The Byoukidere Is Her Sweetie
Chapter 293: 293: Ancient Town Affection, Weibo Displays Love (First Update)

Chapter 293: 293: Ancient Town Affection, Weibo Displays Love (First Update)

Online, you can hear all sorts of voices: those who praise, those who criticize, those who watch for fun, those who look forward to drama, those who add fuel to the fire, and those who are indignantly impassioned. After all, behind a computer screen, you need nothing but a keyboard.

After browsing Weibo, Zhou Qing called Jiang Zhi.

“You free?”

Jiang Zhi was still in Xufang Town, “What’s up?”

“Post a Weibo,” said Zhou Qing. “I’ve sent you the content on WeChat, just publish it from your account.”

After hanging up, Jiang Zhi opened WeChat, glanced at it, and it was about a page long.

“Fang Lixiang’s acting skills are outstanding, Fang Lixiang is very beautiful, Fang Lixiang is very professional, Fang Lixiang can play any role, Fang Lixiang’s versatility is strong, everything about Fang Lixiang is good (she even plays games exceptionally well), Fang Lixiang seems to have been born for my movie. I am honored that she could be in my movie; it’s a blessing I’ve cultivated over three lifetimes. It has nothing to do with her fiancé Zhou Qing, my relationship with Fang Lixiang’s fiancé is just so-so, purely superficial, popularizing the CP is only for hype, we hardly know each other in private. What truly impressed me was the talent and strength of Fang Lixiang the actor, her transcendent acting skills, and her hardworking and enduring character. I hope to work with her often in the future.”

After reading it, Jiang Zhi, “…”

That damn Zhou Qing!

The damn Zhou Qing sent a message on WeChat, “Did you post it?”

Jiang Zhi didn’t want to post, “It’s too long.”

“You don’t have to edit it, just copy and paste,” Zhou Qing insisted.

Jiang Zhi refused, “No way.”

A bunch of nonsense, and even if it was posted, others would think the account had been hacked.

Zhou Qing threatened, “Post it or we’re no longer friends!”

“As you said, we’re not close,” Jiang Zhi replied.

Zhou Qing, “…”

So-so relationship, purely superficial, popularizing the CP is only for hype, not knowing each other privately… all these claims were actually to underscore that Fang Lixiang got the role for her talent, not connections.

Therefore, these lines couldn’t be removed.

“Brother Zhi,” pleaded Zhou Qing.

Jiang Zhi didn’t respond.

Zhou Qing kept nagging and begging, “Ancestor, please just give a brother a hand.”

“Please, Brother Zhi.”

“Help me clear things up, or they’ll keep framing my wife mistakenly.”

Kept calling her ‘my wife’, what a shameless dog.

“Brother Zhi~”

“Brother Zhi~”

Five minutes later—

Jiang Zhi, “Posted.”

Zhou Qing was satisfied and excitedly checked Weibo, only to be left speechless after reading it.

Jiang ZhiV: See image.

He posted just two words followed by a screenshot of his and Zhou Qing’s conversation, starting from the elaborate praise of Fang Lixiang and ending with the last wavy line sent by Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing was left speechless, cursing the dog in his heart.

The netizens were quick to react and soon gathered around to watch the excitement.

“Jiang Zhi: This little demon is so clingy, it’s tough for me.”

“Didn’t expect you to be like this, Young Master.”

“Calling Brother Zhi is so spoiling~”

“Mr. Second has really met his match.”

“Young Master spoils Lixiang so much, Director Jiang spoils the Young Master, what kind of fateful entanglement is this?”

“Mr. Second, you worry too much, our Lixiang’s acting skills need no clarification, they’re evident in her work.”

“…”

Of course, the comment section is never short of keyboard warriors.

A certain keyboard warrior wrote, “Protesting too much betrays concealment, over-explaining things makes it worse, and even dragging Director Jiang to show off, such a slick move, not everyone is entitled to enter the Xue family’s doors, making such a high-profile statement, aren’t you afraid of fattening your face by a slap.”

Such sharp criticism got a lot of likes and was pushed to the forefront of the comments.

A netizen named ‘Lady Xiangsong, have you received your boxed meal today?’ replied to that comment, “Why do you speak so maliciously, did my daughter-in-law offend you?”

Daughter-in-law?

Onlookers quickly moved closer with their stools.

Zhou QingV replied to @Lady Xiangsong, have you received your boxed meal today: Who wouldn’t be proud to have such an outstanding daughter-in-law @Fang LixiangV

Lady Xiangsong, did you get your meal box today? Reply to @Xue Baoyi V: Is Lixiang by your side? Could you ask her if Noble Princess Consort Shu’s child is Doctor Yao’s?

Fang Lixiang V replied to @Lady Xiangsong, did you get your meal box today?: Yes.

Melon-eating masses: “…” This family of three sure interacts cheerfully, bombarding that keyboard warrior: Did your face get swollen from the slap?

Seeing that the wind had turned, the keyboard warrior immediately deleted the comment.

But it was too late, the netizens had taken screenshots, and both the keyboard warrior and ‘Lady Xiangsong, did you get your meal box today?’ went viral on the hot search.

At a Ministry of Foreign Affairs gathering, Feng Zhanling exclaims, “Bao’er’s dad, I’m trending!” So thrilled!

Xue Zhonggen keeps a stern face: “…” His eyes conveying: Stay dignified, must stay dignified.

Feng Zhanling covers her mouth to hold back her laughter: “Mhm!”

In Imperial City, the weather is sunny with a gentle breeze these past few days, while in Xufang Town, it’s raining intermittently, a persistent drizzle.

The grave was ready, and Zhou Qingrang had picked a date to bury Zhou Qingmeng’s ashes next to his parents’ graves.

Zhou Xufang touched the old photo on the gravestone; the girl in the picture was smiling brightly. Her uncle said that her mother took this picture at the doorstep of their ancestral home when she was only sixteen.

“My mom was very beautiful.”

Jiang Zhi agreed.

Zhou Qingrang called to her, “Xufang, come here.”

Zhou Xufang went over.

There were two tombstones not far from her mother’s, just a few meters away.

Zhou Qingrang said, “These are your maternal grandparents.”

The ground was muddy from the rain, but she didn’t mind getting dirty and knelt to kowtow; Jiang Zhi followed suit, saying, “Maternal grandparents, I am Xufang.” She introduced herself and then the person beside her, “This is Jiang Zhi, your grandson-in-law.”

Jiang Zhi smiled softly at her and repeated, “I am Jiang Zhi, your grandson-in-law.” He bent down and also bowed three times.

The dampness made it hard to burn the paper money, so Zhou Xufang spread it all over the graves and covered it with stones and dirt, getting herself and her hands muddy in the process.

Jiang Zhi didn’t stop her; he got all muddy with her.

Zhou Qingrang spoke for a while in front of his parents’ grave, offered up the wine, then stood up leaning on his cane: “It’s going to rain, let’s go back.”

Zhou Xufang agreed, but she stayed in front of the tombstone for a long time without moving; she hadn’t cried earlier, but now that it was time to leave, her eyes welled up.

Jiang Zhi held her hand: “When Qingming comes, we’ll visit the grave again.”

“Okay.”

In the future, she would come here often.

She took a few steps, then stopped and looked back, her eyes reddened, and said, “I’m leaving now.”

On the way back, Jiang Zhi drove—a rented car—unlike his usual reckless driving, he was driving particularly slowly now.

Zhou Xufang and Zhou Qingrang sat in the back seat.

“Uncle, tell me about my grandparents.”

Zhou Qingrang agreed, rolling down the car window, letting the wind in: “Your grandfather was nothing special, just a very ordinary man—honest, diligent, not talkative, not romantic.” He chuckled, “I have no idea what your grandmother saw in him.”

Zhou Xufang listened quietly.

Zhou Qingrang had a pleasant voice, like that of a newscaster: when he told stories, it was as if an old tune echoed in your ears, slow and lingering: “When they met, your grandfather was still a poor student.”

His mother was the daughter of the Luo Family who hired his father as a tutor. His mother wrote one hundred and seven love letters to his father, and it took all of that for his father to reply with just one, which contained only one line: A lot of azaleas have bloomed on the mountain of Xufang Town, do you want to go see them with me?

His mother didn’t say anything but just went and bought two tickets to Xufang Town.

In that era, admiring the flowers together was enough to settle a lifetime.

His mother was a forthright woman; after the Luo Family disagreed, she followed his father to far-off lands, to Xufang Town. They had two children, a girl and a boy. The girl was his sister, raised to be kind and gentle; the boy was his brother, very bright and cheerful. Their days were ordinary, neither rich nor poor, stable without upheavals, time passing quietly.

Later, the family faced a tragedy, and the parents died, leaving the young siblings behind. Back then, still underage with nowhere to go, they went to Imperial City to seek relatives.

Once they left, they never returned…

“Uncle.”

“Mhm?”

Zhou Xufang didn’t look at him, leaning on the car window, catching the raindrops outside with her hand: “In the future, you have me.”

Zhou Qingrang smiled: “Yeah.”

In the future, neither would be alone.

Xufang Town was a place with mountains and rivers, flowers, and bridges; it rained a lot here, people spoke softly, houses were low, with sloped roofs, and during rainy season, rain curtains were drawn out in front of doors. Every household had a yard planted with fruit trees—grapes and oranges were the most common.

Back when Zhou Qingrang and his sister left for Imperial City, because they didn’t have the fare, they sold their house. Three years ago, Zhou Qingrang had someone to repurchase the house for him. Because they were acquaintances, the house was left untouched, retaining the old style—red walls and green tiles with a pine tree in front of the door.

Under the pine tree, someone was squatting.

“Zhou Qingrang.”

It was Lu Sheng; she had come looking for him, drenched.