Chapter 68: Give Me a Chance to Pursue You

Behind Jiang Xueting and Xu Xinyi, Zhou Yao’s figure flashed by. She tried to look closely, but the figure had already disappeared.

After passing through security, Zhang Xiluo called Jiang Xueting to confirm if it really was Zhou Yao, hoping she had been mistaken.

During the four-hour flight, Zhang Xiluo slept almost the entire way. As soon as she got off the plane, her mother called.

The person picking her up was named Hu Minxing, a man in his forties who ran a guesthouse.

He dressed simply, wore gold-rimmed glasses, had dark skin and distinct features—a man with a certain charm in middle age.

Zhang Xiluo’s parents were his investors; back when he went bankrupt, they had helped him out.

Hu Minxing’s guesthouse was right next door to the Zhang family’s home. Both were traditional Chinese-style courtyards, and he usually helped keep theirs clean as well.

“Miss Zhang, here’s the key. All the daily necessities inside are brand new. The place was cleaned just this morning.”

“Uncle Hu, just call me Luoluo.”

Hu Minxing and her father were like brothers, so by seniority, she could only call him uncle.

Hu Minxing helped her with her luggage and thoroughly introduced the house. “If you need anything, just call me. If you don’t like cooking, you can come eat at my place—I have a professional chef.”

“Thank you, Uncle Hu.”

After Hu Minxing left, Zhang Xiluo busied herself unpacking while chatting in the group with Jiang Xueting and Xu Xinyi.

“Luoluo, you weren’t mistaken. It really was Zhou Yao,” Jiang Xueting reported from the airport, “She was there to see a classmate off who’s going abroad. I warned her not to breathe a word to that mutt.”

“With her personality, she won’t tell Li Mingye,” Xu Xinyi remarked, thinking Zhou Yao was far more calculating than she let on. “I’m more worried she’ll cause trouble for you. Her hostility towards you runs deep.”

“She’d better not say anything, or I’ll tear that mouth right off her face,” Jiang Xueting sent a flurry of angry emojis. “That bastard Zhao Chengyi—how can he not see she’s a manipulative green tea?”

“Xueting, watch your mouth. Don’t let Zhao Chengyi fish for information from you,” Xu Xinyi tagged her, warning sternly.

“Don’t worry.”

“Oh, right, Luoluo. Zhou’s dad got beat up over gambling debts—just a few days ago. Zhou was so scared she almost had to pay with her own body.”

Jiang Xueting was furious. “Honestly, that mutt is just a rich fool, always cleaning up after people like them.”

“Let’s not talk about those two anymore. Just hearing their names annoys me,” Xu Xinyi cut in. “You’d better pick a side and stick to it—don’t you dare switch camps at the last minute!”

Counting back, Zhou Lixun had been beaten up the very day she and Li Mingye had their breakup dinner.

Of course, to that mutt, nothing was more important than Zhou Yao.

Luckily, she no longer cared.

The group chat went on lively, with Zhang Xiluo chiming in occasionally. Before she knew it, night had fallen.

She wasn’t quite used to this place—the temperature hovered in the twenties, and the air was oppressively humid.

After a shower and changing into comfortable clothes, she got ready to rest.

Hu Minxing thoughtfully brought her dinner, having already asked her mother about her preferences—everything was just to her liking.

He even brought her a dehumidifier to make her stay more comfortable.

Her first impression of him was excellent; she felt her parents had backed the right person.

After dinner, Li Mingye called. She glanced at the phone and hung up without hesitation.

Before she could even switch off her phone, Li Mingye sent a text, demanding an explanation.

Zhang Xiluo ignored him, turned off her phone, and went to sleep.

The next morning, she visited Hu Minxing’s guesthouse. With the holiday season, the place was bustling with tourists, and Hu Minxing barely had a moment to catch his breath.

Seeing how busy he was, she didn’t disturb him and took a cab to the city center instead.

She changed to a new SIM card, sharing her number only with her parents and her closest friends, unwilling to let anyone else intrude on her life.

She wandered the mall, buying a few things she liked, including some handmade crafts for expectant mothers.

This period was for rest; she planned to occupy herself with crafts whenever boredom struck.

In a bookstore, she found a guidebook for pregnancy. As she reached for it, she accidentally bumped into someone nearby.

“Sorry,” she turned around quickly and apologized softly.

“No problem.”

Zhang Xiluo nodded and moved on, unconsciously picking out several books. At the register, she ran into the same person she’d bumped into earlier.

She didn’t notice that he kept looking at her. After paying, she left with her books.

Back at her place, her mother called on video. Seeing her mother’s growing vitality, Zhang Xiluo’s own mood lifted as well.

“Luoluo, when the New Year comes, your father and I will come stay with you.”

“Great, as long as your health allows it. I really like it here, and Uncle Hu has been wonderful. Don’t worry about me.”

“Little Hu isn’t an outsider. If you need anything, just tell him. Your father and I can’t be by your side all the time, living so far away. If you’re comfortable there, we’ll consider moving the company or even selling it.”

“We’ll talk about that later. I’ll take good care of myself, don’t worry.”

Truthfully, Zhang Xiluo couldn’t bear for her parents to give up their company because of her, nor could she bear for them to leave the place they’d called home for so many years.

In the evening, Hu Minxing came by to invite her to dinner at the guesthouse. There was an event tonight, and he wanted her to join.

She didn’t refuse, changed clothes, and accompanied him back.

In the courtyard, a barbecue grill had been set up, a long table next to it overflowing with ingredients. In front of the dining area, a small stage glimmered beneath colorful lights.

As night fell, more and more people gathered, and the barbecue feast officially began.

Zhang Xiluo sat quietly on a swing in the corner, watching the bustle with a serene heart and a faint smile on her lips.

This kind of life seemed pretty good.

Just then, a young man walked onto the stage with a guitar, singing for the evening’s festivities.

His voice was deep and mellow, each word like an ode to passing years, easily resonating with the crowd, turning the song into something new.

Zhang Xiluo soon drifted into her own world, lost in memories.

“You are the dream I fear to lose, and I am the one you can take or leave.”

That line seemed to be sung just for her. Li Mingye had been her dream. Now the dream was over, and she had found her way in reality.

“What a coincidence, meeting again,”

“Huh?”

Her thoughts were pulled back. She saw the man before her, holding his guitar, wearing a friendly smile.

It was indeed a coincidence to run into him three times in one day.

“It really is.”

“My name is Su Jianhao, a wandering singer,” he said, extending his hand in a friendly introduction.

Zhang Xiluo smiled faintly, taking his hand. “I’m Zhang Xiluo, an unemployed drifter.”

Su Jianhao was amused by her answer, unreservedly offering his praise, “Miss Zhang, you are truly unique—utterly charming.”

“May I have the honor of being your suitor?”

“……”