The trip from Jinling to Suzhou took two hours. Zhou Yuwen, holding Zheng Yanyan close, unknowingly fell asleep.
At one point, he was briefly awakened by Su Qing, who had been driving her BMW X7 behind the bus. Growing impatient with the bus’s slow pace, she decided to overtake it. As she passed, she noticed Zhou Yuwen and Zheng Yanyan leaning on each other and honked her horn.
Zheng Yanyan, still half-asleep, squinted at the car outside, frowned, and muttered, “What’s wrong with her?”
Zhou Yuwen asked what had happened, but Zheng Yanyan simply grumbled, “Who knows? Acting like she’s got issues.” Then she nestled back against Zhou Yuwen’s neck and dozed off again.
Zhou Yuwen glanced briefly at Su Qing’s car overtaking them but didn’t dwell on it. At her age, if she still couldn’t drive properly, she might as well reincarnate too. He tilted his head back against Zheng Yanyan’s and continued to nap.
By the ti they reached Suzhou at 10:30 a.m., the lead teacher, Sun Lili, used a small microphone clipped to her waist to wake everyone. She tested the device before announcing, “Alright, we’ve just exited the highway. Since our schedule in Suzhou is tight, we won’t check into the hotel yet. Instead, we’ll first visit the Lingering Garden. It’s the smallest among Suzhou’s gardens, but it’s a masterpiece in spatial design.”
Sun Lili outlined the plan: a quick tour of the garden, followed by checking into the hotel at noon. As the course instructor, she focused solely on the lecture portion, leaving logistical details like als and accommodations to the class committee.
Chang Hao, as the class representative, had already coordinated with other committee mbers. The hotel was arranged, but als would be each student’s responsibility.
After two hours of sleep, Zheng Yanyan was refreshed. She rubbed her eyes and asked Zhou Yuwen what he planned to eat for lunch.
“Call Shen Yu and see what they’re doing. If we get so free ti, we’ll join them,” Zhou Yuwen suggested.
Zheng Yanyan called Shen Yu, who revealed that Su Qing and the others had already reached Shen Yu’s ho half an hour ago. Su Qing even complained, “What took you so long? We’ve been here forever.”
Ignoring her, Zheng Yanyan asked to speak with Shen Yu.
Shen Yu’s mother had planned a lunch at a hotel to welco her daughter’s university friends, seeing it as a way to show hospitality. She even ntioned Zhou Yuwen during a chat with the girls earlier.
“Hey, do you still keep in touch with that senior I t when school started?”
“Senior?” Su Qing and Lu Lin, hearing this, were confused until Shen Yu clarified she ant Zhou Yuwen.
“Oh!” They finally understood.
Shen Yu explained to her mother, “He’s not a senior. He’s in the sa year as . Back then, he pretended to be a senior to sell SIM cards.”
“Pretended?”
Upon hearing this, Shen Yu’s mother chuckled. “He must co from a tough background if he had to work so young. What’s he up to now?”
Shen Yu replied, “He’s my roommate’s boyfriend now. He’s with us on this trip. That BMW X7 outside is his.”
Her mother looked puzzled. Selling SIM cards and owning a BMW X7 didn’t quite add up. “Wait, isn’t that car your roommate’s?”
Shen Yu had to explain further, detailing how Zhou Yuwen’s family wasn’t short of money and how he had a knack for business. He started selling SIM cards in his first year, later launched a company, and now managed the school’s delivery and takeout services, making a considerable profit.
After hearing the explanation, Shen Yu’s mother sighed in her local dialect, “That young man is quite remarkable. He’d have been a great match for you. How did soone else snatch him away?”
Shen Yu blushed and nervously glanced at Su Qing and Lu Lin to make sure they hadn’t noticed before whispering back in the sa dialect, “Mom, my friends are here! Don’t say that!”
“So what? They don’t understand,” her mother replied casually. “You’re just shy. You’re always a step behind others, even in university. It’s fine to start dating now.”
The soft Suzhou dialect was incomprehensible to the others. Su Qing, curious about their conversation, asked, “What are you two talking about?”
“Nothing,” Shen Yu quickly deflected. “Mom’s insisting on taking you all out to lunch herself.”
Su Qing tried to decline politely. “Auntie, really, it’s fine. We’ll just grab sothing simple.”
“How can that be? It’s not every day you co here,” her mother insisted before asking, “Where’s your other roommate? When will she arrive?”
While Zheng Yanyan was on the phone, the bus arrived at the Lingering Garden. Though it wasn’t the weekend, the tourist attraction was bustling, and the parking lot was full of tour buses.
Zheng Yanyan inford Shen Yu, “We’re at the Lingering Garden now. Our teacher plans to give us a lecture after the tour.”
“Alright, we’ll rest here for a bit. Call
when you’re done, and we’ll co to pick you up,” Shen Yu replied.
“Sounds good,” Zheng Yanyan agreed.
The bus parked, and students filed out. Chang Hao and Gu Yaoyao went to buy tickets, while the rest of the group gathered in the shade near the parking lot to escape the heat of the late-morning sun.
Zhou Yuwen, holding hands with Zheng Yanyan, followed the group. While most students carried large backpacks stuffed with essentials, Zhou Yuwen looked effortlessly relaxed with just a pair of sunglasses. He seed like a wealthy young man on vacation, in stark contrast to others. Even Zheng Yanyan carried a small bag.
While waiting, students shared snacks and chatted. Zhou Yuwen and Zheng Yanyan stood apart from the main group. It was her first visit to Suzhou, and she excitedly took selfies under the trees.
After snapping a few shots, she noticed Zhou Yuwen’s sunglasses and playfully grabbed them off his face, trying them on while making funny faces.
Zhou Yuwen rolled his eyes at her antics.
Once Chang Hao and Gu Yaoyao returned with tickets, the students began entering the garden. Sun Lili led the way with her microphone, resembling a tour guide, while enthusiastic students followed closely. Zhou Yuwen, however, was pulled along by Zheng Yanyan, staying at the back of the group.
Zhou Yuwen’s attitude toward class was always casual—just showing up was enough for him. Truthfully, if he hadn’t coincidentally run into Shen Yu and the others and agreed to co along, he probably wouldn’t have bothered attending.
During the lecture, Zheng Yanyan seed more engaged than Zhou Yuwen. She found Sun Lili’s explanations interesting and even asked two questions, earning praise from the teacher, who said, “You have a natural talent for landscape design. Why not switch to our departnt?”
Her comnt drew laughter from the group.
The Lingering Garden, though small, was segnted into nurous areas with winding paths, offering ever-changing views with every few steps. At first, Zheng Yanyan stayed close to Sun Lili, adopting a studious deanor to reinforce her image as the perfect girlfriend.
Among Zhou Yuwen’s classmates, whispers began to circulate:
“Wow, Zhou Yuwen’s girlfriend is gorgeous!”
“I heard she’s from Beijing. Not only is she beautiful, but she’s got a great family background and even impresses the teachers.”
“Yeah, the teacher seems to like her a lot.”
These hushed discussions didn’t reach Zheng Yanyan but were loud enough for Chang Hao to overhear. Every ti he caught such remarks, he felt an inexplicable pang of envy.
In his mind, if not for Zhou Yuwen, he could have been the one dating Zheng Yanyan, soaking in all the admiration. He pictured the scene vividly:
“Look, that’s Chang Hao’s girlfriend!”
Just imagining it filled him with happiness. But why wasn’t this glory his to claim?
Watching Zheng Yanyan enthusiastically discuss design with Sun Lili while Zhou Yuwen strolled lazily at the back of the group, Chang Hao felt a mix of frustration and exasperation. If only he could teach Zhou Yuwen how to properly treat a girlfriend!
But no matter how much he resented the situation, he wasn’t Zheng Yanyan’s boyfriend and never would be.
What Chang Hao didn’t realize was that even the most delectable dish can beco tireso if eaten daily.
At the front of the group, Zheng Yanyan shone brightly, almost like a budding friendship with Sun Lili. Zhou Yuwen, however, seed indifferent, playing on his phone as he trailed behind.
Around 11 a.m., Su Qing called Zhou Yuwen.
“How much longer until you’re done?” she asked.
“Almost finished. What’s up?”
“Let’s go to Kunshan for lunch at that private dining place,” Su Qing suggested.
“Which one? Not sure if it’s open.”
“Doesn’t matter. Let’s just check it out. I think my driving’s improved significantly. We can swing by Zhouzhuang this afternoon too,” Su Qing said, still enjoying the novelty of driving since her rebirth.
“Zhouzhuang? I’m in class, you know?”
“Please, as if your class attendance makes a difference,” Su Qing teased.
“It does. I’m a good student, and you’re disrupting my studies,” Zhou Yuwen retorted.
“Yeah, right,” Su Qing scoffed.
Zhou Yuwen quipped, “Do you know why I didn’t choose you to be my girlfriend?”
“Why?” Su Qing’s tone shifted to a mix of curiosity and nervousness.
“Because you’re too silly, always dragging
into playing around. Look at my current girlfriend—she’s so serious about her studies.”
To emphasize his point, Zhou Yuwen started a video call and showed Su Qing the diligent Zheng Yanyan attentively listening to the lecture.
Su Qing rolled her eyes. “She’s just putting on a show.”
Zhou Yuwen laughed. “Such language, little miss.”
“Hmph. So, are you coming this afternoon or not?”
After a mont’s thought, Zhou Yuwen relented. “Fine, I’ll co.”
“Great. Head over to pick
up—it’ll take about 40 minutes to drive from Suzhou.”
Once they agreed, the call ended.
By 11:30 a.m., the class had finished touring the garden. Resting in a pavilion, Zheng Yanyan proudly announced that she had learned a lot.
Zhou Yuwen, sitting on a stone bench in the corridor, responded half-heartedly, “You’re amazing.”
Noticing his low energy, Zheng Yanyan spread his legs apart and sat directly on his lap. With both in shorts, the skin-on-skin contact felt particularly cozy.
Wrapping her arms around Zhou Yuwen’s neck, she kissed his cheek and asked why he wasn’t taking the lesson seriously.
Zhou Yuwen shrugged. “What you learn is the sa as
learning.”
“Ugh, I’m not even in this major,” Zheng Yanyan protested, rubbing her cheek against his.
“Then switch to our major,” Zhou Yuwen suggested.
She laughed. “Really?”
“What’s so surprising?”
“Transferring to your departnt to be classmates with you?” she teased.
“Not happening,” Zhou Yuwen said flatly.
“Figures.” She pouted, holding his face. “I’m hungry.”
“You’ve got yogurt in your bag. Drink it,” Zhou Yuwen suggested.
“I don’t want yogurt,” she whined, her hands still on his cheeks.
Zhou Yuwen reassured her, “Su Qing will pick us up soon. We’ll have private dining in Kunshan.”
“Private dining? Is it good?” She tilted his face to et her gaze.
“Delicious. Now, can I play on my phone?”
“Is your phone more fun than ?” she challenged.
Laughing, Zhou Yuwen replied, “Not right now, no.”
Zheng Yanyan rolled her eyes and leaned in for a kiss, locking lips with Zhou Yuwen for a brief yet passionate mont.
For a mature man like Zhou Yuwen, public displays of affection weren’t appealing. But for 18-year-old Zheng Yanyan, they were a way to flaunt their love.
anwhile, Chang Hao, handling hotel arrangents, approached cautiously and called out, “Old Zhou.”
Still holding Zheng Yanyan, Zhou Yuwen looked up. “What’s up?”
Chang Hao explained the room allocations—four people per room to save costs. “Technically, you should room with us, but where will Yanyan and the girls stay? I can include their rooms in the booking for a discount.”
Zhou Yuwen dismissed the idea. “Just tell
the hotel. I’ll book a separate room for them.”
Hearing this, Zheng Yanyan teased, “You’re not sleeping with
tonight?”
Zhou Yuwen shot her a look, mindful of the nearby classmates, and said, “Don’t talk nonsense. Everyone’s here.”
Unfazed, Zheng Yanyan playfully insisted, but Zhou Yuwen remained firm. “Two girls per room is perfect,” he said.
“I don’t want that. I want to stay with you!” she pouted.
“Let’s discuss it tonight,” Zhou Yuwen placated her.
Satisfied for now, she relented. Zhou Yuwen turned to Chang Hao. “Send
the hotel info. I’ll book separately. You and Li Qiang can share a room with Yuhang. I’ve got other plans tonight.”
Chang Hao nodded, though he clearly understood the implication of Zhou Yuwen’s “plans.”
Before leaving, Zhou Yuwen added, “I’ll be heading to Kunshan with them this afternoon, so let the teacher know I won’t be attending the next class.”
Though sothing about it felt off, Chang Hao agreed. “Got it.”
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