Chapter 17

"What?"

"Your girlfriend's coming over?"

Zhang Dongshan, likely overhearing the conversation, suddenly lit up.

"Maybe."

"I don't know what's gotten into her!"

"She came to your door on her own—that shows sincerity. What's 'crazy' about that?"

Zhang Dongshan rolled his eyes and urged, "Hurry up and eat, then clear the table. It's her first time here—don't make it look like a mess!" This novel is originally published on TianTian Kan XiaoShuo -> ttks. tw, offering you error-free, properly ordered chapters.

Saying this, Zhang Dongshan began tidying up the cluttered living room.

Zhang Xian quickly finished breakfast, then walked to the gate and glanced toward the end of the alley.

At that moment, Zhang Zhaodi was feeding a sausage to their yellow dog, Weier; since being rescued, the once emaciated Weier had been fattened into a "little yellow pig," his belly round and swollen.

"Xiaoxian, aren't you going fishing today?"

After feeding the last piece of sausage, Zhang Zhaodi looked up at Zhang Xian.

"I am, but later."

Fishing was just too addictive—once you got hooked, you couldn't get out, and Zhang Xian was one of those who'd fallen in.

Of course, this also had to do with his activated lying-flat system; without the system backing him up, fishing as a hobby was far too luxurious for a young person.

After all, most young people were stuck in 996, working like beasts—where would they find time to fish?

"Xiaoxian, what're you up to?"

As Zhang Xian peered toward the alley's end, a well-dressed man with gold-rimmed glasses walked over from the other side.

"Nothing much—just finished eating, taking a stroll."

"Old Pang, you're dressed up like a gentleman and even sprayed perfume—are you on a date?"

The man with gold-rimmed glasses was Pang Fei, Zhang Xian's childhood friend, one year older; after graduating college, he joined a foreign company, and his father, Pang Dachun, bought him a Camry.

Among his peers in Dongliutiao Hutong, Pang Fei was among the most successful—especially among the boys—and Zhang Dongshan had often compared Pang Fei to Zhang Xian.

"You noticed that already? I recently started dating a new girl—she's a micro-influencer, her looks and figure match my taste perfectly—I've got to be careful!"

Pang Fei chuckled.

"An influencer?"

"Cool!"

Zhang Xian gave a thumbs-up—in this day and age, anyone who dated a female influencer was a hero.

It wasn't that all female influencers had bad character, but their circle made them more pragmatic, their spending habits far more aggressive than ordinary girls', which most regular people simply couldn't afford.

Online, there were countless cases of men maxing out credit cards, taking out online loans, even embezzling funds for female influencers—and once they ran out of money, the only outcome was being dumped.

Pang Fei's income was decent—around 20,000 yuan a month—but that was only impressive to ordinary people; in the influencer circle, it was nothing.

So upon hearing Pang Fei had dated an influencer, Zhang Xian could only silently wish him luck.

But Pang Fei was still basking in the excitement of having a beautiful girlfriend. He beamed: "Xiangxiang isn't like other female influencers—she doesn't do suggestive stuff, just sings and chats."

"By the way, my dad said Dong Xu is dating someone too."

"Xiaoxian, you've got to step up—we're the Three Heroes of Six Lanes, and you're the only one still single!"

As kids, Zhang Xian often played with Pang Fei and Liu Dongxu; back then, wuxia dramas were wildly popular, and the three had named their group "Three Heroes of Six Lanes."

That nickname had been buried in Zhang Xian's memory for years—now that Pang Fei suddenly brought up "Three Heroes of Six Lanes," he couldn't help feeling nostalgic.

"Actually, I'm dating someone too."

Pang Fei's information was clearly outdated—he didn't know Zhang Xian was dating Chu Yourong.

But that was normal: yesterday after dinner, Liu Dongxu and Wang Jiajia had gone to a hotel—they probably hadn't even woken up yet, so Liu Dongxu hadn't had time to spread the news.

Although Chu Yourong had told him yesterday not to reveal his identity, the probability that Liu Dongxu would casually spread it around the alley was still very high.

"Really?"

"I didn't hear anything!"

"We should get together for a meal sometime."

Pang Fei said, surprised.

"Sure thing."

Zhang Xian nodded in agreement.

"I've got to go on my date now—rare weekend off, been working overtime lately."

Pang Fei waved goodbye, about to leave, when he spotted a graceful, ethereal young girl walking toward them—she wore a pale yellow long dress, its hem swaying gently with each light step, glowing softly in the sunlight.

The girl had long, jet-black hair with slightly curled ends, making her porcelain skin appear even more translucent; in her hands she carried two elegant gift boxes, and she seemed to be searching for someone, glancing occasionally at either side of the alley—until she saw Zhang Xian standing at the gate, her lips naturally curving into a faint smile.

"Chu, Chu Yourong!"

"I'm not dreaming, am I?"

Pang Fei was stunned, barely believing his eyes—he worked in IT, a big-tech programmer, and many of Chu Yourong's fans were guys like him.

"It really is Chu Yourong."

"Xiaoxian, you know Chu Yourong, right?"

Pang Fei grabbed Zhang Xian's arm excitedly, then whispered: "See? She's smiling at me."

"Good thing I dressed up for my date!"

"But why is she here in our alley? For the past two days, she's been trending because of her relationship announcement—yesterday, paparazzi even caught her having dinner with her boyfriend!"

"She's walking toward us..."

Saying this, Pang Fei instinctively puffed out his chest.

Zhang Xian shook his arm free: "Old Pang, can you let go of my arm?"

"Xiaoxian, how can you be so calm?"

"You don't even know Chu Yourong?"

Pang Fei let go of his grip and said, somewhat puzzled.

"Of course I know her."

"She's my girlfriend."

Zhang Xian shrugged lightly.

"What?!"

"Chu Yourong is your girlfriend??"

"Stop joking!"

"Her boyfriend was officially announced on Weibo—and it's not you!"

Pang Fei first gasped, then shook his head.

"Her announced boyfriend hasn't even shown his face—how do you know it's not me?"

"Like that internet celebrity who performs concerts without showing her face—do you even know who she is or what she looks like?"

Zhang Xian spoke confidently.

But Pang Fei naturally didn't believe him; he rolled his eyes: "You just said her boyfriend hasn't shown his face—so it could just as well be me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Yourong walked up to the two of them.

"What are you two standing there for?!"

"Don't you even come greet me?!"

Chu Yourong began with a complaint.

Pang Fei was utterly bewildered.

Huh?

Is she talking to me?

He quickly put on a smile: "Sorry, I was just too excited seeing you."

"Huh?"

Chu Yourong paused, then quickly explained: "I'm talking to Zhang Xian—he's my boyfriend."

"What?!"

Pang Fei was completely stunned. Just moments ago, he'd thought Zhang Xian was joking—but now the real person herself had confirmed it.

"Lao Pang, my childhood friend."

Zhang Xian briefly introduced Pang Fei, then pointed to Zhang Zhaodi standing nearby: "She's my third sister, Zhang Zhaodi."

"Hello, Lao Pang. Hello, Third Sister."

Chu Yourong greeted both with a smile.

"You're Xiaoxian's girlfriend??"

Zhang Zhaodi blinked her big eyes, curiously sizing up Chu Yourong as she asked.

"Mm-hmm, I'm Chu Yourong."

Chu Yourong nodded politely.

"You're so beautiful!"

"Why would you even go for Xiaoxian?"

Zhang Zhaodi asked again, her expression utterly innocent.

Uh…

Hearing this, Zhang Xian was speechless: "Zhang Zhaodi, if you can't speak properly, just stay quiet!"

"Giggle-giggle-giggle…"

Chu Yourong laughed uncontrollably, but from Zhang Zhaodi's tone and demeanor, she sensed something odd—though the girl looked like an adult, her speech and mannerisms were completely childlike.

Coming to his senses, Pang Fei muttered under his breath: I actually wanted to ask that too!

"Zhaodi, go tell Lao Zhang—the person he wants to see has arrived!"

Zhang Xian, fearing Zhang Zhaodi might blurt out another "heaven-shaking remark," sent her off to notify his father.

"Okay."

Zhang Zhaodi replied, then turned and ran into the courtyard.

Pang Fei sneakily glanced at Chu Yourong. He wanted to chat more, but didn't know how to start—just then, his girlfriend Xiangxiang called. He signaled to Zhang Xian and Chu Yourong, then stepped aside to answer.

"Why did you come?"

With no outsiders around, Zhang Xian asked quietly.

"The fake-boyfriend trick worked great—you didn't see Weibo? Our dinner made the trending list again. This morning, my agent Huan Jie told me the company has already contacted their legal team and my lawyer to negotiate. If things go smoothly, I'll finish terminating my contract soon."

"So, I'm going to add more fuel to the fire!"

Chu Yourong wore a smile of imminent victory.

"Alright, that's good news."

Zhang Xian shrugged lightly—if Chu Yourong could finish her contract soon, his task would be done.

Two million in hand—perfect.

"Zhaodi seems… not quite right?"

Chu Yourong whispered again.

"Her IQ is stuck at nine years old. She did it to save me—I'll tell you the full story later."

Zhang Xian gave a brief explanation.

At that moment, Zhang Dongshan, having heard the news, stepped out of the courtyard with a beaming smile: "Why are you standing at the door? Come in quickly!"

"Uncle, hello. I'm Chu Yourong. Sorry to trouble you."

"No trouble at all—how could this be trouble? Xiao Chu, you should've come sooner!"

Zhang Dongshan's face was filled with smiles.

When Zhang Xian had first mentioned he'd gotten a girlfriend, he'd assumed the girl was probably just an ordinary person; he never expected his future daughter-in-law to be this beautiful—even more beautiful than most female stars on TV.

Hmm, Chu Yourong.

Why does that name sound so familiar?

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhang Dongshan suddenly felt the name Chu Yourong rang a bell—he'd seen it somewhere recently.

After ushering her inside, Zhang Dongshan took another careful look at his future daughter-in-law, then suddenly connected the woman before him with the female star from the news.

"Xiao Chu, are you a singer?"

Zhang Dongshan asked in surprise.

"Mm-hmm, I'm a member of the Moonlight Girls, but I'm currently negotiating to terminate my contract with the company."

Chu Yourong nodded in response.

"So the person in the news really is you?"

"That pixelated guy in the photo… is Xiao Xian??"

Zhang Dongshan stared in shock—he was an old man who didn't care about girl groups, so he hadn't known who Chu Yourong was before.

But these past two days, Chu Yourong's romance had gone viral; he'd accidentally scrolled past it on TikTok and had silently grumbled at the photos back then.

Was the guy too ugly to show his face or what?

And now, this "faceless guy" turned out to be his own son!

"Mm, I didn't want Zhang Xian to be harassed—he's not in the industry anyway."

Chu Yourong explained.

"Yes, yes, you're doing this for Xiao Xian's sake."

Zhang Dongshan nodded vigorously—he'd recently experienced the taste of fame thanks to "Apple Fragrance."

And as the saying goes, fame brings trouble: though his TikTok livestreams drew huge crowds, they also brought a flood of insults and criticism.

So it was better for a commoner not to be exposed to the media.

Take his own son—if Zhang Xian were revealed as Chu Yourong's boyfriend, he'd be flooded with endless abuse and mockery.

Comments like "You're not good enough," "Such a good cabbage wasted on a pig," "A flower stuck in manure" would drown the comment section.

"Uncle Zhang, Xiao Xian said you're a singer too—the original singer of the hit song 'Apple Fragrance'!"

"You're amazing!"

Chu Yourong praised with a smile.

"It's not me who's amazing—it's our Xiao Xian."

"'Apple Fragrance' is such a great song—many singers could've made it popular. It's Xiao Xian, the creator, who's truly amazing!"

Zhang Dongshan abandoned his usual boastful tone and gave all the credit to Zhang Xian.

He did this, of course, to elevate his son.

Chu Yourong was a famous girl group member, a nationally known star; Zhang Dongshan still didn't understand how she ended up with his son.

But following the principle of "equal social standing," if his future daughter-in-law was a star, then his son Zhang Xian needed an equally impressive title.

Otherwise, it would be "woman above, man below."

And "famous songwriter" was at least somewhat compatible with "female star."

"'Apple Fragrance' was written by Zhang Xian?"

Chu Yourong was stunned—Zhang Xian had never mentioned this to her.

"Yeah, didn't Xiao Xian tell you?"

"It's just one song—what's the big deal?"

Zhang Xian cut in, waving his hand dismissively.

"Our Xiao Xian is just humble."

Zhang Dongshan immediately added with a chuckle.

"He's not just humble—he's also very low-key…"

Chu Yourong glanced at Zhang Xian beside her—she hadn't picked him as her "boyfriend" randomly.

Zhang Xian had fished by the river for three days; she'd sat in the coffee shop she ran with her best friend Han Ziwei and watched him for three days.

In her view, this fisherman was "solid," patient enough, and had plenty of free time to cooperate with her act.

But Chu Yourong never imagined the "boyfriend" she'd picked up by the river was actually the creator of the hit song "Apple Fragrance"—too bad this kind of song didn't suit her style, or they might've had future collaborations.

As was customary for a daughter-in-law's first visit, Zhang Dongshan prepared a large red envelope and invited Chu Yourong to stay for lunch.

Only at around two in the afternoon did Chu Yourong leave the Zhang Family, accompanied by Zhang Xian.

"Hand it over!"

After walking a distance, Zhang Xian extended his hand.

"What?"

Chu Yourong looked at him, puzzled.

"The red envelope!"

"My dad gave it to you!"

Zhang Xian spread his hands: "The agreement says if either side's parents give money, it must be returned in full."

"Pfft~"

"Like I even care!"

Chu Yourong rolled her eyes and immediately pulled the red envelope Zhang Dongshan had given her from her shoulder bag, handing it to Zhang Xian.

"Whoa, this is thick!"

"Old Zhang really went all out!"

Zhang Xian pinched the envelope's thickness and sighed, then said to Chu Yourong: "I'm going to use this money to buy a new fishing rod. If Old Zhang asks later, say you gave it to me—don't let it slip!"

"Got it!"

Chu Yourong snorted and strode swiftly toward the alley's entrance.