“You’re so annoying! You know that’s not what I ant!” Liu Yue couldn’t help but laugh at Gu Yaoyao’s words, feeling like Gu Yaoyao was just teasing her.
Gu Yaoyao was washing her hands by the sink, and Liu Yue mumbled to herself, “Honestly, when we first started school, I did have a bit of a crush on Zhou Yuwen. But he feels so aloof, and guys that handso are usually playboys. My boyfriend may not be as handso as Zhou Yuwen, but at least he treats
well, right? What do you think, Yaoyao?”
Gu Yaoyao only gave a slight smile and replied, “I think Zhou Yuwen has a girlfriend.”
“Does he?” Liu Yue acted as though she didn’t know.
Gu Yaoyao didn’t say more and finished washing her hands before they returned to the classroom together.
Just as they returned, the bell signaling the end of the morning classes rang, and the morning passed by quickly. Zhou Yuwen had only exchanged a few words with his classmates and spent most of the ti chatting on WeChat.
In fact, Zhou Yuwen and Zheng Yanyan had been ssaging since the previous night, but because he’d gotten back late, they hadn’t talked much. So as soon as class started, she continued to ssage him.
“Did you get to school yet? What are you up to now?”
Zhou Yuwen replied to each question: “Yep, I’m in class.”
It was a clear October morning. Although the temperature hadn’t dropped much, the leaves on the campus trees had begun to fall. The air still felt fresh, and unfamiliar birds chirped outside the classroom window.
Zheng Yanyan’s four-person dorm was seated closer to the front in the lecture hall. Su Qing and Shen Yu were listening intently to the lecture, while Zheng Yanyan was on her phone, asking Zhou Yuwen where he’d stayed the previous night since he was out so late.
Zhou Yuwen replied: “Bought a house in Jinling during the break; stayed in the new place last night.”
Zhou Yuwen had never ntioned buying a house before, and Zheng Yanyan was a bit stunned. She quickly shared the news with her friends: “Hey, Linlin, guess what Zhou Yuwen just told ! He bought a house in Jinling over the holiday!”
“Oh,” Lu Lin replied, not finding it as remarkable as she expected.
Shen Yu, however, was a bit surprised. “Zhou Yuwen bought a house?”
“Yeah! I an, we’re only freshn, and he’s already buying a car and a house? It’s kind of shocking,” Zheng Yanyan said, feeling sowhat proud, knowing her boyfriend was financially well-off.
“Linlin, what kind of house do you think Zhou Yuwen bought?” Zheng Yanyan asked Lu Lin, as she often confided in her.
Lu Lin, as usual, was indifferent. “How would I know?”
“True.” Zheng Yanyan giggled but then complained, “Zhou Yuwen is too much; he didn’t even discuss such a big decision with .”
Su Qing wasn’t pleased with that. “Why should he discuss it with you?”
“I’m his girlfriend, aren’t I?” Zheng Yanyan replied.
Su Qing scoffed, “Being his girlfriend ans you get a say in his house purchase? Weren’t you just saying you didn’t plan to move away? So what’s your plan now that he’s buying property in Jinling? Are you planning to get married in Jinling?”
“Well…” Zheng Yanyan paused, realizing she hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“Hmph.” Su Qing’s comnt made Zheng Yanyan wonder if Zhou Yuwen was really thinking long-term with her. If he was, wouldn’t he at least discuss it with her? If he could afford a house in Jinling, why not consider one in Beijing?
“I wonder what kind of house he bought,” she muttered.
Given that Zhou Yuwen had spent 800,000 on a car, she speculated that he might not have much left. Maybe he’d bought a small unit.
“Ask him if he paid in full or took out a loan,” Shen Yu suggested, curious about the type of ho Zhou Yuwen could afford.
Obediently, Zheng Yanyan ssaged Zhou Yuwen, who confird he’d paid in full.
Considering the housing prices in Jinling, with small units starting around a million, Shen Yu guessed Zhou Yuwen’s parents might have given him around 1.5 to 2 million, minus the car’s cost, aning he probably bought a small unit with cash.
With a playful smirk, Su Qing added, “So, Miss Zheng, with such a distinguished family background, are you really planning to squeeze into a small apartnt with Zhou Yuwen?”
Annoyed, Zheng Yanyan shot back, “Would you?”
“Of course I would!”
“Even if you would, Zhou Yuwen wouldn’t choose you!”
“You—!”
“Humph!”
The two girls bickered playfully. anwhile, Zheng Yanyan continued ssaging Zhou Yuwen, asking about the size of his apartnt.
Zhou Yuwen replied, “Guess.”
“You didn’t buy a house just to try and… well, get
to move in, did you?” she teased, adding a playful emoji.
“...”
Zhou Yuwen responded with three ellipses, neither confirming nor denying.
To Zheng Yanyan, his lack of response hinted that he might indeed have this in mind, so she replied: “We agreed on a three-month probation period, rember? So don’t get your hopes up. ??”
Zhou Yuwen chuckled, typing back, “So, if I don’t pass the ‘probation,’ does that an I’ll never get anywhere?”
She sent back a couple of cute emojis, trying to dodge the question, then quickly changed the subject, “Hey, why don’t my roommates and I co check out your place at noon?”
“Sure.”
Her reaction was natural; she wasn’t the type of girl who could be easily wooed with sweet words alone. If she were, she wouldn’t have been single for her whole previous life. While she valued her independence, she was slightly curious and skeptical about Zhou Yuwen’s sudden decision to settle in Jinling.
So while Zheng Yanyan was hesitant about moving in, Zhou Yuwen understood her thoughts but wasn’t in a hurry. If they ended up together, that’d be great; if not, it didn’t matter much to him. Although he had a bit of a dominant personality, he respected her boundaries, even considering breaking up after three months if things didn’t progress.
Once Zhou Yuwen agreed, Zheng Yanyan invited her roommates to tour his new apartnt at noon.
“Sounds good,” Shen Yu and Su Qing both agreed, genuinely curious about his place.
However, Lu Lin said, “I think I’ll skip it.”
“Why not?” Zheng Yanyan asked, surprised.
“It’s just… no big deal,” Lu Lin replied.
“How could it not be? Linlin, that might be my future marital ho! Aren’t you curious to see it? Plus, if we stay out late soti, we could all crash there together,” Zheng Yanyan teased.
Lu Lin, still uninterested, said, “It’s your house, not mine. Besides, you said it’s small. I’d just take up space.”
“No way! You have to co—you’re my best friend,” insisted Zheng Yanyan, pouting.
Shen Yu added, “Co on, join us! We can all have lunch together.”
“Right? Who knows—maybe it’ll be *my* marital ho,” Su Qing teased.
“Cut it out, Su Qing!” Zheng Yanyan shot back imdiately.
After a bit more back-and-forth, the fourth period ended, and Zheng Yanyan asked Zhou Yuwen where he was.
Zhou Yuwen texted her the classroom number and asked what she needed.
She didn’t reply.
Shortly afterward, a tall figure appeared at the classroom door.
Zheng Yanyan had dyed her hair, and Zhou Yuwen almost didn’t recognize her at first glance.
As the students in the class looked on, so stared at the beauty at the door in awe. Chang Hao was one of the first to recognize her and seed stunned.
Zheng Yanyan, already beautiful, now had a fresh look with a stylish new haircut dyed a soft pink that made her fair skin glow. She was dressed in a white V-neck T-shirt and gray denim shorts, her long legs strikingly accentuated by her pink hair, which made her seem both confident and eye-catching.
Even the girls in the class couldn’t help but whisper to each other, wondering who this stunning girl was.
Without hesitation, Zheng Yanyan spotted Zhou Yuwen and flashed a happy smile, hurrying over to him.
Here’s the continuation of the translation:
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Zhou Yuwen looked at her and asked, “Don’t you have one more class? Why are you here now?”
“We only have four classes this morning,” Zheng Yanyan replied proudly. She motioned for Chang Hao to scoot over so she could sit beside Zhou Yuwen.
“Oh.” Chang Hao shifted obediently, and Zhou Yuwen, along with Li Qiang, moved over a spot, making space for her to sit on the outside.
Classmates were already whispering and glancing over.
“Is that the class rep’s girlfriend?”
“Chang Hao’s girlfriend?”
“What are you talking about? She’s Zhou Yuwen’s girlfriend.”
“Okay, but say that clearly! Isn’t the class rep Chang Hao?”
“Oh, right. During the military training, wasn’t Chang Hao claiming she was his girlfriend?”
“She’s so pretty, like she’s glowing!”
Their voices were low, just enough for them to be heard but too quiet to make out specifics.
Zheng Yanyan sat down, leaning her head on the desk. She seed confident but couldn’t help feeling a bit shy under everyone’s gaze.
Zhou Yuwen smiled, amused, and gently tucked her hair behind her ear, asking, “So, what brings you here?”
Zheng Yanyan looked annoyed, “What do you an, ‘what brings
here’? Of course, I ca to sit with you!”
“Listen to yourself—is that sothing a boyfriend should say?” She pouted, eyebrows knitting together. They hadn’t seen each other for thirteen days, and yet his first words were, *Why are you here?*
“Oh, so you don’t want
here? Then I’ll go!” She made a move to stand up, but Zhou Yuwen quickly pulled her back down with a chuckle. “Don’t be like that; everyone’s watching.”
“Hmph! Then say it—do you want
to sit with you or not?” she demanded.
Zhou Yuwen smiled, “Where are your roommates?”
“They’re over at the auditorium for the freshman welco party.”
“Oh hey, it’s been a while, sis! You’re looking better than ever!” Sitting on Zhou Yuwen’s other side, Li Qiang greeted her with a grin.
It took Zheng Yanyan a mont to rember him, but she finally nodded in acknowledgnt.
Li Qiang turned to Chang Hao, “Hey, Hao, say hi to her too!”
Chang Hao hesitated, then mumbled a greeting, “Hey…”
Noticing him, Zheng Yanyan cheerfully asked, “Hey, how’d you get here for the holiday? I tried booking a high-speed rail ticket, but they were all sold out.”
“Oh, I bought mine early,” Chang Hao replied, a bit flustered by her directness.
Zheng Yanyan laughed, “Wow, I had no idea I’d need to book in advance. Next ti you get tickets, let
know, and I’ll get one too.”
“Didn’t you delete him? How could he book one for you in advance?” Zhou Yuwen teased, exposing her politeness as a simple gesture.
“Hey! You’re so annoying!” she said, blushing as she lightly smacked him on the arm.
Zhou Yuwen only laughed and caught her hand, intertwining their fingers.
Seated between Zhou Yuwen and Li Qiang, with Chang Hao on the end, Zheng Yanyan felt a bit self-conscious about her past with Chang Hao. Still, she smiled and chatted with him casually, hoping he might help keep an eye on Zhou Yuwen if she couldn’t.
While talking to Chang Hao about the community of Beijing natives in Jinling, she absentmindedly brought Zhou Yuwen’s hand onto her leg.
Chang Hao noticed, and though he tried to stay unaffected, he couldn’t help feeling a pang of jealousy.
There is still more left to translate from the docunt, as it contains additional interactions and exchanges. I'll continue translating the rest for you.
Here’s the next part:
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Feeling envious, Chang Hao noticed that Zheng Yanyan had casually placed Zhou Yuwen’s hand on her thigh, and Zhou Yuwen looked almost reluctant about it.
She teased him, “What’s the matter? Had enough of flirting with older ladies in Macau and now you don’t want to hold my hand?”
Zhou Yuwen responded, “Of course not.”
“Hmph.”
As the fifth period started, the room quieted down, and Zheng Yanyan leaned in to whisper with Zhou Yuwen.
They were seated far enough from Chang Hao that he could no longer hear their conversation, though he’d already sensed that her earlier friendliness had been nothing more than polite small talk.
Watching the two of them laugh and chat in whispers, with Zheng Yanyan occasionally covering her mouth to laugh and Zhou Yuwen responding with a reserved expression, Chang Hao couldn’t help feeling a wave of envy.
In that mont, he thought, *If only I were in Zhou Yuwen’s place.*
Li Qiang, noticing this, patted Chang Hao on the shoulder and sighed, “Forget it, man. She’s officially off the market now.”
Zheng Yanyan and Zhou Yuwen’s conversation was mostly light-hearted, touching on whether he had brought gifts and what he planned to treat her roommates to for lunch.
“Why should I be the one treating everyone?” Zhou Yuwen teased.
“Because you’re the guy, obviously.”
“Well, I only treat my girl,” he replied, squeezing her leg playfully.
Zheng Yanyan burst into giggles, clearly happy with his answer. She leaned in close, brushing her lips softly against his, and whispered, “I’m your girl, and they’re my girls, so doesn’t that make them your girls too?”
Zhou Yuwen rolled his eyes with a smirk.
Finally, as the period ended, Zheng Yanyan stood up and stretched, exposing a bit of her waist under her cropped shirt. Zhou Yuwen subtly reached out to pull her shirt down a bit, reminding her, “Don’t wear that kind of outfit so often.”
She grinned, “Aw, are you jealous?”
“Yes.”
She laughed and whispered, “Alright, I won’t wear it again. I’ll save it for just you.”
Playfully wrapping her arms around his neck, she nuzzled him, turning into an affectionate and flirty girlfriend.
After the lesson, Chang Hao, who had noticed the couple’s closeness, suddenly suggested, “Hey, Zhou, want to grab lunch together?”
Surprised, Zhou Yuwen replied, “Uh, I don’t know if I can today. I promised to take her and her roommates out.”
Seeing Chang Hao’s earnestness, Zheng Yanyan playfully asked, “Oh, you’re treating us?”
“Huh?” Chang Hao was montarily stunned.
She laughed, flashing a mischievous smile, “Just kidding!”
He grinned back, “Well, if you ever need
to, I’d be happy to treat.”
With that, Zhou Yuwen took her hand, and the two left together, while Li Qiang sighed, patting Chang Hao on the shoulder again. “See, Hao? If only you hadn’t been so stubborn, maybe we’d still be tagging along. Now Zhou’s off doing his own thing.”
With that, Zhou Yuwen took Zheng Yanyan’s hand, his right hand holding a book, while his left held hers as they left the classroom together. She leaned close to him, walking happily by his side.
Watching them leave, Li Qiang couldn’t help but feel envious. He sighed, saying, “See, Chang Hao? If you hadn’t been so stubborn, we could’ve all been having lunch together. Now Zhou Yuwen has completely stopped hanging out with us.”
Chang Hao stayed quiet, his eyes fixed on the couple as they disappeared down the hallway.
---
Once outside, Zheng Yanyan looked up at Zhou Yuwen with a playful grin. She squeezed his hand and teased, “I knew you’d end up missing .”
Zhou Yuwen smiled slightly, “Yeah, yeah, and here you are, crashing my class.”
“Well, aren’t you glad I did?” she replied with a wink. They laughed as they walked, her arm looped through his.
For lunch, they joined her roommates at a nearby restaurant. Zhou Yuwen treated everyone, making sure to order a variety of dishes. The girls chatted animatedly, occasionally teasing Zhou Yuwen or sharing stories about their classes and dorm life.
Even Lu Lin, who had been reluctant to co along, seed to enjoy herself. But she was quiet, mostly observing and smiling as the others talked.
After lunch, Zhou Yuwen and Zheng Yanyan found a mont alone together. She looked at him with a shy smile, clearly happy with how their day had gone.
“You know, today was really fun,” she said softly, glancing down.
“Glad you enjoyed it,” he replied, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.
For a mont, there was a comfortable silence between them as they strolled back to campus, taking in the afternoon sun.
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