Wealthy Beauty in the 60s
Chapter 96 - 95 Xia Xiao Left

Chapter 96: Chapter 95 Xia Xiao Left

Xia Xiao shook her head. In her eyes, Gu Weiguo was like a noble son, his courtship subtle and gentle, neither warm nor fervent. It seemed as though it wouldn’t matter to him either way, which did nothing to stir any excitement in Xia Xiao’s heart.

As for Gao Jiaxing, Xia Xiao shook her head even more. Their relationship had now turned somewhat awkward, not as carefree as before.

"Sister Xuehua, how are things with Secretary Li?" Xia Xiao asked.

Yang Xuehua shook her head, "Why do you all keep linking me with Secretary Li? There’s nothing between us." After a moment, Yang Xuehua added, "Or maybe, Xia Xiao, you should give Secretary Li a try. I think he really admires you."

Xia Xiao jerked her head abruptly, her face displaying horror, "Secretary Li, in my eyes, is to be respected and admired, without any hint of romantic affection."

In her previous life, when she was in college, Secretary Li was probably about seventy.

That age matched the age of her grandfather in her past life. Even if Li Zhenchuan was still young now, the image of him as an old man was deeply etched in Xia Xiao’s mind; there was no way Xia Xiao could have feelings for Li Zhenchuan.

Seeing Xia Xiao’s expression, Yang Xuehua was speechless, "You, always judging by appearances. Can a good-looking man be eaten as your meal?"

"Yes, they can be very appetizing," Xia Xiao nodded, which made Yang Xuehua laugh.

"You’re still young. Appearance fades with age, it doesn’t matter much. Men who are too handsome are not very reliable. Everyone likes attractive people; if you’re eyeing them, she’s eyeing them too. If later the man can’t resist temptation, that marriage would be problematic."

Xia Xiao said, "Sister Xuehua, men’s infidelity, or chasing after younger women, has nothing to do with looks. If you think marrying an ugly but presumably faithful man is safe, what if that ugly man becomes wealthy and starts looking for mistresses? That would be even more heartbreaking."

Xia Xiao felt that a man’s cheating had no link to his appearance; it was rather related to his heart and desires.

Yang Xuehua ran out of words; talking with Xia Xiao was a challenge she couldn’t win.

"Sister Xuehua, I understand what you mean, just find someone decent enough, not merely focusing on a man’s looks, but their character as well," Xia Xiao continued.

Yang Xuehua nodded, and Xia Xiao added, "But I still have to find someone I like, at least someone who makes my heart flutter, or at least someone I don’t repel. If just looking at him repels me, makes me not want to talk, makes me want to let go of his hand as soon as he touches it, or even makes me nauseous at the thought of sharing a bed, how could I force myself?"

If really forced, that’s not living; it’s torturing oneself.

This was an event Xia Xiao heard during her postgraduate studies. A female dorm mate, a woman of above-average looks and demeanor, was pursued by a wealthy man.

The man was plump and dark-skinned, plain-looking with a thick gold necklace that was practically blinding, around thirty-five, driving a Mercedes.

The pursuit was both meticulous and extravagant, and Xia Xiao had once heard the women in her dormitory discussing it.

The dorm mate had said, "Every time he grabs my hand, I want to shake him off. Sitting face-to-face with him for a meal makes me lose my appetite. I like his money, but not him."

Back then, a classmate said, "He’s not that ugly, and he’s rich. It’s good enough that he’s pursuing you. Marrying into his family, you would become a wealthy wife. Even after we graduate and make tens of thousands, it’s still not as good as marrying well."

The dorm mate then said, "Yeah, maybe I should just agree to marry him. Anyway, with the lights off at night, you can’t see anything clearly, and then it’ll just be quickly over."

Hearing this, Xia Xiao was speechless, even overhearing the dorm mate muttering to herself once, "If he dies, I could inherit a fortune and then keep a young lover."

Xia Xiao was utterly speechless; this was treating people like fools. The money of wealthy people isn’t brought by the winds, she thought. What if it were her?

Right then, Xia Xiao shook her head. If she was so repulsed by a man, she couldn’t force herself.

Yang Xuehua also shook her head, "That’s too painful. I want someone who resonates with my soul."

Hearing this, Xia Xiao smiled, "Sister Xuehua, your standards are even higher than mine. Finding someone whose soul matches yours is even harder. Even if you meet them, they might not be yours."

"Then what do you think of Secretary Li?" Xia Xiao asked.

Yang Xuehua paused, then said, "Secretary Li, he’s really nice. It’s enjoyable talking with him, but he feels very calculating, hard to figure out what’s on his mind."

Xia Xiao nodded; if he were easy to read, he wouldn’t be such an influential figure in the political arena.

This year, Xia Xiao was going to return to S city for the New Year, so she submitted a request to her production team.

Xia Xiao hadn’t gone home for New Year in many years, so the approval was quickly granted. Holding the letter of introduction, thinking of going back to meet her family, Xia Xiao felt a bit nervous.

But after several years, not going home seemed a bit unjustifiable.

"Xia Xiao, you’re heading back today?" Sun Yuhua asked.

Xia Xiao nodded, turning to Sun Yuhua, "Sister Yuhua, are you going back?"

Sun Yuhua shook her head, "I went back last year. Not this year."

Wang Aihua also spoke up, "When everyone else is going home, Xia Xiao, you don’t. This year, not many people are going home for the New Year, but you are."

Xia Xiao smiled and stayed silent.

Yang Xuehua said, "The journey is too long, and it’s really inconvenient to go back. Honestly, once I go back, I don’t want to return here; and being here, I’m scared to go back, but also I miss home."

Once Yang Xuehua said this, it struck a chord with everyone; Dong Meihua added, "Not to mention our trip from the production team to the county. From the county to the provincial city’s train station, it’s a five-hour drive, then two days and two nights by train to our home station, followed by another hour or two to reach our homes. It’s really a killer."

"Exactly, for Meihua who’s from the south, it’s still alright. You’re even closer than Xia Xiao. We who need to go back to the Capital and the north have it even worse; just the thought of the round trip is daunting," Wang Aihua said.

Hearing everyone say this, Xia Xiao contemplated how she would make the trip, but she still wanted to experience the train of this era.

Before heading home, Xia Xiao visited the Gao family. Zheng Xianghong said, "Why are you leaving now? Jiaxing is not here, otherwise he could have taken you to the county to catch the bus."

Xia Xiao shook her head, "Auntie, it’s not necessary. The team has a cart to take me to the county."

"Then be safe on your way. You’ve been here for a few years, it’s time to go home and see your parents; they miss you." Zheng Xianghong instructed Xia Xiao a few times before sending her out.

"Mom, did Xia Xiao leave?" Gao Jiaxing ran back home and asked Zheng Xianghong.

"Yes, she just left. I wanted you to take her, but you weren’t here," Zheng Xianghong said.

Gao Jiaxing immediately ran off, and Zheng Xianghong sighed as Gao Jiazhi said, "Mom, you should help Jiaxing a bit. Seeing him like this makes me worry for him."