Chapter 38

When Zhou Yanzhou received the text, he was busy accompanying Teacher Meng at the theater.

Today was the debut performance of Teacher Meng’s protégé, an event the mentor viewed with the utmost seriousness, allowing for no mistakes. As the lights in the grand auditorium dimmed and the stage lights slowly rose, a performer in full *Qingyi* costume stepped onto the stage. As the accompaniment began, she sang her first notes. Perhaps due to the nerves of a first performance, her voice wavered ever so slightly.

Zhou Yanzhou, seated in the front row, had kept his phone on silent, intending to sit through the entire performance with Teacher Meng. Although he had been immersed in Beijing Opera since childhood and understood it to some degree, he currently lacked the patience for it. Smoking was prohibited in the theater, and a sense of inexplicable irritability gnawed at him. He loosened his tie, glanced at his phone to check the time, and calculated how much longer the play would last.

Unexpectedly, he spotted the text Chen Xi had sent ten minutes earlier. Zhou Yanzhou arched a brow, tapped the dialogue box, and his gaze froze.

"I’m leaving. J"

In the message box, those few words from Chen Xi severed all ties, devoid of any lingering affection. Zhou Yanzhou curled his lips, extinguished the screen, and wanted to step out for some air. However, the moment he moved, a single look from Teacher Meng stopped him in his tracks. He had no choice but to give up.

The performance was the classic Beijing Opera *The Lock of Lin Nang*. On stage, Teacher Meng’s student had just reached the passage: "She taught me to avoid petulance, to let go of resentment, to reform my character and start anew; to stop pining for the water that has flowed away, to turn back from the sea of bitterness, and to awaken early to the causes of destiny."

Zhou Yanzhou murmured the phrase "awaken early to the causes of destiny," and the image of that stubborn, delicate little face surfaced in his mind. His chest felt heavy. He let out a stifled breath and cursed under his breath, "Little ingrate."

***

After sending the text, Chen Xi carried her luggage out of the hotel. Standing on the roadside, she called He Xu to ask for his address. When He Xu learned that Chen Xi was coming to see him, he paused for two seconds before happily reciting his address, even offering to come pick her up. Chen Xi noted the address and searched it on Baidu Maps; seeing that she could take a direct bus, she firmly declined.

The two agreed to meet at the North Palace Gate of the Summer Palace. After hanging up, Chen Xi looked at the clear, cloudless sky, let out a breath, and headed toward the nearest bus stop with her suitcase.

After waiting for about ten minutes, the bus finally arrived. The stop was quiet; Chen Xi hauled her suitcase onto the bus, paid her fare, and dragged her luggage to the last row. Fearing she might miss her stop, she didn't dare look at her phone during the transfer. She rested her chin on her hand and gazed out the window, watching the scenery pass by like a blur.

The bus was filled with local passengers, most speaking fluent Beijing dialect. Amidst these accents, Chen Xi found herself thinking of Zhou Yanzhou without warning. He used to say that the Beijing dialect carried a natural air of roguishness—a "bad boy" charm that made it easy to tell he wasn't a good person. Yet, his voice was exceptionally pleasant—magnetic and gentle, as if it could melt even ice and snow.

Chen Xi had never considered herself someone who judged by appearances, but in front of Zhou Yanzhou, she felt like a fool, always drawn to him. Whether it was that face that defied the heavens, his beautiful voice, or his hands, his lips, his eyes... *Had he even seen the text she sent?* Chen Xi couldn't help but wonder.

A small gap in the window let in a breeze laden with heat, spraying it onto Chen Xi’s face and making her cheeks flush. She fanned herself with her palm, stared blankly out the window for a while, and finally couldn't help but take out her phone to check the message.

Seeing the empty message box, Chen Xi’s heart sank.

***

No reply.

*Did he not see it? Or did he see it and choose not to reply? What is he doing?*

Realizing that her thoughts were being led by the nose by the name Zhou Yanzhou, Chen Xi forced herself to let go of those unwanted musings and struggled to remain rational.

Upon reaching Heping East Bridge Station, Chen Xi stood up at the broadcast announcement and hauled her suitcase off the bus. She still needed to transfer to the 601 bus to reach the North Palace Gate subway station. The wait this time was longer. Idly, she remembered a math problem she hadn't finished, so she took off her backpack, intending to pull out her notebook.

Just as she unzipped the bag, she noticed an item that didn't belong to her. It was a beautiful little gift box—dark green, square, and palm-sized. A pink ribbon was tied into a bow, and the name "Gucci" was printed on the lid.

Chen Xi was completely stunned. She hesitated for a moment, picked up the box, slowly untied the ribbon, and lifted the lid. Inside was a cherry-pink wallet. Chen Xi stared at the wallet for a few seconds, then instinctively packed it back inside.

It wasn't hers.

Chen Xi didn't know how to handle the wallet, so she left it in her bag. She didn't want to see it, so she deliberately buried it under her workbooks at the very bottom.

The 601 bus slowly pulled up. Chen Xi forced herself to snap out of it, picked up her suitcase, and mechanically swiped her card to board. Along the way, she couldn't figure out when the wallet had been put there. Subconsciously, she felt it must have been a gift from Zhou Yanzhou, so without a second thought, she pulled out her phone to ask him: "Did you give me a wallet? I just found it in my backpack. When did you put it there? This must be very expensive, right?"

***

When Zhou Yanzhou received this message, the performance had just ended. Teacher Meng was very satisfied with her student’s performance and went backstage to present flowers, announcing she would treat the student to a meal to celebrate the successful debut.

What could Zhou Yanzhou say? He had no choice but to find time to make calls and arrange the dinner. Just as he finished and prepared to return to find Teacher Meng, the text popped up. Zhou Yanzhou glanced at it, arched a brow, tapped the box, and after reading the content, he expressionlessly extinguished his phone.

*Thinking of me now? Didn't you want to leave? Why didn't you just leave cleanly?*

He pocketed his phone, adjusted his expression to the polite smile required for socializing, and walked toward the backstage area. In the dressing room, the *Qingyi* performer had already removed her costume and makeup. Her face was a smear of greasepaint and cleanser, making her features indistinguishable, though her slender frame hinted at her grace. Teacher Meng was standing by the mirror, instructing her student on which details needed improvement.

The dressing room was chaotic. Zhou Yanzhou didn't go in; he stood in the hallway, lit a cigarette, and waited with nothing to do. The door was wide open, and the fragments of conversation, the sound of chair legs scraping against the floor, and the footsteps drifted out clearly. Perhaps because the environment was too stifling, Zhou Yanzhou felt a sense of oppression.

He took a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke toward the ceiling. Finally, he couldn't help it. He pulled out his phone, navigated to the ignored text, and typed in the reply box: "I sent it. So what? J"

A second before he hit send, Teacher Meng’s voice stopped him. "Zhouzhou, come in."

Zhou Yanzhou’s hand paused. He looked at the line he had just typed and silently exited the message. He composed himself, gripped his phone, gave a lazy "mm," and walked into the cluttered dressing room.

The girl who had been so heavily painted that her features were obscured had now washed her face, revealing bright, elegant features. At a glance, she actually looked quite like Brigitte Lin. A flash of surprise crossed Zhou Yanzhou’s eyes; he hadn't expected the student to be so beautiful.

Teacher Meng didn't notice this. She placed a box of paints on the vanity and asked her son, "Is the restaurant set? Let's head over now."

Zhou Yanzhou curled his lips, tucked his hands into his trouser pockets, and said calmly, "It was set long ago. We're just waiting for your arrival."

Teacher Meng gave him a disapproving look, saying, "You child, you have no sense of propriety."

Seeming to remember something, Teacher Meng looked down at the student sitting before the vanity and introduced them: "Qiuyi, this is that unfilial son of mine, Zhou Yanzhou, whom I often mention. He’s a few years older than you, but not half as sensible. Just call him Third Brother."

Lin Qiuyi had already noticed Zhou Yanzhou. From the moment she stepped on stage, she had spotted the man with the exceptional appearance and aura sitting next to her teacher. Seeing the three-point resemblance between them, she had vaguely guessed his identity but hadn't dared to confirm it. Now, hearing the introduction, her doubts were finally answered.

She hurriedly stood up, revealing a shy smile, and reached out to shake hands with Zhou Yanzhou. "Hello, Third Brother."

Zhou Yanzhou lowered his gaze to look at that soft, fair hand. He didn't take his hands out of his pockets, only smiled faintly, his tone distant and polite. "The performance was good today."

Lin Qiuyi stared at her hand suspended in the air for two seconds before awkwardly pulling it back. Her smile dimmed, though she maintained a basic level of decorum. "It is thanks to the teacher's expert guidance."

Teacher Meng smiled with satisfaction. She patted the back of Lin Qiuyi's hand affectionately and said with relief, "It isn't easy to perform like this on your first time. If nothing else, your resilience is unmatched. This path is still long; take it slow."

Lin Qiuyi nodded quickly, acknowledging the teacher’s advice. Seeing them chatting more and more enthusiastically, Zhou Yanzhou interrupted at the right moment: "Teacher Meng, are we going to eat or not?"

Only then did Teacher Meng stop and suggest they go.

Zhou Yanzhou drove them to the restaurant himself. Before getting in, Lin Qiuyi wavered between the back seat and the passenger seat. Teacher Meng noticed her student’s intent and proactively suggested that Lin Qiuyi sit in the passenger seat, saying that young people have more in common and could chat.

Lin Qiuyi was secretly pleased. Just as her hand touched the door handle of the passenger seat, Zhou Yanzhou, who had returned from a phone call, saw this and stopped her in time: "Sit in the back."

Lin Qiuyi’s movements froze. She turned her head, her face pale as she looked at Zhou Yanzhou. Zhou Yanzhou pretended not to see her embarrassment. He stepped forward, opened the back door for her himself, and invited her to board with polite consideration, not forgetting to quip, "I’m just Teacher Meng’s chauffeur today; don't mind me."

For a moment, Lin Qiuyi was certain that Zhou Yanzhou wasn't doing this because of Teacher Meng, but because he simply didn't want her in the passenger seat. She couldn't help but wonder: who exactly is the girl who gets to sit in his passenger seat?