Chapter 37: Playing the piaono to the cow

“Sister! Chen Ting!” Chen Jin jogged a little distance before catching up, grabbing Chen Ting’s arm and smiling, “I thought I saw someone familiar just now, and it really is you! Are you out shopping with friends? Great, I am too! Are these your colleagues from the hospital? I haven’t seen you in so long! You didn’t even come back during Qingming. What have you been busy with? Oh, right, it’s almost mealtime! Let’s share a table for dinner together. How about that buffet we went to last time?”

Chen Jin rushed in with a stream of questions that made Chen Ting’s head spin; she was almost wrapped around by her words. Just as she was about to be pulled along to the restaurant by Chen Jin, she turned back to look at her friends behind her, hoping they would help her refuse.

But her three friends didn’t understand her blink, and after Chen Jin finished, they all agreed to go eat together.

Lin Xinran found Chen Jin particularly unusual today. After shopping all day, she thought it would be fine to eat together another time, so it wouldn’t delay Chen Jin, her sister, and her sister’s friends. Just as she was about to decline, Chen Jin grabbed her with her other hand. “Lin Xinran, you should come too; that restaurant is really good!”

Chen Jin linked her right arm with Chen Ting’s. “Sister, aren’t you going to introduce your friends to me? This is my friend, my university classmate, Lin Xinran.”

Chen Ting tried to shake off Chen Jin’s hand, but Chen Jin held on tightly. She sighed in resignation; running into Chen Jin at Wànmín Square today was her misfortune.

Anyone who didn’t know would think that she and Chen Jin had a very close sisterly relationship.

She regretted not persuading the others to leave when she saw Chen Jin on the first floor. Now they had run into each other. Just thinking about how Chen Jin was close with her dad made her uneasy; when Chen Jin went back, she would definitely tell her family about her shopping outing with her senior.

“What’s wrong? Can’t you introduce your friends to me? I want to get to know a few more doctors, so if I ever get sick, I’ll have someone to turn to.”

Chen Ting shot her a sideways glance. “We’re at a maternal and child hospital; the patients here are basically all pregnant women and children.”

Chen Jin replied with an “oh,” “Then I’ll prepare ahead of time. I might need it when I’m pregnant and giving birth.”

Chen Ting was annoyed; she almost said, “Who would want to marry and have kids with your terrible personality? Just live your own life.” After taking two deep breaths, she smiled at her three friends, who were still unaware of the situation, and introduced, “This is my cousin, Chen Jin. These three are my colleagues from the hospital: Zhong Ling, Yuanhao, and Liu Chengzhi.”

The last pause made Chen Jin immediately realize something was off, and she looked more closely at the man following Chen Ting. He was indeed good-looking, had a good presence, and from the height, he seemed to be around 1.8 meters tall. He wasn’t lanky, and his eyes seemed to sparkle with a smile; just looking at his face made him seem very gentle.

It was no wonder Chen Ting was infatuated; he had the looks. Those eyes looked at Chen Ting with such affection, more so than a couple in love.

Chen Jin felt that she had seen quite a few good-looking men. Not to mention her ex, Li Xingyi, who had a decent face and charm, a scholarly air despite lacking moral integrity. Then there was her neighbor, Shen Baichuan, who appeared aloof with a “stranger keep out” demeanor, but that face paired with his cold aura was still quite captivating.

Liu Chengzhi had a different kind of appeal and presence, like… like the air conditioning in her house—once turned on, whether for people or dogs, everyone could feel the cool breeze. You could say he was nice, but he seemed like someone who would be nice to more than just her.

When Liu Chengzhi greeted her, his gaze was warm and affectionate, making Chen Jin frown.

She wasn’t interested in that kind of attention.

Chen Jin suggested they eat at a restaurant, and Zhong Ling, Yuanhao, and Liu Chengzhi had no objections. But when they reached the restaurant, Yuanhao suggested they change the place for dinner.

The restaurant looked expensive; with their current salaries, eating here would cost nearly half a month’s wages.

Zhong Ling, however, said, “That won’t do! It’s rare to meet Chen Ting’s cousin here; let’s listen to her. Besides, with Chen Ting being such a wealthy woman, why would we need to worry about the bill, right, Chen Ting?”

“Right, cousin?” Chen Jin imitated Zhong Ling’s tone and smiled at Chen Ting.

They were clearly treating her like a fool; would she really go out of her way to spend money on others?

Chen Jin had just wanted to test the waters, but unexpectedly, it was Zhong Ling who spoke up first instead of Liu Chengzhi.

Of course, Chen Ting didn’t want to be seen as the fool and shot an annoyed glance at Chen Jin: Didn’t you insist on coming here? Otherwise, would anyone think of asking me to treat?

The atmosphere was awkward for a moment, but Yuanhao still didn’t catch on and suggested again. This time, Chen Jin agreed, saying, “Then let’s eat at a small restaurant outside.”

Not wanting to see Zhong Ling’s instant disappointment, Chen Jin took the lead and pulled Chen Ting ahead, signaling to Lin Xinran. The others noticed Chen Jin wanted to talk to Chen Ting and wisely kept their distance, trailing behind.

Liu Chengzhi wore a smile and turned to Lin Xinran beside them, asking, “Are you still studying with Chen Ting’s cousin?”

Lin Xinran looked up at him, couldn’t help but gaze into his eyes for a moment, then quickly averted her gaze. “Yes, I’m about to graduate.”

“Oh, which school are you attending?”

“NTU (Nanda).”

Liu Chengzhi raised his eyebrows in surprise. He hadn’t been close with Chen Ting before; it was only in the past few months that they had gotten to know each other better. He knew a little about her family but not much about her other relatives. He had noticed that Chen Ting didn’t seem to particularly like her cousin but was wary of her.

But how could this cousin share the same surname as Chen Ting?

Moreover, he noticed that the bag Chen Ting’s cousin carried looked very similar to the one his female colleague had, which he heard cost several thousand. He speculated that perhaps Chen Ting’s cousin was someone of significance too.

However, he didn’t expect her to be a student at Nanda University; he thought she was from a regular university.

“Well, since you’re all about to graduate, you should have confirmed your jobs by now, right?”

“I’m continuing my studies for a master’s degree, and Chen Jin is staying on as a counselor.” Lin Xinran felt like she was being led by Liu Chengzhi’s questions and didn’t want to discuss Chen Jin further, so she asked what kind of work they were doing.

Ahead, Chen Jin clutched Chen Ting’s arm with both hands. “So that Liu Chengzhi is the senior you mentioned?”

“Yeah.” After nodding, Chen Ting felt something was off and shot her a glare. “What Liu Chengzhi? His name is Liu Chengzhi!”

Chen Jin pouted; Liu Chengzhi’s name sounded a lot like orange juice! She had misheard.

But that wasn’t the main point!

“So, are you two dating now?”

“Not yet.”

“Not yet? So you’re considering it?” When she saw Chen Ting pursing her lips, she changed the topic. “You seem to have a good relationship with your friend Zhong Ling? She calls you ‘wealthy woman’; you can’t possibly be oblivious to her intentions, right?”

She just wanted to flatter her to gain benefits.

If they were true friends, it would be fine, but some were clearly just fake friends wanting to take advantage, and there was no need to keep associating with them! Like Lin Xinran, who knew she had money after the demolition; except for that one time she treated her to a meal for her internship, afterward, they split the bill every time. Lin Xinran had never suggested that since she had money, she should treat them.

“I’m not blind, of course, I can see what she means.” Chen Ting replied discontentedly, “I never thought we were that close. I didn’t intend to ask her out; she just came along and even brought Yuanhao, who was trying to pursue her.”

Otherwise, today would have just been her and her senior!

For a moment, Chen Jin didn’t know if she should say Zhong Ling’s presence was a good thing.

“You’ve been living near the workplace lately and haven’t gone home? Aunt has to go out of town in a few days to inspect high-end clothing stores and will be gone for half a month to a month. You should take the opportunity to visit her when you’re free.”

Chen Ting replied dully, “My mom is very busy, you know that. It doesn’t matter if I go home or not. Besides, aren’t you going with them? And there’s also Third Brother. Last time my mom bought you all quite a few things, right? She didn’t think to bring back a little for me or my sister-in-law. I can see she doesn’t really want to see me.”

“Oh, someone is feeling imbalanced because they didn’t receive a gift.”

Chen Jin gave her a sideways glance. “You know very well why Aunt didn’t bring gifts for you and your sister-in-law. But let’s be honest, Aunt and Uncle don’t owe you anything. They can give you a house or money, but they can’t just dismantle their own possessions to divide among you, can they? With your current attitude, I even doubt whether you’ll care for Uncle and Aunt when they get old after you receive money from them.”

“Forget it, I don’t want to discuss these matters with you. After all, they are your own parents, so you can choose not to care,” Chen Jin continued. “Don’t think that Uncle and Aunt are stopping you from dating that person to set you up; think about how much wealth you have that could actually be taken advantage of.”

“Do you know what your senior’s family does, who else is in his family, and whether he had a girlfriend before pursuing you? Have you looked into these things? Don’t tell me that love can satisfy hunger. Many of your colleagues at the hospital know about your family’s demolition and that you received quite a bit, right? Just look at how your colleagues treated you before compared to how they treat you now.”

Chen Ting couldn’t find a single word to refute her.

It was strange; if it were her family giving her such advice, she would have exploded, but when Chen Jin said it, she had nothing to say. Ever since Chen Jin’s family became wealthy, she felt like she was being “crushed” by Chen Jin.

“I…” Chen Ting felt she couldn’t out-argue Chen Jin, but she didn’t think she was that foolish, wanting to explain a few things. But behind her, Liu Chengzhi had already come up, asking if they wanted to go to that small restaurant they had just passed by.

“I went there with friends last time; the food was pretty good, and the prices were reasonable.”

Chen Jin suppressed her previous words and nodded, “Sure, let’s go to that place.”

Zhong Ling caught up and linked her arm with Chen Ting’s on the other side. Chen Jin saw it wasn’t a good time to talk alone, so she took a couple of steps back and walked with Lin Xinran.

Lin Xinran mentioned how Liu Chengzhi had been inquiring about her and added, “Just as we were talking, that guy strode up; I even wondered if he did it on purpose to interrupt your conversation.”

“Is this guy your cousin’s boyfriend? To be honest, when I first saw him, I thought he looked pretty good, but after a while, I found him quite annoying.”

“I think so too!”

Although this small restaurant didn’t look as fancy as the one in front, it was clean and tidy inside, with a simple layout that was quite pleasant to the eye. It was just the mealtime, and the tables on the first floor were already occupied. Luckily, there was a second floor, but it had separate private rooms that charged an extra fee for table reservations.

Not wanting to walk any further, Chen Jin asked the waiter to arrange a private room for them, and they all went upstairs to order food.

After the menu made a round back to her, they had only ordered three dishes when Chen Ting said to let her decide and that she would cover the bill. Chen Jin smiled, discussed with Lin Xinran, and ordered two more dishes and a soup.

Zhong Ling looked at Chen Ting, then at Chen Jin, and joked, “I was confused just now; Chen Ting, you share the same surname as your cousin?”

Chen Jin replied, “I take my mother’s surname.”

“Oh, I see.” Zhong Ling didn’t pursue why she took her mother’s surname; she was quite curious, but she felt Chen Ting didn’t seem very approachable. From the moment Chen Ting met her cousin, she looked like a mouse meeting a cat. Was it really necessary?

Before the food arrived, Chen Jin asked Zhong Ling and the others how busy they were at the hospital, genuinely seeming interested in their work.

Then she asked, “Since you guys are so busy, isn’t it harder to find a partner? Has Doctor Liu started dating anyone?”

She had heard Chen Ting refer to Liu Chengzhi as her senior and assumed he graduated from the same medical school, but she was surprised to find out they didn’t even attend the same school. They only got recommended to attend a training session at the Provincial Medical University. What kind of senior is that?!

She had imagined a scenario where her cousin had a secret crush during school, and it turned out to be this?!

However, as a doctor, Liu Chengzhi hadn’t shown much interest in Chen Ting before, and now he suddenly seemed keen to pursue her. It couldn’t be that some kind-hearted person in the hospital acted as a matchmaker for them, right?

If he didn’t have some other reasons, she wouldn’t believe it at all.

Liu Chengzhi replied, “I’ve been busy with work and haven’t had time to think about personal matters. Mainly, I haven’t met someone I like, so I’ve been single.”

“Oh~” Chen Jin nodded, then called everyone to dig in. “Eat up, or it will get cold, and then it won’t taste good.”

Then she focused on eating.

Liu Chengzhi nearly lost his smile; he was waiting for Chen Jin to continue asking, but after she made an “oh” sound, she went silent. He realized he couldn’t say anything clearly in front of Chen Ting’s relatives.

But it was fine; some things didn’t need to be stated too plainly.

Liu Chengzhi was quite attentive to Chen Ting, helping her serve soup and picking out food for her, occasionally handing her napkins.

Chen Jin pretended not to see, eating seriously and telling Lin Xinran that the restaurant’s dishes were good and that they should come back next time.

After the meal, Chen Ting wanted to pay, but Liu Chengzhi stopped her, so he ended up paying the bill.

“Chen Jin, my parents are nearby and invited someone to dinner, so I’ll go find them.” After finishing the meal, even though it wasn’t very late, there was nothing more to do, and Lin Xinran said goodbye to Chen Jin.

The remaining ones were Chen Jin and Chen Ting. Chen Jin asked, “Do you want to continue shopping or head back?”

At that moment, Chen Ting also lost interest in shopping. She had been followed out by Zhong Ling, and after encountering Chen Jin outside, it didn’t seem like a good day for a date.

No need to think too much; it was better to go back and rest early.

Chen Ting said she wanted to head back, and everyone naturally agreed.

“Alright, I’ll give you a ride since it’s on the way. You all live near the Maternal and Child Health Hospital, right?”

“Ah? Yes, we all live in the hospital dormitory.” Zhong Ling looked puzzled. Did Chen Ting’s cousin say she would give them a ride? “There’s no need for that; we can take the bus back, it’s not far. No need for you to make an extra trip. Besides, aren’t you worried about your cousin walking back with us?”

Chen Jin thought, isn’t it just that she’s worried about letting Chen Ting go back with them at such a late hour?

“It’s fine, I’ll drop you off at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital, then head home.”

At this point, Chen Ting also said, “Let’s take Chen Jin’s car back; it’s really on the way and not a hassle.”

The others remained silent, each person lost in thought.

They assumed Chen Jin was going to ride the bus or take a taxi back with them, thinking it would be too much trouble for her to go back and forth. They didn’t expect that she had driven here.

As they followed Chen Jin to the parking lot, they saw her open the door of a white sedan and turn back to wave at them, “Hurry up and get in!”

Silence ensued.

Chen Ting climbed into the front passenger seat, and Liu Chengzhi, sitting behind her, couldn’t help but glance at Chen Jin, who was driving diagonally in front of them, before lowering his gaze to think.

The car started and exited the parking lot. Zhong Ling couldn’t suppress her curiosity and asked, “Chen Jin, is this your own car?”

“Yeah. Having a car makes it more convenient to go out.”

Chen Ting turned to look at her and suddenly asked, “Are you going back to Hanlin Courtyard or the small villa near Nanda?”

Chen Jin was surprised for a moment, sensing three burning gazes behind her. She couldn’t quite understand the significance of Chen Ting’s question but answered honestly, “I’m going back to the small villa. I still have some luggage to pack; I’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow.”

Zhong Ling hesitated to speak.

Chen Ting seemed to notice her confusion and proactively said, “My cousin is the real rich lady. The money from our demolition compensation is nothing compared to what she has. She has dozens of rental properties that are enough for her to spend.”

The people in the back seat all took a quieter breath.

When the road ahead was blocked, Chen Jin pulled over to the side, glanced deeply at Chen Ting, and then replied in cooperation, “That’s nothing; I have several buildings for rent too.”

After that, they remained quiet until they reached the entrance of the Maternal and Child Health Hospital. Liu Chengzhi opened the car door and thoughtfully said to Chen Jin, “Drive safely. It’s best to call your cousin when you get home to let her know you’re safe.”

Chen Jin smiled and said, “Alright, take care on your way, Dr. Liu.”

After the back door closed again, Chen Jin started the car and glanced at Chen Ting beside her. “Were you just testing your senior brother with that? Didn’t you say he wasn’t after your money?”

Chen Ting didn’t respond.

“Look at the road; how do we get to your neighborhood?” Chen Jin didn’t expect any real answer from her. She thought that Chen Ting had simply enjoyed a comfortable life too much when she was younger and was always thinking too much.

Chen Jin felt that her uncle was busy working out of town, and her aunt was busy running a shop in the city, and no one had time to take care of her. Because of this, she often felt wronged and would say that her uncle and aunt didn’t care about her. If you asked Chen Jin, it was because she was living too well. If her uncle and aunt weren’t working hard outside, could she be eating well, dressing well, and even moving into a city house?

“Take the left avenue; the neighborhood is just ahead. No need to drive into the neighborhood; just drop me off at the entrance.”

Chen Jin drove to the entrance of the neighborhood, noticing that the public lighting was decent and seeing several people chatting outside the neighborhood gate, so she followed Chen Ting’s instructions and parked next to the gate.

Seeing that Chen Ting wasn’t in a hurry to get out of the car, she didn’t rush her and waited quietly.

“Senior Brother Liu confessed his feelings to me yesterday. I plan to date him.”

Chen Jin rolled her eyes, feeling like kicking her out of the car.

“I know what your parents and brothers are worried about. They’re afraid Senior Brother Liu is after my money and that I’ll be left with nothing if he deceives me in the future.”

Chen Ting snorted lightly, “I like him, but I’m not planning to give him any money. I don’t intend to get married.”

Chen Jin widened her eyes and looked at her. “What did you just say?”

“I said I don’t plan to get married. That way, I won’t be cheated out of money, right?” After saying this, Chen Ting relaxed, adding, “I’ve figured it out; you see Chen Wensong and my aunt; divorce always involves property issues. If I don’t get married, then these things will still be mine, and no one can take them from me no matter what. Anyway, it’s just a piece of paper. It doesn’t matter if I don’t get that certificate; we can just date.”

Chen Jin ran her fingers through her hair. “Wait, do you have to be with him?”

Chen Ting looked at her with certainty, “Yes, I definitely want to be with him. Even if we break up later, I still want to be with him. The thought of being with someone else in the future, or thinking about him being with another woman… it’s better for me to be with him.”

Chen Jin… didn’t know how to respond. Her cousin’s mindset was quite progressive, but she wasn’t sure if her uncle and Liu Chengzhi could accept it.

Though her uncle was quite an open-minded elder, he was still rather traditional at heart. Could he accept that his daughter was just dating someone without marrying? If she were to have a child out of wedlock, he might chase that guy down with a feather duster!

Surprisingly, Chen Jin thought her cousin’s idea was pretty good. Just dating without getting married could indeed eliminate a lot of trouble. First of all, it would provide a reason not to interact with the boyfriend’s family, saving her a ton of hassle.

However, she would also have to prepare to accept strange looks and harsh words from those around her.

Given Chen Ting’s temperament and personality, she didn’t seem like someone who could completely ignore outside gossip.

Not marrying for a few years is one thing, but not marrying for over ten years? What if she ended up having kids?

Chen Jin felt that Chen Ting was taking things for granted. Liu Chengzhi might not be willing to date her without getting married unless Chen Ting could give him what he wanted.

“If you’re so confident about just dating him without getting married, then why did you feel the need to mention how many properties I have?” Chen Jin bluntly pointed out her fantasy. “You’re currently torn between not letting go of that man and fearing that your money and properties will go down the drain. When I asked if you really needed him, I wasn’t joking. Why don’t you take a stroll around our school? You could also check out my small villa; my neighbor next door is more attractive and charming than Liu Chengzhi, and he’s a wealthy guy who can drive a different luxury car every day of the week. Oh, and he’s a returnee from studying abroad, hired to teach at Nanda.”

“You’ve never liked anyone or dated, so you wouldn’t understand.”

Chen Jin let out a sound, “What do you mean I don’t understand? My ex, who was also my classmate in high school, dated me for three years, but ended up dumping me because my family didn’t have much money and went for someone better off. Let me tell you, you can’t rely on men; even a sow can climb a tree. You just want to date him, but you don’t know what he’s thinking.”

“Don’t think you’re clever and have it all figured out; other people’s calculations are louder than yours.”

“You say you don’t want to get married and just want to date. So, are you two going to sleep together?”

“What do you mean by looking at me like that? Is there something wrong with my question? Isn’t it a normal thing? You think dating in college is just about studying and holding hands?”

“If you’re not getting married and are sleeping together, what if there’s a child? Do you keep it or not? If the child stays, who takes care of it? Does it belong to his family or yours?”

“Alright, let’s say you’re just dating and not doing anything else. Does he have other people at home? Are his family from Rong City or from somewhere else? Are his parents going to live with him? When does he plan to buy a house, or does he plan to live in your house? If his parents want to live in your house too, what will you do? Are you two combining living expenses or keeping them separate? If he doesn’t have enough money, will you cover for him or not?”

“You didn’t think of any of this, did you? You just have one idea—to date him without getting married?”

Chen Jin confirmed now that Chen Ting’s “advanced thinking” was just a thought without any real planning. If she wanted to date Liu Chengzhi and keep her money, there were plenty of ways to do it, but she clearly just blurted it out without thinking.

“You should really talk things through with your uncle and aunt. They don’t necessarily want to break you and your senior up; they’re worried you might get deceived. If you go back and honestly clarify things, they will come up with more reliable solutions than your wild guesses.”

“You’re making me thirsty with all this talking. You can get out; I’m going home.”

Chen Ting opened her mouth.

Chen Jin glanced over, “Is there something else?”

She felt that the things she said tonight were unnecessary; she should have just dropped her off and left. Saying it once wasn’t enough; she had to say it twice. Didn’t Chen Ting have any idea why others came here?

She did. The fact that she thought not getting married would avoid property division indicated that she didn’t trust her senior to be there for her, but she still insisted on dating him. If she wanted to date, fine, but she only had those useless thoughts and didn’t consider talking things through with her family. Wasn’t that just gambling on whether her family would back her up?

She’d complain about her uncle and aunt being biased while stubbornly betting on their affection for her.

Chen Jin felt like she was playing the lute to a cow tonight.

Good advice is wasted on the damned; let her be.

“Did you really date someone in college? Did you really get dumped?”

Chen Jin: “……”

Now she was even angrier.

“Well, I’ll get out then.”

As soon as the car door closed, Chen Jin started the car and drove away without stopping.

Behind her, Chen Ting watched for a while until the car turned at the end of the road and disappeared. Looking up at the night sky, the clouds covered the moon, leaving nothing.

Chen Jin opened the window and let the wind blow for a while until she felt the stuffiness in her chest lift before closing it again.

When she returned to Wutong Road, it was around the time the evening classes were ending, and the area outside the school was bustling. Chen Jin parked her car in the empty space outside the west gate and got out to buy a bowl of fruit soup.

As she turned to head back, she ran into Shen Baichuan, who was carrying two bundles of books out of the west gate.

Feeling awkward, she touched her nose; she had just praised him to Chen Ting tonight.

“Chen Jin, out so late to buy a late-night snack?” Shen Baichuan hesitated for a moment, but when he saw her, he decided to come over and say hello.

“Just got back, so I bought it on the way,” Chen Jin awkwardly looked around before her gaze fell on the books he was carrying, noticing they looked heavy since his hands were turning red from the pressure.

She casually asked if he wanted a ride back.

Shen Baichuan, about to leave, paused and immediately turned around, “That would be great.”

“…… It’s not a bother.”

After placing the books in the back seat, Shen Baichuan naturally sat in the passenger seat.

They drove in silence until they reached the small villa, where Shen Baichuan got out with his books. Just before he got to his door, he turned back and asked, “I heard you’re going to Hong Kong with your family for a vacation?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Have fun.”

“Okay,” Chen Jin felt the conversation was odd, “Goodbye, Teacher Shen. I’m heading home.”

After getting home, Chen Jin freshened up and stayed in the living room for a while. After thinking it over, she decided to call her second cousin and told him about Chen Ting’s strange ideas.

Her cousin sounded weary, “Alright, I got it. I’ll talk to the family. You don’t need to worry about her.”

After a pause, he continued, “Eldest brother and Tingting don’t have a good relationship with the family right now because of what Dad asked them to invest last time. She doesn’t necessarily like her senior that much; she’s just butting heads with the family.”

Chen Jin thought: It seems she shouldn’t have bothered to say so much tonight.

After that, Chen Jin didn’t pay attention to the developments between Chen Ting and her senior and prepared her luggage for the trip.

On the day of departure, knowing her second cousin would pick her up from Hanlin Garden, Chen Jin dragged her luggage and placed it in the trunk. Just as she was about to get in the car, she ran into Shen Baichuan, who was heading to school. This time, without waiting for her to speak, he asked if she could give him a ride partway, or else he’d be late.

So, Chen Jin gave him a ride to the west gate.

“Chen Jin, have a safe trip.”

Chen Jin glanced at the time, feeling more anxious than he was, “Okay. If we don’t leave soon, we’ll be late for class, Teacher Shen.”