Chapter 40

In August, the weather finally became more comfortable. The night breeze on the tennis court was gentle in the evening, and the sound of hitting balls was continuous.

“I’m done, I’m done,” Qin Yun threw his racket aside, waving his hand at the person across from him, out of breath, “I’m exhausted.”

Zhou Wu turned and walked to the side of the court, casually tossing his racket onto a chair and picking up a towel to wipe off his sweat.

Qin Yun took a moment to catch his breath before slowly coming over from the other end. He raised his arm, gathering strength, and asked his friend, “Hey, Zhou Wu, take a look at this,” he lifted his shirt to reveal his abs, “and this, how about it? Aren’t they more impressive than when we were in Bincheng?”

Zhou Wu sat on the chair; his long legs stretched out. His face was sweaty, and despite having left school for a while, the combination of sportswear and a bit of sweat made him look youthful again. “Yeah,” he said.

“You didn’t even bother to look at me before.” Qin Yun complained, picking up his phone to take a picture of his muscles, which he sent to Dou Yiqing. “Do you think something is wrong with Dou Yiqing? She’s got a handsome, muscular guy right in front of her, but she prefers to look at those guys online with beauty filters.”

Zhou Wu snickered but didn’t reply.

Disliking the feeling of being sweaty, he dried his hair and got up to change his clothes.

After sending the photo, Qin Yun looked up and saw Zhou Wu’s bare upper body. He couldn’t help but curse. “We all train the same way, but how do you end up looking like that? Are you eating protein powder for meals?”

Zhou Wu lazily replied, “It’s natural talent.”

Before Qin Yun could retort, he noticed the scratches on Zhou Wu’s back and blurted out, “What the hell?”

Zhou Wu was about to pull his shirt on when Qin Yun grabbed it.

“No way. What the hell? Who scratched your back like this?” Qin Yun asked, shocked.

“Who do you think?” Zhou Wu replied.

“Yeye?”

“Get lost,” Zhou Wu elbowed him away and pulled his shirt on, laughing mockingly.

“…” Qin Yun was left speechless.

He stood there for a while before sitting next to Zhou Wu. “Who did this? Which girl? Do I know her? She’s pretty fierce to scratch you up like that.”

Zhou Wu unexpectedly smiled. “Never happened before.”

“Before? Damn,” Qin Yun said, “Why didn’t you tell me you have a girlfriend? Are we still bros?”

Zhou Wu threw his racket into his bag and picked it up. “She’s not my girlfriend yet.”

“…” Qin Yun pestered him all the way from the tennis court to the car but didn’t get any information about the “attacker,” leaving him scratching his head.

Zhou Wu, annoyed by the questioning, frowned and said, “I’ll tell you when I’ve won her over.”

“?” Qin Yun paused, then politely asked, “Are you chasing her, or is she chasing you?”

Zhou Wu replied, “I’m chasing her.”

“…” Although Qin Yun didn’t want to admit it, he said, “Which princess have you set your sights on? Is there someone you can’t win over?”

“I don’t know, haven’t chased her yet.”

Qin Yun was puzzled. “Why not?”

Because she likes someone else, Zhou Wu thought.

Always excelling in everything, Zhou Wu tasted the bitterness of losing the upper hand for the first time.

Wen Ci is so thin-skinned. If he laid it all out and she rejected him, it wouldn’t be impossible for her to avoid him out of embarrassment.

Feeling frustrated, Zhou Wu thought about kicking Qin Yun out of the car. “Thinking about how to chase her.”

“You’ve chased girls before,” Qin Yun said with amusement, “Just do what you did with Duan Wei.”

Zhou Wu fell silent.

Back then, there wasn’t much chasing. After graduation, they went to an arcade together. Qin Yun hadn’t arrived yet, and Duan Wei, struggling to win a claw machine toy, asked Zhou Wu for help, saying, “Zhou Wu, if you get this for me, I’ll be your girlfriend.”

They grew up together. His mother had even joked with Duan Wei’s mother about them. Familiarity plus a bit of affection, Zhou Wu got the toy.

Dating Duan Wei for two months didn’t feel different. After going abroad, he was too busy to realize he hadn’t contacted Duan Wei in a long time until she questioned if he wanted to break up.

Not feeling that attached, Zhou Wu agreed promptly, knowing that liking someone shouldn’t feel like this.

Recently, at a conference in Singapore, during a ten-minute break, he sneaked a text to Wen Ci under the table, but her replies were polite and distant.

“No wonder you haven’t been paying attention to Duan Wei lately; you’ve got a new flame,” Qin Yun said, reclining his seat, “Man, you were so upset when she got married last year, drinking so much…”

“If you’re sick, get treated,” Zhou Wu said flatly, “That afternoon, Zhou Hua Cheng brought his second illegitimate son home.”

“What? You were upset about that?” Qin Yun sat up, “No way, you also said…”

“What?”

“…Nothing,” Qin Yun changed the subject, “I invited him to Blue Tone’s second anniversary. Should I uninvite him?”

Zhou Wu shrugged. “No need, it’s in the past.”

Qin Yun gave him a thumbs up but was interrupted by a WeChat notification. Dou Yiqing had sent a voice message, sounding impatient, “Got it, Qin Yun. You’re so annoying. I said I’d go, just send me the bar address.”

Qin Yun replied, “Bumpkin, you don’t know where Blue Tone is? Fine, I’ll graciously pick you up.”

Setting his phone down, he resumed his questioning. “Bro, I beg you, who scratched your back? Do I know her? If you don’t tell me, I won’t sleep tonight.”

Zhou Wu suddenly asked, “Will Wen Ci be coming to your store’s anniversary celebration?”

“Yes, I invited her.”

Zhou Wu leaned his elbow on the car door and lazily responded with a “Hmm.”

Qin Yun, anxious, exclaimed, “So, who exactly is that girl!”

“Qin Yun, Dou Yiqing was right, you really are stupid.” Zhou Wu gave him a deep look and softly remarked, “Find some time to get your brain checked.”

Qin Yun: “?”

Qin Yun: “No, if you don’t want to tell me, don’t, but why insult me?”

—

Since the argument at dinner, for the next few days, Wen Ci barely received any responses when she spoke at home.

Her father had always been a man of few words, and her mother was giving her the silent treatment.

Wen Ci didn’t mind. Every day, like clockwork, she would say to the living room, “I’m going to the library,” and then leave.

On the day of Blue Melody’s anniversary celebration, Wen Ci still sought her mother’s opinion. She didn’t mention she was going to a bar but said she was going to Dou Yiqing’s house.

Her mother finally spoke, “No.”

Wen Ci nodded, “Okay.”

Zhou Wu received Wen Ci’s message while checking the dog food in Coconut Bowl.

[Wen Ci: Sorry, my family won’t let me go out.]

Zhou Wu, petting the dog, wondered if encouraging someone to sneak out at night was too bad. Wen Ci would say again that being around him made her feel free.

Thinking of this, Zhou Wu smiled and decided to be the bad guy. Just as he was about to type, another message came in—

[Wen Ci: So could you please come pick me up outside my window?]

—–

With previous experience, Wen Ci was well-prepared this time. She didn’t bring a bag and wore jeans and sneakers that were easy to jump out of the window in. The gift had already been mailed to Qin Yun.

But the more careful you are, the more likely something unexpected will happen.

The second Wen Ci jumped into Zhou Wu’s arms, she heard the front door open, and her mother’s voice on the phone came through: “You guys start the Mahjong game. I’ll be right there after I take out the trash.”

The trash disposal area was in the alley behind them.

Wen Ci was stunned and instinctively pushed Zhou Wu, “You hide first…”

A fisherman’s hat was placed on her head. Zhou Wu, already prepared, wrapped her in his jacket and lifted her up by the waist, “Keep your face hidden.”

Wen Ci reacted faster than she thought. She wrapped her arms around Zhou Wu’s neck and buried her face in his chest.

As her mother turned into the alley, she felt a gust of wind pass by. She paused her conversation for a moment.

It wasn’t until the person on the other end of the call asked several times that she came back to her senses and glanced at the tall figure running away: “No, I just bumped into someone… I don’t know whose family it is, running around the alley so late with a girl in his arms. Today’s young people are really out of line. I don’t know what their parents are teaching them.”

—–

Wen Ci sat in the passenger seat, still wearing the hat. The car window was open a crack, and the wind was blowing into the car. Zhou Wu had put the hat on her in a rush, not properly, and her hair was flying around inside the car.

Reflected in the car window, her bright eyes and white teeth were smiling. Even though she hadn’t been running, her cheeks were red, and she couldn’t hide her happiness.

Zhou Wu glanced at her and also smiled, “Did it scare you?”

“It did.” Wen Ci turned her head, “But it suddenly reminded me of high school.”

“What?”

“At the sports event, you carried me the same way.”

With her in his arms, Zhou Wu had run faster than the athletes beside them. Wen Ci, already fainting at the time, thought she was flying.

Zhou Wu held the steering wheel, silent for a few seconds, raised his eyebrows, and lazily said, “It’s still not too late to admit that time wasn’t sent by Old Yu to scam me, right?”

Wen Ci immediately sat up straight, seriously clearing their teacher’s name, “No, it really was because I was too weak and got sunstroke.”

Zhou Wu turned his face away, smiling, thinking it was hopeless. Even if Wen Ci said she was too weak, he still found her adorable.

—

When others opened their business, they attracted customers by offering discounts during their store anniversary. But for Qin Yun, the anniversary celebration was exclusive, only open to his invited friends.

Luxury cars were parked outside the bar, and two bodyguards in black stood at the entrance. Sometimes Zhou Wu worried that this place would be mistaken for a hideout and get raided by the police.

Throwing the car keys to the valet, Zhou Wu turned to look. Wen Ci had just taken off her hat, her hair was messy, and she wore a white knitted top with jeans, looking well-behaved and out of place among the crowd.

He reached out to smooth her hair and grabbed her wrist, “Let’s go.”

They weren’t late, and the inside hadn’t heated up yet. People sat at tables, chatting with each other, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

As soon as they walked in, someone called out to them, “Wen Ci?”

Wen Ci turned her head and saw Xiang Wenwen. He wore suit pants and a white shirt, looking like he had just come from work. Seeing Wen Ci, he made space and said with surprise, “You actually came? Sit here. It’s all classmates over here.”

Wen Ci then noticed two familiar faces at the table.

Before she could speak, another voice called out, “Zhou Wu!”

In the central booth on the first floor, Duan Wei waved at them, “Why are you so late? Come on over! The show is about to start!”

Someone sensed something was off. One of their old classmates couldn’t help but joke, “Xiang, why aren’t you sitting with Duan Wei?”

“I’m here to catch up with you all.” Xiang Wenwen smiled, “Besides, her side is full. It doesn’t matter.”

After hearing this, Wen Ci subconsciously glanced over there. Sure enough, the seats in the middle were almost all taken.

Her wrist was shaken, and Wen Ci looked up, meeting Zhou Wu’s dark eyes. He lowered his eyes and casually asked, “Where do you want to sit?”

In such unfamiliar settings, surrounded mostly by people she didn’t know, Wen Ci would instinctively stay in the corner, just like during Qin Yun’s birthday last time.

Moreover, sitting there, she didn’t want to overhear what Zhou Wu and Duan Wei might say again.

Recalling the things she had heard on the way to dinner during the school anniversary, Wen Ci swallowed. The bit of happiness she had felt in the car just now suddenly dissipated by half. She paused and hesitated, “…Maybe I should just stay here.”

Zhou Wu stared at her in silence for a few seconds, his gaze gradually turning cold.

He first let out a chilly “oh,” then said, “No.”