Hello, Comrade. I'm Here to Marry You!

All that could be said was that Xu Jiaming was really quite clever now.

He had even noticed such a small detail.

Su Zhaozhao said to him, "Mm, it’s good that you know. Huai Zheng and I have a very, very good relationship, so, Xu Jiaming, there’s no way it could work between us."

When Xu Jiaming heard Su Zhaozhao’s blunt words, a dull ache surprisingly began to spread in his chest.

He couldn’t help but reach up and clutch his chest.

He felt like it had been a very, very long time since he’d felt this way.

This feeling of being out of control, of watching the person he liked slip through his fingers forever, was unbearable.

In that moment, a dark thought even began to sprout in Xu Jiaming’s mind.

’What if Xie Huaizheng’s mission is dangerous?’

’What if he can never return to Su Zhaozhao’s side?’

’Wouldn’t that mean he’d have a chance?’

He couldn’t stop himself from saying, "No matter what, Zhaozhao, I’ll wait for you."

He would wait until her relationship with Xie Huaizheng soured and they divorced, or until something dangerous happened to Xie Huaizheng...

In any case, it wasn’t like he had zero chance, was it?

Only by thinking this way did Xu Jiaming feel as if he had come alive again.

Hearing Xu Jiaming’s words, Su Zhaozhao couldn’t help but glare at him. "Forget it, Xu Jiaming. I suggest you stop this wishful thinking. Huai Zheng and I have been betrothed since we were children. The engagement was set by our grandfathers’ generation, and we’ll be together forever."

Su Zhaozhao remembered how in the novel, Xu Jiaming remained obsessed with the female lead even after she got together with the male lead, and it made her skin crawl.

At least the female lead in the novel had been unaware.

But she had read the novel. The thought of how Xu Jiaming might be fantasizing about her behind her back sent a chill down her spine.

She wanted to banish the thought, but she couldn’t forget it.

All she could do was try her best to convince Xu Jiaming to give up and not get so hung up on her.

In truth, Xu Jiaming didn’t understand why he liked Su Zhaozhao so much himself.

At first, he just thought she was a very beautiful and spirited girl.

He had seen plenty of pretty women, but it was rare to find one as beautiful as her, with a lively, cunning sparkle hidden in her eyes.

Perhaps that was why Xu Jiaming had been so drawn to Su Zhaozhao.

The more he interacted with her, the more interesting he found her.

It was just a pity she was already taken.

But now, hearing Su Zhaozhao’s words, Xu Jiaming was a little confused. "Known each other since you were kids, a childhood betrothal? With Xie Huaizheng?"

Su Zhaozhao nodded. "That’s right. Forget it, you wouldn’t understand even if I explained."

Just then, Li Chunhong called out to Su Zhaozhao, "Zhaozhao, should we buy some fruit? These lychees look pretty good, but they’re a bit expensive. They were shipped all the way from Shencheng City."

Su Zhaozhao looked at the lychees soaking in ice water.

In this era, logistics weren’t as convenient as in modern times, so fresh fruits like these couldn’t be preserved for very long.

That’s why things like lychees were soaked in ice water to keep them fresh.

Su Zhaozhao immediately shook her head. "I don’t want any. They don’t look fresh."

Having eaten truly fresh lychees before, she didn’t find these ones particularly appealing.

Lychees were the kind of thing you had to eat while they were fresh—ideally, right after being picked from the tree. Only then would they have that subtle, fruity fragrance.

Ones like these, which had been sitting around for a while, were just sweet and lacked that crisp lychee aroma.

And they were so expensive. For the price of a pound of these lychees, you could buy several pounds of pears.

"Alright then, we’ll buy other fruits." Li Chunhong picked out a few pears and apples and went to pay.

She bought quite a few things, but Su Zhaozhao was the one who took the initiative to pay for most of them.

She had money now, and since she was staying at her maternal grandparents’ house, she ought to contribute to the living expenses.

Li Chunhong was reluctant to let Su Zhaozhao pay. "You silly girl, why are you being so formal? Your grandma isn’t so poor that I need a child like you to support us."

Su Zhaozhao just smiled lightly. "Please, let me. I’ll feel bad otherwise. I’m too old to be freeloading off my elders."

"Zhaozhao, you’re so sensible, it makes my heart glad. Forget supporting you for a few days—Grandma could support you for a lifetime!" Li Chunhong said, tapping Su Zhaozhao’s forehead.

She felt that Su Zhaozhao was even more sensible than her other grandchildren.

’Is it because she’s been through so many painful things over the years?’

’It’s true. Children from unhappy homes mature much earlier than those from happy ones.’

Thinking this, Li Chunhong couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

Su Zhaozhao strolled around, arm in arm with Li Chunhong. Xu Jiaming stood behind Su Zhaozhao, watching her back.

Today, she wore a light green dress with a matching cardigan, accentuating her slender and graceful figure.

Her dark hair was casually pinned up with a single hairpin, with strands falling against the back of her head and revealing her slender, fair neck.

Xu Jiaming’s eyes narrowed. He bit his lip, suppressing the boiling, burning impulse in his blood that flared up just for Su Zhaozhao.

’What should I do?’

’I really, really want to have her.’

’What was it she said just now?’

’She and Xie Huaizheng have a childhood betrothal? Engaged since they were kids?’

But, if he remembered correctly, Su Zhaozhao’s fiancé wasn’t Xie Huaizheng.

He also had the surname Xie, but it wasn’t Xie Huaizheng.

If it really were Xie Huaizheng, would her family have broken off the engagement?

Given her stepmother’s character, wouldn’t she be desperate to marry Su Zhaozhao off to him as quickly as possible?

He needed to have someone investigate this again. He wasn’t sure if Xie Huaizheng was deceiving Su Zhaozhao, or if she had misremembered.

But he was very much looking forward to what would happen when Su Zhaozhao learned the truth.

After they returned home, Su Zhaozhao helped with the cooking while Xu Jiaming drank tea and chatted with Xu Yingmin. With nothing better to do, the two of them even started a game of Chinese chess.

Soon, Xu Jiaxin and Xu Ziyang also returned from their outing.

Xu Jiaxin had had a particularly fun day.

"Ziyang, you’re a really great guide. I think you could probably work part-time as a tour guide in the future!"

She had never met someone so considerate. The moment she felt hungry, Xu Ziyang would immediately hand her a snack. When she was thirsty, he would notice and pour her some water.

Not to mention, he carried her bag the entire time and explained each and every scenic spot to her.

His expertise was in no way inferior to that of a professional guide.

"Nah, being a guide is exhausting. But Jiaxin, if you’re still planning on sightseeing in Jiang City, you can always look for me. Is there anywhere you want to go tomorrow?"

Xu Jiaxin was about to say something, but when she went inside and saw Xu Jiaming was there, she let out a shriek, forgetting all about Xu Ziyang’s question.

She rushed in front of Xu Jiaming and stared at him. "Xu Jiaming, why are you here?!"

She was so shocked that she didn’t even call him ’brother’.