Volume One, Chapter 14: Lock Him Away

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Zhou Jingmo saw the way Jiang Yihuan looked as if facing a formidable enemy and wryly tugged at the corner of his mouth. He slowly released his grasp, then covered his mouth to cough twice before looking toward Mr. Zhou. "Just parked the car."

Jiang Yihuan offered a compliant smile. "Uncle Zhou, long time no see. You look even younger."

Mr. Zhou genuinely cared for Jiang Yihuan and said with a smile, "You’re just sweet-talking. Come inside quickly, it’s cold out here."

The three of them walked toward the house, with Mr. Zhou leading and Jiang Yihuan and Zhou Jingmo following a few steps behind.

Jiang Yihuan’s thoughts were still tangled in the recent danger, her expression somewhat absent-minded.

“The plum blossoms are really splendid this year,” Zhou Jingmo remarked.

Jiang Yihuan was pulled out of her reverie by this strange comment. She looked up, directing her gaze to a cluster of red plum trees in the corner of the courtyard.

Mr. Zhou said, “It’s pitch dark. How can you tell the plum blossoms are good?”

Zhou Jingmo casually draped his arm around Jiang Yihuan’s shoulder, embracing her with a familiar yet respectful intimacy. "That’s because you’re getting older and your eyesight’s not as sharp. My sister and I can see them clearly."

He turned his head toward Jiang Yihuan, smiling and winking, “Right, sister?”

Jiang Yihuan said nothing, but even through the fabric she could feel Zhou Jingmo’s broad, warm chest.

That warmth slowly soothed the chaotic unrest within her heart.

She looked at the dazzling smile curling at Zhou Jingmo’s lips and felt as if a voice whispered inside her:

“Lock him away, in a place only I can find, make him my forbidden treasure.”

“Let him smile only for me, see only me.”

Jiang Yihuan tried to restrain the wild thoughts swirling inside her. She quietly turned her head, her eyes dim and obscure in the night, “I have slight visual impairment; I really can’t see clearly.”

“He probably can’t see either, just listen to his nonsense,” Mr. Zhou chuckled, turning his gaze to Jiang Yihuan.

Seeing Zhou Jingmo’s arm around her shoulder, Mr. Zhou furrowed his brow but said no more.

“How have you been all these years in America?”

“Not bad.”

“Have you dated anyone?”

“No.”

“I heard from your father that someone has been chosen for you to marry. What’s the other person like?”

“I haven’t met them yet, so I don’t know.”

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“Hm, you’re still young; no rush to fall in love. Jingmo should be the one in a hurry.”

Jiang Yihuan pursed her lips without replying.

Zhou Jingmo lazily said, “I’m not in a hurry either.”

Mr. Zhou snorted coldly, “You’re definitely not in a hurry, or I wouldn’t have gone all these years without even a glimpse of a girlfriend.”

“Just haven’t met the right one.”

Zhou Jingmo turned to look at Jiang Yihuan, noticing her zoning out again, so he leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Not paying attention, huh? What are you thinking about?”

Jiang Yihuan couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Nothing.”

“You’re spacing out right next to me?” Zhou Jingmo lightly bit her earlobe as a gentle warning, “Make that mistake again and I’ll punish you.”

Jiang Yihuan’s interest piqued. “Oh? What kind of punishment?”

Zhou Jingmo whispered in her ear, causing her cheeks to flush, though her eyes sparkled eagerly.

This was no punishment.

It was a reward.

He said, “I’ll lock you in the basement, and then…”

Once inside the house, Mrs. Zhou came forward as soon as she saw Jiang Yihuan, taking her hand and eagerly surveying her up and down, left and right.

“You’ve come! Auntie missed you so much. You’ve grown taller, maybe a bit heavier, but you still look much the same. Oh, why didn’t you tell Auntie you were coming? Jingmo had to tell me.”

Zhou Jingmo hung his coat on a rack and rubbed his chin, eyeing Jiang Yihuan. “She really hasn’t changed much, just as beautiful as before.”

Mr. Zhou smiled, “You two, one always on video calls, the other spends 300 out of 365 days in America, of course you don’t notice any difference. I think Yihuan’s changed a lot. Last time I saw her she was just a child; now she’s grown into a young lady.”

Mrs. Zhou squeezed Jiang Yihuan’s hand, “Is it cold outside? Are you freezing?”

“No, it’s not cold,” Jiang Yihuan replied with a charming smile. “Auntie, you look younger and more beautiful than on video!”

Mrs. Zhou’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “Yihuan’s grown up, and her words have become sweeter.”

Zhou Jingmo smiled lazily. “You’re sweet with them, but not at all obedient in front of me.”

He turned to Jiang Yihuan with a meaningful look. “Throwing tantrums and ignoring me all the time. I always have to work hard to make you happy again.”

Mr. and Mrs. Zhou heard nothing but affection in those words, but Jiang Yihuan understood perfectly.

She shot Zhou Jingmo a warning glance.

Mrs. Zhou playfully scolded him, “You’re the older brother, you have to take care of your sister. She wouldn’t get mad unless you did something wrong.”

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“Oh, it seems my status in this family is precarious. I feel like the ‘second-class citizen’ here, while my sister is the pampered little darling.”

Mrs. Zhou laughed, patting Zhou Jingmo’s arm. “Nonsense, you’re both my children, both my treasures.”

Then she looked at Jiang Yihuan and pinched her cheek. “But I just adore you, my little treasure.”

Jiang Yihuan smiled softly, unsure what else to say.

She had used up her limited compliments and flattery and could only look to Zhou Jingmo for rescue.

“Stop standing around and come to the table. I’m starving,” Zhou Jingmo said at the right moment, sensing the cue.

“Yes, yes, let’s eat,” Mrs. Zhou said, leading Jiang Yihuan to the dining room. “Auntie made lots of your favorite dishes.”

“Thank you, Auntie.”

“No need to be polite. This is your home.”

The servants brought two large Breton lobsters to the table draped in pale yellow cloth. The aroma of butter and baked seafood wafted through the air. There were many other seafood dishes and seasonal vegetables, each beautifully plated.

Mrs. Zhou placed a bowl of thick soup before Jiang Yihuan. “Try this. I made it myself. You loved it when you were little.”

Jiang Yihuan took a spoonful and savored the rich, creamy lobster broth mingled with bits of shrimp meat, the exquisite flavor bursting on her tongue.

“It’s delicious. Auntie’s cooking has always been the best.”

“If you like it, have more. And there’s more.”

Throughout the meal, Mrs. Zhou kept offering Jiang Yihuan food while chatting warmly.

Jiang Yihuan smiled along but inside felt deeply unsettled.

Her twisted childhood made her feel that everyone around her, including herself, wore masks of hypocrisy, skillfully managing emotions on the stage of life.

So when someone genuinely approached her kindly, her first reaction was confusion.

Zhou Jingmo sensed her discomfort and carefully tore pieces of lobster meat with chopsticks and knife, placing them on her plate. “Eat something.”

Mrs. Zhou smiled, “Our Jingmo really knows how to take care of people—a warm man. His future wife will be so lucky, unlike your father, a straight man; his wife isn’t so fortunate.”

Mr. Zhou cleared his throat lightly and gestured with chopsticks. “Give your mother some too.”