Don't be So Proud

Chapter 11.3 — A Sweet Burden (3)

Sometimes, Shen Xi felt that He Zhi Zhou was really a very bad person, but he has always been able to pretend to have noble and clean-living behavior in appearance. He knew that she could not come out, yet asked if she wanted to come out for a visit for a few days.

Wasn’t this a temptation?

Unfortunately, she was really tempted as she really wanted to go to S city to meet her little lover ah ah ah ah ah ah!

Shen Xi was bored to death every day, so Shen Jian Guo enrolled her in a gym near ‘Court Bay Villas’. It has a dance studio, equipment room, as well as a sauna and swimming pool. Shen Xi hangout in the dance studio every day and got to know a little boy who was a street dancer. After that, the street dancer went to Shen family residence every day, to ingratiate himself. He even specifically picked the time when Shen Jian Guo was at home.

No amount of rebuking or beating could get rid of him. It seemed he was ready to carry out the long battle. Every day, he would pester Shen Jian Guo, absolutely determined to be the son-in-law who had offered himself up.

Shen Jian Guo was very angry, yet cannot say anything or blame Shen Xi. This is because he was the one who gave her the gym card, so he was actually the initiator of the whole thing.

Finally, Shen Jian Guo was tormented by the street dancer until both mentally and physically exhausted, so he immediately took a stack of money from the wallet, threw them at Shen Xi and sent her to S city: “Get out of here.”

Shen Xi counted the money, but did not really want to leave yet.

Shen Jian Guo added a little more.

Only then, Shen Xi returned to her room unhurriedly to pack. In the room, she called the street dancer first to thank him as she was really thankful to him.

Before leaving, she said goodbye to each family members. The expression on her face was full of sadness and reluctance, as if she was being kicked out of home. She said something sweet: “I am leaving home to earn money and will come back to take good care of you. Take care of yourself while you guys are here at home without me.”

Shen Jian Guo could not stand this anymore: “Farewell, and we won’t see you out.”

Shen Xi raised her eyebrows, pointing at Shen Jian Guo and looking at grandpa: “What kind of attitude is that ah!”

“How can you speak like this?” Grandpa slapped Shen Jian Guo, then said to Shen Xi, “Little Xi ah, I do not ask for much. So long as you can earn money and buy me a pair of shoe inserts, I’ll be perfectly satisfied.”

This is what loved ones should say! Shen Xi was very touched so she hugged grandpa. How can a pair of shoe inserts express her love for grandpa? Not enough, not enough! With a ridiculously suave and strutting manner, she declared: “Grandpa, I’ll take charge of all your shoe inserts in the future.”

Grandpa Shen: “Okay!”

Take charge of all …… Shen Jian Guo started to feel a little jealous, so he coughed a few times to remind them of his existence.

Shen Xi glanced askance at Shen Jian Guo, yet still softly hugged her own dad, patted him on the back and said: “Don’t drink too much alcohol during your drinking session. Smoking is also not allowed, decline when others hand you one. Wait for me to bring back ten roast ducks for you!”

Shen Jian Guo was moved to tears. After Shen Xi left the house, he turned around, his eyes were red. Wu Ling said he was an embarrassment: “When Xi Xi get married later, see how you gonna cope!”

Shen Jian Guo’s heart had long been softened by Shen Xi’s soothing speech, he gave a deep sigh: “This is the downside of having a daughter.”

……

Many years ago, when Shen Jian Guo was still just a mere worker in the company he was in, only two families in his department gave birth to a daughter. Afterwards, during that trend when companies were having workers take a leave of absence without pay, many people choose to take the risk to do business; When Shen Jian Guo submitted his resignation, that person who also gave birth to a daughter, asked in puzzlement: “Old Shen, why are you taking such a big risk? It is understandable if you are risking everything for the son, but you only have a girl, so why are you tormenting yourself so hard? Raising her until 20 years old, she’ll become a member of another family.

Shen Jian Guo sprayed salty soda water on that man’s face: “I am happy to do it.”

Many years later, Wu Ling told this story as a joke to her, Shen Xi only felt warm. She lay in Wu Ling’s bosom and said: “Both of you can go to Hong Kong to give birth to another baby!”

Wu Ling tapped her head, resulting in a buzzing sound: “What nonsense are you talking about, be careful that your father will beat you!”

When Shen Xi arrived at H city railway station, the sky was already dark. After checking in, she first sent a text message to her family. Shen Jian Guo was still angry with her, but sent her the quickest reply: “Add oil, daughter.”

Shen Xi blinked her eyes, the heart feeling warm until she wanted to cry. She controlled her emotions and sent He Zhi Zhou a text message —— “Your girlfriend is coming to S city, remember to come to the train station at 8pm to pick her up.”

After Shen Xi finished sending the text message, another round of ridiculous sweetness filled her. She purposely bought an evening ticket, as she wanted to wait for He Zhi Zhou to get off work, so that he will have time to come over to pick her up.

Just that this journey was not that smooth sailing.

After the train departed for ten minutes, it started to rain heavily outside. Through the thick glass window, one can still feel the howling wind and torrential rain outside. Rain water was pouring out like the bursting of the cover for the sky and river. The distant fields, trees and buildings have become fuzzy, soaked in the midst of rain and fog.

Shen Xi glanced at the mobile phone, He Zhi Zhou has not sent her a reply. She could not help but give him a call, but no one answered. She started to feel a little anxious.

She arrived at S city railway station at 7.55pm and found out that the rain in S city was even heavier than H city.

She took a chance and looked around, intending to find He Zhi Zhou. Reality has proven that luck is basically a non-existent situation. Since He Zhi Zhou did not reply her text message, this meant he did not see her text message.

Shen Xi was sitting in the waiting room at the train station. She first received a call from her family and lied to them: “He Zhi Zhou had already come to pick me up, so I won’t talk further. I’ll call you back later.”

After quickly hanging up the phone, she gave He Zhi Zhou another call, but still no answer. She flipped through the phone book, saw Tang Tang’s name, sighed and put the mobile phone back into her pocket.

7.55 to 8 o’clock, after that 8.15pm, 8.30pm …… time went by very quickly. When the clock struck nine, Shen Xi started to feel anxious.

In addition, she felt more worried.

Had something happened? She did not want to let her imagination run wild, but she cannot get hold of He Zhi Zhou.

The typhoon was sweeping through S city. Shen Xi who was sitting inside the train station, can also hear the sound of the rainwater outside. Many stranded passengers were anxiously waiting in the noisy train station, as it was difficult to get a taxi.

This kind of sound was even more disturbing to her.

Shen Xi kept dialing He Zhi Zhou’s phone number, finally a glimmer of hope. When a female’s voice can be heard through the phone “The person you are calling is on another line”, tears were already trickling down —— He Zhi Zhou, the big baddie, finally answered the phone.

After hanging up, He Zhi Zhou’s call came through smoothly. He sounded a bit hoarse, and also a little anxious. When she heard his voice, her nose twitched

“Why didn’t you answer the phone?” She complained bitterly.

He Zhi Zhou apologized, and then told her that he will need about 40 minutes before he will be able to come over. She was still a little dissatisfied, but reluctantly compromised.

Forty minute is a long time, but at least she heard his voice. Thus the anxiousness she felt before had disappeared. The rain outside was getting more and more heavy, but her mood was like clear sky after the rain.

She said to He Zhi Zhou: “Be careful on your way here.”

He Zhi Zhou: “Sit there and wait for me, don’t wander around! If you’re hungry, eat something first.”

Shen Xi was really hungry. Due to feeling worry and anxious just now, she was not aware that her stomach was empty. After the heaviness in the heart was lifted, only then she realized that she was so hungry to the point of passing out. An elderly woman who was sitting next to her was devouring ravenously her instant noodles. Shen Xi glanced at her and she pointed to the front: “Can buy over there.”

“I don’t eat instant noodles.” Shen Xi shook her head to decline because she did not want to eat instant noodles. There was still grievance in her heart. How can people with grievance casually eat instant noodles? She wanted to wait for He Zhi Zhou to take her home, and then cook her a big supper to make up to her.

Then, Shen Xi thought of all kinds of acting shameless and pitiful tricks. But after enduring for half an hour, she eventually bought a box of instant noodles to eat.

Due to extreme hunger, the instant noodles also turned into delicacy.

When Shen Xi was joyously eating her instant noodles, the mobile phone finally ringing. She held the mobile phone, raised her head and saw He Zhi Zhou at a distant before answering the call.

His pair of long legs standing at the exit of the quietened down train station, his posture tall and straight. White shirt, khaki colored pants, holding a black umbrella in his hand and leaving a trail of rainwater on the black marble floor.

The clock ticking away.

He Zhi Zhou also saw her, hung up the phone and walked toward her. Holding the instant noodles, Shen Xi turned around and deliberately not looked at him, until He Zhi Zhou got near her and called her name.

Shen Xi pouted and continued to drink the noodles soup. She wanted him to see: how she spent her pathetic three hours.

He Zhi Zhou touched her: “Stop eating, we’ll go back and eat something better.”

Shen Xi pouted her lips, deliberately being stubborn. “I can’t waste it…”

“It’s alright since all the noodles had already been eaten. You are allowed to waste the soup.” He Zhi Zhou used a joking manner to say this. His voice carried the dampness of rain as well as his cautious apology.

Shen Xi was not a person who will get angry easily, her heart also told her not to be angry anymore, because He Zhi Zhou also braved the heavy rain to come over to pick her up. She obediently put the instant noodles into a bag, sealed it, threw it into the trash can and then turned around: “… can help me to carry my luggage?”

Really very obedient.

He Zhi Zhou touched Shen Xi’s head. One hand dragging the luggage and the other hand holding her, he led her out of the train station.

He Zhi Zhou opened the boot of a yellow taxi that had stopped outside much earlier and put in the luggage. Then he escorted Shen Xi into the taxi.

The taxi driver was not from S city, but nearby Wuping County. The car was also driven from Wuping County. Therefore when He Zhi Zhou saw her text message, was he in Wuping County?

The driver complained about the heavy rain tonight. Shen Xi peeked at his semi-wet appearance, what else to feel dissatisfied about? However big the grievance, also vanished like smoke in thin air.

They really were a pair of unfortunate little mandarin ducks! Shen Xi hugged He Zhi Zhou, buried her face in his arms and muffled.

He Zhi Zhou thought Shen Xi was still angry. He ran his hand through her hair a couple of times, his motions gentle.

He Zhi Zhou did not receive Shen Xi’s text messages and phone calls, because he went to Wuping County to attend a project discussion meeting. The meeting was from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm, dinner was takeaway directly ordered by the head of the project. He also left behind his mobile phone in the hotel. When he returned to the hotel, only then he saw the twenty something phone calls and a dozen or more text messages from Shen Xi.

It was raining heavily outside, he picked up the phone to return Shen Xi’s call, feeling panic for the first time.

He Zhi Zhou lived in an old area in the city center. This was a relatively mystical neighborhood in S city because it was situated in a prime location in the downtown of ??S city, which should have been demolished and rebuilt long ago. But it was still intact and located in between many high-rise buildings. The reason is that there were still many retired veteran cadres living here, so the government did not dare to touch their home.

Unfortunately, the alley was too narrow, so the taxi cannot get inside. He Zhi Zhou got out of the taxi first, opened the umbrella and then opened the door for Shen Xi. The pavement was full of puddle of rain water. Shen Xi happened to step on a puddle, so water got into her shoes.

She gave a sharp cry and nearly fell down. Luckily, He Zhi Zhou pulled her back in time. Hey hey hey, can this be considered a couple going through trials and tribulations together?

Because she left home to meet up with her boyfriend, she purposely wore high-heeled shoes to show off shamelessly. But, now that the pavement was covered with such deep water, how was she going to walk over in high heels?

He Zhi Zhou seemed to be aware of this problem earlier than her. He gave the driver an extra $50 to get him to help with the luggage. Then he squatted, turned his head and said to her, “Come up.”

He wanted to carry her on the back.

While holding the umbrella, Shen Xi carefully lay on He Zhi Zhou’s back. She held an umbrella in one hand, grasped He Zhi Zhou’s shoulders with the other hand and said in a relaxed manner: “Finally, it is your turn to piggyback me.”

He Zhi Zhou laughed twice: “I did not expect such bad weather.”

“Yes ah yes ah.” Shen Xi thought it was so difficult to meet her boyfriend today. While lying on He Zhi Zhou’s shoulders, she started to chuckle. The whole journey was really not easy, with strong wind and heavy rain. Currently, He Zhi Zhou also has to carry her, avoiding one puddle after another. Such heavy rain, his and her clothes were soaked, the ice-cold fabric sticking close to the skin making one feel very uncomfortable. While lying on He Zhi Zhou’s back, she sneezed, but her heart was warm as if injected by warm current.

It was stirring repeatedly, it was rampantly racing, it was shouting wildly inside her body, and then plainly telling her that at this moment this man who was carrying her across the water, will surely become the most important person in her life.

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