Chapter 46: Chapter 046: Meeting Zhou Ran
Translator: 549690339
Xu Chaomu hadn’t slept all night, and the next day, she woke up with dark circles under her eyes, earlier than Shen Chi.
She sat by the dining table, hands propping her cheeks, having decided that from now on, she wouldn’t argue with Shen Chi nor play hooligan with him; she aspired to be a quiet and beautiful girl.
It was only six in the morning when Shen Chi came downstairs, buttoning up his shirt sleeves. As he raised his head, he saw Xu Chaomu.
“Big Bro Four, good morning!” Xu Chaomu also saw him, promptly pulled out a chair for him with great enthusiasm, and placed warm milk, appetizing bread, and sweet jam all before him.
“Unjustified generosity usually has an ulterior motive,” Shen Chi huffed coldly, “Spit it out, what do you want from me?”
Damn, Xu Chaomu’s little flame ignited—what was that supposed to mean, couldn’t she just be nice to him?
“Big Bro Four…” she sweetly called out to him, “From now on, I won’t argue with you anymore.”
Shen Chi choked on a mouthful of milk.
“This is daytime, don’t talk nonsense,” Shen Chi glanced at her indifferently.
Xu Chaomu was almost about to reveal her true nature, but she suppressed it, suppressed it, suppressed it; she wanted to be a quiet and beautiful girl.
“Big Bro Four…” she wrapped around his arm again, “I’ll be really good to you from now on, not only will I stop arguing with you, but I’ll also not make you angry.”
Shen Chi felt her forehead and frowned, “No fever.
“Big Bro Four… What did you say last night before you left? Can you repeat it so I can hear it please?” Xu Chaomu pleaded stickily.
Shen Chi curled the corner of his lips, so that was the matter. Without looking up, he coolly sipped his milk and casually remarked, “Forgot.”
Xu Chaomu was almost ready to slam the table—forgot?
“What didn’t you bear to do?” Xu Chaomu coaxed gently.
“Bearing what?” Shen Chi still looked as though he couldn’t remember, elegantly continuing his breakfast.
“You’re doing this on purpose, right?! Shameless!” Xu Chaomu slammed the table, immediately reverting to her true self. That’s it, no more acting like a lady for her, a little hooligan trying to act like a lady—ridiculous! Whenever she spoke to Shen Chi, she just couldn’t keep her composure!
Deep breath, breathe in, breathe out…
Calm down, calm down!
Damn, she just couldn’t calm down!
She let go of Shen Chi’s arm and angrily went to have her breakfast.
“That’s more like you,” Shen Chi glanced at her, his gaze serene.
Xu Chaomu felt like crying without tears; she was never going to escape the image of a female hooligan. She hadn’t slept all night, had come to wait for him early in the morning, and what did he do? Forgot… forgot… forgot…
Throughout the meal, she completely ignored Shen Chi.
Shen Chi finished eating, and she was still dawdling. Out of options, Shen Chi shook his head and had to sit aside and wait for her.
It wasn’t until Xu Chaomu finally finished eating that he pulled her to the car.
“Wait, wait, my shoelaces are loose!” Xu Chaomu paused, glanced at the ground, then at Shen Chi.
Just as she was about to squat down to tie them, Shen Chi touched her hair and bent down ahead of her.
“Don’t move.”
He tied her shoelaces with gentle and elegant motions. The subtlety of his cologne drifted to her nose, making everything seem so unreal.
Xu Chaomu was stunned—was this Shen Chi? Shen Chi, the president of the Shen Group? Her Big Bro Four?
She looked down and saw his profile, with thinly pursed lips, handsome in a way that also carried an indescribable air of authority.
His movements tying the shoelaces were exceedingly graceful, almost unbearably so. The crisp suit hugged his lean figure, with slender fingers sliding over her white shoelaces.
Xu Chaomu’s heart hammered again, furiously erratic.
“Alright, done,” Shen Chi stood up, his lips slightly curling.
Xu Chaomu couldn’t help feeling that it was all over too soon—if only time could stand still, how wonderful that would be!
But she still looked unyielding, tugging on Shen Chi’s arm, blinking her big eyes, “Achi, when did you start to pity the fairer sex?”
“Putting on airs, are you? Where are you fragrant or delicate? Get in the car!” Shen Chi opened the car door and seated himself in the driver’s seat.
Xu Chaomu pouted; he had said the same thing to her before, and here it was again.
Was she really that ugly?
Didn’t the aunties in the park still compliment her on being pretty?
Alright, she admitted that compared to Bai Man, she was nothing.
Having seen so many beauties, could Shen Chi ever look her way?
As usual, Shen Chi dropped Xu Chaomu off not far from the school gate, and as soon as his car stopped, she had to get out obediently.
“I’m off to school!” Xu Chaomu waved to him.
“Hmm,” Shen Chi responded in a deep voice.
Xu Chaomu despised him for acting as if he didn’t know her again. The way he behaved, it was as if she would really embarrass him!
No sooner had she entered the school grounds than Shen Chi stepped on the gas and left. Xu Chaomu looked back, but there was no trace of him. As she was walking to her class, a woman stood not far from her.
Xu Chaomu looked up and her eyes instantly widened.
Aunt Zhou!
It was Aunt Zhou, whom she hadn’t seen for eight years!
Aunt Zhou still looked the same, not having aged a bit. She was clad in a navy-blue dress, her long hair coiffed up behind her head, still radiating a calm and tranquil beauty akin to that of a distant orchid.
“Aunt Zhou!” Xu Chaomu called out to her.
Zhou Ran’s eyes showed little emotion, and her face didn’t undergo much change. She slightly lifted the corners of her lips and, stepping in her black high heels, slowly walked towards Xu Chaomu.
She was wrapped in a shawl, without too much adornment, save for the earrings that swayed left and right with her movements.
Xu Chaomu was delighted; she hadn’t seen Aunt Zhou for eight years since she and Uncle Shen divorced, and she never returned to the Shen Family since.
“Aunt Zhou! Is that really you? I haven’t seen you for such a long time!” Xu Chaomu called out again.
Zhou Ran’s lips curled up slightly, “Chaomu, it’s me, I’ve come to see you.”
“Mmm, I haven’t started class yet, we can talk as long as you want!” Xu
Chaomu said with a smile.
Actually, she really wanted to throw herself into Zhou Ran’s arms for a hug, but she hesitated. Zhou Ran always exuded an air of inapproachability, and therefore, she didn’t know what Zhou Ran’s feelings towards her were after eight years.
“I’ll say a few words and then I’ll leave,” Zhou Ran spoke mildly.
Standing before Xu Chaomu, she realized that the ten-year-old girl from eight years ago had grown up.
She was quite tall, her skin fair, and her delicate oval face was brimming with youthful vigor.
She… was becoming more and more like that woman.
The sunlight flickered, almost making Xu Chaomu appear to be the young Xu Mengxi.
Xu Chaomu didn’t know what Zhou Ran wanted to tell her, so she just looked at her.
“Chaomu, in three more months, you’ll be eighteen, right?” Zhou Ran’s tone was serene, revealing no particular emotion.
Xu Chaomu hadn’t expected Zhou Ran to remember her birthday, so she nodded, “Mmm, in three months.”
“You’ve been with the Shen Family for eight years now, time really flies,” Zhou Ran seemed to sigh.
“Aunt Zhou, I haven’t seen you in eight years either, how have you been?”
Zhou Ran’s smile was a mix of emotions, “What’s there to be good or bad about? Life goes on as usual, but now I’m freer.”
Xu Chaomu didn’t understand what she meant; the time she had spent with Zhou Ran was not long, and she didn’t really understand her.
“Chaomu, has Achi been treating you well?” Zhou Ran asked with a faint smile on her lips.
“Achi has been very good to me. In the Shen’s, only he treats me the best,” Xu Chaomu stated honestly.
Although Shen Chi was gruff and overbearing, in all fairness, he had been incredibly kind to her..
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