Chapter 48: Being Taken Home by Xie Zhi’s Parents

Xie Zhi’s father wiped away the tears at the corner of his eyes, straightened his clothes, and spoke again, “Come live with us, it won’t be for long anyway.”

Before Xie Zhi could say anything, seeing the pleading expressions on the elderly couple’s faces, Xu Jiaojiao was already filled with sadness. “Okay, Uncle, Aunt, we’ll go back now.”

She had been raised by her grandmother and later lived with her parents. Often, when she saw elderly people, she would think of her own grandparents.

This empathy made her agree to the request, even though it wasn’t entirely fair.

“Jiaojiao, thank you. Really, thank you.”

Ming Zhen gratefully grabbed the girl’s hand, unable to say anything more, just repeating her thanks.

The heavy burden finally lifted from Xie Zhi’s heart. If Jiaojiao had refused to go back with him, seeing his parents like this would have made him feel uneasy.

He and Jiaojiao went upstairs to pack their bags, while his parents, having received approval, returned home. They said that dinner was ready and they needed to hurry up and eat.

While waiting for the elevator, Xie Zhi couldn’t help but squeeze Jiaojiao’s hand. His lowered gaze met hers, filled with unspeakable tenderness. “Jiaojiao, thank you. Thank you for being understanding towards my parents.”

Xu Jiaojiao smiled and took his hand. After a moment’s thought, she replied, “Uncle and Aunt are very kind to me. They’ve always sent us things, and bought me all kinds of gifts. Also, it won’t be long, so it’s fine to stay with them for a while.”

Once inside the room, the two of them took on their roles. Watching Xie Zhi carefully fold his clothes and put them into the suitcase, including the clothes he washed for Jiaojiao this morning—thankfully, they had dried in the hot weather—she finally understood why men liked to marry women. Watching someone diligently pack things for you was actually quite satisfying.

She felt that this whole experience of “living through a book” wasn’t painful at all. Instead, it felt like a reward from heaven.

After finishing packing, Xie Zhi didn’t rush to leave. Instead, he washed his hands, picked up a fruit knife, and started peeling a mango.

Jiaojiao blinked her eyes, puzzled, and asked, “Aren’t we leaving?”

“We’re not in a hurry. Let’s eat a mango first,” Xie Zhi said, his hands graceful as he carefully peeled the fruit. His hands were long and pale, exuding an innate charm as he worked. Jiaojiao lay on the bed, propping up her chin, captivated by the sight.

It felt less like peeling a mango and more like a personal concert performance, with Jiaojiao being his only audience.

As the mango was peeled, Xie Zhi noticed the juice might splatter, so he grabbed a pair of disposable chopsticks from last night and picked up a piece of mango to offer to her.

Jiaojiao opened her lips, looking particularly alluring. As the mango entered her mouth, the sweetness made her eyes squint in delight. She had never tasted mango so sweet before; fruits in the future never had this kind of flavor. Things were simpler now, without hormones, and everything tasted so much better.

“So sweet.”

Jiaojiao said softly, then grabbed the chopsticks, picked up a piece from where Xie Zhi had peeled, and fed it to him.

Her eyes sparkled like stars. “Is it sweet?”

“So sweet, but still not as sweet as you,” Xie Zhi said without changing his expression, throwing out a flirtatious remark that made Jiaojiao blush deeply. The two of them shared the mango, taking turns feeding each other until it was finished, then left the guesthouse.

Before leaving, Xie Zhi’s father left him the house keys, so they didn’t need to wait and could enter directly. As soon as they walked in, the house smelled of something being stewed, likely in a pot.

Xie Zhi’s parents were busy in the kitchen.

Seeing the two of them return, they hurriedly wiped their hands on their aprons, smiling as they watched them go upstairs. The house, which had been quiet, became lively once again with their return.

After putting their things upstairs, they came down to help. However, Jiaojiao mainly just passed bowls and utensils while not doing anything else.

Although she grew up in the countryside in the future, she never learned to cook. Even though her grandparents spoiled her, they still had old-fashioned ideas. They often urged her to learn domestic tasks, telling her she’d be looked down upon by her in-laws if she didn’t. Jiaojiao rebelled against this, refusing to learn to cook.

The Xu Jiaojiao in the book had always been pampered and cherished, so she never had to worry about such things.

Xie Zhi, knowing Jiaojiao didn’t want to sit alone on the couch, assigned her light tasks like passing dishes and chopsticks—easy and clean work.

When all the dishes were on the table, Jiaojiao became a bit suspicious. It felt like someone always had to come and stir things up during meals, as though they were intentionally causing trouble.

“Jiaojiao, I apologize for what I did before. I’m truly sorry. It won’t happen again,” Ming Zhen said, raising a glass of wine.

The woman was beautiful, and time had been unusually kind to her, still maintaining a graceful, intellectual appearance.

“Auntie, it’s okay. What’s in the past is in the past,” Jiaojiao said sincerely, accepting the apology.

Ming Zhen didn’t expect her to accept it so calmly, and a barely noticeable smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, though it was a forced one.

Thus, the four of them sat down to enjoy a peaceful family meal. No one interrupted, and everything went surprisingly smoothly.

Ming Zhen remembered the words her husband had said last night. If she completely offended Jiaojiao, perhaps Jiaojiao would be angry enough to stop Xie Zhi from returning to the city. Her husband had spoken many wise words, and only after that was Ming Zhen willing to apologize.

Truth be told, she had always felt that Jiaojiao wasn’t good enough for Xie Zhi. Her compromise with her husband was ultimately for her own benefit.

Ming Zhen gazed absentmindedly as Xie Zhi helped Jiaojiao with her food, clearly delighted when Jiaojiao ate a bite, as if it made him happy for the entire day.

Xie Zhi was indeed overjoyed. Jiaojiao loved beauty, checking her reflection and measuring her dimensions every day. Sometimes, she’d go to the village warehouse just to weigh herself.

If she saw even a slight change, she’d refuse to eat and starve herself. Watching this, Xie Zhi always felt heartbroken, but Jiaojiao was stubborn.

Since coming to Qingcheng, Jiaojiao’s appetite had improved a lot. Naturally, Xie Zhi wanted to feed her as much as possible. In his eyes, she was already beautiful enough and didn’t need to prove anything or harm her health.

Jiaojiao poked at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks, making holes in the rice. She leaned in and said, “I can’t eat anymore.”

Xie Zhi, unfazed, took her bowl and ate the remaining rice, his movements calm and natural. This action made Ming Zhen, sitting opposite them, almost grind her teeth in frustration.