Chapter 55: Growing Up
Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Growing Up
The junior put up a token struggle. Realizing she couldn’t snatch back the evidence of her embarrassing past, she resigned herself to her fate.
"Senior, wait a minute. Let me go close the door."
Zhang Yan didn’t let her go, afraid she might bolt out of shyness. Keeping his arms wrapped around her, they stood up in a tight embrace, their bodies pressed together as he gently kicked the door shut.
They sat back down on the bed. Holding her in his lap, they flipped through the photo album filled with memories.
"Is this a picture of you on your first birthday? Pretty cute."
"You were so chubby in elementary school, haha."
"In middle school, you still looked like a tomboy. You didn’t even try to dress up."
"This is you in high school? I wouldn’t have recognized you at all. Did you get plastic surgery?"
Zhang Yan was mostly teasing her. Upon closer inspection, it was obvious the girl in the photos was the same person sitting beside him. It was just that the Chi Xinyue in the photo—taken right after her high school graduation—was a timid girl who wore zero makeup, thick black-rimmed glasses, hair in twin braids, and a tacky school uniform.
She looked completely different from the radiant, confident, and fashionably dressed woman she was now. To call it a total transformation wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
"No! I just had LASIK eye surgery after the college entrance exam so I wouldn’t need glasses anymore. I haven’t gone under the knife for anything else. You have to believe me, Senior!"
The junior grew anxious, eager to prove her natural beauty. She grabbed Zhang Yan’s hand and pressed it against various parts of her face to prove it was real.
"What about here? Did you have work done here?"
"N-no, I didn’t! I don’t know why, but maybe it was the change in environment after coming to Meng City. It just suddenly... grew a little."
"I’ll have to examine it thoroughly myself."
For some inexplicable reason, Zhang Yan was suddenly reminded of Bai Juyi’s poem, *Song of the Pipa*.
A long while later, the junior murmured in a shaky, hushed voice, "Senior, Senior... do you still not believe me?"
Zhang Yan temporarily released her. "The examination didn’t reveal any abnormalities, but it’s not entirely conclusive."
Having been held tightly, she gasped for air as she regained her freedom. "T-then... how else do you want me to prove it?"
"I’ve heard of a high-end surgical procedure where they extract fat from other parts of the body and inject it in. So, I still need to check if you have any surgical scars elsewhere."
Meanwhile, in Father Chi’s room just down the hall.
The two middle-aged men stared at each other in silence, still reeling from the shock. One had been drowning in daily self-blame, cursing his own incompetence for being unable to save his only remaining younger brother. The other had already prepared himself for death.
The struggles and the agony had burned through their weathered, battered hearts day and night.
But suddenly, all of it had been resolved!
Zhang Yan had descended like a savior from the heavens. His casual remark—"Then let’s start the treatment"—had parted the dark clouds to let the sun shine through.
"Speaking of which, when did Yuyu get a boyfriend? Judging by your reaction today, you just found out too?" Chi Chenglong asked.
Father Chi pondered his older brother’s question. "I specifically asked her about it during the New Year. She said a lot of guys were chasing her, but she hadn’t taken a liking to anyone yet. It must have happened within the last few months."
"Judging by how she addresses him, he seems to be a senior from her university. Thank goodness she got into a good college, otherwise, where would she meet a young man from such a wealthy background?"
At the mention of his daughter, Father Chi’s face beamed with pride. "Knowledge changes one’s fate, after all. Your eldest son is a lost cause, so you’d better focus on raising Yu properly."
Chi Chenglong felt a surge of frustration at the mention of his eldest son and didn’t want to dwell on the topic. "Sigh. Anyway, it’s rare for Yan to visit. Shall we take him out to a restaurant later to welcome him properly?"
"We absolutely must!" At the mention of Zhang Yan, Father Chi couldn’t help but glance toward his daughter’s bedroom, noting the tightly shut door. "Why did they close the door?"
The agonizing pain in his body had finally subsided. Father Chi stood up and walked toward his daughter’s room.
The dewdrops hanging from the branches in early spring possessed natural curves—plump at the bottom, exquisite, and perfectly proportioned.
But it was now midsummer.
Zhang Yan withdrew his gaze from the flowerpot on the windowsill.
"Are you dressed?" he asked, glancing back at the junior who was sitting on the edge of the bed with her back to him.
Sometimes, he truly felt that the female thought process was completely incomprehensible. For instance, even though they had already bared everything to each other, he still wasn’t allowed to watch her get dressed or undressed. Or how they would gladly flaunt a skimpy bikini made of minimal fabric in public for all to see, yet if he caught even a glimpse of the edge of their conservative underwear, it was strictly forbidden.
Or...
"A-all done," the junior finally replied in a shy, hushed voice a moment later.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. The sound of knocking echoed from the door.
The junior jolted in surprise. She hastily double-checked her clothes to ensure everything was decent before hurrying over to open the door. "Dad! You’re able to get out of bed?"
Father Chi examined his daughter closely and let out a breath of relief. Her face was a bit flushed, but given the scorching summer heat, the closed room must have simply been too stuffy.
"Ah, I just had to grit my teeth through the worst of it. I can usually function normally throughout the day. Dad just wanted to ask... since it’s so rare for Yan to visit the house, how about we take him out to a restaurant for lunch later?"
The junior didn’t make the decision for Zhang Yan. Instead, she turned to look at him in silent inquiry. Only after seeing him nod did she reply cheerfully, "Sure! Let Uncle choose the place. We wouldn’t know what’s good around here anyway."
After a brief thought, the junior leaned in and whispered to her father, "You can pick somewhere a little more expensive. Every time Senior treats me to a meal, the bill is never less than a few thousand."
Father Chi’s aged face wrinkled in disbelief. How could a single meal cost that much money? Was it a feast of abalone and sea cucumbers? Even the best restaurant in their small town would struggle to rack up a bill that high, and the food wasn’t even guaranteed to be delicious.
With a conflicted expression, Father Chi decided he needed to consult his older brother first. They absolutely could not skimp on their future son-in-law!
Zhang Yan checked the time. He had arrived at the Chi family’s home around nine-thirty, and it was only a little past ten right now. There was still plenty of time before lunch.
The junior timidly walked back over and sat obediently beside him.
Zhang Yan deliberately cooled his tone. "Why did you leave without saying goodbye this morning?"
The junior flinched slightly. "Y-you were sleeping so soundly, so I didn’t want to wake you. Besides, I had already bought the train ticket in advance. It would have been a waste of money if I missed it..."
"Lies. Keep making excuses."
The junior stammered but ultimately fell silent.
"Your family is dealing with such a major crisis. Why didn’t you tell me?"
The junior pouted. "You’ve already given me so, so much. You treat me so well. I just felt like I didn’t deserve to ask you for anything more..."
"Do you really think so little of me? Am I not worthy of your trust? Someone you can’t rely on?"
"No! That’s not it at all!" she explained in a panic. "It’s just... I just..."
"Forget it. If you make a mistake, you must be punished. Do you admit you were wrong?"
"I admit I was wrong. You can punish me however you want!"
"However I want?" The corners of Zhang Yan’s lips curled up into a smirk.