EHTM - 38

After meeting at the hot pot restaurant, Zhou Heng introduced Cheng Wanyue on WeChat to Xu Qian, and they became friends, going shopping together once.

Xu Qian liked Cheng Wanyue’s hair color. When she went to the hair salon to dye her hair, she asked Cheng Wanyue whether the color recommended by the stylist suited her.

It was easy for girls to get familiar with each other. Whether they had common interests or not was secondary. If they both disliked the same thing, they could chat endlessly and might even feel like they met too late.

Xu Qian didn’t like the actress Qin Hua, including Qin Hua’s TV dramas, movies, and endorsed advertisements. Coincidentally, Cheng Wanyue didn’t like them either, so they quickly became close.

Cheng Wanyue quit her job without hesitation. Although Meng Qi knew he couldn’t keep her, he still gave her a sincere farewell. Cheng Wanyue felt a bit embarrassed because she hadn’t given prior notice and hadn’t worked there for long.

Meng Qi invited her first, just a few minutes before Xu Qian.

She initially didn’t want to go. Doctors don’t have weekends; Qing Hang’s rest time was squeezed out, and he might visit her any night. But Meng Qi said they’d return before dark if they left early.

If she kept waiting at home anxiously, it would seem like she was desperate.

She checked the weather forecast. The temperature wasn’t high tomorrow, so she agreed.

Cheng Yanqing had a friend deliver the car to Beijing. It arrived yesterday, and his friend hadn’t left yet. Since Cheng Wanyue was going to the outskirts, he handed her the car keys—it was more convenient for her to drive herself.

Apart from studying, Cheng Wanyue was skilled at everything. She drove better than her father’s chauffeur.

That night, after experiencing Chi Yue’s motorcycle, she considered buying one to play with, but soon forgot about it.

Meng Qi also invited other friends. Those with cars went separately, while those without filled up a car. They were all morning-challenged individuals, either falling asleep immediately upon getting in the car or yawning continuously.

Xu Qian leaned on Zhou Heng’s shoulder and slept through the ride—the music didn’t disturb her nap.

Qing Hang and Zhou Heng were used to waking up early. Meng Qi drove, and Zhou Heng alternated between playing games and wiping Xu Qian’s drool. Occasionally, Qing Hang would look down at his phone, but he just stared at the screen.

When they got out of the car, a guy standing next to Qing Hang casually glanced over but didn’t see clearly.

“The beautiful woman in the photo—is she your girlfriend?”

Zhou Heng casually asked, “What photo?”

“The guy uses the default system wallpaper,” Zhou Heng rubbed his shoulders, turning to ask Qing Hang which beauty it was. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Cheng Wanyue in the distance, and his thoughts shifted away.

While Zhou Heng was looking at Cheng Wanyue, Qing Hang was also watching her.

Cheng Wanyue was the first to arrive. She parked her car under a tree, put on her earphones, closed her eyes, and listened to music, leaning back against the seat. Her elegant neck slightly tilted upward, bathed in the morning light and shadow, as if enveloped in a hazy halo.

The outskirts had good greenery but also many mosquitoes.

She was touching her neck; the skin below her ear was red, probably bitten by a mosquito.

“Wanyue,” Xu Qian walked over to her. “Have you been waiting long?”

“I just arrived,” Cheng Wanyue pushed the car door open and got out. As soon as she looked up, her eyes met Qing Hang’s.

Zhou Heng was quite reliable in this aspect. “I’ll go rent a barbecue grill. You guys take a walk around first.”

The surrounding area had an open view. There were more people in the evening, but almost no one was around at this time. Cheng Wanyue and Meng Qi shared an umbrella, while Qing Hang walked on the outer side.

Xu Qian looked left and right. Though these two weren’t talking to each other or walking together, creating an illusion of unfamiliarity, their act was poor. While she was helping to carry some chairs, Qing Hang handed the bottle of milk to Cheng Wanyue.

The men were in charge of lighting the charcoal, Meng Qi went to select ingredients, and Cheng Wanyue wanted to wash her hands. She followed a cool path to find the restroom.

Qing Hang happened to come out of the store; he bought a bottle of mosquito repellent.

Seeing him, Cheng Wanyue took off her ring and casually threw it into the flower bed, then bent down to squat by the roadside.

Qing Hang ran closer in a few steps. “What are you looking for?”

She didn’t reply, just shook her left hand.

Qing Hang remembered she had worn two rose-gold rings today. They were thin, worn on her ring finger and middle finger, but now only one remained.

“I’ll look for it. You wait over there,” Qing Hang pulled her up and stepped into the grass himself.

There was a swing nearby, and Cheng Wanyue sat on it. With a slight push of her toes against the ground, she started swinging.

The ring sparkled in the sunlight and wasn’t hard to find.

After wiping it clean with his clothes, Qing Hang walked over to Cheng Wanyue, took her hand, and put the ring back on her finger. He then sprayed some insect repellent on her, especially on her arms and calves.

Not far away, Cheng Wanyue could still hear Xu Qian’s laughter. “They’re having so much fun. Why don’t you join them?”

Qing Hang said, “I didn’t come here for the barbecue.”

Cheng Wanyue had only drunk a bottle of milk and was already a bit hungry. “But I want to eat.”

“Then I’ll go grill,” Qing Hang took a few steps away but turned back, grabbed the swing’s rope to stop it. “Come with me.”

“I grill really badly; it’s a waste of food.”

“You don’t have to do anything. Just sit next to me.”

“… Alright,” Cheng Wanyue reluctantly stood up.

In fact, it had only been a few days, but Qing Hang felt as if it had been a long time. It was fine when he was busy, but once he relaxed, he kept thinking about these things. “Yan Ci has arrived in Shanghai.”

On the day Yan Ci returned, Cheng Yanqing had taken him to the airport, and Cheng Wanyue naturally knew that.

“He helped you deceive me. I won’t talk to him.”

“Because I was jealous of him. He doesn’t want us to keep arguing,” Qing Hang had kept the love letter he received tucked inside an exercise book.

Before leaving Baicheng, he sold all his books and exam papers as scrap, including the hidden love letter.

“Do I want to argue with you?” She wasn’t idle. “Who feels happy after an argument? Anyway, I’m not happy.”

Qing Hang quietly explained, “I haven’t mentioned our affairs to anyone.”

“How did your senior sister know my name?”

“She saw my fountain pen.”

“What fountain pen?”

“The prize from a competition I participated in. The teacher said we could get it engraved.”

Only at this moment did the water-soaked cotton in Cheng Wanyue’s heart finally dissipate. Whether those memories were good or bad, they belonged solely to the two of them.

“I forgive you,” she got over this hurdle, and her mood brightened.

One moment she was being awkward, the next she was linking arms with him. “I’ve got a new job. I’ll have a lot of free time in the evenings.”

A smile appeared on Qing Hang’s face. “What kind of job?”

“Being a model, mainly taking photos. The pictures might be published in some magazines.”

“Do you like it?”

“Yes, I took a lot of photos in college,” she always had a strong desire to share with him. “Zhou Yu is sending the bridesmaid dress she prepared for me to Beijing next week. Do you want to see it?”

Qing Hang knew she would definitely be Zhou Yu’s bridesmaid. “I want to see you wear it.”

“That I…” Cheng Wanyue paused mid-sentence.

Qing Hang followed her gaze. Li Yu was standing under a tree, and Zhou Heng was setting up a sunshade next to her.