Read Novel Full Chapters 76 – 80
Chapters 76 – 80
Chapter 76
Shen Juan didn’t expect that the fool Sun Mingchuan would actually have a day when his words came true.
Lin Yujing really had a problem.
Shen Juan was delayed for a while by Rong Huai, so he arrived a bit late. As soon as he arrived, he saw Lin Yujing standing with her back to him from a distance. When he walked over, he happened to hear the question, “You two haven’t broken up yet?”
Then, “You still haven’t broken up with that good-for-nothing pretty boy?”
Shen Juan felt that ever since he met Lin Yujing, his temper had indeed improved, especially during the past year of separation, his hostility had almost disappeared.
Turns out it was an illusion.
Lin Yujing didn’t see him, and Shen Juan didn’t rush over either. He just stood there, watching as the person finished saying those annoying words.
Shen Juan squinted slightly, raised his chin a bit, and sneered.
Fu Mingxiu originally didn’t notice Shen Juan, but since the man stood there staring at him, emitting a cold and unhappy aura as if ready to pounce on him any second, Fu Mingxiu couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Yet he didn’t pay much mind, focusing instead on the unbelievable fact that Lin Yujing hadn’t broken up with her high school boyfriend.
That guy used to call Lin Yujing out every night when they were in high school. Lin Yujing was only fifteen or sixteen at the time, sneaking out and returning home in the middle of the night. Wasn’t that leading a young girl astray? What kind of proper young man behaves like that?
Besides, according to Fu Mingxiu’s observations, Lin Yujing always came back by herself each time. He didn’t even bother to walk his girlfriend home in the middle of the night and still had the nerve to date?
If she were his sister, Fu Mingxiu would have cursed the boy eight hundred times and then beaten him up. Yet they hadn’t broken up and continued dating into college. Indeed, love makes people blind.
Fu Mingxiu couldn’t help but comment, but ultimately, it was up to Lin Yujing. He wasn’t one to meddle in others’ affairs. But the guy in front of him, could you stop staring at me like you’re ready to kill? What’s your problem?
Fu Mingxiu finally looked up, and the two men locked eyes over Lin Yujing’s head for a long time. Fu Mingxiu was slightly surprised, feeling that this guy looked somewhat familiar.
He stopped talking, staring at Shen Juan for a while, and Lin Yujing turned around and saw Shen Juan standing behind her.
Shen Juan didn’t look particularly happy, squinting his eyes with no expression.
Lin Yujing knew this look well. He was holding back his anger, for some unknown reason.
She blinked and looked at him. “You’re a bit late today.”
Shen Juan tilted his head, looked down at her, and said in a low voice, “Come here.”
Lin Yujing didn’t move. She hesitated for a moment, quickly trying to figure out why he was suddenly unhappy.
She couldn’t think of anything. He had seemed normal when he brought her breakfast this morning.
This reminded Lin Yujing of high school when Shen Juan was also so unpredictable, sometimes suddenly getting upset.
Years had passed, yet this man remained just as unfathomable.
Her hesitation took a bit too long. She didn’t move or speak, which, to Shen Juan, felt like resistance. She refused to come over and insisted on standing with that guy.
Shen Juan’s lips tightened, impatient. He walked over, grabbed Lin Yujing, and pulled her behind him, glaring at Fu Mingxiu. “Do you need something?”
Fu Mingxiu was taken aback. “Huh?”
Lin Yujing was also stunned, peeking from behind Shen Juan.
“Do you have any business with my girlfriend?” Shen Juan looked at Fu Mingxiu and said calmly, “I find you interesting. Persuading someone to break up when their boyfriend isn’t around? Got nothing better to do?”
As he spoke, he seemed to have eyes on the side of his head, pushing Lin Yujing’s head back with his hand, blocking her view completely. He wouldn’t let her look.
Fu Mingxiu: “…”
Lin Yujing: “…”
Lin Yujing thought she understood.
So this guy… She stood behind Shen Juan, laughing so hard her shoulders shook.
Shen Juan, annoyed, clicked his tongue and finally looked down at her. “You seem quite happy?”
“Well,” Lin Yujing said, “not bad.”
Shen Juan called her name softly, warning, “Lin Yujing.”
Lin Yujing, unafraid, kept laughing and even patted his back.
Shen Juan: “…”
Shen Juan looked at her silently, then lowered his head and whispered, “I’ll deal with you later.”
He turned his attention back to Fu Mingxiu.
Lin Yujing, done laughing, glanced around. Worried that Shen Juan might revert to his old ways, she quickly pulled him back a bit, facing Fu Mingxiu. “We’re going to eat. Feel free to do as you please.”
Fu Mingxiu, stunned, couldn’t believe it. “What do you mean? You’re not even going to treat me to a meal? You think I’m here for fun?”
“You’re always busy,” Lin Yujing said, dragging Shen Juan away, not looking back. “We’ll talk another time.”
Fu Mingxiu: “…”
Fu Mingxiu was so angry he almost choked. He watched Shen Juan’s back, frowned, and found him oddly familiar but couldn’t remember where he had seen him.
Shen Juan reluctantly let Lin Yujing drag him away until they were far from the scene.
She pulled his arm, and Shen Juan followed in silence until she sensed something was off and stopped.
Shen Juan looked down at her.
Near the gymnasium, it was lunchtime, and most people were eating, leaving the area deserted.
Lin Yujing let go of him and looked up.
Under the noonday summer sun, she moved to a shaded spot where tree shadows danced overhead, blocking much of the sunlight, but the air was still hot.
“Go ahead.” Lin Yujing looked at him. Shen Juan didn’t understand. “What?” Lin Yujing smiled. “Punish me.”
Shen Juan: “…”
Lin Yujing seemed intrigued. “I brought you to this secluded place on purpose—”
She glanced around at the scorching sun and the withered trees, with the empty stadium in the distance.
Lin Yujing, unruffled, said, “I’m curious, how do you plan to punish me?”
Shen Juan: “…”
Shen Juan realized this girl was becoming cheekier and needed some discipline.
She seemed like she was about to take off into the sky any second.
He nodded and subtly pulled her a bit further in. Leaning back against the tree, he brought her in front of him, one hand gripping her waist, and whispered, “How do you want me to deal with you?”
In the deserted grove, Lin Yujing didn’t speak. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. Initially, she had the upper hand, but soon enough, it shifted to him.
Eventually, she couldn’t take it anymore and pushed him away, looking up at him.
Shen Juan held her in his arms, breathing heavily, his voice hoarse and still displeased. “What was up with that guy just now?”
He leaned close to her ear, bit her earlobe in retaliation, and said word by word, “Pretty boy? Improper? Telling you to break up?”
Lin Yujing instinctively shrank back, pushing his head away and rubbing her ear against his shirt without saying anything.
Shen Juan stepped back a bit, pulling her down from him, squinting. “Lin Yujing, don’t play dead. You think you can seduce me and get away with it?”
“No,” Lin Yujing said, “I’m just thinking of a way to explain without it being awkward.”
Shen Juan sneered, “Now you know about being awkward? Earlier, I called you over, and you acted like you didn’t hear. What was that about?”
Lin Yujing glanced at him calmly and said, “I meant, I was thinking about how to make it less awkward for you.”
Shen Juan: “…”
“That guy just now,” Lin Yujing reluctantly admitted, “is my brother.”
Shen Juan: “…”
Lin Yujing kindly added, “I mean, my dad’s side of the family from his remarriage, that brother.”
Shen Juan’s expression froze.
After ten seconds of silence, Lin Yujing started laughing again.
“I noticed your brother has a really good temper. I said all that to him, and he didn’t even get angry?” Shen Juan came back to his senses, feeling helpless. “I just didn’t like him and wanted to beat him up.”
Shen Juan sighed. “Wasn’t that effective provocation?”
“It was quite effective, but he’s not good at handling such things. He probably didn’t even realize it at the time,” Lin Yujing said with a laugh. “If it were me, I would have already started fighting you.”
Shen Juan raised an eyebrow.
Lin Yujing, lost in her thoughts, said, “It’s a good thing I’m a girl. If I were a boy, we probably wouldn’t get along at all. We’d be fighting three hundred rounds every week.”
Suddenly, Shen Juan was flooded with countless unpleasant thoughts.
Expressionless, he straightened up and lightly knocked her on the head. “Let’s go eat.”
Lin Yujing wouldn’t let it go, whimsically asking, “Boss Shen, tell me honestly, if I were a boy, would you like me?”
Shen Juan ignored her and walked toward the cafeteria.
Following him, Lin Yujing continued, “Shen Juan, if you still liked me then, wouldn’t that mean you’re not straight?”
Shen Juan stayed silent.
Lin Yujing persisted, “If you didn’t like me, then it means you never really liked me that much.”
Lin Yujing angrily added, “So you’d stop being with me just because I’m not a girl?”
Growing more mischievous, Lin Yujing sighed, “Shen Juan, make a choice. Would you like me or not? Give me a satisfactory answer. If I’m not satisfied, I won’t accept it. No kisses, no hugs, no—”
Shen Juan finally couldn’t take it anymore and abruptly stopped walking. Turning to her, he lowered his voice, “Lin Yujing.”
Lin Yujing looked up. “Yes?”
Grinding his teeth slightly, Shen Juan said, “If you keep talking, I won’t wait until next month. I’ll give you your coming-of-age ceremony tonight.”
Lin Yujing: “…” —
Lin Yujing’s birthday was at the end of October. Since she became sensible, she didn’t particularly like celebrating birthdays.
Back in the dormitory that evening, Gu Xia happened to ask her about it. After she told her the date, Gu Xia blinked and said, “Scorpio, huh.”
Girls are most interested in these things like zodiac signs and fortunes. Xiao Mushroom put down her calculus homework and turned around. “When is Scorpio?”
“From the end of October to the end of November, up to the twenty-somethingth. I quite like Scorpios,” Gu Xia counted on her fingers. “They’re decisive, strong-willed, and have intense desires.”
Lin Yujing was drinking water and nearly choked on hearing the last part. Xiao Mushroom excitedly asked, “What kind of intense desires?”
Lin Yujing put down her water cup, turned to look at her, and calmly said, “A desire to win.”
Xiao Mushroom shook her head in dissatisfaction and eagerly asked, “I don’t want to know about that. Is there any other intense desire?”
“Sexual desire,” Gu Xia coughed lightly. “And I’ve heard Scorpio men are well-endowed, both in terms of software and hardware.” She didn’t finish, but silently gave a thumbs-up.
Xiao Mushroom immediately straightened up, wearing an expression of “I understand.” Lin Yujing: “…”
Lin Yujing vaguely remembered that Xiao Mushroom wasn’t like this at the beginning of the semester.
College life was really terrifying. In just half a month, an innocent girl had been thoroughly corrupted.
But she realized she didn’t know when Shen Juan’s birthday was. She had never talked to him about it.
Gu Xia and Xiao Mushroom were now enthusiastically discussing more restricted topics for the girls’ dormitory. Before they started, Gu Xia walked over, turned Lin Yujing’s head away, and said, “Why are you listening? It’s adult time now. Minors should put on their headphones and not be curious about things they shouldn’t know.”
“…”
Lin Yujing thought, “I’m not curious at all, but now I feel like I am.”
She turned around, picked up her phone, and sent a message to Shen Juan: [Boyfriend, when is your birthday?]
Shen Juan was probably busy and didn’t reply immediately. Lin Yujing put down her phone and went to take a shower.
When she came out, there were a few new messages.
She thought they were all from Shen Juan and casually opened one, but it was a friend request from Fu Mingxiu.
He probably added her through her phone number. Lin Yujing accepted and then opened Shen Juan’s chat.
Shen Juan: [1116.] Lin Yujing: “…”
Lin Yujing’s hand trembled, and she looked up at Gu Xia. “Xia, what was the last day for Scorpios again?”
Gu Xia replied, “November 22.” “…”
Oh.
What’s the point of believing in zodiac signs? They’re just a way to trick girls. Besides, what did Shen Juan’s birthday have to do with her?
Well, maybe it did matter?
Calmly clearing her throat, Lin Yujing decided to ignore the whole thing.
Just then, Fu Mingxiu’s message popped up.
Grasping at this lifeline, Lin Yujing quickly opened it.
Fu Mingxiu: [I know now.]
Confused, Lin Yujing replied: [Know what?]
“Your boyfriend,” Fu Mingxiu sent a voice message, “I thought I’d seen him somewhere before. I spent the whole afternoon thinking about it.”
Lin Yujing finished listening and saw that Fu Mingxiu had started typing again.
Fu Mingxiu: [A few years ago, I saw him at an auction. His last name is Shen, right?]
Lin Yujing was stunned.
Fu Mingxiu continued: [He bid on a painting, starting at eight figures.]
Author’s note:
Fu Mingxiu: Still trying to pretend to be poor? You think I wouldn’t recognize you with a disguise?
Chapter 77
Lin Yujing hadn’t even reacted yet when Fu Mingshu was still typing away incessantly: [That painting starts at a million, maxes out at three million, and he directly added an extra digit.]
Fu Mingshu: [Is he insane??]
Fu Mingshu: [Your boyfriend is really something else, seems like he has a bit of a problem, dumb and rich – I mean, even if he’s rich, he shouldn’t waste money like this.]
Finally, Fu Mingshu said: [If you really like him, maybe you should take him to see if he has a mental illness.]
Lin Yujing: “…?”
Lin Yujing was still a bit confused.
She really couldn’t associate an auction, ten million, dumb and rich – especially rich – with Shen Juan.
Lin Yujing had almost forgotten when and what triggered her to think that Shen Juan’s family conditions were average. She also forgot why she was so convinced about this viewpoint later on.
However, Lin Yujing, who had lived in such an environment since childhood, even if she didn’t mingle with those circles, was too familiar with what children from wealthy families were like.
Not that she could tell at a glance, but close enough, give or take.
For example, Fu Mingshu, a non-typical rich kid, a bit dull, but not stupid, didn’t consider others much when doing things or talking.
Cheng Yi and Lu Jiacheng had very obvious young master tempers. Shen Juan was completely different from them.
He was too mature, almost overly so. Probably because he grew up by Luo Qinghe’s side, his experiences, or maybe he started dealing with clients and society from a young age. His personality, tone of speech, and way of thinking appeared at least one level more mature than his peers.
His demeanor didn’t match that of a rich young master.
His clothes weren’t particular either, just pulling on the simplest style of plain sweatshirt, and in the studio, he wore black T-shirts all year round, which were said to be a thirty- yuan batch bought by He Songnan back then.
She had never seen such an unrefined young master.
Moreover, they had gone through so many tough times together. A rice ball with three salted egg yolks was a luxurious breakfast.
They could only watch nineteen-yuan movies, and to save money for her boyfriend, Lin Yujing racked her brains, trying to do it subtly without hurting his self-esteem. Lin Yujing felt like she was exhausting her heart.
Now Fu Mingshu told her, your boyfriend isn’t poor, not only is he not struggling, but he also bid an extra digit on a painting worth three million, like a money-spending fool.
Lin Yujing couldn’t accept it.
She was momentarily confused, unsure whether to believe herself or Fu Mingshu’s firsthand account.
Lin Yujing put down her phone, turned her head, and looked at Little Mushroom and Gu Xia, who were still chatting over there, then assumed a situation, and asked: “I have a question, if your family is quite poor, your boyfriend knows a bit about it, and one day he suddenly asks you out of the blue – ‘Hey, is your family actually rich?’ What do you think he means?”
Gu Xia calmly said: “Sarcastically, he thinks I’m poor.”
Little Mushroom sadly: “Does he think my conditions are bad and I can’t give him the life he wants, so he’s hinting at breaking up?”
Lin Yujing: “Think from another angle, less negatively.”
“From another angle, more positively,” Gu Xia said, “Then why would he suddenly ask this question? Does he really think I’m rich but just don’t want to spend on him?”
“I might be worried he’s after my family’s billions,” Little Mushroom said with genuine concern, “What if he loves me because of my money?”
Lin Yujing: “…”
Lin Yujing imagined Shen Juan standing in the rain, shouting sorrowfully: “You don’t really love me, you just love my money!”
Lin Yujing shuddered.
As she shuddered, Fu Mingshu sent her a bunch of information. Fu Mingshu: [Asked a friend, is it Shen Juan?]
–
City A is big, but the circles are small, and often overlap.
Fu Mingshu had a lot of friends, and although he didn’t know him, asking around, he found out about Shen Juan in fifteen minutes.
A friend used two words: low profile.
He never interacted much with them, had his own circle, and didn’t seem interested in taking over the family business. His parents didn’t control him either, letting him grow freely.
Fu Mingshu asked: “What’s his family structure like?”
Friend: “Quite good, two uncles, an aunt, his dad is the youngest, all relationships are harmonious, except the eldest uncle doesn’t have kids, has a cousin sister and a cousin brother…”
Fu Mingshu: “I’m asking about his parents, why do I care if his uncle has kids?” Friend: …
The friend didn’t understand Fu Mingshu’s questioning, it sounded like he was selecting a son-in-law: “His parents have a good relationship, very happy, his mom’s family doesn’t have much background, reportedly an ordinary family, married into the Shen family, a typical Cinderella and…”
Fu Mingshu impatiently: “Can you talk about Shen Juan himself, has he dated, is he a jerk, why are you telling me his parents’ love story?”
The friend couldn’t hold back anymore and almost threw the phone: “Why do you care if he’s dated? Whether he’s a jerk has nothing to do with you! Did you come out of the closet?”
Fu Mingshu: “…”
Fu Mingshu hung up, told Lin Yujing everything he had just learned, and complicatedly wondered why he was so idle, why did he care who Lin Yujing dated?
Mainly, his impression of Shen Juan was terrible.
Back in high school, when he didn’t know who he was, he thought he was careless and not a good person. Now finding out he’s a rich kid, the impression worsened.
He had seen too many such playboys, dating like it’s a game. Lin Yujing’s mood was also complicated.
After reading what Fu Mingshu sent about Shen Juan, she expressionlessly put down her phone.
This feeling was somewhat familiar.
When was it?
It seemed to be, when Shen Juan got first place in the grade in his first monthly exam. Lin Yujing was convinced.
She realized that human adaptability can be quite terrifying.
After going through a similar situation once, now when she thought about feeling that movie tickets costing sixty to seventy yuan were expensive during a date and dragging a rich third-generation guy to watch a nineteen-yuan “Story in the Sorghum Field,” she no longer felt like an idiot.
Thinking about Li Lin’s heartfelt voice messages at that time: Too poor to afford food?
Using broken keychains discarded by other kids?
Ha, ha.
Lin Yujing sneered, immediately opened her chat with Shen Juan, where the last message still showed [1116].
She quickly took screenshots of her chat with Fu Mingshu, but then paused.
She deleted the screenshots, locked her phone, and ignored it.
After two years, the once-aggressive Lin Yujing had also matured.
She had to hold it in.
Then think of a way to hear Shen Juan admit it himself, make him cry and apologize to her.
Recently, Shen Juan felt that there was something off about his girlfriend.
Although they still had breakfast together, ate lunch together, and went to the library together at night, she talked noticeably less.
She was unhappy.
Clearly holding in some anger.
And this anger was obviously because of him.
Shen Juan carefully recalled the past week but couldn’t figure out what he had done to particularly displease her.
This kind of mysterious, inexplicable abnormality was extremely frustrating.
After less than a week of this, Shen Juan couldn’t take it anymore.
At the end of September, with the National Day holiday approaching, everyone’s thoughts were somewhat distracted. Lin Yujing and Shen Juan were sitting in a corner of the library, having just spent the evening reading, and were now taking a break.
Shen Juan, sitting next to her, tossed his pen on the table with a light sound: “You’re unhappy?”
Lin Yujing didn’t look at him, fiddling with her phone: “Do you remember?” Shen Juan frowned: “Remember what?”
“This line,” Lin Yujing said, “after the first monthly exam in high school, you asked me the same thing.”
Shen Juan was stunned.
He hadn’t reacted yet when Lin Yujing changed the subject: “Shen classmate, how are we traveling for the National Day?”
They had agreed earlier to go on a trip during the holiday. Lin Yujing had randomly pointed to a far-off place on a map while blindfolded.
However, it happened to be a place she had never been, and Shen Juan had no objections, so it was settled.
Traveling during National Day is tight, and booking tickets now was already a bit late.
Lin Yujing’s question left Shen Juan puzzled. For such a distant place, besides flying, what other way was there?
The next second, Lin Yujing answered his question.
“Let’s take the train,” Lin Yujing said.
Shen Juan: “…”
Shen Juan thought he misheard: “What?”
“Let’s take the train,” Lin Yujing repeated patiently, “It’s too far, I just checked, plane tickets are expensive, high-speed rail is also expensive, let’s take the train.”
“…”
Shen Juan was silent.
Lin Yujing sighed, worried: “Otherwise, it’s too expensive. We’ve been so busy with classes, you’ve only been back to the studio once since the semester started and haven’t taken on any work. Where would you get so much money?”
Shen Juan opened his mouth, just about to speak.
Lin Yujing interrupted him, lecturing: “We’re not from some wealthy family, can we afford to fly everywhere every day? Especially since we’re still in school, every penny has to be carefully planned. Plane tickets cost one to two thousand, where would we get so much money to waste on tickets?”
Shen Juan: “…”
Lin Yujing didn’t let him off, insisting: “Don’t you agree?”
“…Yes,” Shen Juan sighed deeply, leaning back, “the train it is.”
Lin Yujing happily started searching for train tickets, from City A to Dian City, soft sleeper around eight to nine hundred, hard sleeper more than five hundred.
When Shen Juan saw the 35-hour duration, he fell silent.
The National Day holiday is only seven days, subtracting these 35 hours, how many days are left?
To cover up one lie requires a hundred more. He didn’t even know why, previously, he had to pour oil on the fire with Li Lin, leading to his girlfriend insisting on taking a 35- hour train ride to save money, and he couldn’t even explain.
With Lin Yujing’s temper, if she knew he was lying, it wouldn’t just be a matter of how long it would take to make up; at least this trip would be ruined.
She had been angry for a long time when he scored full marks in physics.
Both had busy schedules, and it was hard to find seven days to be together, Shen Juan wouldn’t ruin it now.
Anyway, as long as he was with her, it didn’t matter how many hours.
Shen Juan closed his eyes and endured. Fine, let it be.
If she wants to sit, they’ll sit.
He didn’t notice that Lin Yujing was also secretly observing him.
When she saw those 35 hours, she almost choked. Her first reaction was to subtly glance at Shen Juan, thinking, aren’t you going to surrender?
Seeing no reaction for a long time, Lin Yujing tentatively asked: “So, the train it is?” Shen Juan sighed again: “Yes.”
Lin Yujing pretended to just notice and pointed at the 35 hours and 46 minutes: “It’s more than thirty hours? A two-day one-night train ride?”
Shen Juan had no reaction.
Lin Yujing sighed, reminding him: “Everyone goes out during National Day, the train will be crowded, the carriage smoky and stuffy, and we’ll be stuck for over thirty hours,” she paused, “without even being able to take a shower.”
Shen Juan gritted his teeth and surprisingly comforted her: “It’s just one night, we can shower at the hotel later.”
Lin Yujing: “…”
Lin Yujing didn’t expect Shen Juan to be so resilient.
Lin Yujing gritted her teeth, went all out: “A hard sleeper is still more than five hundred, but a hard seat is only two hundred, let’s take the hard seat.”
Closing her eyes, she said resolutely: “It’s just over thirty hours, we can save two hundred.”
Shen Juan: “…”
Shen Juan: “?”
Author’s Note:
Lin Yujing: So, you want to compete with me in acting, huh?
Chapter 78
Lin Yujing had been alive for nearly eighteen years, or about twelve or thirteen years if counting from when she first became aware of things. Despite always lacking love, she had never lacked money.
She had never even bothered to find out exactly how much money she had across her various bank accounts and investments. No matter what she bought, she had never encountered a situation where she couldn’t afford something.
So, when she passed through security with a small leather bag and sat in a coffee shop at the train station waiting for Shen Juan to bring coffee, she felt a bit lost.
She realized she had never taken a train before.
A train, such a common mode of transportation, and she had never been on one?
Lin Yujing initially felt a bit excited, but the excitement faded when she thought about having to sit for over thirty hours.
“Sit” for over thirty hours.
Lin Yujing, determined to make her boyfriend surrender, gritted her teeth and bought hard seats.
The ticket was 283 yuan, 250 yuan cheaper than a sleeper berth.
She wondered if she was crazy. Raised in luxury and used to comfort, why would she put herself through this?
And what kind of demon was Shen Juan?
Lin Yujing wanted to grab his collar and ask him if his family was really rich. How could he endure such hardship?
With some time before the train’s boarding, Shen Juan brought over a small tray with a strawberry mille-feuille and two cups of coffee. He also bought a bag of snacks for the train ride, looking quite adept at it.
The train station during the National Day holiday was crowded, with people filling the waiting room and long lines at the ticket check, reminiscent of rush hour in the subway.
Most travelers were young people in groups, carrying stuffed backpacks, chatting in corners.
Lin Yujing didn’t have a backpack; she brought a small suitcase with clothes, pajamas, and toiletries, which Shen Juan carried.
After checking their tickets and boarding, Lin Yujing stood on the platform, looking around to locate their carriage number.
The train turned out to be a new air-conditioned model, with a significant temperature difference between the cool interior and the hot outside.
It was noisy. They boarded early and found their seats, but the carriage gradually filled with people. The aisles were crowded with passengers, luggage being stowed, and children making noise, giving Lin Yujing a headache.
Shen Juan asked, “Are you cold?”
Lin Yujing turned her head to look out the window, not wanting to talk to him.
She was furious.
So angry that she almost didn’t want to go on the trip with him.
Who dates like this?
Shen Juan must be crazy!!!
But it was okay; Lin Yujing’s greatest strength since childhood was her endurance.
She stared at Shen Juan from morning until 5 a.m. the next day, only moving to use the restroom, hardly eating, enduring twenty hours without sleep amidst the noisy carriage.
She woke again around 5 a.m., the sky just beginning to lighten. Lin Yujing rubbed her eyes, sat up, and looked out the window.
Shen Juan’s expression darkened, his mood clearly souring. He suggested, “Why don’t you sleep a bit more?”
Lin Yujing shook her head, eyelids drooping, looking exhausted as she leaned against the window.
Shen Juan pursed his lips, staying silent.
The day Lin Yujing insisted on hard seats, Shen Juan felt something was off.
Lin Yujing never repeatedly reminded him about money; she was sensitive, often subtly saving money for him, fearing he might feel uncomfortable.
Over the past week, she had been clearly upset, but no matter how he asked, she said it was nothing.
The frustration of vaguely knowing something was wrong but not understanding it made Shen Juan feel equally upset.
Not knowing what she was thinking, he decided to go along with her wishes.
Shen Juan wanted to see how long she could keep this up.
And Lin Yujing was indeed stubborn, buying the tickets.
She was clearly raised in comfort, probably never having suffered hardship. After a day and night in the hard seats, with little food and poor sleep, her lips turned pale.
Shen Juan felt a growing frustration, mixed with deep concern.
He asked, “Are you hungry? Shall I get you some porridge from the dining car?”
Lin Yujing turned to him, eyes red from exhaustion, and shook her head, looking somewhat aggrieved.
Shen Juan felt a pang of guilt, realizing he was indeed a jerk. Unable to hold back any longer, he stood up and left the carriage.
He returned shortly, standing in the aisle, leaning over to look at her. “There’s a stop in ten minutes. Let’s get off.”
Lin Yujing looked at him questioningly, too tired to speak or move.
Shen Juan sighed, softening his voice, “Darling, let’s not take this terrible train anymore, okay?”
Lin Yujing, unfamiliar with such hardship, now fully understood the saying about hoisting one’s own petard.
They got off at the nearest stop, somewhere along the route to Dian City, at dawn. The platform was mostly empty, save for occasional train staff and security.
Having missed their destination, they ended up in some unknown place.
Exhausted, Lin Yujing silently followed Shen Juan out of the station. He hailed a taxi, loaded their suitcase, and asked the driver for a nearby hotel.
The driver, a talkative middle-aged man, suggested options, mentioning a nice hotel on Nanshan Road frequented by wealthy people but also a more budget-friendly chain hotel further away.
Shen Juan, wanting Lin Yujing to rest comfortably, opted for the nicer hotel.
Lin Yujing, determined to stick to her mission, woke up and argued, “That one’s expensive. Just take us to the cheaper one—”
Shen Juan pressed her head into his chest, cutting her off, “Don’t listen to her. Nanshan Road it is.”
Lin Yujing, her face against his firm abs, struggled to sit up, whispering, “Did you hear the driver? Only rich people stay there. Are you rich?”
Shen Juan, expressionless, pressed her head back down, holding her tightly.
Lin Yujing, giving up on escaping, rested her nose against his abs, then playfully bit him through his shirt.
Shen Juan froze.
Undeterred, Lin Yujing’s hand slipped under his shirt, fingers tracing his waistband and touching his side.
Shen Juan stiffened. Shen Juan reached over with his other hand, pressing down on her through his clothes, holding her hand to stop her from moving. He leaned in close to her ear, “Do you know where this train is heading right now?”
Lin Yujing froze.
Shen Juan’s voice was hoarse, “Still daring to tease me like this?”
Lin Yujing stopped moving and quietly withdrew her hand, burying her head and playing dead.
Shen Juan chuckled.
The driver drove smoothly, and it took about ten minutes to reach the hotel. Lin Yujing was almost asleep again.
She really didn’t want to move, forcing herself to get out of the car and follow him into the lobby to check in.
Leaning wearily on the front desk, she yawned as Shen Juan pulled out his ID to check in and asked for two rooms with double beds.
The receptionist smiled and confirmed, “Two rooms with double beds, right?”
Lin Yujing perked up, leaning close to Shen Juan, “How much for two rooms? Maybe we should just get one room.”
Shen Juan was speechless.
Unable to tolerate it any longer, Shen Juan let out an exasperated laugh, and, after a moment of consideration, he asked the receptionist, “Do you have any suites available?”
Lin Yujing whispered, “A suite? Isn’t that even more expensive? Where did you get so much money to book a suite?”
Shen Juan ignored her, expressionless, and completed the check-in. He coldly carried their luggage in one hand and dragged her into the elevator with the other, using his key card to go up to their floor.
Their room was on a high floor. Watching the elevator numbers climb, Lin Yujing, who had been restless for a while, felt her sleepiness dissipate, thinking about how to have an open conversation with Shen Juan.
Entering the room, Shen Juan used the key card to open the door, placed their belongings by the wall, and turned around to see Lin Yujing, like a little dog, sniffing her clothes.
After sniffing, she frowned in irritation, “I need a shower. I smell like the train.”
Shen Juan nodded, pushing her small suitcase toward her. Lin Yujing dragged it into the bedroom.
The suite had a bathroom in the bedroom and another outside. Shen Juan showered outside, changed his clothes, and sat on the sofa playing with his phone while waiting. After a while, the bedroom door opened.
She came out in her pajamas, standing at the door looking calmly at him, “Shen Juan, we need to talk.”
Shen Juan glanced at her and then looked away, “Go to sleep first. We can talk after you wake up.”
“No, I’ve been holding it in for a week. I can’t sleep until we talk,” Lin Yujing, exhausted, sat at the foot of the bed and called out to him.
Shen Juan, helpless, walked over, leaning against the doorframe, looking at her.
Lin Yujing sat cross-legged on the bed, looking up at him calmly, “You may not have noticed, but I’ve been very angry recently. So angry that I’ve wanted to punch you every moment.”
Shen Juan didn’t speak.
He wasn’t stupid; combining her recent behavior and cryptic remarks, he had a vague idea of the reason.
He just didn’t know how she found out.
Lin Yujing continued, “Because I recently found out that you spent ten million at an auction on a painting?”
Shen Juan remained silent.
Lin Yujing coldly said, “You really know how to spend. They say the painting is only worth three million, and you raised the price by a digit.”
Shen Juan had a headache.
He didn’t know how to explain the painting.
It was for his grandfather’s seventieth birthday. The old man, having handed over power to his children, had few hobbies other than collecting art, filling the house with pieces from Zhang Daqian and Lin Fengmian, his eyes lighting up when he talked about them.
Shen Juan had heard from a friend that there was a rare Fu Baoshi painting at the auction and went to buy it as a birthday gift for the old man.
After a bathroom break, he returned to find the painting being auctioned. Without much thought, he bid on it, assuming it was the right one, and left.
Fu Baoshi’s works had fetched tens of millions in recent years, even over a hundred million for single pieces.
Shen Juan thought he got a bargain.
But when the painting arrived, his grandfather saw it wasn’t a Fu Baoshi.
This earned Shen Juan a yelling trans-Pacific call from his father and relentless teasing from his brother.
Shen Juan explained the situation to Lin Yujing, who was stunned, perhaps due to exhaustion and slow thinking.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she hadn’t spoken when Shen Juan softly continued, “I understand you’re angry, but let’s clarify things. In the future, if something like this happens, just tell me directly instead of holding a grudge, okay?”
Shen Juan grew more frustrated, both upset and concerned, leaning against the wall, looking at her, “Sitting in a hard seat for over thirty hours without sleeping or eating, are you trying to torture me or yourself?”
Lin Yujing, also frustrated, had held back for over a week, pretending everything was fine. Now, she exploded like a volcano, “So it’s my fault? When I bought the tickets, what were you thinking? My intentions were so clear, why didn’t you say anything? You were also upset and stubborn, weren’t you? You let me sit for over thirty hours, and now you dare to be angry?”
Wearing pajamas, freshly showered with her hair down, she looked soft but spoke harshly.
She seemed ready to jump up and hit him any moment.
Shen Juan, seeing the dark circles under her eyes, sighed, “I’m sorry.”
Lin Yujing pointed at him, “Are you even human?”
“No, I’m not,” he walked over, leaned over, and kissed her hair, “I was wrong.”
Her hair, smelling of familiar rose and sweetness, answered his long-standing question— probably from her shampoo or body wash.
Lin Yujing turned her head away, scoffing, “I don’t deserve it. Master Juan has a big temper.”
Shen Juan raised his hand, ruffling her hair, looking at her helplessly, “I never have a temper with you.”
Ignoring him, Lin Yujing moved to the bed’s headboard, preparing to sleep. Shen Juan dragged her back to the bed’s foot.
Her loose pajama pants rode up, revealing a stretch of fair skin.
Without thinking, Lin Yujing instinctively kicked at his crotch.
Shen Juan clicked his tongue, dodging slightly, grabbing her ankle, “Do you like this part of me so much? Didn’t I tell you some places can’t be kicked?”
It took Lin Yujing a moment to recall the incident from high school in the girls’ dormitory.
She struggled to free her ankle, blushing, “Shen Juan, have some shame!”
Shen Juan lowered his gaze, “Still angry?”
Lin Yujing pointed at the door, “Get out.”
Shen Juan smirked, “They say when a girlfriend’s angry, a good round solves it.” Lin Yujing was shocked, even swearing, “Can you have some shame?”
Unhurriedly, Shen Juan pulled her back under him, asking softly, “Lin Yujing, do you remember saying you had someone above you?”
Lin Yujing, “I remember nothing!”
“Let me help you recall,” Shen Juan leaned over, kissing her eyes, “Look up and see who’s above you now.”
Author’s Note: Shen Juan!!!! You can’t!!! Mom!!!! Won’t allow it!!!!!!! Chapter 79
Shen Juan placed a gentle kiss on Lin Yujing’s thin eyelids, then slightly raised his head and lowered it to kiss her lips, lightly pecking at the corners of her mouth.
The cool temperature of his lips could be felt on her skin. His breathing was calm and deep, full of tenderness and restraint, without a trace of desire.
He was someone whose flirtatious words came naturally, but his actions were always measured. He had no intention of doing anything more.
Lin Yujing lay there quietly, allowing him to kiss her from above, his lips touching hers lightly, then again.
Shen Juan noticed her stillness, released his grip, and gently rubbed her earlobe, suddenly sighing, “I’m sorry, I’m such a jerk.”
Lin Yujing said nothing.
The girl’s nightgown was plain, with a loose collar that had shifted during their struggle, revealing part of her collarbone and shoulder—thin and beautiful lines.
Shen Juan raised his hand, hooking the collar of her nightgown to pull it back up, covering her fair shoulder. His cool fingers touched her warm skin, causing Lin Yujing to instinctively flinch.
Shen Juan’s fingers followed the seam of her nightgown to the collar, slowly fastening the top button with focused attention. “I’ve let my little whale suffer for so long.”
Lin Yujing looked at him. “Shen Juan, I’m not angry because of that.”
“I know,” Shen Juan said, finishing buttoning her collar and smoothing it down. “Let’s not think about it for now. Get some sleep first, okay?”
“Have a good sleep, then eat something when you wake up. After that, you can decide how to settle this, and I’ll comply,” he said, lifting the quilt from the bed, ready to leave.
To be honest, Lin Yujing was quite annoyed with his current attitude.
She was unhappy. If Shen Juan had argued or fought with her, she would have felt better. But he just coaxed her gently, making her feel as if she was being unreasonable.
Even though Shen Juan probably just wanted her to get some sleep.
Seeing him get up, Lin Yujing suddenly raised her hand, hooked his neck, and pulled him back down.
Caught off guard, Shen Juan quickly reacted, bracing himself to avoid pressing down on her.
Lin Yujing lay flat on the bed, her arm around his neck as she looked at him. “No.” Shen Juan was momentarily stunned, not yet understanding.
The girl wrapped her slender legs around his waist, pulling him down, her arm tightening as she lifted her head slightly to kiss him.
This wasn’t the light peck he had given earlier. Lin Yujing clearly intended to set a fire. Her soft tongue traced along his lips, exploring his mouth, while one hand slipped under his T-shirt, tracing his abs downwards.
Her fingers reached the waistband of his jeans.
Hesitating briefly, she tentatively slipped her fingers inside.
Shen Juan paused, grabbing her hand, his breath unsteady. “What do you want to do? Hmm?”
Lin Yujing blinked at him, her lips moist, her voice soft. “Touch the place I like.” This sentence made Shen Juan tense up instantly.
At this close distance, Lin Yujing could clearly see his jawline tighten, his Adam’s apple bobbing. After a couple of seconds, he let out a low curse through clenched teeth.
His voice was hoarse.
Lin Yujing raised an eyebrow.
All her experience in this area came from Shen Juan, but up until now, their interactions had only involved kissing.
Of course, she now had a mentor.
Before Lin Yujing went on her trip with Shen Juan, her roommate Gu Xia had given her a two-hour lesson.
The main point: Men can’t be teased. You light a match, and they’ll set themselves on fire, sometimes even adding fuel to the flames.
Her mentor hadn’t lied.
Lin Yujing wrapped her other leg around him, circling his waist. She leaned in to kiss him again.
Shen Juan responded, deepening the kiss. The girl’s body was soft and delicate, pressing against him, the thin fabric of her nightgown making the contact burn.
With a soft click, the belt buckle loosened.
Shen Juan’s waist relaxed, and he quickly grabbed both the belt and her hand. Lin Yujing turned her head, nibbling on his earlobe. “You don’t want it?”
Shen Juan clenched his teeth for a couple of seconds, then lowered his head, kissing her eyes and forehead soothingly. His voice was hoarse, and his refusal was both restrained and gentle. “Baby…”
Lin Yujing pulled her hand back decisively, letting her legs slide down from his waist, pushing him off to the side.
They were already near the edge of the bed, and with a light push, Shen Juan fell to the floor.
Shen Juan was stunned, sitting on the carpet in disbelief as he looked at her.
Lin Yujing sat up on the messy bed, looking at him coldly. “Shen, don’t call me that. From now on, we’re breaking up.”
Shen Juan was shocked.
Lin Yujing glanced at his loosened belt and the tented jeans, feeling quite impressed. “Do all men react like this just from a kiss?”
Shen Juan’s body was in an unprecedented state of excitement, making his brain work a bit slower. But he understood now—this little vixen had done it on purpose.
She was venting her frustration by teasing him, giving him a taste of the same discomfort she felt.
He propped himself up on the carpet, both angry and amused, but also helpless. “You touched and kissed me all over, and I’m not supposed to react?”
Lin Yujing nodded. “So, are you uncomfortable now?”
Shen Juan didn’t speak, sitting there with his legs apart, not hiding his arousal at all.
Lin Yujing continued, “Uncomfortable, right? I’ve been holding back for more than a week.”
She climbed to the head of the bed, pulling the white, soft quilt over herself, only her head sticking out, resting on the pillow as she looked at him. “Ex-boyfriend, I’m going to sleep now. Go deal with it yourself.”
Shen Juan was speechless.
Shen Juan really didn’t know what to do with her.
After sitting in a hard seat for twenty hours, Lin Yujing was truly exhausted. Shen Juan went to the bathroom to deal with his physical needs, and when he came back, she was already fast asleep.
When she slept, Lin Yujing looked incredibly obedient, without the defiant attitude she had when awake. Her nightgown had a doll collar, her long eyelashes casting shadows on her cheeks, her skin pale and translucent, the thin eyelids revealing faint blood vessels under the sunlight.
Her lips were rosy and slightly swollen from his kisses.
Shen Juan raised his hand, his fingers gently touching her lips, lightly tracing along the corners.
She was sound asleep, not reacting at all, her body sinking into the soft bed, breathing gently, with a fragrant scent.
Shen Juan suddenly remembered what he had just done with this hand in the bathroom. A strange sense of guilt arose.
He froze, the image of her lying beneath him, eyes red from his kisses, flashing before his eyes.
Shen Juan’s eyelids twitched, and his head started to ache.
This girl had a lot of nerve, daring to do anything and say anything.
She was betting on the fact that he wouldn’t do anything.
What if he couldn’t control himself?
She needed to be taught a lesson.
He sighed, turning to leave, but hesitated for a moment. He turned back, leaned over, and very gently, secretly kissed her again.
Lin Yujing slept from a little past 7 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. During this time, Shen Juan also caught up on his sleep and checked on her a few times, but she remained sound asleep until it was nearly dark, when she finally woke up yawning.
She hadn’t even gone to the bathroom during that time.
After waking up, she belatedly realized she was hungry. She sat on the bed for a while and was just about to get up when the slightly ajar bedroom door was pushed open.
Shen Juan entered and, seeing her awake, looked slightly surprised. “You’re awake? I was just about to call you.”
Lin Yujing glanced at him, her voice hoarse from sleep, lazily leaning against the pillow. “What’s up, ex-boyfriend?”
Shen Juan paused. “Lin Yujing, I think in this matter, I…” He chose his words carefully before saying, “I don’t deserve a death sentence.”
“Yes, you do,” Lin Yujing yawned and held up two fingers. “Two questions.”
Shen Juan nodded. “Go ahead.”
“Why did you lie to me about not having money? Even if I initially misunderstood, later on, you still had Li Lin lie to me,” Lin Yujing asked.
“I thought the reason was pretty obvious,” Shen Juan said after a moment of silence, calmly looking at her. “I wanted you to feel sorry for me.”
He stood leaning lazily against the bedroom door frame, his arms crossed, speaking in a tone as casual as asking what was for dinner, devoid of any emotion.
A nearly six-foot-three man standing there emotionlessly, saying something that was clearly meant to be coquettish.
This was definitely coquettish!!!
Lin Yujing’s heart softened a bit, and her anger seemed to dissipate significantly.
She pouted and stubbornly said, “Feel sorry for you? You should be grateful I’m even talking to you, Shen Juan. You’ve lied to me twice already.”
“Hmm?” Shen Juan looked confused.
“Before, you made me think you were a poor student. Even though you didn’t say it outright, your actions conveyed that impression. That’s also a form of deception,” Lin Yujing said.
Shen Juan was speechless. Did that really count as one?
“Alright, twice,” he nodded, conceding. “From now on, you can ask me to do anything until you’re no longer angry, okay?”
Shen Juan realized he had used up all his lifetime’s worth of “okay?” in just one day, trying to placate her.
Before meeting Lin Yujing, Shen Juan had always been decisive, never leaving room for negotiation. Since meeting her, everything was negotiable.
Maybe he owed her from a past life.
Lin Yujing’s eyes brightened, and she sat up, full of energy. “Really?”
Shen Juan looked at her with amusement. “Really.”
Lin Yujing immediately said, “Then call me Daddy, say you were wrong, and you’ll never dare again. I’ll forgive you.”
“…”
Shen Juan paused, thinking he had misheard, and asked in a low voice, “What?”
Lin Yujing wasn’t afraid of him. She kindly repeated, slowing down her speech for his benefit, “You, call me Daddy, say you’ll never dare again, and I might reluctantly forgive you.”
Shen Juan looked at her for a moment and laughed.
For some inexplicable reason, Lin Yujing felt a chill at his laugh, and a sense of danger arose.
Leaning against the door frame, Shen Juan looked at her meaningfully. “Lin Yujing, think carefully.”
Lin Yujing felt a bit uneasy. “About what?”
“If you really want to hear it, I can call you that, but you’ll have to pay it back later,” Shen Juan said with a smirk, dragging out his words. “Do you believe I can make you cry and call me Daddy a hundred times?”
Lin Yujing was speechless.
A hundred times? How long would that take?
Even if she called once per minute, that would be a hundred minutes. Nearly two hours…
Wouldn’t that be fatal?
Lin Yujing felt she couldn’t handle it. “Shen Juan, confidence is a good thing, but I advise you not to boast too much. You haven’t been a street thug for many years. Be humble and low-key.”
Shen Juan was speechless.
After this digression, Lin Yujing forgot about asking him to call her Daddy.
Since getting off the train, she hadn’t eaten much, just a piece of cake, and was starving. She changed clothes, and the two of them left the hotel to find food.
While Lin Yujing slept, Shen Juan had checked out the area. It was a small coastal town with a lighthouse by the sea, a minor tourist attraction, and a nearby island.
By sheer luck, although there weren’t many places to visit, it was a suitable spot for a vacation.
Lin Yujing first filled her stomach with barbecue. After eating, she dragged Shen Juan to a seafood street stall around six o’clock.
In such a coastal town, seafood was cheap, and there were rows of street stalls by the sea.
They picked a place, sitting at a spot near the edge on a wooden outdoor platform, lit by string lights hanging from the posts. Below the wooden platform was fine sand, and as the evening darkened, the sea seemed inked, with the sound of waves mixed with distant laughter.
The pace of life was slow and comfortable, the air humid and fresh with a hint of sea breeze, making one relax involuntarily.
They ordered a table full of seafood, all steamed and boiled in salt water, dipped in a special house sauce with mustard and minced ginger. Each bite burst with flavor.
Lin Yujing didn’t like ginger, so she specifically asked the owner for a sauce without it. When it was brought over, she thanked him, but Shen Juan immediately added a spoonful of minced ginger into it.
Lin Yujing looked up, glaring at him. “Shen, can’t you consider your girlfriend’s preferences? I don’t eat ginger.”
Shen Juan mixed the ginger into the sauce. “Seafood is cold.”
“I’m just,” Lin Yujing held up a crab leg to his face. “Eating two crabs. It’s not like I eat them every day. Can it really freeze me to death?”
Shen Juan was unmoved. He took the crab leg from her, cracked it open, removed the inedible parts, dipped it in the ginger sauce, and handed it back to her.
Lin Yujing refused to take it.
Shen Juan didn’t push, placing it on her small plate, then calmly peeled a shrimp, dipped it in the sauce, and placed it on her plate.
It wasn’t very busy, and the stall owner, smiling, watched them from nearby. “Young lady, your husband is right. You should have ginger with crab; it makes it taste better.”
Shen Juan couldn’t help but smile at being called her husband.
With the stall owner siding with him, Lin Yujing had no choice but to take the crab, rolling her eyes at Shen Juan’s smug expression. “Enough, Shen Juan. I’m still not an adult yet. Do you really want to marry me already?”
“Yes, and I also want to hit the fast lane. My girlfriend is too young, what can I do?” Shen Juan said absentmindedly, still peeling seafood. “I’ve been waiting since you were sixteen. It feels like a century, and you’re only seventeen. You haven’t grown up, but your skills at seducing people have improved. Where did you learn that?”
Lin Yujing, her cheeks puffed with crab meat, looked up at him and blinked.
Shen Juan placed the peeled shrimp in her plate and looked at her. “I’m asking you, young lady, who taught you to seduce men like this? You even managed to undo my belt with one hand.”
Lin Yujing finished her crab meat and spat out the shell. “If my boyfriend doesn’t teach me, I have to learn on my own.”
Shen Juan paused, nodding. “I’ll teach you something else when we get back.”
Lin Yujing, her mouth full of seafood, mumbled a reminder, “Mr. Shen, I’m still a minor, only seventeen.”
Shen Juan looked at her, deliberately lowering his voice. “I’ll teach you things even a seventeen-year-old can learn.”
Lin Yujing was speechless. Author’s note:
Shen Juan: Happy National Day 
Chapter 80
After finishing a table full of seafood, night fell completely. Lin Yujing initially wanted to play in the water, but the seawater was freezing at night. She only managed to take off her shoes and wade a few steps before Shen Juan pulled her back.
They returned to the hotel. In the morning, they had hastily booked a two-room suite with just one bedroom, so Shen Juan had napped on the living room sofa in the afternoon. Now, he wasn’t planning to sleep on the sofa again, so he went to the front desk and switched to a room with another bedroom.
Lin Yujing had already unpacked a lot of her things, and the bathroom and vanity were cluttered with her belongings. She lazily sat on the bed, looking at him. “Why don’t you sleep with me? This bed is huge, can’t it fit you?”
She paused, then suddenly remembered something and asked in surprise, “Don’t men usually have a problem sleeping in the same bed? This bed is big enough for five people; we can leave a big gap in the middle.”
Shen Juan put her suitcase on the bed and spread it out. “Pack your stuff yourself.”
They dragged their suitcases and moved to a three-room suite, finishing all this by ten o’clock at night.
Lin Yujing took a shower. Having slept enough during the day, she was wide awake and ran to Shen Juan’s room, only to find him leaning against the bed doing homework.
Standing at the bedroom door, she was stunned.
Shen Juan was so focused on his work that he didn’t notice her approaching until he looked up, leaning against the headboard and raising his chin.
“Are you doing homework?” Lin Yujing asked, incredulously.
Shen Juan nodded calmly. “You guys don’t have any?”
“We do,” Lin Yujing replied, somewhat speechless. “Shen Juan, you know you’ll end up alone if you keep this up. Ask around; who goes on a trip with their girlfriend and does homework at night?”
Shen Juan laughed, put his stuff on the bedside table, and patted the bed. “Come here.”
Lin Yujing hesitated, then walked over, kicked off her shoes, and climbed onto the bed, kneeling beside him and pressing down on the blanket. “Shen Juan.”
Shen Juan turned his head, his eyes drooping with fatigue. “Hmm?”
He took her hand and interlocked their fingers.
Lin Yujing blinked and asked, “Can you still teach at seventeen?”
Shen Juan paused, looking at her. “You’re really restless today, aren’t you?”
Lin Yujing leaned closer, propping herself up. “I just want to know what you’ll do.”
“I can handle you from head to toe,” Shen Juan said, playing with her fingers. “Do you want me to explain one part at a time?”
Lin Yujing: “No, thanks.”
Shen Juan was all talk but no action. He had an impressive ability to restrain himself, which Lin Yujing discovered over the long National Day holiday. This was another trait that didn’t match the persona of the spoiled rich kid she knew.
Kids his age from wealthy families usually did whatever they wanted without knowing the meaning of restraint.
At least, Lu Jiaheng, Cheng Yi, and Fu Mingxiu were all like that.
As the holiday neared its end, Gu Xia sent Lin Yujing a WeChat message asking how things were going. It was nine o’clock at night, and Lin Yujing and Shen Juan were doing homework in the hotel.
Gu Xia thought she had misread: [What are you doing in the hotel??]
Lin Yujing calmly repeated: [Doing homework.]
This small town was quite charming, with many quirky little shops selling handicrafts. Lin Yujing would sleep in until noon every day, then take her time getting ready before going out in the afternoon.
And somehow, they still managed to do homework together at night. See? This is the self-discipline of a top student.
Top students go on holiday and still do homework in the hotel at night.
Shen Juan not only led her to do homework but also taught her some economic principles.
They both had majors that didn’t allow much time for hair care, and there was plenty of homework. Lin Yujing didn’t know much about finance, but she heard that seniors in her computer science department were already moving past hair care to researching hair transplants.
As the new term approached, Lin Yujing planned to return to A City a day early and started looking for tickets.
She realized this small town didn’t have an airport.
Only trains, and no high-speed rail stops.
That meant if they wanted to go back, they would have to take a twenty-hour train ride.
Lin Yujing was so shocked that her hands trembled. She nervously tapped Shen Juan on the arm. “Shen Juan…”
Shen Juan turned his head.
Lin Yujing’s eyes were vacant. “I found out this place doesn’t have an airport.”
Shen Juan raised his eyebrows. “How could it?”
“Not even a high-speed rail stop!” Lin Yujing was exasperated. “How do we get back? Do we have to go to the nearest city with an airport first?”
Compared to her reaction, Shen Juan was much calmer. “Want to go back already?”
“School is starting. Why did I insist on taking the train and getting off here?” Lin Yujing sighed, looking at the tickets and consoling herself. “At least we can get a sleeper car this time, with a bed.”
Shen Juan glanced at the date on her ticket and snatched her phone away. “No rush, I’ll book it later.”
He pulled her to the sofa, pressing her down. “Lin Yujing, summarize the structure and functions of China’s financial institutions.”
Lin Yujing glared at him. “Are you crazy?”
Shen Juan lowered his head and bit her collarbone through her pajamas. “Wrong,” he mumbled. “Didn’t I teach you? Say it again.”
Lin Yujing shrugged her shoulders and pushed him. “I don’t study finance.”
Shen Juan lifted his head and kissed her, then rested his head on her shoulder, smelling the sweet scent of the girl, and lazily said, “Switch majors. Your little brain is perfect for finance.”
Lin Yujing yawned. They had spent the day playing on a nearby small island and were a bit tired. “No matter what I study, it won’t stop me from causing trouble.”
Shen Juan chuckled, burying his head in her neck. His voice sounded muffled, and the warmth of his breath made her feel a bit ticklish.
Lin Yujing pushed his head away and adjusted herself into a comfortable position, lying on her side on the sofa. “Shen Juan, don’t forget to buy the tickets.”
Shen Juan replied, “Mm.”
Lin Yujing half-closed her eyes. “Another twenty hours. Buy a soft sleeper this time. How soft can it be?” She mumbled drowsily, “My family is so wealthy, why do I still have to suffer this?”
“It won’t take twenty hours,” Shen Juan said with a laugh, patting her gently like coaxing a child. “Sleep now, and when you wake up, I’ll take you on a plane.”
Lin Yujing actually fell asleep.
She woke up in the bedroom the next morning, while Shen Juan, who had promised to take her on a plane, was making a phone call in the living room. She could vaguely hear his voice.
Lin Yujing ran her fingers through her hair, got out of bed without washing her face, and walked out of the bedroom in her pajamas and slippers.
The conversation outside abruptly stopped. Lin Yujing yawned and looked up.
Then she froze.
Shen Juan was no longer on the phone; he was talking to someone.
A third person had somehow appeared in the room, sitting on the sofa with a cup of coffee, staring at her in shock.
Lin Yujing stood there in a daze, her mouth half-open.
Shen Juan quickly reacted, stepping between them and walking over to her. He pushed her back into the bedroom and followed, closing the door behind them.
Still groggy from just waking up, Lin Yujing pointed at the door and looked at him. “Are you secretly meeting a man?”
Shen Juan: “…”
“My brother,” Shen Juan explained concisely. “From my aunt’s family.”
Lin Yujing looked down at her wrinkled pajamas and slippers, gathering her thoughts. “So the first time I meet your family, I look like this?”
Shen Juan looked at her disheveled hair and said with a straight face, “You look great. You could walk the red carpet at the Oscars like this.”
Lin Yujing: “…”
Deciding not to argue, Lin Yujing went to the bathroom, took a shower, changed her clothes, and mentally prepared herself before stepping out of the bedroom again.
To her surprise, only Shen Juan was in the living room, with a breakfast cart filled with layers of food. The mysterious brother had vanished.
Lin Yujing walked over and took a bite of potato salad. “Where’s your brother?”
“Didn’t want you to feel awkward, so I asked him to leave,” Shen Juan said, pushing a sandwich towards her. “Finish eating and we’ll leave too.”
Lin Yujing looked up while biting into her egg. “Mm?”
Shen Juan leaned lazily on the sofa. “I’ll take you on a plane.” Lin Yujing: “…”
An hour later, Lin Yujing sat in a small plane, looking a bit numb.
Last night, when Shen Juan mentioned taking her on a plane, she had been too sleepy to pay much attention, thinking he was just talking.
She should have known better; Shen Juan never just talks. This guy always follows through with actions.
The enclosed aircraft cabin had a large sofa and bar at the front, with a bedroom, bathroom, and everything else behind a partition.
What is it like to have a boyfriend who overnight transforms from a poor, part-time working student into a second-generation rich kid with a private plane?
Lin Yujing felt conflicted.
She wondered if her grandpa had a private plane.
Probably not.
She suddenly felt that even her well-off family might not compare to her boyfriend’s.
While she was brooding, something suddenly pressed down on her lap.
Startled, Lin Yujing looked down to see a cat.
She didn’t recognize the breed, but it looked like a miniature leopard.
It lightly pressed her leg with its paw, then withdrew it, glanced at her, and walked away with its tail held high.
Lin Yujing watched it.
Shen Juan brought a plate of small cakes over, placing them on the table in front of her. Following her gaze, he saw the cat. “It’s my brother’s friend’s. We’re helping to bring it back.”
It was just her and Shen Juan on the plane. Lin Yujing asked, “Your brother isn’t coming back with us?”
“No, he’s leaving in a few days,” Shen Juan replied. “Want to eat something or take a nap?”
Lin Yujing leaned back on the sofa, looking at him with dissatisfaction. “Shen Juan, why do you have a plane? I have nothing. I don’t even own a house yet.”
“My grandpa gave it to me,” Shen Juan said. “And you’re underage.”
“I won’t have a plane even when I’m an adult,” Lin Yujing lamented. “My grandpa never bought one.”
Shen Juan nodded. “Then when you grow up, this plane will be yours.”
Lin Yujing paused, then looked up. “Shen Juan, you’re such a spendthrift. How did your dad not kill you before you grew up?”
Shen Juan raised an eyebrow. “Why not give it to my future wife as a betrothal gift?”
Lin Yujing hesitated, then leaned closer and whispered, “What if your future wife runs away with the betrothal gift? She doesn’t even need to take it; she can just fly away.”
She clapped her hands. “Great.”
“Make sure you run far, so I can’t catch you again,” Shen Juan said, leaning closer and whispering back. “If I catch you, I’ll lock you in the plane. How will you escape, by parachute?”
“…”
Lin Yujing silently looked out of the plane window at the layers of white clouds.
Shen Juan chuckled softly. “Lin Yujing, do you know what it means to cry for help and no one comes? That’s what it’ll be like.”
Lin Yujing scooted back, putting some distance between them. “Can you stop being so creepy?”
“Can you stop annoying me?” Shen Juan leaned back on the sofa, looking at her intently. He sighed. “You’ve really scared me with your running away.”
Lin Yujing was stunned.
She bit her lip, then moved closer, straddling his lap and tilting her head up to kiss him. “I’ll stop saying that. I’ll say things you like to hear. What do you want to hear?”
Shen Juan adjusted his position to make her more comfortable. “You’ll say whatever I like to hear?”
He smirked and asked softly, “Will you call me whatever I want, however I want?” “…”
Lin Yujing bit his chin. “Shen Juan, can you bleach your brain? I’m trying to be romantic here.”
Shen Juan laughed, not taking it seriously.
The girl he was with had a big temper, a thin skin, and was fiercely competitive, never admitting defeat. Shen Juan never expected her to genuinely soften and say something romantic.
Shen Juan wasn’t particularly patient or good at coaxing. Lin Yujing had a point when she said if she were a guy, they’d probably fight every day.
Shen Juan still didn’t know when he had fallen for her, but in twenty years, she was the only one.
She constantly gave him headaches, but he still found himself wanting to make her happy.
And somehow, he enjoyed it.
Lost in thought, Shen Juan snapped back when Lin Yujing, holding onto his neck, climbed up a bit and suddenly asked, “Shen, have I ever confessed to you?”
Shen Juan returned to reality, looking down at her.
She suddenly turned her head, pressing close to him, resting her chin on his shoulder. Her soft body pressed against him, and Shen Juan unconsciously held her waist.
It was a reflex.
Lin Yujing whispered in his ear, blowing lightly, “Brother, I really like you.”
Shen Juan stiffened.
Lin Yujing paused, her ears burning, and continued softly, “I like you so much I want to have your children.”
Shen Juan felt like he was exploding inside.
Author’s Note:
Shen Juan: Give me a moment… I can’t handle this.