Chapter 170 Modern Era 10 I'm Pursuing President Zhong

Bai quickly pushed Liu Yue away from his struggle and hurriedly explained, "It's not what you think."

Liu Yue immediately stood up straight, her hands pressed tightly against her trouser seams, even straighter than during military training: "Hello, Mr. Zhong, there's nothing between Ah Ye and me, I was just joking around with her."

"Don't be nervous." Zhong Jiuli chuckled, raising her chin slightly. "Get in the car, I'll take you to eat."

Liu Yue tactfully opened the back door: "You sit in the passenger seat, I'll sit in the back." With that, she climbed into the back seat.

Bai also got into the passenger seat and quietly observed Zhong Jiuli's outfit today. Her long, seaweed-like hair was casually draped over her shoulders, and her off-white knitted cardigan paired with a white vest made her look exceptionally gentle, just like any other student on campus.

"Why are you suddenly at school? Don't you have to work today?"

Zhong Jiuli glanced at her through the rearview mirror, but didn't respond to Bai Ye's words. Instead, she asked Liu Yue, "Little Liu, is there anything you'd like to eat?"

"I'm fine with anything, Mr. Zhong, it's up to you to decide." Liu Yue waved her hand nervously.

“She wants to eat chicken drumsticks,” Bai said, speaking up for her friend. “She was just saying she wanted a double portion of chicken drumstick rice.”

“I see.” Zhong Jiuli thought for a moment and said, “Then let’s go to my usual private restaurant. Their honey-glazed roasted chicken legs are really good. You young people should like them.”

That private restaurant is not far from Jiangcheng University, about a 20-minute drive away.

The car stopped in front of an elegant courtyard with blue bricks. Zhong Jiuli got out of the car and led the two young people inside.

Bai Ye and Liu Yue followed behind her, curiously observing the tranquil courtyard hidden in the bustling city.

As you enter and turn past a screen wall covered with climbing flowers, you can hear the sound of flowing water.

A shallow pool lies in the courtyard, its bottom paved with slabs of green jade, which gleam with a warm, bluish light under the reflection of the water. On the surface of the water stand landscape sculptures carved from gray stone, and a thin waterfall flows gently along the stone wall, splashing up delicate droplets.

Upon seeing Zhong Jiuli, the greeter standing at the door immediately stepped forward with a smile: "Hello, Mr. Zhong, the private room has been prepared for you."

Zhong Jiuli nodded slightly: "Lead the way."

The greeters led the way, and the three of them followed slowly behind.

Bai leaned close to Liu Yue's ear and whispered, "Hey, look at those jade pieces at the bottom of the pool, could they be real?"

“They’re just some jade scraps,” Zhong Jiuli replied without turning her head.

"Yeah, I knew it. If they really used such fine jade, I'm afraid every customer who came to eat would want to take a few pieces with them."

Zhong Jiuli turned around and glared at her: "Stealing is against the law."

"I didn't say I was going to steal it," Bai retorted softly, earning another eye roll from his wife.

As they were talking, they arrived at the private room they had reserved.

This private room features a semi-open design, with the bamboo curtains rolled up to reveal the meticulously arranged garden scenery outside.

Zhong Jiuli gestured for the two to sit down. She first ordered a few signature dishes and then handed the ordering tablet to Liu Yue: "I don't know what you like to eat, see if there's anything you'd like to add."

Liu Yue took the menu with both hands and began studying it with Bai Ye, their heads huddled together. Upon seeing the prices, they both gasped in shock.

Liu Yue ended up only ordering fried rice, while Bai Ye ordered a pot of freshly squeezed juice.

"No need to save me money." Zhong Jiuli took a sip of tea. "This restaurant is owned by a friend, so I get a discount when I eat here."

"What kind of discount?" Bai asked curiously.

"One-fold discount, are you satisfied?" Zhong Jiuli was amused by her. "Hurry up and order some of your favorite dishes."

"Hehe, then thank you for the treat, Mr. Zhong." Bai also smiled and ordered a few dishes that she and Liu Yue usually wanted to eat but couldn't afford.

After ordering, Bai returned the tablet to the waiter.

The waiter took the tablet, looked at Zhong Jiuli questioningly, and bowed and withdrew when she nodded slightly.

Before long, the waiters filed in carrying exquisite porcelain platters.

As dish after dish was served, an enticing aroma filled the private room.

The honey-glazed chicken leg that Zhong Jiuli had mentioned was indeed well-deserved of its reputation. The skin was roasted to a golden brown and crispy, coated with glistening honey glaze, and most importantly, when you took a bite, the rich and fragrant meat juices burst out.

The taste was a delightful surprise for the two young people who were used to eating "zombie chicken legs." Liu Yue took a big bite, couldn't help but give a thumbs up, and exclaimed indistinctly, "This chicken leg is so delicious!"

Zhong Jiuli watched them eat with a smile, picked up the serving chopsticks, and put a braised prawn on each of their plates: "Try this, the prawn tastes pretty good too."

"Thank you, Mr. Zhong," Liu Yue said hurriedly.

“No need to be so formal. I’m a few years older than you, you can call me sister.” Zhong Jiuli said gently, and chatted with Liu Yue about interesting things on campus in a very natural way.

In front of the approachable Zhong Jiuli, Liu Yue, who was originally nervous, gradually relaxed, and later she even began to take the initiative to talk about some interesting things in the department.

The meal proceeded in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Zhong Jiuli was like a gentle older sister next door, incredibly kind. Bai was a little dumbfounded; she had never seen this side of Zhong Jiuli before.

The dessert was the restaurant's secret recipe of osmanthus-flavored glutinous rice balls. The chewy glutinous rice balls were coated with sweet osmanthus sauce, which made Liu Yue, who was already full, finish another big bowl.

Even Bai Ye, who doesn't like sweets, ate half a bowl.

As they finished eating and drinking and were preparing to leave, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open.

A woman dressed in a bright red cheongsam gracefully entered. She had a slender waist, outstanding temperament, and was extremely beautiful.

Zhong Jiuli was clearly familiar with her and was not surprised to see her. She asked with a smile, "When did you get back?"

"I just got back last night. I was planning to invite you out this weekend, but you ended up coming to my restaurant for dinner by yourself." The woman said, turning her gaze to the two young customers with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

She smiled gently and said in a soft voice, "Hello, students! I'm Liu Xianyue, the owner of this shop. Did you enjoy the food today?"

"Hello, Mr. Liu!" Bai Ye and Liu Yue replied in unison, "It's perfect, super delicious."

"Okay, I'm glad you like it. I'll come back to support your business next time," Liu Xianyue said with a smile.

Bai shook his head somewhat awkwardly: "Uh... that might not work. The dishes here at Boss Liu's are a bit expensive, we can't afford them."

This straightforward answer startled Liu Xianyue slightly. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Zhong Jiuli with a questioning look in her eyes. Where did she find such an honest child?

Zhong Jiuli stood up, took Bai Ye's hand, and introduced him: "This is my new friend, Bai Ye."

She paused, then continued, "He's currently pursuing me."

Bai nodded in agreement, his tone serious: "Yes, I'm pursuing President Zhong."

Zhong Jiuli then pointed to Liu Yue standing to the side, "That's her classmate, Liu Yue."

Liu Xianyue's gaze lingered on their clasped hands, and she asked with a somewhat complicated expression, "You mean, she's pursuing you, and you haven't said yes yet?"

"Hmm, I haven't agreed yet!" Zhong Jiuli nodded frankly. "Alright, we can talk about it later. I should take them back to class now."

Watching the three figures disappear into the distance, Liu Xianyue suddenly remembered something and called out, "Jiang Zhiming is organizing a camping trip this weekend, are you going?"

“Go,” Zhong Jiuli replied without turning her head.

The three of them left the private restaurant, and as usual, Zhong Jiuli drove. On the way back to school, Zhong Jiuli looked at Liu Yue through the rearview mirror and asked, "Little Liu, do you have any plans for the weekend?"

"No, no, I usually play games in my dorm on weekends."

"How about you come camping with us this weekend? Don't be shy, Bai will come with you too."

"Okay, thank you, Sister Zhong," Liu Yue readily agreed.

This time, Zhong Jiuli only parked the car at the school gate. Bai Ye waited until Liu Yue got out of the car before approaching Zhong Jiuli and saying, "I'll come find you after school."

Zhong Jiuli shook her head: "Stay at school and study these next few days. I'll take you out to play this weekend, but I also have company matters to attend to."

"Then... can I call you?" Bai looked at her expectantly.

"Not during the day, but after 10 p.m. is fine."

"Okay, I'll call you every day." Bai said, then unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

She and Liu Yue stood there watching the car drive away before heading to the classroom. Unexpectedly, as soon as they entered the classroom, they were surrounded by their classmates.

Many people witnessed what happened at noon, and the news has now spread.

Liu Yue impatiently waved the crowd away: "Stop asking around, President Zhong just wanted to treat us to a meal out of kindness."

Seeing that they couldn't get any information, the crowd dispersed. No one thought about the gossip, since neither of them seemed like someone that would be chosen by President Zhong.

Seeing everyone disperse, Bai breathed a sigh of relief. Although she hadn't intended to hide her relationship, dating someone like Zhong Jiuli inevitably meant enduring a lot of attention, which made her feel a little pressured.

They ate too much at noon, and Bai Ye and Liu Yue felt drowsy all afternoon. Eventually, they both fell asleep on their desks.

After class, Bai returned to her dormitory, changed her clothes, and rushed to her part-time job at the bar. She was busy until late at night before she could even get a few minutes to talk to Zhong Jiuli on the phone.

Before they knew it, it was the weekend. Bai had taken leave in advance and specifically told Zhong Jiuli not to come pick her up. She and Liu Yue went directly to the villa to meet up.

The campus was very quiet on a weekend morning, with most students still sound asleep in their dormitories.

Bai Ye and Liu Yue changed into windproof jackets and pants suitable for outdoor activities, carried backpacks stuffed with snacks, and squeezed onto the early morning subway to head to Zhong Jiuli's house.

They got up early and arrived at the villa at just past eight in the morning.

The aunt, who was already familiar with Bai Ye, smiled and opened the door, letting the two of them in. "Breakfast has been prepared. You can have some breakfast first."

Bai also said to Liu Yue, "You go have breakfast first, I'll go see if Zhong Jiuli is up yet."

After she finished speaking, she went upstairs to the second floor with ease. The curtains in the master bedroom were closed, and the bed was a little messy, but there was no one in sight. Only the sound of water dripping from the bathroom could be heard.

Bai walked quietly to the door and gently knocked: "Are you taking a shower?"

"Okay! Wait a moment, it'll be ready soon." As the sound of water subsided, Zhong Jiuli's voice came from inside the door.

Bai pressed himself against the door and tentatively asked, "May I come in?"

A soft laugh came from the bathroom, the man's voice, seemingly soaked in the steam, was incredibly alluring: "So eager?"

"I missed you!" Bai said coquettishly. "I haven't seen you for so many days."

The door clicked open, and steamy vapor wafted out first, carrying her usual scent.

Zhong Jiuli stood inside the door wrapped in a bath towel, her wet hair clinging to her shoulders, water droplets sliding down her hair and into her hidden depths.