After Meng Jixue finished speaking, as if afraid of making Zhou Hanzhang uncomfortable, she softly suggested,
“What if I let my father—”
“There’s no need to trouble Uncle Meng.”
Before Meng Jixue could finish, Zhou Hanzhang reached out and lifted her into his arms.
With a strong young man like him here, if they still had to call Meng Qingsong over, it would be rather improper.
Meng Jixue lowered her eyes, a trace of triumph flashing through them.
She then naturally wrapped both arms around Zhou Hanzhang’s neck. The man’s body was burning hot, and even through their thick layers of clothing, she could feel his warmth.
The car door was closed.
Zhou Hanzhang strode forward with his long legs, carrying her steadily the entire way.
However, Meng Jixue noticed that when he picked her up, the man’s muscular body seemed to tense slightly.
This left her somewhat puzzled.
But it was not important to her, so she did not think much about it. Instead, she began thinking about how she would meet Zhou Hanzhang again in the future.
Her bold behavior that evening, as well as deliberately twisting her ankle, had all been impulsive decisions. What she wanted was to gain a little of Zhou Hanzhang’s sympathy.
Thinking about what he had said earlier, Meng Jixue could not help asking,”Uncle, you said you would take full responsibility for my marriage and give me an answer tomorrow. Is that really true?”
Zhou Hanzhang paused for a moment before answering,”It’s true.”
Meng Jixue was still not reassured. “Uncle, you’re a man of your word. A gentleman’s word is his bond. You can’t deceive me. Tell me first, what time will you come to see me tomorrow?”
The only thing she could rely on now was Zhou Hanzhang’s conscience.
Besides, she was quite curious about how Zhou Hanzhang planned to take responsibility for her marriage.
Would he simply choose one of those men and marry her off to him?
Meng Jixue certainly would not accept that.
She had already made up her mind. If his answer did not satisfy her, she would continue going to Zhou Hanzhang.
After all, he was the one who had said it.
He would take full responsibility for her marriage.
Zhou Hanzhang pursed his lips. “In the afternoon. Go home and get some proper rest first.”
Meng Jixue was reassured.
A man like Zhou Hanzhang might refuse to make a promise, but once he gave his word, he would definitely keep it.
He was an extremely disciplined man.
That was also why Meng Jixue had chosen Zhou Hanzhang.
From everything Zhou Hanzhang had done in her previous life, it was clear that he was a man who held himself to strict standards. Just as Zhou Hanzhang himself had said, when choosing a husband, all external conditions could be overlooked. The only thing that truly mattered was his character.
As long as Zhou Hanzhang was willing to marry her, even if he did not love her, he would never treat her badly.
That was enough.
What Meng Jixue needed was a status, one that would allow her to remain in the capital, protect her father, and uncover the truth about what had happened in her previous life.
Before long, there was movement in the courtyard.
It was Meng Qingsong coming over.
As soon as the door opened, Meng Qingsong saw Zhou Hanzhang carrying Meng Jixue in his arms and was naturally surprised.
“Hanzhang, you two…”
Wasn’t his daughter supposed to have gone to the Zhou residence to spend time with Old Master Zhou’s several grandsons and get to know them better? Why had Zhou Hanzhang come here instead?
Not to mention, the two of them were behaving so intimately.
Before Meng Jixue could answer, Zhou Hanzhang looked at Meng Qingsong and explained respectfully,”Uncle Meng, Jixue accidentally twisted her ankle and can’t walk.”
Upon hearing this, Meng Qingsong immediately became concerned and hurriedly invited them inside.
Zhou Hanzhang strode into the main room. Warm air washed over him, and he carefully lowered Meng Jixue onto a chair.
At this point, although Meng Qingsong was anxious about his daughter’s injury, he still maintained the basic courtesy of a host.
He hurriedly poured Zhou Hanzhang a cup of tea before asking worriedly, “How bad is Jixue’s injury?”
How had she managed to twist her ankle for no reason? That was what Meng Qingsong was thinking, but he did not say it aloud. Otherwise, it would sound as though he were blaming Zhou Hanzhang.
Zhou Hanzhang pursed his lips. “Uncle Meng, it was my fault. I was walking too fast, and Jixue was following behind me, so she accidentally twisted her ankle. But it’s nothing serious. I’ve already treated it. It’s only a sprain, and she’ll be fine after resting for a few days.”
Seeing his attitude, Meng Qingsong naturally could not say anything more.
He sighed. “It’s good that she’s all right. You can’t take all the blame either. Hanzhang, thank you for your trouble today. You even had to bring Jixue home.”
“Uncle Meng, what are you saying? It was only right for me to do so.”
Meng Qingsong had intended to ask him to stay a while longer.
However, Zhou Hanzhang politely declined.
“Zhishu is still at the cinema and doesn’t know what happened to Jixue. He’s probably still worried. I’ll go over and tell him what happened first, so he doesn’t spend the whole night anxious.”
Meng Qingsong had already learned what had happened.
However, Zhou Hanzhang had spared Meng Jixue’s dignity by leaving out the conversation between them and the fact that she had run off on her own.
Meng Qingsong nodded repeatedly. “All right, all right. Go ahead. Make sure you don’t leave him worrying.”
He walked Zhou Hanzhang all the way outside. After watching the car drive away, kicking up a cloud of dust, he closed the courtyard gate.
When Meng Qingsong returned to the main room, he saw Meng Jixue drinking the cup of tea that had been prepared for Zhou Hanzhang.
When she saw him return, Meng Jixue even smiled and said,”Dad, the tea you brewed today really isn’t very good.”
Seeing that she could still smile, Meng Qingsong, who had originally had a whole stomachful of questions to ask, could only smile helplessly.
“You troubled your Uncle Zhou, yet you still have the nerve to laugh.”
Meng Jixue said childishly,”You call him my uncle, but we’re only ten years apart. Brother Mingyuan is eight years older than me, and he’s also among the men being considered for me this time.”
“You’re talking nonsense. Even if your uncle were younger than you, you would still be his junior. Aren’t you afraid people will laugh if they hear you say that?”
Meng Qingsong looked at her helplessly. Then he could not resist leaning down to examine her injury, his voice still filled with concern.
“How did you manage to twist your ankle like this? How about I take you to the hospital?”
Meng Jixue shook her head. “Uncle treated it very well. He’s been in the military region for so many years, so he’s seen injuries like mine countless times. There’s no need to make another trip to the hospital.”
As for Meng Qingsong calling her Zhou Hanzhang’s junior, Meng Jixue simply ignored that part.
Meng Qingsong thought about it and agreed that she had a point. He then asked her how she felt about her visit to the Zhou family.
Meng Jixue gave a vague answer. “There’s still some time. I’ll see how things go.”
Hearing this, Meng Qingsong did not press her further.
From the look on his daughter’s face, he could already tell that she had not taken a liking to anyone. But there was no other choice. At this critical juncture, his daughter could only choose from among those few men.
Zhou Hanzhang drove to the cinema, only to discover that the movie had already ended and all the lights had been turned off. There was no sign of Zhou Zhishu anywhere.
He frowned and went to Zhou Zhishu’s home.
The person who opened the door was Lin Qilan.
She was somewhat surprised to see Zhou Hanzhang. “Hanzhang?”
Zhou Hanzhang asked, “Sister-in-law, is Zhishu back?”
Lin Qilan nodded. “He just came back. He looked completely distracted. No matter what I asked, he wouldn’t say anything. As soon as he came home, he went straight to his room. What happened today?”
Zhou Hanzhang briefly explained the situation to Lin Qilan, then said,”Sister-in-law, I’ll trouble you to tell Zhishu not to worry too much.”
Upon hearing what had happened, Lin Qilan was almost frightened into breaking out in a cold sweat.
If something had really happened to Meng Jixue, Old Master Zhou would certainly have blamed Zhou Zhishu.
She hurriedly agreed, then invited Zhou Hanzhang inside for a cup of hot tea.
Zhou Hanzhang politely declined.
After getting back into the car, Zhou Hanzhang thought for a moment before starting the engine. There was one very important thing he needed to confirm now.