Chapter 8: The Story Within the City (1)
Her heart was quiet, listening to its own slow, steady beat.
Zhou Shengchen smiled.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside the door, shoes tapping against the wooden floor. There weren’t many private rooms on this floor, so the staff attending to them were limited. Throughout the meal, she had only heard footsteps passing by two or three times.
And this last time, they stopped right outside the door.
A small hand pushed the door open, revealing a boy’s face. "Big brother," he called. Zhou Shengchen looked surprised. When the door opened fully, it wasn’t just the boy—two young women in cheongsams and shawls entered as well. As they stepped inside, Shi Yi noticed that one of them had a slightly rounded belly, clearly pregnant.
She was startled by the girl’s age. Judging by the lingering baby fat on her cheeks, she couldn’t have been older than twenty.
The unexpected guests brought a lively energy to the quiet private room.
"What brings you all here?" Zhou Shengchen asked them.
The group exchanged glances before the little boy eagerly explained, "The Cold Food Festival ruined our appetites—nothing but cold dishes! So we snuck out for something better."
They were all polite, keeping their gazes mostly to themselves after the initial greetings. Only when they caught sight of the golden locket on Shi Yi’s chest did their expressions flicker with surprise, though they quickly masked it.
Shi Yi moved to sit beside Zhou Shengchen, giving up her spacious seat for the pregnant woman.
During the brief introductions, she tried her best to memorize their names: one was his cousin, Zhou Wenfang; the pregnant woman was his cousin-in-law, Tang Xiaofu; and the boy who had entered first was named Zhou Shengren.
She hadn’t expected there to be another boy with the surname Zhou Sheng. According to Zhou Shengchen’s earlier explanation, as the eldest grandson of the main branch, no one else in his generation should share his surname.
So why did this boy also bear the name Zhou Sheng?
The word "son" flashed through her mind, and she quickly glanced between the two of them. They seemed to be about thirteen or fourteen years apart in age. Zhou Shengchen, as if reading her thoughts, chuckled and said, "He’s my younger brother."
When he said this, the little boy showed no reaction.
But the two women noticeably paused before swiftly changing the subject.
Tang Xiaofu, it seemed, was visiting Zhenjiang for the first time.
She was clearly unaccustomed to the old family residence and couldn’t help complaining, saying she was afraid of ghosts and monsters appearing at night. Zhou Wenfang scoffed, "If I were you, I’d use the baby as an excuse to escape that haunted place."
"I already used the baby as an excuse to skip the ancestral rites. If I don’t stay there at all, the elders will scold me."
Zhou Wenfang sighed softly. "Thank goodness it’s only once every four years. Living in that place permanently would drive anyone mad."
Zhou Shengchen listened for a while before his gaze drifted to the lake outside the window, as if watching the rain—or lost in thought.
Shi Yi glanced at him, wondering what he was thinking.
Suddenly, he turned back and met her eyes.
The directness of his gaze caught her off guard. She blinked, then smiled sheepishly. "What are you thinking about?"
"The test report they sent this morning wasn’t ideal," he answered casually. "I think their experimental method must be flawed."
She let out an "Oh," then asked something else she didn’t fully understand.
Shi Yi, ah, serves you right for killing the conversation.He smiled gently and continued, "So I was thinking of wrapping things up here quickly and returning to Xi'an. Otherwise, I'm afraid all the preliminary work might go to waste."
She nodded, picturing him in his white lab coat.
So pristine and meticulous.
On their way back, she asked if the little boy was his younger brother.
Zhou Shengchen shook his head. "Strictly speaking, Xiao Ren is my cousin—my uncle's son."
"Then why does he also have the surname Zhousheng?"
"When my father passed away when I was five, I was the only one left with the Zhousheng name," he explained. "For the sake of the Zhousheng family legacy, my uncle took on the Zhousheng surname. So his son, Xiao Ren, shares my surname but must be formally adopted by my mother."
She nodded. Such complicated family ties.
"Once I'm engaged, it will mark my official coming of age. My uncle and Xiao Ren will then revert to their original surname."
So complicated indeed.
Shi Yi pieced together this intricate family structure from his words.
"Does your mother only have you as her son?"
"There's also a younger brother and sister—fraternal twins," he said, his eyes softening suddenly. "Unfortunately, they're both rather eccentric and never come home for ancestral rites. You'll meet them someday."
Zhou Shengchen saw her home, and as they said goodbye at her doorstep, she hesitated, wanting to ask what would happen next. She wondered how things would proceed now that his mother had clearly voiced her opposition.
The orange-yellow streetlights cast a warmth that wasn't truly there yet felt comforting.
She was reluctant to go inside, and he didn't leave immediately either.
At that moment, the two of them truly resembled a couple reluctant to part after a full day of dating.
He asked her, "When are your parents planning to leave Zhenjiang?"
"Probably the day after tomorrow."
He pondered briefly. "Would it inconvenience them if I scheduled the engagement ceremony in Shanghai a month from now?"
"Shanghai?" she blurted out. "Not Zhenjiang?"
Immediately, she regretted her words.
She sounded far too eager.
He chuckled. "There isn't enough time to prepare here. Besides, as you heard my cousin and sister-in-law mention this afternoon, they only come for the ancestral rites held once every four years. So there's no need to hold it here."
She murmured in agreement.
Still uneasy, she asked hesitantly, "Does your mother's opinion really not matter?"
"In this matter, only one woman's opinion is worth considering," he said, unusually playful. "Yours."
It was a comforting answer, delivered with certainty.
"By giving you this, I've made my position clear. No one else has the right to interfere." He reached out, fingers brushing against the pure gold choker at her collarbone before tracing the slender curve to grasp the golden locket. "Every Zhousheng has one of these made at birth. There's jade inside engraved with my birth details."
His hand rested near her chest.
Shi Yi clasped her own hands tightly behind her back, gripping them with nervous tension. When she looked up to speak, she suddenly met his dark, inscrutable eyes that reflected the lamplight yet remained unfathomable.
She gazed at him.
He held her stare.
Then she heard him say, "Before the engagement, this is given to the intended bride. By accepting it, you've already been acknowledged."
Her intertwined hands behind her back were beginning to ache.
"Do I need to wear it every day...?"
"No," he couldn't help smiling. "Just keep it safe."After speaking, he released the golden lock.
She let out a sigh of relief.
He had already noticed her nervousness and found it amusing. With a light chuckle, he said, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
She turned and opened the door.
Glancing back, she saw him walking into the elevator lobby, his figure tall and slender.
Amidst the soft ding , he glanced her way, gave a slight nod, and stepped into the elevator.
Later, when her mother pressed her for details about meeting Zhou Shengchen's parents that day, Shi Yi brushed it off briefly. What she remembered most was his words—how he earnestly sought her parents' opinion on whether they would mind holding an engagement ceremony in Shanghai a month later.
It was a very hasty decision, but fortunately, he had left an excellent impression on her parents.
Neither arrogant nor frivolous, he was courteous and measured.
In these aspects alone, he had won high marks from the elders.
On the morning they left Zhenjiang, Zhou Shengchen made a special trip to see them off. He confirmed the time for Shi Yi to try on the engagement dress in Shanghai and personally handed her parents a detailed introduction to the chosen venue, along with four alternative options.
As Shi Yi got into the car, he even bent down to bid her farewell through the window.
"Remember to fasten your seatbelt once you're on the highway," he reminded.
She hurriedly pulled the seatbelt over and secured it properly.
On the way back, her mother flipped through the booklet he had given and was surprised to find it was hand-drawn, with the text neatly written in standard small script. She couldn’t help but remark to her husband, "This young man is truly thoughtful."
"More than just thoughtful," her father chuckled. "He’s meticulous in every way—no trace of arrogance or impatience. He seems like someone dedicated to research."
Her mother smiled faintly and turned to Shi Yi. "When you’re together, do you ever find him boring?"
Shi Yi thought for a moment. "No."
"Really?" Her mother found it amusing. "Three calls every day without fail—7 a.m., 11 a.m., and 10:30 p.m.—each lasting no more than three minutes. Doesn’t that feel too rigid?"
"Not at all."
In fact, she loved it. Every time the scheduled hour approached, she would set aside everything else to wait for his call.
Their conversations were simple.
She had never imagined she could maintain such a structured connection with him.
There was no discomfort—only enjoyment.
True to his word, Zhou Shengchen treated their relationship as a research subject, patiently executing every necessary step. No matter how busy he was, he never missed those three daily calls. Every morning, without fail, he would send her fresh flowers of different varieties.
Though he was in Zhenjiang, his presence felt as if he were right there in Shanghai.
Aware of her irregular work hours, whenever she worked late in the recording studio, a midnight snack would arrive punctually at 11 p.m. And he always thoughtfully included enough for everyone in the studio.
Eventually, even the sound engineer, who had worked with Shi Yi for five or six years, grew curious. Between bites of the steaming late-night treats, he asked if she had a boyfriend—or perhaps a persistent admirer.
Shi Yi confirmed it was her boyfriend but offered no further explanation.
One evening, her agent Meilin dropped by to check on her work and was surprised to encounter the thoughtful midnight snack. Seeing the happiness in Shi Yi’s eyes, Meilin felt as though she had stepped into another era. How had this girl, whom she hadn’t seen in just over ten days, suddenly acquired a devoted yet invisible boyfriend?
Meilin, being impatient, resorted to every trick in the book—threats, bribes, and coaxing—until Shi Yi finally admitted he was a chemistry professor.
"A scientist?" Meilin’s worldview was thoroughly shaken. "You’re dating a lab-bound scientist?"She smiled, holding the Hong Kong-style milk tea in her hand: "High IQ, I like people with high intelligence."
Meilin shook her head, laughing skeptically.
She said softly, "Besides, we're getting engaged soon."
Meilin froze for a good five or six seconds before patting her wrist and exhaling a long breath: "Thank goodness it's just an engagement. Otherwise, I'd be scared to death. Engagements are just tricks rich young men often play—don’t take it too seriously."
Shi Yi ignored her teasing and instead asked earnestly, "What do you think would be a good gift for someone who lacks nothing? I mean, as an engagement present."
"Lacks nothing?" Meilin immediately caught the key point.
"He doesn’t seem interested in much of anything," Shi Yi deliberately avoided sensitive topics.
"A chemistry professor who isn’t interested in anything..." Meilin was at a loss. "I don’t understand chemistry at all. To me, your boyfriend might as well be an alien."
"Forget it, I won’t ask you then."
"Fine, I won’t ask you either. Anyway, you’re not a public figure, so I’m not worried about paparazzi catching you," Meilin laughed. "Here’s some good news—you won an award..."
She glanced at her watch. In one minute, he would call.
On weekdays, he always moved their evening call to 11:30 p.m.
"Let me make a call," she interrupted Meilin, pushing her onto the balcony and closing the glass door before taking out her phone.
He had gotten a phone just for her, and in his contacts, only her name was saved.
When she thought about it, wasn’t that the epitome of romance?
Below the studio’s terrace was a pedestrian street. In the transition between spring and summer, the plane trees had already begun to flourish, their lush green leaves spreading wide, filling the air with a fresh scent.
The time jumped from 11:29 to 11:30.
Suddenly, the caller ID flashed—Zhou Shengchen’s name glowing conspicuously in the dark night.
His voice was steady as ever.
He asked when she started work, when she finished, whether her late-night snack suited her taste. Shi Yi answered each question, and then they both fell silent. Unable to resist, she laughed and asked, "Do you have to ask me these same questions every day?"
Zhou Shengchen chuckled, momentarily at a loss for words.
"You sound tired. Or are you sick?"
"I caught a slight chill last night."
"Did you take medicine?"
"Not yet."
"Then let’s not talk anymore," she said, a little heartbroken. "Go take your medicine."
"Now?"
"Yes."
"I don’t have any medicine on hand."
She couldn’t help but chide him, "Don’t you keep basic medicine at home?"
She really wanted to say, My dear young master, don’t tell me you don’t even know that you’re supposed to take medicine when you’re sick?
Suddenly, a firetruck passed in the distance, and Shi Yi instinctively looked up. Then she realized the same sound—growing louder before fading—was coming from the other end of the call. As if guessing something, she immediately scanned the street below. Through the gaps in the plane tree branches, she spotted a car at the corner of the street—and someone standing beside it.
Ten floors up was too high. Too many obstructions blocked her view.
"Are you downstairs?"
Zhou Shengchen hummed in agreement, his voice slightly nasal.
For a moment, she felt both touched and amused.This sudden appearance could have been a very romantic moment, but it was inexplicably exposed by a fire truck. And then? He calmly admitted it without another word. Not daring to keep him waiting any longer, she quickly ended the call upon hearing the nasal tone in his voice, as if catching a cold was some monumental event. She rushed back to the studio, hastily wrapped up her work, grabbed her bag, and dashed toward the elevator. Fortunately, the recording was already done, and they were just mixing the final tracks—otherwise, it would have tarnished her reputation for being diligent and responsible.
Still, she managed to startle both her agent and the sound engineer.
With her flushed face and frantic refusal to say another word, anyone who didn’t know better would have thought her house was on fire.
Just as the elevator doors closed, Meilin finally remembered she hadn’t told her about the award nomination.
What amused and exasperated Meilin the most was how utterly indifferent this girl seemed.
As the elevator descended rapidly, Shi Yi was still catching her breath from the sprint.
The speed of the descent made her heart feel slightly uneasy.
She couldn’t tell if it was nerves or the weightlessness.
When the doors opened, she stepped out in such a hurry that she nearly collided with someone. A pair of hands steadied her firmly. "No need to run. I’m right here." His sudden appearance left her stunned as she stared at Zhou Shengchen, now standing mere inches away.
He explained his abrupt arrival: "I figured you’d rush down. Didn’t want you crossing the street in a hurry, so I came to meet you."
She was still panting.
Twenty-one days. A full twenty-one days since they’d last seen each other.
During that time, she had tried on countless dresses and jewelry he’d sent home, received his flowers, and even her parents had regularly gotten gifts—yet she hadn’t laid eyes on him once.
She had tentatively asked why, to which he replied, "I don’t want to lie to you, so don’t ask about what I’ve been doing lately."
His tone had been so serious that she knew it must be something important.
To Shi Yi, the name Zhou Shengchen would always be synonymous with trust.
"Are you leaving again tonight?" The words slipped out before she could stop them.
The corners of Zhou Shengchen’s lips twitched, as if amused. "Leaving where?"
"I mean," she clarified, "are you staying in Shanghai tonight?"
He nodded.
Her joy was impossible to hide.
"Let’s get you home first."
She nodded again. "Okay."
He released her, and they walked out side by side.
Just as Shi Yi was about to get into the car, her phone buzzed insistently. It was Meilin, speaking in a hushed tone as if guilty of something. "I see you. And your chemistry professor. But ten floors up is too high—all I can tell is that he’s much taller than you—" Shi Yi murmured a quick "Goodnight" and hung up.
Zhou Shengchen opened the car door for her. "Still working this late?"
She smiled. "No." As she got in, she greeted the kindly smiling man in the front seat. "Uncle Lin."
"Hello, Miss Shi Yi."
After meeting his driver a few times, she’d learned that this impeccably dressed, meticulous middle-aged man also shared the Zhou surname. Zhou Shengchen had briefly explained that many of the family’s long-serving stewards were surnamed Zhou, distantly related in some way. To distinguish them from the direct lineage, they were usually addressed by the last character of their given names.
The more she learned, the more she marveled at the traditions of his family.
A house of nobility, yet also one of scholarly refinement.It was hard to imagine a child raised in such a manner would dedicate themselves to modern scientific research. Shi Yi thought of the twin siblings he had mentioned and couldn't help feeling curious. What would they be like?
Nearly twenty days had passed, and May was approaching. The city nights were no longer cold, the weather now perfectly comfortable.
He rolled down the car window for her, but she shook her head and closed it again.
(End of Chapter)
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