Chapter 55: Occupying the Peach Blossom Palace

“Thank you for speaking up for me earlier,” Su Jinshi said.

“I couldn’t help it; they were just too annoying,” Lu Jiaying replied, pursing her lips. “Besides, before Mo Jizong came to the capital, our relationship was always good, and nothing like this ever happened. It’s obvious to anyone that Du Jinze and Kang Youwen are just acting on Mo Jizong’s orders, causing us all this discomfort.”

“I’ll have a word with those two later and tell them to stop listening to Mo Jizong so much,” Lu Jiaying rolled her eyes. “Who behaves so persistently? It’s unsightly.”

Su Jinshi chuckled, “But were you two really heading to the restroom?”

“I just came out for some fresh air and to talk to you,” Lu Jiaying said. “There wasn’t a chance inside.”

“Me too…” Xiaomai grinned. “We were thinking along the same lines.”

Lu Jiaying laughed, “Alright, I’ve said my piece. You two take your time.”

Knowing Su Jinshi and Xiaomai were closer and likely had more to discuss, Lu Jiaying took the initiative to leave first.

Xiaomai lowered her voice and asked Su Jinshi, “The boyfriend you mentioned, it’s not your cyber boyfriend, is it?”

“It is,” Su Jinshi nodded decisively and firmly.

Xiaomai whispered, “I’ve heard that playing these kinds of games can occupy your Peach Blossom Palace. Once it’s occupied, it becomes really hard to find a boyfriend in real life.”^[1]What’s a palace peach blossom? 🤔 The concept comes from traditional Chinese astrology and fortune-telling practices, particularly in relation to love and relationships. In Chinese astrology, … Continue reading

Su Jinshi smiled while opening the game to check on Shen Shilang, “I wasn’t planning on finding one anyway. Spending a lifetime with Shen Shilang is good enough for me.”

“But…” Su Jinshi sighed, her mood dropping slightly, “I’ll grow old, while he won’t change. I can only be grateful that he can’t see me, I suppose.”

Xiaomai’s mouth formed an “O” in surprise, but she chose to respect Su Jinshi’s thoughts.

After all, men weren’t all that great anyway.

Fortunately, this time when Su Jinshi went out for the gathering, nothing unexpected happened on Shen Shilang’s end.

…

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve.

Su Jinshi had already returned to her parents’ home and spent the day making dumplings with her mother.

Inevitably, her mother nagged her a bit about not having a boyfriend yet.

“Our family is right here in the capital, but you insist on renting a place outside instead of living at home,” her mother complained incessantly. “If you had a job to go to, wanting to live closer to your workplace would make sense. But your work doesn’t require you to go out. How much better would it be to live at home where your father and I could take care of you?”

“I’m taking good care of myself living on my own,” Su Jinshi said, shaping a plump, white dumpling.

“What’s good about it? I know you too well. You’re always ordering takeout, with no nutrition at all. The vegetables in takeout aren’t washed properly, they use poor-quality oil, everything’s too greasy and salty, and they add artificial flavors. It’s a wonder if you get any nutrition from that.”

“I don’t always order takeout,” Su Jinshi explained patiently. “I usually eat quite nutritious food. Besides, I moved out to have a quiet place to write. There are too many noises at home, making it hard to concentrate, which isn’t good for writing.”

“You always have excuses. Anyway, you’re grown up now, and won’t listen to us anymore,” her mother said, then changed the subject. “By the way, Old Wu’s daughter from next door, the one four years older than you, said she wants to introduce you to someone. I think the conditions are quite good. Although the young man isn’t from the capital, his family background is decent, and his parents won’t be a burden.”

Su Jinshi’s mother continued without waiting for a reaction, “The boy has a good job too, working in the court as a prosecutor. He’s gone home for the New Year, but when he returns, how about you two meet?”

“Mom, I’m not interested in these things right now,” Su Jinshi said while continuing to make dumplings. “I’m still young and want to focus on my career.”

“Focusing on your career doesn’t prevent you from dating. Besides, with your freelance job, isn’t your time more flexible? You have more freedom than those with regular jobs.”

“Time flexibility is just what others assume. When I’m writing scripts, I stay up all night locked in my study, unable to even leave the room. I really hate it when someone suddenly messages me while I’m writing, completely breaking my train of thought. And if I don’t reply promptly, they get upset,” Su Jinshi sighed. “Mom, I just want to focus on work right now. Work and earning money are more reliable than any man.”

“I may not need to go out to work, but in terms of effort, I’m no less hardworking than others,” Su Jinshi said helplessly. “Don’t always assume I have nothing but free time.”

“I didn’t say that…” her mother grumbled. “But meeting once should be fine, right? It’s not like we’re asking you to agree right after one meeting. At least take a look; you might just like him. You said yourself that your job doesn’t require you to go out. If you don’t go out, how will you meet people? How will you have a chance to date if you don’t meet people?”

“Mom!” Su Jinshi was both exasperated and weary. “Dating isn’t a necessity; it’s not a compulsory part of life. Besides, I’m perfectly fine on my own. Why should I actively seek someone to date and live with? Am I short on things to be angry about in life^[2]T/N:😂 you don’t need that kind of stress, honestly!?”

“That’s not the same…”

“How isn’t it the same? Unless I find someone I’m willing to be with, someone I can’t let go of even if they make me angry, I won’t actively seek out trouble for myself.” As Su Jinshi finished speaking, Shen Shilang’s face unconsciously appeared in her mind.

If it were Shen Shilang, even if he made her angry, she wouldn’t mind.

Although, given Shen Shilang’s personality, he probably wouldn’t easily make her angry.

If they couldn’t exist in the same time and space, she would be content with a lifetime of platonic love.

“Alright, alright, it’s New Year’s Eve, and the child rarely comes home. Let’s not talk about these things,” Su Jinshi’s father intervened. “What Jinshi says isn’t wrong. She’s still young and doesn’t need to rush. It’s a festive time; let’s talk about something happier.”

“How is this not a happy topic?” her mother said, displeased.

“I don’t know if you’re happy, but I know our daughter isn’t,” her father said. “Besides, young people nowadays often marry late, and many choose not to marry at all. Let’s let the child follow her own path naturally. Our Jinshi is already doing very well, excelling in her work and earning a six-figure income at such a young age. How many young graduates can achieve that? If it weren’t for her hard work, how could she have such achievements?”

“I agree with Jinshi’s thinking. It’s good to strive in one’s career while young.”

“Dad, thank you for understanding me,” Su Jinshi said gratefully.

…