This exaggerated style, and this unexpected way of doing things, it really suits Zhou Ji’s personality.
Jiang Yumo didn’t know whether to be annoyed or not, but she understood that Zhou Ji meant well. After all, Yanjing was his home turf, his stronghold.
The tall man saw her silence and tapped his Bluetooth earphone. He spoke to the person on the other end, “I’ve already picked up Miss Jiang. You can have the people at the other exits stand down.”
Jiang Yumo : “?”
The Yanjing train station was huge, with several exits.
Since they weren’t sure which exit she would use, they had simply stationed people at each one… holding signs with her name?
Ah, ah, ah, ah! Can she change her name on the spot? Can she just move to outer space?
Mother Jiang frowned and tugged at her daughter’s hand.
Jiang Yumo finally realized the situation. Before she could explain to her mother, she lowered her voice and said, “They are arranged by my classmate, my friend from school. He transferred from Yanjing to Ningcheng, and we get along well. Maybe he heard that I came to Yanjing, so…”
The tall man instructed the others to stand down, then respectfully said to Jiang Yumo, “Miss Jiang, we have arranged a dedicated car in the parking lot. We are wondering if you and your mother would like to go to the hotel under the Zhou family’s name or to the resort. Our young master has already made arrangements.”
“No, no, no, there’s no need,” Jiang Yumo quickly waved her hand.
The tall man nodded knowingly, “Our young master has considered this as well. We have arranged another place for you to stay, which has already been cleaned, and someone will take care of your meals for you and your mother.”
Jiang Yumo thought for a moment and glanced at her mother before cautiously speaking to the tall person, “May I make a phone call first?”
The tall person nodded, “Of course.”
Mother Jiang still hadn’t recovered from the shock. She had lived for decades but had never encountered such a situation before.
Jiang Yumo whispered to her mother, “Mom, I’ll call my friend to confirm.”
Her mother made a sound of agreement and added, “I have already booked a hotel not far from those two universities, so… there’s no need to trouble your friend.”
“Okay.” Jiang Yumo wasn’t surprised. Her parents were reliable and down-to-earth people who wouldn’t take advantage of others if they could avoid it, especially since it was her friend who arranged everything. In her mother’s eyes, Zhou Ji was still a child, so she couldn’t accept such arrangements; it wouldn’t be right.
Jiang Yumo walked to the other side while holding her phone, but when she turned her head, she was startled.
Those tall men were all looking at her.
It seems like… they’re protecting her with their gaze. Also, because they glanced at others with ‘unfriendly’ gazes, a few men who were smoking and chatting nearby became intimidated and quickly left, giving her space.
Jiang Yumo : “…”
So, this is what it’s like in a wealthy family…
She quickly dialed Duan Ye’s number. Duan Ye picked up the call quickly, his tone filled with helplessness. “Have you arrived?”
Upon hearing his tone, Jiang Yumo understood that he already knew about the arrangements made by Zhou Ji, and she immediately felt relieved. She skipped the part of explaining the whole situation to him and went straight to the point, “Are you with Zhou Ji?”
Duan Ye : “Mm.”
Originally, Zhou Ji didn’t want to tell Duan Ye, but under the pressure of Duan Ye’s gaze, he wanted to show off a bit. He told Duan Ye everything he had arranged just a few minutes ago.
Duan Ye fell into contemplation.
He was thinking, how did he unintentionally become friends with Zhou Ji? Or rather, friends that he couldn’t shake off?
Zhou Ji was still boasting about himself, “I’m not asking for much. Just let that person say more good things about me in front of Ning Zhiyu. They say that one compliment from a best friend is worth ten things done by a boyfriend.”
Duan Ye mocked him, “Boyfriend? Whose boyfriend are you?”
“…” Zhou Ji realized it. Duan Ye rarely taunted him like this, so he asked, “Are you unhappy?”
“There’s one more thing.” Duan Ye stood up, “Keep your distance from your girlfriend’s good friend, don’t be overly attentive, it’s none of your business.”
“That, she is still my brother’s girlfriend.”
Duan Ye glanced at him and said, “That has even less to do with you.”
Just then, his phone rang, and it was a call from Jiang Yumo.
Duan Ye warned Zhou Ji with a look.
“Yeah, he’s here,” Duan Ye’s voice was low, but because it was Jiang Yumo on the other end, it inexplicably carried a hint of tenderness.
Jiang Yumo at the train station was also feeling a headache, “Put it on speaker so he can hear too.”
Duan Ye agreed, waved at Zhou Ji, and put it on speaker.
Zhou Ji looked displeased, “Really? Sister, are you going to lecture me too?”
“No,” Jiang Yumo said irritably, “I just want to say, thank you. Really, thank you. I understand now.”
Finally, he heard some kind words. Zhou Ji felt quite relieved.
Jiang Yumo yelled at him a second later, “Also, dare you try calling me ‘Sister’ again!!”
Duan Ye helplessly said, “How’s the weather over there? I saw that it will rain today1.”
“Seems like it,” Jiang Yumo forgot about Zhou Ji, “It’s so cold as soon as we stepped out of the train. I feel like Yanjing is much colder than Ningcheng. My down jacket is barely enough to keep me warm.”
“It’s not that bad,” Zhou Ji squeezed in, “It’s cold outside, but indoors, there’s heating. Just be careful, it’s particularly dry.”
Duan Ye turned away, not wanting Zhou Ji to engage in pointless chatter with her.
“I know, I know,” Jiang Yumo sighed, “Zhou Ji, I really appreciate your help, but I’m going with my Mom, and she won’t agree to stay at any hotel or resort you arrange. So, ask those people to withdraw their plans.”
Zhou Ji thought for a moment, “Alright then.”
He didn’t insist, just trying to be considerate.
Though he said he was trying to please his girlfriend’s best friend, in reality, whether it was Yan Qing, Sun Mengting, Zhao Zheng, or anyone else who came today, he would arrange things in the same manner.
This was how he treated his friends.
“However,” Zhou Ji paused for a moment, “you don’t have to stay where I arrange, but let me assign a driver for you. Seriously, you’re not familiar with Yanjing, you need a local person to guide you. Otherwise, if you encounter any trouble, where will you find someone, right? If you need to go out, you’ll definitely need a car.”
Duan Ye also thought this arrangement was good.
Being unfamiliar with the place, indeed, they needed someone who was very familiar with the local area to accompany them.
“But getting into trouble…” Duan Ye said in a cold tone, “You’re talking nonsense.”
While holding back a laugh, Zhou Ji said mockingly, “Pff, okay, I’m sure you’re full of vigor, unstoppable, and invincible. You won’t encounter any trouble at all.”
Jiang Yumo listened and also laughed, “Duan Ye, what do you think?”
She was seeking his opinion on whether to accept Zhou Ji’s proposal or not.
Duan Ye replied in a low voice, “I think it’s okay, but discuss it with Aunt first, whether you agree or not.”
“Great!”
Jiang Yumo added, “Zhou Ji, thank you!”
Zhou Ji chuckled, one hand in his pocket, “You’re welcome, it’s my pleasure.”
Jiang Yumo, who was still suffering from a headache, added, “But next time, please don’t do it like this again!”
“Duan Ye, turn off the speaker,” Jiang Yumao said, “I have something to tell you.”
Zhou Ji deliberately elongated his tone, “Alright, alright. My Brother and Sister want to have a private conversation. I’ll go somewhere else since I’m so annoying.”
Duan Ye turned off the speaker and put the phone to his ear. “He’s gone now.”
“I can only talk to you for half a minute. My mom is still waiting for me,” Jiang Yumo’s laughter came from the other end of the phone, “I’ve been carrying the talisman you gave me… Also, log into my account for me, don’t let Zhao Zheng and Zhou Ji steal my crops in the game.”
“Okay.”
“Use my meal card.”
“Okay.”
“Wait for me.” This was what she most wanted to say. After saying it, her face turned red, and she hurriedly hung up the phone without waiting for his response.
Outside the classroom of Class 10, Duan Ye leaned against the wall, listening to the busy tone coming from the phone. After a while, he finally replied, “Okay.”
Jiang Yumo returned to her Mom’s side and shared her thoughts, “I told Zhou Ji that we won’t stay at his house or the resort anymore, but he said he’ll arrange a car with a driver for us because we’re not familiar with the place and the time is tight. Mom, I’ll listen to you.”
Mother Jiang found it absurd.
It was the first time she was so clearly arranged by her daughter’s classmate.
Originally, she really wanted to politely decline as she didn’t want to trouble others. However, she had to consider practical issues. Both she and her daughter were unfamiliar with the place. It would be great if nothing happened, but if any issues arose, having a local person around would indeed be helpful. If it were any other matter, she wouldn’t even consider it. But now, it was about her daughter’s important school examination, which could determine her daughter’s future and career.
As a parent, the last thing she wanted was to hinder her child’s progress.
After careful consideration, Mother Jiang finally nodded and politely said to the tall man, “Thank you for your help.”
- as saw in weather forecast ↩︎
Love Mother Jiang (and Father Jiang too!) JYM definitely grew up in a warm home 🙂 Thank you for the chapter!