Zhen Tian shrugged, “Who told you to come so late?”
Zhu Ling was even angrier, “I shouldn’t have worked overtime. I must get off work on time tomorrow!”
As if to vent her anger, she raised her head, took a large swig of beer, and exhaled, “So refreshing–– I heard from Ah Zhong that the person who was competing was the reporter from last time?”
“He’s an anchor.” Zhen Tian calmly corrected her, “You two are destined not to meet.”
"Yo." Zhu Ling raised her eyebrows with interest, "It sounds like you have a good relationship with him."
The corners of Zhen Tian's mouth moved, but she held back what she wanted to say. She couldn't help but say, "In fact, that anchor is the senior I told you about last time."
"Cough cough!" Zhu Ling choked on the beer. It took her a while to recover. "Is that the senior you have a crush on?"
"...Who told you I had a crush on him!" Zhen Tian denied.
Zhu Ling’s lips twitched as she silently watched her. Who needs to tell her? She can see it on her face.
Zhu Ling’s words made her embarrassed. She stepped aside to help the other customers. As she was filling up their glass, Zhen Tian’s heart was still pounding.
At first, she approached Chen Zui out of curiosity, but after following him for a week, she found that he was not as bad as the rumors say. He is rather gentle, which inspired her to report the truth to the world. She hoped that everyone could understand the real Chen Zui, the Chen Zui in her eyes, instead of viewing him negatively as everyone does.
Probably because she walked too close to Chen Zui at that time, some of the delinquents thought she was Chen Zui’s girlfriend. Because of this, they stopped her outside of school. She had an impression of those ruffians who surrounded her; they were the ones who picked a fight with Chen Zui last time.
They couldn’t beat Chen Zui so they decided to pick on a girl. They are spineless.
Zhen Tian was very scared at the time but still pretended to be calm, after all, she was also a small campus reporter. She was born to fight these evil forces, so how could she succumb to their intimidation.
"What do you want?" She grabbed the press card in her hand and looked up at them as if it could give her strength.
“You’re Chen Zui’s girlfriend?” The leader took a step in her direction. He reached out to touch her hair but Zhen Tian ducked to the side. The leader was naturally unhappy and the way he looked at her became more sinister, “You look pretty up close. It’s a waste to follow Chen Zui. Why don’t you follow me instead.”
The people around him laughed in agreement. Zhen Tian became more nervous. They are not that far from school but since she was on duty today, it was already late into the day and there were not many students around. If she yells, maybe someone who is also staying late in school will hear her. If not, she will find a way to escape. She is a pretty fast runner.
“Why aren’t you speaking?”
Seeing as she is ignoring him, the leader wants to grab her again. However, as he stretched his hand out, someone firmly grabbed onto his wrist. “Aren’t you boys ashamed to be bullying a girl?”
Zhen Tian blanked and her eyes lit up when she saw Chen Zui. Senior hasn’t left yet!
“Let go of me!” The boy’s face twisted in pain. “What are you guys doing just standing there?! Attack him!”
As soon as his voice fell, Zhen Tian felt a pair of powerful hands grab her shoulder and push her out of the crowd. Chen Zui was surrounded in an instant, and the sound of physical fighting and shouting filled Zhen Tian’s eardrums. Last time, these people suffered a loss but this time they came prepared. Zhen Tian saw someone take out a tennis racket and prepared to hit Chen Zui. Almost without even thinking about it, she rushed forward and smashed her heavy bag on his head.
Only then did Chen Zui notice this. He turned around and looked at Zhen Tian in surprise. He soon grabbed her hand, pushed away the person in front of him, and ran like the wind, “Run!”
Before Zhen Tian’s body could relax, she was dragged by Chen Zui down the road. The evening wind blew past her ears. The two of them ran from the small alley to the main road, passing by the passing pedestrians.
She didn’t remember when those guys chasing after them that day stopped just like how she didn’t remember how she lost her press card. The only thing she remembered was her heart violently beating on her chest when Chen Zui pulled her away.
This feeling still remains in her body. Every time she sees Chen Zui, the same feeling will awaken.
"What are you thinking about? Are you thinking about your senior?" Unbeknownst to Zhen Tian, Zhu Ling changed her position in front of her. She rested her chin on her hands and looked at her with interest.
Zhen Tian’s cheek burned as she confidently retorted, “So what if I am!” Her senior is so good-looking, can’t she think about him? Having said that, after those people blocked her that one time, they never appeared in front of her again. She didn’t know what her senior did.
Zhu Ling, “It’s nothing. You look like you are in love.”
Zhen Tian, “...”
Her eyes wavered a little. She looked around the bar and pulled Ah Zhong over, “Ah Zhong, the guest at table 6 is drinking too much. Go and check up on him.”
“Oh, okay.”
Zhu Ling laughed, “That is an awkward way of changing the topic.”
Zhen Tian snorted, “Who’s changing the topic. Don’t disturb my work.”
"Fine." Zhu Ling surrendered. It was obvious that she mentioned the senior first yet she didn’t want others to talk about it, "The guest at table 6 is innocent."
"He did drink a little too much."
Zhu Ling found it funny, "Do you think everyone comes to the bar to keep healthy? Drinking is to have a good time. Do you think he will stop if you tell him it is carcinogenic? Do you know that staying up late will cause sudden death? Do you know staying up late will decrease your lifespan?"
Zhen Tian, “....”
What she said is reasonable. She can’t argue against that.
“Ah, anyway, I am responsible for how my customer drinks. If he wants to drink recklessly in here, I am happy to break off our relationship.”
“Fine, everything you say is right, Who told you to have a cool senior.”
“....”
It’s rare for Zhen Tian’s senior to be able to sleep through the night but when the sky starts to brighten, he is awakened by the stream of light coming from the window.
Sitting up in his bed, Chen Zui’s first reaction was that he missed work. After calming down, he finally remembered that he did not need to go to work today. He gently breathed out and caught sight of the three coasters he had placed on the bedside table before going to bed.
It was the ones Zhen Tian gave him last night. His trophies.
With a smile on the corner of his mouth, Chen Zui picked up the coaster, looked at it for a while, and put it into the bookcase in the room.
Because of the false alarm earlier, Chen Zui wasn’t sleepy anymore. He simply got up and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Chen Yiran came out to wash up at one point, and when he saw Chen Zui, he couldn't help but be surprised, "Uncle, why don't you go to the station today, why do you get up so early?"
“Force of habit.” Chen Zui put the breakfast on the table and sat down by the coffee table. “Come eat.”
“Oh, let me brush my teeth first!”
Chen Zui had always prepared Chen Yiran’s breakfast. Usually, it is bread and milk, at most, there is also a boiled egg. Since he had plenty of time today, Chen Zui prepared a lot more than before.
“Did you think about what you want to eat tonight?” Chen Zui
Chen Yiran nodded, “Yes, I want to eat barbeque at Starlight Department Store! Hotpot works too!”
Chen Zui glanced at him, “Which one do you want?”
“Can we get both?”
“No.”
“Then I want McDonald’s!”
Chen Zui, “.....”
“They released some new toys for the Happy Meal. My classmate got one and it looks pretty cool!”
"...You can only remember that you are a child at this time." Chen Zui helplessly commented. He didn't like to eat these at all. Sure enough, it really didn't make sense to eat with the little kid. However, in order to win over the little kids’, these businesses also tried their best to produce toys one after another.
Chen Zui didn’t go out the entire day. He cleaned around the house and read a book before Chen Yiran’s school ended. Chen Zui’s closet contains mostly suits. He didn't want to dress too formally when he went to pick up Chen Yiran so he only put on a dress shirt and paired it with a pair of jeans worn a few times.
When he arrived at the school gate, it was only 4:20 but many parents were already waiting there as well. Chen Zui parked the car and walked outside to wait.
As soon as Chen Yiran walked out, he saw Chen Zui leaning against the car. He has to say, his uncle is too eye-catching. He is only standing by the school gate and the guardians who come to pick up the children gave him a few glances.
"Uncle!" Chen Yiran ran over and called to him. Chen Zui looked at him and took off the schoolbag from his shoulder. "Took you long enough. It seems that you don't really want the toy."
“We had an exam in the last class today, and I am already in the top ten!"
Chen Zui paused when he heard him say, "Then did you finish?"
“Yes. The questions are the same as the ones you gave me before. Don’t worry!”
Chen Yiran was about to get into the car as he spoke. At this time, a little girl came out from the school gate. When she saw him, she shouted, "Chen Yiran, I said I don't need the eraser!"
Chen Zui stood there, looking sideways at the little girl with the ponytail. Chen Yiran's expression became unnatural when he heard her voice, "Then I will buy a new one and give it to you tomorrow.”
“I don’t need you to buy it, I can buy it myself!” The little girl walked up to them while she was talking. She looked at Chen Zui standing next to Chen Yiran, and opened her mouth in surprise, as if she had only noticed him now, "Chen Yiran, this Is it your father?"
Chen Yiran usually takes the school bus home and his parents rarely pick him up.
Chen Yiran replied, “This is my uncle.”
“Oh….” The little girl continued to stare at Chen Zui and slowly nodded, “Then will you be as handsome as your uncle when you grow up?”
Chen Yiran, “....”
What’s that supposed to mean, is he not handsome now?
Chen Zui chuckled at the side and lowered his head to talk to the girl, “Are you Chen Yiran’s classmate?”
The little girl looked at him more intently. The handsome brother’s voice also sounds nice. Both of her cheeks flushed as she said, "Yes, my name is Zhou Huihui and I am the class monitor."
“Huihui!” Zhou Huihui’s grandmother quickly walked over to Zhou Huihui and guardedly looked at Chen Zui. As she sized him up, she found that he looked familiar.
"Grandma, this is my classmate's uncle." Zhou Huihui said.
“Oh.” Zhou Huihui’s grandmother held her and continued to stare at Chen Zui, "Hey, you look like the anchor of the morning news..."
Once Chen Yiran heard this, he hurriedly pulled his uncle into the car, “I will buy you an eraser tomorrow. Goodbye!”
[Previous][Table of Contents][Next]
Comments
Post a Comment