The Hot-tempered Young Master and His Village Flower Child Bride - Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
Zhao Xunyu had an envy-inducing sleep. He didn’t even wake up until Uncle Liang parked the car at the fruit market.
Chu Zhi Lu remembered Zhao Xunyu’s childhood. When he was tired from playing, he wouldn’t look for adults. Instead, he’d find a big rock, a piece of wood, a ridge of a field or a haystack nearby and fall asleep.
She would sit beside him and watch over him. Sometimes he would sleep for so long that she would go home and ask her grandmother to carry him back. Her grandmother, annoyed, would lift him onto her shoulder like a piglet. He would just grunt uncomfortably and adjust himself before falling back asleep. Her grandmother would scold him, saying he was like a wild child who didn’t know his way home.
Zhao Xunyu vaguely heard someone calling him. He woke up, but he wasn’t ready to wake up. He instinctively rubbed his head against the pillow to express his displeasure.
The texture felt wrong…
Where was he…?
Zhao Xunyu’s consciousness became clearer. He suddenly opened his eyes and made unexpected eye contact with Chu Zhi Lu.
“Awake?”
Zhao Xunyu’s CPU faltered for a moment. Then he moved his head away from her shoulder and instinctively reached out to massage it, as he always did when trying to soothe his father. His hand didn’t find the familiar softness. The thin and somewhat bony feel made it difficult for him to gauge the right pressure.
Chu Zhi Lu hadn’t expected this action and stared at him.
Zhao Xunyu realised what he had done and withdrew his hand awkwardly.
“Sorry, I toss and turn in my sleep.”
Chu Zhi Lu’s expression was calm, not at all teasing. “You’ve been leaning on my shoulder for half an hour. Apart from the times I pushed you away and you leaned back, you didn’t move much.”
“Ahem... sorry.” Zhao Xunyu, whose attempt to save face had failed, struggled to explain. “I really fell asleep, I didn’t mean to.”
As if she hadn’t seen Zhao Xunyu’s blush and embarrassment, Chu Zhi Lu casually hummed. “Uncle Liang has gone to find the boss, let’s have breakfast.”
They had preserved egg and lean meat porridge for breakfast. Zhao Xunyu also ordered two fried breadsticks. As he watched Chu Zhi Lu scan the code to pay, Zhao Xunyu shook his head and sighed.
“I never thought there would be a time when I’d need a woman to spend money on me.”
A nearby diner looked over and studied his hair curiously for a few seconds. Chu Zhi Lu put down her phone and said, “It won’t be the last time.”
Zhao Xunyu sighed again. Yes, she’d have to pay for his clothes as well.
He carefully decided not to go to a specialty store or a shopping mall. He didn’t want to be fussy about brands and just chose a simple store to save money.
It was still early and most of the shops had not yet opened, so Chu Zhi Lu took Zhao Xunyu to the park. The park was quite lively. Some people are practicing Tai Chi, others are dancing. There are mothers letting their children play while they gather to discuss parenting.
Most of the people here were older, with regular routines and health-conscious habits. Their presence felt a little out of place at this time. All eyes were drawn to the handsome young man and the beautiful young woman. But neither of them seemed uncomfortable.
They walked around the lake twice and sat down in a gazebo.
Some children who had been looking at Zhao Xunyu several times also entered the gazebo, pulling and tugging at each other.
Children are really innocent and straightforward. If they have questions, they want answers. Two of the children even held hands and approached Zhao Xunyu. The boy with the mushroom haircut asked, “Brother, why is your hair like a peacock’s?”
Zhao Xunyu’s face fell. “Nonsense. It’s called fashion.”
“My mother says if I don’t study hard, my hair will be like yours.”
Zhao Xunyu scoffed dismissively and cajoled him. “Do you want your hair like this? Isn’t it cool? If you study hard, the others won’t know about it and they won’t want to play with you. But look at my hair. Didn’t you all notice me right away and want to talk to me?”
The mushroom-headed boy hummed a few times, but couldn’t form any words. Zhao Xunyu said, “Look at your mushroom-headed hair. Seven or eight out of ten kids have it. It’s not unusual at all. How many people have you seen with hair like mine?”
“Um… yes, you are the only one I have ever seen who looks like a peacock.” The child nodded vigorously in agreement.
Another child with a crew cut puffed out his cheeks. “Brother, you’re prettier than a peacock. I’m not afraid of you.”
“…”
Thank you. That was comforting.
Zhao Xunyu advised the mushroom-headed boy.
“If you want to be surrounded by many people like me, then don’t study hard, okay?”
“Um… um... but… um…” The mushroom-head felt that something was wrong. His mother always told him to study hard, but studying hard wouldn’t give him an attractive hairstyle. But if he didn’t study hard, his mother would beat him.
Chu Zhi Lu couldn’t stand it anymore. “Don’t mislead him.”
Zhao Xunyu shrugged innocently. “I’m just following his mother’s parenting methods. If anyone is leading him astray, it’s not me.”
“…”
At nine o’clock, the two of them left the park. Chu Zhi Lu said she wanted to go to a bookstore.
Chu Zhi Lu stopped at the textbook section. Zhao Xunyu wandered around, finally stopping at the fiction section.
After choosing her English textbook, Chu Zhi Lu went to find Zhao Xunyu. She found him seriously reading the back cover of a romance novel.
The darling of the cold school bully…
Are all girls’ books like this these days?
Chu Zhi Lu wondered if she was really a girl. Frowning, she grabbed two serious literary books from the nearby bookshelf and handed them to him, saying, “If you want to buy something, buy these.”
Zhao Xunyu suppressed his criticism, worried that they were in a bookstore.
“Is that how you recommend books? Not having a phone is miserable enough. Nowadays, not having a phone is no different from being in prison! I’m already so pitiful. Now I can’t even choose my own books? If I don’t spend my time reading books that interest me, how am I supposed to spend 24 hours a day? Get angry and go crazy?”
Zhao Xunyu’s outburst wasn’t really hurtful. Chu Zhi Lu listened calmly, then replied coldly and mercilessly, “Studying and being in prison aren’t that different. It’s only been a few days since the break began. If you’re still in the mood, just think of it as two more months in prison.”
“…”