Love in the Illusion

14

A vivid streak of crimson immediately welled up on Zhou Jingze's brow, the fiery sting spreading across his forehead. He lowered his head, licked his lips, and chuckled.

Aunt Tao rushed out at the sound, startled, then hurried back into the kitchen to fetch ice. Zhou Jingze stood up, dusted off his pants, and only then answered the question with a nonchalant tone, "Isn't it 'live and learn' since childhood?"

Chapter 14

"You—" Zhou's father was left speechless, choked with anger.

Zhou Jingze tilted his head to glance at the docile woman standing beside Zhou Zhengyan and kindly reminded her, "Aunt Zhu, don't think marrying into our family means you're set for life. You ought to have some sense of crisis."

Zhou Jingze walked out of the school gate, hailed a taxi, and got in directly, murmuring an address under his breath. Sitting in the back seat, he rested his elbow on the window ledge, his fingers tapping lightly against the glass repeatedly. Eventually, he rolled down the window, letting the cold wind rush in, yet the unease and restlessness in his heart remained undiminished.

Zhou Jingze grew up with the freedom afforded by a trust fund, a gift from his mother since birth. Money was never an issue for him, and even if he were reduced to begging, he would never stoop to asking Zhou Zhengyan for a single cent.

Since Zhou Jingze had offered triple the fare, the driver quickly took him to his destination—Under the Lychee Tree. It was a typical affluent neighborhood, with clusters of villas and dazzling lights. Those who lived here were either wealthy or influential.

He stepped out of the house and walked alone through the courtyard. By the time Aunt Tao chased after him, he had already vanished.

Standing before a brightly lit villa, Zhou Jingze let out a scoff, unsure how long it had been since he last visited this place. He walked in, and the housekeeper, Aunt Tao, came out to greet him upon hearing the noise. The moment she saw Zhou Jingze, her voice was filled with warm delight, "Young master, you're back! Have you eaten yet? Aunt Tao will whip up a couple of your favorite dishes right away..."

With one hand in his pocket, Zhou Jingze strode forward into the biting wind. He had descended the steep hillside alone, only to unexpectedly run into Shi Yuejie, who was just returning home, at the intersection.

The two stood in the front courtyard, Zhou Jingze smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder: "Don't trouble yourself, I just finished eating."

Shi Yuejie, clad in a white hoodie, was laboriously pedaling his bicycle uphill, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead. The cold wind whipped Zhou Jingze's open coat to one side. He cast a glance at Shi Yuejie, curled his lips into a cold smirk, and was about to walk past him when their eyes briefly met.

"Really? Don't lie to Auntie Tao."

A sharp screech of brakes sounded as Shi Yuejie got out of the car, panting. He immediately noticed the wound on Zhou Jingze's face and reached out to touch it: "What happened?"

Auntie Tao had been with the Zhou family since childhood, watching Zhou Jingze grow up, and had devotedly cared for his mother before her passing. After they moved away from Amber Lane, without anyone asking, Auntie Tao still unfailingly came every fortnight to cook Zhou Jingze a meal, clean, and tidy up his home.

Zhou Jingze turned his face away, a flicker of disgust in his eyes: "Don't touch me."

In Zhou Jingze's heart, she was no different from family.

Unfazed, Shi Yuejie parked his bicycle to the side and said gently, "Wait for me a moment."

Zhou Jingze walked in with his arm around Aunt Tao's shoulders, the smile on his face vanishing completely the moment he saw Zhou Zhengyan. Aunt Tao greeted them and then stepped out, leaving the space for the father and son.

With that, Shi Yuejie ran off. Zhou Jingze stood under the tree, the corner of his lips curling slightly. He kicked a pebble idly at his feet, somewhat impressed by his own patience for actually waiting there as Shi Yuejie had asked.

"Where's Grandpa? How is he?" Zhou Jingze got straight to the point.

He just wanted to see what Shi Yuejie was up to.

Zhou Zhengyan cleared his throat, his usually stern expression looking somewhat unnatural. "We called a doctor, but after the examination, they found nothing wrong and sent him back."

Ten minutes later, Shi Yuejie ran over from the other side of the road, panting as he stopped in front of Zhou Jingze, shoving a bag into his hands.