Chapter 38.2

“Wen Yue!” Suddenly, someone called her name from behind. Startled, she jumped, her heart racing.

She turned to look back and saw a few male classmates from her class.

Wen Yue breathed a sigh of relief and instinctively curved her eyes into a smile, and asked, “What’s the matter?”

The dim yellow light illuminated her small face, giving it a glossy sheen, and her smile was bright and gentle.

“Wen, Wen Yue.” The boy who stepped forward looked a bit embarrassed under her gaze and stuttered, “Are you, are you really married?”

Wen Yue was taken aback for a moment before nodding in response. “Yes.”

The boy scratched his head, looking perplexed. “Wen Yue, you are such a nice person, young, and a college student in reserve. Why did you get married so early?”

Wen Yue explained, “If I don’t get married, I won’t be able to return to school.”

The boys were shocked. “What? If you don’t get married, your partner won’t let you come to school? How can there be such a person?”

“…No, no, it’s not like you think.” Wen Yue felt a bit helpless and sighed as she explained, “He’s a really good person and treats me well. He helped me arrange everything for school. It’s not that he won’t let me come. It’s just that without him, I wouldn’t be able to come back.”

“Ah? Didn’t they say your husband is a good-for-nothing thug? How could he help you? The police came this afternoon. He must have caused trouble!” A few boys sounded indignant. “Someone like that doesn’t deserve you!”

Wen Yue spoke softly, “It’s not about deserving. It’s about who you like. It’s getting late. You should head back to the dorms. I’m going home too. Bye.” She waved and turned to leave with a smile.

Just a couple of steps later, she spotted Zhou Yao standing under a streetlight. The light stretched his shadow on the ground. Backlit, his face was hidden in the darkness, making it hard to see his expression.

“What are you doing here?” Wen Yue’s eyes curved with delight as she skipped over to Zhou Yao.

Zhou Yao frowned, lips pressed tight, looking a bit unhappy.

Wen Yue’s smile faded. “What’s wrong? You look like you’re troubled.”

As November approached, the weather turned cooler.

Wen Yue wore a dark blue jacket, her hair clipped back, with loose strands framing her face. The breeze blew gently, making her hair brush against her cheeks and obscure her vision.

“Nothing much, just thinking about a few things.” Zhou Yao blinked and lifted the corners of his mouth, the heavy expression clearing instantly. He reached up to tuck the hair away from Wen Yue’s face and asked, “Why are you out so late?”

Wen Yue’s eyes sparkled. “I was helping a classmate with some problems and lost track of time. Have you been waiting long? Next time, just wait for me at the classroom door.”

Zhou Yao lowered his gaze, murmuring a soft “Mm.”

They walked home side by side.

With the colder weather, bathing was no longer a daily routine. It was now every other day. After all, it wasn’t like in modern times with water heaters and heaters—without those, bathing in winter could be quite torturous.

“I finished knitting that sweater. You can wear it now that it’s cold.”

Wen Yue pulled out a black turtleneck sweater she’d knitted a month ago and tossed it to Zhou Yao, along with a gray scarf she’d made as well.

Since returning from school, Zhou Yao had been somewhat quiet, his gaze shifting to the sweater before him, picking it up to examine it.

Wen Yue smiled brightly. “Do you like it?”

Zhou Yao nodded. “I like it.”

“That’s great!” Wen Yue yawned, tiredness creeping in as a tear welled at the corner of her eye. “I’m so sleepy, I’m going to bed now.”

“Go ahead,” Zhou Yao replied. “I’ll go talk to Yeliang and Old Fang for a bit.”

Wen Yue, barely awake, casually replied, “Uh-huh, go ahead, and don’t stay up too late.”

Zhou Yao responded with a hum, turned off the light, and left the room.

“Brother, why are you here so late and not sleeping?” Ren Yeliang was in the middle of chatting with Fang Shitao while applying medicine to their wounds. He jumped in surprise when the door suddenly opened, feeling a bit guilty.

Zhou Yao frowned again, his mood darkening without Wen Yue around. He sat on the edge of the bed, leaning back in the chair, ignoring Ren Yeliang.

“Brother? Ouch, Old Fang, be gentle! Are you trying to kill me?” Ren Yeliang winced, turning his head just in time to see Fang Shitao press down on a sore spot, making him grimace and glare at him.

Fang Shitao looked innocent. “I didn’t use much force.”

Ren Yeliang snapped back, “Don’t lie, you want me to suffer!”

Fang Shitao retorted, “You’re a big man, what are you afraid of? Look at our brother.”

Zhou Yao shot them a glance, feeling annoyed by their bickering.

Ren Yeliang and Fang Shitao were both shirtless, their thin frames still bearing the marks of having grown up without enough to eat, their ribs clearly visible.

Zhou Yao glanced at them and quickly looked away, feeling a bit disgusted. Tsk, it’s really an eyesore.

“Stop yelling. I have something to talk to you about.” Zhou Yao hooked his foot around a nearby stool and pulled it closer, sitting down.

Ren Yeliang obediently quieted down. “What’s the matter?”

Zhou Yao fell silent for another couple of minutes, squinting at the yellowish lightbulb above.

“Brother?”

Zhou Yao finally asked, “Do you want to go to Shencheng for a bit?”

Ren Yeliang gasped, his eyes wide. “Brother, I thought you didn’t want to stay in Shencheng because you wanted to be with your wife? Why do you suddenly want to go there?”

Zhou Yao remained silent, his mind echoing with the words he had heard earlier that night at school.

He had overheard Wen Yue talking to those boys. Zhou Yao didn’t care what others thought of him—calling him a thug or a good-for-nothing was fine. He’d heard it all his life and never took it to heart.

But if anyone looked down on Wen Yue because of him or thought she was blind for marrying him, that really bothered him. He didn’t want her to feel even the slightest bit wronged because of him.

So, he changed his mind.

He wanted to venture out, build a career, and make a name for himself.

Zhou Yao couldn’t be bothered to explain himself to Ren Yeliang and the others. “Just answer—are you going or not?”

Ren Yeliang was excited. “Yes, yes, yes!!!”

Fang Shitao was equally enthusiastic, his voice louder than usual. “Yes!”

Any young person with a bit of ambition would want to venture out!

“Okay.” Zhou Yao nodded and got up to leave.

Ren Yeliang asked, “Brother, you’re just leaving? Don’t you want to tell us more?” Like what they’d be doing in Shencheng. The last time they went, they just strolled around and hadn’t done any serious investigating.

Zhou Yao didn’t respond and didn’t even bother to close the door behind him.

Ren Yeliang was left speechless.

Fine, brother is just being willful. They couldn’t do anything about it.

Excited about going to Shencheng, Ren Yeliang forgot the pain on his body, enthusiastically discussing plans with Fang Shitao. Fang Shitao, usually quiet, had plenty to say this time, and the two of them talked excitedly about their upcoming adventure until the morning, feeling energized.

Zhou Yao spent the night awake.

Lying in bed, he contemplated his plans, his hands clasped under his head, carefully recalling what he had seen and heard during his previous trip to Shencheng. He turned his head to look at Wen Yue, who was curled up under the blanket, and gently pulled the cover up, tucking it around her and brushing the hair off her face.

He was determined to work hard to prove he deserved Wen Yue and wouldn’t let anyone look down on her because of him.

…

When Wen Yue returned home for lunch the next day, Zhou Yao informed her about his plans to take Ren Yeliang and Fang Shitao to Shencheng, but this time, he might not come back for several days.

This time, he would likely be gone until near the New Year.

“Why the sudden trip to Shencheng?” Wen Yue paused for a moment, a hint of confusion in her voice.

Zhou Yao pursed his lips. “I want to go out and explore.”

Wen Yue responded with an “oh.”

It was perfectly normal for someone Zhou Yao’s age to have the desire to venture out, even if he seemed somewhat resistant before. After all, he was only twenty, and it was typical for young people to have fluctuating thoughts.

“Well then, go for it.” Wen Yue smiled.

Zhou Yao tightened his lips, emphasizing, “I’ll be very busy from now on and might not have time to come back. You’ll have to wait until the New Year.”

Wen Yue raised an eyebrow and nodded. “I understand. Starting a business is hectic in the beginning. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Grandma Fang and Lulu, and I’ll take care of myself too. You guys can focus on what you need to do.”

Zhou Yao let out a frustrated sigh, feeling a mix of anger and urgency, but mostly a sense of grievance. “We won’t see each other for a long time. Aren’t you going to miss me?” He was never good with subtlety and just said what was on his mind.

Once he confirmed he was going to Shencheng to make a name for himself, he knew it would take a few years. Although he was confident, he didn’t have the delusion that he could achieve something significant in just a few months.

Thus, he and Wen Yue would be seeing less of each other.

“You…” Wen Yue looked at the grievance on Zhou Yao’s face and blinked, smiling as she said, “I’ll be applying to Shencheng University.”

Zhou Yao froze.

“Don’t think about other things too much. Just be steady when you’re in Shencheng. Don’t act impulsively, consider the consequences before you take action and use your brain more.” Wen Yue’s voice was soft and gentle. “Next year, I’ll bring Grandma Fang and Lulu to Shencheng to find you. I hope by then we’ll have a place to stay in Shencheng.”

Zhou Yao quickly grasped her meaning, his tightly pressed lips and furrowed brow relaxing as he replied seriously, “Okay, I understand. I will.” Though he still felt anxious inside, hearing Wen Yue’s words reassured him and filled him with motivation!

Great! He had to make something happen before Wen Yue’s college entrance exams and her arrival in Shencheng!

Fang Shitao had also discussed the plan with Grandma Fang, who supported their venture, so they chose to leave on the weekend.

Li Nianqiu came to see them off at the train station when she learned Zhou Yao was heading to Shencheng. Watching the green train gradually fade into the distance, her eyes glimmered with a touch of longing.

She wanted to go out and see the world too.

“Are you really planning to apply to a university in Shencheng?” Li Nianqiu turned to her friend, pulling herself out of her thoughts.

Wen Yue nodded. “Yes, have you decided where you want to apply?”

Li Nianqiu pondered for a couple of seconds before smiling. “Then I’ll go to Shencheng too.”

Wen Yue blinked, taken aback. “Huh? You’re applying to Shencheng too?” In the novel, Li Nianqiu was supposed to apply to Capital University. Why the sudden change of heart?

Wait, Li Nianqiu’s encounter with the male lead happened at Capital University. If she switched her application to Shencheng, would she still have a chance to meet the male lead? If they didn’t meet, what about the heroine’s pairing…

“Yep.” Li Nianqiu raised an eyebrow. “I initially planned to apply to the capital, but it doesn’t matter to me where I go. Shencheng has been developing rapidly in the last couple of years, so it’s not a bad choice.”

Wen Yue hesitated, feeling conflicted.

Noticing her unusual expression, Li Nianqiu asked, “What’s wrong?”

Wen Yue shook her head. “Nothing, it’s great. We can be together again. By the way, when you go to university, are you taking Xiangdong with you?”

Li Nianqiu nodded. “Of course.”

Wen Yue: …Huh? This is different from the novel again.

“I owe it to you,” Li Nianqiu said warmly. “If it weren’t for the money I earned during the summer, I might not have been able to afford taking Xiangdong with me. She needs to go to school, and it’ll definitely cost a lot. Now that I have money, I can solve these issues.”

Wen Yue lightly scratched her face. “That’s great. Leaving her here wouldn’t be safe, especially with your family. Let’s just take her with us. How about hotpot tonight? It’s the perfect weather for it.”

Li Nianqiu smiled. “Sure! I’ll take my sister to buy the ingredients.”

Wen Yue replied, “Okay, I’ll go prepare the broth.”

The two exchanged cheerful smiles and happily left the train station.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yao leaned against the train window, watching the scenery fly by outside, already starting to miss his little wife.

She must be thinking about him too.