Jiang Chun was actually a very down-to-earth girl. She had already taken a liking to Tang Zhizhou, but because Tang Zhizhou’s conditions were too good, she felt it was impossible for them to be together. That’s why, during the meal, she straightforwardly adopted a carefree attitude and openly made her stance clear.
But Tang Zhizhou, whether he was bewitched or something, didn’t take the easy way out. Instead, he said something about feeling they were very compatible and could give it a try.
Jiang Chun was stunned for two seconds. With the mindset that even if he was bewitched, she should seize the opportunity for now and later brag about having an ex-boyfriend, she immediately agreed.
Just like that, Jiang Chun transformed once again, becoming Tang Zhizhou’s girlfriend.
Perhaps because of a past experience where she gave her all in a relationship only to fail miserably, Jiang Chun, after becoming Tang Zhizhou’s girlfriend, was surprisingly open-minded. She always felt like there might be no tomorrow, so while Tang Zhizhou was still her proper boyfriend, she should fully enjoy the perks of being a girlfriend.
For the first two weeks, she pretended to be reserved. When Tang Zhizhou invited her to art exhibitions or indie films, she agreed. She even endured Ji Mingshu’s devilish torment, attempting to transform herself into a dazzling pearl that had been covered in dust.
Two weeks later, the dusty pearl herself proactively declared surrender.
Ji Mingshu’s over twenty years of cultivated socialite fundamentals weren’t something that could be quickly mastered.
Jiang Chun thought about it and decided she couldn’t be bothered to maintain the persona of a reserved heiress in front of Tang Zhizhou anymore.
This persona was completely unsuitable for her. She might never have earth-shattering taste or a weight under fifty kilograms in her lifetime.
Besides, she wasn’t short. In the weight standards, a little over fifty kilograms corresponded to a slim figure. Why torture herself with Ji Mingshu’s devilish standards?
On top of that, Tang Zhizhou had been saying he was very busy lately, and they hadn’t seen each other for a week. Jiang Chun had a feeling he had already tasted the novelty and was preparing to abandon her, so she completely let herself go. When Tang Zhizhou invited her to watch a high-brow play again, she directly refused.
“Sorry, I’m really not interested. Even if I went, I’d just sleep for two or three hours there. What a waste of ticket money. Also, I don’t really like Western food,” she thought for a moment and added, “But the desserts at the Western restaurants you pick are pretty good.”
After saying this, she hugged the pillow tighter, waiting for Tang Zhizhou to respond.
Someone with Tang Zhizhou’s personality was unlikely to directly bring up a breakup.
She thought the most likely scenario was that he would apologize first, then use work as an excuse and suggest meeting another time. After two or three days, he’d send a WeChat message, tactfully saying they weren’t compatible. That way, he could achieve a dignified breakup.
As she expected, Tang Zhizhou fell silent for a few seconds before apologizing to her. However, what followed slightly deviated from the script she had envisioned.
After apologizing, Tang Zhizhou suddenly chuckled lightly. “Actually, I don’t like watching plays or eating Western food either. I just thought you girls would enjoy this kind of date.”
Soon, he adopted an academic attitude and asked seriously, “Then what do you like? Ice skating, skiing, trampolining, archery?”
Jiang Chun could even hear the sound of him uncapping a pen on the other end of the phone, ready to take notes.
She paused. “You can do all of those?”
Tang Zhizhou: “A little bit.”No, based on her shallow understanding of Tang Zhizhou, when he said he was "a little good" at something, it meant he was at least exceptionally outstanding among amateur enthusiasts.
Seeing Jiang Chun remain silent for a while, he continued, "And what about things like haunted houses and escape rooms? Do you like those? The graduate students I supervise used to take their girlfriends there. As for food, I’m fine with anything. We can eat whatever you like."
After another long pause, Jiang Chun finally mumbled softly, "Those all sound pretty fun... but this isn’t a breakup meal, is it?"
Tang Zhizhou seemed to freeze for a moment, then smiled again. "What are you overthinking?"
"This is a reasonable suspicion!"
Tang Zhizhou pondered for a moment before admitting frankly, "Although we’ve only been together for less than a month, I really like you and have no intention of breaking up with you."
When Jiang Chun heard this, she was sitting cross-legged on her bed, hugging a Peppa Pig plushie while watching a variety show.
Whether it was because the air conditioner was set to the wrong mode or something else, her face instantly turned as pink as the little pig’s.
She stammered an "Oh," sounding as if the signal was poor, and then hesitated.
Tang Zhizhou, on the other hand, was calm and even took the initiative to discuss their date time for the next day.
She vaguely agreed and added, "Well... it’s getting late. I should sleep now. You should go to bed early too."
"Sleep now?" Tang Zhizhou said with interest. "I can still hear you watching the variety show. This episode premiered at eight o’clock the night before last. Coincidentally, I watched it at double speed last night while waiting for data with my graduate students. Judging by the dialogue, you’re only about a third of the way through. Are you really going to sleep now?"
"...?"
Jiang Chun slapped her tablet case shut. "Yes, I’m really going to sleep. Unless you want to listen to my breathing if I don’t hang up?"
Tang Zhizhou: "That’s a great idea."
Jiang Chun: "..."
She had just mentioned it casually—what kind of devil was he?
Tang Zhizhou: "Hurry up and lie down."
Jiang Chun silently pulled a steam eye mask from her bedside drawer, put it on, turned off the light, placed her phone beside her pillow, folded her hands over her stomach, and obediently closed her eyes.
"I’m lying down. I’m going to sleep now."
"Mm."
Jiang Chun had planned to lie there for about ten minutes and then pretend to accidentally hang up the call while turning over. But unexpectedly, as soon as she put on the steam eye mask, she unknowingly fell asleep.
At 5:30 in the morning, Jiang Chun woke up to use the bathroom.
When she lay back down, she was surprised to find the call still connected. Groggily and without thinking, she called out, "Professor Tang? Tang Zhizhou?"
"Mm, awake?"
"..."
"I wasn’t awake, but you scared me awake."
Tang Zhizhou laughed.
Jiang Chun covered her pounding heart with one hand and picked up her phone with the other. "It’s 5:30. You haven’t slept yet?"
Tang Zhizhou: "I’ve already gotten up. I’m about to go for a morning run."
Jiang Chun: "Getting up at 5:30 for a morning run... you’re absolutely terrifying."
Tang Zhizhou: "I have great stamina."
"...?"
She suspected he was hinting at something but had no evidence.
Tang Zhizhou went downstairs and reminded her, "By the way, you talk in your sleep, which is a sign of poor sleep quality. You should exercise more, stay up less late, drink a cup of warm milk before bed, and maintain a regular schedule."
"What did I say in my sleep?" Jiang Chun’s focus was completely off track.
Tang Zhizhou thought for a moment. "Nothing much, just expressed your admiration for me."
"...?""Cut the crap."
Jiang Chun unceremoniously hung up the phone and burrowed under the covers.
Half a minute later, she emerged from the blankets for air, beginning to wonder if she had really relapsed into her old habit of acting like a lovesick fool in her dreams.
Tang Zhizhou glanced at his phone while drinking water after his morning run and found that his little girlfriend had sent a long paragraph ten minutes earlier, defending herself for talking in her sleep. In the end, perhaps realizing that her defense not only lacked persuasiveness but also seemed rather conspicuous, she sent a "lying dead" emoji, completely giving up the struggle.
Tang Zhizhou swallowed his water with a suppressed laugh. The thought of his little girlfriend tossing and turning in bed, secretly regretting her actions, struck him as particularly adorable.
In truth, that matchmaking-style dinner at the Jiang family wasn’t the first time Tang Zhizhou had met Jiang Chun.
He first saw Jiang Chun at a cross-disciplinary art salon before that arranged meeting.
After returning to China, Tang Zhizhou had been working in the AI lab at C University on the development of a medical artificial intelligence project. Although the research environment in domestic universities wasn’t ideal, and he had to supervise graduate students and teach a couple of irrelevant theoretical courses as required, overall, the circles he moved in were still relatively pure.
But as a member of the Tang family, returning to China inevitably meant intersecting with Beijing’s elite social circles.
That salon event gathered Beijing’s elite, with most of the wealthy young ladies and socialites in attendance. The scene was filled with flattery, perfume, and glamour—familiar to him, but of no interest.
At the time, Jiang Chun had just been mocked for Yan Yu’s infidelity and had been moping at home for quite a while. This was her first outing since, and the ones accompanying her were still the same fake friends who had previously stirred the pot and egged her on to provoke Ji Mingshu.
Jiang Chun lived up to her name—whether you’d call it innocence or naivety was debatable.
Back then, although she felt that Ji Mingshu wasn’t as these friends described, she didn’t realize that these people never truly considered her a friend. Nor did she know that these fake friends were merely hovering on the fringes of the socialite circle, lacking substantial family backgrounds. They hung out with her partly to take advantage of her and partly because they looked down on her yet envied her, deliberately encouraging her to make a fool of herself in public.
Fresh out of her slump, these fake friends first offered a round of comfort. Then, upon spotting Ji Mingshu nearby, they began to plant seeds of doubt.
"G, Ji Mingshu’s here too."
"Of course she’d come. Wherever there’s a chance to show off, she’ll be there."
"Putting on such airs. Who knows how she fawns over her husband at home."
Jiang Chun interrupted, "I don’t think Ji Mingshu is like what you say."
"Then what is she like?"
"Darling, don’t forget how she mocked you before."
"Yeah, when has she ever looked up to you?"
Jiang Chun interrupted again, "She didn’t look down on me. She even helped me."
"Helped you? Helped you with what?"
Before Jiang Chun could respond, the other two chimed in:
"Oh, right, wasn’t it her who spread the news about Yan Yu’s cheating?"
"Yeah, she was there at the scene. Who else could it have been?"
For once, Jiang Chun’s mind was sharp. "How do you know she was at the scene?"
In the versions circulating outside, Ji Mingshu’s presence was completely absent.The woman who had slipped up couldn't maintain her composure, her expression faltering. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking somewhat awkward, and stammered for a while without managing to give a coherent explanation.
Jiang Chun seemed to have suddenly unlocked some hidden potential, her deductive skills skyrocketing to an all-time high.
She exclaimed with sudden realization, "Do you actually know that mistress? Last time I saw a photo of you two together and asked you about it, you said you didn't know her—just that a friend of a friend happened to be there. But you actually know her, don't you?"
The woman who had slipped up glanced at the other two girls, seeking help. But the other two were also feeling guilty and avoided meeting her gaze.
Jiang Chun pressed on relentlessly, "The Paris incident was spread by that mistress on purpose, wasn't it? And you had a hand in it too, right?"
The girl never expected Jiang Chun's mind to suddenly become so sharp. Not being a trained actress, her face betrayed her growing guilt.
Jiang Chun's anger had reached its peak, and her words poured out nonstop:
"You're so despicable yourself, yet you smear Ji Mingshu's name. Are you just jealous of her? Jealous that she's the center of attention, high and mighty?"
"Thinking back now, I really feel stupid. Every time I was egged on to cause trouble for Ji Mingshu, you were always involved. And you! And you!"
She pointed at the other two girls, crossing her arms over her chest. She let out an angry laugh, wearing an expression that said, "I've finally seen through you all."
"I finally get it now. Ji Mingshu is nothing like how you described her. So you've been spending my money, using me as a pawn, and laughing at me behind my back. Did you think I was especially stupid and easy to bully?"
"I'm telling you, if you dare say another bad word about Ji Mingshu, I'll beat you up! And another thing! Give back all the bags, dresses, and shoes I gave you! Have you no shame?!"
Tang Zhizhou, hearing this, choked on a sip of red wine, leaving it stuck in his throat. He stifled a cough, nearly causing a scene.
He never expected to hear a girl, in such a setting, threaten to "beat you up" in defense of another girl. It was almost laughable.
He instinctively glanced back and happened to see the exposed girl, furious but mindful of the occasion, lowering her voice to warn, "Jiang Chun! Watch where you're making a scene!"
"Watch where? I'm not afraid of embarrassing myself!"
"I'm telling all of you, if you don't return my things, just you wait. You know what my dad used to do, right?!"
Tang Zhizhou looked at the girl's delicate, pretty face, fierce yet oddly endearing, and couldn't help but curve his lips into a slight smile.
Jiang Chun.
Her name was quite cute too.
The matter concluded with Ji Mingshu stepping forward to stand united with Jiang Chun.
Tang Zhizhou knew of Ji Mingshu—she had been spoiled and willful since childhood, but he hadn't heard any rumors about her being particularly wild or crossing lines. It seemed she knew her limits. Being friends with her might not be such a bad thing.
He had a seminar to attend and couldn't stay long, but in just over ten minutes, Jiang Chun had left an extremely deep impression on him.
Afterward, he was busy with work for a few days and finally had a weekend off, only for his family to mention arranging a blind date for him.
Since returning to the country, his family had arranged over ten blind dates for him. Aside from the first two he attended unknowingly, he had mostly avoided the later ones. Even when he did go, he had ways to end the meetings quickly.This time, he heard it was the old master's lifesaver from his days in Shencheng. He had originally planned to make an excuse to skip it at the last minute to avoid an awkward meeting where both sides would have to politely decline. But when he accidentally learned the other party's surname was Jiang, he changed his mind and decided to attend.
When Jiang Chun learned about this, she and Tang Zhizhou were eating hotpot.
The phone call from last night kept replaying in Jiang Chun's mind. She was too curious, so she eagerly blanched half a bowl of lettuce for Tang Zhizhou before looking at him expectantly and asking, "Do you really like me? Why do you like me?"
Tang Zhizhou thought for a moment, then told her about their first meeting, which she had been unaware of.
After hearing it, Jiang Chun felt a bit speechless. Men are really strange—they actually find that kind of thing cute and genuine instead of thinking it's foolish and unruly.
She silently lowered her gaze and ate, occasionally taking a sip of cola, her forehead sweating.
Seeing her mouth turn bright red from the spiciness but still lingering in the spicy beef tallow broth, and even dipping the food in dried chili powder after blanching, Tang Zhizhou instinctively asked the server for a bottle of room-temperature Wangzai Milk.
He opened the pull tab of the Wangzai Milk can, pushed it in front of Jiang Chun, and confiscated her cola. "Don't eat like this, you'll get diarrhea."
Jiang Chun's mouth was stuffed with a small crab roe bun. She mumbled twice, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, but she didn't put up much resistance.
After swallowing the crab roe bun, she returned the favor by blanching a slice of fatty beef in the clear broth, placing it in a non-spicy dipping sauce, and pushing it toward Tang Zhizhou.
Tang Zhizhou reached for it, but she didn't let go. "One more question."
"Hmm?"
"You have such good qualities. Have you had many girlfriends before?"
Tang Zhizhou nodded, not denying it. "I've had girlfriends, but not many."
"How many?"
"Two."
Jiang Chun didn't ask further, but Tang Zhizhou volunteered, "One was during my sophomore year. We were classmates in the same college and dated for a semester. The other was during my first year of graduate school. We were in the same research group and dated for about two and a half months. I was the one who got dumped both times."
"...?"
Such a long gap between relationships, and such short relationships where he was the one dumped? With his qualities, that doesn't seem logical.
Tang Zhizhou continued reflecting, "I don't really know how to be in a relationship. At first, you might think I'm very considerate in how I handle things, but as time goes on, you'll realize I might be a bit boring, not particularly good at taking care of a girl's feelings, and I have many other shortcomings. But I'll try to improve in the future."
"Are you saying you're a bit of a 'straight man cancer'?" Jiang Chun said dismissively.
Tang Zhizhou thought it was quite fitting but wasn't too keen on admitting it.
Jiang Chun picked up a slice of potato and motioned for him to open his mouth.
He obediently opened it, and Jiang Chun promptly stuffed the potato into his mouth, then rested her chin on her hand and smiled at him, looking utterly satisfied.
Straight man cancer? No big deal, it can be cured.
As they were finishing the hotpot, they happened to be discussing their next trip to the amusement park. Tang Zhizhou checked his schedule and said he was free on Thursday. Jiang Chun happily agreed and started devouring the remaining plate of crispy fried pork.
Seeing the schedule reminded Tang Zhizhou of the previous open class, so he casually asked, "By the way, when you came to my open class last time, you were clearly downstairs. Why did you say you needed another fifteen minutes to arrive?"
Jiang Chun nearly choked. She took the Wangzai Milk he handed her, drank half the bottle, and finally caught her breath.Tang Zhizhou came to his senses and coughed apologetically, "Did I ask something wrong?"
Jiang Chun wiped her lips and said expressionlessly, "I was just trying to act reserved so you wouldn’t think I was so eager that I rushed out early in the morning."
Then she added, "I think I know why you got dumped."
Tang Zhizhou paused briefly, then smiled, "You’re really adorable."
Jiang Chun shoved a piece of crispy pork into his mouth without changing her expression, "Don’t call me adorable! Call me beautiful!"
"Alright, beautiful."
Although the two had quickly entered into a relationship, the speed had left them with little understanding of each other, so they often performed a polite and formal "we’re not that close" act.
After having an open and honest conversation, their relationship grew noticeably closer, and they began to act more and more like a couple.
Jiang Chun affectionately saved Tang Zhizhou’s contact as "Professor Zhouzhou" and made sure he changed hers to "Pure Treasure." She would often sneak into C University and curl up in his office watching variety shows.
Tang Zhizhou’s graduate students were initially surprised—their usually reserved professor had quietly found a girlfriend. But within a week, they grew accustomed to it and affectionately started calling Jiang Chun "Shimu" (teacher’s wife).
Jiang Chun didn’t mind being called older and often brought them fun snacks and treats. She would even help distract Tang Zhizhou when he was about to give them a hard time.
These graduate students, only a couple of years younger than her, were completely won over and willingly became her loyal followers, eagerly serving as her eyes and ears. They spared no effort in spreading the word around campus that Tang Zhizhou was officially taken, while also faithfully reporting his every move back to her.
Tang Zhizhou wasn’t the least bit annoyed because Jiang Chun was always open and honest about everything she did. Before acting, she would clearly tell him what she planned to do, how she intended to do it, and why—so straightforward that it was impossible to stay upset.
Being with Jiang Chun made him feel much happier than before.
On the weekend, the two agreed to try an escape room. Jiang Chun was quite brave—she could watch The Grudge or The Ring while eating instant noodles without batting an eye, and after finishing her meal, she’d sleep soundly. So, she directly chose the most difficult and terrifying option: the midnight morgue.
—But Tang Zhizhou didn’t know that.
She had originally thought that since Tang Zhizhou was unaware, she could take the opportunity to show a more delicate side. But as soon as they entered the escape room, Tang Zhizhou began meticulously critiquing everything.
"The bloodstains are way too fake—they’re not even animal blood. I read online that this place opened just three months ago, so it might still have that new renovation smell. There’s definitely a paint odor. Let’s get through quickly—substandard building materials aren’t good for your health."
Jiang Chun: "..."
Alright, she thought she’d switch tactics—instead of acting delicate, she’d act admiring.
But she didn’t even see how Tang Zhizhou solved the first room! Nor did she know how she ended up following him into the third room in a daze!
She watched as Tang Zhizhou dialed a few numbers on the numeric puzzle at the end of the room—click, click, click—and the door opened, revealing yet another room.
Finally, she managed to speak up, "What was that? How did you solve it so fast?"
"It’s just a rail fence cipher. Pretty simple."
A what now?
Jiang Chun linked arms with Tang Zhizhou and said with genuine admiration, "Professor Zhouzhou, you’re really amazing!"Tang Zhizhou rubbed her head, his eyes smiling, but he said nothing.
When they reached the final escape room, the solution to the puzzle was already clear at a glance: find the numbers along the correct paths in the maze diagram, then identify the pattern to correctly arrange and combine this set of numbers, open the treasure chest, and retrieve the key to exit the last room.
Yet Tang Zhizhou stood before the maze diagram, motionless for quite some time.
Jiang Chun quietly traced out a path and asked curiously, "Do you think this is too easy and don’t want to do it?"
Tang Zhizhou hummed in agreement, then added, "I want to spend more time with you. Aren’t you going on a trip with your best friend tomorrow?"
Jiang Chun’s face flushed, and she stole a glance at Tang Zhizhou before quickly leaning in to give him a kiss.
Tang Zhizhou paused briefly, touched his lower lip with the pad of his ring finger, then tightened his arm around Jiang Chun’s waist and leaned down for a deep kiss.
The staff member sitting in front of the surveillance monitors had been laughing at players trembling with fear in other escape rooms. But when their gaze shifted to the footage from the underground morgue, they felt this dose of "dog food" was a bit sudden and a bit too much.
The staff member playing the corpse in the underground morgue felt even more aggrieved. This couple had breezed through the challenges, solving the previous puzzle without even triggering the clues in his morgue.
Now, sitting up from the corner of the morgue, he fanned himself while watching the two lovebirds with their backs turned to him. He had originally planned to scare them when they turned around, but not only did they show no intention of looking back, they even started kissing as if no one else was around! The corpse actor felt a faint sense of humiliation!!!
Jiang Chun and Tang Zhizhou’s relationship progressed smoothly. They went on dates every few days, with Tang Zhizhou responsible for finding fun places and Jiang Chun in charge of discovering delicious food. During a short holiday, Tang Zhizhou even drove her to a neighboring city to go hiking.
During the Chinese New Year, Tang Zhizhou took her to meet his parents and grandparents at the Tang family home. At first, she was very nervous, afraid his parents wouldn’t approve of her. After all, an education bureau leader and a vice-chair of the writers’ association sounded quite intimidating—she had always dreaded writing essays as a child.
But to her surprise, Tang Zhizhou’s parents were nothing like she had imagined. In private, they were very amiable and showed no disdain for her lower educational background.
His mother even asked her for advice on how to use popular short-video apps and whether she could recommend any food bloggers who were good at cooking. Overall, the atmosphere in the Tang family was very pleasant.
Tang Zhizhou also visited the Jiang family with her. Jiang Hongtao, needless to say, was extremely satisfied with Tang Zhizhou. After a few drinks, he even directly started calling him "son-in-law."
With both sets of parents visited, this was considered gaining the approval of both families.
Right after the New Year, the Tang family took the initiative to discuss engagement arrangements, and the parents even secretly settled on a wedding date while they were at it.
Their wedding was scheduled for May of the following year, as the wedding dress and rings required time for customization, and the venue decorations and other intricate details needed planning.
Towards the end of that year, something of moderate significance happened in the capital: Yan Heavy Industries, the Yan family’s largest source of income, declared bankruptcy.
A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. The Yan family had transferred some assets and had already completed immigration procedures, moving the entire family to Canada.
However, Yan Yu, unwilling to repay his substantial debts, was added to the list of dishonest persons subject to enforcement. Although he left the country, the Yan family was effectively removed from the ranks of Beijing’s elite families.Jiang Chun had long since lost any feelings for Yan Yu. When she heard the news, she didn't even feel a sense of vindication. She had stopped caring long ago, so whether he was in trouble or not didn't stir any emotions in her.
It was only much later that she heard from Ji Mingshu that the final blow to Yan Heavy Industries was delivered jointly by the Tang family and her father, Jiang Hongtao.
Her father was truly something else. Before delivering the final blow, he made sure to squeeze every last drop of profit and gave them a beating they couldn't even complain about.
She finally understood how her father had managed to endure the humiliation when Yan Yu arrogantly broke off the engagement, causing such a loss of face for the Jiang family. A cunning merchant's revenge is never too late.
Yan Yu had walked away without a care in the world.
But the little white lotus he left behind wasn't so lucky.
That little white lotus, whose stage name was Song Zirou—quite fitting for her pure, white lotus persona—had, after attaching herself to Yan Yu, repeatedly hinted in various reports that she had powerful backing and that her boyfriend came from an influential background.
For a rising star in the entertainment industry, having someone like Yan Yu as a backer could indeed be considered powerful.
Yan Yu was utterly bewitched by her. Later, at Zhang Er's birthday party, when Ji Mingshu stood up for Jiang Chun and slapped her, the video spread widely. Yan Yu, in a fit of rage to defend his beloved, issued a statement declaring their relationship legitimate, effectively cementing her position as his girlfriend.
But Yan Yu was Yan Yu, and the Yan family was the Yan family.
The Yan family sought influential marriages to strengthen their position. Even though she used every trick in the book to cling to Yan Yu, the Yan family never gave her a second glance.
When the ship sank, everyone scrambled to save themselves. Song Zirou was the first to issue a breakup statement, distancing herself from Yan Yu while also riding the wave of publicity.
But even so, her first nationally broadcast drama flopped spectacularly, leaving a gaping hole in the TV station's schedule.
Her competitors spared no effort in buying trending topics and issuing press releases, eager to crush her—the one who had arrogantly snatched resources from them—into the ground.
The last time Jiang Chun saw Song Zirou was at a brand's autumn-winter launch event. By then, Song Zirou had already latched onto a new sugar daddy, though this one was nowhere near Yan Yu's caliber—older, married, and with both parties fully aware that it was just a transactional arrangement for mutual benefit.
Song Zirou happened to be seated at the same table as Jiang Chun. Gently and sweetly, she congratulated Jiang Chun on her upcoming marriage, but then shifted the conversation, subtly insinuating that Jiang Chun and Tang Zhizhou weren't a good match and that she should be careful.
Jiang Chun rolled her eyes and ignored her.
But her friend eagerly picked up the thread, mentioning how she had recently run into Tang Zhizhou's ex-girlfriend in the U.S. The ex-girlfriend, she said, had delicate features, an elegant demeanor, was fluent in multiple languages, and was now thriving at a well-known tech company in Silicon Valley.
Jiang Chun chuckled, not bothering to be polite. "What kind of work did Miss Song do in the U.S. that she managed to meet Silicon Valley elites? Escort services, perhaps? I thought only low-tier influencers and wannabes did that kind of work. I never imagined a popular star like Miss Song, who almost became the Yan family's daughter-in-law, would stoop so low. Oh, and since Miss Song is so concerned about other people's fiancés' ex-girlfriends, did she happen to visit her own ex-boyfriend in Canada while she was at it?"
The words "Yan family's daughter-in-law," "popular star," "stoop so low," and "ex-boyfriend" were delivered by Jiang Chun with layers of sarcasm and insinuation.
Song Zirou's face instantly turned a kaleidoscope of colors, a sight to behold.Jiang Chun stood up, smiling as she waved the large diamond ring on her hand. "I hope the next time I see Miss Song isn’t in a trending hashtag about being beaten up by the wife. Goodbye."
Although Jiang Chun hadn’t shown any fear when confronting Song Zirou, afterward, she couldn’t help but search online for Tang Zhizhou’s ex-girlfriend, whom Song Zirou had mentioned.
From her Facebook updates, it seemed Tang Zhizhou’s ex-girlfriend had already settled in the United States, was engaged to her boyfriend, and was living a happy and fulfilling life. However, Song Zirou wasn’t wrong—she was truly outstanding.
The next day, when Jiang Chun went to try on her wedding dress, she still felt a bit downhearted.
After stepping out of the fitting room, she couldn’t hold back any longer. She tugged at Tang Zhizhou’s sleeve and chattered on for a while before finally asking, "Why did you stop liking such an outstanding ex-girlfriend and come to like me instead? I don’t seem to have many good qualities."
Tang Zhizhou took her hand in his and kissed it. "You have many good qualities; you just don’t realize they’re qualities. Besides, liking someone is just that—there’s no reason why."
Jiang Chun looked up at him and, after a moment, finally smiled. "Professor Zhouzhou, I’ll be a good wife to you from now on."
She lifted the hem of her wedding dress and twirled in front of him. "Am I pretty?"
Tang Zhizhou looked at her with a smile in his eyes and sincerely praised, "You’re beautiful."
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