Chapter 11: It Is Presumptuous Of Me

Seeing her silent, probably surprised by his words, this sudden invitation seemed ambiguous. Zhong Yu Bai explained further, “I happen to have something to deliver. The weather is nice today, suitable for inviting you to go out for a night stroll.”

Ji Zhen Tang: “Ah? The two of us?”

He didn’t answer, just calmly told her, “I’m at Qingcheng.”

Hearing this, Ji Zhen Tang sat up from the bed, hastily got out of bed, and glanced outside the curtain, looking at the lush Qingling Mountain, with the setting sun casting a golden hue on the mountains. People are most likely to feel lonely at dusk. And on the other end of the communication signal, the faint sound of breathing, gently falling into the space on her end, was extending an invitation for companionship.

“What do you want to give me?” she asked.

Zhong Yu Bai was silent for a moment, pondering the meaning behind her question, then said, “If you don’t want to see me, I’ll let Jialing—”

“No,” she urgently interrupted him, “I don’t not want to see you. Are you really at school?”

“I am,” he replied.

Ji Zhen Tang hesitated for a moment, hurriedly washed her hair, the lengthy process restoring her rationality, yet she still felt this man was cunning. Asking her what she wanted, then questioning if she didn’t want to see him? She felt like she had fallen into a trap for no reason.

As she was about to leave, seeing her in a hurry, Zhou Zhi asked who she was going on a date with. Ji Zhen Tang quickly clarified, “It’s not a date.”

“A man who can make you wash your hair and go out must be extraordinarily handsome. You’ve never been this concerned about Zhong Heng.”

She couldn’t argue.

“He’s not a man!”

Ji Zhen Tang put on the bracelet he gave her, put it back in the exquisite box, and tied it with a ribbon. Zhou Zhi came over again to inquire, “Is he handsome? Compared to Zhong Heng?”

Ji Zhen Tang blurted out, “He’s ten thousand times more handsome.” Not even in the same league.

Zhou Zhi caught her slip-up, “Haha! Amazing! Let him treat me to dinner another day.”

Ji Zhen Tang’s thoughts were momentarily stunned by her own words.

Zhong Yu Bai? Treating her roommate to dinner? It was an incredible thing, but Zhou Zhi’s joke was also ordinary, hence implying a kind of absurd rationality.

“What’s wrong? Can’t stand it?”

“It’s really not that, it’s a… teacher.” She could certainly make up stories.

Ji Zhen Tang didn’t let him come to Xueyuan Dormitory. Zhong Yu Bai thought for a moment on the phone, didn’t insist, and finally said: Then come to Yifu Building.

On the way there, she saw students rushing to evening self-study from a certain direction, so she went against the flow, with discussions in her ears.

“Is there any special event today? It’s so grand, there are even banners.”

“Don’t you know? The Haike Institute signed a big project with Boyang. The industrial park next to the university city is invested by Boyang. The president was in a very good mood today, very cheerful, even greeted us, scared me.”

“What’s Boyang?”

“You haven’t heard of it? Then you must know their boss, so handsome that I’m enchanted! I was wondering how someone dares to openly drive a Rolls-Royce in school, thought some CEO came to pick up his mistress.”

“But he didn’t bring his mistress, just brought five billion in new investment.”

Zhong Yu Bai parked his car in a relatively secluded location, keeping his promise.

The car window was rolled down slightly as he sat in the shifting light and shadow of the sunset and nightfall, reclining slightly in the driver’s seat. His posture was not particularly upright, and the collar was casually loosened. The mirror partially obscured the upper half of his face, and Ji Zhen Tang approached against the windshield, only seeing his jawline and the slightly pursed corner of his lips.

It wasn’t until she was close that she saw the man’s eyes, which were closed, as if he was resting.

Ji Zhen Tang didn’t get into the car or knock on the window. She leaned slightly, approaching the window to peer inside.

He spoke, asking her, “Why is your face so red?”

As he spoke, he slowly opened his eyes.

With Zhong Yu Bai’s remark, her face flushed even more vividly. “It’s nothing to do with you, my roommate was teasing me.”

After saying this, she felt like the phrase “nothing to do with you” might seem a bit insincere.

But Zhong Yu Bai didn’t delve deeper into it, just said, “As long as you’re not uncomfortable.”

The car window rolled up, and Ji Zhen Tang didn’t enter the car. She smiled and clasped her hands, saying, “Congratulations, big boss, may your business prosper.”

He curved his lips slightly. “You’re well informed.”

She looked around. “Hmm, where’s your Jialing?”

“He’s chasing a girl, also needs private time for dates.”

Ji Zhen Tang responded belatedly, tasting the casualness of his “also” word.

“What do you want to give me?”

Zhong Yu Bai said, “A prescription, in the back seat of the car.”

She blinked, as if waiting for him to fetch it, expecting the next move to come from Zhong Yu Bai. However, unexpectedly, he didn’t move, leaving Ji Zhen Tang unsure of what to do.

She blinked again.

But Zhong Yu Bai said, “There’s a temple fair today, it’s bustling outside. Don’t you want to go out and have a look?”

Ji Zhen Tang shook her head. “I dislike crowds the most.”

He found it somewhat curious.

She stood in the evening breeze, caught in a dilemma of waiting for him to speak yet also feeling reluctant to do so.

Zhong Yu Bai recalled a line from a song: Extroverted loners, what’s wrong with them?

“I really want to go, but unfortunately, I’m missing a tour guide.”

He said, pushing open the door on his side, the invitation for her to get in the car obvious. Ji Zhen Tang smiled helplessly, “Fine, then I’ll be your human GPS.”

Zhong Yu Bai grinned, “Thank you.”

The City God Temple was near Qingcheng University, and Ji Zhen Tang hadn’t visited it often for leisure.

When she went out, she racked her brains, thinking about how to take Zhong Yu Bai to visit those scattered little shops in a reasonable way. But upon arrival, she realized she had overthought it. People saying they lacked a guide was just an excuse; in truth, they were just clueless.

Following Zhong Yu Bai to a teahouse.

Following him up the stairs.

Zhong Yu Bai wore a black shirt and black pants, both hands in his pockets. She followed behind, admiring the man’s broad shoulders and long legs.

They took a seat in the most spacious private room of the teahouse.

She pulled the curtains aside a bit to look at the bustling market outside.

The teahouse was located on high ground, giving her a unique perspective to overlook the entire temple fair from the central axis.

The people below seemed tiny, and the flower market was as lively as ever, with vibrant colors filling the street, which was packed with people. She couldn’t see their faces clearly, but she felt like each person was somehow similar to her.

“I don’t like crowds either, so I’m used to this spot,” Zhong Yu Bai, sitting with his legs crossed, explained to her, “No disturbance, yet you can still enjoy the scenery.”

With his words, it seemed like he had brought her into an alliance.

But they were worlds apart.

She disliked crowds because she loathed socializing, while he liked this spot because he could have a panoramic view and consider the overall situation.

Their ways of thinking were contradictory, yet their solitary souls found solace in this peaceful place.

After sitting for a while, Zhong Yu Bai remained calm and composed, while the noise below was deafening and chaotic, but the water in his cup remained undisturbed.

“Wow, you look just like an emperor from ancient times, ruling over the bustling city,” Ji Zhen Tang said after gazing out the window for a while, suddenly turning to him and saying this.

Zhong Yu Bai smiled casually, responding with two words that puzzled her: “And you?”

Ji Zhen Tang thought for a moment, stood by his side, and said in a somewhat theatrical manner, “I could be your maid fanning you, or perhaps the chief eunuch, or even a general holding a red-tasseled spear, or—”

Before she could finish listing the possibilities, she was interrupted by her sudden realization of boundaries, and Ji Zhen Tang didn’t continue.

However, Zhong Yu Bai spoke up for her: “My empress.”

She was taken aback, blushing as she muttered, “That’s, um, not quite appropriate. I, I… I’d rather be a eunuch.”

He simply smiled faintly, sipped his tea with closed eyes, saying nothing.

Ji Zhen Tang sat by the window, resting her chin on her hand as she watched the scenery below, observing her elegantly structured profile, her hair fluttering in the wind, with a natural golden hue gleaming in the sunlight.

Zhong Yu Bai squinted as he watched her, slightly intoxicated, recalling a line of poetry: “Turning the world upside down with a mere breath.”

“What’s bothering you?” Zhong Yu Bai asked her.

She told him, “I created an account, but I don’t have any followers. Despite my efforts, I only get a few likes on my creative posts each day.”

He asked, “How many followers do you have?”

“300.”

“That’s enough to fill five classrooms. So many people like you, aren’t you happy?”

“But my class monitor has 3000, and his followers could fill fifty classrooms,” she sighed discontentedly.

Zhong Yu Bai thought seriously for a moment, then suggested, “I’ll buy you thirty thousand followers, ten times his.”

Ji Zhen Tang laughed, but after laughing, she sighed with concern, propping her chin on her hand and shaking her head, “But those are all fake, not genuine likes.”

She stared blankly at the children below being led by their parents to buy folding fans.

Zhong Yu Bai glanced down with her, telling her, “Look on the bright side, a flowing river doesn’t vie for the lead.”

She knew that what they were contending with was unstoppable.

He spoke while handling messages on his phone, then set it aside after half a minute.

Ji Zhen Tang sneakily glanced at his expression. “Do I have too much negative energy? Will you find me annoying?”

Zhong Yu Bai shrugged, “As long as you’re still willing to talk about it, it’s not that bad.”

She continued candidly, “You know? I have a condition where my tears flow uncontrollably when I’m stimulated, it’s terrifying. Sometimes I don’t even want to cry, but I can’t control my tear glands, it’s awful.”

He nodded in understanding, vaguely recalling those rabbit eyes reddened from crying, and smiled, “It’s still a trait.”

She didn’t understand, “But it’s not a good trait.”

“Who said shedding tears is a bad thing,” Zhong Yu Bai said calmly, “Traits after traits, they constitute the unique you.”

Whether it was his naturally unique way of thinking or intentional guidance, Ji Zhen Tang’s mood slightly cleared. She looked at his deep eyes and couldn’t help but admire him.

Before long, someone knocked on the door and entered.

Soon, a goldfish-patterned folding fan was handed to her. The fan had a lot of blank space on it, with only a golden carp in the center.

Ji Zhen Tang looked at the fan in surprise, compared it to the ones held by children outside, and then looked at Zhong Yu Bai.

He smiled and said, “After staring at it for so long, if you still don’t get it, you must be very obtuse.”

She was immediately touched deep inside.

“Thank you,” Ji Zhen Tang pointed at the painting, “I really like this little fish.”

As she spoke, she fanned herself, her clothes fluttering in the breeze, gently lifting and falling, dispersing a bit of the early summer stuffiness.

Zhong Yu Bai looked at her. “As long as you like it.”

Ji Zhen Tang’s hand paused slightly as she fanned herself, looking at the man opposite her. He was composed and calm, without a ripple in the conversation. In the midst of this calm conversation, she felt him see through her desires with just a glance.

When a person is deep and meticulous, they become mysterious and attractive.

But such meticulousness also subtly made her fearful. She thought of many rumors saying that Mr. Zhong was excellent in everything but lacked compassion. Fear was also a kind of power, tending to make people submissive. In the context of a hundred years ago, such a person might truly be an emperor who ruled over the land.

Possessing the ability to strategize and the unwavering composure.

Ji Zhen Tang looked at his meticulously buttoned shirt cuffs, the man’s slender fingers holding the cup, gently rubbing and caressing it. She had seen Zhong Heng sitting in the midst of revelry, but she couldn’t imagine any intoxication and sensuality associated with Zhong Yu Bai.

She suddenly had a thought: a hand suitable for doing something illicit, then… does he have a woman?

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and as she raised her gaze, she coincidentally met his gaze. Turning the fan handle, she covered her eyes slightly, Ji Zhen Tang asked, “Are you trying to make me happy?”

The bone structure of his eyebrows and eyes made him appear very profound, and his expression still remained inscrutable. “What do you think?”

She pouted, “Don’t ask me like this, I don’t want to guess.”

Zhong Yu Bai looked at her and said, “I hope you’re happy.”

Ji Zhen Tang muttered, “But the older I get, the harder it is to feel happy…”

Suddenly remembering something, she took out a wooden box from her bag. “Oh, right, this.”

She pushed it back to him.

Zhong Yu Bai glanced at it, didn’t immediately take it, and asked, “Don’t like it?”

She said earnestly, “It’s not necessary.”

After thinking for a moment, he took back the bracelet.

Then, in a gentle tone, he said, “There are some pieces of fabric in Chen Zhangyuan that are worth cherishing. The Zhong family doesn’t have a tailor, so they’re not useful here. They can be used to add some items to your aunt’s shop. If you need it, I’ll ask Jialing to take you there.”

She didn’t quite understand this paragraph, what Chen Zhangyuan? Never heard of it, so she asked in confusion, “Do you want me to go get it?”

Actually, if he had said, let Jialing bring it over, it would have seemed more reasonable.

Zhong Yu Bai smiled, “Isn’t it better to pick it out yourself?”

Meeting the calm gaze of the man, Ji Zhen Tang nodded as if she understood.

She knew there was a hidden meaning in his words.

That day when she returned to school, Zhong Yu Bai drove her to the parking lot next to the Snow Garden Faculty Dormitory. When she got out of the car, he called out, “Ah Zhen,” and then handed her the Chinese medicine he had prepared.

Zhong Yu Bai invited a known traditional Chinese medicine doctor to help regulate her emotional illness.

“What’s this? Going the extra mile, sending Buddha to the West?” She tried to find an excuse for his thoughtfulness.

Zhong Yu Bai chuckled, seemingly humoring, and even added a hint of indulgence in his tone. “If that’s what you think.”

“…This seems like not the answer she should hear.”

Ji Zhen Tang took it blankly, looked at the medicinal materials in her hand, and then looked up at the man standing silently by the car door. She pursed her lips and dared to ask, “From childhood to adulthood, only my mother would call me like this. Mr. Zhong doesn’t feel that this is presumptuous?”

Zhong Yu Bai’s demeanor was gentle and composed, calmly asking back, “Why guess that presuming is my intention?”

He said these profound words calmly, as if it were a subtle hint.

Her heart seemed to be tapped lightly, heavy and stifling, making her dizzy and slow to react. She even forgot to thank him for the medicine in her hand.

Zhong Yu Bai asked again, “Is this location good?”

She didn’t understand, “Good? What do you mean?”

“Waiting for you,” he said.

There were no lights in the parking lot, and nearby were faculty buildings. The cars coming and going were mostly professors’, and although his car was still conspicuous with its logo, it didn’t seem out of place here. She nodded, “It’s indeed quite isolated.”

Zhong Yu Bai nodded slightly and said, “Then let’s meet here in the future.”

The word “future,” which was extremely hard to bear, was even more ambiguous than “in the future.” It made Ji Zhen Tang feel like her heartbeat was racing again.

She didn’t even know what expression to make, so she lowered her head and in her line of sight was the cold shadow of the man’s shirt collar.

Nighttime easily makes everything ambiguous.

She murmured a vague “Mm.”

Without asking him what he meant, she hastily said “Goodnight” and then took her leave. Ji Zhen Tang held the fan tightly and carried the medicine, intending to turn back and tell him not to watch her leave anymore, but her steps were hurried and lacked courage.

…

She returned to the dormitory building, entered the bright lights, and only then slowly calmed down upon seeing the familiar dormitory auntie.

Glancing at the mirror in the lobby, she noticed her face was flushed.

“Hey.”

Ji Zhen Tang was startled by the sudden appearance of someone, and upon closer inspection, it was Zhao Siqi. She asked, “What’s the matter?”

Zhao Siqi was tall, and as he approached, his imposing presence forced her to step back. He asked coldly, “Is Lin Guixue in the dorm?”

Ji Zhen Tang said, “I don’t know, she should be.”

“Get her to come down without saying it’s me.”

“…,” The straightforwardness of the word “lie” almost made her roll her eyes. “I can’t help you.”

“Hey!” Before he could grab her again, she quickly fled.

Lin Guixue was in the dormitory, and Ji Zhen Tang sat down to catch her breath, asking her, “What’s going on between you and Zhao Siqi?”

Lin Guixue said, “I just feel like these men always act so superior, which annoys me.”

Zhou Zhi, who had sharp ears, came over to listen to the gossip. “Tell us more.”

Lin Guixue said, “There’s nothing much to say. I didn’t really like him in the first place, I just wanted to rely on him to show me some good scenery.”

“So you didn’t rely on him?”

“He’s useless, forget it,” Lin Guixue said, “Men, if they can be a stepping stone for their older sisters, then they’re somewhat incapable. If they’re useless, then goodbye.”

Zhou Zhi: “Well said!”

Lin Guixue said, “Anyway, the fashion industry is so big. Every step is a gamble. If this one doesn’t work out, just change to another. Win the bet and you’ll have everything.”

“What if you lose?”

“It’s not a loss, at least you gain some experience and broaden your horizons.”

Zhou Zhi asked, “What if you meet someone really powerful and get played by them?”

“They’d have to be extremely powerful, like covering the sky with one hand?” Lin Guixue shrugged, “If I could really climb to the top and enjoy temporary glory and wealth, that wouldn’t be bad either, but unfortunately I don’t have that chance.”

Listening to their conversation, she had been silent all along.

Ji Zhen Tang remembered the “Chen Zhangyuan” that Zhong Yu Bai had mentioned to her. She had no impression of this place and wanted to ask if they had heard of it. But out of various concerns, she didn’t bring it up.

It was also at this moment that she slowly realized that many things related to him had turned into “dare nots.”

When one desires, one will be cautious.

So she went to ask her aunt.

After asking Ji Zhen Tang, she only knew why Jialing had been asked to accompany her, because this place couldn’t be found on the map at all. Ji Xinhe had some knowledge and told her that this was one of the Zhong family’s properties, occupying a considerable area with beautiful scenery.

However, Ji Zhen Tang always felt like she had walked into a thin mist.

She pulled out a note, intending to write a weekly plan, but as she wrote, she slowly wrote down a string of words: Begonia.

The flower she had envisioned countless times.

Taking out her phone, she sent a message to Zhong Yu Bai: [I’m available next Friday.]

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