Yu Qian had not even finished freshening up when Fang Yan and the others arrived.

There were no famous tourist attractions in Jiang City, and the weather outside was freezing.

So, the girls unanimously decided to spend the day eating and drinking at the food street. At the very least, they could take Lin Niannian along to experience the local culture.

Jiang Zheng and Bai Qiming had no interest in their plan and chose to stay at the hotel instead. Thus, Yu Qian had no qualms about leaving her boyfriend behind, linking arms with her friends as they happily set off.

Since Lin Niannian had a sweet tooth, Yu Qian specially took her to buy Jiang City’s signature sand cakes.

These sand cakes were made from glutinous rice flour mixed with ordinary rice flour, and sweetened with honey and sugar. The rice flour was dyed with different plant-based colors— red, yellow, blue, pink, and white— before being steamed in small, specially crafted bamboo steamers, making them look incredibly appetizing.

The five of them ate their way from one end of the street to the other, stopping by a mall in between.

It wasn’t until evening that they finally decided to head back.

As they passed by a supermarket, Fang Yan’s eyes suddenly lit up, and without giving Yu Qian a chance to react, she dragged her inside.

Lin Niannian and the others, confused, followed along.

“Yanyan, are you buying something?” Wang Jiajia asked, puzzled.

“It’s not me buying, it’s Qianqian who needs to buy something.” Fang Yan grinned mischievously.

Yu Qian was equally baffled. “I don’t need to buy anything.”

“No, you do!”

With an air of certainty, Fang Yan expertly pulled Yu Qian toward the shelves near the cashier.

Half of the shelf was stocked with chewing gum, while the other half……

Staring at the dazzling array of small boxes in front of her, Yu Qian felt both embarrassed and mortified.

“Qianqian, see which one you want?” As Yu Qian stood there, too stunned to react, Fang Yan had already casually picked up a box to inspect.

“W-we’re not at that stage yet!” Yu Qian’s face turned red as she mustered the courage to argue.

“Ah Yan, this is too much. Qianqian is just dating. How can a girl be so casual about this?” Qi Yu said sternly.

She was conservative and could not accept premarital sex. Besides, in her view, Yu Qian was still too young.

“Couples in love are like sparks meeting gasoline— it’s only natural! I’m just making sure Qianqian protects herself. Besides, we’re all adults. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying life a little. Xiao Yu, don’t be so rigid!” Fang Yan clung to Qi Yu coquettishly.

Qi Yu remained unconvinced and tried to drag them away, but Fang Yan stubbornly refused to budge. In the end, Qi Yu could only stand aside with a cold expression, waiting for them.

The cashier area was already a high-traffic spot, but now, with five girls standing around, passersby couldn’t help but glance their way.

Yu Qian covered her face in humiliation, while Fang Yan continued her enthusiastic analysis of which one to buy. Even Lin Niannian, curious, picked up a box to take a look.

Wang Jiajia, seeing the selection for the first time, was shocked. “These aren’t food, so why do they come in so many flavors?”

“Small, medium, large, extra-large…… Which size should we get?” Fang Yan held up a few boxes, compared them carefully, and then turned to Yu Qian. “Qianqian, have you seen how big Jiang Zheng is? Which size should we get?”

Yu Qian: “!!!”

She hadn’t seen it!

Just let her die of embarrassment on the spot. Why did she, a pure and innocent girl, have to answer such shameful questions?

Seeing that Yu Qian couldn’t answer, Fang Yan decisively put the small size back and stuffed the others into Yu Qian’s arms, muttering under her breath, “Judging by Jiang Zheng’s build, he can’t possibly be a small.”

Yu Qian stood there clutching the boxes, wishing she could bury her head in the ground.

“Qianqian, I heard the mint-flavored ones are really stimulating. When you use them, let me know how it feels.” Fang Yan pointed to a box labeled ‘large’, grinning wickedly.

They were all daughters of the same motherland, so why did Fang Yan seem to be exposed to an entirely different world of knowledge?

Yu Qian really wanted to ask where she had learned all of this.

In the end, Yu Qian was forced to carry five boxes to the checkout.

The cashier, seeing a group of girls buying condoms, couldn’t help but glance at them twice.

Yu Qian could only console herself. No one there knew her, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about!

Feigning composure, she walked out of the supermarket, then quickly rushed to a secluded corner, pulled open her down jacket, and stuffed the bag of condoms inside.

Seriously, couldn’t they have put such private items in a black plastic bag?

This completely see-through bag— how was she supposed to boldly carry it around in public?!

Why didn’t she bring a bag with her today of all days?

Watching Yu Qian’s swift and fluid movements, Fang Yan was speechless. “Is that really necessary? It’s not like it’s something shameful.”

“If you have the guts, you carry it.” Yu Qian shot back.

“Uh……” She didn’t have that kind of courage either.

Fang Yan let out an awkward laugh. Her home wasn’t far from there. If she happened to run into her parents while carrying these things, they would absolutely kill her.

Yu Qian zipped up her jacket and used her hand to support the bag from the outside to prevent it from slipping.

She carefully held onto it and walked a few steps forward, her posture resembling that of a newly pregnant woman cradling her belly.

The group moved at a snail’s pace back to the hotel.

Yu Qian planned to hide the item in her room before anything else, but as soon as she entered the lobby, she ran into Jiang Zheng.

Her heart skipped a beat, and instinctively, she pressed her hands tighter against her stomach.

“Jiang Zheng, w-why are you here?” Her voice trembled.

Shouldn’t he be in his room?

“I was bored sitting inside, so I came down for some fresh air.” Jiang Zheng said, eyeing her suspiciously. “Why are you clutching your stomach?”

Yu Qian froze, then hurriedly made up an excuse. “I ate too much today…… my stomach hurts.”

“Really?”

“Really!”

Afraid he might do something, she secretly nudged Lin Niannian beside her.

Lin Niannian and Fang Yan quickly caught on and helped Yu Qian cover up, rushing into the elevator in a flash.

Jiang Zheng watched the group of girls scampering away like they were fleeing a crime scene, his curiosity only growing.

He didn’t believe for a second that Yu Qian had a stomachache.

But what could she be hiding from him……?

The moment Yu Qian returned to her room, she immediately pulled out the bag and stuffed it into her suitcase, even going as far as to pile clothes on top to bury it.

Only after finishing her covert operation did she breathe a sigh of relief.

That night, Fang Yan and the others planned to sleep over in Yu Qian’s room, so Jiang Zheng never got the chance to investigate her little secret.

────ρя


After staying in Jiang City for three days, Yu Qian and Jiang Zheng were finally about to start their trip together.

At five in the morning, the sky outside was still pitch black.

Yu Qian was woken up right on time by Jiang Zheng. There was no helping it, since they were sneaking off without Lin Niannian knowing, Jiang Zheng had purposely booked an early flight.

Bai Qiming, watching Jiang Zheng’s smug expression, felt incredibly annoyed. Still, he reminded him, “Take care on the way. Make sure you look after her properly.”

“Like I need you to tell me that.” Jiang Zheng sneered at him, then raised an eyebrow. “I think you should be the one making the most of these next few days.”

Now that Bai Qiming had a chance to be alone with Lin Niannian, whether they would finally confess their feelings or remain stagnant depended entirely on fate.

Bai Qiming fell silent.

Before, he had always thought he could quietly wait for Lin Niannian to mature, that he could afford to be patient.

But now? Every time he saw Jiang Zheng and Yu Qian being all lovey-dovey, a sense of unwillingness rose in his heart. He even felt a little jealous of Jiang Zheng.

Why was it that the person Jiang Zheng liked so quickly responded to his feelings, while he and Lin Niannian were still stuck in limbo?

He didn’t want to wait any longer. It was precisely because he needed a breakthrough that he had agreed to Jiang Zheng’s reckless plan.

Jiang Zheng pulled along both his and Yu Qian’s suitcases, grinning as he patted Bai Qiming’s shoulder. “Don’t call us these next few days. See you in three days.”

With that, he strutted off, dragging the luggage behind him.

Yu Qian hastily said, “Bye, Brother Ming”, before quickly chasing after her suitcase.