Under the scorching sun, Gu Ci squinted at Chen Jinyao before him. After what seemed like forever, he finally adjusted his mindset and cleared the loneliness from his eyes. “Your answer makes it hard for people to accept,” he said half-jokingly, positioning himself as an old friend with a familiar, relaxed tone.
Chen Jinyao couldn’t quite read his attitude, but she could make her own stance clear. She smiled, “There’s really nothing to feel unaccepting about.”
The cicadas chirped gradually louder. Gu Ci shifted his gaze elsewhere, looking at the blazing sun in the sky shooting out rainbow halos one after another.
Regret slowly seeped out of him. He wanted to refute Chen Jinyao’s words casually, but thinking about it, it seemed meaningless. In the end, he pressed his lips together and remained silent, not following up on her words.
Chen Jinyao was very calm as she continued speaking. Rather than explaining things to him face to face, it was more like he was just a willing listening ear. At least, that was Gu Ci’s first impression after hearing what she said – he felt like an insignificant listener.
“Before meeting Yan Cheng, there was no one else in my heart.”
“But if you’re asking about meeting Yan Cheng during university years, we might not have developed a relationship then.”
As she said this, Chen Jinyao tried her best to put herself in the original owner’s mindset. After finishing, she immediately withdrew from that perspective. She curved her eyes, though the smile didn’t reach them, and said earnestly while straightening her back: “I probably believe in fate. The right time, right place, and right person – in my eyes, all three are indispensable.”
“Being with Yan Cheng was probably the result of all three factors coming together.” Her eyes sparkled with light, and her expression suddenly turned gentle when mentioning Yan Cheng, “After that, it was probably his personal charm.”
The long explanation could be summed up in two words: fate.
“…” Gu Ci wasn’t stupid, but now he suddenly missed the bitter taste of the cigarette from earlier. Regret was useless, and there was no need to dig deeper. After lowering his eyes and staying silent for a while, when he spoke again, he also smiled – a faint, light smile. “Chen Jinyao, I feel you’ve changed a lot.”
She used to be more carefree, doing everything fearlessly, making every memory of her in his mind particularly vivid.
But now, she seemed to have become more tranquil, as if weathered by time. She was still the same person, but something felt different.
This was what Gu Ci had noticed the moment he met her at the airport.
“But that’s natural, people change,” he added softly.
Hearing this, Chen Jinyao’s heart skipped a beat.
Regardless of how she and Yan Cheng had discussed that “the class assistant was just reminiscing about youth,” at this moment, Chen Jinyao was almost certain that the class assistant had truly liked the original owner. It was just that his hidden feelings were so deep even he hadn’t noticed them at the time, leading them to slowly be worn away by time.
She wasn’t sure if her guess was correct, but she had a clear mirror in her heart – old matters that didn’t concern her didn’t need to be revisited.
Chen Jinyao gazed at Gu Ci with detachment, then half-truthfully agreed: “Yes, the past me isn’t the present me, and the present me can’t be the past me.”
“…” Gu Ci tugged at the corner of his mouth, smiling bitterly in resignation.
…
After frantically photographing familiar buildings, corners, and scenery on campus, the class monitor had separated from the group. He didn’t mind, finding a wooden bench under a tree to sit down. Leaning against the backrest, shaking his leg while preparing to edit a Moments post, he received a WeChat message from Gu Ci.
Gu Ci: [I have something urgent to attend to, so I’m leaving first. Please let the others know.]
Gu Ci: [Have fun, enjoy yourselves!]
The class monitor looked up at the willow leaves above, sighed deeply, and after a long while, picked up his phone to reply with an “okay.”
Meanwhile, Chen Jinyao was standing in her long-awaited nail salon, bending slightly to carefully select the design she wanted. The more patterns she saw, the more indecisive she became.
The air was faintly filled with nail polish smell, not strong or pungent, but those unaccustomed to it would still instinctively wrinkle their brows.
Chen Jinyao suddenly paused, as if struck by something important amid thunder and lightning. She straightened up, held her breath to consider for a moment, and quickly made a decision in her deliberation. With an apologetic smile to the owner, she left.
Just as she stepped out of the nail salon, she ran into Yan Cheng returning “triumphantly” with his purchases – the parasol he bought was exactly to her liking.
Yan Cheng raised his eyebrows casually, proud of himself, “I knew you’d be here. Why did you come out?”
He walked over and handed her an orange juice.
He then fished out a can of cola from the shopping bag for himself.
With a long hiss, he opened it, seemingly releasing bubbles. Being cold, there were water droplets falling from the can’s surface.
The sensory experience was complete – both audio and visual – especially since drinking ice-cold cola in summer was such an enjoyable treat.
Chen Jinyao pulled him to walk outside, looking up to stare at Yan Cheng’s bobbing Adam’s apple.
Then she shifted her gaze, looking at the can in his hand with an almost desperate expression, before lowering her eyes to glance indifferently at the orange juice in her hand.
The orange juice wasn’t very cold. Chen Jinyao hesitated for a second, then said with complete sincerity: “Let’s swap?”
“What?” Yan Cheng didn’t understand.
She carefully pointed at the cola in his hand, swallowing, “Orange juice is better for you.”
It has Vitamin C, it’s healthier.
After speaking, she maintained an “I’m doing this for your own good” expression.
However, Yan Cheng wasn’t buying it.
He lifted his chin, looking down at Chen Jinyao, speaking particularly arrogantly and in a typically male way: “How can a grown man drink orange juice?”
Hearing this, Chen Jinyao blinked and stated calmly: “Cola kills sperm.”
Yan Cheng: “…”
He had just raised his arm to bring it to his mouth.
Chen Jinyao stared at him with reproachful eyes, expressionless as if discussing matters of national importance, “You need to think carefully, for the sake of your future generations.”
She didn’t forget to use herself as an example, persuading him gently, “Look at me, because nail polish has a smell, I gave up getting my nails done, even though I loved that deep red color.”
“…” Yan Cheng felt the pressure and slowly lowered his arm.
Seeing the situation turning in her favor, Chen Jinyao immediately brightened up, “So, let’s swap, orange juice tastes good too, you should try it.”
Yan Cheng knew her too well and laughed coldly.
Then, under Chen Jinyao’s expectant gaze, he threw it into the trash with a clang.
“You’re right, but both men and women need to be careful,” he said meaningfully. “For the sake of our future generations.”
Returning her own words.
Chen Jinyao remained silent, her expression somewhat complicated: “…”
But her heart wasn’t as calm as her surface appearance, silently screaming: What does this have to do with me?!!!
A typical case of lifting a rock only to drop it on one’s own feet – she could have at least had a few sips!
Chen Jinyao puffed her cheeks and gritted her teeth.
She thought Yan Cheng was such a scoundrel, actually preferring to waste… rather than recklessly creating a scene of love-hate.
Chen Jinyao gritted her teeth: “Don’t talk to me, I just want to pin you to the dental chair and sew your mouth shut.”
“…” Yan Cheng’s eyes widened as he drew in a sharp breath.
After a while, he pretended to be surprised: “Women are the most poisonous???”
Chen Jinyao sneered: “Bah.”
Yan Cheng used his free hand, making his index and middle fingers walk like a little person through the air to her eyes, then bent his knuckles as if kneeling down with a thud: “Okay, wife, I was wrong.”
Chen Jinyao: “…It’s fine.”
People gradually started dropping out of the two-day class reunion.
Not many, but Chen Jinyao was definitely among this small group. After singing at the KTV that evening, she told the class monitor about her situation.
The class monitor made a token effort to persuade her to stay, not being as persistent as when he had invited her to come. After failing to convince her, he just let things be.
For Chen Jinyao, the class reunion filled with unfamiliarity and formality was really tasteless. She didn’t know why she had agreed to come in the first place, but ended up dealing with the original owner’s emotional issues while she was here.
In the noisy KTV room.
Because of Gu Ci’s early departure, Xu Ting began targeting Chen Jinyao again, though not so blatantly, just occasionally making pointed remarks that were harmless. Later, when Yan Cheng couldn’t stand it anymore and started confronting everything expressionlessly, Xu Ting shrank back and finally quieted down.
However, by the time everyone dispersed, she was completely drunk.
Yan Cheng and Chen Jinyao hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol.
Whether during dinner or at the KTV.
Whenever someone wanted to toast the former study representative, Yan Cheng would raise his juice and drink it in one go, blocking for her with: “Sorry, she can’t drink.”
“If the study rep can’t drink, then you drink!” This came from someone who was already stumbling drunk.
Yan Cheng narrowed his eyes and replied honestly: “Sorry, I can’t drink either.”
Fortunately, no one threw a drunken tantrum about them being disrespectful.
Playing until midnight, everyone’s voices were hoarse from shouting.
When they walked out of the room dragging their tired bodies with fuzzy heads, reaching the lobby front desk to pay, just before parting ways with Chen Jinyao’s old classmates, Yan Cheng suddenly had the idea to earn some face for his wife.
Being the sucker who pays when rich and foolish was something he’d do just this once.
It was all to give his wife face, and this move wasn’t a loss.
Moreover, Yan Cheng felt that being a bar owner for so long had given him the mistaken notion that “nightlife was his domain.”
The class monitor was in charge of organizing and hadn’t drunk much.
Just as he slightly shook his head and made eye contact with the front desk staff, taking out his phone to unlock it, about to ask how much it cost, someone beat him to it.
Yan Cheng: “Let us handle it, we can’t let you keep paying.”
Though the class reunion had class fees like during school activities.
But for some activities, the class monitor really paid out of his own pocket.
The class monitor was slightly stunned.
This KTV in Shanghai seemed to be quite famous.
The cost wouldn’t be small.
Before coming, everyone had said: “We’re all working adults now, if we’re going somewhere, let’s go somewhere upscale, with big private rooms.”
This suggestion had received overwhelming support.
Class reunions weren’t just about reconnecting with old classmates, showing off was also important.
Coming back to his senses a moment later, the class monitor quickly refused: “No need, I’ll handle it…”
Room 109, thank you.
Then, they heard the staff say: “Room 109, right?”
Several people chimed in: “Yes, yes, yes.”
The staff smiled: “It’s already been paid for.”
Before everyone could voice their confusion, they looked toward the Yan Cheng couple, and after examining them for a moment, said confidently: “Are you Sixth Young Master Yan?”
Yan Cheng, who could be recognized even in Shanghai, frowned and gave an “mm” in response.
Chen Jinyao also furrowed her brows.
Staff: “The bill was paid by Fifth Young Master Yan half an hour ago.”
Half an hour ago, Yan Cheng had left the room once to use the bathroom.
And Yan Five had made a name for himself in Shanghai years ago.
This situation was certainly unexpected.
Yan Cheng: “…”
The good husband image he was trying to maintain and the final chance to show off by being the sucker who pays before parting ways was ruined by this unexpected development.
The unexpected development was his own brother.
Yan Cheng: “Ah, I forgot that Little Five is in Shanghai.”
Chen Jinyao: “…”
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