He put the savings book in his box of treasured items, planning to add more money to it in the future.

On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Cen’s father and Jiang Shengnan gathered Cen Zhengnian’s family and Cen Zhengshi’s family together and, in front of the latter, transferred the deed of the Siheyuan (courtyard house) to Chuxia’s name.

This was something Cen Zhengnian had requested.

He didn’t need the house, but he knew that Chuxia had always wanted a Siheyuan.

Upon hearing Cen Zhengnian’s words to Cen’s father and Jiang Shengnan, Chuxia refused without hesitation: “This is a house from my parents to you. I don’t want it.”

She believed that if she really wanted a house, she could buy it herself.

Chuxia was confident in her ability to buy a house.

Once Jiang Zhida’s factory was up and running, her share of the profits would be greater.

Cen Zhengnian insisted, “You also call them ‘Dad’ and ‘Mom.’ We are a family. If they give it to me, it’s the same as giving it to you.”

Chuxia still didn’t want to accept it.

After thinking for a moment, she said, “If you really insist on giving it to me, why not transfer it to An An?”

Cen Huai’an was standing beside them, a part of the family and with the right to participate in major family decisions.

Hearing his mother say that, he immediately shook his head, grabbed Chuxia’s arm, and looked up at her: “Mom, don’t transfer it to me. I also want to give the Siheyuan to you.”

Cen Huai’an had heard his mother say more than once that she wanted to buy a Siheyuan in the future, so he naturally prioritized fulfilling his mother’s wish.

Under the insistence of the two, the Siheyuan was finally registered in Chuxia’s name.

Chuxia held the property deed with her name on it, still somewhat in disbelief.

The house she had always wanted to buy was now hers?

However, Chuxia’s feelings about how she came to have this Siheyuan were a bit complicated.

She sighed, put the property deed away, and turned to see Xiwang’s displeased expression.

Although she had achieved her goal, seeing her parents-in-law so eager to transfer the Siheyuan to her made Xiwang extremely uncomfortable.

In the evening, Chuxia’s family sat together for a pleasant dinner and talked about Chuxia going to work at the hospital the next day.

“The teachers from my and Meng Chun’s class are scheduled at the hospital tomorrow, so I have to go. I won’t be back by noon, so take care of yourselves.”

Cen Huai’an swallowed his food and nodded, saying, “Mom, you can go to work with peace of mind.”

He was already ten years old, capable of cooking for himself and even delivering meals to his dad.

Cen Zhengnian added a piece of beef to Chuxia’s bowl, “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of An An.”

Chuxia was not particularly worried about the two of them; when she went to school before, Cen Zhengnian and Cen Huai’an took care of themselves.

Hearing their assurances made her feel even more at ease.

At bedtime, Chuxia took out the property deed again, still feeling it was unreal.

She sat cross-legged on the bed, looking at Cen Zhengnian, who was unbuttoning his clothes nearby.

His chin was slightly lifted, and he loosened his tie with one hand, giving off an almost predatory aura, as if he were about to pounce at any moment.

Chuxia suddenly forgot what she wanted to say.

Cen Zhengnian glanced at her with a puzzled look and saw her staring at his face.

Cen Zhengnian’s mouth curled into a smile as he walked over to take the property deed from Chuxia’s hand.

Chuxia, still a bit dazed, held onto the property deed tightly, not letting go.

She quickly came to her senses and looked at Cen Zhengnian in confusion, asking, “What are you doing?”

Cen Zhengnian couldn’t help but chuckle, ruffling her hair with a teasing gaze, “It seems like you really like the Siheyuan.”

Chuxia, still holding the property deed, nodded without feeling any embarrassment, “Yes, I do. I’ve always wanted to buy a house.”

“Then you shouldn’t sleep with it. I’ll help you put it away.”

In early summer, Chu Xia seriously considered the idea of hugging the property certificate to sleep.

However, she just thought about it; she felt she couldn’t really do this in front of Cen Zhengnian.

After putting the property certificate back in its original place, Cen Zhengnian turned off the light, took Chu Xia’s hand, and lifted it.

His voice, tinged with what seemed like suppressed emotions, asked her, “What were you looking at just now?”

Chu Xia firmly denied, “I wasn’t looking at anything.” She was always stubborn about such things.

Cen Zhengnian, with a slightly regretful tone, said, “If you were really curious, I could have let you touch it…”

Before he finished speaking, Chu Xia immediately reached out and touched his Adam’s apple.

Cen Zhengnian’s voice stopped abruptly. Under Chu Xia’s warm and soft fingers, his Adam’s apple moved a few times, and his voice became even huskier, “Chu Xia, do you know what you’re doing?”

Chu Xia only felt the sensuality of his Adam’s apple, especially when it moved.

It looked and felt completely different from what she had imagined.

She nodded, “Of course I know. You’re letting me touch it.”

Cen Zhengnian didn’t speak further and showed through his actions the consequence of deliberately provoking him.

Outside, the moonlight was just right. Inside, the spring atmosphere was thick, and the sounds coming from the bedroom made the outside dogs, Huangzi and Heizi, twitch their ears.

After recognizing whose voices they were, they went back to sleep in their nests.

---

In the Courtyard (a traditional Chinese courtyard house), the atmosphere between Xi Wang and Cen Zhengshi in the west wing room wasn’t as pleasant as in Cen Zhengnian’s family.

Xi Wang sat in front of the vanity, looking at the room, feeling increasingly frustrated.

Turning around, she saw Cen Zhengshi lying on the bed, completely unconcerned, with a carefree expression.

She walked over and smacked his arm hard, “All you do is sleep!”

Cen Zhengshi, covering his arm, sat up, “What’s wrong now?”

“Don’t you think it’s suspicious that Mom and Dad are so eager to transfer the Siheyuan to Luo Chuxia? Isn’t it like they’ve already planned to give the house to your younger brother’s family? Your own matters aren’t settled yet, and you’re still able to sleep.”

Cen Zhengshi was frustrated hearing Xi Wang’s complaints.

He rubbed his head, put on his slippers, closed the window, and then turned to Xi Wang, “Keep your voice down. Don’t let Mom and Dad hear you. My dad always keeps his promises. If he says something, it won’t change. But if you keep expressing dissatisfaction, he might get really angry and change his mind.”

Cen Zhengshi only wanted to have a peaceful New Year in the capital.

Xi Wang’s constant dissatisfaction made him feel caught in the middle, making their life quite uncomfortable.

Xi Wang pursed her lips and swallowed her words.

To get out of the mountainous area, they had to rely on Cen Zhengshi’s job transfer.

She didn’t dare to anger Cen Father and Jiang Shengnan.

---

On Chu Xia’s first day back to work at the hospital after the New Year, there were many patients, accumulated over the holiday period.

Only at lunchtime did she and Ye Mengchun have a moment to rest.

The two sat in Elder Tang’s break room, eating.

The food was provided by the hospital cafeteria—neither particularly tasty nor inedible.

While they were eating, a nurse knocked on the break room door and peeked in, saying, “Dr. Luo, someone is looking for you.”

“Who is it?” Chu Xia asked, a bit puzzled. She went out and saw Jiang Zhiyi standing in the corridor, her eyes red and swollen.

“Zhiyi?” Chu Xia was surprised.

She had expected it might be Cen Zhengnian, Cen Huai’an, or Jiang Zhida looking for her, but she hadn’t expected Jiang Zhiyi, who looked like she had been crying.

“Cousin,” Jiang Zhiyi’s voice lost its usual vitality, filled with dejection and sadness.

At this time, Ye Mengchun also came out. Seeing Jiang Zhiyi’s state, she used the iron lunchbox to gesture to Chuxia: “I’m done eating, go wash the lunchbox.”

Ye Mengchun left the lounge for the two of them.

Elder Tang’s home was close to the hospital, so she would go home to rest after seeing patients in the morning and return to work in the afternoon.

Chuxia led Jiang Zhida into the lounge and poured her a cup of water.

Jiang Zhida held the cup, staring at the ripples in the water, and spoke in a muffled voice: “Cousin, my mom doesn’t agree with me becoming a journalist.”

Chuxia hadn’t finished her meal yet.

She still had many patients to see with Elder Tang in the afternoon, so she needed to eat well.

She continued eating while listening.

Chuxia looked up at Jiang Zhida, “Have you discussed your thoughts with your mom?”

Jiang Zhida nodded heavily, “I really can’t stand my mom’s strict supervision. On the second day of the Lunar New Year, she locked me at home to study and made me recite what I had learned every day. I didn’t want to study at all, so I failed several times under her supervision. My mom got angry, and in a fit of frustration, I blurted out that I didn’t want to take the graduate entrance exam and wanted to be a journalist instead.”

Chuxia could already imagine what happened next.

With Zhou Huaying’s temper, she would definitely not tolerate Jiang Zhida’s disobedience and defiance.

As expected, Jiang Zhida continued to describe the scene:

Zhou Huaying directly refused, believing that being a journalist was exhausting and difficult, and sometimes even dangerous, which was not suitable for a girl.

She couldn’t understand why Jiang Zhida wouldn’t choose a more stable career like hers—being a university teacher—with holidays and no need to chase after news in bad weather.

She could rest after teaching.

Zhou Huaying didn’t have much ambition and wasn’t focused on research or academic projects like other teachers.

She preferred to write poetry, novels, and essays during her free time and submit them to publishers.

Zhou Huaying was a talented writer with a certain degree of fame in the literary circle. She was respected by the school leaders and lived comfortably in her job.

Therefore, Zhou Huaying wanted Jiang Zhida to follow the same path.

With her and Uncle Jiang’s support, Jiang Zhida would have a smooth and comfortable life.

Jiang Zhida couldn’t persuade Zhou Huaying, and Uncle Jiang stood by her side, believing Zhou Huaying’s arrangement was correct.

He earnestly advised Jiang Zhida: “Parents don’t mean to harm you; we only want what’s best for you. You’ll understand when you grow up.”

Jiang Zhida had heard this sentence so often growing up that it felt like she had calluses in her ears: “I’m already grown up and can make my own decisions!”

But no matter how Jiang Zhida explained her dreams and reasons, Zhou Huaying and Uncle Jiang’s attitudes remained unchanged.

They even said that if she didn’t listen to the family, she shouldn’t ask for money from them in the future.

Jiang Zhida wasn’t saying she had grown up and didn’t need financial support; she was just upset that her parents’ words were so hurtful.

Jiang Zhida cried uncontrollably, feeling very distressed, and she left the house with the words, “If you don’t want to support me, then don’t,” and came to find Chuxia.

“I’m afraid to go to Grandpa’s house. He’s old, and I don’t want him to worry about me because of my fight with my parents.”

Jiang Zhida didn’t know who else to turn to, so she ended up at Chuxia’s hospital.

She didn’t even know if Chuxia was working today.

She thought that if Chuxia wasn’t at the hospital, she’d return to school early and see if she could ask her counselor to let her stay in the dormitory during the winter break.

Chuxia finished her meal after hearing Jiang Zhida’s story.

She closed the lunchbox and asked Jiang Zhida, “What will you do next?”

Jiang Zhida showed a look of bewilderment, “I don’t know.”

She had run out in a fit of anger without thinking, even wearing slippers.

Now Jiang Zhida was helpless; she had no money, no clothes, and no food, and didn’t know what to do next.

“Even if your parents don’t support your dreams, they will still worry about you,” Chuxia said to Jiang Zhida.

Jiang Zhida shook her head stubbornly, “My parents won’t worry about me.”