Chapter 327: He Is Very Nervous
Jiang Manzhi was livid.
Sighing, she decided she would never do something like this again.
She had tried to pull a fast one and ended up losing out spectacularly!
All she had wanted was to see if Su Zhaozhao was a bad singer.
After all, Su Zhaozhao was just too perfect—she was beautiful, had a great personality, and was an eloquent speaker.
She also seemed to be very worldly and experienced.
She could work as a psychologist, yet she could also teach at the elementary school in the military compound.
So, she just wanted to see if Su Zhaozhao had a flaw—maybe she couldn’t sing?
After all, singing was something that required natural talent.
But she had never expected Su Zhaozhao to be such an incredible singer.
Her own singing couldn’t compare to Su Zhaozhao’s. After all, she was used to singing in a large chorus.
When it came to solos, it was never her turn.
Her voice was average, nothing special.
It paled in comparison to Su Zhaozhao’s.
Now, hearing Su Zhaozhao’s words, she could only say, “You sing so beautifully, I don’t dare sing after that. I can’t compare to you, I really can’t.”
“It’s alright. This isn’t a singing competition, it’s just for fun. Don’t worry so much about it. The more you fixate on things like this, the more exhausting it becomes. Sometimes, it’s best to just relax and have a good time.”
“Exactly, I think so too.”
“What Zhaozhao said makes a lot of sense.”
“My god, who knew I’d have a philosophical epiphany at a karaoke night?”
…
Hearing everyone heap praise on Su Zhaozhao, Jiang Manzhi’s face turned pale.
She now understood completely. She was no match for Su Zhaozhao, neither in her outward appearance nor her inner character.
‘For instance, she couldn’t bring herself to just let loose and sing right now.’
She was always trying so hard to maintain a perfect image. When there was an opportunity to stand out, she would seize it.
But when she couldn’t, she would work just as hard to hide her shortcomings, desperate not to let anyone see them.
‘Compared to Su Zhaozhao, she was truly worlds apart.’
Jiang Manzhi watched as Xie Huaizheng put his arm around Su Zhaozhao’s shoulders. The man’s gaze never left Su Zhaozhao for a single moment.
His eyes were filled with pure admiration, adoration, and tenderness for her.
It was a look completely different from the way he looked at anyone else.
‘He must have discovered Su Zhaozhao’s inner beauty a long, long time ago, right?’
‘While she’d been assuming Su Zhaozhao won him over with her pretty face and their childhood betrothal, Xie Huaizheng had already discovered the best parts of her long ago.’
‘I’ve been so shallow,’ Jiang Manzhi couldn’t help but think.
She had always been trying to find a flaw in Su Zhaozhao, but now she realized she had just been making a fool of herself.
‘She was the real clown here, wasn’t she?’
At this thought, she turned to Su Zhaozhao and said, “I’m sorry.”
Her apology sent a hush through the room.
The smile on Su Zhaozhao’s face faltered for a moment, but she quickly broke into a brilliant grin again. “It’s nothing.”
She told Jiang Manzhi, “I understand. Really. You don’t have to apologize.”
Su Zhaozhao’s words only made Jiang Manzhi feel more ashamed.
No wonder her own mother liked Su Zhaozhao so much and was always telling her to learn from her.
Su Zhaozhao’s magnanimity alone was leagues above her own.
Now, Jiang Manzhi felt her confidence shrink even further.
After the gathering ended, Su Zhaozhao and Xie Huaizheng started walking home.
They didn’t walk with Jiang Manzhi, choosing to go back separately despite living in the same residential compound.
“Zhaozhao, you’re incredibly magnanimous,” Xie Huaizheng couldn’t help but remark. “If I were in your shoes, I couldn’t have done what you did.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
Su Zhaozhao knew he was talking about Jiang Manzhi.
“I would’ve given her a taste of her own medicine. But you told her it was nothing.”
“Well, I just didn’t think it was necessary. I’m the one who got you, after all. And while it’s not like I snatched you from her, if you try to see it from her perspective… she’s liked you for so many years and never got anywhere. Then I show up and ‘steal’ you away. It’s only natural for her to be bitter, isn’t it?”
‘When the boy you loved most during your youth ends up falling for a girl who just appeared out of nowhere… who wouldn’t have trouble accepting that at first?’
Compared to Gu Qingran, Jiang Manzhi was actually quite graceful about it.
She hadn’t resorted to any despicable, underhanded tricks; she just threw a few open challenges her way.
And to Su Zhaozhao, those challenges were about as bothersome as a tickle—completely harmless.
Su Zhaozhao hadn’t taken them to heart at all.
Hearing her words, Xie Huaizheng couldn’t help but chuckle. “So, by that logic, this is all my fault.”
“Exactly. You’re a walking disaster, a true heartbreaker. Look at all these girls fighting over you.”
“That might have been true before I met you, but not anymore.”
‘Because most people would know their place after seeing Su Zhaozhao, right?’
Su Zhaozhao sighed helplessly after hearing his words.
“But it’s not just me. You’re the same, Zhaozhao. Plenty of men have fought over you.”
Su Zhaozhao couldn’t help but burst out laughing, but in the end, she said nothing.
‘The past is in the past,’ Su Zhaozhao thought. ‘She and Xie Huaizheng still had a long, long future ahead of them.’
“Oh, Zhaozhao, could you sing another song for me? Your voice was so beautiful just now, and I’ve never heard you sing before.”
“Oh, really?” Su Zhaozhao smiled. “Of course.”
And so, Su Zhaozhao sang as they walked.
She sang “The Moon Represents My Heart,” a very popular song from this era with a simple melody and classic lyrics.
Coupled with her sweet, enchanting voice, listening to her sent a pleasant tingling sensation through Xie Huaizheng’s ears.
‘He felt that Su Zhaozhao was perfectly suited to be a singer—no, that she could succeed at anything she put her mind to.’
By the time she finished the song, they had arrived home.
After they had showered and were lying in bed, Xie Huaizheng asked Su Zhaozhao, “Zhaozhao, you have to make your decision tomorrow. Are you nervous?”
‘In truth, he was even more nervous than she was. What if, in the end, Su Zhaozhao chose to return to her own world? What would he do then?’
“I am nervous,” Su Zhaozhao said. “But… I’ve already made my decision. Huai Zheng, I choose you.”
Su Zhaozhao gently kissed his lips.
The delicate scent of jasmine from her was intoxicating, making Xie Huaizheng feel almost drunk.
His eyes narrowed, and he couldn’t resist holding her close, deepening the kiss.
He cherished every single moment they spent together, and in intimate times like this, the desire to be with her forever was overwhelming.
He would cherish every step of their journey together.
The previous night’s passion had left Su Zhaozhao exhausted, but tonight, they were both tireless once more.
Su Zhaozhao had now grown accustomed to Xie Huaizheng’s rhythm and wasn’t as easily exhausted as she had been at first.
It was also perhaps because of the anxiety in her heart; it made her want to be even closer to Xie Huaizheng.
‘To stay just like this, together and inseparable.’
To defy fate itself and prevent it from ever tearing them apart.
Finally, when she drifted off to sleep from exhaustion, Su Zhaozhao had a dream.
She dreamt that she had returned to the modern era.
No, more accurately, she had transmigrated back again.