Chapter 18

Return to Xiangchu

Jiang Yuan arrived at the airport, staring at the friend request on WeChat, hesitating whether to accept it or not.

It wasn’t Lin Senmu who added her. The additional message read: “I’m Nie Hao, the tool guy. Lin Senmu has something to discuss with you!”

Jiang Yuan, filled with grievances on the way, had already deleted Lin Senmu from Penguin and blacklisted him on WeChat.

She couldn’t bring herself to delete him from this communication tool, fearing that once deleted, Lin Senmu’s traces would completely vanish from her world.

“Keeping him in the blacklist allows me to check on him occasionally!”

“It’s not like I want to see him. Once I’m back, I’ll send him straight to the police station!”

Jiang Yuan sniffled, thinking this, but immediately dismissed the idea. “Forget it, I’ll just ignore him from now on!”

Wiping her moist eyes, Jiang Yuan walked towards the boarding gate, feeling uncomfortable all over as she moved.

She cursed bitterly in her heart, “Damn Lin Senmu, you’ve made me suffer so much!”

Jiang Yuan swore she would never find any guy’s hands attractive again in her life.

The Green Bubble sent a message, but it showed a red exclamation mark.

The Penguin chat window attempted to add a friend, but it prompted that the other party had set their privacy settings, and even the account was hidden upon re-searching.

Lin Senmu didn’t know Jiang Yuan’s phone number. After being blacklisted, without a secondary account, he could only turn to his good buddy for help.

“Haozi, have you added her? You must emphasize that things aren’t what she thinks!”

On the phone, Nie Hao heard the seriousness in Lin Senmu’s tone and didn’t dare to delay, sending the message again as instructed.

However, Jiang Yuan had already boarded the plane from the Western Regions to Jiangnan.

Even if she saw it, she would only say that Lin Senmu was lying through his teeth.

After waking up and seeing all the circumstances, Yuan Yuan wasn’t a little fool!

“Haozi, what’s the update?”

Lin Senmu called to inquire.

“She didn’t accept.”

Nie Hao truthfully informed.

“Sigh.”

Lin Senmu sighed, started the RV, and returned to Anxi City.

After returning the car, he also bought a ticket for the same day, ending his journey in the Western Regions.

Originally, he had planned to take Jiang Yuan skiing on the Silk Road today and watch the night view of the Bagua City in the evening.

“I’m so upset too. If only I hadn’t agreed to sleep with you last night.”

On the plane, sitting by the window, Lin Senmu exhaled onto the glass and wrote the name ‘Jiang Yuan’ with his index finger.

The neighbor was a tall, beautiful lady who initially wanted to strike up a conversation with the super handsome young man beside her.

He looked like a high school boy, exactly the type the ladies loved.

Just as the beautiful lady was about to speak, she saw Lin Senmu writing a girl’s name and immediately lost interest.

“(_).” The lady’s expression.

The plane pierced through the sky, crossing the clouds, and after more than four hours, arrived at the provincial capital of Xiangchu, Star City.

“Wood, I’m waiting for you at Exit 3.”

As soon as Lin Senmu got off the plane and connected to the internet, he immediately saw the message from his good buddy Nie Hao.

Nie Hao was his classmate for three years in high school, so close that they even competed to see who could pee higher and farther.

“Haozi, got a light?”

After meeting up, Lin Senmu pulled out a pack of Snow Lotus (Heavenly Rhythm) and asked Nie Hao for a light, as his lighter had been confiscated before boarding.

Haozi and Wood were nicknames for each other. During high school, the boys in their class loved to give each other nicknames based on the homophonic sounds of their names.

“Wood, you’ve started smoking?”

Nie Hao was somewhat surprised. Previously, whenever he offered Lin Senmu a cigarette, Lin Senmu would refuse. This time, he was actually taking the initiative.

“Here, try this Western Region cigarette!”

Lin Senmu nodded. He used to find the smell of cigarettes particularly unpleasant, but after the incident in the RV, he discovered that smoking could help ease his worries.

“It’s not bad, but I’m more used to our local cigarettes.”

Nie Hao waved the Yellow Furong King in his hand. People from Xiangchu mostly preferred this and Premium Baisha.

The two of them chatted while smoking.

Nie Hao liked to show off some flashy moves while smoking, blowing a smoke ring and then threading another one through it.

He was somewhat good-looking, with a trendy hairstyle and dressed in brand-name clothes. His flamboyant antics attracted the attention of a few naive girls at the airport.

However, these girls quickly shifted their gaze to the even more handsome Lin Senmu.

“Damn it, you block of wood! I worked so hard to exude charm, and now I’m just attracting admirers for you.”

Nie Hao wailed in frustration.

“I’m not interested!”

A hint of sorrow flashed in Lin Senmu’s eyes as Jiang Yuan’s face kept appearing in his mind—her eyes, her smile, and the coldness with which she had left.

Nie Hao scrutinized Lin Senmu and clicked his tongue, “You look like you’re nursing a broken heart. Did you go on this trip to hook up?”

“Get lost, you playboy! You think I’m like you? I have three of your ex-girlfriends on WeChat. Every time you juggle two relationships, you need me to cover for you. You’re probably the modern version of a scoundrel!”

Lin Senmu and Nie Hao got along well, but their views on love were completely different.

Lin Senmu only wanted a relationship that would lead to marriage.

Nie Hao, on the other hand, wanted to have the youth of many girls.

He wanted many girls to remember him as the man they had once been with in their younger years.

“But looking at you, it seems like you were tricked out of your innocence and then dumped!”

Nie Hao kept marveling, “Our high school’s heartthrob, what kind of woman could have brought you down? Do you have a photo?”

Lin Senmu walked over to a roadside trash can, extinguished his cigarette butt, and ignored the previous question.

Nie Hao followed him, chattering incessantly, “Woody, tell me about your romantic encounters during this trip. You must have experienced something, otherwise why would you need me to help you explain things to her?”

Lin Senmu frowned, “Haozi, I’m really annoyed right now. I don’t want to talk about this!”

Nie Hao grabbed him, handed him a cigarette, and said with concern, “Woody, this is the first time I’ve seen you care so much about a girl. I just want to help you analyze the situation.”

“Your experience with love is a blank slate. If there’s any misunderstanding, you might not even realize it.”

“That’s why I want you to tell me about it. I can help you strategize.”

Hearing this, Lin Senmu was somewhat tempted.

But after a moment of thought, he didn’t want to apply Nie Hao’s playboy tactics to Jiang Yuan, so he declined, “Haozi, I appreciate your concern, but let’s talk about this later. I’ll handle it myself for now.”

“Alright, just remember one thing—we’re brothers!”

Nie Hao didn’t press further and patted Lin Senmu’s shoulder, “Should I take you home now, or…?”

Thinking about his parents’ situation, Lin Senmu shook his head, “I’m not going home. If it’s convenient, I’ll stay at your place tonight. If not, I’ll find a hotel.”

“Do you think I actually stay at home?”

Nie Hao asked with a strange expression.

“Oh, right. I forgot you’re a player, playing the groom every night!”

Lin Senmu said with disdain.

“Virgo, shut up!”

Nie Hao retorted.

“You damn rat, you’ll probably be a father by nineteen!”

Lin Senmu was furious and embarrassed.

“You’re a virgin!”

Nie Hao repeated the most damaging statement.

“Look at how capable you are!”

Lin Senmu was utterly defeated and could only retort stubbornly.

Nie Hao burst into laughter: “Let’s go, get in the car first. We’ll grab a meal and then have some fun tonight.”

The two walked towards the side of the airport road, where a brand-new Audi Q5 was parked.