Read Novel Full Chapters 66 – 70
Chapters 66 – 70
Chapter 66
When Shen Juan’s phone rang, he was in the dormitory. All four roommates had arrived, with two being locals who were busy unpacking. Shen Juan didn’t have much to unpack; he stuffed his clothes into the wardrobe, and his suitcase was already half empty.
The guy across from him was called Sun Mingchuan, a naturally friendly Northeasterner, who was currently shaking out a mosquito net. He looked around at them and asked, “You guys didn’t bring mosquito nets?”
Shen Juan looked up.
Sun Mingchuan scratched his head, “Oh man, I’m the only one? I didn’t even want to bring it, but my mom insisted. Isn’t it a bit feminine for a guy to use a mosquito net?”
Yu Jia from across the table laughed, “So are you still going to hang it?”
“Of course,” Sun Mingchuan said, shaking the mosquito net decisively. “We Northeastern men might not have many other virtues, but we live meticulously. Sometimes we’re so meticulous it scares us.”
Yu Jia couldn’t stop laughing.
Sun Mingchuan said, “Hey, seriously, aren’t you guys going to hang a mosquito net? I read on the forum before coming here that the mosquitoes here are like biochemical weapons; a single bite can swell up as big as a fist.”
On the other side, Lu Xiuran, who hadn’t spoken much, pulled out a box of electric mosquito repellent from his suitcase and said calmly, “No need. We have something called electric mosquito repellent.”
Sun Mingchuan looked at him for two seconds, then at the box in his hand, “Wow, man, great idea.”
He clapped his hands, “I see you’re meticulous but not at all feminine, my friend.”
Shen Juan looked down, smiling as he took out the last few books and placed them on the desk.
Just then, his phone rang. It was on silent, but the vibration was clear. Shen Juan glanced at it. The number wasn’t saved in his contacts. He stared at it for a few seconds, and only picked up when he noticed the other three looking at him.
The person on the other end didn’t speak.
Shen Juan heard a lot of noise on her side. His fingers stiffened, gripping the phone tighter, “Lin Yujing.”
It was still silent on the other end.
In the next second, he heard a small, almost indistinguishable sob amidst the background noise.
Shen Juan paused.
The young girl’s voice was full of grievance, crying as she called his name and asked why he hadn’t come to pick her up. Her voice was muffled and filled with a repressed sob.
It felt like a hand was tugging at his heart, pulling it bit by bit. “Where are you?” He tried to keep his voice steady.
“The library…” Lin Yujing was crying and rambling, “I’m at the library entrance. Why is this school so big? I’ve been looking for you for an hour. The capital is so big, yet Grandma could still find Grandpa. Shen Juan, are we not meant to be?”
Shen Juan couldn’t make sense of what she was saying, but the words “not meant to be” pierced him. He paused and said in a low voice, “Are you at A University?”
Lin Yujing sniffled, “Where else would I be?”
Shen Juan quickly left the dormitory, “Wait there for me.”
During her time at the old house, Lin Yujing had thought a lot. Things she didn’t have the time or courage to consider before the college entrance exams now flooded her mind.
She had imagined how they might meet. She thought she would surprise him by visiting his studio, where he would be stunned to see her. Or perhaps they would see each other at the start of the school year, across the French plane tree-lined paths of A University, amidst a sea of students and parents, their eyes meeting from afar.
Her long-dormant romantic cells had started to stir.
Lin Yujing never expected their reunion to happen like this. While she was squatting in front of the library, crying with her forehead on her knees, looking undoubtedly messy.
She felt she couldn’t stay like this. For a long-awaited reunion, a girl should look beautiful.
She took a deep breath, adjusted her mood, wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, and looked up to see a pair of long legs before her.
Lin Yujing looked up, her eyes still wet with tears.
Shen Juan was standing in front of her, looking down at her.
At that moment, all her previous worries, expectations, and anxieties disappeared.
Her mind went blank for a few seconds. For over a year, this boy, who had appeared countless times in her dreams and memories, now stood right in front of her. He had lost a lot of weight, his features were sharper, and his lips were pressed into a cold line, with his lashes casting shadows as he looked down. His entire demeanor had become more reserved.
Lin Yujing felt a bit dazed, almost as if this were still a dream and she would wake up any second to the sound of her alarm, get up, and head to her morning study session.
It wasn’t until Shen Juan squatted down in front of her that reality began to set in. Their distance closed, Shen Juan looked at her with dark, deep eyes, “You really have some nerve.”
His voice was a bit hoarse.
Lin Yujing stared at him, still in a daze. Her mind raced to find something to say, but after two seconds, she realized she had no idea what to say. So, she blurted out, “How did you do on the college entrance exam?”
This was the essence of an academic prodigy. Lin Yujing, you truly are remarkable.
Shen Juan: “…”
He was momentarily stunned.
Lin Yujing snapped out of it halfway through her sentence, almost biting her tongue. She felt like an idiot. To salvage the situation and seem less foolish, she quickly continued, “I scored 721.”
Shen Juan: “…”
The first thing his girlfriend said to him after a year and a half apart was, “How did you do on the college entrance exam?” And then, her second sentence was to tell him her score—721.
What kind of bizarre reaction was this?
Shen Juan almost laughed in exasperation, “You did well.”
This line was eerily familiar, as if they had traveled back to when she was in class ten, and her monthly exam results had just come out. But now, the speaker had changed from her to him.
Lin Yujing closed her eyes in despair, feeling defeated, “It was okay.”
He didn’t say anything more.
Lin Yujing waited for two seconds, then opened her eyes to meet his gaze.
“Lin Yujing,” Shen Juan’s dark eyes stared directly at her, “Why did you come to A University?”
Lin Yujing wiped her red, tear-stained eyes with the back of her hand and cleared away the remaining tears before speaking, “To find you.”
“How did you know I’d definitely be at A University?” Shen Juan narrowed his eyes, “What if I wasn’t?”
Lin Yujing thought Shen Juan’s question insulted his intelligence. Finding out where he was going to school was incredibly simple.
She blinked, “I just knew.”
When filling out her college application, she was certain he would choose A University, though there was a bit of uncertainty. So, on the last day before submitting her application, Lin Yujing checked the website of Eight High School. The homepage was filled with celebratory messages, and the first topic headline was in bold black letters— “Congratulations to our student Shen Juan for scoring 723 and becoming the top science student in the province.”
Provincial top science student.
For some reason, when Lin Yujing saw this news, she wasn’t surprised at all, as if it was entirely expected.
He was always meant to be like this. He always shone, always stood out.
How to describe the feeling? Pride. Like the pride of a parent whose child had topped the province.
The only thing that irked the 721-scoring Lin was that Shen Juan had still managed to outscore her by two points, even in the college entrance exam.
Lin Yujing didn’t know what kind of strange fate or curse this was, but even when she went far away to Huai City for school, she couldn’t escape this two-point gap.
She zoned out for a while, and Shen Juan had already stood up, looking down at her. He suddenly smiled and said softly, “Yes, you seem to know everything.”
During the summer break, after the college entrance exams, Lin Yujing had called him. Shen Juan had thought about countless possibilities in the calm moments afterward.
The first thought that came to his mind was her earlier statement, “What if I don’t like you anymore?”
Lin Yujing had always been elusive in love. He had always been the one chasing her. She avoided and retreated, always leaving herself an out. Then, after over a year, an unexpected call made him overthink.
What would she say in that call? Shen Juan didn’t want to think further. He didn’t even want to ask, as if maintaining silence could prevent anything from happening.
Now she was back, standing in front of him, here to find him.
The realization that she was back, that she hadn’t left, made his hands tremble earlier.
And then?
Once he regained his composure, the simmering anger that had been building for months, mixed with confusion and helplessness, finally erupted.
The past year and a half had been stifling for Shen Juan.
Too damn suffocating.
He closed his eyes briefly, his voice low and strained with restraint, “You think you know everything. You leave when you want, without a word for a year and a half, and now you come back just because you want to. Is that it?”
Lin Yujing was stunned.
“I know nothing,” Shen Juan said softly, “I’m supposed to just stand here like an idiot waiting for you. Is that it?”
Lin Yujing looked up at him quietly, feeling a bit lost. This was the first time he had gotten angry with her.
She quickly stood up, her legs numb from squatting too long. She supported herself on her knees, took a moment, and then apologized, “I’m sorry.”
This apology only ignited Shen Juan’s anger further.
She looked down and said softly, “I didn’t… didn’t want to not call you. At first, I didn’t have a phone.”
Shen Juan watched her silently. “Later…”
Lin Yujing paused, feeling hesitant. She didn’t want to tell Shen Juan about seeing a psychologist; it wasn’t a big deal, and she didn’t want to seem like she was seeking sympathy.
“Later,” Lin Yujing continued, “during the winter break last year, I tried to call you, but I couldn’t get through.”
Shen Juan paused, “Last winter break?”
“I also sent you a text, but you didn’t reply,” Lin Yujing pouted, feeling a bit wronged. “Why didn’t you reply? When you didn’t respond, I got scared to text again. Who knows if you were seeing someone else?”
Shen Juan was silent, a bit taken aback. During last winter break, Luo Qinghe had passed away. Shen Juan was in a daze, and his mother, worried about him, took him back to England until the new semester started.
He looked at her in silence for a while, then said in a low voice, “After the college entrance exams, the call you made was answered by Jiang Han. I was busy at the time.”
“I know,” Lin Yujing blinked. “I was at the airport, about to head back to the capital. I wanted to tell you, but you were busy.”
“I missed you so much then that I couldn’t think of anything else. I just wanted to call you. But when I calmed down, I realized that even if you answered, I wouldn’t know what to say,” Lin Yujing explained.
A year and a half was a long time. When she thought of him, she didn’t hesitate to call, but it didn’t go through. After she got off the plane and returned to the old house, she calmed down but felt lost and a bit scared.
She suddenly realized she might not know what to say to Shen Juan on the phone. Because it had been too long. The gap between them was real. What would they talk about? Would it be awkward? Would they have nothing in common anymore? Would they just end up in silence?
In a lowered voice, Lin Yujing admitted, “I wasn’t sure if we’d still have anything in common after so long. If we only talked on the phone, what if we ran out of things to say? What if it got awkward? So I thought, since we would see each other soon, we could talk then.”
She paused, looking down, and tentatively reached out to touch his fingertips, “Even before seeing you, I was a bit scared. I was afraid you’d be different, that it would be awkward.”
Shen Juan looked down, still silent and unmoving. Lin Yujing let go of his fingers, dejectedly poking at his hand, “Don’t be mad. I just wanted to tell you everything I was feeling.”
Yan Heng had said, “You can’t let him always pull you; you have to walk towards him yourself.”
Lin Yujing wanted to try that. To pull him and walk towards him.
She took a deep breath, “In the lessons, they say to attack with full force the first time, then weaken the second time, and exhaust the third. You didn’t respond the first time, and it didn’t work the second time, so I was too scared to try again.”
“I didn’t intentionally ignore you or keep things from you,” she said, looking up at him carefully, “Don’t be mad.”
Not getting a response from him, Lin Yujing sighed inwardly. She had never tried to comfort anyone before. How could it be so hard to comfort someone? She should have asked Cheng Yi for advice; he was good at this kind of thing.
Lin Yujing sighed, “Alright, you have every right to be mad. Let Teacher Lin comfort you.”
She took a step closer. After walking for an hour in the summer heat and standing here for too long, her hands were warm as she cautiously hooked his index finger with hers,
holding it and pulling gently. Then, she hooked it again, her voice still a bit nasal from crying, soft and gentle, “Boyfriend, I missed you so much.”
Shen Juan’s throat tightened.
He couldn’t stand it when she acted like this.
Her pitiful and cute behavior could be fatal.
Chapter 67
Although the official website of No. 8 High School mentioned which university Shen Zhuangyuan attended, it did not specify his major.
Lin Yujing planned to rely on a blind guess.
A University had several top-notch majors, so it was fairly easy to narrow down. Lin Yujing selected a few elite majors and, after considering her interests, pondered between finance and computer science for quite some time. She eventually felt that Shen Juan’s demeanor matched computer science more, so she chose that without much hesitation.
It turned out he went for finance.
Lin Yujing was almost furious to the point of a heart attack.
However, since it was a blind guess, there was naturally a risk involved. After her initial frustration, she didn’t dwell on it much. As long as they were at the same university, she didn’t mind if their majors were different.
The urgent matter now was that Shen Juan was angry.
That afternoon, they had to go to the classroom to get their books and then to the gym to collect their military training uniforms, so their catch-up conversation was left unfinished.
She put aside all pretense and resorted to acting cute, but Shen Juan remained unmoved. He didn’t react at all.
He was genuinely quite angry.
That night, back in her dorm room, Lin Yujing took out her laptop, opened a blank document, and planned to write a strategy for appeasing her boyfriend.
She slowly typed the first character 《》— a book title mark.
Then she spent five minutes in a daze.
Lin Yujing gave up, sighed, closed her laptop, and took out a notebook.
During the year she spent in Huaicheng, she developed the habit of keeping a diary. Every evening, she would spend a few minutes writing, even if there was no difference between today and yesterday, she would jot down a sentence or two to remind herself that time was moving forward.
She had filled two notebooks, capturing the passage of time with a few strokes.
She took a pen from the pen holder, wrote down the date and weather for today, and scribbled a line, thinking for a moment, then drew a sad face next to it.
—— “Boyfriend is angry today 
“
After writing, she paused for a moment.
This might be her opportunity.
He had always been the one holding on to her, now it was her turn to hold on to him. Brave girl Lin Yujing pressed her lips together and added another line.
Military training at A University started the day after tomorrow. The night before, Lin Yujing and her roommates went out for a meal, and then shopped around the nearby commercial area, buying a bunch of supplies, including sunscreen for each of them.
Lin Yujing bought two tubes, intending to bring one to Shen Juan in the evening. Although her boyfriend was handsome and his looks wouldn’t be affected by a tan, the constant sun exposure during military training was damaging.
However, that evening, her new dorm mates started chatting, getting to know each other better, and Lin Yujing didn’t want to be left out, so she joined in.
The girls were from all over the country. After having dinner together, they became more familiar and got along well despite their different personalities.
In the middle of the conversation, Lin Yujing sent Shen Juan a WeChat message: 【 Boyfriend, where is your Economics and Management Institute meeting tomorrow?】
Shen Juan replied quite quickly, not giving her the cold shoulder. Lin Yujing felt excited before opening the message.
Shen Juan: 【Hmm?】
Lin Yujing: “…”
Hmm, what?
Lin Yujing translated his single character with a question mark in her mind. ——What’s up?
Alright.
Shen Juan, you’re something else.
Lin Yujing rolled her eyes and tossed her phone aside.
After a moment, she picked it up again, patiently trying to think of something to say to break the awkward silence of this deathly conversation while listening to the chat across the bed.
The girl on the other bed was a local, very easy to get along with, with cute shoulder- length short hair and a lively personality, like a bouncing little mushroom.
Little Mushroom was explaining this year’s top provincial student, Shen Juan, to two out- of-town girls.
“Yes, he’s from this city, from No. 8 High School. I have a middle school classmate who went to No. 8 High, and they told me a bit about him. Anyway, he’s like the school heartthrob, excellent grades and really handsome,” Little Mushroom said. “But my friend said he’s a bit scary. He repeated a year in his sophomore year, then the second year he seemed to have a girlfriend, and later he allegedly cheated on her, which made the girlfriend so sad she transferred schools.”
Lin Yujing: “…”
Lin Yujing stopped midway through her message, looked up in a daze: “Huh?”
Little Mushroom looked at her, nodding solemnly: “I also heard this from my friend, but it was pretty famous in their school, after all, he’s a prominent figure. Anyway, he cheated on his childhood sweetheart.”
“…”
Lin Yujing’s fingers hovered over her phone screen, feeling a bit lost. She thought she hadn’t heard of Shen Juan having any childhood sweetheart.
“Apparently, his girlfriend was also stunning, a beauty and a top student,” Little Mushroom continued. “My friend said they were super sweet together. There was this one time during an exam, they were in the same room. The girl bought him soy milk in the morning, and when he arrived, he naturally opened it for her. She then naturally drank a few sips before realizing she bought it for him. Then he said, ‘Just leave it there, I’ll drink it later.’”
Little Mushroom covered her face: “Oh my god, that’s so sweet.”
Lin Yujing: “…”
“And then—” Little Mushroom paused, emphasizing, “Do you know why he took a year off in his sophomore year?”
Another roommate, Qu Shihan, asked eagerly: “Why? Why?”
Little Mushroom slapped the table: “Because he beat up his deskmate so badly the person ended up in a vegetative state!!”
Lin Yujing: “…”
“Apparently, he’s a very hot-tempered guy, but he doted on his ex-girlfriend a lot. He wouldn’t hit back or talk back when scolded,” Little Mushroom said. “During PE class, he was doing push-ups, and the girl kept hitting him. Every time he did one, she slapped him. Apparently, she hit him hard, but he didn’t get mad, just kept smiling brightly, happy in pain.”
Qu Shihan was thrilled, slapping the table: “What a beautiful love story is this?”
“Then he cheated,” Little Mushroom spread her hands, “Love faded, the girl transferred.” Lin Yujing: “…”
Lin Yujing’s expression was numb.
Listening to others recounting your own and your top provincial student boyfriend’s story, with so many embellishments and exaggerations, and in the end, your boyfriend being forcefully labeled as a cheater, was a strange development that made her feelings somewhat complicated.
Lin Yujing cleared her throat: “Do you know what his girlfriend’s name is?”
Little Mushroom turned her head, blinking: “I don’t know, my friend told me once, but I forgot. I think her last name is Lin.”
“It is Lin,” Lin Yujing nodded, “Her name is Lin Yujing.”
Little Mushroom: “…”
Qu Shihan: “…”
Another roommate, Gu Xia, who was quietly painting her nails, accidentally smeared red polish on her knuckles.
She looked up, mouth open: “You?”
“Yes,” Lin Yujing said, “I think it’s me.”
Three seconds of silence.
Military training at A University was more varied than in high school, starting with a mobilization meeting in the gymnasium.
Little Mushroom’s biological clock was very punctual; she got up at five o’clock, washed up quietly, and at six o’clock, she called the others.
Lin Yujing had a bit of a temper when she didn’t get enough sleep. Though she had learned to control it over the years, she still felt cranky upon waking, preferring not to talk and needing a moment to zone out.
One by one, the roommates went to wash up. Lin Yujing was the last to get out of bed. She dressed in camouflage shorts and a long-sleeve shirt, struggling with the belt for a while.
They arrived at the gym early. Half of it was still empty, so they walked along the edge to the computer science section and sat down.
Lin Yujing sat by the aisle, looking around. She spotted the finance department of the Economics and Management Institute diagonally across from them.
It was a sea of green, all looking like small cabbages, making it impossible to spot Shen Juan.
Lin Yujing checked the time; there was still a while before the gathering. She took off her hat, placed it on the chair, told Gu Xia she’d be back, and hopped down the steps, crossing the gym to the diagonal side.
She reached the finance department, not knowing which class Shen Juan was in, so she checked each class.
Sun Mingchuan noticed Lin Yujing walking towards them as soon as he sat down.
The mobilization meeting for military training was for all freshmen. Everyone who entered was looking around uncertainly, checking signs one by one, but this girl walked straight across the gym towards them, looking very cool.
Sun Mingchuan patted the person next to him, Yu Jiacong: “Hey, look at that girl, look, look.”
Yu Jiacong looked up: “Which one?”
“That one! The most beautiful one! She’s almost right in front of you,” Sun Mingchuan said. “Old Yu, I’m in love. Is she from our department?”
The girl seemed to be looking for someone, sweeping her gaze over the finance classes as she walked from Class 1.
“Probably not, she’s likely here to find someone,” Yu Jiacong said, amused, “You fell in love just by looking at her once?”
“Everything has to start somewhere, right?” Sun Mingchuan said, resting his chin on his hand, watching her get closer. “Meeting the right person at the right time, I think I’m about to start a grand campus romance. Before Shen Juan gets here and overshadows me with his handsome face, I’ll go and talk to her.”
Sun Mingchuan said, smoothing his hair and standing up: “How do I look? Handsome?” Yu Jiacong ignored him, put down his phone, and stood up, waving towards the front: “Shen Juan, over here!”
Sun Mingchuan watched as his goddess paused at the sound of the name, then looked in their direction.
Sun Mingchuan and she made eye contact for two seconds before he muttered, “Oh shit.” Then he watched her look away towards Yu Jiacong, following his gaze to Shen Juan walking over.
Sun Mingchuan: “What the hell?”
Sun Mingchuan watched as his little goddess ran over to Shen Juan. Shen Juan had his head down while the goddess looked up at him, the two of them standing in the middle of the gym talking.
After saying just a few words, the goddess took something out of her pocket, stuffed it into Shen Juan’s arms, and then ran off.
“No way,” Sun Mingchuan was shocked, “Shen Juan, what’s going on with you? Just calling out to him once and someone swoops in and steals my girl?”
Yu Jiacong, who was a local, understood immediately and patted Sun Mingchuan’s shoulder, laughing: “What did you expect? He’s the top provincial student, a super handsome guy. From the moment he stepped into the university, he was destined to have a lot of admirers.”
“Let me tell you something, buddy. Don’t doubt it,” Sun Mingchuan turned around, looking at him seriously, “Back in high school, I was also pretty famous, good-looking,” he pointed to his face, “good grades, basically a god-tier version of a male idol.”
Boys tend to forget quickly and are carefree by nature. Seeing a pretty girl might make them excited, but then they move on. Sun Mingchuan soon started boasting about his own romantic history, which, despite being dramatic and touching, never ended in success. The mobilization meeting wasn’t long. It covered the daily training schedule and activities for the fifteen-day military training, including formation drills, military boxing, live ammunition shooting, first aid, and air raid evacuation. Every other night after training, there would also be a lecture on fire safety.
Military training officially began.
At the end of August, the sun was blazing for three to four consecutive days. The initial training was simple, but standing in military posture under the scorching sun for a whole morning made the group of freshmen miserable.
Every night, Lin Yujing would review her boyfriend appeasement manual. She wasn’t in a hurry; one day she’d bring him sunscreen, the next day she’d send a message reminding him about the UV index, gradually progressing step by step.
During the day, she almost never saw Shen Juan on the field, and he didn’t seek her out either.
He wasn’t seeking her out anymore!
Lin Yujing sighed as she left the dorm. There was a lecture on fire safety that evening, and she had some time, so she went to buy a milk tea.
There were several milk tea shops on the South Campus, and this one was always the busiest. Lin Yujing queued up with her head down, looking at her phone, when she suddenly felt someone tap her shoulder.
She looked up.
A tall boy stood beside her, not wearing the military training camouflage uniform, just a simple white T-shirt and jeans, indicating he probably wasn’t a freshman.
He looked at her, smiling: “Hello, classmate.”
Lin Yujing nodded slightly: “Hello.”
Her voice was soft and pleasant, though she spoke without much intonation. The boy smiled: “I see you often buy milk tea here, so I wanted to recommend the oolong macchiato. It’s quite good.”
Lin Yujing had already encountered several guys like this in the past few days, trying to chat her up or directly asking for her number. She glanced around, seeing a familiar figure flash by in the corner of her eye. She was stunned and tilted her head slightly. No one.
The boy tilted his head as well: “What’s up?”
“Nothing,” she turned back, “I usually don’t drink this; my boyfriend likes it.”
“Oh,” the boy was taken aback, “alright, your boyfriend likes milk tea.”
“Yeah,” Lin Yujing said absentmindedly, “my boyfriend has a sweet tooth. If I don’t buy it for him, he’ll be upset.”
The boy: “…”
Her attitude was direct and obvious. The boy, being sensible, left after a few more words. Lin Yujing, holding her taro milk tea, slowly walked towards the lecture hall.
In the summer evening, the campus was bustling. Freshmen in camouflage uniforms were heading towards the lecture hall in pairs or threes. Lin Yujing, biting her straw, took out her phone and sent a message to Shen Juan: 【Can I ask you a question? Do you like milk tea?】
Shen Juan didn’t reply.
Lin Yujing pouted.
The lecture hall was next to the library. She planned to cut through the library, entering through a side door. As she walked along the tree-lined path to the library, she spotted Shen Juan standing in front of it.
Their first chance encounter in days.
It had not been easy.
As she turned her head, Shen Juan looked up, and their eyes met. Lin Yujing blinked, spat out her straw, and ran over: “Hey, handsome, waiting for someone?”
Shen Juan didn’t respond.
Lin Yujing moved closer, smiling with a hint of mischief in her eyes: “Waiting for me?” Shen Juan lowered his gaze.
It was still hot in the summer. Lin Yujing wasn’t wearing her camouflage jacket, only a thin short-sleeve shirt, revealing her pale arms and a bit of her delicate neck.
Her shirt was tucked into her pants, the belt cinching her slender waist, highlighting her curves.
The girl had grown up.
No wonder buying milk tea would catch someone’s eye.
Still not saying anything, Shen Juan’s silence was wearing Lin Yujing’s patience thin.
But she knew she was in the wrong this time.
She needed to be patient.
Her smile faded, and she looked a bit dejected: “Shen Juan, I’ve been trying so hard to make you happy. How long do you plan to stay mad?”
Shen Juan replied calmly: “How have you been trying?”
“I’ve brought you sunscreen, bought you water, and sent you weather updates every day,” Lin Yujing counted on her fingers. “I’ve tried so hard, but you’re so cold. You really don’t care about me.”
Shen Juan squinted, leaning lazily against the library pillar, looking at her: “Lin Yujing, who told you that’s how you appease someone?”
“…”
Lin Yujing got a bit irritated, staring at him expressionlessly: “Well, that’s all I know. If you don’t like it, find someone else. I’ve never been in a relationship before, and no one taught me how to make a boyfriend happy.”
After a moment of silence, Shen Juan clicked his tongue, suddenly raising his hand to pull her wrist, bringing her closer.
Lin Yujing didn’t have time to react, ending up pressed against him.
She was only wearing a thin short-sleeve camouflage shirt, her body pressing against his. The girl’s body was soft and warm.
Shen Juan paused, lowering his gaze, his fingers brushing across her soft, red lips. He said in a low voice, “I’ll teach you.”
His fingers were cool, grazing her sensitive lips, making Lin Yujing instinctively pull back.
Feeling her retreat, Shen Juan’s other hand gently held the back of her neck, pulling her closer, and he lowered his head.
A soft, cool sensation pressed against her lips.
The touch was soft and unfamiliar.
Lin Yujing’s eyes were still open, her mind not catching up.
Until she felt her lower lip being lightly bitten, then released.
A slight pain mixed with other sensations made Lin Yujing’s mind go blank, her body stiff.
Shen Juan pulled back a little, their foreheads touching. His dark eyes stared into hers: “Got it?”
His fingers, tangled in her hair, lightly stroked the delicate skin of her neck, his voice hoarse: “You have to do it like this from now on.”
Author’s note:
Shen Juan: I haven’t been a beast for so long…
Chapter 68
Lin Yujing felt that Shen Juan was becoming increasingly unbearable.
How had it been over a year since they last met, and while she remained stagnant, his skills had only grown more profound each day?
The young man’s forehead pressed against hers, his breath warm, fingertips brushing lightly against the thin skin of her neck, every movement sending shivers through her.
Lin Yujing was still somewhat dazed, the wet touch lingering on her lips.
Leaning against him, she tilted her head back, regaining her senses and instinctively swallowed, “Hey, what’s wrong with you?”
Shen Juan’s hand at the back of her neck tightened slightly, giving a gentle squeeze, “Hmm?”
Lin Yujing pursed her lips.
She’d been taught, after all.
Learning was her forte, after all.
Still holding a half-finished cup of milk tea, she couldn’t free her hands. Suddenly, she surged upwards, using one hand to hook his neck and pull him down.
Shen Juan, still leaning against a pillar, was pulled down by her. His body bent slightly, and before he could react, Lin Yujing kissed him directly.
Caught off guard, Shen Juan was a bit stunned.
He had been careful, restraining himself, cautiously touching her, afraid of scaring her. But she wasn’t.
Lin Yujing hooked his neck with one hand, pressing her lips against his for a few seconds, then gently probed with her tongue, carefully tracing his lips, finding an opening, and softly licking inside.
The kiss was both clumsy and bold.
Shen Juan tensed at her actions, his grip on her tightening involuntarily. His fingers moved up to the back of her head, threading through her soft hair.
Lin Yujing, inexperienced but with some basic theoretical knowledge, found the practical application challenging.
She cautiously explored inside, encountering something soft, and froze. Hesitating, she pulled back, stopping at the edge, afraid to move further.
She vaguely heard Shen Juan sigh softly, then he slightly pulled back, gently avoiding her.
Sensing his retreat, Lin Yujing opened her eyes, loosening her hold and moving back a bit, her ears starting to heat up.
She blinked, looking up at him, her voice small and somewhat displeased, “You don’t want to kiss me?”
The flame that had just been suppressed flared up again at his words.
Shen Juan closed his eyes, trying to control himself, his fingers gently stroking her hair, unsure if he was soothing her or himself.
After a few seconds of silence, he opened his eyes, his gaze falling on her moist lips, his voice hoarse, “The place isn’t right.”
What place?
Lin Yujing was confused for a moment before suddenly realizing where they were.
At the entrance of the library.
Next to the auditorium.
And soon there would be a fire safety lecture, with practically all the freshmen passing through this area.
She stiffened, pushing him away forcefully, stepping back to create some distance.
Shen Juan watched her, her ears turning red, mouth opening and closing in embarrassment and panic.
He smiled.
This girl had this quirk; no matter how embarrassed she was, her face remained unchanged, looking nonchalant, only her ears turning bright red, making her both amusing and endearing.
Lin Yujing quickly adjusted her emotions, feigning calmness, “Why didn’t you remind me earlier?”
“Passionate girlfriend,” Shen Juan licked his lips, smiling, “I didn’t have time to react.”
“Shut up,” Lin Yujing snapped, embarrassed, “Isn’t it you who taught me to coax you this way?”
Shen Juan leaned against the pillar, laughing so hard his shoulders shook, unable to stop. She pointed at him, calmly warning, “Shen Juan, stop laughing.”
“Alright.” Shen Juan nodded, trying to suppress his laughter as he straightened up, adjusting his clothes.
His camouflage jacket was unbuttoned, her leaning against him had rumpled it a bit.
Perhaps due to the recent intimate act, Lin Yujing now saw everything through a non- innocent lens.
What seemed like a normal action appeared to her as something suggestive post-act.
Lin Yujing sighed deeply, turning her head away to avoid looking, feeling that her thoughts were impure.
After a few seconds of silence, she looked up, “Are you still mad?” Shen Juan looked down at her for a moment, then sighed.
He stepped forward and gently hugged her, “I am mad, but not because you left, but because you wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“Lin Yujing, I hope you can trust me a bit more.” Shen Juan said softly.
Sun Mingchuan felt complicated.
Half an hour ago, he and two roommates were heading to the auditorium for the fire safety lecture.
Originally, there were three roommates, but one—the highest scorer—realized he had forgotten something while passing a milk tea shop and went back to get it.
Sun Mingchuan was comforted.
Knowing that even top scorers could forget things made him feel closer to geniuses.
Since there was still time before the lecture, they weren’t in a hurry, buying some snacks at a shop, eating as they walked.
As they neared the auditorium, approaching the library entrance, Sun Mingchuan saw his top-scoring roommate walking from the library direction.
The dorm was far from here, and Sun Mingchuan thought he had walked quickly. Until he saw a girl walking ahead of him.
The girl would turn back every few steps to say something to him, and he would walk while rubbing her head, pausing, then taking off the jacket hanging from her arm, shaking it out and draping it over her.
The girl, seemingly finding it hot, shrugged, trying to shake off the jacket.
Shen Juan took the milk tea from her hand, tapped her head, and said something.
The girl swatted his hand, reluctantly putting her arms into the sleeves, turned around, and reached for the milk tea.
When she turned, Sun Mingchuan saw her face clearly and was stunned, “Hey, isn’t that my goddess?”
Sun Mingchuan counted on his fingers, “Wait, it’s only been a few days, and they’re already like this?”
Yu Jiacong also saw, sighed, “Our top scorer is also top-notch in relationships.”
The lecture seating was arranged by department, so the Computer Science and Economics and Management students were quite far apart. Lin Yujing and Shen Juan separated, with Shen Juan circling halfway around the auditorium to find Sun Mingchuan and the others.
Shen Juan took the vacant seat they had saved for him at the end.
Lu Xiuran smiled.
Sun Mingchuan sighed.
Yu Jiacong was sympathetic, “Poor guy.”
Shen Juan raised an eyebrow.
Sun Mingchuan couldn’t hold it in, held up four fingers, “Four days.”
“What.”
“Today is the fifth day,” Sun Mingchuan said, “and you’re already at this stage with the goddess?”
Shen Juan looked at him, “What goddess.”
“His goddess,” Yu Jiacong leaned in, “the girl who brought you sunscreen the other day, Sun’s dream girl.”
Shen Juan laughed.
He stretched his long legs out, lazily asked, “You like her?”
“Hey?” Sun Mingchuan quickly waved his hand, “No, brother, I get it.”
Sun Mingchuan was moved, “You don’t have to say you won’t pursue her and give her to me, I get it. I just think she’s pretty, nothing more, I was just thinking.”
Shen Juan looked at him calmly, “I mean, don’t even think about it.” Sun Mingchuan: “…”
Sun Mingchuan, usually carefree, became more curious at Shen Juan’s words, quickly leaning in, “So what stage are you guys at now, just getting to know each other, flirting, or is she your girlfriend?”
Shen Juan raised his eyebrows, “What do you think?”
“I think you’re just flirting,” Sun Mingchuan asserted. “It’s only been a few days, starting a relationship this quickly seems a bit fast.”
“Not fast,” Shen Juan leaned back in his chair, supporting his face with the back of his hand, and casually said, “I’ve been waiting for her for three thousand years.”
Sun Mingchuan wasn’t stupid; he understood the meaning behind those words. So they were old acquaintances, having known each other before.
There was probably some unspeakable past between them.
But that wasn’t his main focus.
As a quintessential nitpicker of the new century, Sun Mingchuan fully utilized this trait, looking at Shen Juan and saying, “Ah, that’s quite long. Chinese history only spans five thousand years,” he calculated, “You two must have known each other since the Western Zhou dynasty.”
Shen Juan looked at him, conflicted, “Should I laugh now or not?” Yu Jiacong, beside them, had already started laughing.
“Hey, I’m serious, what’s so funny about that?” Sun Mingchuan said. “So if she’s your girlfriend, she’s my sister-in-law. When are we having dinner together?”
“…” Shen Juan looked at him as if he were an idiot. “Oops,” Sun Mingchuan said, “I misspoke, sister-in-law.”
Yu Jiacong sighed, sincerely asking, “Old Sun, how did you get into the finance department of this school? Did you cheat on the college entrance exam?”
“Don’t I look like a top student?” Sun Mingchuan turned to glare at him. “I studied hard for nineteen years, even repeated a year. I love learning so much.”
And thus, the topic was diverted again. Sun Mingchuan started recounting his sorrow from missing out on A University by five points on his first college entrance exam, and the hardships he endured while preparing for a retake.
Though the conversation never circled back, his curiosity about the sister-in-law remained.
Shen Juan was quite reserved, rarely engaging in dormitory conversations. When he did speak, it wasn’t to show off; it was evident that he was a cold person, seemingly uninterested in anything, and appeared somewhat disheartened.
Did girls nowadays like this type?
Sun Mingchuan found it hard to imagine such a person dating. What kind of girl would it be?
Though he had seen her from a distance twice, he never got a good look at her.
Opportunities came quickly. As the days of military training progressed, the last two days included live ammunition shooting.
A University had its own shooting team, and next to the sports building on the training ground was an independent shooting hall, the training base for the A University shooting team. Each year, freshman military training live shooting exercises were also held here.
Everyone was enthusiastic about this project, as it was much more exciting than standing in military posture and marching under the blazing sun. Lin Yujing’s eyes lit up when she heard about A University’s shooting team.
She hadn’t known about it before.
But she didn’t know if Shen Juan knew.
That night, she looked up a lot of information and found out that A University’s shooting team was quite impressive.
They had a professional coaching team and many shooting athletes who had been admitted without exams. Last year, they even won a silver medal at the World University Shooting Championship.
The next day, they got up at the usual time, but the gathering point was changed from the usual training ground to the entrance of the shooting hall. The instructor hadn’t arrived yet, and a group of freshmen were chatting noisily at the entrance. Some boys, eating breakfast, were boasting about their knowledge of firearms to the girls nearby.
Lin Yujing didn’t understand much of it; she only knew a few types of guns, learned from playing games with Li Lin and the others in high school.
Different departments seemed to have different schedules. Lin Yujing didn’t see Shen Juan when they went inside. The last time she had been to the shooting hall was also with him.
However, they had used bows because she was underage.
Lin Yujing’s birthday was in October, just over a month away, so technically, she was still underage.
As she followed the team inside, she glanced around. The shooting hall of A University was different from the recreational one they visited last time. The atmosphere was more serious, like a training base. The hall was well air-conditioned, with photos and introductions on both sides of the entrance, and the corridor walls were covered with long diagrams about firearms.
The outdoor shooting range was vast, with hundreds of Type 56 and Type 95 rifles. Each shooting lane had a small wooden bench. As she took her place, she felt a poke at her waist from Gu Xia behind her.
Lin Yujing turned around.
Gu Xia leaned forward, whispering in her ear, “Look to the right.” Lin Yujing turned her head to the right.
“Do you see him?”
“See what?” Lin Yujing asked, confused.
“That guy, standing next to Class 2, looks kind of handsome.”
Gu Xia had spent the entire military training scanning for handsome guys in the Computer Science department but ended up frustrated, concluding that it was hopeless to find a good catch there.
“Why did I choose to study Computer Science? Wasn’t it because there are more boys here?” Gu Xia angrily slammed the table.
However, her standards were high, so Lin Yujing looked over and saw a rather handsome young man in a red and white sports jacket, probably the shooting team’s uniform, with red stripes at the elbows.
He looked very young, about their age, not very tall, with large eyes, resembling a fair- faced young monk.
“He looks like a student,” Lin Yujing whispered.
“More than a student, he looks like a high schooler,” Gu Xia said. “How can he look younger than me?”
Lin Yujing chuckled, “If you like him, go for it. Create opportunities, starting today.”
“He’s not my type,” Gu Xia mumbled. “Standing next to him would make me look like a demoness.”
Lin Yujing laughed, thinking the comparison was spot on.
Live ammunition shooting had certain risks, so the shooting team members helped with coordination and guidance.
The young monk stayed beside their class, and the shooting team’s coach had introduced him as a highly skilled member, with numerous awards.
Lin Yujing lay on the ground, holding her gun, the barrel resting on the wooden bench. The monk squatted beside her, correcting her mistakes.
When he spoke, his voice was unexpectedly clear and slightly cold.
But no matter how he taught her, Lin Yujing’s performance remained as consistent as it had been for years. All her bullets missed the target, creating dents on the wall.
The young monk gave her a long look and sighed deeply.
Lin Yujing felt she saw a hint of undisguised contempt in his eyes. What’s that about?
What does that mean?
What does that look full of helplessness mean?
Lin Yujing felt she was being looked down upon.
This outdoor shooting range was quite large, and the classes moved quickly one after another. Lin Yujing’s class was the last in the Computer Science department, and while she was lying down, other departments had already come in.
Shen Juan’s attention was first drawn to Rong Huai’s voice when he came in.
As he scanned the area, he saw Lin Yujing lying on the ground with a Type 95 rifle.
The young man next to her was crouched down, leaning in closely and speaking to her. Shen Juan narrowed his eyes, watching them in such close proximity, one talking and the other listening, with Lin even nodding her head.
They looked very harmonious.
The harmony made Shen Juan very displeased.
Boss Shen glanced at the instructor beside him, circled around from the back of the formation, and walked over to the Computer Science side, crouching next to Lin Yujing: “Why is your hand shaking? Even with a bench, you’re still shaking like this?”
Startled by the sudden voice, Lin Yujing fired another shot that missed, creating a new bullet hole in the wall.
She turned her head while lying on the ground, blinking, confused about his sudden appearance: “Hmm?”
The young monk next to her also turned his head at the sound of Shen Juan’s voice, and upon seeing him, looked a bit stunned and dazed: “Senior Brother?”
Lin Yujing: “Huh…?”
Shen Juan didn’t even glance at him, acting as if he hadn’t heard, and placed his hand over Lin Yujing’s, his long fingers covering her small white hand. He lowered his head: “Steady, why are you shaking? How weak are you that you can’t hold a gun? Have I not been feeding you, or have I been mistreating you?”
“…”
Lin Yujing, for some reason, sensed a subtle hint of annoyance and anger in his words. Why was he suddenly mad at her again?
She turned her head, rolling her eyes at him: “I’m not that weak, you know. Do you have any idea how heavy this gun is?”
Shen Juan, squatting beside her, seemed out of place amidst the crowded shooting range, with people lying and squatting everywhere.
“No,” he replied casually, “how heavy?”
“It’s so heavy that I can’t hold it steadily. My hands are already sore.” She whispered. Shen Juan paused and looked at her.
The surrounding noise was loud, with the constant sound of gunfire and conversations. He suddenly smiled, leaned in, and whispered in her ear in a voice only they could hear: “That’s not good, just for such a short time.”
Lin Yujing didn’t quite understand what he meant, only feeling his closeness made her ear itch, and she shrank her neck.
“Your hands get sore from holding it for just a short while. What will you do in the future?” Shen Juan said softly, his voice carrying a deeper meaning, “You need to practice.”
Author’s Note:
“Why does my girlfriend attract so many admirers”
Shen Juan: It’s okay if you can’t hold this gun. I’ll teach you to hold another one later (?)
Chapter 69
Shen Juan’s cunning was beyond Lin Yujing’s understanding and defense capabilities. Girls typically have limited knowledge in this area.
When they were just learning about these things, Cheng Yi and the others would sometimes talk about such topics. Even though they were close enough to share everything, this kind of topic was still something they avoided around her.
Lin Yujing never took a special interest in learning about it; she wasn’t that curious. However, some things just become clear on their own.
After thinking for a while, she initially blamed her own impure thoughts, but Shen Juan’s intentionally lowered, suggestive voice clearly told her—
That’s exactly what I mean! I am flirting with you!
Lin Yujing’s hand trembled, making the Type 95 rifle in her hand feel even heavier, not just heavy but also somewhat hot.
Holding it felt strange and awkward.
Lin Yujing wanted to bash him on the head with the rifle butt.
She took a deep breath, lowering her voice, “Shen Juan, can you be a decent person? Are you a pervert?”
Shen Juan leaned back, increasing the distance between them, and looked at her with a smirk, “Isn’t this a friendly reminder?”
Lin Yujing rolled her eyes, still looking at the target ahead without glancing at him, “I really appreciate it. How about I dedicate the song ‘Dream Awakening Moment’ to you?”
When coaxing him earlier, she was soft and coy, adorably like a kitten.
Once reconciled, her true nature showed immediately, all the coyness and weakness disappeared.
Ah, women.
Shen Juan clicked his tongue, just about to speak when the little monk who had been ignored for a long time couldn’t hold back anymore.
Lin Yujing missed the target with her last shot and got up from the ground just as the instructor approached. The pale little monk stood up too, the previous aloofness gone, following Shen Juan like a little tail, “Senior Brother! Senior Brother, where have you been these past years?”
Shen Juan said nothing.
The little monk was undeterred, “When I got back that day, they told me you were gone. I cried for a long time. You didn’t even tell me. I only have one photo with you. I cut you out and pasted it by my bed, bowing to it three times a day—”
When they reached the end of the line, Lin Yujing almost laughed out loud. Shen Juan also stopped, turning with a blank expression, “Did I die?”
“Senior Brother, don’t say such things,” the little monk frowned seriously and then asked, “Why have you lost so much weight?”
Lin Yujing glanced up at him.
Shen Juan looked at her once before turning back, knocking on the little monk’s head, “Why do you still talk so much?”
Lin Yujing had already started scrutinizing Shen Juan carefully.
Previously, she hadn’t had much chance to observe him closely, only noting that his youthful features had sharpened and his whole demeanor had become colder. She thought it was because they hadn’t seen each other for a year and a half, and he was angry back then.
After such a long separation, honestly, Lin Yujing felt a certain estrangement and unfamiliarity that she tried hard to ignore, making herself more proactive and lively, trying to rekindle their previous rapport through gradual adjustments.
With so many thoughts in her mind, many questions were postponed. Such as how Shen Juan spent this past year and a half.
What he had encountered.
How his studio was doing. How his uncle was doing.
And what about what Cheng Yi mentioned, seeing him in a dejected state in City A last year.
She hadn’t had time to ask.
The little monk kept talking, his mouth like a Gatling gun. After a while, he glanced at Lin Yujing and then pulled Shen Juan aside to whisper for a couple of minutes.
Lin Yujing didn’t pay much attention, a bit distracted.
This live ammunition shooting event was divided by company, and there seemed to be a competition. Shen Juan was dragged away for a while by the monk and then called by his class. The little monk’s eyes brightened and he ran over.
Lin Yujing followed.
Shen Juan was lying on the ground with his gun, his posture very standard. His long legs were eye-catching, stretched out in green camouflage, looking like a frog with its legs extended.
Lin Yujing wondered if she looked the same earlier.
Probably uglier since her posture wasn’t as standard.
The little monk’s eyes were still bright until Shen Juan fired his first two shots.
The little monk froze, then pursed his lips.
Lin Yujing glanced at him.
The young boy’s face didn’t look good. He sighed, stepped back two paces.
Lin Yujing asked softly, “What’s wrong?”
The boy glanced at her, then said slowly, “Senior Brother said you’re his wife. When did you get married?”
“…”
Lin Yujing nearly choked on her saliva.
Shen Juan!
What are you doing?!
“No,” Lin Yujing said, a bit taken aback, “We haven’t reached the legal age for marriage yet, you should know that.”
The little monk: “…”
“Oh, right, we haven’t,” the little monk nodded, then suddenly extended his hand for a self-introduction, “Hello, my name is Rong Huai, nice to meet you.”
“…”
Serious, solemn, and awkward.
Lin Yujing awkwardly introduced herself as well, then hesitated for a moment before asking, “You call Shen Juan ‘senior brother,’ when did you two meet?”
“When I joined the team,” Rong Huai said, not really providing much information.
Realizing this, he slowly added, “When I joined the city team, he was already there. I was young, in fifth or sixth grade, and he took care of me.”
Lin Yujing was a bit surprised, “In elementary school?”
Rong Huai nodded, “Shooting is a skill you start young, but he was still the best, recruited to the provincial team within a year,” Rong Huai’s eyes lit up, “You can’t imagine how amazing he was back then.”
“He’s still amazing now,” Lin Yujing couldn’t help but say.
“Not anymore, he hasn’t trained for years,” Rong Huai shook his head, frowning, “He looks impressive to you, but not to us. And he seems different now. I can’t explain it, but he’s just different from before.”
Lin Yujing found she really couldn’t stand hearing people say Shen Juan wasn’t good enough.
Shen Juan had brainwashed her too well, making her blindly believe he was excellent, amazing, and capable of anything.
Lin Yujing squinted, “So what if it’s been a few years? Others might struggle after a few years off, but he’s not like others. He could pick it back up if he wanted to.”
Rong Huai stared at her in surprise.
Lin Yujing sighed, “Sorry, my tone was harsh, but I didn’t mean anything bad.”
Rong Huai suddenly said, “You’re right.”
Lin Yujing blinked, “What?”
Rong Huai had already run off.
The boy’s steps were light and fast, like a breeze, brushing past people’s shoulders as he bounded out of the outdoor shooting range.
Gu Xia, rubbing his shoulder where Rong Huai had bumped into him, walked over, “That little monk looks happy. Did he succeed in confessing to you?”
Lin Yujing laughed, “What are you talking about? He’s my boyfriend’s junior.”
“I see, you really are a girl with stories,” Gu Xia said, “Can I ask, what’s the deal with your valedictorian ex-boyfriend or current boyfriend?”
Gu Xia paused, not daring to mention the cheating rumors, then added, “Of course, if you don’t want to talk about it, we can change the subject.”
“There’s nothing I don’t want to talk about,” Lin Yujing sighed, “Two points.” Gu Xia: “Hmm?”
Lin Yujing folded down a finger, “One, he’s my boyfriend, not ex-boyfriend,” then folded down another, “Two, I know you were hesitant to ask, but he didn’t cheat. I don’t know where that ridiculous rumor came from or what happened.”
Lin Yujing couldn’t immediately ask Shen Juan about his little childhood friend. As soon as he got up from the ground, he was surrounded by a group of girls from their class, chattering away.
Lin Yujing noticed there seemed to be more girls in the finance department than in the computer science department.
The morning passed quickly, and during the lunch break, Lin Yujing wasn’t in a hurry. She took a few steps back to the doorway, pulled out her phone from her pocket, and took a photo of Shen Juan surrounded by girls.
She left the outdoor shooting range, leaned against the wall in the corridor, and sent the photo to Shen Juan. The boy stood in the middle, surrounded by girls of varying shapes and sizes.
Lin Yujing typed: [Is this why you chose to study finance?] Shen Juan didn’t reply immediately.
He was still in the shooting range when Rong Huai blocked him at the door and dragged him to the side corridor, “Senior Brother, we need to talk.”
Forcing a conversation.
Shen Juan: “…”
Shen Juan was a bit emotional when he first saw Rong Huai.
The little kid who used to cry easily, secretly sobbing under the covers from the exhaustion of training, had grown up so much.
How old was Rong Huai again?
Two years younger, although back then his crying made him seem like he was only two.
Same age as Lin Yujing.
Thinking of the soft little boy back then made Shen Juan wonder what Lin Yujing was like at that age.
This girl had a deeply hidden rebellious streak. She must have been quite arrogant, Shen Juan imagined a twin-ponytailed, cute little girl fighting, then pretending to be obedient and crying when caught. He couldn’t help but laugh.
Rong Huai watched his respected senior brother stand at the door, suddenly lower his head and laugh twice.
“Senior Brother…” Rong Huai said weakly, “I just called Coach Xue.” Shen Juan paused, looking up.
“I didn’t say much,” Rong Huai quickly added, “I just asked if someone could regain their form after a few years of not training. You left in a hurry, not even waiting for my competition to end. I won’t ask why you left; I guess you wouldn’t tell me even if I did. But you’re back now, right?”
Shen Juan looked at him, “What do you want to say?”
“I’m just saying,” Rong Huai spoke quickly, “I think you still have a chance. Coach Xue said it’s not unheard of. A few years ago, a senior named Cui returned to training for two years and won a bronze medal at the city games.”
Rong Huai’s voice was filled with expectation and urgency, “Senior Brother, you’ve only been gone a few years. If you came back to train…”
Shen Juan interrupted him, “You mentioned it was a bronze medal.”
He smiled, “Why do you think I’d settle for third place?”
Rong Huai opened his mouth, the words he wanted to say stuck.
“You’re different,” Rong Huai insisted, “You’re not like him.”
“Rong Huai, I’ve been gone for four years,” Shen Juan said calmly, “Four years mean a lot to an athlete. How many four years do I have? Time is fair to everyone.”
Rong Huai was speechless.
“You know exactly what you’re saying,” Shen Juan said. “What’s past is past. It’s good for it to become a part of life’s experiences. Move forward, don’t look back, and don’t have unrealistic dreams.”
Shen Juan’s expression was calm, without any inflection, making it seem like he was truly done with it, completely uninterested in revisiting the past.
Rong Huai suddenly felt a bit panicked.
Rong Huai first met Shen Juan in elementary school, just before moving up to middle school. He was still a little kid.
Shen Juan wasn’t much older either, still a young boy who had developed late. He was shorter back then, holding a handgun with one hand in his pocket, standing sideways with his arm holding the gun straight, slightly raised, the muzzle lightly tapping the counter in front of him.
In the blink of an eye, the young Shen Juan raised his arm, fired five shots in rapid succession at a row of five targets.
He was so focused that he didn’t even notice Rong Huai standing by watching for a long time, with an indifferent arrogance in his expression.
Rong Huai felt captivated.
He switched to the rapid-fire handgun discipline without hesitation, happened to share a dorm with Shen Juan, and became Shen Juan’s little shadow and fanboy from then on.
Shen Juan had a bad temper back then, which had improved significantly now, but in his teenage years, he was unbearably arrogant, looking at everyone as if to say, “You’re all trash,” treating everyone equally.
Rong Huai didn’t mind, even when Shen Juan looked at him coldly as if he were trash. He enthusiastically played the role of the little fanboy, following Shen Juan around calling him “Senior Brother.”
He discovered that Senior Brother Shen would yank his blanket off and pour bitter motivational speeches into his ears when he was crying under the covers late at night, then take him to the training ground to run laps.
Shen Juan was a proud yet gentle, incredibly impressive person.
But now, he was different.
It was as if something was weighing him down, preventing him from standing tall. Rong Huai gritted his teeth, “I’m not willing to accept this.”
Shen Juan turned his head, looking at the athlete photos hanging in the shooting range corridor, and said indifferently, “I’m not unwilling, so what are you unwilling about?”
“I’m just unwilling that you gave up without even trying to reach the top,” Rong Huai said, eyes reddening. “Senior Brother, you haven’t even looked, why won’t you try to climb up?”
Shen Juan looked at him without speaking.
Lin Yujing stood leaning against the wall in the shadow by the corridor’s emergency exit, head resting against the wall, staring at a fine, delicate cobweb in the corner, blinking.
She heard Rong Huai ask why.
He didn’t know why. He didn’t understand what was weighing Shen Juan down, but Lin Yujing did.
She had planned to go on a date today or tomorrow, after the military training ended, for them to sit down and have a proper talk.
She was willing to tell Shen Juan everything he wanted to know, things she hadn’t dared or couldn’t say before. She wanted to ask him if he was doing well, if he was tired, if there was anything making him unhappy since they had parted.
She wanted to be part of the life she had missed out on. Now, Lin Yujing knew the answer.
He was not doing well at all.
Chapter 70
After lunch, the afternoon was still scheduled for live ammunition shooting practice.
Lin Yujing had already endured the torment and frustration of missing her targets in the morning, and thanks to Shen Juan, she now had all sorts of strange thoughts whenever she saw a gun. She didn’t want to touch one again.
She sat dazed in a corner of the shooting range.
The afternoon sun shone brightly, leaving no shadows, scorching the area. Her hat was so hot it felt like it might melt any second, but she didn’t seem to notice.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over her, blocking the sunlight completely. Lin Yujing looked up.
Shen Juan was standing in front of her, looking down at her. His hat brim was pulled low, and with the sunlight behind him, she could only see the outline of his chin.
Lin Yujing was momentarily stunned.
It was a nice feeling to have the person she had just been thinking about appear before her the next second.
She hadn’t felt this way in a long time.
Her mood brightened a bit as she watched Shen Juan squat down in front of her, holding a bottle of mineral water. He unscrewed it and handed it to her, asking, “What are you thinking about?”
She took the bottle, drank a couple of sips, her lips moist: “I was thinking—”
She drew out her words, taking a while before continuing, “It seems we broke up shortly after getting together.”
Shen Juan raised his eyelids and glanced at her without saying anything.
“So, isn’t it a bit awkward for us now? Are we an old married couple or newlyweds?” Lin Yujing continued, “We just confirmed our relationship, but we didn’t even have time to develop any feelings.”
Shen Juan found her amusing.
He realized that his little girlfriend often had quite unique thoughts, frequently contemplating things that never crossed other people’s minds.
He pondered for a moment, thinking about how to respond, but before he could say anything, Lin Yujing suddenly capped the water bottle, placed it on the ground, and leaned in close to him. “Shen Juan, does this count as love after marriage?”
Shen Juan: “…”
He lowered his head, unable to hold back a smile, and then looked up at her. “I think it counts.”
He deliberately leaned in as well, closing the distance between them, and said slowly, “Love after marriage isn’t just talk; there has to be some actual marital… experiences.”
After saying this, Shen Juan watched for a reaction.
He was pleased to see the tips of Lin Yujing’s ears, hidden in her hair and under her hat, twitch slightly, likely turning red.
The girl scooted back a bit, looking at him for a few seconds with a mix of resignation and reproach. Then she blinked and said suddenly, “I need to remind you of something.”
Shen Juan responded lazily, “Hmm?”
Lin Yujing’s long eyelashes fluttered. “I haven’t turned eighteen yet.”
Shen Juan: “…”
“So please be mindful when you speak to a minor, and avoid any inappropriate thoughts,” Lin Yujing said. “For now, I just want to kiss you.”
She repeated the key part, “Just a simple kiss.”
Shen Juan’s eyelid twitched.
Lin Yujing wasn’t done. She lowered her voice, softly asking him, “Is that okay, brother?”
Her voice, already light and soft, became even gentler, sending shivers down Shen Juan’s spine.
Damn.
Shen Juan lowered his head, muttering a curse under his breath.
Lin Yujing couldn’t hold back anymore and leaned back against the wall, laughing.
Her hat pressed against the wall, the brim lifting slightly to reveal her beautiful eyes. When she smiled, her eyes curved charmingly.
Shen Juan, feeling exasperated and amused, squinted at her and said in a low voice, “I see you’re quite bold now, daring to tease me in broad daylight?”
Lin Yujing sneakily glanced around.
The atmosphere was relaxed, with several instructors competing in a game while a group of students cheered them on. Some students were even posing enthusiastically with unloaded guns.
No one was paying attention to them.
Lin Yujing turned back, reaching out to pull Shen Juan’s fingers forward, interlocking her fingers with his.
Fingers intertwined.
Lin Yujing’s fingertips brushed against his knuckles gently. “This isn’t teasing; I’m trying to make you happy.”
She moved cautiously, as if committing a crime.
Forgetting that they were now free to date and no longer in high school, where holding hands had to be hidden in their uniform sleeves.
“At noon, I wanted to have lunch with you, but I accidentally overheard you talking to your junior,” Lin Yujing shook his hand apologetically. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but after hearing it, I thought about it for a long time.”
Shen Juan let her tug at his hand.
“I felt that talking about such negative topics would make you unhappy,” Lin Yujing sighed, “I wanted to cheer you up, make you happy.”
Shen Juan was taken aback.
He didn’t expect Lin Yujing to say that.
It wasn’t about her feeling uneasy seeing him like this or thinking he shouldn’t be like this.
It was simply, I want you to be happy.
His heart felt full and soft.
Shen Juan realized that Lin Yujing had truly changed.
The girl who had kept herself closed off over a year ago was now slowly, albeit clumsily, approaching him and reaching out to hold his hand.
Amidst the noise of the outdoor shooting range, with gunshots and cheers filling the air, the two of them sat silently in the corner.
Shen Juan didn’t say anything, but Lin Yujing could feel his hand, clasped with hers, growing cold from the fingertips.
After a long while, Shen Juan spoke softly, “Luo Qinghe is gone.” Lin Yujing froze.
She raised her head, taking five seconds to comprehend his words, then stiffened from head to toe.
Her hand, holding his, trembled. Shen Juan’s thumb gently stroked her palm, soothing her. “It wasn’t entirely unexpected. When you left, the doctor had already said his lung infection would progress quickly, giving him three to six months. He held on for quite a while.”
When he mentioned “when you left,” Lin Yujing felt a stab in her heart.
“I was prepared for it,” Shen Juan turned his head, looking at a dried-up weed in the corner, speaking in a detached tone. “But lying there, existing and then completely disappearing, is still different.”
Lin Yujing couldn’t find her voice.
Her hand was ice-cold, her mind frozen.
She had spent the entire afternoon wondering what Shen Juan would do.
Lin Yujing didn’t care what Shen Juan wanted to do; he should do whatever he wanted. But it had to be what he wanted.
Shen Juan was different from her. She was held back by an unhealthy family and a controlling mother. Those things would eventually be shaken off once she grew stronger.
But what about Shen Juan?
He had things that couldn’t be shaken off, even more so now.
As he said, he knew it wasn’t his fault, he wouldn’t blame himself, but he still couldn’t act without any psychological burden.
It was impossible not to be affected.
Such matters couldn’t be rushed; they required time to fade.
Lin Yujing suddenly lowered her head, pressing her lips to the back of his hand, giving it a gentle kiss.
Her long eyelashes lowered, dense and soft. A devout and tender kiss.
She lifted her head, mimicking him from before, squeezing his hand. “Miss Lin will take care of you.”
Shen Juan was stunned for two seconds before he laughed.
He sat down on the ground, stretching out his long legs, one hand holding hers, the other supporting himself on the sun-scorched ground. “Miss Lin, you’re quite bold.”
“How are you going to take care of me?” Shen Juan looked at her with a half-smile. “Want to share your finance exam outline with me, Miss Lin?”
“…”
Lin Yujing also understood that Shen Juan was trying to change the subject and tease her, not wanting her to dwell on it anymore.
He always did this—talking about serious things in a casual manner, acting as if nothing was wrong, and even making jokes.
Moreover, his joke was about one of Lin Yujing’s most embarrassing moments ever. It was unforgivable.
Lin Yujing pulled her hand away, refusing to hold his hand any longer. “Shen Juan, we’re currently in a delicate, precarious phase of adjustment. Not to mention, finding a girlfriend like me is no easy feat, so I suggest you cherish this.”
Shen Juan decided to salvage the situation, even though it had been a long time. “Actually, your outline was really helpful. I only scored full marks on that physics exam because of it…”
He realized what he was saying midway and thought, Am I out of my mind?
Sure enough, Lin Yujing stood up abruptly, her expression blank. “Don’t talk to me for the rest of the day. We’re breaking up until midnight, and we can reconcile tomorrow. Do you have any objections?”
Shen Juan sat on the ground with one leg bent, hands resting on the ground behind him as he looked up at her. The strong sunlight made him squint, giving him a lazy and carefree demeanor, reminiscent of his high school days. “Can we cut it short by two hours?” Shen Juan suggested. “How about we reconcile at ten?”
Lin Yujing turned and walked away, her back answering him. Cold and heartless.
Regarding Lin Yujing’s talk about the adjustment period earlier, although she had jokingly mentioned things like “love after marriage,” Shen Juan roughly understood her meaning.
He hadn’t thought about it before. For him, it didn’t matter how much time had passed or whether she had changed or not. As long as she was Lin Yujing, that was enough.
But girls might think differently from guys. Having just confirmed their relationship and then being apart for so long, suddenly returning to a situation where they were together all the time might require some time for a girl to adjust.
It was like winding up old clockwork and gears to make them fit together again. Shen Juan wasn’t particularly patient.
He thought they needed some lubrication.
After some thought, he pulled out his phone and made a call.
That night, while Lin Yujing was still “breaking up” with Shen Juan, she received a message from an old classmate, Li Lin.
Despite not seeing each other for a long time, Li Lin was as enthusiastic as ever, bombarding her with messages at an incredible speed. His enthusiasm was almost annoying, making Lin Yujing suppress the urge to block him.
In the dorm room, everyone was busy with their own tasks. Lin Yujing placed her phone on the desk, watching Li Lin’s messages flood the screen, and suddenly smiled.
Li Lin was still talking: “Are you really back in City A?”
Li Lin: “Hey Lin, even though we only spent a few months together, I really feel our bond is stronger than gold. You returned to City A without saying a word to us. When you first left, Wen Zihui even shed tears, hiding behind the curtains during evening study to cry secretly.”
Li Lin: “And Juan. I don’t even want to mention how he was back then.”
Lin Yujing was startled and picked up her phone to type: “What do you mean?”
Li Lin: “He looked like a little stray dog that had been abandoned, throwing himself into his studies, frantically aiming for the top.”
Lin Yujing got angry at this: “He was already aiming for the top when I was there!”
Li Lin sent a voice message: “No, it was different. I can’t describe it with my 90 points in the college entrance exam Chinese test. He barely interacted with anyone, constantly doing exercises from morning till night, and he got so thin it made me want to cry.”
Lin Yujing held the phone to her ear, stunned after listening. Before she could reply, another voice message from Li Lin came in.
Li Lin: “And I think his family was struggling too. He had to work on weekends to earn money, and I never saw anyone attend his parent-teacher meetings. Sometimes, he even skipped lunch, living frugally, saving every penny while balancing work and study.”
Lin Yujing knew very well about Shen Juan’s family difficulties. She frowned, feeling uneasy.
Li Lin: “He used this old keychain, just a cheap little thing worth a few bucks, a little bunny in a pink dress. It didn’t match Shen Juan’s vibe at all. It seemed like something a child discarded, and he picked it up to use.”
A bunny keychain in a pink dress…
Lin Yujing looked up subconsciously at the teddy bear on her bed.
Back at Huai City No.1 High School, she couldn’t bring it to school, so she left it in Lin Zhi’s apartment in City A. When university started, she took the subway for an hour to retrieve it and brought it to school.
Every time she saw it, she remembered the boy looking at her helplessly with a little devil headband.
Lin Yujing spaced out for a while, and when she checked her phone again, Li Lin had sent several more long voice messages.
Normally, she wouldn’t bother listening to such long messages, finding it a hassle. Cheng Yi had scolded her many times for never listening to voice messages.
But Li Lin was talking about Shen Juan.
Lin Yujing clicked on one and held it to her ear.
“I offered to give him a new one, but he refused! He insisted on that bunny!”
On the other end, Li Lin was reading from a page full of notes, his emotions welling up as he read fluently, word for word, adding some interjections of his own: “Can’t even afford a keychain! You can imagine how tough life is!”
“Lin, I never knew Shen Juan’s family was so poor.”
Li Lin sighed: “His senior year was so tough! What will he do if he doesn’t have a passionate girlfriend in university?”
Lin Yujing: “…”
Lin Yujing couldn’t help but feel something was off about that last sentence.
Author’s Note:
Shen Juan: I told you, I don’t like acting. Winning the Best Actor Oscar was all thanks to my girlfriend forcing me into it.