxi excitedly grasped Zhou Xuanyu's sleeve.
Zhou Xuanyu smiled at her.
The reason he had asked about her New Year's wishes was to fulfill them. Now that she had opened up to him, no matter how difficult it might be, he would find a way to resolve it.
"Really."
This was the promise he made to her.
The New Year quickly passed, and Junxi returned home from her grandmother's house to go to work. Zhou Xuanyu was naturally busier.
During this time, Zhou Ziyan suddenly disappeared without a trace, until one day Junxi unexpectedly received his postcard.
The image on the postcard was a simple diagram of the Northamptonshire racetrack; it turned out that Zhou Ziyan had gone to England. Northamptonshire in England is home to the headquarters of many major racing teams, known as the Silicon Valley of F1.
It seemed that Zhou Ziyan could not let go of the racing dream deep in his heart.
The back of the postcard had nothing written on it, just a period and his signature. Although Junxi did not understand what it meant, she hoped that Zhou Ziyan's intention was that everything had come to an end.
Junxi then called Zhou Ziyan based on the postcard, even though she knew they were likely separated by a significant time difference. Still, she hoped to personally wish him a Happy New Year.
The call connected smoothly, and Zhou Ziyan did not seem as drowsy as she had expected. He didn't even ask why Junxi was calling until she mentioned the postcard. Only then did he realize that it was sent when he had just arrived in England, and now he was already in Germany.
Junxi did not ask him what the period meant, nor did Zhou Ziyan explain.
They simply chatted casually about various topics. On Zhou Ziyan's end, there were sounds of rushing wind; it seemed he was driving.
"Are you driving?" Junxi asked just as she heard the wind pick up on his side.
Immediately after, Zhou Ziyan's voice came through sharply: "Liu Xianghan, can you slow down a bit?!"
It turned out that she had gone with Xiang Han.
Junxi suddenly felt enlightened.
Indeed, the best way to end one relationship is to start another.
Although Junxi did not know what Zhou Ziyan was thinking, she had always seen Xiang Han's sincerity clearly. The two of them shared common interests, and it was not easy to find someone with similar tastes in this world.
Moreover, Zhou Ziyan was not a heartless person. Junxi believed that as long as Xiang Han put in the effort, given time, he would surely be hers.
"Then I'll hang up. Have fun."
Junxi hung up the phone, and the knot in her heart seemed to loosen significantly.
Everything would pass.
Since it was still early in the year, many colleagues had not yet returned from their hometowns, making the office feel somewhat deserted. Junxi sat alone with nothing much to do and felt quite bored. She occasionally glanced at Zhou Ziyan's postcard and then at Zhou Xuanyu in the President's Office.
Freedom and spontaneity should be a great blessing for Zhou Ziyan, but how much of that blessing was supported by Zhou Xuanyu?
Hengfu Group was originally supposed to be Zhou Ziyan's responsibility.
Just as Junxi was lost in thought while looking in Zhou Xuanyu's direction, her office phone suddenly rang.
Without even looking at the caller ID, she picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Come in," came the voice of Zhou Xuanyu.
Junxi quickly looked up and saw Zhou Xuanyu holding the phone, clearly in the middle of a call.
"Huh?"
"Come in."
Zhou Xuanyu finished speaking and hung up.
Junxi set down the phone and rushed inside.
"What's wrong?"
Without looking up, Zhou Xuanyu pointed to the seat across from his desk and said, "You've been staring at me for a while. If you want to see me that badly, take a seat."
"I don't want to look," Junxi denied, feigning indifference as she turned to leave. "If Mr. Zhou doesn't have anything important, I'll be going. I'm busy too."
"Busy?" Zhou Xuanyu raised an eyebrow. "I was planning to take you somewhere this afternoon, but never mind."
"Uh!" Junxi shook her head, fully aware he was teasing her, yet she still played along with a feigned look of panic. "Mr. Zhou, I'm not busy. Just tell me where you want to take me; I have time."
"You'll find out once we get there."
Junxi never expected that the place Zhou Xuanyu took her to was Qingcheng Area A Prison.
That was where Junxi's parents were incarcerated.
As soon as Junxi reached the entrance, she froze, her heart racing. Although she had been here many times before, each visit still made her anxious, as she dreaded seeing her parents' aging faces and their eager eyes.
Even though her parents never asked her for anything during their meetings, merely inquiring about Junxi and Jun Xuan's lives, Junxi knew they longed to be free. They just didn't want to add more pressure on her, so they chose to pretend everything was fine.
It was her fault for being useless, unable to help them in any way. All she could do was watch them suffer.
After each visit, Junxi would leave in a bad emotional state, which led her mother to forbid her from coming anymore. Yet, she still sneaked in from time to time. Whenever something went well or poorly, she would come here, even if it wasn't visiting day. She would stand outside alone, talking to herself as if conversing with her parents.
"Today isn't visiting day," Junxi said to Zhou Xuanyu.
A District Prison was the largest prison in Qingcheng, with many rules and strict enforcement. It was nearly impossible for anyone to make exceptions casually.
"It's all arranged; you just need to go in," he replied.
He knew that at the start of the new year, she must be eager to see her parents.
"What about you?" Junxi asked.
She wanted Zhou Xuanyu to meet her parents; after all, he was the one she intended to spend her life with. She hoped they would like him.
They surely would like him because back then, Zhou Xuanyu's brother, Zhou Xuan Yong, had a very good relationship with them, which made Zhou Xuanyu close to them as well.
However, they probably never dreamed that one day Zhou Xuanyu would be with their daughter.
"I'll go in if you want me to," Zhou Xuanyu said.
He was willing to give Junxi ample time to think and choose, and he fully respected her wishes.
Although the timing was not ideal, it was still a significant occasion to meet the parents, and he couldn't afford to be careless.
"How about we wait a moment?" Junxi said softly.
She wanted to give her parents a heads-up first. After all, they had once been acquaintances, and she feared that such a sudden change in their relationship might be hard for her parents to accept.
"Alright," Zhou Xuanyu agreed readily, patting Junxi on the shoulder. "You go in first, and I'll wait for you outside."
Junxi nodded and followed the prison guard inside.
Zhou Xuanyu stood in the lobby watching her; whenever she turned around, she could see his calm gaze.
His presence provided her with some comfort, even in this place.
Thanks to Zhou Xuanyu's arrangements, Junxi was able to see her parents in the same visiting room at the same time today. Previously, she could only meet them one at a time.
Wen Wei and his wife Yang Tingfang were already waiting in the visiting room.
"Dad! Mom!" As soon as Junxi entered, her eyes began to well up.
It had been a long time since they last met, and there were more gray hairs on her parents' heads.
Once her parents arrived, there were many moments when she wished time would pass quickly so they could leave sooner. Yet during those times, she also wished that time could slow down even more.
"Junxi. Come sit down." Her mother smiled as soon as she saw her, as if this were an ordinary meeting, the location not a visiting room but a café.
Seeing both her parents smiling at her, Junxi felt she couldn't let them down. She steadied herself and managed a smile in return.
"Today isn't a visiting day. Why are you here?"
Her father was the more rational one; he immediately asked the crucial question.
"A friend of mine knows someone here, and they helped arrange this," Junxi replied to her father.
"When did you make such a powerful friend?"
"Dad!" Junxi pouted playfully, softening her tone. "Can't I have impressive friends? After all, I'm your daughter. How many remarkable friends did you have back in the day?"
"And what good did that do? When it mattered, they all disappeared," her mother, Yang Tingfang, chimed in.
Wen Wei sighed.
"That's why I hope my daughter can be more discerning when choosing friends."
"Stop guessing! My friend isn't a bad person," Junxi insisted firmly.
Yang Tingfang looked at her daughter's slightly bashful face and couldn't help but feel suspicious.
"Junxi, have you started dating someone?"
"Mom..." Junxi was at a loss for words.
"It seems so," Wen Wei said with a smile.
Junxi felt her face grow even warmer at the sight of her father's cheerful expression, which she hadn't seen in a long time.
"Who is this young man?" her mother eagerly inquired.
All parents are the same; even when they find themselves in difficult situations, they still care deeply about their daughter's future.
"Mom, don't rush. Next time I come, I'll bring him to meet you," Junxi replied.
"Oh? Keeping us in suspense, are you?"
"I'm not keeping you in suspense; I just wanted to give you a heads-up. I’m afraid you might not take it well."
Wen Wei let out a heavy "hmph." "Your mother and I can handle anything. The real question is whether your boyfriend can accept having parents like us."
"Dad..."
Hearing her father's tone made Junxi feel an overwhelming urge to cry.
"Silly girl, as long as you like him, that's all that matters to us. We don't care about anything else," her mother, Yang Tingfang, added.
Junxi nodded.
"Does your boyfriend know that we're in prison? We wouldn't want him to..."
"I know," Junxi quickly interrupted her father's words. "It's him; he arranged for me to meet you today."
Wen Wei fell silent upon hearing Junxi's words.
It seemed that the person her daughter was dating was quite a formidable character. The A District Prison was not something just anyone could manage. The level of security here was unmatched by any other prison in Qingcheng.
Knowing this, Wen Wei was unsure whether to feel happy or worried. His daughter had always been strong-willed since she was young, and he and his wife had always worried about what kind of person could handle her in the future. Now that someone like this had come along, he was concerned about whether his daughter might be bullied.
As a parent, there were simply too many things to worry about.
"If you get the chance, bring him to meet us. Your mother and I don't expect you to find someone extraordinary; we just want to know that there's someone who can take care of you. That would put our minds at ease."
"Dad, I understand."
Junxi shifted the topic and chatted with her parents about Jun Xuan's final grades and their grandmother's health during the New Year visit. At this moment, their concerns revolved around these matters.
As they talked, they lost track of time, and by the time they emerged, two hours had already passed.
Zhou Xuanyu was still outside, sitting in the lobby while scrolling through news on his phone, showing no signs of impatience.
"I'm done," Junxi said as she sat down beside him.
Zhou Xuanyu turned off the news on his phone and glanced at her. Her mood was much better than he had imagined, which relieved him.
"I thought you would come out crying," Zhou Xuanyu said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and stood up with her.
"I wouldn't do that. My parents want to see me happy; I can't make them worry," Junxi replied, looking up at Zhou Xuanyu. "Besides, I'm really happy now that I have you."
Zhou Xuanyu kissed her cheek.
It was best for her to think this way.
They had just stepped out of A District Prison when Zhou Xuanyu's phone rang.
He glanced at the name displayed on the screen and turned to Junxi, saying, "I need to head back to the company. Are you okay going back by yourself?"
"Don't worry! I'm fine!" Junxi replied, playfully saluting him.
How could there possibly be a problem?
Just as Jun Xuan had said, she was perfectly capable before Zhou Xuanyu came along. Did having him mean she had lost all her ability to take care of herself?
Zhou Xuanyu still saw her off in a taxi before turning to find his own car.
The caller was Galen, who said on the other end of the line, "Mr. Zhou, I've found everyone you were looking for. They're all at the company now. Is there something specific you need to investigate?"
Zhou Xuanyu did not respond to Galen.
Helping Junxi's parents uncover the truth behind the Corruption Case was not exactly a work-related matter; he didn't feel the need to answer Galen. Moreover, he didn't want Junxi to know about it just yet.
Although he had promised Junxi he would help her parents, he preferred to wait until he had results before telling her. He didn't want her to hold onto hope only to end up disappointed.
Nothing was more disheartening than a false hope, and he didn't want Junxi to experience that.
What he wanted to give her was nothing but surprises.
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