“When filling out college applications, you can’t aim too high. You need to be practical. Which school you can apply to depends on your score…”
Gao Fei spoke with the air of an experienced person. Xia Xiaolan nodded along, but when Gao Fei finished, she anxiously blurted out, “Oh no! I scored 616 points, which is still more than 70 points below the perfect score. Will I be rejected if I apply to Huaqing University?”
Gao Fei hadn’t heard clearly. “What was your score?”
Xia Xiaolan repeated softly, quite shy and modest: “616 points.”
“Impossible!” Gao Fei’s retort burst out immediately.
Xia Xiaolan just smiled. In the instant after her smile, both the anxiety and shyness vanished from her face. She gave Gao Fei an expressionless look: “Whether you believe it or not is none of my business. Who do you think you are – some official’s wife? Do you think I need to curry favor with you for Zhou Cheng’s future? Don’t be so thick-skinned. You’re already married but still eyeing my man. Stay away from him!”
Xia Xiaolan’s voice wasn’t low at all. Gao Fei’s face turned crimson with anger and embarrassment. Her fingers trembled as she pointed at Xia Xiaolan, unable to speak.
Xia Xiaolan swatted away Gao Fei’s hand with a sharp slap.
Old Fang flew into a rage. “Zhou Cheng, what’s the meaning of this from your girlfriend?!”
Zhou Cheng held Xia Xiaolan’s hand. “Her meaning is my meaning! Fang Shizhong, I’ve tolerated you for a long time. If you’re upset about my quick promotion, go earn your own merits! What’s the point of watching my every move? I’ve overlooked your snide remarks about me because of your seniority, but now you and your wife are targeting my girlfriend? Let me tell you clearly – my girlfriend is more outstanding than anyone. With 616 points, she’s this year’s top scorer in Yunan Province. Would she need me to arrange a job for her? Xiaolan is right – some women shouldn’t shamelessly flaunt themselves in front of me just because they’re female!”
Even if today’s snide remarks came from Gao Fei, who was indeed a senior official’s wife, Zhou Cheng wouldn’t let Xia Xiaolan suffer any grievance!
What was Fang Shizhong anyway? Zhou Cheng directly tore off the facade.
Zhou Cheng’s merciless mockery made Gao Fei’s reddened face tremble. Doubt crept into Fang Shizhong’s eyes – Gao Fei often hovered around Zhou Cheng, who was too handsome… Gao Fei covered her face and burst into tears:
“Old Fang, she’s lying!”
Whether it was a lie or not, Fang Shizhong could only ponder himself. Several people were watching this exchange, and Fang Shizhong couldn’t let himself become a laughingstock. He clenched his fist and rushed to punch Zhou Cheng, who didn’t even try to dodge.
Others naturally couldn’t let Fang Shizhong hit Zhou Cheng and held him back tightly.
“Zhou Cheng, you bastard, I’ll… mmph…”
Someone quickly covered Fang Shizhong’s mouth. The workplace could be rough, and swearing sometimes showed closeness, but cursing now wasn’t appropriate. If these two started fighting, half the unit would get involved.
Xia Xiaolan pulled Zhou Cheng’s hand:
“Let it go. We’ve exposed their true colors this time. Don’t pursue a defeated enemy! Look how strongly they’re reacting – it just proves their guilty conscience. These two are surely meant for each other.”
Xia Xiaolan’s words were truly cutting. Gao Fei couldn’t stay there anymore and ran away crying.
Fang Shizhong shouted that he would take this matter to the unit leaders – this wasn’t over between him and Zhou Cheng!
Zhou Cheng had been angry, but seeing how their reactions matched Xia Xiaolan’s predictions, he couldn’t help but laugh at his wife’s words.
This was Xia Xiaolan’s second visit to Zhou Cheng’s workplace, and both times she’d made quite an impression!
The first time, this sister-in-law was generous, beautiful, and friendly.
The second time, this sister-in-law proved formidable at confrontation, reducing Director Fang’s wife to tears with just a few sentences.
Yet surprisingly, most people in the unit didn’t dislike Xia Xiaolan.
Those who witnessed the scene found Gao Fei rather annoying. She would constantly nag, hiding behind a facade of concern, just because she was a local Beijing resident with a college degree and a proper job. She would always hover around Director Zhou at work, looking down on ordinary employees as if her eyes were on top of her head.
Now she got her face slapped by Zhou Cheng’s girlfriend!
Think you’re special just because you’re a college graduate?
Zhou Cheng’s girlfriend was also a college student, and the top scorer at that, headed to Huaqing University, yet she wasn’t nearly as arrogant.
What a perfect takedown – brilliant and satisfying!
Of course, a few who resented Zhou Cheng’s rapid promotion at such a young age would use this chance to call Zhou Cheng and Xia Xiaolan overbearing… but let them talk, the couple couldn’t hear it anyway.
Even if Xia Xiaolan heard, she wouldn’t care. How could anyone please everyone in life? She wasn’t a hundred-yuan note that everyone would like.
Back in the room, Xia Xiaolan finally showed embarrassment:
“I found her endless nagging annoying. Will scolding her cause you trouble?”
Zhou Cheng didn’t mind. “What trouble could there be? Even if you hadn’t scolded her, I couldn’t have tolerated it much longer!”
The unit would certainly call him in for a talk, but Zhou Cheng couldn’t care less. Fang Shizhong had little ability but a narrow mind. Zhou Cheng had long been tired of working with him. They held the same position now, but it wouldn’t stay that way forever. Zhou Cheng was confident he’d leave Fang Shizhong in the dust in a couple of years.
Having driven away the annoying people, Zhou Cheng felt relieved, especially with his wife right in front of him. Zhou Cheng would brave mountains of knives and seas of fire – what did a lecture from leaders matter?
“Xiaolan, you don’t know how happy I am that you suddenly appeared. It’s your birthday, and I couldn’t accompany you, yet you came to see me… you’re so good to me!”
Zhou Cheng knew how busy Xia Xiaolan was.
Half of that busyness was because of him. For his sake, Xia Xiaolan was applying to Huaqing University, while their business was in Pengcheng. Wasn’t she trying to settle the Pengcheng matters before school started?
Despite being so busy, Xiaolan still came to Beijing – his wife must have missed him too.
Zhou Cheng held his wife’s hand. Xia Xiaolan discreetly pulled back her right hand and gave him her left to hold instead.
“I haven’t settled accounts with you yet. Didn’t we agree not to give expensive gifts? Yet you had Kang Wei take me car shopping!”
Buying a car was nice, and Xia Xiaolan wanted one herself, but a private car wasn’t her top priority. She wasn’t complaining about Zhou Cheng being too good to her; she was half pleased, half worried.
If she drove around Beijing in a car Zhou Cheng bought her, how would his family view her? His cousin’s attitude already showed how the rest of his family might feel. Xia Xiaolan would rather buy Zhou Cheng a thousand-yuan watch than accept expensive gifts from him. Just dating shouldn’t mean being looked down upon as unworthy of Zhou Cheng. Xia Xiaolan found it exhausting.
Gao Fei was just unfortunate – Xia Xiaolan had vented most of her “anger” at Zhou Cheng on her instead.
Zhou Cheng mentally cursed Kang Wei a hundred times – he knew it was a bad idea.
“I just saw you didn’t have a car and thought it would be inconvenient. If you don’t like it, we won’t buy one. I’ll just keep saving the car money for you, okay? I picked out my gift for you here.”
Zhou Cheng opened a drawer and took out a box.
“It’s your birthday gift, and also to congratulate you in advance for getting into Huaqing University!”
A white Montblanc pen lay quietly in the box. Though not cheap either, Xia Xiaolan was very happy. The color was chosen with a girl in mind – this wasn’t like the ostentatious car shopping with Kang Wei, but something Zhou Cheng had prepared early and chosen carefully.
Seeing Xia Xiaolan cherishing the pen, Zhou Cheng was also happy:
“Xiaolan, I want to take you home to have a meal with my parents and introduce you to them. Would you like that?”