Chapter 21

“I regretted agreeing last night while I was drunk, but why did you agree?”

The next day, after shaking off the hangover, Dou Yiqing rubbed her aching temples and asked the person on the other end of the phone.

No one knew Dou Yiqing better than Wen Ci. After waking up from a hangover on Sunday afternoon, Dou Yiqing’s first action was to call Qin Yun to back out of their plans and make up an excuse: “Wen Ci definitely won’t go, I’ll be bored going alone.”

Qin Yun replied, “Hello, you won’t be alone. I’m still a person, after all. Besides, Zhou Wu said he asked her, and Wen Ci agreed to go.”

So, Dou Yiqing immediately called Wen Ci.

Wen Ci was busy working on the questions for the final mock exam of the semester. Upon hearing the news, she couldn’t help but think back to last night.

She put down her pen and unconsciously covered her cheek.

How was she supposed to explain to Dou Yiqing that she had been a little tipsy last night too?

“And since when have you and Zhou Wu gotten so close?” Dou Yiqing asked again.

“We’re not close,” Wen Ci immediately denied, inventing a lie. “We’re not familiar at all. We just talked a bit during Qin Yun’s birthday party last time. Last night, he suddenly contacted me, and when I saw your message, I thought you two had already discussed it, so I… agreed.”

Dou Yiqing lay back on her bed. The truth was, she had indeed discussed the trip with Qin Yun the night before. Qin Yun had made the vacation sound so tempting—surfing, snorkeling, jet skiing, fishing… each activity had Dou Yiqing hooked.

Sensing Dou Yiqing’s hesitation, Wen Ci thoughtfully said, “If you don’t want to go, we don’t have to.”

“I’m actually fine. I just thought you wouldn’t go, and I’d be stuck with Qin Yun for a few days. I’m afraid we’d end up at the police station,” Dou Yiqing joked. “Do you want to go?”

Wen Ci tried to control her tone, making herself sound less eager. “Mm. Going to the beach for a walk, enjoying the sea breeze, sounds nice.”

“You’re right. It’s cooler over there, I’ve really been dying from the heat lately, luckily it rained yesterday,” Dou Yiqing said, before bringing up a key point. “But do you think your family will allow you to go out of the province?”

She remembered that even when Wen Ci graduated from university, her family didn’t let her go on a trip. Since they met, Wen Ci had never left Jiangcheng on her own.

“I’m not sure. I’ll think of a way,” Wen Ci blinked. “I might need your help, in case my mom asks about you later.”

“Sure,” Dou Yiqing said with emotion, “Every time I help you out, it’s for you to meet that wild man. Finally, it’s for me, the sister.”

“…How about we go to that new buffet nearby on Thursday noon? I’ll treat you.”

“Huh?” Dou Yiqing was taken aback. “Sure, why so sudden?”

“I got my salary,” Wen Ci said in a guilty tone.

After hanging up the phone, Wen Ci let out a long breath.

…Why does it feel like she’s been lying every day recently?

Her phone vibrated, interrupting Wen Ci’s thoughts.

A Samoyed profile picture popped up at the top of WeChat.

This morning, Wen Ci transferred the dinner money from yesterday to Zhou Wu. She didn’t know how much the dishes cost, but they didn’t look cheap, so she transferred 800 with a message: [Here’s the money for last night’s dinner. Let me know if it’s too little, I’ll make up for it. Thanks again for yesterday.]

Zhou Wu refunded the money and sent her a voice message.

“We didn’t sleep in the same bed last night, no need for A, Teacher Wen.”

His voice sounded like he had just woken up, lazy with a subtle hint of a smile.

“…”

Caught by her previous drunken words, Wen Ci squeezed her phone, not knowing how to respond.

And… why has he been calling her Teacher Wen recently?

Wen Ci hesitated for a long time and replied, “Okay, I’ll treat you next time for dinner.”

The story continues with Wen Ci considering how to get approval from her family to attend a training in another province. She initially tried to suggest a short trip to a nearby city, but her mother was not agreeable. However, things change when she presents a “training opportunity” from her school, which is eventually accepted. Wen Ci is excited about the chance but also has to deal with her parents’ concerns about her safety.

The passage also includes some lighthearted moments with her friend Dou Yiqing, and the tone shifts when Zhou Wu’s playful and teasing messages add humor and tension to the narrative.

Qin Yun: “I’ve never seen someone as strange as Dou Yiqing. Either she doesn’t reply to messages, or she starts yelling at me right away. And every time, it’s always me initiating the conversation. She never messages me first… Hey, do you think she might have some sort of disorder? I heard teachers sometimes have these kinds of issues.”

Zhou Wu: “No.”
Zhou Wu corrected him. “Wen Ci doesn’t.”

Qin Yun: “Oh… right.”

Zhou Wu put down the cue stick and sat on the couch to rest. He picked up his phone, replied to a few work messages, and then opened Wen Ci’s chat.

Wen Ci’s profile picture looked like a clear blue sky with a butterfly kite drifting lazily in the middle.

Their chat history had stopped at the point where Wen Ci had transferred him money for dinner. Zhou Wu scrolled up and confirmed something—aside from asking him out and helping others get his WeChat, Wen Ci never took the initiative to message him.

Zhou Wu lowered his gaze, not sure whether to be angry or amused.

He locked his phone screen and casually watched Qin Yun playing billiards for a while before picking up his phone again.

He sent Wen Ci a message:
[Wen Ci, what are you doing?]

Wen Ci replied almost immediately:
[Sorry, it’s almost the end of the semester, so I’m a bit busy. I probably can’t this week.]

Zhou Wu: “…”

[Zhou Wu: I know, I just wanted to chat, not get you into bed.]

[Wen Ci: …Oh, okay.]

[Wen Ci: I’m on lunch break at school. I’m picking out clothes, trying to decide which set to buy.]

[Zhou Wu: What kind of clothes? If you don’t mind, send them to me and I’ll help you pick.]

There was no response for a while.

Zhou Wu raised an eyebrow, about to ask why choosing clothes was so difficult when a picture suddenly came through.

It was a screenshot of a swimwear shop’s page, with two swimsuits circled by Wen Ci. They were both conservative one-piece swimsuits with tummy coverage, the only difference being that one had a bow.

Wen Ci sat at her desk, glancing at her phone every time she solved a question

She regretted sending the picture to Zhou Wu.

She had picked out a few swimsuits earlier, but Dou Yiqing had called them outdated and asked her to pick more.

Did Zhou Wu think her taste was bad too?

After hesitating for a moment, Wen Ci long-pressed the picture to retract it, but the phone buzzed.

Zhou Wu had replied with a picture.

It was the same picture Wen Ci had sent, but Zhou Wu had circled a swimsuit in the bottom right corner.

[Zhou Wu: Of the two you picked, I choose the one on the left.]

[Zhou Wu: Can I buy this one too?]

[Zhou Wu: The room I booked has a private pool, they won’t be able to see.]

Wen Ci looked at the swimsuit Zhou Wu had circled.

It was a halter top, tied around the neck, with a sheer top and side straps on the bottoms that could easily be loosened.

Wen Ci’s facial towel had more fabric than this swimsuit.

The conversation fell silent again, and after a while, Zhou Wu lazily typed:
[It’s okay if not.]

[Wen Ci: Okay.]

[Wen Ci: A teacher was nearby earlier, so I couldn’t open our chat.]

[Wen Ci: What color do you like? There’s black and white.]

[Zhou Wu: Buy both.]

Zhou Wu glanced at the prices of the two swimsuits and transferred half the money over.
[Zhou Wu: I’ll take A.]

Wen Ci had been typing for nearly ten minutes.

Then she accepted his transfer.

[Wen Ci: Okay.]

Zhou Wu could almost picture how red Wen Ci’s face must be now. He tossed his phone aside and stood up.

“…Why are you smiling like that?” Qin Yun asked, confused.

“Nothing.” Zhou Wu lit a cigarette and took a puff.

After a while, without any particular reason, he asked, “Why hasn’t summer vacation started yet?”

Qin Yun: “?”