Chapter 16 Part1 (2/2)
She paused in astonishment, nearly choking to death on that. ”What are you talking about?”
”The call just now was from Ze.” He wore an ”I get it” expression. ”Once the post-production work is finished for this film, he's going back to New Zealand. Do you know how much promotional work was waiting for him to do? This is the company's first film, and it's also a collaboration with Yi Hua. What's more, his name is next to the t.i.tle of 'producer.' But he's actually completely letting go and giving it all to me to handle.
Instantly, Jia He was staggered. He had made such a quick decision?
Once Wu Zhilun finished saying all this, he left the kitchen. It was not really fitting, though, for Jia He to outright press him with further questions. Glancing at that couch that was heaped with gifts, she was about to clear off some s.p.a.ce for him to sit, but then she heard an ”Eh?” behind her. ”The punk isn't even going to look at it?” Turning around, she realized what Wu Zhilun was referring to. The gift from Tian Chu was sitting, still in its original packaging, on the table and appeared to truly have not been opened.
Normally gifts from fans were eventually handed over to Qing to sort through and then put away.
He had not made an effort to even open it—the meaning of that was already very evident. Setting the box back into its original place, Wu Zhilun feelingly remarked, ”Ze is much clearer than me on what should be done and what should not be done.”
Jia He smiled, not replying. Even if he did open it for a look, she actually would not think anything of it. She was not certain when it had developed, but a wholehearted trust already existed between her and him. That feeling was similar to how one would view and treat one's own family.
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When she finally managed to coax Wu Zhilun to leave, she pulled out her mobile phone and called Yi Wenze. He seemed to be busy at the moment. Holding her phone, she roved from the kitchen to the bedroom, then over to the bathroom, drifting aimlessly through the entire suite. Unexpectedly, the phone was picked up on the other end, giving her a little shock. ”Are you busy?”
”I was taking another call just now.”
As the two words ”New Zealand” rose up in her mind, it was as if, layer by layer, from inside to out, she was burning up. She had been the one to first secretly get her visa as a surprise for him, but she still had not expected everything to happen so fast… Although Yi Wenze had not given any concrete dates, he was both explicitly and implicitly telling her that she would be seeing his family very soon.
Not hearing any reply from her, Yi Wenze called, ”Jia He.”
She at last recovered herself. ”Wu Zhilun came by just now to scrounge for some food. He mentioned that you plan on going back to New Zealand after post-production work is done.”
Giving a very mild ”mm,” he stated, ”It'll take about a week.” From the tone he was using, it sounded like she was the one rus.h.i.+ng him.
Jia He's finger unconsciously drew little circles on the bathroom counter, and she faltered for quite a while. ”You actually don't need to be that rushed. The visa I got is for three months.”
The subtext: ”I still am not prepared yet. There's really no rush.”
He, though, chuckled. ”It's okay. It just so happens that my little nephew is going to be having his third birthday. He's mentioned a lot of times on the phone that he wants you to go see him. My parents would also love to meet you.”
These words of his made Jia He even more anxious, but unable at this moment to come up with a good excuse, she could only say a few random sentences and then hang up. For a full minute, she stared into the mirror. Oh no, oh no. At the time, she had only been thinking about doing a nice, little romantic gesture. Now, though, she truly was like a duck being driven onto a perch[2].
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The direct result of this was that that afternoon, taking a taxi straight over to Xiao Yu's office, she forced Xiao Yu to play hooky from work and come out to have afternoon tea. But Xiao Yu's response after listening to less than three sentences from her was to leisurely take a sip of tea and ask, ”You're pregnant?”
Jia He nearly rammed her own head into something to just kill herself. ”Why are you all interpreting it that way?”
Xiao Yu's lips gave a twitch. Picking up her phone, she dialed Qiao Qiao's number. ”Yi Wenze is bringing Jia He to New Zealand next week.”
Once she finished declaring this, she shoved the phone up beside Jia He's ear. The person on the other end of the line squealed in astonishment, ”She's knocked up?!”
The volume was loud enough that even Xiao Yu, who was merely holding the phone, could hear that question. Her eyes on Jia He's face, which was caught somewhere between tears and hilarity, she took her phone back. ”All right. I'll call you back in a bit.” Then ignoring Qiao Qiao's questions that were firing in succession, she hung up. ”See? It's not that I'm thinking dirty. That's the normal thought process of any person.”
All responses that Jia He might have had were completely cut off in her throat, nearly choking her to death. She bowed her head, sipped her tea, and then sipped some more.
”One week is pretty tight.” Xiao Yu actually seriously worked through the timing for her. ”Go do a week of intensive spa and beauty treatments, and also think about what gifts to bring. You'll need gifts for the adults and the children. All the etiquette will definitely need to be amply done for this first time that you're meeting your father-in-law, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law.”
She spoke all this as if it was only proper and a matter of course. Jia He's thoughts were also being led along by Xiao Yu, and she nodded her head viciously.
Simply seeing her expression of complete trust and ”I'll listen to everything you say” induced a headache in Xiao Yu. Grinding her teeth, Xiao Yu dug her spoon into her chestnut cake and popped it in her mouth. ”I have a spa card here. Just go to the one that I normally go to. That way, we'll avoid having you go to some random, shoddy place that just cheats you of your money. As for what you're going to give as gifts, you'll need to put some good thought into that.” She mulled for a moment. ”I can give you a gift. I'll have my granddad write a piece of calligraphy[3] for you to bring there.”
Jia He's eyes immediately lit up. The calligraphy of any one of Elder Xiao's students already could absolutely command a high price, let alone the calligraphy of Elder Xiao himself… Reportedly, in these last few years, apart from writing calligraphy to give as gifts to long-time friends, the elderly one had practically half-retired his writing brush already.
Though his works could not quite compare to antiques, they still were certainly modern-day treasured pieces of art.
Jia He fawningly wagged her tail and beamed, ”Ah, to have such a friend. What more could I ask for?”
Carrying on with eating her , Xiao Yu plastered on a fake smile and replied, ”It's no big deal. Just consider it my contribution in exchange for my three-day trip to New Zealand.” Her spoon between her teeth, she seemed to suddenly remember something, and in m.u.f.fled words, she reminded, ”Oh, right, ask your Yi Wenze when you guys will be having the wedding banquet. That way I can go apply for my travel visa ahead of time.”
As Jia He gnawed on the edge of her tea cup, her face blazed bright red.
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[1]本命年 ”ben ming nian.” The Chinese zodiac is a repeating twelve-year cycle. In Chinese superst.i.tion, your ben ming nian, the year of your zodiac sign (sometimes referred to in English as one's ”year of fate”), is an inauspicious year for you, and unlucky events will occur in it. Traditionally, one of the ways to offset the negative impacts is to be gifted something fas.h.i.+oned in gold, jade, or crystal and then wear it.
[2]The saying 趕鴨子上架了 ”driving a duck onto a perch” is describing a person who is being made to do something that is completely beyond her capabilities.
[3]Referring to traditional Chinese brush calligraphy.
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