On The Eve Of Exposure

With this in mind, Jiang Xiao didn’t hesitate much and directly called Zhou Qishen.

The silence on the other end of the phone didn’t last long. Soon, a deep voice came through the screen. “Xiaoxiao.”

Jiang Xiao gripped her phone, cleared her throat, and got straight to the point. “I have something to tell you.”

Listening to her serious tone, Zhou Qishen paused in flipping through documents, remained silent for a moment, pondering what she wanted to say, but he couldn’t quite grasp it.

After a moment, he said, “Go ahead.”

Jiang Xiao looked out of the floor-to-ceiling window at the scenery—blue sky, white clouds—a beautiful day. Her fingers unconsciously played with the edges of the pillow as she murmured, “The crew will be going to Suzhou for filming in a couple of days. I want to visit my grandfather.”

So that was it.

“Mr. Xu?” Zhou Qishen nodded knowingly, half-leaning back in his office chair, shifting positions, his deep gaze falling on the blue sky outside the window, his eyes thoughtful.

Jiang Xiao raised an eyebrow. “You know my grandfather?”

Zhou Qishen chuckled softly. “How could I not know him?”

Mr. Xu was a renowned traditional Chinese painting artist, particularly famous for his flower-and-bird paintings and landscapes, which were deeply moving and had a widespread influence in the art world, nurturing many aspiring painters.

At his question, Jiang Xiao immediately thought of her own grandfather. Although he was a somewhat unconventional old man, his reputation outside was considerable, and there were quite a few who paid high prices to commission paintings from him or to become his disciples.

The conversation veered off track. Jiang Xiao pursed her lips and redirected back to the point. “I called you because I want you to accompany me to Suzhou.”

Zhou Qishen was momentarily taken aback. “Accompany you?”

“Yes, if you don’t accompany me, who will…” Jiang Xiao sensed a flash of surprise in his tone, and her eyebrows twitched slightly. Her voice trailed off, “I accompanied you to meet your parents. Could it be that you don’t want to accompany me?”

Seeing her misunderstanding, Zhou Qishen quickly clarified, “It’s not that I don’t want to go. I’m just thinking about what identity to go with.”

“What identity? You are my husband, of course…” Jiang Xiao held back and did not say the rest of the words. However, Zhou Qishen would understand the implied meaning.

After a two-second pause, Jiang Xiao carefully considered for a moment and suddenly realized that he seemed to have another underlying meaning.

Suppressing the turmoil in her heart, she asked, “What exactly do you mean?”

Zhou Qishen rubbed his temples, debating whether to be forthright now or let Jiang Xiao remember on her own. But looking at her, it seemed she had completely forgotten about the past.

After a brief silence, Zhou Qishen sighed lightly. He stood up from his chair, walked a couple of steps towards the window, and casually said, “It’s nothing. Give me a couple of days to arrange my work. Shall we meet in Suzhou then?”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiao understood that he had agreed. She didn’t press further on the inappropriate remark earlier and a faint smile curved her lips. “Alright, alright. I know you’re busy with work. We’ll meet in Suzhou then.”

After hanging up, Zhou Qishen leisurely glanced at his reflection in the window glass. He shook his head helplessly, chuckling to himself, “Am I that forgettable? Suzhou was mentioned, and she still didn’t think of me.”

His murmured words were casual, tinged with self-mockery and a hint of grievance.

*

The river flowed like a painting, the misty rain draped over her body, refreshing.

The traditional Suzhou architecture blended into the hazy waterscape, simple and natural, giving a strong sense of elegance and antiquity.

A woman in a sky-blue cheongsam walked through ancient alleys with an umbrella, familiar with the paths that had existed for thousands of years. Every few steps, she glanced sideways to check if the umbrella was tilting.

Beside her, a tall man carried two suitcases, the wheels scraping against the bluestone pavement, making a grating noise. His right shoulder was already dampened by the rain.

Seeing this, Jiang Xiao felt guilty and wanted to take one of the suitcases. “It’s not far. Let me carry my own luggage.”

“No need.” Zhou Qishen refused. It was just a light drizzle.

Seeing his insistence, Jiang Xiao thought he wanted to make a good impression on his first visit, so she didn’t insist and focused on finding the way.

The buildings around here were quite old, with alleys varying in width. Coupled with recent government commercial developments and renovations, the environment had changed drastically. Everywhere were warning signs and construction teams, and even some roads were blocked.

Listening to the annoying noise, Jiang Xiao frowned, thinking that when she saw her grandfather later, she would persuade him to move soon. After all, once the tourism industry developed, daily life would be affected.

After walking for a while, Jiang Xiao looked at the familiar storefront that now seemed unfamiliar. At a crossroads, she hesitated. Although she had spent some time here during her childhood and high school summer vacations, she had mostly stayed at home. Whenever she visited, her grandfather would personally come out to pick her up, so she hadn’t paid much attention to the surroundings.

Deciding to act first and seek approval later, Jiang Xiao came without notice. However, encountering construction work meant what should have been a three-minute walk took an extra five minutes, leaving her a bit lost now.

After hesitating for two seconds, Jiang Xiao muttered to herself, “I think it’s a right turn…”

“Left turn,” Zhou Qishen asserted firmly.

Hearing his confident tone, Jiang Xiao adjusted her sunglasses and carefully recalled. Indeed, it seemed to be a left turn. But how did Zhou Qishen know? It was his first time here.

Realizing this, before she could voice her question, a male voice behind her, tinged with surprise and testing, interrupted her thoughts.

“Jiang Xiao?”

Jiang Xiao turned back in response, meeting a somewhat familiar face. The man held several large cardboard boxes, almost burying himself in them, showing only half of his face—a strong and handsome outline of lines and features.

With just one glance, they recognized each other. Jiang Xiao couldn’t help but call out, “Chen Zhijing?”

“It’s really you, Jiang Xiao. What brings you here at this time?” Chen Zhijing, realizing he hadn’t mistaken the person, felt ecstatic inside and broke into a bright smile on his face.

“I’m filming in Suzhou. I came to visit my grandfather.” Jiang Xiao briefly explained, involuntarily infected by his smile. Seeing he didn’t have an umbrella, she asked with concern and curiosity, “What about you?”

“It’s summer vacation. I’m back to help for a few days. These are new ice creams. Would you like some?” Chen Zhijing lifted his chin to indicate the boxes, offering.

Chen Zhijing was a doctoral student at Beijing University. Taking advantage of a few days of summer vacation, he returned to see his family and help out. He hadn’t expected to come home yesterday and run into his childhood friend Jiang Xiao today.

The hot weather made people sweat. Jiang Xiao’s flawless fair skin revealed a faint pink hue. She shook her head politely, declining, “No, thank you.”

Chen Zhijing didn’t insist and glanced casually at the unfamiliar man beside her. His eyebrows moved slightly. This was the first time Jiang Xiao had brought a man home. The relationship between the two was naturally self-evident.

Although he was curious about their identities, Chen Zhijing didn’t immediately ask for answers, maintaining a suitable distance as old friends reunited. He didn’t linger further and said, “I’ll put these goods back in the store first. I’ll find you at Mr. Xu’s later.”

Jiang Xiao nodded in agreement. She hadn’t seen her old friend for a long time, and she was quite happy to catch up.

Watching the two leave, Chen Zhijing’s gaze involuntarily swept over the outstanding appearance of the man standing next to her. Just now, because Jiang Xiao was around, he hadn’t been able to get a clear look at the specific appearance of the other party, but he felt a bit familiar, as if he had seen him before.

However, upon careful consideration, he couldn’t figure it out for a while.

A drop of rain fell on Chen Zhijing’s eyelashes, waking him from his thoughts. He glanced at the large boxes of ice cream he was carrying. Afraid of further delay causing them to melt, he hurriedly ran towards his own shop.

Turning left as Zhou Qishen instructed, they quickly found Jiang Xiao’s grandfather’s home along the alley.

Looking at the familiar gate in front of her, Jiang Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. After ringing the doorbell, she glanced at Zhou Qishen, who hadn’t spoken a word since Chen Zhijing appeared.

Jiang Xiao blinked, trying to break the silence. “How did you know to turn left just now?”

Zhou Qishen stood under the eaves, adjusting the luggage he had placed down, and casually replied, “Intuition.”

Jiang Xiao didn’t doubt him, thinking his intuition was quite accurate. She then pointed to a building diagonally across. “That’s Chen Zhijing’s house. His grandfather has been a neighbor with my grandfather for many years. They ran a small grocery store. Since we’re the same age, we used to play together when we were kids, and our relationship is quite good.”

Zhou Qishen chuckled meaningfully, tilting his head. “Childhood sweethearts?”

Although his tone was casual, Jiang Xiao inexplicably felt a chill. Sensing his subtle emotions, she was about to say something when the door suddenly opened. It was Aunt Huang, who had been taking care of Mr. Xu for many years.

Aunt Huang was first surprised to see Jiang Xiao, then happily smiled, her eyes wrinkling at the corners. “Xiaoxiao, why are you back?”

After exchanging greetings, Jiang Xiao repeated the reason she had just told Chen Zhijing to Aunt Huang.

Aunt Huang’s expression changed to understanding. Her smile widened. “Mr. Xu was just mentioning you this morning, and here you are in the afternoon. Truly a meeting of minds.”

“Oh, who’s this?” Aunt Huang’s gaze then fell on Zhou Qishen beside Jiang Xiao. She was puzzled at first, then shocked. “Isn’t this Xiao Zhou? What brings you here too?”

Jiang Xiao was about to introduce Zhou Qishen but choked on her words, looking at him in disbelief. Judging from Aunt Huang’s tone, it seemed they had known each other for a long time, but Zhou Qishen had never mentioned this to her before.

Feeling Jiang Xiao’s puzzled gaze, Zhou Qishen avoided her eyes for a moment, then smiled at Huang Yi. “Aunt Huang, long time no see.”

Aunt Huang didn’t notice the subtle atmosphere between the two and just thought they had coincidentally met. She greeted them into the house, intending to take one of Zhou Qishen’s suitcases, but he politely refused. “I can manage it myself.”

Aunt Huang remembered something suddenly. “Those gifts this morning, did you send them?”

Zhou Qishen nodded slightly, tacitly agreeing.

Seeing this, Aunt Huang scolded jokingly, “Didn’t the old man tell you long ago that you just need to come, don’t send anything? It’s a waste of time.”

Glancing at Jiang Xiao’s sharp gaze, Zhou Qishen calmly replied, “This time is different.”

Passing through the front yard, amidst the vibrant greenery, Mr. Xu, who had heard the commotion, was standing under the eaves. Seeing the visitors, he paused his waving fan.

While Aunt Huang pondered over Zhou Qishen’s words, wondering what he meant by “this time is different,” she caught sight of Mr. Xu and quickly called out, “Mr. Xu, Xiaoxiao and Xiao Zhou are here!”

Jiang Xiao, who had been focused on Zhou Qishen, immediately shifted her gaze. Seeing Mr. Xu, she smiled broadly, hastening her steps despite the slippery rain-soaked path.

She quickly reached Mr. Xu’s side, playfully embracing him. “Grandpa, I missed you so much.”

“You little troublemaker, there are others present.” Mr. Xu seemed to have anticipated this, scolding lightly, but he reached out to steady her and couldn’t hide the smile on his face.

After the grandfather and granddaughter finished speaking, Zhou Qishen timely spoke up. “Mr. Xu, it’s been a while.”

Mr. Xu had already noticed Zhou Qishen. He nodded in acknowledgment at his greeting, then his gaze fell on the two suitcases in Zhou Qishen’s hands, one black and one white, clearly indicating they weren’t just for himself. He keenly sensed something amiss.

In the past, when Zhou Qishen visited, he would at most stay for tea and a meal and wouldn’t stay overnight. Even when he brought gifts, they would be sent ahead like today, not brought over personally with luggage.

Moreover, Zhou Qishen had never come without giving prior notice.

Suddenly, Mr. Xu seemed to realize something. He turned to Jiang Xiao, taking note of her evasive expression, furrowing his brows. “When did you two meet?”

These two had met before, but they shouldn’t have any connections, he thought.

Jiang Xiao, now with a belly full of questions, could deduce from the brief exchange between Zhou Qishen, Aunt Huang, and her grandfather that Zhou Qishen must be her grandfather’s student. But if he was her grandfather’s student, why would he keep it from her? This wasn’t something to hide.

But now wasn’t the time to demand answers from Zhou Qishen. She needed to think about how to inform her grandfather about her relationship with Zhou Qishen, especially since the purpose of coming here was to introduce Zhou Qishen to her grandfather.

What she didn’t expect was that Zhou Qishen and her grandfather had known each other for a long time, and he was her grandfather’s student.

Jiang Xiao reluctantly pursed her lips, meeting Zhou Qishen’s eyes, and subtly signaled him to speak.

Understanding her intention, Zhou Qishen faced Mr. Xu’s probing gaze, carefully choosing his words. “I’ve come this time to accompany Xiaoxiao in visiting you, Mr. Xu.”

Mr. Xu paused for a breath. Even if Zhou Qishen didn’t continue, he guessed what the other party meant to express.

His slightly furrowed brows tightened even more. He glanced at his granddaughter and his students, who had kept the secret from him and never revealed any information, and snorted.

“Hmmph, you two hid it quite well.”

Jiang Xiao felt guilty, smiling awkwardly, and nervously avoided meeting anyone’s eyes, fearing she might provoke a lecture or scolding.

Mr. Xu’s initial anger didn’t last long. To him, while the news was somewhat unexpected, it wasn’t difficult to accept. After all, one was his granddaughter and the other his student. He knew their temperaments and characters very well, and they seemed quite compatible. He had even thought before that if Jiang Xiao didn’t find a suitable partner in a couple of years, he might play matchmaker for them.

Now it seemed he didn’t need to play matchmaker after all. Their coming together indicated they got along quite well.

Taking on the role of an elder, Mr. Xu began his routine questioning. “How long have you been together?”

“It’s been a few months,” Jiang Xiao couldn’t help but interject.

Upon hearing they had only been together for such a short time, Mr. Xu couldn’t resist making a joke. “You’ve brought him home after just a few months? Didn’t you want to observe a bit longer?”

Jiang Xiao bit her lip and replied in a similarly playful tone, “It’s because we’ve already registered our marriage…”

This answer was like a thunderclap, freezing Mr. Xu’s smile instantly on his face.

Suddenly, a strange silence fell over the surroundings, so quiet that it seemed one could hear the drip of raindrops into puddles.