Chapter 53: When We Talk About Loyalty (1)

Xia An knew how to judge a person's basic personality from their sleeping posture.

Those who were carefree and cheerful sprawled out when lying down.

Those lacking inner security mostly curled up in a corner.

Therefore, introverted people living alone generally preferred single beds; if none were available, they would sleep on just a tiny edge of a double bed.

With a leg hugging the duvet, corners folded neatly.

Tang Wan, Le Ning, the little Youzi right before his eyes, and even himself—they were all like this.

As for Lin Jiajia, he didn't know...

She had already left by the time he woke up beside the toilet that day.

However, in the modern society of towering skyscrapers, how many people in this world were truly not lonely in the depths of their hearts?

……

Zuo You was asleep.

Her head was lowered slightly, the corners of her lips curved up faintly.

She looked as peaceful as a little cat that had just found shelter amidst the wind and snow.

The Xia An of her original life at this age did not understand, but the current Xia An saw it very clearly—Zuo You truly lived up to her name.

Beneath her thick, fresh, and warm exterior lay a crystal-clear, soft, and tender heart.

Her resilience was not hardness; on the contrary, the pomelo peel was tender and soft, collapsing at the slightest pressure from a finger.

Yet she would automatically digest pressure and slowly rebound.

This represented her attitude toward the world.

Having touched life at an early age, Zuo You dealt with the hardships of survival using the perfectly formed worldview she had developed early on, finding sweet contentment in it.

As far as he knew, there had been no rebellious phase in Zuo You's upbringing.

From beginning to end, she used the purest heart and sweetest smile to face the pomelo segments she guarded.

Those were her family, her mom and dad.

And the little brats.

Once the outer shell was completely stripped away, the soft-textured fruit flesh would fear the sunlight, fear the wind, frost, rain, and snow, and even fear being touched.

At a single touch, the soft pomelo would shatter into pieces, like sand and dust, scattering into the mud.

Xia An lowered his head and pressed the tip of his nose against Youzi's forehead.

Electric heating blankets in winter, bamboo sleeping mats in summer...

Zuo You and Xia An had slept in the same bed many times.

But that was back in childhood, when there were still no boundaries drawn between boys and girls.

Sitting on the floor right now, Xia An looked at little Youzi's fluttering eyelashes and held her hand. It was enough; he felt immensely satisfied.

The freshest pomelo would definitely be his; Xia An was not in a rush.

Moreover, within the affection of these past two hours since their reunion, desire did not exist.

The zipper of the canvas bag placed under the bed leg was open, and Xia An caught sight of a section of white headphone cord.

Zuo You loved music and dancing, and Wei Xiaofang had praised her countless times, overtly and covertly, as a born star, using this to urge her own biological son to eat less junk food.

"Maintain your image, you hear me? Otherwise, how will you ever be worthy of Youzi in the future?"

Xia An hadn't paid much attention, and unable to resist the temptation of grilled skewers and roasted meats, he fortunately had the strong genes of Xia Kangning and Wei Xiaofang to fall back on.

Xia An reached the headphone cord and tugged the MP3 player out of the bag.

A Meizu M6, a gift Xia An had given Zuo You a year ago.

He remembered saving his allowance for a long time, and finally, two days before Zuo You's birthday, pestering Wei Xiaofang relentlessly for the remaining eighty percent of the cost before he was able to buy it.

Xia An liked the Meizu brand very much; amid a sea of knockoff markets, it stubbornly stuck to a fresh and artistic route.

Back in 2006, it had already claimed a high share of the portable music player market.

Later, when it transitioned into making smartphones, a small group of post-80s youth supported it for a wave, before it was crushed by the "fashion trend" popularized by Apple and faded into silence—not until the rise of domestic brands and post-00s consumers, who no longer blindly worshipped foreign goods and became the mainstream of 3C consumption, did it experience a resurgence.

As an investor, Xia An greatly admired Huang Zhang's tenacity in making products.

He wasn't in a high enough tax bracket to interact with people like that in his past life, but should he make a move this time around...

—Pui!

Xia An immediately spat out a mental curse at himself.

In such a tender moment, his mind was wandering to business?

The MP3 player had no protective case and no screen protector.

Instead, it was wrapped in a hand-knitted woolen pouch crafted exclusively by little Youzi.

As good as new.

It was loaded with many songs: pop, classical, and timeless classics.

Xia An noticed that the song paused on repeat was "Right and Wrong".

After putting on the headphones and listening for a few bars, he remembered that he had heard this song before.

Flipping through his memory, he recalled that the original singer seemed to have suffered a public downfall around the time he was investing in the entertainment industry.

However, in the later era when cover songs were wildly popular, Xia An seemed to have heard another version of this song, which was quite good.

The vocals, with their ordinary sound quality, flowed out like running water.

Xia An narrowed his eyes, propped his chin in one hand while stroking Youzi's jade-like fingertips with the other, listening quietly with absolute peace of mind.

…

In your eyes, what kind of relationship are we?

When can I honestly face myself?

…

Between you and me, no one believes, only cares.

We never confirm that question.

Always leaving people racking their brains.

…

I will look forward to the dawn when love blooms.

There will surely be a beautiful love.

…

After listening, he was even more convinced that the cover version he listened to was better than the original.

With a faint smile, Xia An slipped his hand under the duvet and gently covered little Zuo You's left knee.

Slender, but not lacking meat.

Having practiced dance since childhood, Zuo You had perfect leg proportions.

She hadn't taken off her pants before going to bed, and the small kneecap beneath her jeans felt round.

Le Ning, after her divorce, had passed on a message through Lu Fei that this very spot on little Youzi had been shattered in an accident during a commercial performance tour in 2016.

Due to financial issues, it was not treated in time, and little Youzi, who once danced like an immortal drifting on the wind, became slightly lame.

For some inexplicable reason, Xia An pursed his lips and smiled again.

Was she copying her dad in this too?

Or was she copying Old Xia?

Did they really have to make every generation of the Zuo family lame in one leg?

Forsaking her academic degree and resigning from her job, Zuo You went far away from Dongshan, hiding far from the Xia An she felt too ashamed to face, wandering all over rural stages to make a living.

From 2008 to 2016.

Drifting without a fixed home, year after year, just like the last.

That winter, the stage scaffolding set up at the village entrance was already flimsy to begin with, and it happened to snow.

The members of the dance troupe fell one after another; the only one who hadn't fallen yet, little Youzi, stepped squarely onto a wooden board that had been cracked by the others and snapped it through.

In the dead of winter, her legs were bare beneath her tulle skirt.

Wooden splinters scraped from her calf up to her thigh, dripping with blood in a shocking and distressing sight.

Falling through a hole a meter and a half deep, she landed hard on her knees against the stones.

—How much it must have hurt?

From 2016 to 2024.

Teaching at a village primary school, once again year after year, just like the last.

Le Ning had Lu Fei tell Xia An:

—Sixteen years, the lifetime of two women.

—I remained loyal to my love, and I did it.

—Now, please remain loyal to the choice you made.

Clearly, Le Ning had also been shaken by Zuo You's sixteen years of hardship.

Xia An did not dare to stroke any further.

Pulling his hand back, he picked up the Polaroid camera and moved close to the sleeping Zuo You's face.

Click.

The photo paper slid out automatically, slowly developing.

Just like the one at the restaurant earlier, little Youzi's lips were pressed against Xia An's cheek.

"I'll keep this one, and you can have the restaurant one," Xia An said.

Zuo You was resting sideways on the back of her hand, lazily blinking her eyes and letting out a soft "hmm."

She had already woken up when Xia An slipped his hand under the quilt earlier.

Clenching her teeth, she kept her eyes tightly shut.

She didn't know what the little brat was up to, but she guessed he was about to pull some mischief.

So this was what falling in love was like, she thought.

Before coming back, she had thought that this reunion would, at most, mean a hug and holding hands.

But they had kissed.

And then touching her again?

Well, touching higher up was one thing, but how could touching lower down be okay?!

Her knee?

What kind of weird hobby did the little brat have??

She had almost laughed out loud at the time.

Yet beneath the gentle, soothing caress of his fingertips and palm, she hadn't sensed a shred of evil intent.

Instead, it felt like an owner petting a small animal, or an elder doting on a child.

Hmph, little brat.

The morning light was blocked by lingering dark clouds; outside the curtains, the world was a dreary gray, and droplets of water condensed on the glass pane.

Zuo You looked at Xia An's profile.

From his forehead down to his thick eyebrows, to the high bridge of his nose, his lips, and his Adam's apple.

Zuo You shifted herself further toward the wall and patted the pillow.

"Come up and sleep."

……

This was the fastest Xia An had ever fallen asleep since his rebirth.

He remembered one arm pillowing the back of Youzi's neck, while the other was wrapped beneath her chest.

When he woke up, the daylight was blinding, but Zuo You was gone from the bed.

She was nowhere to be found in the entire room.

If not for her luggage and mobile phone still being there, Xia An would have almost thought last night was a dream.

Zuo You was next door.

Xia An found little Youzi, who had been caught red-handed by Xia Kangning and his wife, right in his own home.

Since their son was leaving their hometown tomorrow to pursue his studies, Xia Kangning and Wei Xiaofang had taken time off work to stay home and pack Xia An's bags.

But she was no longer in his room; the couple had intercepted Zuo You downstairs when she went out to buy Xia An lunch at noon, dragging her upstairs to catch up.

Wei Xiaofang was taking out two large bags of things she had prepared for Xia An to take to Binhai, presenting them like a proud owner showing off treasures, and even tried to stuff a red envelope of cash into Zuo You's hands.

Xia Kangning was even more outrageous.

Right in front of little Youzi, he called Zuo Dashu to tell him that everything was fine at home and that the two kids had just woken up, telling him not to worry.

They just woke up, and you're telling me not to worry??

Zuo Dashu slammed the phone down in bitter anger.

Zuo You didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Wei Xiaofang nudged Xia Kangning, and the two of them tactfully cleared out of both rooms to leave the space to the youngsters, going out for a stroll instead.

Hearing Zuo You recount this, Xia An laughed so hard he couldn't even swallow his steamed bun.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship."

These weren't Xia An's words; Zuo You had said them herself with a helpless smile.

Xia An shoved the meat bun down his throat in one gulp and nodded heavily.

He drew a circle in the air in front of little Youzi, "Complete and perfect."

Zuo You had already showered and was sitting at the dining table in Xia An's apartment, leaning her hands on the back of the chair as she asked him, "You're not worried anymore, are you?"

Xia An didn't catch her drift at first and asked what he should be worried about.

"Worried that even if I become a little star, I won't run off with someone else?"

Zuo You tilted her head, smiling with absolute candor as she voiced what she assumed was the root of Xia An's overthinking.

Xia An smiled too.

On the day of the finals shortlist announcement, all eleven contestants had presumably received talent agency contracts.

Currently, two agencies intended to sign little Youzi, offering a basket of exaggerated verbal promises.

Xia An had never heard of either agency; they probably wouldn't last long.

Just children playing games.

Those were individual perks, and in addition, there were three group commercials.

Band-aids, medicinal wine, and women's elastic leggings.

The total fee was sixty thousand pre-tax per person, which was quite substantial.

This was a perk provided by the organizer, Beijing Dance Academy, for the finalists, as well as a mandatory requirement that must be filmed.

While eating egg fried rice last night, Zuo You had told him all this.

'You don't have to worry about me running off with someone else now,' she had just said.

Xia An understood that this was little Youzi in her prime, making a youthful promise to remain loyal to their love.

If anyone other than Zuo You had said those words, Xia An might not have believed them.

Generally speaking, passionate and intense vows made in the heat of the moment were only valid in the present, with a very short expiration date.

Especially upon entering the colorful entertainment industry, relying purely on the impulse of youthful passion to sustain a romance was practically a joke.

Yet Xia An was deeply moved.

Sensitive little Youzi, at the very first sprout of her promising future, had traveled thousands of miles back just to give him an accounting and a promise.

The accounting was: I like you too.

I won't run away was the promise.

That was enough.

Xia An took a sip of soybean milk and asked, "Do you believe that fate has a track?"

Zuo You thought of what he had said by the bedside before falling asleep in the early hours of the morning.

She nodded, "I do."

Xia An said, "Good. Think of it like railway tracks—you boldly step onto them and walk in the direction you want to go, and I'll walk right beside you to steady you."

Little Youzi cupped her face in her hands, resting her elbows on the tabletop, and looked deeply at Xia An with a smile as radiant as a flower.

She was deeply surprised.

Was this the real little brat?

Bursting with a sense of security.

Little Youzi felt a warmth spread through her heart.

Being in love was truly wonderful.

"Mmm."

……

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

Zuo You had six hours left before boarding the train back to Beijing.

Afterward, for a period of time, she would follow the production team to rehearse for the final stage—solo dances and group performances.

Xia An knew that if Zuo You ultimately placed in the top six or achieved an even higher ranking,

Aside from gaining the opportunity to audit classes at the Dance Academy,

Given her looks, she would basically have one foot across the threshold into the entertainment industry.

Xia An understood even better that the reason Zuo You came back to lock down their relationship with him was to prove that she had already decided to walk the path of stardom.

While dance was a hobby, an even bigger factor was that the industry could quickly earn money to ease her family's financial burden.

"Here, spend this."

She produced a small envelope she had prepared beforehand and handed it to Xia An.

Inside was fifteen hundred yuan.

"Even though you're in the New Media Department, it's still part of the Art College.

"I have experience; everyone's classmates come from well-off families, and once school starts, there will be endless rounds of treating each other to meals.

"Uncle and Auntie don't make money easily, and you're not allowed to ask them for too much.

"I still have some left, take this and spend it."

Giving money.

Aside from his mom, how many women had proactively shoved money into his hands recently?

What was this even?

Reborn to hook up with women, take women's money, and even make women go make money...

Xia An retrieved the jar of folded paper stars, helped Zuo You pack her belongings, shouldered his backpack, and dragged her out the door.

As soon as they stepped out of the residential compound, they ran headfirst into his parents, who had nowhere left to stroll and were lingering by the roadside.

"Hey, where are you two off to?"

"Taking your daughter-in-law out on the town to spend some cash."

Xia An hailed a taxi with one hand while calling out brightly in response.

Zuo You was dragged along, laughing so hard she doubled over.

…

The bets for today's market were already placed and required no further attention.

Right now, Xia An only had the 850,000 yuan transferred by Tang Wan in his bank account.

Give Zuo You 850,000 yuan?

Even 85,000 yuan would probably scare her half to death.

Unable to win against Xia An's stubbornness, Zuo You was firmly led into the shopping mall.

In truth, Xia An had no idea what to buy her.

When he suggested buying clothes, she put her hands on her hips and refused.

When he suggested dresses, she and Le Ning turned out to be quite similar—a bit conservative, and aside from performances, they basically never wore skirts.

"Let's buy a decent pair of sneakers. You're always dancing, your feet get tired, and having comfortable shoes to walk in is always a good thing."

He said that, but Zuo You stamped her feet, insisting that the pair she had on right now was brand new, bought just before going to Beijing.

There was nothing he could do.

Naturally gifted with beauty, little Youzi didn't really need much adornment.

"Cosmetics?"

"Fine, buy me a bottle of Dabao lotion then."

If he argued any further, Zuo You looked ready to pinch his ear.

Xia An held her hand as they strolled leisurely through the mall.

"I've been looking forward to this day ever since I was a kid; I wanted to give you my little treasury."

Could a teenage boy actually save up a "little treasury"? Zuo You didn't quite believe it, giving him a suspicious look.

Xia An fished out his bank card and shook it with a grin: "There's 8,000 yuan in here."

The amount was within an acceptable range, so Zuo You wasn't overly surprised, and instead broke into a gratified smile.

She nodded in praise, "Not bad, you're a boy who knows how to budget."

Xia An flashed a toothy grin.

Then he heard Zuo You say: "Keep saving it, or tell your parents it's for your living expenses."

A virtuous wife.

Xia An fell silent.

Thinking he was unhappy, Zuo You earnestly persuaded him: "We're going away to school, and you're studying such an expensive major—you need to think of them more.

"They'll be tightening their belts to get by at home, and that's not right."

Someone who loved you would be touched if you spent money on them, but they would feel even more heartache for you.

Xia An wrapped his arm around her waist and said they wouldn't shop anymore.

"But you still have to let me buy you something, right?"

"You gave me the paper stars, and I love them. All girls love those."

Zuo You smiled, nodding as she swung their joined hands back and forth.

Right, all girls loved them, Xia An thought.

Le Ning liked them immensely too, and there was another jar waiting to be given to Tang Xiaowan in Binhai—that one would probably cry tears of emotion as well.

"That doesn't count," he said.

The pedestrian street outside the mall was packed with small stalls.

Selling all sorts of things.

Mostly handmade accessories and souvenirs.

A flash of inspiration hit Xia An, and he knew what to give Zuo You.

With her treading the edges of the entertainment industry lately and being away from home, what she needed most was emergency funds.

Xia An told Zuo You to wander ahead a bit, claiming he needed to run back to the restroom.

Returning to the shopping mall, he headed straight for a jewelry store.

Bracelets, studs, earrings, bangles, necklaces...

He leaned over the counter, studying them carefully, checking the styles and price tags one by one.

Gold was definitely out of the question; its value would be spotted instantly.

The female sales associate saw the young man carrying a large women's canvas bag with his face practically pressed against the glass display case, and asked with an amused smile, "What is the gentleman looking to pick out?"

Without lifting his head, Xia An replied that he hadn't decided yet.

The sales associate asked, "Is it a gift?"

"Yes, for my girlfriend."

Hearing this, the sales associate pulled out a pair of earrings.

"This is our newest cherry design, 1.5 grams, 200 yuan—very affordable."

Xia An looked at her in confusion, then looked down at his own outfit, and understood.

He said, "Not gold. I want white gold set with diamonds. Not a necklace—a bracelet. Something that doesn't scream for attention, just ordinary-looking, but the diamonds must be natural."

Xia An pointed at the promotional sign, "Your store claims to sell natural diamonds."

The sales associate drew a sharp breath, stared fixedly at Xia An, and re-examined him from head to toe.

Finally, she walked behind the counter in the corner, squatted down, hoisted three sample cases, and brought them back to place on top of the display case.

"We only have these three natural diamond bracelets in the provincial capital right now. Please take your pick."

At a glance, Xia An took a fancy to the starry-sky-style pink diamond and yellow diamond bracelets, but they were a bit too expensive, and the money on his card wasn't enough.

The other two options were less than half the price of those.

After thinking it over, Xia An chose the less flashy one of the two cheaper options.

22,000 yuan, minus the fraction, came to 14,200.

He swiped the card.

No gift packaging; he shoved the authentication certificate into his back pocket.

As he reached the door, Xia An turned back.

He asked the stunned sales associate, "Do you have any clear plastic... jewelry pouches?"

The sales associate mechanically fished a sealable plastic bag containing two black obsidian beads out of her uniform pocket.

The beads had originally been swapped off her own bracelet; she poured them into her palm and handed the bag to Xia An.

"Yes, this will do, thank you."

Tucking the bracelet inside, Xia An walked out looking entirely pleased with himself.

The whole process took ten minutes.

The sales associate instantly shot to first place on the provincial chain store's daily performance leaderboard.

……

Zuo You was watching a talent show broadcast on a screen.

The ear-piercingly off-key vocals and the red-haired, fluffy-headed girl had shocked her thoroughly.

When Xia An wrapped his arms around her from behind, she gave a little start, and upon seeing it was him, she asked in a dazed tone,

"Is everyone in the entertainment industry required to dress like that?"

Even though he knew she was smiling happily, Xia An was still charmed by her naive, adorable appearance.

He pulled out the bracelet with a flourish, pointed back toward where they had come from, and claimed he'd spotted it at a roadside stall.

"Twenty yuan—this is fine, right? There has to be a souvenir of today."

Zuo You nudged it with her finger, muttering, "The style is a bit old-fashioned, but whatever, I'll wear it."

Xia An helped her fasten it around her wrist. Against the sunlight breaking through the dispersing clouds, it twinkled with a subtle, brilliant gleam.

Xia An said, "Even though it's cheap, it's the first official gift I've ever given you. Don't lose it, okay?"

Zuo You smiled and said, "Ever since we were kids, you're the only one who always loses things. I've never lost a single thing."

Holding her hand, Xia An stepped into the flow of pedestrians.

"From now on, I won't lose things anymore either."

Xia An's words carried a double meaning; he spoke with such deep emotion and sincerity that he practically moved himself to tears.

As a result, Zuo You took long, cheerful strides, walking brightly before suddenly turning her head to throw out:

"Oh right, Teacher Liu told me that besides you, there's another female classmate from our art class who also got accepted into Binhai University."

Teacher Liu had been Zuo You's homeroom teacher back in the day.

And Xia An's homeroom teacher.

When Zuo You was a senior in high school, Xia An and Le Ning were freshmen.

Le Ning knew of Zuo You.

By the same token, Zuo You knew of Le Ning.

With Tang Wan reigning supreme on the campus beauty throne year after year, the battle for the runner-up spot among the Sixth High School belles had been fiercely contested.

Before Le Ning entered the school, Zuo You had comfortably held the spot for two years.

After Le Ning entered, the freshman "Lemon Party" single-handedly fought against the die-hard fanbases of the sophomore and senior Zuo You.

Their names had dominated the school's online forum back then.

As for Xia An, he was the runaway renegade among the freshman boys.

"She plays a musical instrument—Le Ning. That's what Teacher Liu said."

Seeing Xia An's stunned expression, Zuo You held back a smile and added with meaningful emphasis.

Just as Xia An was about to speak, Zuo You walked backward, facing him as she asked, "Do you still ignore her the way you did back then?"

Little Youzi, backlit by the sun, was cast in a golden rim.

Xia An swallowed hard.

-----------------

Le Ning sneezed.

The air conditioning in the mall was too cold.

The train was at six-thirty tonight, arriving directly in Binhai by tomorrow afternoon.

After dropping off their luggage, Zhou Ting was walking through the Pudong commercial street with her daughter to do some shopping.

Everything else could be bought once they reached Binhai, but she wanted to buy her daughter a new outfit first for her school registration.

Yet looking at her daughter's hands, full of shopping bags, Zhou Ting felt a wave of irritation wash over her, and she said sourly,

"Aren't you planning to buy something for your dad?"

"I bought him an electric shaver, didn't I? It's in your bag," Le Ning replied coolly.

Zhou Ting blew air out of her nose in frustration, reached out, and tapped her daughter on the forehead.

"You little unconscionable wretch, wherever you go, you always think of others first. You bought him all these things, but what if he hasn't even given you a passing thought by the time you get there?"

Le Ning: "Oh."

Zhou Ting was helpless.

It was always like this—like punching a pile of cotton, leaving her nowhere to vent her spleen.

"How did I raise such a clingy daughter who practically pays her own way to chase after a boy?"

Normally, when the conversation reached this point, it would be over.

Yet when Zhou Ting finished paying the bill and angrily stomped her way toward the exit,

Le Ning quickened her pace to catch up.

"Mom."

"What!"

Zhou Ting snapped without looking back.

"Mom."

Zhou Ting stopped.

Le Ning walked up to her and set down the bags she was carrying in both hands.

From one of them, she fished out a neatly wrapped silk scarf.

"Mom, I bought this for you yesterday when we went out."

"Hmph."

Zhou Ting took it and rolled her eyes.

"Mom, I've grown up.

"I'm going to university soon."

Zhou Ting looked at her daughter, wearing an expression that clearly said, "So what?" while a deeply ominous premonition stirred in her heart.

"I like Xia An, and I'll stay with him forever."

The rivers and lakes are vast, and I walk my own path alone.

I will forever remain loyal to that baseless daydream from the prime of my youth.

Loyal to the rebellious love of youth.

Sure enough! Heroine Le's mother stared hard at her, before finally... slapping herself on the forehead.

"Oh, for heaven's sake! Go on then, go like him, go like him all you want!"

Little Le Ning broke into a sweet smile.

"Oh."

===

===

2024 has passed, and I do not yearn for it.

Look forward.

Happy New Year.

May everyone also remain forever loyal to yourselves and your own ideals.

May you have joy, peace, serenity, and everything turning out as you wish.