Rebirth after the college entrance examination

Chapter 174 Self-admiration
Flatbed trucks are normally not allowed into residential areas, except for the owner's house.

The security guard opened the large iron gate and led the vehicles forward. Then, together with the driver, he helped unload the tree.

After the driver left, the security guard called two colleagues to help carry the saplings into the yard.

"Wait a moment before coming inside."

Su Yi said something to Xia An, who knew she was probably going to tidy up her underwear. Xia An hummed in agreement and then watched as Su Yi ran inside quickly. Five minutes later, she came out without the flowerpot in her hand.

"Go inside and rest."

"It's okay, I'll take a look."

Su directed the security guards to plant saplings. One of the guards even brought a shovel. He dug wherever Su pointed, working hard and efficiently, leaving Xia An speechless.

Clearly, over time, the chairman's best friend has become quite influential.

The five wintersweet trees were planted in an irregular arrangement. From a distance, they looked like a small grove of trees behind a tall persimmon tree, with buds still in bloom.

After the security guard left, Su found a large pair of shears and began trimming the branches and leaves.

Xia An watched her from behind, standing on tiptoe, her coat riding up, revealing her pert buttocks and long legs, her ponytail swaying back and forth. Su Yi's back view resembled that of a high school student.

The pruned branches were not thrown away; they were held in my hand.

Before long, the five saplings had become a scenic view from any angle.

After the winter plum blossoms, there are retro red walls and green tiles.

Su Yi revealed a rare look of pride. After examining herself for a while, she seemed quite satisfied and turned to ask Xia An, "Does it look good?"

To be honest, she was more beautiful than the flowers. Xia An nodded, "She's absolutely gorgeous."

He stepped forward, reached out and took a large bunch of branches, and casually remarked, "No wonder you studied environmental art, you're a craftsman."

"I also enjoy gardening, environmental art, and landscape engineering, as well as flower arranging."

"What a coincidence, I also like flower arranging."

Su Yi clearly didn't understand the implied meaning, tilted her head and smiled, not believing it.

Xia An asked, "Are these going to be taken inside and inserted?"

Su Yi walked into the house with him. "Yes, I found a few vases. They should look nice. We'll add some holly and wheat ears for the New Year. It will be beautiful." She took off her shoes and said, "I'm here with Xiao Wan and Zhou Zhou this Spring Festival."

"That would be so lively, she'd be so happy. Does your family agree?"

Xia An followed her into the kitchen, watching her wash each item one by one, and asked.

"I'll go back on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. There are a lot of relatives at my house, and it'll be noisy."

Xia Anqi asked, "Isn't the point of celebrating the New Year to have fun?"

Su Yi said, "It's just her and Zhou Zhou, it's not lively."

Xia An said, "I came on the first day of the Lunar New Year."

Su Yi tilted her head and blinked curiously.

Xia An could guess what she was going to say: bring Le Ning or Zuo You? Su Yi knew they were both from the provincial capital, so she didn't ask directly, saving him some face.

Seeing Xia An's rare blush, as if she were about to say something, she shook her head and smiled.

"Xiao Wan has no objections, so I don't mean to defend her."

"Oh."

"Even if I want to stand up for the underdog, I'll wait until I learn Sanda from Zhou Zhou."

"..."

Xia An smiled helplessly.

This girl has a natural, indescribable charm; she is gentle and approachable, neither too close nor too distant, unassuming and genuine, making people feel very comfortable.

Su Yi wasn't lying; the vases were simple and elegant, and there were four in total.

Xia An, who also studied fine arts, believed he had a good eye for aesthetics and, not wanting to be outdone, sat down opposite the coffee table and started fiddling with it as well.

Through the gaps in the flower branches, one could see the slender waist of a beautiful woman. Su Yi, who had taken off her coat, was wearing the same tight-fitting fleece top as Tang Xiaowan. This style doesn't look good on anyone who is even a little chubby. Both Kele Ning and these other girls like to wear it.

She is beautiful and knows it herself; her figure is truly perfect in every way.

Unlike Xia An who was spying, the other person's gaze was focused intently on the flower branches.

After arranging the flowers in the vase, Su Yi glanced at the things in front of Xia An, smiled, and said, "Unlike other varieties, it doesn't need to be full of flowers. The wintersweet has branches, so don't be afraid to leave some blank space. Just place one or two branches of varying heights."

"Oh, it's the ink painting style," Xia An replied, understanding.

"Yes."

"Then why did you pick up so many?"

Su Yi started inserting the second bottle, glanced at him, and said calmly, "Give us more choices, and put in the best ones."

Xia An blurted out, "Is this the same standard you use to choose a boyfriend?"

Su Yi used small scissors to trim the excess twigs, without looking at him, "What standard?"

Xia Anle said, "Cast a wide net, don't misunderstand, for your level of good looks, this is not a derogatory term."

Su Yi ran the back of her hand through her hair and nodded generously: "Indeed, it wasn't like that before, but it is now."

"Got a story?"

Xia An picked a plum blossom and put it in her mouth, savoring its slightly astringent, sweet, and fragrant taste.

Su Yi said, "There's nothing remarkable about it. Like most people, I made an impulsive choice and ended up unhappy."

Xia An nodded, "Indeed, you shouldn't do things that make you unhappy."

He stopped trying, admitting he didn't have the skill. He poured two glasses of water and came back, quietly watching Su Yi fiddle with it.

It's amazing, "How do you find the beautiful shapes from all these random shapes?"

Su Yi looked up and smiled, "My mother loves flower arranging. When I was little, there were flowers everywhere in the alley. There were morning glories and roses on the walls. She also planted camellias on the windowsill at home. Over the years, I've learned how to do it just by looking at them."

"An alley? Your home is in the old city of Suzhou?"

"Yes, stone-paved roads, small bridges and houses. We only moved to the new town before the high school entrance exam, for the sake of the school district."

Su met his intense gaze and smiled, "What? Do you think my temperament suits that kind of place?"

Xia An nodded.

Su Yi smiled and said frankly, "A woman's temperament that can be seen at a glance is all fake."

“Hiss,” Xia An gasped, “It’s so boring to be so clear-headed at this age.”

Su Yi fell silent, clearly not wanting to discuss this topic further with him.

Xia An noticed this as soon as he entered the house; it was spotless, even cleaner than when he cleaned it himself, and could even be described as pristine.

Seeing him looking around, Su Yi said, "I've been living alone lately, so I tidied it up. Neither of them likes this style. Xiao Wan came back and put it back to normal in two days."

Thinking of the dirty and messy Tang girl, Xia An smiled knowingly, "She hasn't grown up yet."

No woman wants to grow up.

Xia An couldn't handle it.

After a while, he asked, "Do your current major courses mention smart cities?"

Nodding, Su Yi said, "Yes, it was covered in undergraduate studies."

Looking up at Xia An, and seeing that he didn't move, Su Yi asked, "You want to get into real estate?"

"..."

For the first time, looking at the girl opposite him from a perspective that was neither male nor female, nor from a superior position, Xia An finally saw extraordinary wisdom in those gentle and graceful eyes.

"Fourth-generation housing, or integrated commercial and residential areas."

"Community ecology?" That hits the nail on the head; this girl has done in-depth research.

Previously, Xia An only saw her working with her mentor on highway infrastructure and municipal engineering projects, and the drawings she made were of that type. She never expected that she would also be involved in serious commercial real estate.

"You've studied your major very thoroughly," he said with a smile.

Su smiled and waited for his follow-up.

Xia An said, "I've already started doing hotel support in the south. Recently, I've been thinking of buying a license and getting into real estate. After all, it's the hottest industry right now, and it would be a shame not to pick up some pieces while I'm at it."

Su Yi remained silent.

Xia An thought for a moment and asked, "How many years does it take to get a PhD in your field?"

Su Yi: "The degree is awarded when the thesis is approved, and it can take up to several years."

Xia An: "What are your plans after graduation? Are you really going to be a secretary or a Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) athlete?"

Su Yi: "You want to hire me?"

"Let's just chat."

"We'll see when the time comes; I don't have any concrete plans at the moment."

After the other three bottles were arranged, Su Yi leaned over and took the bottle that Xia An had previously arranged, and pulled them all out crookedly, leaving only one stem with a bent tip, which was then secured with a toothpick.

All the messy flowers were plucked off, leaving only a little red on the branch, drooping halfway.

After adjusting the direction and taking a look, Su Yi asked him, "How is it?"

Xia An tasted it, then pouted and said, "It has a Zen-like quality."

Su Yi smiled and said, "It is so beautiful that it rivals frost and snow."

Xia An said, "It's a bit self-admiring."

Seeing the sadness in Su Yi's eyes, she added, "Don't you like camellias? Winter plum blossoms are too cold."

"If it had a choice, I think it probably wouldn't want to bloom in the snow and ice."

Xia Ansong shrugged, and Su Yi stood up and asked, "Are you having dinner here tonight? The fridge is full."

Xia An said, "I have plans to meet someone tonight."

Su Yi said, "Yes, I also need to deliver food to Zhou Zhou." She glanced at her watch and headed towards the kitchen: "I need to make it now."

Xia An glanced at the graceful figure from behind and sighed.

Rebirth can correct the saying that deep affection is short-lived, but it cannot overcome the saying that extreme wisdom is bound to bring harm.

It's hard to imagine that such a precocious girl once had a deep crush on a boy her own age.

Tang Wan had secretly told him the person's name, and Xia An suddenly wanted to meet this person surnamed Bian in person to see what kind of person he was.

……

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the rich aroma of Su Yi's soup filled the first floor.

Standing at the kitchen doorway, Xia An swallowed and said, "To be honest, I really want to try your cooking, but tonight is going to be a tough night, so I'll have to save my appetite."

Su Yi, holding the soup spoon, turned around and asked, "Want some wine?"

"I reckon they'll drink until they're practically in agony."

After thinking for a moment, Su Yi took out a box of large peach-flavored fruit pieces from the refrigerator and handed it to him, "Drink this before drinking alcohol, it's good for your stomach and makes it harder to get drunk."

Xia An took it and gestured towards the gas stove with her chin, "Pork knuckle for lunch, spare ribs for dinner. Zhou Zhou can't live without meat?"

"Yes, she likes to eat meat."

"It's fortunate you have the skills," Xia An said, glancing at the time. "How long will this take? I'll take you to the hospital."

Su Yi shook her head: "No need, I'll take a taxi."

Xia An hesitated for a few seconds. He had arranged to meet Zhou Ting at 4:30. He had heard that Le Yuqun had taken a day off to come home early, and he still needed to prepare some gifts for his visit…

"Okay, I'll be going now."

He put on his shoes and shouted again before closing the door, "Let's go!"

Su Yi stretched gently and watched the thick, white soup in the casserole bubbling away for a long, long time.
-

Le Yuqun was a scholar who smoked and drank without restraint.

Two bottles of Wuliangye liquor and two cartons of Huazi cigarettes.

Last night, he asked Wei Xiaofang if she wanted a gift, and her mother suggested half a pound of Chow Sang Sang. Inspired by this, Xia An bought Zhou Ting a solid phoenix-carved bracelet, all from a candy store – keeping the good stuff in the family.

A bouquet of carnations was placed at the entrance of the residential area. When I entered, Le Yuqun had already prepared tea. Zhou Ting placed two pots of flowers, one of lilies and one of daisies, on the coffee table and the other of the dining table in the living room.

Admiring flowers and women, the mother-in-law harbors a gentle, girlish heart. Unfortunately, as a wife and mother, she ultimately opens the door for him while wearing an apron and wielding a spatula.

The scene was quite strange. Why is it that when the son-in-law comes to visit, it's always the mother-in-law who opens the door, always in the same pose, while the father-in-law is obviously in the living room, closer to the door?

And, well, come on over, what do you need to buy...?

Yu, come in and sit down quickly.

"Have some tea with your uncle, the meal will be ready soon."

"Auntie, you've worked hard."

Xia An glanced subconsciously at Zhou Ting's lower body before changing her shoes and entering the house.

Le Yuqun looked the same more than ten years later, except for a few more gray hairs; men age faster.

A cup of green tea was pushed in front of Xia An. Le Yuqun said, "I don't know if you young people like to drink tea. This is this year's pre-Qingming Longjing tea. A colleague brought it back for me from a business trip. It's been stored for half a year and hasn't gotten damp. Try it."

Pushing it over, it saved Xia An the trouble of taking it with both hands. Xia An looked at it; the tea leaves in the cup stood upright, clear and bright. She took a sip, and... well, it didn't taste like much.

Lion Peak Longjing tea has long been commercialized. If you go to the mountain to buy it, it will cost at most a hundred or eighty taels. Its reputation outweighs its taste.

Xia An nodded emphatically, "It tastes good, a bit milder than Master Kong instant noodles." Then she chuckled sheepishly.
Le Yuqun laughed and pointed at Xia An, saying, "That's good, not pretentious."

Xia An noticed yesterday's newspaper on the tea table and waited quietly for the conversation to begin.

When they met at the train station, Le Yuqun knew that Xia An didn't smoke, so she lit one herself and said with a forced smile, "Thanks to you, your aunt usually doesn't let me smoke in the living room."

Unable to respond to that, Xia An silently placed the ashtray closer to him.

Having met him in both lifetimes, he had always liked his father-in-law's personality. In this new life, he naturally felt close to him, but still sat upright as a sign of respect.

Le Yuqun took two puffs of his cigarette, exhaled gently, and said directly, "You've really made a splash this time. Our unit has been talking about you quite a bit these past two days."

Xia An smiled and said, "Uncle, didn't you say I was Ningning's boyfriend?"

Le Yuqun was taken aback, then burst into laughter. Even Zhou Ting, who had been eavesdropping in the kitchen, smiled.

Smiling and shaking her head, Le Yuqun said, "It's not a good thing that people know now. I've also called Ningning. It's fine if you're at school, no matter what, the news won't spread too far. But if it's in a government setting, it's a different story. You understand?"

"It won't spread too far?" Xia An thought to herself, "Not necessarily. Once Weibo officially launches, and there are a few months of fermentation, most people will probably know by then."

So before that, he had to talk to Yuzi in advance.

"Understood, Uncle."

"That's good. The provincial TV station also broadcast your interview last night. You did a great job."

Looking into his eyes, Xia An understood that "great" had two meanings: one was his usual questions and answers, and the other was his answer at the end about whether he had a girlfriend.

After all, Uncle Zuo and Wu Su-fen were quite pleased when they saw it last night.

The word "have" encompasses a great deal.

Le Yuqun said, "Speaking of which, guess what people within the system think of you now?"

Xia An took a sip of tea, put down the cup, and said, "The tragedy of Zhong Yong?"

(End of this chapter)