Zhou Yuwen joined Zheng Yanyan and Lu Lin for a simple dinner at the campus cafeteria.
Three months into their relationship, Zheng Yanyan’s affection for Zhou Yuwen hadn’t waned in the slightest. She still sought ways to flirt and draw his attention, but for Zhou Yuwen, the initial spark had largely faded.
During dinner, Zheng Yanyan clung to Zhou Yuwen’s arm, chattering on about mundane topics from her day. She casually rested one of her legs—wrapped in yoga pants and white mid-calf socks—on his thigh. Zhou Yuwen’s hand naturally settled on her leg, but the excitent of their early days was no longer there.
Their conversation andered through various topics. Zheng Yanyan talked about life in her dorm, focusing primarily on Su Qing.
“Do you know what she did? She washed her underwear and socks together! Can you believe it?” Zheng Yanyan said with mock exasperation.
Zhou Yuwen chuckled, finding the story amusing—it was exactly the kind of thing his ex-wife might have done.
Seeing him laugh, Zheng Yanyan happily continued recounting anecdotes about Su Qing, occasionally sprinkling in tidbits about her involvent in the Arts Departnt.
Zhou Yuwen, in turn, shared his own plans for the week.
“Our class is heading to Suzhou on Friday for a trip to the classical gardens. We were supposed to go last week, but the leaves hadn’t fully turned yet, so it got postponed,” he explained.
“That sounds fun,” Zheng Yanyan said wistfully.
“It’s a class trip, though, so I can’t take you along. Maybe another ti,” Zhou Yuwen said.
“Oh, I’ve never been to Suzhou before!” Zheng Yanyan pouted, her expression pleading.
“Next ti, I promise,” Zhou Yuwen said, brushing her off gently.
Not wanting to go alone, Zheng Yanyan turned to Lu Lin. “Hey, Lu Lin, why don’t you take
to Suzhou on your motorcycle?”
“Are you kidding ?” Lu Lin rolled her eyes. Since receiving the motorcycle Zhou Yuwen had bought her, she’d occasionally gone for short rides. But with the weather turning cold, the idea of a long-distance trip didn’t appeal to her.
Unwilling to give up, Zheng Yanyan continued to try and persuade Lu Lin.
“Right, so you two get to spend a romantic weekend together, and I get left out in the cold? Not happening,” Lu Lin teased.
Zheng Yanyan blushed and clung tighter to Zhou Yuwen. “Fine, then co with us!”
“You’re saying that now, but what if I steal him from you?” Lu Lin joked.
“You can’t!” Zheng Yanyan said, clinging to Zhou Yuwen possessively.
Their playful banter created a warm, familial atmosphere. However, Zheng Yanyan’s hope of joining Zhou Yuwen’s trip to Suzhou was dashed as Lu Lin remained uninterested in going.
At that mont, Su Qing and Shen Yu appeared in the cafeteria. Despite Shen Yu’s initial reluctance, Su Qing confidently walked over with her tray.
“What’s so funny? Share the joke!” Su Qing asked with a bright smile as she sat down across from Zhou Yuwen.
Zheng Yanyan’s face imdiately darkened, her expression turning icy.
Long cafeteria tables had eight seats. Su Qing claid the spot directly across from Zhou Yuwen, while Shen Yu sat beside Lu Lin.
“What were you all laughing about? Co on, don’t keep it to yourselves!” Su Qing asked, addressing Zheng Yanyan with a cheerful grin.
“None of your business,” Zheng Yanyan snapped.
“Wow, soone’s stingy. Didn’t we agree to be besties at the start of the sester?” Su Qing said with a playful laugh, unfazed by Zheng Yanyan’s hostility.
Su Qing’s recent success in both her personal and professional life had restored much of her confidence, making her more radiant than ever.
Zheng Yanyan ignored her, and Su Qing shifted her attention to Zhou Yuwen.
“Two more events ca up this week,” Su Qing began, addressing Zhou Yuwen. “Chen Wan and I took on a semi-packaged wedding for so of our alumni. We outsourced the planning but handled the setup, staff, and decorations ourselves.”
“That’s good. You don’t need to run everything by ,” Zhou Yuwen replied casually.
“Aren’t you curious about how much we’re making from this?” Su Qing said, fishing for praise.
“How much?” Zhou Yuwen asked, feigning interest.
“This much!” Su Qing held up her fingers in a cross, indicating ten.
“Not bad,” Zhou Yuwen said nonchalantly, his hand still resting on Zheng Yanyan’s thigh.
Su Qing noticed his deliberate display of affection but refused to be deterred. “Zhou Yuwen, don’t I deserve a reward for making you so much money?”
“I’ll give you a 20% cut once the deal is done,” Zhou Yuwen said generously.
“I don’t want money,” Su Qing pouted.
“Then what do you want?”
“Just don’t forget what you promised ,” Su Qing said with a sly smile.
“What promise?” Zheng Yanyan interjected, her suspicion imdiately piqued.
Su Qing leaned back, her tone teasing. “That’s between Zhou Yuwen and . A little secret.”
“What promise!?” Zheng Yanyan’s voice rose, unable to hide her jealousy.
Zhou Yuwen reassured her. “It’s nothing. I agreed to sing a song at the Double Holiday Gala because she helped
out.”
“It’s a song written just for ,” Su Qing added, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
Zheng Yanyan’s face fell.
“Don’t stir up trouble between
and my girlfriend,” Zhou Yuwen warned Su Qing.
“Alright, alright,” Su Qing said, laughing. “I’m just kidding. Yanyan isn’t that petty, are you?”
But Zheng Yanyan was seething internally.
---
After dinner, Zhou Yuwen took Zheng Yanyan for a walk around campus. Noticing her glum mood, he suggested they go back to his apartnt to watch a movie.
Usually, this idea would cheer her up, but tonight, she remained unusually quiet.
At the apartnt, Zhou Yuwen tried to lift her spirits. He put on Mr. Bean, a cody full of laughs, but Zheng Yanyan’s mood didn’t improve.
“Yanyan, what’s wrong?” Zhou Yuwen asked, pausing the movie.
“Can you not sing that song?” she asked softly, resting her head on his lap.
“I already promised,” Zhou Yuwen replied.
“But I don’t like how close you are to Su Qing,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Zhou Yuwen stroked her hair. “I don’t want to be close to her either, but she helped
out. It’s just one song.”
“She said it’s written just for her,” Zheng Yanyan murmured, her eyes filling with tears.
“It’s not even a good song,” Zhou Yuwen said dismissively.
“Then sing it for ,” Zheng Yanyan demanded, sitting up and looking at him expectantly.
“...” Zhou Yuwen sighed and pulled her back into his arms. “You’ll hear it when the ti cos.”
Pouting, Zheng Yanyan reluctantly dropped the subject.
“I’ll sing it, and then I’ll keep my distance from her,” Zhou Yuwen promised.
“You’d better,” Zheng Yanyan muttered, her voice laced with jealousy.
“Of course,” Zhou Yuwen said, kissing her on the forehead.
Reassured, Zheng Yanyan finally broke into a smile. She snuggled closer to Zhou Yuwen, her earlier insecurity temporarily forgotten.
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