Upon arriving at the hotel entrance, Jiu Chang and Jiang Siyang stepped out of the car.
Before leaving, Jiang Siyang did not forget to express his gratitude. Standing by the passenger window, he leaned down to look at Zhang Jin’an. "Thank you for driving us back today, Ge."
Zhang Jin’an waved him off. "It’s nothing. Your program crew brought me along too, so I should be thanking you."
"There’s one more thing I wanted to say..." Jiang Siyang’s voice lowered slightly, his gaze incredibly sincere. "The next time we meet will likely be on set, so I wanted to take this chance to tell you—thank you, Ge, for not telling Jiu Chang about that matter directly."
Zhang Jin’an was momentarily taken aback, then smiled. "It’s no big deal. Go back and get some sleep. Goodnight."
Only then did Jiang Siyang let out a smile. "Mm. Drive safely, Ge." With that, he took a step back and turned to leave.
Watching Jiang Siyang’s retreating figure, Zhang Jin’an shook his head with a smile and set off toward his own home.
The car glided through the night, occasionally overtaking other vehicles or being overtaken in turn. Being alone felt vastly different from traveling with others, especially during the silent buffer between songs. The next track was Leslie Cheung’s "A Chinese Ghost Story." The song was so famous that Zhang Jin’an began to softly sing along.
"Life is... a beautiful dream and fervent hope... Dimly in the dream, dimly there are glimmers of tears..."
Halfway through the drive, Zhang Jin’an found a spot by the roadside to pull over. He lowered the music, opened his phone to start a video call with Zhang Shuyu, and propped it up on the phone mount.
The call was answered almost instantly. Zhang Shuyu was wrapped in a quilt up to her neck, with only her head peeking out. Her long blonde hair was messy and spread across the pillow. She blinked her large eyes at the camera, her voice sounding extremely sluggish. "You startled me. I was watching a drama." She squinted at the screen. "Are you driving?"
"Yeah," Zhang Jin’an replied.
"What, did you miss your adorable little sister while driving?" Zhang Shuyu said without a hint of shame.
"Aren't you hot, wrapped up like that?" Zhang Jin’an asked.
"The AC is at sixteen degrees," Zhang Shuyu said, burrowing a bit deeper into the quilt until only half her face was visible. "If you have something to say, say it quick. I want to get back to my drama, and you need to get back to driving."
"Your sister has something for you. I’m coming over in a bit, so wait for me at the community gate," Zhang Jin’an said directly.
Zhang Shuyu’s eyes instantly widened, and she sat up in bed, revealing her blue-and-white striped pajamas.
"What, what, what? Wait! You mean... you’re back?!" Shuyu shouted before realizing her volume was too high. She immediately covered her mouth and glanced toward the bedroom door. Seeing that no one had come out, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are those pajamas the same ones from before? You’re still wearing them? How many years has it been?" Zhang Jin’an asked with a look of disdain.
"Yeah, these are the ones you hate... No, is that the point? Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?" Zhang Shuyu came up with an answer in her head and rubbed her hands together with a mischievous grin. "You didn't come back specifically because you missed me, did you? Oh, Ge, if you really missed me, you could just send money. You didn't have to come all this way."
"You’re overthinking it. I’m just passing through. I’ll leave right after I give you the stuff," Zhang Jin’an said.
Zhang Shuyu let out a "tch," her attitude instantly cooling. "I figured. So when will you be here?"
Zhang Jin’an did a quick mental calculation. "I’ll be there in about five minutes. Wait for me at the gate."
"Fine." Zhang Shuyu was about to hang up when her eyes suddenly lit up, and her voice turned syrupy. "Hey, Ge, can I ask a favor? Since you’re on the way, could you buy me a cup of milk tea?"
Zhang Jin’an raised an eyebrow. "Milk tea this late at night?"
Zhang Shuyu sniffled, looking pitiful. "I don't care—Ge, save the child! I haven't had milk tea in a month!"
"Why?" Zhang Jin’an asked.
"What else could it be..." At the mention of this, Zhang Shuyu grew indignant, her voice rising instinctively. She reacted quickly, lowering her volume for the next sentence. "Why else? Mom and Dad won't let me. They said if I don't drink water and keep ordering milk tea and cola, they’ll throw me out—"
Zhang Jin’an was amused. "Why don't you secretly have Little Pan buy it for you?"
"Little Pan" was the family’s nickname for Zhang Shuyu’s boyfriend. His real name was Pan Chengwen; he was tall, well-built, and quite handsome, making him a good match for Zhang Shuyu. The nickname stuck because he and Zhang Shuyu were the same age and had been dating since high school.
Since Zhang Shuyu graduated from high school, Pan Chengwen’s visits to their house had only increased. By now, everyone treated him like family and often included him in their jokes.
Zhang Shuyu huffed. "Don't even mention him. Do you think he’d dare? Buying it for me would be like defying his future mother-in-law."
Zhang Jin’an continued, "What about Qingyue?"
"You already know. Second Sister has always been on Mom and Dad’s side." Zhang Shuyu shook her head. "If I dared to order delivery in front of her even once, she’d make me work as a delivery driver for the next month."
That did indeed sound like something Zhang Qingyue would say.
Zhang Shuyu looked truly pathetic, yet her explanation was hilarious. Zhang Jin’an couldn't help but laugh out loud. Seeing this, Zhang Shuyu immediately looked aggrieved.
"Fine, I’ll see. If there’s a shop open, I’ll buy it. If not, forget it," Zhang Jin’an finally relented.
"Heehee, okay! Ge is the best. Sending you a heart!" The gloom from before vanished instantly as Zhang Shuyu made a finger-heart at the camera with her thumb and index finger. "I’m heading downstairs now."
"Mm," Zhang Jin’an replied.
With that, they hung up.
When Zhang Jin’an drove onto the familiar small road, he saw a figure from a distance. A person with a head of bleached blonde hair, wearing a set of blue-and-white striped clothes, was standing by the security booth with her head down, playing on her phone.
"She really has that vibe," Zhang Jin’an couldn't help but mutter.
She looked exactly like someone who had escaped from a hospital.
This was why he despised those pajamas. Between the outfit and her disheveled hair, if he didn't know her, a single glance would have convinced him she was a patient who had just been discharged. The pajamas were loose and baggy, making her look a bit rounder, but since her face was thin, it was hard to tell if she had actually gained weight.
Zhang Jin’an pulled over to the side. When Zhang Shuyu looked up and saw him, she hopped toward the car with excitement, her slippers slapping against the pavement.
Zhang Shuyu opened the car door naturally and plopped down into the passenger seat. As soon as she shut the door, she impatiently held out both hands toward Zhang Jin’an. "Where is my love? Has my love arrived?"
"If Little Pan heard you say that, he’d cry himself to death," Zhang Jin’an said as he opened the storage compartment and pulled out a cup of milk tea. "Luckily, the shopkeeper didn't look at me too closely when I bought it. He probably just wanted to get off work."
"If he had recognized you, I might have seen you on Weibo again tomorrow," Zhang Shuyu said, deftly inserting the straw. "Headline: Zhang Jin’an buys milk tea in the middle of the night—is it a moral decline, or just a desire to get fat?"
Zhang Jin’an smiled. He had noticed her hair earlier but hadn't had the chance to ask. Now, he finally did. "When did you dye your hair?"
Zhang Shuyu already looked somewhat like a foreigner, with her large eyes, high bridge of her nose, and fair skin. With this beige-blonde hair, she truly looked like a Russian girl.
Zhang Shuyu took a sip of milk tea and slowly slumped into the seat. "So good... Oh, this hair? I just dyed it a few days ago. Looks good, right?"
Zhang Jin’an glanced at her. "Do you know there’s a term that suits you perfectly?"
Zhang Shuyu put down her milk tea and blinked curiously. "What? 'Beautiful as a celestial'?"
Zhang Jin’an: "Yellow-haired brat."
Zhang Shuyu: "?"
"Hmph," Zhang Shuyu scoffed, lightly stroking her smooth long hair. "You men and your 'straight-man' aesthetics. You don't understand the beauty of this hair color."
"I really don't see how it looks good. All I know is that once your roots grow out, you’ll become the next 'Tony the Stylist,'" Zhang Jin’an said.
"I... I..." Zhang Shuyu was momentarily at a loss for words. She stammered, "I—I’ll just dye it again when it grows out. I’ve decided to dye it blue next time. My idol looks amazing with blue hair."
"Sure, sounds great. It’s your head anyway; we can't stop you." Zhang Jin’an checked his watch. "Take your stuff and go."
"Let me finish half first." Zhang Shuyu tried to linger. "Look at how much I love you. I came down the moment you called."
Zhang Jin’an instantly punctured her sentimentality. "You love the milk tea."
"Then—then I even went to school specifically to get your autograph last time!" Zhang Shuyu puffed out her chest.
Zhang Jin’an let out a "heh."
"Was that for my autograph? You were craving Jiang Siyang’s autograph. You were craving his body," Zhang Jin’an said bluntly.
Zhang Shuyu covered her ears with one hand. "Stop scolding, stop scolding, stop scolding!"
Speaking of which, Zhang Jin’an remembered something. He glanced at her again. "By the way, have you finished those books I gave you?"
Zhang Shuyu suddenly went quiet. "..."
Zhang Jin’an looked at her. "Well?"
Zhang Shuyu: "..."
Zhang Shuyu swallowed the chewed-up pearls in her mouth and blinked innocently at Zhang Jin’an. Meanwhile, her right hand had already opened the car door, and she scrambled out.
The entire sequence of movements was as smooth as flowing water. Zhang Jin’an didn't stop her, feeling only speechless.
After getting out, Zhang Shuyu looked up at the night sky and theatrically shielded her eyes with her hand as if the light were blinding. She let out a gasp of surprise. "Oh my! How did it get so late? I should be sleeping. Come on! Dearest brother! Let’s go get the package!"
Zhang Jin’an felt helpless against her fake acting. He smiled, popped the trunk, and got out of the car. Zhang Shuyu stood behind the car, sipping her milk tea. When Zhang Jin’an walked over, she very obediently made a "please" gesture.
Seeing her like this, Zhang Jin’an couldn't help but laugh. This girl’s habit of following the wind was growing by the day; her "cultivation level" in mischief had clearly risen since they last met.
"I just asked if you read them. Was that really necessary?" Zhang Jin’an said.
Zhang Shuyu cupped her hands over her ears. "Ah—what did you say? I can't hear you."
Zhang Jin’an chuckled and ruffled her hair. Zhang Shuyu broke character and started laughing too.
There were many things in Zhang Qingyue’s trunk, piled with gift boxes of various sizes. Zhang Shuyu walked over and pulled out a medium-sized box. "This should be the one."
"I don't know, you’d have to ask her," Zhang Jin’an said, pressing the key fob to lower the trunk. He asked casually, "What’s in there?"
Zhang Shuyu immediately hid the box behind her back as if afraid he would see. "Nothing. Just girl stuff. I got it through a personal shopper."
Zhang Jin’an noted her unusual behavior. Recalling what Zhang Qingyue had told him, he asked, "Are you hiding something from me?"
"No, how could I?" Zhang Shuyu tucked the box under her arm and lifted her right hand, which was holding the milk tea. She looked at her wrist and shook her head regretfully. "Sigh, look at that. The time for reunion is always so short. I have to go."
Zhang Jin’an looked at her completely bare wrist. "Where did you get a watch?"
"When there is a watch in one's heart, everything is a watch," Zhang Shuyu said, reaching out to grab Zhang Jin’an’s wrist to look at his watch. "See, it’s getting late. I really should go."
Zhang Jin’an wasn't particularly curious and didn't care to press further. "Fine, go then."
"Heehee, love you!" Zhang Shuyu made another finger-heart at him and started to walk away. After a few steps, she turned back and called out to Zhang Jin’an, who was about to get back in the car. "Hey, Ge."
Zhang Jin’an held the car door and looked up at her. "What?"
"This year... oh, I mean, are you coming back for the next Lunar New Year?" Zhang Shuyu asked.
"I don't know," Zhang Jin’an thought for a moment. "It depends on my work schedule."
Zhang Shuyu looked a bit disappointed. "Okay then..." She then asked, "Are you still going to the New Year’s Eve awards ceremony?"
Zhang Jin’an nodded. "I’ll be going to that one."
Seeing him nod, Zhang Shuyu finally showed a satisfied smile. "That’s good. I’ll be able to screenshot a few more memes then. I’m going now. Be careful on the road!"
"Mm. Go back and get some sleep," Zhang Jin’an urged.
"I know—" Zhang Shuyu waved a few more times before finally walking away without looking back.
Zhang Jin’an didn't start the car until she had turned into the residential complex.
Neither the moonlight nor the road had changed.
Zhang Shuyu was right; the time for reunion always felt short. Tomorrow, he would have to leave again, and he didn't know when he would be back. It might be a month, two months, or perhaps not until the New Year or even after it.
Though there was some regret, this was the path he had to walk. He couldn't stay in one place forever; Zhang Jin’an knew this all too well.
"Did that girl grow taller again?" Zhang Jin’an murmured aimlessly. His voice was immediately drowned out by the intro to "Forget Love Water," a detail he perhaps didn't even notice himself.
The white car drove into the night, heading toward its destination not far away.
***
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Unable to be Arrogant [Entertainment Circle] | Chapter 51 | A Late Night Delivery | Novela.app | Novela.app
