Chapter Ten: The Arrival of a Handsome Man
When the sweet osmanthus blossoms filled the air in September, I stepped back into the school gates and began my postgraduate studies. In Huang Yanyan's words, I had fallen in love with the pure land of the school. Although she hadn't been working for long, Yanyan's job didn't seem to be going so smoothly. Besides gossiping about the operations director whose name I still don't know, she complained that the workplace was a place of gossip and trouble.
"Professor Huang?" I ran into Professor Huang, who had a cold expression, as soon as I entered the classroom. Could she be my graduate advisor?
"Lin Dang, I made the right recommendation back then, didn't I? It's bound to succeed, congratulations!" Professor Huang suddenly switched modes and spoke to me with a smile.
"Yes, thank you for your encouragement and support, Professor. I will study hard from now on!"
"You are a very hardworking girl, and I believe you will achieve great things in your favorite field."
"Thank you, Professor! I'll do my best!"
I feel that my fate has taken a turn for the better, starting from the moment I submitted my paper to my professor. It all started with the professor's warm, sunny smile.
The course schedule for the first year of graduate school was quite tight, but despite Huang Yanyan's persistent pleas, I still didn't move out of the rented apartment. Firstly, I'm not good at socializing and wasn't familiar with my new roommate, and secondly, I was worried about the safety of Huang Yanyan, a girl living alone outside.
"Do you think the nun might be plotting something? Why is she smiling at you the only one?" Huang Yanyan had been speculating about this after telling her about what happened during the day.
"I'm probably the only one among all her students who was personally mentored by her, so we're quite familiar with each other, and naturally she gives me a friendly welcome."
"No, that's absolutely impossible. Her title wasn't just given to us students; she's had it since she started teaching. Now it's changing, and only to you. There's definitely something fishy going on here."
"You're overthinking it. How about braised beef or golden broth beef for dinner tonight?"
"I want to eat pickled cabbage!"
"Okay~" In terms of the variety and stock of instant noodles, the two of us are worth as much as a small shop.
"By the way, what are your plans for the National Day holiday?"
"Let's just drive around the city. I don't want to go out. Those days of having to identify license plates with you on the highway were really unpleasant." I have absolutely no interest in this kind of national holiday. It's all just traffic jams, and all the tourist attractions are just crowded with people.
"Honey, I only have the National Day holiday left to go out and have fun. Can't you spend some time with me?"
What do you want to do?
"I heard from Xiao Liu that Chen Weiqi is going to a farmhouse, and Xiao Liu has already made the reservations." That's right, Chen Weiqi is the operations director that Huang Yanyan has been longing for, and Xiao Liu is his secretary, a young man who just graduated from university. In terms of looks, he is no less handsome than Chen Weiqi, but his disadvantage is his youth. In Huang Yanyan's words, he lacks maturity and competence.
"I'll stay with you as long as we don't leave City A."
"Really? Then I'll book it too! Accommodation there is quite tight during the National Day holiday!"
Do you know which date he booked?
"Who cares? We're both free anyway, let's just treat it as a trip to a rural resort. I've booked rooms from the 1st to the 7th." The young lady had already started making phone calls. Rooms were really in high demand, and in the end, she managed to book a good room through her father's connections.
Early on National Day, Huang Yanyan and I set off with our suitcases. For the short seven-day trip, Huang Yanyan brought almost an entire wardrobe of clothes. If she wore one outfit a day, it would take her half a month to wear them all. I managed to streamline my luggage to just two outfits, enough for one change and one wash. The rest of the suitcase was taken up by my daughter.
Although I've lived in City A for many years, my social circle has been almost entirely limited to the area around the school and some clothing stores in the shopping district; I've hardly been anywhere else. This agritainment business is located in a town in City A, nestled against the mountains and beside a river, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Our room faced the waterfall directly; opening the window revealed a clear spring cascading down the cliff face—quite pleasant.
"Lin Dang, let's get ready and go out to play. There's a fishing spot over there. Men all like fishing, and we might even run into someone." Huang Yanyan changed her clothes as soon as she arrived. After autumn, the temperature difference between day and night is large. I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pants with a trench coat over them, but this girl was wearing a skirt and high heels. This is completely out of place for a vacation!
Are you sure you want to wear this out?
"Of course, I have to maintain my image. I've been voted the best-dressed employee in the company, and my outfit has generated so much gossip behind my back!"
This young lady has quite the attitude. The more others gossip, the more flamboyant she becomes. Her understanding is that there's no need to live under the scrutiny of others' words and criticisms; just be yourself. They're just jealous.
We arrived relatively early, but we didn't expect there to be so many people already in the fishing area.
"What does Chen Weiqi look like? Do you have a photo? I'd like to help you find one."
"Why would I need a photo? He's the most handsome and outstanding guy in the crowd!"
Looking around, one figure caught my eye, but who was it? It looked so familiar!
"No way, what is Chu Zhen doing here?" After calming down, I realized it was Chu Zhen, who was sitting opposite me fishing.
"See? Aren't you glad you came? But where's Chen Weiqi? I don't see him."
"You can look for it here. I'm going back to my room first. Running into Chu Zhen is never a good thing, so I'd better not ruin your meeting with Chen Weiqi." Based on past experience, Chu Zhen and I are just incompatible.
"Okay, I'll stay here. Call me if you need anything!"
"Hello, how do I get to the fishing spot?" A deep, resonant voice—I love that.
They were both tall enough to be looked up at, and both had distinct facial features, but the difference was that the man in front of me gave off an exceptionally refined and gentle vibe, like a warm-hearted man straight out of a comic book. I was momentarily mesmerized by his beauty.
"Hello?"
"Oh, hello, hello, I just came from the fishing area. Shall I take you there?" Faced with such a handsome guy, how could I remain calm? I was momentarily flustered and at a loss.
"Thank you for your help!"
This person is so polite. It turns out that people who look like this can be more than just aloof like Chu Zhen; they can also be such gentlemen.
"No trouble at all. Are you here on vacation too?"
"Hmm, everyone here is probably on vacation!"
What kind of question is this? Do you think I'm here to stay for a long time instead of for a vacation? Are there so few boys in my class these days that they've lost the ability to communicate with the opposite sex?
"We're here, it's just ahead." I pointed to the fishpond not far away. If I wasn't afraid of running into Chu Zhen, I would definitely have escorted him to his destination, and maybe even asked him to teach me how to fish. After all, few girls this age are passive.
"Thank you!" It was another very polite thank you, especially with that beaming smile, which was even more pleasant than the warm sunshine.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
