Chapter 52 [VIP]

Han Shu carried a book in his arms, while Wen Zhiyu held his hand. The two walked and walked until they reached the main entrance of Nancheng University.

Han Shu sat down on the stone block blocking the road, crossed his legs, and rubbed his ankle. "You're studying literature?"

“Yes, Lao Qin too.” Wen Zhiyu squatted down, untied the wrist strap of her high heels, and placed her feet on his knees. “I’m sorry, it was my oversight that made you walk so long.”

A rougher texture replaced the previous one. Wen Zhiyu massaged slowly, his fingers gently tracing over the slender ankle with just the right amount of pressure.

Han Shu tucked her chin into her collar, hiding her embarrassment, and said, "It's okay. Tell me more about your university days!"

Wen Zhiyu pursed his thin lips and pondered for a long time before saying, "It seems there's no story, just going to class and submitting articles as usual."

Han Shu snorted, "What about feelings?"

"emotion?"

"Never a girl liked you or pursued you? You've never pursued a girl you liked?"

Wen Zhiyu's expression stiffened for a moment.

Han Shu grabbed his chin, "Just as I expected! Confess!"

"I'm being honest!" Wen Zhiyu rubbed her hand. "That's right, that's right—"

"Speak quickly!" Han Shu grabbed his ear with his other hand.

"I'll tell you, I'll tell you," Wen Zhiyu said, wincing in pain. "At first, I did have people pursuing me, but after my glorious deeds spread, they stopped."

"What glorious deeds?"

“There was this girl who confessed her feelings to me in broad daylight, saying she was willing to wait for me, even until graduation. I said…” Wen Zhiyu coughed again and again, “but I plan to settle down in a mental hospital after graduation.”

"Pfft!" Han Shu couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head, "Sharp-tongued."

Wen Zhiyu let her do whatever she wanted, and he laughed.

"Wen Zhiyu?"

Both of them froze at the same time and looked up simultaneously.

An elderly man with gray hair but a sprightly spirit approached with his hands behind his back, his glasses gleaming with an inquisitive gaze.

"Professor Zhang." Wen Zhiyu's face flushed.

"It really was you." Professor Zhang slapped his left palm with the back of his right hand. "I knew it! The figure and the voice were the same. When did you get back?"

"I came to Nancheng for an event and had some time to come and take a look."

Han Shu was so embarrassed she wished she could dig a hole and crawl to the other side of the earth. She hurriedly stuffed her feet back into her shoes and stood up. But her high heels were unsteady, and she swayed, only to be pulled into Wen Zhiyu's arms.

Han Shu was even more embarrassed. She tried to break free but couldn't overcome his strength. She tried to sneakily poke his waist but failed because his hand was tightly gripped in hers.

"Girlfriend?" Professor Zhang asked with a smile, noticing the sight.

"Hmm." Wen Zhiyu smiled subtly, then turned to Han Shu and said, "My mentor is Professor Zhang."

"Hello, Professor Zhang," Han Shu greeted obediently.

"Oh, very good, very good." Professor Zhang nodded repeatedly. "A perfect match, very suitable."

"Thanks."

"I should thank you," Professor Zhang said sincerely. "Many girls showed interest in him back then, but he remained unmoved. I even suspected he was gay!"

"So many girls are showing interest in me?" Han Shu glanced at Wen Zhiyu. "Is he that popular?"

"Then you—" Professor Zhang changed the subject after Wen Zhiyu frantically winked at him, "Don't worry, our little Wen, in today's young people's terms, is a model young man with perfect male virtue!"

Professor Zhang was witty and humorous, and Han Shu quickly forgot his initial awkwardness, listening with great interest. Wen Zhiyu chatted with his mentor about recent events, his recently published book, and also reminisced about the past.

On the way back, Han Shu lay on Wen Zhiyu's back, and Wen Zhiyu, holding her high heels, hooked his arms around her knees and walked steadily.

"Hey, you really went to the rooftop in the middle of the night to find inspiration, and your roommate thought you were going to commit suicide and even called the police?"

“Hmm.” Wen Zhiyu’s face went blank. “That roommate is Qin Jianling.”

Han Shu wasn't surprised; in fact, she thought it suited Ah Duan Gua perfectly. She laughed for a while, then asked, "You even caused a scene in the Literature Department office because you discovered a classmate's essay was plagiarized?"

“That’s called conclusive evidence.” Wen Zhiyu scoffed. “The opening is exactly the same as ‘The Snow Is Coming.’ Not only is the plot about carrying a dying person on a rattan chair through the snow, but even the dialogue is almost identical. Do you really think Austrian literature is so niche that no one has read it?”

Han Shu wasn't surprised; this was a writer's professional ethics. She then asked, "Your advisor treated you so well, yet you still refused the graduate school recommendation?"

“Hmm.” Wen Zhiyu dodged the puddles on the road. “I told him very clearly that I don’t like this so-called formal training system.”

"What did Professor Zhang say?"

“He said I was naive and that my ideas were simply impossible to implement.”

Han Shu paused for a moment, then asked, "And then?"

“Then…” Wen Zhiyu half-squatted down and gently put her down, “I said it might not be possible, but if I follow the steps, it will be even less likely to be achieved.”

As the cool evening breeze swept parallel to the motorcycle, Han Shu raised one arm to the sky. The full moon hung high, like a beautiful dream.

Like this, dream your own dream.

He said, "I've decided to take on the challenge of quitting surfing!"

With a slight jolt from the vehicle, he shouted, "Okay, just go ahead and do it!"

So what if we fail?

It's better than never starting at all.

25-year-old Han Shu, too, has chosen a path.

Upon arriving at the hotel, my luggage had already been delivered to my room. And, most strikingly, the two-meter-wide bed in the very center of the room.

Han Shu sat on the edge of the bed, looked up and asked, "Are you still going to sleep on the floor?"

Wen Zhiyu put one hand in his pocket and pointed behind him, "Sleep on the sofa."

It was a sofa smaller than the one in Wen Zhiyu's master bedroom. Not to mention a man who is 1.85 meters tall, even Han Shu couldn't stretch out comfortably on it.

She tugged at Wen Zhiyu's sleeve, "Don't sleep on the sofa, sleep on the bed."

Wen Zhiyu was taken aback, then refused, "It's okay, my sleep quality is pretty good, it doesn't matter where I sleep."

"It doesn't matter where I sleep?" Han Shu almost laughed in exasperation. "Then it's the same whether I sleep in the guest room or the master bedroom. I'll move out when I get back."

"That's not what I meant." Wen Zhiyu was confused. "I just felt—"

Han Shu wrapped her arms around the back of Wen Zhiyu's neck, her suit jacket falling to the ground with a thud. Whether it was the alcohol or everything that had happened tonight, she discovered an unprecedented courage hidden within her.

"What's wrong with sleeping with me?" Han Shu asked, tilting his chin up.

Wen Zhiyu's mind went completely blank. He placed his palm on her lower back and, still dizzy, asked, "What's wrong with you today?"

"..." Han Shu was furious and stood on tiptoe to bite his lower lip, "Didn't you say you'd give me your heart?"

"Yes." Wen Zhiyu winced in pain but didn't flinch, then asked, "What happened?"

What happened? What happened? What happened?!

They've hinted at it to this extent, why are you still acting like this?

Is this the same person who covered her eyes and kissed her passionately in the street this afternoon?!

Han Shu exhaled through his nose, "You've given me your heart, how about giving me your body too!"

Wen Zhiyu: !!!

Teacher Wen froze, staring at her intently. "Body?"

Han Shu, who uttered such lewd words, pulled the hem of Wen Zhiyu's shirt out of his waistband, and his soft, boneless hand slid inside, moving upwards along the edge of the belt.

Wen Zhiyu's clothes were disheveled, his breathing was erratic, his heartbeat was erratic, he was completely in a state of chaos. Like a soldier surrendering, he was helpless against fierce artillery fire.

The hint turned into an explicit statement; Han Shu had completely given up. She didn't care whether they had been together for ten days or longer; she didn't want to be hesitant or overthink things anymore. She just wanted to follow her heart and do what she wanted.

"You're drunk," Wen Zhiyu said hoarsely.

Han Shu didn't care at all, and pounced on Wen Zhiyu, making him stumble back several steps before regaining his balance. His shoulder strap also slipped halfway down. "So what if you're drunk? You're not drunk?"

"I'm not drunk." Wen Zhiyu repeated as if reciting a spell to remove a frozen spell, "I'm very sober right now, very sober."

Han Shu parted her lips slightly, her pearly teeth biting his bobbing Adam's apple, and mumbled, "You won't be sober in a moment."

Three seconds later, Han Shu regained consciousness.

Wen Zhiyu forcefully broke free from her arms, picked up his suit jacket and wrapped it tightly around her, then pressed her down to sit on the edge of the bed, turned his back to her, clenched his fists, and remained motionless.

Han Shu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him; his fingers went numb from nervousness and confusion. "Wen Zhiyu, what... what do you mean?"

Wen Zhiyu remained silent.

Han Shu's voice trembled, "Is this a rejection?"

Wen Zhiyu remained silent.

Han Shu had always been a well-behaved girl since childhood. Her first attempt to break free from her constraints and overcome her shyness ended in rejection. She could only think of three words: hurt pride.

So she stood up and left, wanting to escape this confined and suffocating space.

However, the door had barely opened a crack when it was pushed back open by the man who had caught up with it.

Wen Zhiyu asked anxiously, "Where are you going?"

"None of your business," Han Shu shoved him.

Seeing her red eyes, Wen Zhiyu finally understood and stammered, "I...I didn't mean to refuse! No, I did refuse, but not you...no, I refused you—"

Hearing this futile explanation, Han Shu felt even more upset and turned to pull the door open.

Wen Zhiyu disregarded his pride and said loudly, "The reason I'm refusing for now is that I need to study the theoretical knowledge first!"