Chapter 80: The Foreign Girl
Chapter 80: The Foreign Girl
Zhou Chenglei asked Jiang Xia, "Once we get to the city, we should stop by the mall and buy some gifts for our parents. Do you have any ideas for what to get them?"
The last time they visited the mall, they had already bought clothes for Jiang Xia’s parents. Zhou’s mother had also packed two pounds of dried shrimp, twenty dried golden threadfin breams, a few pounds of assorted dried fish, and even slaughtered a chicken and a duck to bring to Jiang’s parents. But Zhou Chenglei felt it was still not enough.
Jiang Xia, sitting sideways on the bicycle, wrapped one arm tightly around Zhou Chenglei’s waist, gripping his belt to keep herself steady. Her other hand held up her skirt, her feet lifted high to avoid the mud splashed up by the bike’s wheels.
Jiang Xia didn’t really know what her parents liked, so she said, "Whatever my future son-in-law buys, my parents will love it. You decide, I don’t want to deal with it. And don’t forget to get something for my brother too."
The original Jiang Xia had a younger brother, and it was important to be thorough with the gifts.
"I’ll take care of it," Zhou Chenglei replied. Hearing her call him her future son-in-law was a clear acknowledgment of his status, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, his eyes lighting up with warmth.
He wanted to hold her hand, but the road was too muddy, and the wheels could easily slip. He didn’t dare ride with one hand, fearing he might accidentally throw Jiang Xia off the bike.
Wen Wan, who saw this, was struck by the contrast between Zhou Chenglei’s usual stern and intimidating demeanor and the gentle, smiling face he showed now. Zhou Chenglei himself was unaware of how tender his expression was, his eyes and brows radiating warmth.
As the bicycle passed by, Wen Wan stood rooted to the spot. She noticed Jiang Xia’s pale, delicate hand gripping Zhou Chenglei’s belt and the faint red marks visible at the collar of her dress.
Wen Wan, who had been married in her previous life, knew exactly what those marks meant.
With their relationship already progressing, it was clear they had no intention of getting divorced.
Jiang Xia glanced at Wen Wan, giving her a brief, cool look before turning away.
Wen Wan rolled her eyes.
But she couldn’t help comparing herself to Jiang Xia.
Jiang Xia was dressed in a fresh, blue and white dress, her white high-heeled round-toe shoes spotless, looking as clean and bright as a clear blue sky.
Wen Wan, on the other hand, had been interrogated in a small, dark room all night. Already exhausted, she was now covered in mud, looking utterly disheveled!
Comparing herself to Jiang Xia, she felt like the difference between heaven and earth.
But it wouldn’t always be like this!
Jiang Xia, who had failed the college entrance exam three times, was obviously not very smart. Her current good life was just a matter of good luck, relying on her parents in the past and now on a man.
But Wen Wan relied on herself!
One day, she would be better off on her own!
Once she got into Tsinghua or Peking University, Zhou Chenglei would be nothing!
So what if he was the future billionaire? Money was nothing compared to power.
Since she had been reborn, there was no need for her to fight over a used-up man. She found it distasteful!
And after being set up by Jiang Xia and interrogated in that small, dark room, even though it wasn’t recorded in her file, she had taken note of this grudge. She would settle it with Jiang Xia sooner or later!
She was determined to get into university and change her miserable fate.
With this resolve, Wen Wan ran back to her place. Her only clean dress was now dirty, and she still had to finish a translation. She had only one day left, and she needed to submit her work tomorrow.
The town wasn’t far, and they soon arrived. Zhou Chenglei parked the bicycle at the health clinic’s designated area, took a wooden ticket, and then waited by the roadside for the bus.
The bus to the city was a minivan, and a group of people were already waiting by the side of the road.
As soon as the car arrived, everyone swarmed toward it, making a mad dash for the limited seats. There was no orderly queue; everyone was desperate to secure a spot.
Jiang Xia immediately put her past experience of ji gongjiao ditie (crowding into buses and subways) to good use. Instead of pushing into the middle, she grabbed Zhou Chenglei by the arm and squeezed onto the bus from the side of the door.
Zhou Chenglei usually let others board first, getting on last himself. But this time, he was afraid Jiang Xia would be shoved around, so he stayed close to her, protecting her as they pushed their way in.
The bus was already packed, leaving the two of them standing. It was a scorching summer day, and the bus had no air conditioning. Even with the windows open, it was stiflingly hot and smelled awful.
The bus lurched forward, and the standing passengers swayed backward due to the inertia. Jiang Xia was quickly pulled into a strong chest by a firm arm.
Zhou Chenglei positioned Jiang Xia in front of him, one hand gripping the back of a seat and the other around her waist, holding her close to his chest.
The bus jolted and swayed as it navigated the rough road, and the narrow, crowded cabin was a chaotic mix of noise, heat, and odor. Children cried, and the occasional curse word flew through the air.
Despite the chaos, Jiang Xia was shielded from the worst of it, her back pressed against Zhou Chenglei's solid frame. She could feel him being jostled by the people around them, but she remained safe in his embrace.
Zhou Chenglei moved them to a position near the window, where the breeze could help disperse some of the stench.
In the entire bus, she was the most comfortable person standing.
Jiang Xia couldn't help but turn her head to look at the tall, strong man behind her.
Tall, strong, and dependable.
The moment he felt her move, Zhou Chenglei lowered his head to look at her. "Feeling carsick?"
Jiang Xia smiled and shook her head. "No."
Seeing her smile, Zhou Chenglei's lips curved upward, and he tightened his grip on her. "If you feel uncomfortable, tell me. Do you want to turn around and rest against me?"
Jiang Xia understood his offer and turned to face him, burying her head in his chest. The scent of his cologne was a welcome relief from the stench around them. However, the position was too intimate, and with so many people around, she felt embarrassed and shook her head.
Next to them stood a pregnant woman with a large belly, holding a six- or seven-year-old girl who was barely as tall as the seat back. The woman's husband stood beside her, but he seemed to be more concerned with his own comfort.
Seeing how Zhou Chenglei had protected Jiang Xia so well, the pregnant woman realized that even in a crowded bus, you could be comfortable if someone treated you like a child to be protected.
After more than an hour, the bus finally arrived at the city's bus station.
Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei stepped off the bus and headed toward the mall.
The bus station was close to the train station, and they had to walk past it to reach the mall. As they crossed the train station square, they noticed a blonde foreign girl crying and calling for her father.
The girl was speaking not in English, but in French. Two station attendants, a man and a woman, were trying to calm her down, but only one of them knew a few words of English. The child clearly didn't understand and continued to cry loudly, refusing to go with the attendants.
Male attendant: "What should we do? We can't persuade her, and she dodges when we try to pick her up. What language is she speaking? She doesn't seem to understand what we're saying."
Female attendant: "I can't tell which language it is, but it's definitely not English. We need to find a way to get her to the broadcast room so she can use the loudspeaker to find her parents."
Male attendant: "But she won't come with us!"
Female attendant: "Why don't you buy her some candy?"
Jiang Xia, seeing the situation, pulled Zhou Chenglei over to help.
(End of Chapter)
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