CM - 52

After school, the dean called Shen Tingwen to his office, but Shen Tingwen was afraid Zhou Shuirong wouldn’t wait for him, so he stood the dean up. Sorry, but compared to the dean, Zhou Shuirong was definitely more important. Anyone compared to Zhou Shuirong was less important.

If he were an emperor, he’d give up his empire for Zhou Shuirong. He would be a foolish ruler, but sacrificing a dynasty for Zhou Shuirong would be well worth it.

Zhou Shuirong was waiting for the bus when Shen Tingwen walked up to her, with his bag slung over one shoulder. The youthfulness of his face, bathed in the sunset, seemed to pierce through Zhou Shuirong’s slender frame. She suddenly wanted to bite him, but she was torn about where to do it.

Shen Tingwen asked her, “Didn’t I tell you to wait for me?”

Zhou Shuirong came back to her senses, suppressing the overwhelming flutter in her heart. “I never agreed to.”

Shen Tingwen looked a little sad. “Why are you so cruel, Zhou Shuirong? My heart hurts so much.”

So annoying, he was acting again. The bus arrived, and Zhou Shuirong glanced at him. “Why don’t you die from the pain? Don’t follow me! Stay away from me!”

Shen Tingwen didn’t get on the bus. Zhou Shuirong thought he had, but when she sat down and looked around, she didn’t see him. She looked out the window, and he was still standing there, unmoving, not even looking at her.

She looked away and put on her headphones.

Whatever. His house wasn’t on this bus route anyway. He should have taken the subway. Whether he got on or not, he shouldn’t follow her anymore. “My heart hurts so much,” what a fake.

The bus drove for two blocks, but she still couldn’t calm down. She didn’t know why, but she kept thinking about Shen Tingwen: how he was on the playground, how he talked to her, and how he looked at her. Her playlist, which was usually very upbeat, no longer felt happy. Annoyed, she took off her headphones and put them back in their case.

________________________________________

When Zhou Shuirong arrived at the gym, Shen Tingwen was already there. Their trainer had two new members, both girls. They seemed to know Shen Tingwen and were gathered around him, talking. He even bought them ice cream.

Shen Tingwen had his tattooed arm and abs exposed again. The two girls looked happy, their eyes curving into little crescents as they laughed and chatted with him.

He saw Zhou Shuirong but didn’t say anything to her. Zhou Shuirong also ignored him, changed her clothes, and went to run on the treadmill. But she couldn’t settle down. She increased her speed from 10 km/h to 20 km/h, and then she fell, twisting her ankle.

The speed wasn’t the reason; she was distracted.

A man nearby saw her fall and quickly ran over to help her up. At the same time, Shen Tingwen also came over. He pulled Zhou Shuirong from the man’s grasp and into his own arms, looking like a mother hen protecting her chick.

Zhou Shuirong had fallen because of him, and she didn’t want to talk to him. She shook his hand off. “Get lost!”

Shen Tingwen ignored her and, seeing that she couldn’t walk, picked her up and carried her out.

Zhou Shuirong struggled. “Put me down!”

“Don’t move!”

“Shen Tingwen, don’t be so ridiculous! Aren’t you over there eating ice cream? Why are you bothering me? Why are you so idle?” Zhou Shuirong’s words were incredibly sour, but she didn’t realize it herself.

Shen Tingwen stopped and looked at the treasure in his arms. “Ice cream?”

Zhou Shuirong realized she had misspoke. Her face and neck turned red, but she was stubborn and refused to admit it. “Put me down!”

Shen Tingwen’s heart was also racing. He asked her, “Zhou Shuirong, are you jealous?”

“You’re full of it! I’m not! How could I possibly be jealous!” Zhou Shuirong was frantic, denying it like crazy.

Shen Tingwen looked into her eyes. “You’re really not jealous?”

“Ha, that’s ridiculous. Me, jealous of you? You must be joking! I’d be jealous of anyone but you! You can be with whoever you want, and you can buy ice cream for whoever you want!”

Shen Tingwen was certain. He explained to her, “I didn’t buy the ice cream, and I didn’t eat any either. They were asking me if I had a girlfriend.”

Ha, as if anyone would believe that. Those girls were so pretty, he must have been thrilled. Zhou Shuirong didn’t want to talk to him. “Put me down! If you don’t, I’ll scream!”

Shen Tingwen said, “I told them that the most beautiful girl over there on the treadmill is my girlfriend. They were all so envious of me.”

Zhou Shuirong didn’t believe a word he said. “What you say to them has nothing to do with me! There can never be anything between us! I told you, I don’t think highly of you! You’re so annoying!”

Shen Tingwen slowly put her down. “You hate me that much?”

“Yes! I hate you!”

“Oh.”

Zhou Shuirong turned and limped away.

Shen Tingwen called out from behind her, “You’re not even giving me one chance?”

Zhou Shuirong was very upset and spoke without thinking. “No! Not unless you take my last name!”

Shen Tingwen went silent.

________________________________________

For two days, Saturday and Sunday, Shen Tingwen didn’t contact Zhou Shuirong. Zhou Shuirong looked at her phone more than once, but there were no messages from him. She had a feeling that she had said too much at the gym.

Why had she gotten so angry? Shen Tingwen wasn’t anything to her. It was his freedom to talk to whoever he wanted. What right did she have to get mad?

But apologizing to Shen Tingwen over this would be stupid. She was embarrassed, but she also felt that it was her fault...

She lay in bed, unable to sleep. She opened WeChat for the countless time. She had added Zhou Xiyou and Zhao Guqing. Zhou Xiyou talked a lot, so every time her phone buzzed, it was her. Shen Tingwen’s profile picture lay silently at the bottom of her message list, not moving up at all.

Zhou Xiyou had gone to a Shen family gathering with Tang Jun’en and sent Zhou Shuirong a picture of Shen Tingwen. In the photo, Shen Tingwen was wearing a shirt and actually looked like a mature man, not at all like a child wearing adult clothes.

Was he too busy with family matters to bother with her? Or maybe he was angry with her?

See? Shen Tingwen had always been the one to seek out Zhou Shuirong, and she had gotten used to it. Now that he suddenly stopped, she became anxious and strange.

Zhou Shuirong saved the photo of Shen Tingwen to her phone, then tossed the phone aside. Whatever, she decided to let things take their course.

________________________________________

When she arrived at school on Monday, Zhou Shuirong was early, and Shen Tingwen wasn’t there yet. She looked at his seat a few times, but it was empty. She suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable. She didn’t know why, but she just felt uneasy.

Just before the self-study period, Shen Tingwen arrived. She watched him walk in and head straight for her desk.

Shen Tingwen placed his ID card on her desk and said, “Call me ‘husband’!”

Zhou Shuirong looked down at the ID card. The photo was of a handsome Shen Tingwen, and the name on the card was “Shen Zhou.”

Shen Tingwen’s voice was not loud, but every word hit Zhou Shuirong’s heart heavily and painfully. “What’s the big deal about taking your last name? I’m so cool, I’m making your last name my first name.”