Author: maikaelaaa

The Only Daughter of the Wen Family

Edited by Elv

Tianyin Corporation, the Wen family. A mysterious family known in the circles of old prominent families but unheard of in the new noble clans.

The Wen family, an old and deeply-rooted lineage, gained prominence during the feudal era. Their ancestors were once renowned officials of that time. Later, they sent their descendants abroad as the first batch of students to study abroad. Even during that era, the Wen family had accumulated considerable wealth.

It was said that the Wen family’s genealogy and lineage had been passed down intact for hundreds of years. Flipping through the family tree, one could find many famous names from history.

Such a family produced numerous talented offspring. It was said that the Wen family split into two branches several decades ago. One branch immigrated overseas, while the other, the legitimate branch of the Wen family, also moved away from the capital city ten years ago. They were said to be active in cities such as S City, Hong Kong, and even abroad.

Li Hua had been married into the Zhou family for over twenty years. Her family, the Li family, had also been in business for three generations. While not on the level of an old prominent family like the Zhou family, they were still an incomparable new noble family.

However, even so, in Li Hua’s eyes, the Wen family remained an enigmatic and unpredictable entity.

Recent news mentioned that Wen Tianqi, the current head of the Wen family, had been frequently visiting the capital city. It seemed that he was planning to move back there.

Just as this news broke, Li Hua unexpectedly saw the bracelet in question linked to the Tianyin Group’s account.

But…

Li Hua furrowed her brows. It was widely known that Wen Tianqi had remained single for decades and had no children. It seemed that the Wen family’s direct line ended with him.

There had always been speculation about the fate of the vast assets of the Wen family. Some even guessed that Wen Tianqi might adopt an heir from a collateral branch.

Could it be a girl from the collateral branch of the Wen family?

But could a girl from the collateral branch of the Wen family afford a bangle worth five million under the Tianyin Group?

Could it be that Wen Tianqi had already selected an heir from the collateral branch?

Li Hua couldn’t understand. Even after arriving home, she was still pondering over this matter. Zhou Kao’s father, Zhou Chengyun, was in the living room holding a tablet and reading the news. When he heard the sound coming from the hallway, he looked up, “Back? How’s our son?”

Li Hua changed her shoes and handed her coat and bag to the housekeeper. She walked into the room and sat down beside Zhou Chengyun. She took the water he offered and took a sip, thinking about Zhou Kao’s expression, which almost made her burst out laughing.

Setting down the glass, she used a tissue to wipe the water droplets from her lips, smiling as she said, “That mischievous boy…”

With that, Li Hua’s eyes twinkled as she leaned toward Zhou Chengyun and whispered something in his ear.

Zhou Chengyun’s eyes widened in disbelief. Suspicion still lingered in his gaze. He couldn’t fathom what his wife was suggesting their reserved and proud son had done. He exchanged a glance with his wife, confirming that she wasn’t lying. He furrowed his brows and said, “This… is beyond acceptable!”

Looking at Li Hua with a disapproving expression, Zhou Chengyun continued, “You’re actually still letting him get away with it!”

Li Hua lightly tapped him, reproaching, “Don’t overreact. What era are we in now?”

Zhou Chengyun’s face turned serious. “What era! Regardless of the era, our family rules must be upheld.”

Li Hua said, “Come on, you still don’t know your son. He knows his limits.”

Li Hua’s eyes took on a playful glint as she continued, “I reckon he was touched.”

“She’s a thoughtful girl. Zhou Kao likes cold water, and when I went there, the kitchen had hot water ready. The thermometer, ice packs, fever and cold medicine, everything was prepared. There was even a straw placed on the glass on Zhou Kao’s bedside table. Tsk tsk, even as his birth mother, I might not have been as meticulous.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chengyun’s expression also softened, and a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes. “Our son has good taste.”

Li Hua joined in the laughter. “Other people’s kids become more mature when they’re teenagers, but it took him until his twenties. He’s quite late.”

Zhou Chengyun responded, “Wasn’t it during our son’s first year of high school when you told me you suspected he was in a romantic relationship?”

Li Hua gave him a sidelong glance. “That doesn’t count.”

With a chuckle, Li Hua continued, “Actually, back then, it seemed like there might have been something to that suspicion. I suspected he had a failed crush.”

“Remember when you were transferred to that small county town during his first year of high school? It’s still a mystery to me. He had so many beautiful, well-mannered, well-bred, and intelligent girls around him, but he wasn’t interested in any of them. Instead, he fell for a girl there. It’s not that I’m biased, you know, kids raised in different family environments are different. Not that I’m saying the kids there are bad, but I thought with his pride, he might not be interested in his classmates there. And yet, he ended up having a crush on a girl there, and he even had a one-sided love that failed. During that time, he was moping around all day. I was constantly worried that his early romantic relationship would affect his studies.”

Li Hua burst into laughter while speaking. Zhou Chengyun added, “At this age, if he wants to date, he can, but you should talk to him and make sure he’s being responsible.”

Li Hua replied, “Why don’t you talk to him? Isn’t he your son?”

Zhou Chengyun stiffened his neck. “I won’t talk about this matter. You should talk to him.”

Li Hua knew that Zhou Chengyun was embarrassed to talk to his son about this kind of matter, so she laughed and didn’t refuse. However, she suddenly remembered something and turned to Zhou Chengyun. “Do you remember last month when I went to Hong Kong for an auction? I mentioned that I regretted not getting a bangle?”

Zhou Chengyun smiled. “Are you saying you found that bangle and want to buy it?”

Li Hua shook her head. “I did find it, but the situation is not what it seems.”

“I saw the bangle in Zhou Kao’s living room. It was just placed casually on the table.”

Zhou Chengyun asked, “What do you mean? Are you saying the girl had the bangle?”

Li Hua nodded. “It seems that the girl had it in her hand while she was using Zhou Kao’s computer to type. She put it on the table because it was in the way, and her laptop was still open.”

“I had Annie check the bangle. It was sold for 5 million and the transaction was made through the Tianyin Group.”

Zhou Chengyun, who was more involved in politics, was a bit unfamiliar with these corporate matters. “Tianyin Group?”

Li Hua explained, “Tianyin Group, the Wen family, Wen family!”

Zhou Chengyun suddenly realized. “Ah, the Wen family. Wen Tianqi.”

“A couple of days ago, it seems like Chi Jun mentioned to me that Wen Tianqi is planning to move back to the capital city.”

Seeing that Zhou Chengyun wasn’t getting to the point, Li Hua became a bit impatient. “Oh, you, what about that girl?”

Zhou Chengyun replied, “I’m getting to that, what’s wrong?”

Li Hua said, “Wen Tianqi doesn’t have any children, right? So what’s the identity of this girl? Is she from a branch of the Wen family, or has the Wen family already chosen an heir?”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chengyun said, “What does it matter? Whether she’s from the main branch or a side branch?”

Li Hua responded, “The substantial family assets of the Wen family are held by the main branch. If she’s from a side branch, it’s inevitable that there will be disputes over the family assets. You know our son has to take over your position. Why should he get involved in these messy affairs? I’m just worried.”

Zhou Chengyun pulled Li Hua’s hand over and lightly patted it, smiling. “You’ve been protecting him too well. Boys need to face challenges while growing up; that’s the only way they can bear responsibilities.”

Li Hua was about to say something else, but Zhou Chengyun patted her and comforted her. “Alright, don’t worry about it.”

“Nobody knows this, but Wen Tianqi has a daughter. She was raised by their family’s patriarch from a young age, kept hidden from the outside world. I only found out about it by chance.”

Zhou Chengyun chuckled, “That rascal really has some skills. He managed to win over even Wen Tianqi’s deeply hidden daughter. Hahaha.”

Both of them grew up in families like this, so they had known each other since they were young. Although decades had passed, Zhou Chengyun still felt relieved when he thought about the sour expression on Wen Tianqi’s face upon learning about this matter.

Li Hua’s eyes widened a little in surprise. “Are you saying that Zhou Kao’s girlfriend might be Wen Tianqi’s daughter?”

Wen Tianqi’s only daughter would naturally be the sole heir of the entire Wen family.

Zhou Chengyun was in a good mood as he said, “I was wondering why Wen Tianqi wanted to return to the capital city. Considering the timing, his daughter must be going to university soon. Since you saw this girl at Zhou Kao’s place and she’s likely studying in the capital city, she might even be attending the same university as Zhou Kao. He’s probably moving the family business back to accompany his daughter. Hahaha.”

Li Hua didn’t seem overly pleased with this revelation. Instead, a layer of concern clouded her brow.

Wen Tianqi was puzzled. “What’s wrong again?”

Li Hua said, “This might not be easy. You know, Wen Tianqi has only one daughter, and she’s the sole heir of the Wen family. How could he easily let her go?”

“What if…”

Zhou Chengyun took a sip of tea and casually asked, “What if what?”

Worriedly, Li Hua continued, “What if Wen Tianqi insists on taking in a son-in-law? What if Zhou Kao gets taken away?”

“Pfft!”

Zhou Chengyun spewed out a mouthful of tea, choking and coughing a few times.

Li Hua hurriedly approached and wiped his mouth with a tissue, patting Zhou Chengyun’s back. “Look at you, a grown man, and you still manage to choke on a sip of water like a child.”

Zhou Chengyun didn’t respond to his wife’s nagging. Inside, he had a sudden realization that things had gone awry. He hadn’t thought of this aspect.

The Zhou family had many descendants. Zhou Chengyun alone had three brothers, and Zhou Kao’s cousins from both sides of the family added up to four. However, in the Wen family’s main branch, Wen Tianqi’s daughter was the only heir.

Zhou Chengyun was plunged into anxiety at the thought of losing his son.

No, he had to talk to his son and help him see things clearly.

TN: HAHAAH lol hope you guys loved seeing our male lead’s parents, even though we didn’t get to see the leads in this chapter!

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Edited by Elv

Tian Yin Corporation

Zhou Kao was taken aback by the words, “What’s wrong?”

Wen Le slowly covered her face, her skin was already turning deep red.

“… Zhou Kao, you’re such a… fool…”

After a while, Zhou Kao finally realized, reaching up to touch his lips, his eyes widening slightly. He turned and opened the mirror on the other side of the wardrobe, only to see the disheveled red marks on his lips in the mirror.

Zhou Kao cleared his throat, his ears turning slightly red.

For a while, Wen Le didn’t hear any movement. She cautiously opened her fingers a little and peeked at Zhou Kao. 

She saw him standing in front of the mirror, carefully examining something.

Not knowing what Zhou Kao was looking at, Wen Le slowly lowered her fingers and asked, “What are you looking at?”

Zhou Kao was still carefully studying his reflection in the mirror. He pointed to the prominent red mark on the corner of his mouth from where he was pointing, “You did this.”

Then he pointed to another obvious mark of red beyond his lips, “And this.”

Wen Le stared at him in disbelief. This audacious guy! He’s actually thinking about these things now…

Annoyed, Wen Le was about to jump out of the wardrobe to hit Zhou Kao. Her movements were a bit hasty, causing her to slip, almost falling out.

Zhou Kao hurriedly moved forward, embracing her from under her arms to lift her up.

Wen Le hung onto Zhou Kao in half fright but then slapped his shoulder with a soft pat. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and then she held Zhou Kao’s face in her hands, raising an eyebrow at him and asking, “Really? Do you have to be so calculative about who did what?”

Zhou Kao laughed in response, holding Wen Le close and turning around, pressing her onto the bed. Laughing heartily, he said “Then calculate it for me.”

Wen Le squinted her eyes and bit her lower lip slowly, whispering, “You’re quite naughty.”

Zhou Kao chuckled softly and, using his hand adorned with the men’s ring, guided Wen Le’s hand with the women’s ring onto the top of her head, their fingers entwined. He leaned down to her ear and softly asked, “Do you like it?”

Without waiting for Wen Le’s response, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.

This kiss was different from the previous intense ones. It was filled with almost overwhelming love, restrained into a gentle, lingering flow. They exchanged their breaths, conveying their affection.

At this moment, they didn’t want to think about anything else, focusing solely on kissing each other.

However, this was destined to be an eventful night. A burst of phone ringing shattered the intimacy of the room.

In a daze, Wen Le reached out to push Zhou Kao.

Zhou Kao’s breathing grew heavy as he continued to kiss Wen Le’s lips, his words muffled, “Ignore it.”

Wen Le was also getting lost in the moment, allowing Zhou Kao to kiss her for a while longer. Finally, she managed to regain her composure and patted Zhou Kao’s shoulder gently.

Zhou Kao lightly nibbled Wen Le’s lips again before reluctantly pulling away from her.

Wen Le’s breath was still erratic as she picked up her phone. Seeing the caller ID, she jolted awake.

Zhou Kao wrapped his arms around Wen Le from behind, his lips kissing her neck. His voice was low and lazy, “Who is it?”

Wen Le squirmed a bit, saying, “My dad.”

Zhou Kao’s movements froze. He let go of Wen Le and obediently sat down next to her.

Wen Le remembered what her father had told her earlier today, and her heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath to steady herself before answering the call.

“Dad.”

Wen Tianqi’s voice came through the receiver, “Lele, why did you take so long to answer the phone?”

Wen Le felt guilty but quickly made up an excuse, “My phone was on silent, so I didn’t hear it.”

Wen Tianqi didn’t suspect anything, only advising, “Rest early tonight, don’t stay up too late. When you read at night, make sure the lighting is good to protect your eyes.”

Wen Le nodded, “I understand, Dad.”

“Why is Dad calling me so late?”

Wen Tianqi explained, “It’s nothing important. It’s just that I forgot to ask you about your preferences for the decoration style when we were renovating. One of these days, I’ll have Uncle Jiang drive you to see, and if there’s anything else you need, just let me know anytime.”

Wen Le nodded again, “Sure, I’ll let Uncle Jiang know when I have time.”

Wen Tianqi continued, “The car I got you is in the garage. But I suggest you drive less. Sometimes it’s inconvenient for Uncle Jiang to drive you since he’s accompanying me – you can contact Xiao Yang for transportation. The car he drives suits your current situation.”

Wen Tianqi gave Wen Le some more instructions, and before hanging up, he reminded her again to focus on her studies.

After ending the call, Wen Le felt a bit guilty.

Zhou Kao hugged Wen Le from behind, rubbing his cheek against hers. He whispered softly, “Having a boyfriend won’t necessarily affect your studies.”

Wen Le chuckled at his words and turned to look at Zhou Kao, “Did you hear everything?”

Zhou Kao replied, “I didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but your voice on the phone was quite loud.”

Wen Le laughed lightly, “I wasn’t avoiding you.”

Zhou Kao smiled and lifted Wen Le’s hand, kissing it softly. His voice was gentle, “Will you stay with me a bit longer and let me drive you back?”

Wen Le’s fingers lightly traced Zhou Kao’s brow, and she nodded with a smile.

But when her gaze swept over the lingering red marks on Zhou Kao’s lips, she suddenly asked, “Your mother… knows, right?”

Zhou Kao held Wen Le’s hand, wrapped his arm around her waist, and leaned against the head of the bed together. “Yeah.”

With a smile in his eyes, Zhou Kao continued, “I guess she probably noticed as soon as she walked in.”

Wen Le thought of her shoes and bag she had left in the hallway and couldn’t help but sigh, burying her face in Zhou Kao’s chest. “This is just too embarrassing…”

Meeting your boyfriend’s mother for the first time while being caught up in intimate activities on a bed – could there be anything more awkward in the world?

Zhou Kao lowered his head to kiss Wen Le’s forehead. “It’s my fault.”

Wen Le took a deep breath and asked, “Your mother left so soon because she found out I was here?”

Zhou Kao suddenly chuckled, seemingly thinking of something. “It seems she’s quite confident in leaving her sick son with you.”

Wen Le said, “Your mother’s reaction was really unexpected, but it did help alleviate my embarrassment.”

Zhou Kao remarked, “You’ll know better after meeting her more. You should get along well.”

Wen Le playfully rolled her eyes at him. “Let’s talk about that in the future when we get there.”

Suddenly, Zhou Kao remembered something, got out of bed, and left the bedroom. He returned shortly with something in his hand.

Wen Le looked and saw it was the bangle she had left on the table in the living room. She had taken it off to avoid making noise while typing on the computer.

Zhou Kao took Wen Le’s hand and helped her put it on. She jingled the bangle, and her wrist looked even more delicate and fair against the backdrop of the jade bracelet.

Zhou Kao was fixated on the bangle. He slightly furrowed his brows.

Noticing his expression, Wen Le was puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Kao shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

He just felt like he had seen this bangle somewhere before, but he couldn’t recall where exactly.

Zhou Kao couldn’t remember, but someone else might remember.

With a smile on her face, Li Hua came down from Zhou Kao’s apartment and got into the car waiting downstairs.

The driver quickly opened the door upon seeing Li Hua approaching. “Madam.”

With a contented smile, Li Hua entered the car.

The driver inquired, “Madam seems to be in a good mood. Is the young master alright?”

Li Hua took her phone out of her bag with a smile and replied, “He’s doing well. He even has the time to…”

Li Hua paused, not expressing what she meant by “still have the time.” The driver was an old staff of the Zhou family and had watched Zhou Kao growing up. Understanding Zhou Kao’s reserved personality, he couldn’t imagine how else the young master could be when he was sick.

After exhausting the driver’s imagination, he could probably only guess that Zhou Kao, while sick, was working and studying relentlessly.

Li Hua dialled an assistant’s number. “Annie, do you still have the auction catalogue from the last auction in Hong Kong? Send it to me to have a look.”

Shortly afterward, Li Hua’s phone received a message. Annie had sent the auction catalogue to her.

Opening the catalogue, Li Hua found a familiar picture. The warm jade bracelet in the photo was identical to the one she had seen today at Zhou Kao’s place.

Although not an expert, based on Li Hua’s years of experience in collecting jade and gemstone jewellery, she didn’t think the bracelet was fake.

Li Hua recalled the previous month when she had gone to Hong Kong to attend an auction for the old lady’s birthday. She had set her eyes on this bangle then, but due to the high price of the jade Buddha she was bidding for the old lady, she missed out on buying this bangle. She didn’t expect to see it again at Zhou Kao’s place, casually placed on the table.

Li Hua remembered that the final bid for this warm jade bangle was nearly 5 million RMB.

Li Hua calculated in her mind, considering which family could afford to buy this bangle. She picked out a few families with girls of the same age as Zhou Kao, but she couldn’t figure out who it might be.

She knew that the girls from those families didn’t seem to like such things much. They seemed more inclined to spend money on sports cars, designer bags, and high-profile jewelry. Moreover, these girls’ families wouldn’t casually spend a few million to buy a bangle for their daughters.

Li Hua couldn’t help but think of the girl’s shoes and bags left in the hallway. They didn’t seem to have prominent logos, and she thought that a girl willing to spend so much on a jade bracelet might not be fond of flaunting wealth. Such a girl was more like someone raised in an old family money.

However, Li Hua realized that the girls from the well-established families who were familiar with the Zhou family had an age gap with Zhou Kao. There wasn’t much interaction between them, especially considering the style of the girl’s shoes and bags. She should be someone around Zhou Kao’s age.

Li Hua couldn’t fathom who this girl was that managed to capture Zhou Kao’s heart. She knew Zhou Kao’s personality better than anyone. He was cool and distant, and his rationality always outweighed his emotions.

To be honest, Li Hua was surprised to see Zhou Kao, while sick, kissing a girl on the bed. She even doubted whether that was really her son.

Li Hua couldn’t figure it out, so she called Annie to ask her to find out who had bought that bangle at the auction.

After a while, Annie called back, “Ms. Li, the buyer for that bracelet was Tianyin Corporation.”

Li Hua was taken aback. “Tian..Tianyin Corporation?”

Previous | Index | Next

Edited by Elv

Eating Lipstick

“Don’t leave tonight…”

Wen Le looked at Zhou Kao, struggled for a moment, then nodded.

Zhou Kao, in his feverish haze, smiled satisfactorily at this sight. The smile seemed a bit silly and yet sweet at the same time. 

Zhou Kao’s sick appearance seemed much more obedient than his usual self, Wen Le thought.

Zhou Kao reached out to take Wen Le’s bag, and then from behind, he embraced her fully. It was like he was a decorative accessory hanging on her back, pushing her back to the room.

Wen Le pushed Zhou Kao away, allowing him to sit on the sofa. He sat there with his arms resting on the sofa armrest, staring straight at Wen Le.

Ignoring the intense gaze behind her, Wen Le poured a glass of warm water and brought it to Zhou Kao’s side. She squeezed a capsule out of its packaging, saying, “Take your medicine.”

Zhou Kao opened his mouth and took the pill from Wen Le. He obediently drank the warm water she prepared as well.

Throughout the process, he didn’t make a fuss, being rather well-behaved.

Seeing this, Wen Le’s heart turned so soft it felt like melting. She smiled gently, touched Zhou Kao’s forehead and cheek.

Zhou Kao’s body temperature was quite high. Perhaps due to his discomfort, he wasn’t in the mood to make a fuss.

Wen Le felt a bit sorry, “Want to lie down on the bed for a while?”

Zhou Kao held the hand that was touching his face and pulled Wen Le closer. His voice was hoarse due to the illness, “Right here, stay with me.”

Wen Le frowned.

Zhou Kao continued, “Do you need to use the computer? Just accompany me for a bit.”

Zhou Kao lay on the sofa, covered by a thin blanket. He rested his head on Wen Le’s lap, while she placed his notebook on the armrest of the sofa and started working on her manuscript.

At the beginning, Zhou Kao stared at Wen Le, but after a while, he dozed off.

Wen Le’s gaze shifted between the computer screen and Zhou Kao. Her hand rested on the keyboard as she typed. Occasionally, she glanced down at Zhou Kao and reached out to check the temperature on his forehead.

Zhou Kao woke up in less than forty minutes.

Wen Le was engrossed in her manuscript, her hand unconsciously stroking Zhou Kao’s cheek.

The faint scent of flowers and fruit from Wen Le filled Zhou Kao’s nostrils. He felt very peaceful in his sleep until he sensed a soft hand gently caressing his cheek, slowly bringing him awake.

As he woke up, he saw Wen Le’s unconscious movements. Zhou Kao’s eyes softened as he looked at her, his gaze full of affection that even he didn’t fully understand.

Zhou Kao took the hand that had been touching his face from under the blanket, brought it to his lips, and placed a gentle kiss on it.

The scorching heat on her ring finger snapped Wen Le back to reality. She looked down and saw Zhou Kao holding her hand, his eyes lowered, as he kissed her ring finger with an almost reverent demeanor.

The soft, warm lips landed between Wen Le’s index and ring fingers, yet she felt her heart race as if her memories had been instantly drawn back to that evening at the social event.

Zhou Kao held her hand just like this, leaning down to kiss the same spot, twice. 

Only this time, there was no ring standing between them. 

Confronting this blazing touch was far more intense than she had imagined.

Wen Le’s heart nearly immediately started racing uncontrollably. 

She instinctively tried to withdraw her hand due to the heat, but Zhou Kao’s grip was firm.

With a slightly trembling voice, Wen Le asked, “What are you doing?”

Zhou Kao continued to gaze at her hand, his answer evasive. His voice was still hoarse, but his spirit seemed much improved.

Zhou Kao said, “Something’s missing here.”

Wen Le asked, “Are you talking about the missing jade ring?”

Shaking his head, Zhou Kao’s fingers lightly traced the joint at the base of Wen Le’s fingers. He explained, “This spot is meant for me.”

TN: WOWOWOW our ML is really staking his claim real fast~

Zhou Kao sat up, closed his eyes momentarily, and pressed his forehead with his fingers.

Wen Le instinctively reached out to feel Zhou Kao’s forehead temperature, and it seemed the fever had subsided.

Zhou Kao held Wen Le’s hand, stood up, and walked toward the bedroom.

Wen Le followed Zhou Kao into the bedroom.

From the bedside drawer, Zhou Kao took out a velvet box.

Curious, Wen Le looked over.

Zhou Kao opened the box.

Inside was a men’s ring.

Wen Le was a bit puzzled and looked at Zhou Kao.

Zhou Kao took out the men’s ring and then held the ring with one hand, gently twisting it. A smaller ring emerged from within the men’s ring.

Wen Le finally understood. The circular groove in the middle of the men’s ring was actually designed to fit a woman’s band.

The design of the ring was indeed intricate. The woman’s band was nestled within the men’s ring from the inside. Through the hollow center of the men’s ring, it appeared as if the diamond was set into the men’s band. However, when the woman’s band was taken out, the men’s ring transformed from a diamond-studded ring into a simple platinum band with a hollow center.

“Eve was Adam’s rib; you are my soul and heart. Without you, I would lose my brilliance.”

Zhou Kao spoke softly as he took Wen Le’s hand and slowly slid the lady’s band onto her middle finger.

Wen Le watched as Zhou Kao placed the dazzling ring onto her hand and then took her hand, lowering his head to kiss the ring.

Her eyes widened slightly, her heart racing out of control. She was enveloped in a profound sense of sweetness and emotion. Zhou Kao always understood how to breach her defenses, to make her lose control for him.

TN: KYAAA I MEAN IF MY BOYFRIEND DID THAT TO ME I’D BE THE SAME GIRL!!!! 😍

Zhou Kao lifted his head, his eyes like a sea of stars, almost dreamlike. Wen Le felt herself being irresistibly drawn in.

Zhou Kao lowered his head to kiss the ring for a long time before finally looking up at Wen Le. 

He smiled gently, his gaze tender just like a gentle sea of stars. He said, “I saw a design by a designer I met at the competition. I thought it suited us, so I had the size adjusted. I just received it recently.”

“Much like this ring, the three years without you were dull and uninteresting. Just like this men’s band, without this row of diamonds, its brilliance would be greatly diminished.”

Zhou Kao handed the men’s ring to Wen Le. “Wen Le, could you put it on for me?”

Wen Le lowered her head slightly. After a moment, she took Zhou Kao’s hand, sliding the men’s ring onto his middle finger.

Looking up at Zhou Kao, her voice barely audible, she murmured, “Zhou Kao.”

Not catching what she said, Zhou Kao bent down and asked, “What?”

Wen Le reached out, her hand brushing Zhou Kao’s cheek. Her palm gently caressed his profile and behind his ear. Drawing close to him, her eyes shimmered with allure. Her voice, languid and filled with an unperceived enchantment as she opened her crimson lips near Zhou Kao’s ear and said, “Zhou Kao.”

Zhou Kao softly responded, “Hmm.”

Wen Le’s voice was a soft whisper, like the enchanting song of a siren in a fairy tale. “I want to kiss you.”

Saying this, she slightly tilted her head and kissed Zhou Kao’s lips.

Zhou Kao’s pupils contracted, a barely noticeable tremor running through him. 

In the next moment, his eyes blazed with desire and passion, almost losing control as he cupped Wen Le’s face fiercely, seizing the initiative and demanding her breath with an intensity that bordered on fierceness.

Wen Le, too, was losing control, enduring Zhou Kao’s fervent assault while teasing and provoking him in return. This only caused Zhou Kao to lose even more control.

Couples in the throes of passionate love need only a spark to ignite a fire. Unfortunately, neither of them were calm souls.

Zhou Kao’s kisses made Wen Le’s scalp tingle, and her legs felt weak.

He held her close, and they fell onto the bed together.

Their kisses grew more fervent, emotions running high, their eyes reddening, breaths ragged. It seemed like they were on the verge of becoming unstoppable.

Until…

“… Zhou Kao, your mother heard your nasal voice on the phone a few days ago. Are you sick? Assistant Yang mentioned that you’re staying here this week. Your mother came to bring you some medicine…”

Both of them abruptly woke up from their passion, looking incredulously toward the direction of the living room. 

They actually hadn’t heard anyone come in!

Then they exchanged a glance and quickly pulled their hands out from each other’s clothes. 

Wen Le’s heart raced, and in a bit of a panic, she pushed Zhou Kao away. Her clothes were disheveled, and without thinking, she hid in Zhou Kao’s closet.

Just as Wen Le closed the closet door, a figure appeared at the entrance of Zhou Kao’s room. 

Capitalizing on the force from being pushed by Wen Le, Zhou Kao fell back on the bed face-up.

He grabbed a sheet, draping his arm over his eyes, and sighed. “Mom.”

Li Hua looked at Zhou Kao sitting up on the bed, running his hand through his disheveled hair and putting on his shoes. 

“Why did you come, Mom?”

Li Hua’s gaze swept across Zhou Kao’s mouth, which was now as red as if he had eaten lipstick. She then noticed the extra pair of slippers at the entrance of Zhou Kao’s bedroom. 

Her expression remained unchanged as she smoothly said, “Mom came to check on you.”

Her gaze shifted slightly to the cup with a straw on the bedside table and the several boxes of medicine. A deeper smile appeared on her face.

Zhou Kao led Li Hua out of the bedroom. As soon as they entered the living room, Li Hua spotted the notebook on the armrest of the couch and a bangle placed on the table.

The bangle was something Wen Le had removed while typing because it kept clinking against the keyboard, disturbing Zhou Kao’s sleep. So, she had taken it off and placed it on the table.

Li Hua’s gaze lingered on the bangle for a few seconds. Her eyes held a hint of depth, but her smile remained unchanged.

Zhou Kao retrieved his notebook, and Li Hua took a seat on the couch. 

She glanced at the medicine on the table and remarked, “You’re sick.”

With his mind still preoccupied by Wen Le, Zhou Kao absentmindedly responded, “It’s alright now.”

Li Hua observed the more noticeable lipstick marks on Zhou Kao’s lips under the living room light. 

Amusement danced in her eyes as she said, “It’s good that you’re fine. Mom was worried, so I came to check on you. Since you’re okay, then Mom will leave first.”

With that, Li Hua turned and left without hesitation.

Zhou Kao was somewhat surprised. “Mom, you’re leaving?”

Li Hua had already reached the hallway, her gaze swept across the bags hanging on the coat rack. She smiled and said, “There’s still work at the company. Take care of yourself.” 

Saying this, she turned and left.

After seeing Li Hua off, Zhou Kao returned to the bedroom and opened the closet. 

Wen Le looked up at Zhou Kao, her eyes widening at the sight of the red mark on Zhou Kao’s lips. She suddenly felt dizzy and disoriented.

“Zhou Kao, you just… met your mom like this?”

TN: HAHAHAHA this was a lovely chapter to translate hehe 🤪 Zhou Kao’s mum is my fav MVP!

Previous | Index | Next

Don’t Leave Tonight

Edited by Elv

As the assistant opened all the gifts on the table, Wen Le’s smile was starting to feel forced. 

However, Wen Tian Qi appeared nonchalant and said, “Le Le, you’re so outstanding. There must be quite a few guys at school who are interested in you.”

Wen Le neither confirmed nor denied it.

Wen Tian Qi continued, “Just starting your freshman year, the classmates you encounter are relatively simple. But as you progress into your sophomore year, the people you meet will become more complex. They’ll use various means to pursue you.”

“But Le Le, your studies should still be your priority. Those kids giving you luxury items just to win you over are actually not worth mentioning. Whenever you get the highest score in an exam, Dad will get you something you want. After you graduate, you’ll have the ability to buy these things yourself. By then, you might not even care about these things. Le Le, do you understand what Dad is saying?”

Wen Le blinked, “Dad means that you want me to prioritise my studies?”

Wen Tian Qi nodded with approval, “Exactly, my good daughter.”

Wen Tian Qi was practically telling Wen Le that the guys giving her luxury items now might not have good intentions. Le Le, you need to see through their ulterior motives.

Wen Le lowered her head, pretending to be obedient, but in her mind, she was sarcastically complaining. After all, she had just gotten into a relationship the day before yesterday…

After finishing lunch around 2 o’clock, Wen Tian Qi still had things to attend to, so he wanted to send Wen Le back to school. 

He looked at the pile of things on the table and asked Wen Le, “Is there anything you want to take back to your dorm? If not, Dad will take these things back and put them in your room.”

Wen Le’s gaze was glued to the table full of gifts. She slowly and reluctantly shook her head.

Wen Tian Qi was pleased, his eyes filled with pride. Look at his daughter – what a modest and composed personality. 

Wen Tian Qi said, “If you want anything, tell Aunt Yu.”

Wen Le said, “Okay, Dad.”

Before leaving, the assistant walked over holding a royal blue velvet box. When Wen Tian Qi saw this box, he seemed to remember something. He said to Wen Le, “Your grandma also wanted me to bring you a gift.”

The assistant opened the box, revealing a bangle inside.

Wen Tian Qi said, “Your grandma said the weather is getting cooler in the autumn, and this warm jade bangle is good for your health.”

Wen Le nodded and, with the assistant’s help, put on the bangle.

TN: At this point, how can WL not realise she’s made of money???

Jiang Shu drove Wen Le back to school. She got out of the car, bid farewell to Jiang Shu, and checked the time; it was only 2:30. She remembered her promise to Zhou Kao and decided to give him a call.

The phone rang for a while before it was answered.

As Wen Le slowly walked towards the small side gate, the call got through.

“Hello.”

The microphone transmitted Zhou Kao’s voice, but it was different from usual. His voice sounded hoarse, weak, and a bit nasal. 

Wen Le furrowed her brows gently, involuntarily stopping in her tracks, and asked, “Zhou Kao, what’s wrong with you?”

After a while, there was some movement on the other end. Zhou Kao’s voice was unclear, as if he could fall asleep at any moment, “…I might have a bit of a fever…”

Wen Le’s brows tightened, “Where are you? Anybody with you?”

Zhou Kao responded sluggishly, “…I’m alone at home.”

Listening to Zhou Kao’s voice on the phone, Wen Le felt worried. She couldn’t help but think about that Thursday when Zhou Kao got caught in the rain repeatedly. Moreover, the state of his voice just now indicated that his fever wasn’t mild.

Wen Le got Zhou Kao’s address, hailed a taxi, and hurried to his place.

Thankfully, Zhou Kao’s residence was nearby.

Zhou Kao’s residential complex was close to the school, although calling it “nearby” was a bit of an exaggeration. It took over half an hour to get there. This was a relatively new community with strict security. Wen Le had Zhou Kao inform the property management in advance, which allowed her to enter.

Carrying the purchased fever-reducing medicine, Wen Le entered the house using the code Zhou Kao had provided. 

The room’s curtains were drawn, casting a dim atmosphere. However, the room had a pleasant, faint fragrance of some aroma, inducing a sense of relaxation.

Wen Le changed her shoes in the entryway, walked to the living room to find the remote control, and opened the curtains automatically. 

Sunlight streamed into the room. 

There was no hot water in sight, but Wen Le had prepared bottled mineral water. She slightly heated it using an electric kettle, poured it into a cup, carried the medicine, and made her way to Zhou Kao’s bedroom.

Zhou Kao was lying in bed wearing black pajamas. He was still in a deep sleep with the blanket only covering half of his body. His face was pale, and he had beads of sweat on his forehead.

Clearly, his fever was severe. Uncomfortable all over, his brows were furrowed tightly. Even when Wen Le entered, Zhou Kao didn’t react.

Approaching in big steps, Wen Le placed the water on the nightstand, used the back of her fingers to touch Zhou Kao’s cheek, and checked his temperature.

Zhou Kao’s body was burning hot. This worried Wen Le greatly. She quickly found a towel, wiped away the sweat on Zhou Kao’s forehead, and used the towel to wrap the ice pack she had bought at the pharmacy before placing it on his forehead.

Zhou Kao’s head moved slightly, but he didn’t open his eyes.

Wen Le softly called his name, “Zhou Kao, Zhou Kao.”

Zhou Kao seemed to hear, his eyelashes trembled a few times, and his eyes slowly opened a crack. Wen Le’s face gradually came into focus, and Zhou Kao finally woke up, his voice hoarse, “Wen Le…”

Thinking that Zhou Kao might have gotten sick from getting caught in the rain, Wen Le felt a pang of discomfort. Her voice was unusually gentle as she responded softly, “Are you thirsty? Do you want some water?”

Without waiting for Zhou Kao’s response, she put a straw in the cup and held it to his lips.

Zhou Kao bit onto the straw and drank a few sips of water. Wen Le wiped the corner of his mouth and asked, “Have you eaten lunch?”

Zhou Kao nodded with little energy.

Wen Le measured Zhou Kao’s temperature – 38.8 degrees.

Wen Le’s brows furrowed. She helped Zhou Kao sit up, squeezed out two fever-reducing pills following the instructions, took Zhou Kao’s hand, placed the pills in his palm, and held warm water in her other hand. She said gently, “Take these.”

Zhou Kao shook his head.

Wen Le glared at him.

Zhou Kao said, “Feed me.”

Wen Le wished she could just slap him – he was being so flirtatious while he was sick.

However, Wen Le couldn’t argue with a sick person. She put the pills in Zhou Kao’s mouth.

Wen Le’s soft fingertips brushed against Zhou Kao’s lips, which were slightly warm from the fever, but he grabbed onto her finger with his mouth.

Wen Le’s other hand patted Zhou Kao’s arm, but considering he was uncomfortable, she didn’t use much force.

Zhou Kao was stared at by Wen Le’s beautiful eyes. Despite his feverish state, a trace of amusement passed through his weary gaze. He lightly licked Wen Le’s fingertip.

Startled by this warm and wet sensation, Wen Le’s face turned red. Zhou Kao released her finger at this moment and slightly opened his mouth, indicating that he wanted water.

What a flirt.

Seeing Zhou Kao still having some spirit left despite his condition, Wen Le relaxed slightly.

After taking the medicine, Zhou Kao lay in bed, feeling drowsy, but his hand held onto Wen Le’s tightly and refused to let go. 

Wen Le’s fingers intertwined with his, held firmly by his grip, and she couldn’t break free.

Zhou Kao’s feverish state made his vision hazy, yet his gaze remained fixed on Wen Le. Her heart softened under his gaze, and she softly reassured him, “Just go to sleep, I won’t leave.”

Upon hearing these words, Zhou Kao closed his eyes slowly, and his grip on her hand loosened gradually.

Seeing this, Wen Le’s heart turned tender. She leaned down towards Zhou Kao’s face and gently kissed him on the cheek. In his sleep, Zhou Kao seemed to smile.

Wen Le changed the towel on Zhou Kao’s forehead and reapplied the ice pack.

Around five o’clock, Zhou Kao’s fever subsided. He climbed out of bed and the first thing he did was take a shower.

Wen Le couldn’t cook, so she was in the living room browsing through delivery options on her phone.

When she heard the sound of running water from the bathroom, she furrowed her brows lightly. 

This guy, he’s taking a shower right after the fever subsided?

Zhou Kao emerged from the bathroom, enveloped in steam, wearing a bathrobe. His hair was 

still damp, dripping water. He groped his way to the living room, looking for Wen Le.

Wen Le was in the kitchen, boiling water in an electric kettle. Unexpectedly, Zhou Kao hugged her from behind, giving her a start.

“What are you doing? You scared me.”

Zhou Kao buried his face in the crook of Wen Le’s neck. His warm breath brushed against her collarbone, causing her to shiver.

Zhou Kao clung to her stickily like honey, his voice low and gravelly from the fever, “I missed you so much.”

His arms around Wen Le’s waist tightened a bit more. “I haven’t seen you for days…”

The sick Zhou Kao unexpectedly became clingy. His stickiness melted away Wen Le’s irritation, leaving her feeling both tender and moved.

Wen Le’s voice was soft, “It’s only been three days.”

Zhou Kao responded discontentedly, “Only… three days. A day without seeing you feels like three autumns. Don’t you miss me? Hmm?”

Wen Le blushed at his teasing.

Suddenly, a water droplet landed on Wen Le’s face. 

She touched it and turned her head to look at Zhou Kao. 

Drops of water were still clinging to his hair.

Wen Le: !

Her eyes widened, and she pushed Zhou Kao away, staring at him.

Zhou Kao felt a little guilty under Wen Le’s glare.

Wen Le said, “You’re taking a shower right after your fever subsided.”

Zhou Kao’s voice softened, “I was sweating all over and felt uncomfortable.”

Wen Le instructed, “Go blow-dry your hair.”

Zhou Kao replied, “My hand hurts, you do it.”

If Zhou Kao wasn’t sick, Wen Le really wanted to slap him.

But in the end, Wen Le couldn’t bring herself to do it. She looked at his pale face due to the illness and couldn’t bear it.

Zhou Kao sat on the bed, and Wen Le stood in front of him, blow-drying his hair. Zhou Kao’s arms weren’t still; he embraced Wen Le’s waist, leaning his head against her.

After blow-drying his hair, the food delivery arrived. Wen Le went to collect it and slapped Zhou Kao, “Go change your clothes.”

Because of Zhou Kao’s fever, the food Wen Le ordered was very mild. Zhou Kao had little appetite, and Wen Le usually didn’t eat much in the evening; the food almost remained untouched.

After cleaning up the trash, it was already around 6:30 in the evening. 

Wen Le reminded Zhou Kao to take his medicine and prepared to leave.

Before leaving, Wen Le touched Zhou Kao’s forehead.

Zhou Kao hugged her, not wanting to let go.

Wen Le felt his hand was a bit warm, and she furrowed her brows, holding onto Zhou Kao and measuring his temperature again.

38.1 degrees.

Zhou Kao had another fever.

Wen Le felt worried, “Why don’t we go to the hospital?”

Zhou Kao replied, “No need, I’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep.”

Worried that Zhou Kao would be alone if he had another fever during the night, Wen Le was concerned.

Zhou Kao looked at Wen Le. He knew he shouldn’t say this, but perhaps illness made people feel vulnerable, letting emotions overpower reason. He lowered his head and used an almost beguiling tone, whispering softly, “Don’t leave tonight…”

TN: sneaky sneaky Zhou Kao!! Hope you enjoyed this chapter 🙂

Previous | Index | Next

Raising a Daughter

Edited by Elv

After the Saturday’s volunteer association work concluded at 5 in the afternoon, Wen Le, along with her good friends Cheng Hui and Dan Shan, went to a nearby hotpot restaurant for dinner. 

Dan Shan was a friend of Cheng Hui’s from the volunteer association, and Wen Le had become familiar with her after meeting a few times. The other girls who joined them were also Dan Shan’s friends.

This hotpot restaurant was quite popular among students, and the four food enthusiasts from Room 307 frequented it every week. Ai Fei never joined them as she wasn’t very interested, and Sun You Mei found the place lacking in sophistication, so every time they went, it was Cheng Hui, Wen Le, Bao Xiao Fan, and Man Qing Xuan.

Dan Shan had a pure and beautiful appearance, with a gentle and pleasant demeanor. She was quite different from Cheng Hui’s tough image. Wen Le had always been curious about how these two became friends. It was only after spending time with Dan Shan that Wen Le realized her considerate and gentle nature was very endearing.

Wen Le’s drink had been chilled and was dripping with condensation. Just as she was about to do something about it, Dan Shan instinctively handed her a tissue without interrupting her conversation with someone else. 

Wen Le found Dan Shan’s subconscious gestures truly admirable.

She thought to herself that she was quite the tomboy in front of Dan Shan. 

As the meal ended, Wen Le’s fondness for Dan Shan grew. Although not everyone in Room 307 was as tough as Cheng Hui, the other roommates rarely discussed skincare and makeup topics with Wen Le. However, Dan Shan got along well with Wen Le and had a lot of common topics to talk about.

They exchanged WeChat contacts, and Cheng Hui laughed while pointing at Wen Le, “I knew you two would get along.”

Dan Shan turned to Cheng Hui, saying, “I have to thank you for introducing me to such a beauty. I need to learn a thing or two about looking good from her.”

Cheng Hui said, “Honestly, Wen Le, if you ever decide to become a beauty influencer, you’d definitely become popular. You’d probably make more money than your current part-time job.”

Suddenly, Dan Shan turned to Wen Le and said, “If Le Le doesn’t want to be seen, she can share her notes on platforms like this note-sharing website. You don’t have to show your face, which is perfect for you.”

Wen Le’s heart fluttered at the suggestion, but she didn’t immediately agree. She nodded and said, “I’ll consider it.”

Cheng Hui’s eyes lit up, “Exactly, it suits you well.”

That night, Wen Le took a look at the note-sharing platform Dan Shan mentioned. It was a relatively new social media platform that had gained a large number of dedicated followers within less than two years since its launch. 

Wen Le registered an account and browsed the content that the website recommended. She checked out some notes with high likes and comments and got a preliminary understanding of the market. She found out that it was a lifestyle-sharing platform that supported text, images, and video formats. Wen Le realized that besides authentic valuable content, posts showcasing wealth garnered higher popularity.

She skipped over the wealth-flaunting posts and read a few posts containing practical content. 

Cheng Hui leaned over and glanced at them, saying, “Even Sun You Mei is on this.”

Wen Le looked up at her.

Cheng Hui continued, “She often looks for various luxury items on this platform and then sends the pictures to her boyfriend, asking him to buy them for her. After buying, she posts the items on this platform. Occasionally, she also shares her daily life with her boyfriend. It seems she has a few thousand followers now.”

Wen Le smiled and said, “We really can’t hide anything from you.”

Cheng Hui raised her chin triumphantly and said, “Of course.”

After reading a few posts, Wen Le closed the website. She had a basic idea now, but whether she would write or not was another matter. 

On Sunday, she had plans to meet her dad at 10 in the morning. Wen Le had slept in and only got up at 8:30.

Sun You Mei hadn’t come back the previous night; it seemed she had reconciled with her boyfriend again. 

Her roommates were still sleeping in. Wen Le got up quietly, washed her face, got dressed, did her makeup, and tidied herself up discreetly.

Around 9:20, Wen Le received a call from her dad, saying Uncle Jiang was coming to pick her up. 

Uncle Jiang had grown up with her dad and was Grandpa Jiang’s son. He had always been accompanying her dad on various adventures.

Cars from outside the campus could enter through the school gate and drive right up to the female dormitory building. But taking the route through the campus would be longer, so Wen Le instructed Uncle Jiang to park at a small side entrance of the school, which was close to the female dormitories and had fewer people passing by.

With her bag in hand, Wen Le walked softly towards the door. 

Cheng Hui rolled over and woke up. Seeing Wen Le all dressed up, she asked in a low voice, “Where are you going?”

As she recalled what Wen Le had mentioned earlier, she waved her hand and said, “Oh, your dad. Bye!”

Wen Le waved back, “See you.”

When Wen Le reached the small side entrance, she saw a sleek black car parked there, matching the licence plate number her dad had told her. 

Even though there weren’t many people at the side entrance at this time, the few passersby couldn’t help but cast curious glances at the black car parked nearby.

It wasn’t just because of the unique licence plate number “6789,” but also the intertwined double “M” emblem on the car’s logo.

Seeing the car, Wen Le’s eyebrows twitched momentarily, but she quickly composed herself. Walking towards the car as if nothing was amiss, she got in.

Wen Le greeted with a smile, “Uncle Jiang.”

Uncle Jiang turned his head, smiling at Wen Le. “Ah, Le Le looks even more beautiful.”

As an elder who had watched her grow up, Wen Le chatted with Uncle Jiang about family matters while he drove. 

Uncle Jiang drove Wen Le to a private club, led her into a room, and then left.

The room wasn’t so much a room as it was a courtyard. 

The courtyard was meticulously decorated with flowing water, artificial mountains, and potted plants.

Wen Tian Qi was dressed in a comfortable black chinese tunic suit, with embroidered patterns in dark lines on the fabric. Holding fish food in his hand, he was standing in front of an artificial mountain, feeding the fish.

“Dad.”

Wen Tian Qi turned around at the sound of his daughter’s voice. He looked at Wen Le, and a smile appeared on his face. He put down the fish food, accepted a wet towel handed to him by a waiter, wiped his hands, and walked towards Wen Le. They entered the room and sat on the spacious sofa inside.

Sitting beside Wen Tian Qi, surrounded by a group of waitstaff, Wen Le was surprisingly relaxed and at ease in this environment. She handed her bag to a waiter and asked, “Dad, why have you been coming to Beijing so often lately?”

Wen Tian Qi replied, “Because my company moved to Beijing. It’s been in the works for over a year, and we’ve finally completed the move.”

Wen Le was taken aback. So her dad was going to live in Beijing…To be honest, Wen Le was mostly raised by her grandparents. She rarely lived alone with her dad, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t before. Whenever they lived together, it was usually abroad, where her dad would take her on various trips. However, she had never lived where her dad worked.

“So, Dad, are you going to live in Beijing?”

Wen Tian Qi’s face lit up with a smile. He said, “Le Le, do you remember? When you were a child, we lived in Beijing.”

Wen Le was briefly stunned; she obviously didn’t remember.

Although a smile graced Wen Tian Qi’s face, his eyes carried a trace of sadness. “You probably don’t remember, Le Le. You were just four or five years old back then… Your mom…”

Wen Tian Qi’s voice was soft, and Wen Le didn’t catch the last word. It seemed that Wen Tian Qi didn’t want to continue that topic. He changed to another subject and said, “The old house was getting a bit worn out, and it’s too far from your school. The new house that Dad prepared is near your school. We started renovating it a year ago, and while it’s a bit rushed, it’s still livable. Take a couple of days to settle in, and then you can come back to stay.”

Wen Le thought to herself that there were no cheap houses near the school. It probably wouldn’t cost less than seven or eight million…

Swallowing her doubts, Wen Le didn’t dare to ask. 

Wen Tian Qi continued, “Le Le, if you’re not too busy with your studies, come back home to stay.”

Seeing her dad’s hopeful eyes, Wen Le couldn’t refuse and nodded.

A smile appeared in Wen Tian Qi’s eyes upon hearing her agreement. He had always felt guilty about not spending enough time with his daughter due to various reasons in the past. Now, finally, he could make up for it, albeit a bit late.

Wen Tian Qi asked, “When the house is ready in a couple of days, should Dad come to pick you up from school?”

Wen Le nodded, “Sure.”

Seeing his considerate and obedient daughter, Wen Tian Qi gestured for his assistant to come over. The assistant placed a document in front of Wen Le and handed her a pen.

Wen Tian Qi said, “Dad bought you a gift recently and needs you to sign a document.”

Wen Le didn’t think much of it, took the pen, and under the assistant’s guidance, signed her name.

After signing the document, Wen Le chatted with her dad about various topics. She talked about the social events and the magazine project she had been involved with at school. Pride showed in her dad’s eyes. Although he didn’t say any words of praise, he waved his hands over in signal.

Wen Le then saw three men in suits approaching, each carrying several bags.

Wen Tian Qi said, “In other families, they might pamper their daughters, and economize on their sons, but we don’t have a son. Your grandpa has always raised you as a boy, hoping that you would strive to improve and eventually also take over the family business.”

When Wen Le heard the term “family business,” her eyebrows twitched.

Wen Tian Qi continued, “But now that you’re an adult, your worldview is already formed. The university environment is more complex than that of middle school, and you’ll face various temptations. Dad thinks it’s time for you to be exposed to certain things.”

Wen Tian Qi waved his hand, prompting the assistant to open all the boxes.

The assistant opened all the boxes he was carrying.

And thus, pigeon egg-sized sets of ruby jewellery, a Ferrari key, complete sets of jade jewelry, diamond-studded watches, red-soled high heels, rare Hermès Kelly bags, and various-sized diamond-studded Brink clasps were laid out on the table.

To avoid embarrassing herself too much in front of her dad, Wen Le tried to maintain a composed expression on her face. She made an effort to keep her smile elegant and poised. In reality, her inner self was screaming wildly and even feeling a bit frantic.

She suddenly felt lucky that she didn’t have a heart condition. She also realised that the decision to let her grandparents raise her was so right. Just look at this handsome old man; he clearly couldn’t raise a child at all.

TN: LOLLL, guess we’re about to find out the truth about Wen Le’s family background!

Previous | Index | Next

Paparazzi Pics

Editor: Exodus

On Friday afternoon, Wen Le and Xu Wenhao met at the school café.

This time, they had arranged to discuss matters concerning the school publication articles. 

After their conversation relating to business was over, it was already 4:30 in the afternoon. Wen Le put her notebook back into her bag and looked up to find Xu Wenhao gazing straight at her.

Xu Wenhao had always been mild-mannered, and even his gaze was as gentle as a spring breeze. However, this also meant that it was difficult for others to read any deep emotions from his eyes. 

He rarely displayed his emotions in such a way, and his gaze fixed on Wen Le even carried a hint of unusually heightened warmth.

Wen Le was momentarily stunned. She lowered her gaze, and avoided making direct eye contact with Xu Wenhao. 

Yet, Xu Wenhao said, “It’s almost dinner time. Since we last talked about trying the Japanese restaurant on North An East Road, do you want to give it a try? It should be open now.”

Wen Le couldn’t help but recall the conversation downstairs of the female dormitory building the other day. She felt a bit awkward; she hadn’t expected to be able to get rid of her single status so soon.

Feeling somewhat apologetic, Wen Le thought that she should have politely declined the last time if she had known things would develop this quickly.

Wen Le replied, “I’m sorry, senior. I have plans with my boyfriend tonight.”

Xu Wenhao’s expression froze upon hearing this, “Boyfriend?”

Wen Le lowered her gaze, smiled faintly, and somewhat embarrassedly said, “I just got into a relationship yesterday. Senior is probably the first to know.”

Xu Wenhao gazed deeply into Wen Le’s eyes. A fleeting expression of cold detachment appeared on his face, which sharply contrasted with his usual gentleness. 

However, in just a moment, he regained his composure, let out a light sigh, and spoke casually, “I wonder who’s so lucky to have won your favor.”

Wen Le smiled shyly, lowered her head, and said, “If there’s a chance, I’ll introduce you to him.”

As they left the café, Xu Wenhao held the door open like a gentleman. Wen Le gave a light smile and thanked him.

After leaving the school café, Wen Le went to the Student Union to handle some matters. She didn’t go to the library and went straight back to her dormitory. 

Her academic workload hadn’t been heavy lately; she had finished the assignments from class and the tasks she had set for herself. Only the articles for the school publication were left.

At 8:00 in the evening, Cheng Hui, Bao Xiao Fan, and Man Qingxuan rushed back to the dormitory in a whirlwind of energy.

Their boisterous entry made Wen Le hear their voices as soon as they appeared in the corridor on the third floor.

The three of them chatted, laughed, and playfully entered the dormitory. ‘Peng’ came the sound as the door closed, and then they saw Wen Le editing her articles at the desk.

Man Qingxuan exclaimed loudly, “Wen Le!”

Wen Le was startled and made a typo. 

Speechless, she asked, “What’s up?”

Bao Xiao Fan put down her bag, came to Wen Le’s side, and smiled, “Le Le, did you have a date with a little brother today?”

Upon hearing the word “date,” Wen Le subconsciously thought of Zhou Kao, but she quickly realized that it wasn’t right; she hadn’t seen Zhou Kao today. 

Wen Le was speechless and deleted the typo she had just made. “What’s going on again? I don’t have the time to do that.”

Since the day she and Zhou Kao had established their relationship, she hadn’t seen him yet. 

However, Bao Xiao Fan didn’t give up. With one hand propped under her chin, she grinned at Wen Le. “They say it’s a senior from the School of Literature. Tsk tsk, quite handsome.”

After Bao Xiao Fan’s remark, Wen Le remembered; she was referring to Xu Wenhao. 

Wen Le smiled and shook her head. “He’s a senior from the school publication. We have a project collaboration recently. Look, it’s this one.” 

Wen Le pointed to the manuscript in front of her to show her, “How did you know I met him today? Did you run into us?”

Man Qingxuan rolled her eyes, “I suggest you go download BBS. Haven’t you had enough of the feeling of lagging behind?”

Upon hearing “BBS,” Wen Le frowned, “Did they snap pics again?”

Cheng Hui nodded and pulled up the post from the BBS, “Yes, congratulations, another trending post.”

Wen Le was speechless; aren’t these people too bored with their lives?

Cheng Hui handed her phone to Wen Le, showing her the post.

There were a few photos. 

The picture of Wen Le showed her looking down with a shy smile. The post said that someone had accidentally seen them at the school caf

The title was extremely sensational: 

“#Shocking! Campus Goddess x School of Literature’s Handsome Student Suspected of Being in a Relationship!”

Although Xu Wenhao wasn’t a school heartthrob, his refined and scholarly aura made him quite popular at school.

Most of the replies in the thread expressed disbelief.

1st Comment: Taking away our handsome student from the Literature Department, but don’t take him on a date!

2nd Comment: Speechless… Seriously, how many times has wl appeared on trending posts this month?

3rd Comment: This gossip is so dull.

4th Comment: Seriously, this month it’s WL x School Hunk, WL x Lei Si, WL x Xu from the Literature Department. I’m starting to wonder if WL is just boosting her own popularity.

5th Comment: Boring, so boring.

6th Comment: To be honest, considering all the rumours surrounding WL, I still think there’s a higher chance that Wen Le will be single through her four years in college.

7th Comment: +1

8th Comment: Actually, I still think Wen Le is lesbian.

While the post generated a lot of attention, it didn’t really imply that there was anything between them. Instead, several previous posts had been unearthed and were pinned at the top of the page. 

The very top post was:

“#Flowers and Grass* That Will Definitely Stay Single Throughout Their College Years.”

*Flowers and Grass: a common way of naming the prettiest girl (flower) and most handsome guy (grass) in school in China.

Wen Le clicked on it, and the first name listed was hers, followed by Zhou Kao’s. 

She was speechless and handed the phone back to Cheng Hui.

Cheng Hui also saw the post. Scrolling through it when Wen Le returned the phone, she laughed heartily, “Both you and Zhou Kao are considered the least likely to get rid of the single status.”

Wen Le forced a fake smile, thanks, unfortunately, Zhou Kao and I just got together yesterday, so we’re both not single anymore.

Bao Xiao Fan held her phone and fangirled, “But that little brother is really handsome, especially that gentle and refined demeanor. Ahhh, that’s my type!”

Wen Le patted Bao Xiao Fan’s shoulder, “Keep at it; you do have a chance.”

Bao Xiao Fan snorted, “Forget it. Why do I feel like that senior really likes you?”

Wen Le said, “No way. I already politely declined.”

Bao Xiao Fan said, “With a high-quality guy like that, you’ve ruthlessly turned him down. I also want to lobby that you will definitely still be single in your 4 years of college.”

Wen Le hesitated; now that Sun Youmei was absent, could she reveal the truth to them?

Suddenly, Cheng Hui asked, “Bao Xiao Fan, what about that younger guy you were flirting with at the social event last time?”

Bao Xiao Fan’s gaze wandered, “What younger guy?”

Cheng Hui scrutinized Bao Xiao Fan with a suspicious gaze, “I sense something going on.”

Man Qingxuan yelled out, “Ah! Bao Xiao Fan, a few days ago, when you went out to eat with your classmates, was it a date with that younger guy?”

The two of them interrogated Bao Xiao Fan, and just at that moment, Wen Le’s phone rang. She discreetly slipped away to the restroom with her phone.

It was a call from Zhou Kao.

Just a few minutes earlier…

Due to some work-related matters in his company, Zhou Kao had been attending frequent meetings lately, which made it inconvenient for him to stay on campus. Therefore, he had been residing in a property near the school under his name.

After all, Zhou Kao was just a sophomore student, and the company had dedicated personnel to manage things. He only occasionally involved himself. However, there was a major project underway in the company, and the CEO expressed the desire for him to participate.

In the evening, Zhou Kao had dinner with the CEO to get an update on the project’s status and progress. By the time he got home, it was already 8 PM. After taking a shower, he realized his WeChat was bombarded with messages from Lan Zhixin.

Zhou Kao opened the messages and found a row of links at the top.

Perhaps knowing that Zhou Kao might not click on them, Lan Zhixin had sent a few long voice messages.

Zhou Kao opened one of them and left his phone on the couch. He walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of mineral water.

Lan Zhixin’s voice rang out, “Boss, hahaha, guess what I saw on the BBS? You’ve been selected as one of the least likely to get attached, hahaha. I also voted, it seems the public’s eyes are indeed sharp. Hahaha.”

As one voice message finished, the next one played automatically, “Guess who else is a contender with you?”

Lan Zhixin answered his own question, “It’s Wen Le, hahaha. Both of you… I tell you, if I had your face, I would definitely…”

After finishing the water, Zhou Kao stopped the voice message, putting an end to Lan Zhixin’s chattering. 

In fact, he had absolutely no interest in the childish polls and forum posts in the school. 

Especially after just finishing a company meeting and a conversation with the project manager, he was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to rest.

Possibly due to getting caught in the rain yesterday, he had a slight cold. Given his busyness, he hadn’t paid much attention, and now he just felt thoroughly drained.

However, inexplicably, Zhou Kao still clicked on the link Lan Zhixin had sent.

He quickly glanced through it, then exited the page and returned to the main forum page, where he saw the prominently displayed red thread. 

The top few threads were all related to Wen Le. Zhou Kao furrowed his brows slightly and clicked on the latest-dated thread, revealing several pictures of Wen Le caught on candid camera.

As he looked at the photos, Zhou Kao’s expression darkened. 

It was that guy again. A pang of jealousy surged within Zhou Kao. He had never seen Wen Le smile so gently at him.

Zhou Kao furrowed his brows slightly and dialled Wen Le’s number.

Wen Le answered the phone, “Hello.”

Zhou Kao’s voice came through the speaker, “Where are you?”

Wen Le responded, “I’m in the dormitory. What’s up?”

There was a pause from Zhou Kao before he said, “Do you have time this weekend?”

Wen Le replied, “No, I have a whole day of activities with the Volunteer Association on Saturday, lasting until the evening. Then, I have dinner to attend. On Sunday, my dad is coming over, but I’m not sure of the specific plans yet.”

Zhou Kao sighed, “Alright then.”

There was a hint of tiredness in Zhou Kao’s voice, and Wen Le couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Kao retorted, “What about me?”

Wen Le explained, “Your voice sounds a bit off.”

Zhou Kao sighed, “I heard that my girlfriend has time to meet other guys this weekend but not me. I’m not feeling great.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Le understood that Zhou Kao had probably seen the post online.

She chuckled, “You saw that post on the BBS?”

Zhou Kao confirmed, “Yeah, that person looks familiar.”

Wen Le clarified, “He’s a senior from the Editorial Department of the school magazine. We’ve been working on a project together recently, so we’ve been in touch.”

Zhou Kao remarked, “He even mentioned taking you out for Japanese food last time.”

A subtle smile tugged at the corner of Wen Le’s lips, “Your tone sure sounds really sour.”

Zhou Kao remarked, “It’s jealousy handmade by the girlfriend, how sour do you think it is?”

Wen Le couldn’t help but burst into laughter, “Today, I even mentioned that I would introduce my boyfriend to him. But with you being so jealous, I think maybe it’s better not to meet after all.”

At Wen Le’s words, a slight smile tugged at the corner of Zhou Kao’s lips. He also felt relieved inside and said, “No need to worry. I’m happy to meet him.”

Wen Le smiled, then suddenly asked, “I thought you wouldn’t check the BBS.”

Zhou Kao responded, “Indeed, I didn’t install it, but I can’t resist when someone brings it to my attention.”

“Seeing the posts on the BBS, the only thing that comforts me is that threads related to you also have my name mentioned.”

Wen Le made a slight clicking sound, “It’s a bit bittersweet.”

Zhou Kao replied, “Exactly, you also find it a bit bittersweet.”

Wen Le chuckled, “Okay then, if you’re available, I’ll free up Sunday afternoon for you, okay?”

Zhou Kao agreed, “Okay, I’ll reluctantly accept.”

TN: Hahahaha I can’t wait for everyone’s reaction once they find out that our leads are already together!

Previous | Index | Next

Phone Porridge*

*to talk endlessly on the phone for hours.

Wen Le didn’t know how she managed to walk back to her dormitory.

Nothing registered in her mind as she walked back, but she was certain her face must be bright red.

It wasn’t until she stood in front of room 307 that Wen Le suddenly snapped back to reality. 

Standing outside the door, she covered her lips with her hand and smiled like a fool.

It was only when the door next door opened that Wen Le quickly restrained her smile and pushed open her own door.

The room in 307 was quiet.

Amidst this silence, there was a rather subtle atmosphere.

Wen Le couldn’t help but furrow her brow. She looked up and saw a packaging box with a “C” brand on the floor. Inside the box was a “C” brand handbag. 

The bag was casually placed in the box, with half of its chain still hanging on the floor. 

This wasn’t Sun Youmei’s usual style. She always treated her handbags with care. If she had just unpacked a bag, she would certainly cherish it, placing it back into a dust bag, then into her closet and locking it up. Leaving a newly bought handbag with its chain hanging on the floor was something Sun Youmei would never do.

It wasn’t until a soft sobbing sound reached her ears that Wen Le noticed that Sun Youmei, who was lying on the table, was crying.

Wen Le glanced at Sun Youmei, then exchanged a look with Cheng Hui.

Cheng Hui shook her head, indicating that they shouldn’t intervene.

Wen Le gently closed the door and entered the dorm room.

At that moment, Cheng Hui suddenly realized something was off. She looked at Wen Le suspiciously and said, “Lele, what happened to your lipstick?”

Wen Le subconsciously touched her lips and indeed, her fingers were clean. Her lipstick…

Wen Le’s face turned bright red.

Her lipstick had naturally been eaten clean by Zhou Kao just now.

Wen Le could only try her best to appear calm. She said, “I forgot to apply it after dinner. No wonder I felt like I forgot something.”

Cheng Hui still seemed unconvinced. She looked Wen Le up and down and said, “That doesn’t seem right. Why do your lips look a little swollen too?”

Wen Le’s heart raced, and she came up with a quick excuse. “It’s because I had some spicy strips.”

Cheng Hui’s brows furrowed again upon hearing this.

Wen Le’s heart tightened, thinking, ‘just as I suspected, you can’t hide anything from the human 

microscope, Cheng Hui.’ 

She thought that if Cheng Hui brought up more questions, she would just have to tell the truth. 

She was a human microscope, and nothing could get past her.

Who would have known that Cheng Hui would just mutter in dissatisfaction, “I also want to eat that.”

But Wen Le suddenly got choked by her own saliva, not knowing what she was thinking about, and she started coughing.

Cheng Hui huffed a couple of times and said, “See, this is the price of eating it alone.”

Wen Le coughed even harder.

She climbed onto the bed, and her phone received a message from Cheng Hui.

The things that girls loved doing when they got together were probably shopping and gossiping.

Hui: Her boyfriend seems to have cheated.

Wen Le sighed and typed a few words.

WL: Didn’t she mention that last time?

Hui: Last time, she just said her boyfriend liked to flirt with other girls outside.

Hui: This time, it seems there’s solid evidence of him cheating.

Wen Le typed a few words but didn’t know what to say, so she deleted them.

Hui: Actually, she’s quite smart.

Hui: She’s on good terms with the salesgirls at the stores her boyfriend regularly goes to.

Hui: The salesgirl from Brand C told her privately that her boyfriend ordered a limited edition bag.

Hui: She thought it was a gift for their anniversary or something, so she was happy. But the bag she received today was only half as expensive as what the salesgirl said.

WL: Maybe the salesgirl remembered it wrong.

Hui: She found the receipt for that limited edition bag in her boyfriend’s wallet.

WL: What did she say?

Hui: She doesn’t want to break up.

Hui: She can’t let go. Her current quality of life, spending habits, and her image as a beautiful and wealthy socialite all rely on her boyfriend.

Hui: Even if she breaks up, she might not find another boyfriend who’s willing to spend so much on her.

Hui: In order to maintain her current lifestyle, she’s inevitably clinging to her boyfriend, pleasing, accommodating, and compromising. But her boyfriend doesn’t have these concerns; he’s carefree. She’s too passive in this relationship. Such a relationship isn’t really pure.

Hui: So, in the end, a relationship where both parties are from similar backgrounds is fairer and more comfortable.

Hui: But this has nothing to do with me. I’m not going to get married.

Wen Le looked at the two words “similar backgrounds” on her phone and was lost in thought.

Until her phone vibrated again, and it was a WeChat message from Zhou Kao.

Z: Are you asleep?

Wen Le looked at the chat, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but lift up.

She rolled over and held her phone to reply.

WL: No.

WL: Have you reached the dorm?

Z: yep

WL: you got wet in the rain, better go take a hot shower

Z: ))) 1”

Wen Le saw that Zhou Kao had sent a voice message, so she got up and searched for her earphones. But she had forgotten them on the desk, so she had to get off the bed and spend two or three minutes looking for them.

After plugging in the earphones, she heard Zhou Kao’s one-second voice message.

Zhou Kao’s voice was deep, and he softly said, “Hmm.”

Wen Le’s ears tingled, but she cursed in her heart, This flirtatious guy still won’t even admit he’s a flirt? It’s just a single word yet he insists on sending me a voice message.

Then Zhou Kao sent another message.

Z: Did you specifically search for your earphones? Actually, for just one second, you don’t need to bother that much. Did you really want to hear my voice so much?

WL: You don’t have a girlfriend anymore.

Z: ?

WL: No, you’re out.

WL: good bye

WL: No, it’s better not to see each other again

WL: You might want to prepare for being put to the blocked list.

TN: LOL hahahah ZK dug his own grave with his teasing keke

After sending the messages, Wen Le didn’t get any response. After a while, Zhou Kao actually called her.

Wen Le’s hand trembled, and she almost dropped her phone.

She immediately pressed the “end call” button.

But then the phone rang again.

Wen Le clicked her tongue, picked up her phone, walked to the washroom, closed the door, and then answered the call.

Wen Le’s expression was devoid of emotion, and her voice was cold, “What do you want?”

Zhou Kao’s voice still carried a smile, “Are you angry?”

Wen Le calmly replied, “No, if I were angry, I would’ve been driven crazy by you long before.”

Zhou Kao’s voice seemed to carry a light chuckle, and he softened his tone, “Actually, I just wanted to hear your voice.”

Wen Le’s lips couldn’t help but curl up, but she secretly cursed, ‘This flirt.’

Wen Le adopted a cold and indifferent tone that didn’t match the expression on her face and said, “Now that you’ve heard it, you can feel at ease.”

Zhou Kao seemed even more amused on his end. He seemed to be cautious not to disturb others, and his voice was kept low. His laughter had a deep and magnetic resonance. Wen Le’s ears tingled, and she took off one earphone and said, “Stop it!”

Zhou Kao choked for a moment, and his laughter actually stopped.

Wen Le, however, felt triumphant and smiled.

Listening to the laughter from the other end of the phone, Zhou Kao’s eyes also carried a hint of laughter. After Wen Le finished laughing, he asked, “Do you have time this weekend?”

Wen Le’s eyebrows raised, and she seemed to have an inkling of Zhou Kao’s intention. Her smile deepened, but she also remembered that this Zhou guy seemed a bit unfortunate. She said, “Not sure, I have quite a lot of things to do this weekend.”

Zhou Kao, upon hearing this, seemed to sigh regretfully, “So busy?”

Wen Le replied, “Yes.”

Wen Le found it a bit odd, “But you seem so free. How come?”

Zhou Kao said, “I’m busy this week too.”

“But I still want to see you.”

TN: swooooon~ 

Wen Le’s eyes sparkled, and she looked at the swaying leaves outside the window. The sound of raindrops tapping on the leaves sounded so pleasant at this moment. Her voice turned tender in a way she didn’t even notice, “There’s plenty of time ahead, why the rush?”

Zhou Kao seemed slightly taken aback by her words but then chuckled, “You’re right, there’s plenty of time ahead.”

However, after a while, Zhou Kao said, “But I still want to see you this weekend.”

Wen Le’s eyes curved into crescent moons as she laughed, “I’ll let you know when I have time.”

After ending the call and coming out of the washroom, she noticed that Sun Youmei was already lying on her bed, and the C-brand bag was still lying untouched on the floor.

Cheng Hui asked, “Who were you talking to? You chatted for so long.”

Wen Le was somewhat surprised, “Was it that long?”

They had only exchanged a few sentences.

Cheng Hui said, “Hmm, it was about half an hour.”

Wen Le was quite astonished.

Bao Xiao Fan commented, “Could it be that you’re dating?”

Wen Le didn’t confirm or deny it, she just let it be assumed, giving them some time to gradually accept it.

She thought it would be better to wait a while till it was stabilised before revealing the truth, especially with the current emotional instability of someone in the dorm.

However, Bao Xiao Fan and Cheng Hui didn’t seem to take it seriously. Bao Xiao Fan even nonchalantly resumed using her phone right after asking, as if she already had an idea of Wen Le’s answer and was just asking out of habit.

Surprisingly, Cheng Hui the human microscope didn’t think much about it either.

Wen Le was somewhat perplexed as she got onto her bed. Did they really lack such confidence in her shedding her single status?

The next day, Wen Le received a call from her father saying he would be coming on Sunday.

Wen Le found it a bit strange; it seemed her father had been traveling to the capital city more frequently lately.

“Dad, are you coming for a business trip again this time?”

Wen Tianqi replied, “Sort of. Dad has bought a gift for you that needs your signature, and Grandma asked me to bring you a few things.”

Previous | Index | Next

A Deep Kiss

Zhou Kao’s heartbeat couldn’t calm down for a long time. He repeatedly stroked Wen Le’s hair and kissed her temple. 

Wen Le lightly patted his back in a soothing manner. With each pat, water splashed from both their clothes, as Zhou Kao’s clothes were already soaked from the rain.

Wen Le’s heart softened involuntarily. She softly spoke to Zhou Kao, attempting to divert his attention from the distressing situation. 

She asked, “How did you come here?”

Zhou Kao took a moment to calm himself before speaking in a relatively steady tone, “I was in the meeting room in the neighboring building. I heard something happened here and got worried, so I came over.”

Wen Le asked him, “Why didn’t you use an umbrella? With such heavy rain, you’re completely soaked.”

Zhou Kao rubbed his cheek against Wen Le’s, feeling the warmth emanating from her and the faint fragrance on her. His heart, which had been racing due to fear and anxiety, finally began to settle.

Zhou Kao explained, “The rain was too heavy. The umbrella couldn’t hold up.”

Wen Le’s heart ached at his words. She didn’t say anything, burying her head in Zhou Kao’s chest and hugging him tightly.

The two of them embraced each other for a while before slowly separating. They were tucked away in a secluded corner, unnoticed by others.

Zhou Kao lowered his head and gently rubbed Wen Le’s hair. He suddenly noticed that her clothes in front were wet from his soaked clothes. He felt a bit apologetic, “I’ve dampened your clothes.”

Wen Le shook her head, not minding at all. She had been holding the umbrella all this time, and Zhou Kao shielded her from most of the rainwater. Apart from the wet parts from Zhou Kao’s clothes, she was mostly dry, so the dampness wasn’t bothering her.

Wen Le pulled Zhou Kao into the J building to take shelter from the rain. 

Their hands were tightly intertwined. 

Wen Le’s hand was completely enveloped by Zhou Kao’s, his palm warmer than hers. The warmth spread from his palm to her heart. Wen Le couldn’t help but lower her head to look at their clasped hands. Suddenly, she felt Zhou Kao’s intense gaze that seemed to be glued to her. Her cheeks blushed a soft pink, gradually tinting her fair complexion.

Zhou Kao asked her, “Where did you go just now? Were you scared?”

Wen Le shook her head, “I was about to leave, but then I remembered that I hadn’t finished taking inventory. I went to the third floor upstairs to check, but I found some discrepancies in the quantities, so I stayed there a bit longer.”

The storage room on the third floor was the farthest from where they were. Although Wen Le had heard a loud noise, she didn’t think much of it. She had just locked the storage room and left when she realized that a tree had been blown down by the wind.

Zhou Kao responded, “Thank goodness.”

Zhou Kao truly felt fortunate and grateful.

Suddenly, Wen Le asked, “I saw a group of people gathered downstairs. Did something happen?”

Zhou Kao’s voice lowered as he recalled the incident. He said, “The wind knocked down a tree and injured pedestrians.”

Wen Le also paused for a moment, stopped, and looked outside. “Should we go out and help?”

Zhou Kao said, “I’ll go out. The wind and rain outside are too strong for an umbrella. Your clothes are dry. You can go to the storage room and see if there’s anything useful.”

Wen Le nodded in agreement. 

However, she was a bit worried, looking at the thoroughly wet Zhou Kao.

Zhou Kao shook his head. “Go ahead, I’m fine.”

The rain and wind outside had not stopped. Wen Le went to the Student Union’s storage room and found some gauze.

But before Wen Le could step out with the items, she saw Zhou Kao coming back.

Wen Le hurried over and asked, “How is it?”

Zhou Kao said, “The rain is too heavy. The ambulance won’t be able to come for a while, but the school doctor is already here. They’re coordinating the transfer of the injured to the school hospital. No need to worry.”

Wen Le breathed a sigh of relief at his words. “Are the injuries not serious?”

Zhou Kao said, “Luckily, they’re all minor injuries. The most severe seems to be a broken leg.”

“That’s a relief.”

Wen Le noticed that Zhou Kao was holding something in his hands.

Zhou Kao also noticed Wen Le’s gaze and said, “It’s a raincoat they left for me. The wind is too strong for an umbrella, so wearing a raincoat is better.”

Wen Le was speechless. “Then why aren’t you wearing it?”

Zhou Kao shrugged. “I’m already soaked. What’s the use of wearing it now?”

Zhou Kao had been drenched by the rain again, getting completely soaked.

Wen Le went downstairs to the security office and borrowed a towel from the security guard.

Zhou Kao used the towel to quickly dry his hair. Wen Le poured a cup of hot water for Zhou Kao in a disposable cup and took out a thin blanket from the office drawer that was given as a sponsor’s gift during a previous event. She draped it over Zhou Kao, who was soaked.

Zhou Kao took a look at the rain outside the window and checked the time. It was almost 10 o’clock, but the rain showed no signs of stopping. 

Zhou Kao took a sip of the hot water and looked at Wen Le.

The office’s lighting was dim, and Zhou Kao sat under the soft light, casting deep shadows that outlined his profound features and handsome face. His wet hair was pulled back, revealing a smooth forehead and deep eyes. His wet eyelashes resembled feathers darkened by the rain.

Wen Le couldn’t help but be captivated by his deep gaze and handsome appearance. Their gazes seemed glued together, creating an atmosphere of ambiguity in the dimly lit room, with only the two of them present after recently confirming their relationship.

Zhou Kao stared at Wen Le intently, placing the cup he had just sipped from on the table. He reached out and held Wen Le’s hands, pulling her closer to him.

Zhou Kao played with Wen Le’s hands, his fingers tracing each bone and joint meticulously, creating a simple gesture that carried a tantalizing undertone in the air. The sound of their breaths filled the room, adding to the sensuality of the moment.

Zhou Kao’s intense gaze locked onto Wen Le’s eyes, and she, who usually stood her ground against him, was now silenced, lowering her gaze and remaining speechless. Wen Le’s delicate face took on a rosy hue, and her long eyelashes fluttered gently, occasionally revealing the emotions hidden in her eyes.

Wen Le’s beauty was a brilliant display of openness and allure. 

Like fireworks in full bloom or blossoms in spring, it was the kind of stunning sight that one would want to capture in a photo or a painting.

In such an intimate space with just the two of them, sometimes silence only heightened the ambiguity between them. 

Zhou Kao’s gaze was unwavering, his breath sped up, and he tightened his grip on Wen Le’s hands, slowly pulling her closer until she was in his embrace.

Zhou Kao caressed Wen Le’s cheek with one hand, his palm warm and his touch gentle. 

Wen Le’s breathing became more cautious in response.

Finally, Zhou Kao spoke, his voice husky yet low, “You won’t go back on what you promised me today, will you?”

Wen Le’s voice seemed to hang in the air, “What promise?”

Zhou Kao’s gaze darkened, and his voice, deepened by the huskiness, took on a magnetic quality that was uniquely his. Slowly and sensually, he said, “Of course, being my…girlfriend.”

Wen Le’s face initially turned red, then she raised her head to look at Zhou Kao. When their eyes met, the spark returned to Wen Le’s eyes, a blend of pride and fearlessness.

In her gaze, there seemed to be a hint of provocation and allure. With a mischievous smile, she leaned closer to Zhou Kao’s ear and whispered, “Boyfriend. To maintain the stability of your status, you better behave.”

As Wen Le spoke, her breath brushed against Zhou Kao’s ear, and the delicate and sweet floral scent of her lipstick filled the air. Zhou Kao’s breathing paused for a moment, and the enchanting smile on Wen Le’s face seemed to be that of a seductive enchantress.

A siren.

Zhou Kao thought to himself, “This is truly a siren.” 

The two of them stayed in the office for a while longer. The rain outside showed no sign of stopping; instead, it seemed to be getting heavier. They decided not to wait any longer and planned to head back to the dormitory before the rain intensified.

Zhou Kao took out the raincoat from earlier and said to Wen Le, “Put this on.”

Wen Le glanced at the heavy rain outside, then looked at Zhou Kao who was drenched completely. “What about you?”

Zhou Kao chuckled. “It doesn’t matter if I wear it in my current state or not.”

Wen Le looked at the raincoat and suggested, “How about we both wear it together?”

Zhou Kao found it amusing. “How do two people wear one raincoat?”

Wen Le pointed at the raincoat. “One person wears one sleeve, and the other wears the other sleeve.”

She demonstrated by putting on one sleeve of the raincoat. “You come in, and you wear the opposite sleeve.”

The raincoat was indeed a bit large for Wen Le, but fitting two people inside was quite a stretch. 

Zhou Kao nodded in agreement, and while Wen Le was adjusting the raincoat, he slyly used it to wrap her up. He then pulled her into a tight embrace, his arms strong and firm, preventing her from moving.

Wen Le struggled for a moment but couldn’t break free. She looked up at Zhou Kao and asked, 

“What are you doing?”

Zhou Kao, with Wen Le in his embrace and an umbrella in his other hand, answered, “Let’s go. If we don’t leave now, we won’t make it before the curfew.”

He led Wen Le out, with her wrapped in the raincoat and him holding the umbrella. They walked outside, with Wen Le protected snugly in Zhou Kao’s arms, shielded from most of the rain.

The wind outside was strong, and the umbrella provided little protection from the rain. The large raindrops hit Zhou Kao’s body, soaking his clothes once again, while Wen Le remained mostly untouched by the rain.

Wen Le was worried about Zhou Kao getting sick from being soaked in the rain repeatedly. 

She couldn’t help but look up at him, and Zhou Kao, sensing her gaze, used his free hand to tousle her hair.

The torrential rain had overwhelmed the city’s drainage system, causing ankle-deep water to accumulate on the roads.

Wen Le was wearing heels with a height of four to five centimeters. Zhou Kao kept an eye on the road, afraid that uneven terrain under the water might hurt Wen Le’s ankles.

Zhou Kao looked down again and noticed the murky water, making it difficult to see the road. He furrowed his brows slightly and said, “I’ll carry you.”

Wen Le felt both warmth and sweetness in her heart, but she shook her head. “No need, this path is pretty flat.”

Seeing Wen Le’s determined attitude, Zhou Kao didn’t insist any further. They continued through the wind and rain until they reached the entrance of the women’s dormitory.

When they stood under the dim light at the entrance of the women’s dormitory, Wen Le watched rainwater trickle down Zhou Kao’s facial contours. The water droplets glistened in the light as they slid down his cheeks, jawline, and neck, creating an unexpectedly alluring and sensual scene.

Wen Le gave a light cough and averted her gaze, taking off the raincoat and handing it to Zhou Kao. 

After removing the raincoat, Wen Le’s clothes were surprisingly still dry, while Zhou Kao had become completely drenched.

Seeing Zhou Kao in this state, Wen Le’s heart softened. 

She handed him the raincoat and said, “Put this on.”

Zhou Kao shook his head. “There will be rain tomorrow too. The umbrella isn’t very effective in strong wind, and the raincoat will be more useful for you. I have another one.”

Zhou Kao declined to take the raincoat, and Wen Le couldn’t do anything about it, so she didn’t insist further. She pursed her lips and said, “Then take the umbrella.”

Zhou Kao looked down and sensed Wen Le’s worry in her eyes. He nodded slightly in response, leaving Wen Le with her yellow floral umbrella.

Standing under the women’s dormitory, time was nearing the curfew. If he didn’t leave soon, Zhou Kao might not make it back to his dormitory on time. Wen Le glanced at the time and said, “You should head back.”

Zhou Kao also looked at Wen Le and responded with a quiet “Okay,” but he didn’t move.

Seeing that he didn’t seem to be leaving, Wen Le looked up at him and was about to ask, “Why…” 

But she couldn’t finish her sentence before being interrupted by Zhou Kao.

“Wen Le.”

Wen Le looked up, but before she could react,  Zhou Kao pulled her directly into his embrace. 

He held her tightly, lifted her chin, and then kissed her passionately.

It was an unexpected but inevitable kiss of the night.

Wen Le’s fingers involuntarily curled up, then tightly gripped Zhou Kao’s shoulders. 

The rain outside continued, but its sound was gradually fading, and Wen Le could barely hear anything from the outside world.

Zhou Kao’s kiss was dominant and fervent. His breath was scorching, his movements were not gentle, and he eagerly captured Wen Le’s essence in a deep and passionate kiss.

Wen Le’s scalp tingled from his kiss as she leaned softly against him. 

She felt like she was melting in the intensity of this fervent kiss.

These two popular figures of the online BBS community were passionately kissing under the women’s dormitory. This wasn’t something that should have happened, but at this moment, neither of them wanted to think about it too much.

Blame it on the heavy rain tonight, as it had caused their suppressed emotions to burst forth uncontrollably, making them lose themselves in the moment.

TN: hehehehe the sexual tension between our leads have finally erupted 🎉

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Finally Together

In the evening, a strong wind suddenly picked up, disturbing Wen Le’s sleep with its howling outside. Sitting up, she saw Cheng Hui already getting up to close the window.

The next morning, the news and trending topics were all about an approaching typhoon.

For the past few days, it had been raining continuously. Before leaving, Cheng Hui repeatedly reminded everyone to carry umbrellas.

In the evening, Sun Youmei suddenly returned to the dormitory, saying there might be a typhoon in the coming days. Her boyfriend found it inconvenient to send her to and from school, so she came back to stay for a few days.

Since she had already paid for her accommodation, there was naturally no reason to refuse her.

These days, Wen Le seemed to run into Zhou Kao more frequently.

Two days ago, she encountered Zhou Kao in the library. He was sitting opposite her, holding his backpack.

Wen Le glanced at him, showed no reaction, and continued reading.

Zhou Kao didn’t disturb Wen Le either; he took out a book to read by himself. He seemed to be working on a paper, and the two of them didn’t exchange any words.

However, after a while, Wen Le got up to look for a book at the bookshelf. When she returned, there was a cup of hot milk on the table with a sticky note attached to it.

The sticky note was heart-shaped and pink, with handwriting in silver ink that said, “Not competing for Level 6 or IELTS.”

Wen Le remembered the day Zhou Kao had said to her, “You’re that girl whom someone is chasing after, but you think they’re trying to beat you to win first place. Even if we’re not in the same major, as long as you’re studying in the library, and I show up next to you, you’ll think I want to compete with you in Level 6 and IELTS.”

Wen Le tore off the sticky note in speechless amazement, rolled her eyes, and almost burst out laughing.

She tore off a green sticky note from her own pad, quickly wrote a few words, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into Zhou Kao’s hand.

Zhou Kao looked at the color of the sticky note, his expression darkening. He unfolded the note.

There were words written on it: “Don’t fall in love with me; it won’t lead anywhere.”

His lips twitched slightly. Right in front of Wen Le, he tore the green sticky note to shreds, packed up his bag without looking back, and left. He left in a confident and decisive manner, leaving Wen Le somewhat stupefied.

Such attitude. And he was still pursuing her?

After finishing her evening self-study session, Wen Le packed her bag and found her umbrella. She was about to walk into the rain when suddenly, Zhou Kao appeared seemingly out of nowhere, walked up to Wen Le, and opened his umbrella. He asked, “Miss, may I have the honor of escorting you for a bit?”

Wen Le glanced at Zhou Kao, a smile playing on her lips. She pushed Zhou Kao away and said, “No.”

Saying that, she opened her umbrella and walked into the rain with large strides.

Zhou Kao looked at Wen Le’s retreating figure, a hint of amusement in his eyes. He opened his umbrella and walked into the rain as well. He followed Wen Le all the way until he saw her off at the entrance of the women’s dormitory.

Throughout the entire journey, Zhou Kao stayed behind Wen Le, not saying a word, just walking at a distance.

In the pouring rain, Zhou Kao stood holding his umbrella, watching Wen Le enter the dormitory building.

The rain blurred Zhou Kao’s face, but his black clothes, black pants, and black umbrella still gave him a strong presence in the rain. His tall and handsome figure seemed to break through the rain, his beauty not concealed by the downpour. Instead, it added a touch of gentle and affectionate charm to his demeanor.

As Wen Le turned around, a barely noticeable smile played at the corner of her mouth.

On Wednesday afternoon, Wen Le was on duty in the Student Union office.

A male student from the Student Union came over to deliver some documents. After Wen Le finished getting the documents from him, he left. Shortly after, Zhou Kao walked in with a cup of milk tea.

These days had been marked by typhoon weather, and it had been consistently gloomy. It had rained in the morning, and now there was a brief pause, but the sky remained overcast.

The office was empty at the moment, with only Wen Le inside.

Zhou Kao walked in carrying a cup of hot milk tea and placed it on Wen Le’s desk.

Wen Le glanced up from her books and gave Zhou Kao a sidelong glance, “What are you up to? Are you that free?”

Zhou Kao responded, “Do you think I’m free?”

His eyes were deep and meaningful as he stared at her. Wen Le felt a bit uncomfortable and turned her face away.

Her gaze shifted to the milk tea. Undeniably, having a cup of warm milk tea in this gloomy weather felt rather pleasant.

Staring at the milk tea, Wen Le suddenly said, “Do you know how many calories are in a cup of milk tea?”

Zhou Kao retorted, “Do you think I’d know?”

“Forget it,” Wen Le reached out to take the bubble tea, shaking her head at Zhou Kao, “Thanks.”

Zhou Kao said, “Did you bring an umbrella?”

Wen Le replied, “Yes.”

Zhou Kao made a faint sound of disapproval, “Smart girls usually say they didn’t bring one at times like this.”

TN: LOLLLL hahahahaha i love their banter

Wen Le responded, “Then you should go find your smart girl.”

Zhou Kao sighed, “She’s right here.”

Wen Le pretended not to understand.

Zhou Kao asked her, “What time do you finish tonight?”

Wen Le answered, “Around 9:30, I guess.”

Zhou Kao glanced at his phone, “There’s going to be rain tonight. Get back earlier.”

Wen Le nodded, “I know.”

Zhou Kao said, “Can you give me a different answer besides ‘I know’?”

Wen Le asked, “What kind of answer do you want?”

Zhou Kao didn’t answer that question directly; he simply said, “I have something to attend to, so I’ll leave early.”

Zhou Kao had a company meeting that evening, it was his company meeting.

Originally, he could have held the meeting at the company, but because it was getting late and the weather had been bad recently, there were water puddles on the road and traffic jams. 

Moreover, the dormitory had curfew hours. Therefore, he had borrowed a small meeting room from the university and conducted a nearly two-hour video conference there.

After the meeting, when Zhou Kao came out of the meeting room, it was already 9:30.

Looking at the sky, he felt somewhat uneasy for some reason.

His phone had been turned off during the whole meeting. When he turned it on again, he saw several missed calls and messages from his roommate.

Feeling a sense of foreboding, Zhou Kao hurriedly returned the call.

His roommate, Lan Zhixin, answered, and quickly asked, “Boss, where did you go? Is everything okay? You’re not in Building J, are you?”

Hearing “Building J,” Zhou Kao’s heart skipped a beat. His voice unconsciously tightened as he responded, “What’s wrong? What happened at Building J? I just finished a video conference and I’m still at the administrative building.”

Lan Zhixin’s voice carried a sense of relief, “Thank goodness. You scared me. Haven’t you noticed? Look at this strong wind.”

“Just now, the wind was really strong, and the rain was heavy. It was quite scary. They say that even the roofs of the temporary buildings from the neighboring university were blown away. Many large trees on our campus were uprooted, and it seems several people got injured. They say several big trees near Building J fell, injuring quite a few people. Seems like one girl got trapped under a fallen tree. I saw a video on WeChat, and they were saying that the ambulance hasn’t arrived yet, and it just happened…”

Lan Zhixin’s words were interrupted by a burst of static noise on the phone, and the call ended abruptly.

Lan Zhixin stared at the phone screen for a moment, still somewhat dazed. “What the… Why did it just hang up? I hadn’t finished talking.”

Hang Shuai’s voice came through, “Did you tell him not to go back there? Even with an umbrella, he’d be soaked in this heavy rain.”

Lan Zhixin replied, “I didn’t have time to tell him. But he’s the boss, he should have common sense. Rain or no rain, he should know.”

Hang Shuai agreed, “You’re right.”

When Zhou Kao heard about the incident at Building J, he felt a jolt in his heart. Hearing that a girl had been trapped under a fallen tree, his hands trembled, and he could barely hold onto his phone.

He had never been this scared before. He couldn’t help but remember that Wen Le had said she would leave at 9:30.

And now it was 9:40.

Panic surged through Zhou Kao, and his heart raced erratically. He tried to tell himself not to panic, to calm down.

When he heard about the incident at Building J, he had rushed out without even ending the call.

It was already 9:40 in the evening, but the wind and rain outside were still fierce. The umbrella was impossible to hold up; it had a tendency to be blown away by the wind once opened.

Zhou Kao couldn’t be bothered to fight with the umbrella. He simply discarded it and walked out into the wind and rain.

The raindrops, as big as beans, splattered against his body. After two hours of heavy rain, the drainage system had failed, and the accumulated water on the ground was now ankle-deep.

Zhou Kao waded through the water with rain pouring down on him, he was facing the wind and looking dishevelled all over, he ran towards Building J.

His heart raced with urgency and fear. He unconsciously quickened his steps, fearing that he might lose something important if he was even a step too late.

In less than 100 meters, Zhou Kao was already completely drenched. He had never been in such a miserable state before, but he had no time to care about his appearance.

Building J was indeed severely affected. It was an old building surrounded by many trees. The typhoon had uprooted the trees, smashing them against the walls and shattering the glass. Some of the damaged trees were leaning precariously, having fallen onto students passing by.

By the time Zhou Kao arrived, a crowd had gathered. He searched among the injured, but he couldn’t find Wen Le’s figure.

The students helping with the cleanup looked at the drenched Zhou Kao with confusion, but he didn’t have the time to care about their gazes. He turned and walked towards a tree.

Perhaps fortunately or unfortunately, Zhou Kao didn’t find Wen Le among the injured. However, as he approached the last tree, he saw a patch of bloodstained familiar fabric. It was a green skirt, and Wen Le was wearing a green dress today.

Zhou Kao’s heart skipped a beat, his face turned pale, his pupils constricted. He took a deep breath and wiped the rain off his face with trembling hands.

The heavy rain blurred Zhou Kao’s vision, preventing him from clearly seeing the pattern on that green skirt.

Straining his eyes, Zhou Kao tried to determine if the pattern on that long skirt was the same as what Wen Le was wearing.

Despite being just a few steps away, Zhou Kao couldn’t bring himself to approach.

He was afraid, his fingers were trembling, and he had difficulty breathing.

The night and the rain veiled Zhou Kao’s view, making it impossible for him to clearly see the pattern on the dress. He had to grit his teeth and pray as he approached to see for himself.

“Zhou Kao!”

Just then, a voice echoed from around the corner.

A voice that was familiar, clear, and gentle.

It was like redemption, causing Zhou Kao’s heart, which had nearly given out due to panic, to return to normal.

Zhou Kao turned around and saw Wen Le struggling to hold an umbrella, standing at the deserted corner.

In that moment, Zhou Kao felt both relieved and slightly amused.

Zhou Kao pressed his palm against his forehead, seemingly at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

He stood in the rain, thoroughly soaked, and it seemed that he finally realized his own dishevelled state. He wanted to turn away from Wen Le’s sight.

However, after just a couple of steps, as if unable to bear it, he turned back, took large strides forward, and tightly embraced Wen Le.

Zhou Kao held Wen Le tightly, his grip so strong, as if he wanted to fuse her into his body.

Zhou Kao’s breath remained labored in the rain, visible even amidst the downpour.

Caught off guard, Wen Le was tightly embraced by the thoroughly wet Zhou Kao. She was momentarily stunned, and then, her clothes becoming damp due to Zhou Kao’s wetness, she sensed his warmth through two layers of wet fabric. She also felt Zhou Kao’s heartbeat, which was anything but normal.

Zhou Kao’s breathing was somewhat heavy, echoing in Wen Le’s ears, as if the sound of the rain had faded away.

Zhou Kao held Wen Le tightly.

For the first time, Wen Le felt Zhou Kao’s fervent and intense emotions so overtly.

Her heartbeat seemed to accelerate in sync with his, both turning irregular in their rhythm.

Zhou Kao held Wen Le in his arms for a while, then he took hold of Wen Le’s hand and pressed it tightly against his solid and broad chest. Wen Le’s palm felt the scorching heat and the rhythmic thumping of his heartbeat. It seemed as if it was too hot for her to bear, causing her to instinctively try to pull her hand away.

However, Zhou Kao forcefully kept Wen Le’s hand firmly against his chest.

Zhou Kao held Wen Le tightly in his arms with one hand while pressing her hand against his chest with the other.

He said, “Wen Le.”

“You scared me to death.”

These five words were like a knowing strike, shattering Wen Le’s pride and sullenness.

Wen Le even felt her nose tingling, and her eyes felt slightly warm.

She seemed to understand why he had stood in the rain so late at night, his face pale and anxious.

In that moment, her heart softened, and she felt like she was willing to agree to anything he asked.

She was willing to admit that impulsiveness and the atmosphere were indispensable factors in love.

Zhou Kao raised his hand to rub Wen Le’s hair, seemingly releasing his fear, relief, and cherished feelings that had nowhere to go. He slightly lowered his head, his lips touching the top of Wen Le’s head, leaving a kiss.

His voice was hoarse to an almost indistinguishable level, “Wen Le, we’ve already missed out for so long. Please don’t reject me anymore.”

Wen Le hugged Zhou Kao back, her voice subdued, “Mm.”

She couldn’t resist his open and fervent emotions.

Zhou Kao’s cheek brushed against Wen Le’s cheek as he explored her face. He surrendered with a sigh, “No one else could make me lose control like this.”

“And if someone could, she would have to be my beloved.”

TN: AHHH YAYYY finally together!!! We’ve all been waiting so long for this haven’t we 😂

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Finally Together

TN: Loving the title of this chapter!! Are you guys ready for it~ kekeke

Upon hearing Zhou Kao’s words, Wen Le burst into laughter.

Zhou Kao waved his hand and said, “Come over here and tell me, how many backup options do you have?”

Wen Le chuckled, “Do you really want to know?”

Zhou Kao said, “Wen Le, do you know that smart girls never raise fish as pets?”

Wen Le asked, “Why? Is it because raising fish can lead to people cheating?”

Zhou Kao replied, “No, it’s because smart girls know how to choose the most outstanding guy. This way, even though it takes only a bit of effort, what they gain is multiplied. Right now, you have such an opportunity in front of you.”

Wen Le looked around and asked, “What opportunity? Where?”

Zhou Kao said, “With this kind of brain, how did you get into A University? Didn’t you just see that pile of certificates?”

Speaking of certificates, Wen Le became annoyed. “And you dare to say it! That pile of certificates nearly killed me.”

Zhou Kao smiled, “So, after enduring this exhaustion, what information did you gain from that pile of certificates?”

Wen Le sneered lightly, “From that pile of certificates, I realized that you’re a playboy.”

Zhou Kao playfully tapped his finger on Wen Le’s head, “Then you have really wasted your time looking at them.”

Wen Le held her head, a question mark seemed to appear above her head. Is that it? He thinks he can chase someone with just that? Dream on.

Zhou Kao glanced at Wen Le as if he could read her mind and asked, “Are you bad-mouthing me again?”

Wen Le put on a fake polite smile, “Interpret it however you like.”

Zhou Kao clicked his tongue, “Heartless. I thoughtfully got you some dessert to cheer you up and you’re still being like this.”

Saying that, Zhou Kao took a few steps back, went to a black car, opened the front passenger seat, and took out a delicate box of pastries and a cup of milk tea.

Wen Le looked at the car and couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, “Is this your car?”

Zhou Kao nodded, “Why, doesn’t it look like it?”

Wen Le said, “It definitely doesn’t look like it.”

Wen Le glanced at the black Volkswagen Passat behind Zhou Kao and then at the Rolex watch on Zhou Kao’s wrist. She said, “Mainly because I’ve never seen anyone whose car isn’t as expensive as his watch.”

Zhou Kao closed the car door and said, “It’s just because it’s more suitable. Most people can tell the price of a car at a glance, but very few can tell the price of a watch at a glance.”

Wen Le didn’t dwell on this question any longer and shifted her attention to the bag of pastries.

She recognized the brand of the pastry that Zhou Kao was holding. This brand of pastry has always been popular among internet celebrities and stars. They were not only exquisitely delicious, but also genuinely expensive.

Looking at the fact that this shop was not available on campus and was beyond the range of delivery service, one needed to drive for 30 minutes or take the subway for 20 minutes to enjoy these pastries.

When Wen Le sent a WeChat message to Zhou Kao, it was about half an hour ago. That was definitely not enough time for Zhou Kao to drive to the shop, buy the pastries, and then come back to wait for Wen Le under the women’s dormitory.

Wen Le asked him, “Why do you think I’m not happy?”

Zhou Kao said, “I saw you at Building J this noon…”

With Zhou Kao’s words, Wen Le understood.

The administration building of the School of Economics was just opposite to Building J.

Zhou Kao continued, “I had something to do on North An East Road in the afternoon, so I bought these on my way.”

He handed the bag in his hand to Wen Le.

Wen Le’s hand dodged and didn’t reach out to take it.

Zhou Kao added, “Consider it an apology for standing you up last time.”

Zhou Kao lowered his head, getting closer, and whispered, “Don’t be angry, okay? Hm?”

“There won’t be a next time.”

Wen Le was best at going head-to-head with Zhou Kao, but she recently discovered that this guy had levelled up and changed his tactics.

This caught Wen Le off guard.

Wen Le didn’t know how to deal with this new version of Zhou Kao. She rolled her eyes, reached out, and took the milk tea and pastries.

Wen Le said, “Fine, I’ll accept it, for the sake of the pastries.”

A trace of a smile flickered in Zhou Kao’s eyes.

Suddenly, he looked down at Wen Le, his voice turning very soft as he said, “So, how about it? Actually, I’m quite good at chasing girls, right?”

Wen Le said, “Yeah, you’re good at chasing girls. You chase from behind, and the girl runs ahead. The goal is to be the first to cross the finish line. First in the race, second in friendship. Isn’t my summary accurate?”

Zhou Kao sighed, “Yes, you’re right. You’re that girl whom someone is chasing after, but you think they’re trying to beat you to win first place.”

“Even if we’re not in the same major, as long as you’re studying in the library, and I show up beside you, you’ll think I want to compete with you in the CET-6 and IELTS scores, right?”

Wen Le suddenly burst into laughter, “Exactly, shouldn’t this be the correct way for us to get along?”

Zhou Kao said, “Miss, I think I need to emphasize this solemnly again. I am currently pursuing you. It’s not a race of academic achievements between two top students. After all these years, shouldn’t your mindset mature a bit?”

Wen Le looked at Zhou Kao, smiling composedly, “Didn’t I tell you already? We’re not compatible.”

The smile on Zhou Kao’s face gradually faded, “Where are we not compatible?”

Wen Le said, “Our backgrounds don’t match. It’s better for a commoner like me not to climb up to the level of your wealthy family.”

However, Zhou Kao calmly stated, “But as far as I know, the value of this watch on my hand and the car behind me combined is not as expensive as the bracelet on your hand right now. Are you telling me that as a commoner, you can’t climb up to my wealthy family?”

A frozen smile appeared on Wen Le’s face. Instinctively, she moved her hand, adorned with the jade bracelet, behind her back, saying, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

Zhou Kao lowered his head, looking deeply into Wen Le’s eyes. He whispered to her, “Wen Le, what are you really avoiding? Have you figured it out? Are you running away from me, or from your own background?”

TN: Finally something relating to Wen Le’s family background!! I’m so curious to find out what her backstory is~

“Zhou Kao,” Wen Le suddenly interrupted him, “I’m going back. I don’t want to stay downstairs in my pajamas for too long.”

However, Zhou Kao spoke from behind Wen Le, “If you can’t forgive me because of what happened in the past, I can understand that. But if you can’t accept me for any other reason, I can’t accept that.”

“Take some time to carefully think about it.”

Feeling uneasy, Wen Le returned to her dorm room, having forgotten to buy dinner.

She placed the milk tea and pastries Zhou Kao had bought for her on the table and stared at them blankly, her thoughts wandering elsewhere.

Unconsciously, Wen Le clenched the bracelet on her wrist, her eyes vacant.

At that moment, her roommate suddenly approached, “Lele, how did you get pastries from this place? Who delivered them to you? Isn’t it impossible for deliveries to reach us here?”

Wen Le chuckled awkwardly and said, “It was an old classmate who happened to pass by there. They brought some for me.”

Wen Le’s roommate didn’t believe her and looked at her teasingly, saying, “What old classmate? It’s probably another suitor, I bet. You’ve never accepted such things, so why did you suddenly bring them back this time? It seems like this time is different~”

Wen Le’s heart skipped a beat, her ears turned slightly red, but her face remained composed. 

“What nonsense are you talking about? It really was an old classmate.”

“Alright, alright, an old classmate then. But next time, if this old classmate brings you pastries again, will you remind him? Pursuing someone and buying things should involve the entire dormitory, you know?”

“And Lele, if you’re not single anymore, you must treat us to a meal. After all, you’re the first one among us single dogs to escape after entering university.”

Sun Youmei was ignored by everyone, and indeed, their dormitory had only five people now.

Wen Le laughed, “Alright, you guys can count on that.”

Distracted by their chatter, Wen Le didn’t dwell on Zhou Kao’s words. She took a few bites of the pastries and listened to her roommates’ gossip.

“The list for the national scholarship will be out in two days.”

“So what if it’s out? What’s the big deal?”

“I heard a new gossip recently.”

Yes, this was a dormitory that loved gossip.

“I heard that the previous year, there were a male and a female candidate from the same college for the national scholarship, and they were actually a couple.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

“Wait, the good part is coming. Both of them wanted the scholarship and neither was willing to let the other have it. Initially, the girl had a slightly better chance because of her higher ranking. They agreed to compete fairly, but in the end, the scholarship was given to the guy. The girl was disappointed at first, but since it was her boyfriend who got it, she wasn’t that upset. However, later it was discovered that the guy was able to get the scholarship because he gave a gift to their counsellor.”

“No way, seriously? They didn’t break up over this?”

“The girl was indeed rather angry, but they’re still together from what I heard.”

“Did the guy share the scholarship with his girlfriend?”

“What are you thinking? Of course not.”

“Goodness, is it really worth it? They’re still a couple.”

“It’s all about self-interests.”

“Man, who are the candidates from our department this time?”

“I don’t know, but Wen Le’s always been the top student in our department, so she’s definitely one of them.”

Cheng Hui, calm as always, cracked a melon seed and said, “It’s Wen Le and Ai Fei.”

“Wow, both of them are from our dormitory, that’s impressive.”

Cheng Hui, however, gave a cryptic chuckle at that comment.

Almost instantly, a realization struck Wen Le like a lightning bolt, and she looked at the dorm leader in disbelief.

The dorm leader looked at Wen Le, eyes wide, “No way, seriously? Did you really get into trouble?”

Wen Le nodded, somewhat dazed.

The other two quickly picked up on the gossip vibe and approached, “What’s going on? I noticed something off about you today.”

Wen Le hesitated for a moment but eventually recounted the conversation she had with the counsellor earlier in the day.

Cheng Hui, skilled in reasoning and analysis, calmly cracked a melon seed and, looking at the ground, pondered for a moment. Then she placed the melon seed on the table and began her analysis:

“First, Wen Le, as you’ve never actually used the bag since you bought it, only the five of us in the dormitory know about it. So, the person who could potentially report you must be one of us five. You wouldn’t report yourself, leaving four possibilities.”

“We three spend time with you every day, and we know that you haven’t used that bag. So, if one of us were to report you, you would immediately suspect us. 

Therefore, as long as we three aren’t foolish, we wouldn’t report you. However, Ai Fei only heard about us buying the bag that night but didn’t spend time with us. So, she wouldn’t know that you haven’t used the bag.”

“Secondly, be it the national scholarship list or new scholarship awards, there’s always been an ongoing competition between her and you, given your standings in the department. Just like the national scholarship competition between the couple, this also involves interests, which provides a motive. But suspecting her based solely on this is indeed the biggest possibility. However, we don’t have any evidence, so we shouldn’t casually suspect anyone. Doing so could harm our relationships and lead to unjust accusations.”

Bao Xiaofan said, “Actually, I’ve always felt that there’s something off about her. Look at the books on our desks – they’re all arranged with the spines facing out, making it easy to see the titles and handle them. She usually arranges them this way too, but there are a few books with their pages facing out and their spines inward, making it impossible to identify them. One day, out of curiosity, I glanced at them and found that those books weren’t ours. It seemed like she was learning English on her own. Although this doesn’t necessarily mean anything, it just feels like she doesn’t want us to know. She’s always hiding something. Also, she wakes up so early in the morning and comes back so late at night, yet she still can’t outperform Wen Le. I think she might be jealous of Wen Le.”

Wen Le said, “Forget about it, we also have no evidence. Let’s not speculate and damage our relationships.”

“But Lele, did you really donate 5000 yuan all at once?”

Wen Le nodded and said, “I mentioned before that I submitted an article to Wenxing Magazine, right? They just paid me the fee of 5000 yuan on Monday morning. Then the class leader said we’re collecting donations for mountain area children. I thought it was a kind of fate and coincidence since our family also lives in a mountainous region. So, I felt rather empathetic for them and decided to donate everything.”

“Oh my, Wen Le, you took so long writing that article and you just decided to donate it all at once? Don’t you feel a bit of heartache? You cried so badly the other day when you bought a 1000-yuan bag.”

Wen Le smiled and said, “If it’s meaningful, that’s enough for me.”

Cheng Hui said, “You didn’t even mention a word about it.”

Man Qingxuan added, “Wait, we didn’t even know that you donated 5000 yuan. How did she find out?”

Bao Xiaofan said, “You forgot that she’s the vice-class leader; she’s in charge of counting for the class leader. Alright, now the suspicion is even stronger.”

“By the way, Lele, is it true that your family lives in a mountainous area? I can’t really tell from your demeanour; you don’t seem to fit that image.”

Subconsciously, Wen Le touched the bracelet on her wrist and lowered her gaze, pondering for a moment. Then, looking up, she tentatively said, “Yes, my family really lives in a mountainous area. But there’s a slight difference between our family and other mountain children. I used to think I was a left-behind child, but later I found out that my grandparents intentionally moved from the city to a mountain village.”

“Oh, so your grandparents are really amazing, just like those exemplary people on TV who go to impoverished areas to teach and end up staying there for a lifetime.”

The group admired Wen Le’s grandparents.

Wen Le said, “Well, not exactly…”

“No wonder Lele donated 5000 yuan all of a sudden. It’s the influence of your grandparents.”

When one harboured some suspicion about others, they tended to subconsciously treat them differently.

When Ai Fei returned, she greeted everyone as usual, joking and laughing, and her face gave no hint of anything unusual.

Unable to help herself, Wen Le secretly observed Ai Fei’s expression and realized that she couldn’t read anything from her face.

Cheng Hui gave Wen Le a meaningful look and then started her act.

Pretending not to care, Cheng Hui browsed the group’s files and casually said, “Wow, the national scholarship for this year is about to be announced. Will it be 5000 yuan or 8000 yuan?”

Wen Le had been watching Ai Fei’s expression closely, but when Cheng Hui mentioned the national scholarship, Ai Fei didn’t react at all.

Cheng Hui couldn’t decipher anything from Ai Fei’s expression either, so she pressed on, “Lele, you’re again the top student in our department. When the national scholarship is announced, you should treat us to a meal.”

Indeed, when the words “national scholarship” were combined with Wen Le’s name, Ai Fei’s smile became slightly strained. However, she and Bao Xiaofan joined forces with Man Qingxuan to insist that Wen Le should treat them to a meal.

While smiling, Wen Le said that she would treat them once the spots were confirmed, but deep inside, she found herself suspecting Ai Fei even more.

TN: Sorry to cut the chapter off here!! but this was a really long chapter – stay tuned for the next part to find out what happens 😝

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