Chapter 20: Addicted, Intoxicated, Overflowing With Affection

Although she clearly hadn’t touched alcohol last night, she felt a bit tipsy now.

The magic of mature men lies in a sense of sedimentation. His voice, his gaze, his presence, like a cup of mellow wine, fermented by years, diluted in intensity, lacking the burning sensation, yet bringing endless aftertaste, becoming more addictive, intoxicated, and overflowing with affection.

“Beautiful.”

Ji Zhen Tang took the delicate rose, looked at the fine droplets on the petals, and asked, “Just one?”

Zhong Yu Bai said, “If there were more, wouldn’t it seem like I’m plotting something?”

One flower is interesting, it’s an embellishment.

A bunch would seem intentional.

His alternating deep and shallow tactics left her at a loss. His steady and warm smile made her feel that perhaps he didn’t have any ulterior motives.

Ji Zhen Tang’s accelerating heartbeat gradually slowed down.

“Do you like roses?” he asked seriously.

She said, “Of course, no girl dislikes them.”

Zhong Yu Bai seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, showing a rare sense of relief on him. He said softly, “If the shoes were already a mistake, and the flowers were also wrong, making two mistakes in a day, I really need to reflect.”

Ji Zhen Tang grinned satisfactorily, “Of course not.”

She smelled the fragrance of the rose, “This is a gift. If I’m not satisfied, it’s me who should reflect. How can I say a gift is not good?”

However, Zhong Yu Bai was very tolerant, “If you’re not satisfied, you’re not satisfied. You can be frank with me.”

Ji Zhen Tang thought, this was just a polite remark. People who could sit in his position were more adept at beating around the bush, twisting words in various ways. How could they be straightforward?

She didn’t take it to heart.

As they chatted, they noticed that the clouds ahead had dispersed a bit, and the plane was flying along the coast of Xingzhou. Developed countries had beautiful scenery. The streetlights at night had not yet faded, colorful and dazzling.

Zhong Yu Bai and Ji Zhen Tang looked down together.

She exclaimed softly, “Don’t you feel like the plane is moving slowly from above, with the clouds dispersing bit by bit? This scene is very much like the one in the animated film, ‘Howl’s Moving Castle.’”

She looked at the profile of him lowering his eyes, Zhong Yu Bai didn’t respond.

She asked, “Haven’t you seen it? My childhood idol, Howl, the gentle and handsome prince.”

With a slight pause, he nodded and said, “I’ve watched it with someone else.”

She was slightly surprised and said, “Ah, it must have been a child. Adults don’t usually like to watch this kind of animated film.”

Ji Zhen Tang continued, grumbling discontentedly, “I revisited it with Zhong Heng before, and he fell asleep. He’s really boring, without any childlike fun.”

A faint smile appeared at the corner of the man’s mouth as he said, “Indeed.”

Below them was a strait filled with commercial ships.

Zhong Yu Bai asked, “Do you know where this is?”

Ji Zhen Tang leaned close to the thick glass, almost touching it with her nose. She breathed out and then in, forming round patches of mist on the glass with her breath, she looked attentively and pointed her finger on the window.

“Qianxing Lighthouse.”

“Coconut grove.”

“Liu Lu Bay.”

Liu Lu Bay…

A place that seemed peaceful, but staring at it a bit longer made her fear arise.

She suddenly fell into memories at an inappropriate time.

When she was very young, Ji Zhen Tang experienced an unexpected event here. That day, she was with her mother, preparing to accompany the lady of the Chen Family on a boat to the neighboring Binan, ready to take the next flight back home from there. However, they encountered an accident on the way and the boat was hijacked by several men.

Luckily, the boat was not far from the shore at the time, and both she and her mother managed to escape with life jackets.

The intense sound of gunfire that day occasionally still appeared in her nightmares.

After that incident, Ji Zhen Tang never went to the Chen Family again, nor did she know what happened to the lady of the house.

She hoped she was doing well because in her young mind, the lady was the kindest and gentlest person in the world.

Neither she nor her mother had suffered at the Chen Family.

At that time, she didn’t know that people were divided into classes based on whether they were rich or poor. She also didn’t know that maids were not qualified to sit at such luxurious dining tables, nor did she understand the principle of not being on equal footing with them in terms of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

It was many years later that she realized not all pretty women were called ladies, nor were all handsome boys called young masters.

But by the time she realized the kindness of the lady, that gentle and forever gentle woman had faded from her memory.

The breath from her nose gradually dissipated, making the mist on the glass thicker and heavier.

Ji Zhen Tang looked at the beautiful ocean with mixed feelings.

She hoped the lady would turn bad luck into good, but whenever her mother mentioned this matter, she always showed a serious expression and cautiously reminded her to keep other people’s grievances and grudges in her belly and never mention them again. So she realized that she probably would never see the lady of the Chen Family again.

Grudges and grievances were like flowing water, separated for years, overlooking the bay of the night’s calamity.

Now it was bustling and prosperous as ever.

“I miss Mom…”

Ji Zhen Tang murmured softly.

“What?” Zhong Yu Bai leaned over, listening to her murmurs.

“I said, do you often feel refreshed and relaxed when you look at these romantic clouds, sunrise, and sea from a high place? That’s why you have such a carefree and leisurely demeanor.”

Zhong Yu Bai smiled and leaned against the window. “Romance is only called romance when shared with someone.”

Ji Zhen Tang smiled and leaned on the window, “That’s true.”

She continued, “If I could admire such breathtaking scenery every day, I wouldn’t have any worries. Look at the people below, they look so small, like grains of sand, in front of such vast nature, we are nothing, just fleeting in this world.”

Speaking of which, she suddenly asked a silly question, “By the way, your plane’s surname is Zhong, what’s its name?”

Zhong Yu Bai raised his eyebrows unexpectedly.

He didn’t have the habit of giving nicknames to his personal belongings.

Saying it’s surname was Zhong was just a kind of authoritative expression.

He thought for a moment and asked her, “Do you have any good ideas?”

Ji Zhen Tang’s eyes rolled around, “Since you let me decide, then let’s call it… Mr. Zhong’s Moving Castle.”

Zhong Yu Bai held a tissue in his hand, wiping off a bit of moisture from picking flowers just now, with a deliberate and unhurried movement. He tilted his head slightly, with a faint smile in his eyes, looked at her for a while without speaking, as if thinking. Finally, he crumpled up the tissue and threw it away, saying, “The modifier is too stiff, it’s better to call it… Ah Zhen’s Moving Castle.”

She opened her mouth in surprise and immediately turned her gaze away.

“Ah, don’t tease me…”

Zhong Yu Bai looked at her, half jokingly and half earnestly, “Before the next flight, have someone engrave it on the fuselage, and then it will have a name.”

She looked outside, treating it as a joke, and a smile gradually appeared on her lips.

A joke that could make her happy.

…

It was nearing noon on this day, on the way back to school, she sat in his car, leaning against the window, asleep. She was awakened once by a bump, she softly exclaimed, rubbing her head. The second time almost resulted in another bump, Zhong Yu Bai quickly supported her forehead, gently turning her head to the side of his shoulder.

Ji Zhen Tang didn’t wake up, puckering her lips and continued to sleep.

She removed her makeup, and her plump and glossy lips were also a very intense color.

Everything seemed calm.

But it was not difficult to notice that her eyebrows were always tightly furrowed.

Only when awake could she cover up her vulnerability and low spirits with cleverness and wit.

When she closed her eyes, her worries were revealed.

Without the chatter of a little girl, the carriage was quiet to the point where it seemed the temperature had dropped.

To the parking lot opposite the Snow Garden.

Zhong Yu Bai was waiting for her to wake up.

Usually, he would flip through the newspaper in the car, but now he was afraid of disturbing her, so he just sat quietly, calmly emptying his mind for a while.

Ding Jialing yawned repeatedly.

“Mr. Zhong,” he turned his head and called out faintly to Zhong Yu Bai.

The man in the back seat raised his gaze.

Ding Jialing pointed to Ji Zhen Tang and, with lip movements, boldly voiced his curiosity: “Why do you take care of her so much?”

Zhong Yu Bai gave him a glance, without much emotion, but Ding Jialing understood.

He reminded him not to be too nosy.

But unable to resist being nosy again, he smiled and said, “I’m very curious. Do you have any intentions?”

Zhong Yu Bai lowered his eyes, glanced at her, then shook his head slowly and said, “Regardless, the most important thing is to help her recover from her illness, to be healthy and happy, which is more important than anything else.”

Ding Jialing nodded in agreement and said, “It will get better. After the rain, the sky will clear up quickly.”

—

At the break of dawn, Ji Zhen Tang was already on land.

Perhaps the dream had been too long, causing her body to feel fatigued upon returning to reality.

By the next day, the fatigue had vanished.

Qingcheng was in late autumn, and from the window, one could see the withered leaves of the plane trees; everything was in decay.

The rose she had kept in a vase showed signs of dehydration. When Zhong Yu Bai gave it to her, it was at its fullest and best.

Ji Zhen Tang rested her chin in her hand, casually observing the flower.

She was searching for an answer, a puzzle related to a man.

It could be said that her understanding of him was like a blind person touching an elephant, probably only grasping about thirty to forty percent of the person, or perhaps even less.

On the other hand, Zhong Yu Bai, in fact, didn’t know much about her past, her background, her life experiences, or even inquire about them.

Of course, it’s not ruled out that she might have been investigated secretly.

But she privately believed that as a powerless student, she didn’t warrant an investigation.

With two people who weren’t even particularly familiar, isn’t it too far-fetched to talk about liking each other?

Ji Zhen Tang had some self-awareness; she didn’t have the ability to influence the emotions of someone who could move mountains and seas.

The moment she conceived this idea, even if it was shallow, she felt a sting.

It was incredible.

She would rather believe it was because there was a shadow of his deceased loved one on her.

After much contemplation, only this reason could convince her well.

Ji Zhen Tang no longer dwelled on the cause and effect of this flower. She admired it until it slowly withered away.

In the evening a few days later, the dormitory was very quiet.

Ji Zhen Tang was studying for the CET-6 exam, Lin Guixue was watching a drama, and Zhou Zhi was sleeping. Su Yunli meticulously applied makeup and selected a beautiful date dress, sitting down to draw while waiting for something.

In no time, her phone vibrated. Su Yunli glanced at it and then shut down her computer. After finishing her makeup and preparing to go out, she was asked by Lin Guixue, “Are you coming back tonight?”

Su Yunli replied, “No, just lock the door.”

Ji Zhen Tang glanced at her figure and saw Su Yunli wearing a necklace from a certain luxury brand.

This fact itself was not surprising; Su Yunli came from a well-off family and could afford such things.

What was surprising was that she vaguely remembered Su Yunli saying she didn’t like this brand. Because the brand used elements of snakes, she was very afraid of such creatures.

Wearing something she didn’t like; unless there was a hidden meaning, it was difficult to explain.

When the door was closed, Lin Guixue approached Ji Zhen Tang and whispered, “Is she dating some rich second-generation guy? She’s receiving gifts by the basket.”

Ji Zhen Tang glanced at Su Yunli’s desk and underneath it, almost overflowing with luxury goods.

Indeed, Zhong Heng had given Su Yunli many, many, many things, each one more expensive than the last, and they were sent in sets, box after box.

Ji Zhen Tang didn’t doubt his generosity, but at present, it seemed abnormal.

She thought she knew Zhong Heng inside out. When he frowned, she knew what nonsense he was about to say next.

But currently, she couldn’t understand his sudden favoritism.

It seemed like he had changed his temperament somewhat.

Just dating; why make it seem like charity? Besides, Su Yunli, a girl raised in luxury, never coveted such things.

Of course, perhaps they were so deeply in love that it wasn’t impossible.

Since Su Yunli didn’t explain this matter, Ji Zhen Tang didn’t pry for her and simply said, “Maybe, I don’t know either.”

She didn’t overthink it, took her student ID card, and prepared to go to the cafeteria. But she waited for Su Yunli to leave before going out.

She was afraid of bumping into her.

As she descended the stairs, Ji Zhen Tang recalled the necklace Su Yunli was wearing.

It was a brand she had been longing for last year.

At that time, she had saved up money to buy it but ended up only being able to afford the cheapest ring in the store. Zhong Heng was also in the store at the time, and he generously said, if she liked the necklace, she could just buy it. After all, the free ATM was here, why not use it?

Ji Zhen Tang didn’t accept his offer and insisted he not buy it for her.

Zhong Heng had no choice but to give up after some persuasion.

Zhong Heng, this person, still had some principles; he never repeated gifts.

But even if he didn’t repeat them, he still wanted to suppress her.

The grudges of the ex against the ex were reflected in, “I must live better than them.”

Su Yunli lived under the same roof as her; undoubtedly, Ji Zhen Tang couldn’t avoid these, couldn’t avoid facing a fact, the most coveted luxury item was worn by her roommate.

Was he doing this… to provoke her?

It seemed like he was saying, these things were originally supposed to be yours. Since you don’t want them, then you’ll never get them.

So he took off her favorite necklace and gave it to someone else.

Or maybe he was proving something.

Such as his arrogant statement, among the people she could choose from, he was the best.

The implied meaning behind this behavior: You won’t be better off without me.

Ji Zhen Tang suddenly realized that he was waiting for her to regret it.

Just as she was lost in thought, she walked downstairs and found that Su Yunli hadn’t left yet.

Under the gloomy sky, the square below was filled with cars, and at the far end of a row of electric cars was Su Yunli’s blue car.

Zhong Heng leaned against the car seat diagonally, while Su Yunli stood next to him, lightly embracing his waist and tiptoeing to kiss him.

His body only leaned slightly, making it a bit difficult for her to kiss him, but she tried hard and felt satisfied. Zhong Heng responded casually, then lifted his eyelids and saw the somewhat embarrassed Ji Zhen Tang.

Zhong Heng’s gaze was cold, always directed towards this passing visitor.

Ji Zhen Tang quickened her pace uneasily.

Frowning, she had never felt he was so despicable as she did now.

What Zhong Heng said was true; among the people she could choose from, he was already at the top of the food chain.

Zhao Siqi’s bar was taken over by Zhong Heng.

He destroyed it, so he took it over.

Maybe he made other investments afterward, she wasn’t sure.

Such a person who had risen rapidly stumbled here with her.

Probably based on dissatisfaction with what he couldn’t obtain, or perhaps resentment at having his young master’s dignity trampled upon. He tried hard to pretend to be carefree, but his face was full of lingering resentment.

A former partner with a normal mindset, while looking forward, also couldn’t forget to curse the other for not living as well as themselves.

Zhong Heng, with his unique arrogance, displayed this grudge to the fullest.

Unfortunately, he didn’t know that she no longer liked that necklace.

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