Volume 1, Chapter 8: Then He Must Be Quite Impressive

After dropping Shu Wan off at home, Meng Huaijin changed his clothes and left.

Shu Wan was a transfer student who had only been at the school for a little over a month. While she could remember the names of all her classmates, the only person she was close enough to hang out or grab a meal with was her desk mate, Lu Siqi.

After Shu Wan finished her dinner alone and cleaned up, she was just about to call Lu Siqi when another call came in. Seeing the caller ID, she hung up without a second thought. A moment later, the phone rang again—the same number. This happened three times, and just as the fourth ring was about to end, Shu Wan finally picked up.

She didn't speak, so the person on the other end broke the silence. "Wanwan, it's me, Zhou Ze."

She knew, of course. She hadn't deleted his number, but she still remained silent.

"I came to find you, Wanwan. I'm in Beicheng now."

Shu Wan was slightly startled. "What are you doing in Beicheng? Aren't you afraid your parents will break your legs?"

Zhou Ze sounded like he was on the move; the sound of suitcase wheels rolling could be heard over the phone. "Can we meet and talk?"

Shu Wan almost blurted out an answer, but she held back and feigned calm. "Better not. You should just go back."

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a sigh. "I know you're hurt and angry that we haven't been in touch these past few months, but that was beyond our control. If I really didn't care about you, I wouldn't have risked being disowned by my family to come find you. Besides, I'm already here. I'm not leaving until I see you."

"..."

*Disowned by his family*, she thought. Shu Wan’s lips curled upward, and she finally asked, "Where are you? Send me your location."

He replied, "I just left the airport and am about to grab a cab. I'm not familiar with Beicheng, so why don't you pick a spot, and we'll meet there?"

Shu Wan checked the time. It was 7:00 PM; she had three hours left before Meng Huaijin’s curfew. After mentally estimating the travel time, she chose a pedestrian street not far from her home, as it was convenient for food and lodging.

She put on her coat, took a taxi, and arrived in twenty minutes. After waiting for another twenty, she spotted Zhou Ze carrying a backpack and dragging a suitcase. The boy wore a black hoodie and a baseball cap, one hand tucked into his pocket as he waved at her from the bus stop. "Wanwan!"

It had been nearly four months. He seemed to have grown taller, and his features had become more defined. Shu Wan walked over, instinctively glancing behind him.

Zhou Ze knew what she was looking for. He ruffled her hair messily. "Stop looking. Bai Fei has things to deal with at home; she couldn't make it for now."

The girl swatted his hand away and looked down, muttering an "I see."

"Don't be so down. When she heard I was coming, she had me bring you a bunch of gifts," Zhou Ze said, looking around.

Shu Wan offered a faint smile and led him to a restaurant run by people from the South. Zhou Ze looked her up and down for a long moment, sighing, "You've grown taller too, and your standard of living doesn't seem to have changed at all. It seems your uncle has been taking good care of you."

It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned her uncle. As soon as he did, Shu Wan checked the time again. She gestured for Zhou Ze to sit and used her phone to scan the QR code for him to order, but he didn't even look at the menu, pushing the phone back. "Just order what you like. I'm fine with anything."

From kindergarten to elementary, middle, and high school, they had either been in the same school or the same class. With over a decade of friendship, Shu Wan didn't stand on ceremony and decisively ordered her favorites.

After ordering, she really looked at him. Honestly, she never expected him to come to Beicheng to see her. Now that he was here, she felt genuinely happy and touched—from the bottom of her heart. After all, before this, she had once believed that she couldn't hold onto anyone; whether it was close relatives or childhood friends, they all seemed destined to leave her eventually.

"Does your mom know?" she asked.

Zhou Ze shook his head, then nodded. "I told her I was going on a trip. She can probably guess."

"And you said you were going to be disowned."

"It's a possibility. I might be kicked out of the family tree as soon as I get back."

Shu Wan rolled her eyes at him and suddenly fell silent.

The boy watched her for a moment before saying seriously, "Don't be sad, Wanwan. We'll always be here."

Shu Wan looked down, fiddling with her teacup, and muttered, "Men's words are just deceitful lies."

"Where did you learn that?" Zhou Ze asked, surprised.

Of course, she had learned it to describe her uncle, and now it applied to all men.

He continued, "I mean it. Where are you planning to go to college? Right here in Beicheng? If so, I'll apply to schools in Beicheng too."

The waiter brought the food—all vegetarian dishes, except for one meat dish specifically ordered for Zhou Ze. The boy glanced at the food in front of her, then quietly signaled the waiter to take the meat dish away, burying his head in the vegetarian meal with her.

"It depends on my scores," Shu Wan said halfway through the meal. "We'll see what I get."

"How did you rank in the class for the unified exams?" Zhou Ze asked.

"Third in the class, sixth in the grade," she said calmly.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "That's impressive! Did your uncle hire a private tutor for you?"

"Ha, he is the private tutor."

"Then he must be pretty good!" Zhou Ze asked. "Is he strict with you?"

Strict? That wasn't just strict—that was extremely strict! Thinking of that face, Shu Wan glanced at her watch again. It was past 9:00 PM. She quickly put down her chopsticks and asked, "Are you done? If you are, let’s go. I’ll book a hotel for you."

Zhou Ze said he was finished and waved a hand. "I can't let you book a hotel for me. I’ve already booked one right nearby."

Shu Wan checked the location on his phone; it was indeed close by, within walking distance.

"Are you free tomorrow? Be my tour guide?" Zhou Ze chatted as they walked.

"I'm not actually that familiar with this area," Shu Wan said honestly. "Let's look at a map together tomorrow."

The boy laughed. "Sure."

Zhou Ze was a classic wealthy kid; he had booked a five-star hotel. Shu Wan walked him to the front desk, and noticing the time nearing Meng Huaijin's deadline, she told him, "I'll take you to the Great Wall tomorrow," before hurrying away.

"Your gifts! I brought you gifts!" Zhou Ze called out to her from the lobby.

The girl hailed a taxi on the side of the road and waved, telling him they would get them another day.

Who would have thought there would be a traffic jam? Shu Wan ended up being a full half hour late! When she opened the door, breathless, Meng Huaijin was already home.

The man was sitting on a single-seat sofa under the balcony, the tall buildings behind him casting a backdrop of shimmering city lights. His lean figure seemed to dissolve into the shadows, flickering in the dim light, handsome yet sharp.

Their eyes met. It took a few seconds for Shu Wan to snap out of her daze and force a smile. "You're back."

Meng Huaijin didn't answer. He unclasped his interlocked fingers and tapped his watch.

"There was a traffic jam. I have the driver's number if you don't believe me; you can call and check."

Shu Wan poured a glass of warm water, gulped it down, and caught sight of the food he had brought back. She tore open the package and stuffed a piece of seaweed sushi into her mouth.

"Out with a classmate?" Meng Huaijin asked, eyeing her puffed-out cheeks.

Shu Wan nodded.

"A girl?"

She strategically took another sip of water. "My desk mate, Lu Siqi. You've met her."

Last time, she had shed two tears over a broken friendship, and he had asked if it was a boyfriend. This time, someone was actually here, but Shu Wan didn't dare tell the truth. In the eyes of adults like him, there was no such thing as a pure friendship between a boy and a girl.

Fortunately, Meng Huaijin didn't press her. He reminded her not to eat too much at night before heading into his bedroom. Soon, the sound of running water filled the apartment—he was taking a shower.

The girl's brush-like eyelashes fluttered a few times; she quickly put the leftovers in the fridge and left the living room.

The next day, Meng—who was also on holiday—rarely showed mercy and asked, "Is there anywhere you want to go?"

Usually, she would have jumped at the chance, but not today. Zhou Ze had risked being disowned to come see her; if she abandoned him, it would be too disloyal.

"I promised a classmate I'd go hiking at the Great Wall," Shu Wan said, meeting Meng Huaijin's gaze and trying her best to appear natural.

The man gave a flat "hmm" and reminded her to be safe.

That night, because they had found the wrong exit at the scenic spot, they had taken a long detour, causing Shu Wan to be twenty minutes late getting home.

Meng Huaijin was not as nonchalant as the night before. He stared at her for a moment and asked in a cold voice, "Shu Wan, what's going on today?"

She told the truth about getting lost at the scenic spot, only omitting the fact that it was Zhou Ze who had accompanied her.

The second day, the third day—Shu Wan kept cutting it close, and Meng Huaijin's expression grew colder by the day. By the fourth day, because she needed to pick up the gifts Zhou Ze had brought her from the South, Shu Wan went with him to the hotel before heading home.

When the hotel receptionist saw her about to get in the elevator with the boy, she kindly reminded her, "Miss, if you are checking in, we need to register your ID."

"I'm not staying here," Shu Wan clarified.

The receptionist clearly didn't believe her. Many couples said that, only for the girl to end up sneaking into the room anyway.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but it's our policy. All guests must provide an ID," the receptionist said with a smile.

"She's just going up to get something," Zhou Ze explained.

The receptionist was used to this routine and handled it smoothly. "Apologies, sir, but we must register. If your girlfriend didn't bring her ID, providing her ID number is also acceptable."

"I have it, I have it." Shu Wan didn't have time for this, let alone time to explain. Her ID happened to be in her bag, so she pulled it out and handed it to the receptionist.

"Shu Wan."

Suddenly, a low, menacing voice cut through the air.

Shu Wan’s pupils dilated. Her heart jumped into her throat, and she felt as if she had been plunged into a freezing, icy wasteland. She stuttered, trembling. She quickly retracted her hand, stiffly turning her head to look. Struck by tension, she reflexively blurted out, "I—we didn't do anything!"

Meng Huaijin narrowed his eyes. His gaze, cold as a frozen pool, bore into her—and into Zhou Ze, who was checking into the room beside her. The cold light in his eyes was menacing, like a sharp, piercing blade aimed straight at her heart, leaving her unable to breathe.