Chapter Thirty-One: First Encounter, Heart Stirred

She had originally planned to coax the little girl into buying some expensive but useless accessories, but to her surprise, the girl, though young, was sharper than anyone. Anything she hadn't specifically requested, the girl could find fault with, so there was no choice but to follow her instructions exactly.

Yu Qian waited as the staff finished installing everything before taking it all home for final set-up. The telecom company had already arranged for the broadband installation that afternoon, so now all that was left was to get the computer up and running.

When everything was finally done, Yu Qian headed out again. Her grand shopping spree had only accomplished the purchase of a computer; she still needed to buy snacks and other things.

With the Spring Festival approaching, the scent of cured meats and braised delicacies filled the streets, tempting both Yu Qian and the group chatting online with her.

“Hey!” Lost in her shopping frenzy, she wasn’t paying attention and bumped right into someone.

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going,” said a clear, youthful voice before Yu Qian could even apologize.

She squinted. This voice… was delightful, sending a tingle straight to her heart.

Those lurking in Yu Qian’s livestream, soaking up the holiday atmosphere, were instantly in an uproar.

Damn, why is that pig here!

Damn, the pig’s come to eat my cabbage!

Damn, this pig is definitely up to no good!

They were so angry they wanted to warn Yu Qian, but the thunderclouds rumbling above threatened them into silence, their faces turning red with suppressed frustration.

Yu Qian took a step back and looked up at the person before her.

Handsome!

He matched her aesthetic perfectly!

Noticing the bright gleam in Yu Qian’s eyes as she stared at him, Zhou Jingchen couldn’t help but smile.

Leaving the company’s affairs to the vice president and coming to this small county as soon as the holiday began had, indeed, been a wise decision. Although Yin Yin was a little girl, she had him completely enchanted. Every expression, every gesture of the girl before him made his heart soften—he found himself liking her more and more. Taking advantage of a moment when she wasn’t paying attention, he moved closer, and sure enough, she turned and bumped right into his arms.

“It’s alright, I was at fault, too. I wasn’t watching the road,” the young man said gently. Yu Qian replied, “I heard you speaking Mandarin—are you from out of town?”

The more she looked, the more he fit her ideal: tall, at least 1.8 meters, good-looking—a perfect match for her imagination.

“Yes, I’m from Zhejiang Province. I was bored spending the holiday alone, so I decided to travel,” Zhou Jingchen replied, itching to touch her hair, which looked so soft.

Liar! Nuwa wanted to warn Yu Qian that Yin Yin was purposely coming to steal her cabbage! Traveling? Bah!

“Let’s talk over here so we’re not in anyone’s way,” Yu Qian suggested, also wanting to test if his hair was as soft as it looked.

“Aren’t your family worried that you’re traveling instead of spending the New Year at home?” she asked after pulling him aside.

The boy’s smile faded, his eyelids drooping. “My parents died in an accident. I’m the only one left in my family.”

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know…” Seeing his sorrow, Yu Qian wanted to slap herself—why did she have to bring up the one thing she shouldn’t?

“It’s alright, it’s all in the past.” Unable to resist, Zhou Jingchen reached out and patted Yu Qian’s head.

So soft, so comfortable!

Zhou Jingchen narrowed his eyes.

“Are you planning to spend the New Year here?” he asked.

“No, just traveling for a couple of days, then I have to head back.” She wanted to stay, but there just wasn’t time. The WB project was entering its final phase—she had to be there to oversee it.

“Oh…” For reasons she couldn’t explain, Yu Qian found herself disappointed.

“Are you inviting me to spend the New Year at your house, cutie?” Zhou Jingchen leaned in, their eyes meeting. Both froze for a moment, a pink haze inexplicably swirling between them.

Yu Qian blushed.

Is he flirting with me? Even with a ten-year-old? Pervert! Scoundrel!

Zhou Jingchen touched his nose—no nosebleed, thankfully—then spoke, “Cutie, my name is Zhou Jingchen. Zhou as in ‘week,’ Jing as in ‘scenery,’ Chen as in ‘He Yichen.’”

“I’m Yu Qian. Yu as in ‘the rest of one’s life,’ Qian as in ‘shallow or deep,’” she replied quietly, staring at her feet.

He chuckled. “I’m off now, cutie. If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”

He ruffled her hair once more, said goodbye, and walked away.

Watching Zhou Jingchen leave, Yu Qian, a woman in her twenties, felt her heart flutter.

Good looks, long legs, a lovely voice—she really liked him.

The old matchmaker watched as the red thread between them wound tighter and tighter, feeling a sense of suffocation.

“They both have feelings now!” Unable to hold back, the matchmaker yelled at Fuxi and the others, “The pig really has gotten to the cabbage!”

...

In the midst of the silence, Nuwa, wielding a forty-meter-long blade, spoke with solemn determination, “Can I chop him? I’ll let him run thirty-nine meters first.”

Boom! No sooner had she finished speaking than a bolt of lightning struck her.

Seeing Nuwa charred and smoking, Fuxi hurried to feed her a pill and heal her, scolding with concern, “Didn’t I tell you not to interfere?”

“I’m just frustrated. How can I be happy when our own precious flower is being coveted by a thief?” Nuwa protested miserably.

“You really…” Fuxi was at a loss for words.

...

Once Zhou Jingchen was sure Yu Qian couldn’t see him, he quietly slipped into a corner and watched her.

There was a determined look on her face—she was clearly smitten.

He chuckled softly to himself, “Little one, I’ll wait for you to grow up.”

He could tell she was no ordinary ten-year-old. In both word and deed, she was more like an adult.

A thought had taken root in his mind; all that remained was to confirm it over time.

He needed to wrap up his affairs in Hangzhou as soon as possible, then find a way to transfer his household registration to the provincial capital in Sichuan. He wanted to be closer to her, to watch over her as she grew.

Zhou Jingchen had already looked into Yu Qian’s family. Her future parents-in-law owned several apartments in the provincial capital and had been inquiring about middle schools there—it seemed Yu Qian would attend school in the city.

The capital of Sichuan was no less than Hangzhou. When “Yin Nian” took over as professional manager, he could move there too.

“Young Master Zhou, Minister Jiang says the test was successful. We’re ready for the next step,” his assistant Han Zhu approached and reported respectfully.

“Alright, let’s go.” After giving Yu Qian one last look as she sat on a bench waiting for her braised meats to be packed, Zhou Jingchen turned and left.

Having witnessed Young Master Zhou’s entire flirtation, and knowing his methods well after half a year at his side, Han Zhu didn’t dare reveal any expression—he could only scream inwardly.

Not even children are safe from him. Pervert!

Meanwhile, Yu Qian was busy buying snacks, her hands never idle. Laden with bags, she moved briskly. Though others worried she couldn’t carry them all, she walked with ease.

This strong girl didn’t care what others thought; her mind was occupied with how to get closer to Zhou Jingchen.

Her very first crush, and he fit all her criteria—she’d be letting herself down if she didn’t pursue him in this new life.

She never even considered the possibility that he might not like her. If he dared flirt and then shirk responsibility, she’d break his legs.

Yes, she was that domineering.

Returning home, Yu Qian handed out red envelopes, then started recounting her encounter with the young man.

Su Daji, unlike the others, wasn’t upset. Her view was that if you liked someone, you should go for it—no need to make yourself miserable.

So she kept chatting with Yu Qian, teaching her how to flirt with men.

“Alluring Fox Beauty”: “Little one, let me tell you, if you’re too reserved, someone else will snatch the guy away.”

“Shallow Water Fish”: “I know…”

“Alluring Fox Beauty” sent a private red envelope: “Thirty-Six Stratagems for Flirting.”

“Alluring Fox Beauty”: “These are my tips from back when I seduced King Zhou. You should study them.”

Administrator “Nuwa” has muted “Alluring Fox Beauty” for 24 hours.

“Nuwa”: “What are you teaching her? You should be a good role model, not a bad influence!”

“Desperate Weaver Girl”: “That’s right. Our Qian is so pretty and talented, she should be the one pursued, not the pursuer.”

“Matchmaker”: “Exactly! Qian, you’re a delicate flower—keep your eyes sharp and don’t let yourself be stuck in the mud.”

Apart from Su Daji, everyone was speaking ill of Zhou Jingchen—even the kids like Jingwei Dragon Nine and the Golden Boy and Jade Girl joined in.