Chapter 78

After asking his question, Xi Junjie’s ears clearly turned a little red, and his expression was no longer as composed as before. His long lashes fluttered nervously as he looked at Zhenzhen.

Zhenzhen glanced at him, then couldn’t help pressing a hand over her heart. “Of course it’s special. Even if you added up all the boys at our school, none of them look as good as you.”

Xi Junjie suddenly smiled at her, and the blush spread from behind his ears down to his neck. “Boys shouldn’t be called good-looking.”

Zhenzhen was instantly stunned by his smile, nearly forgetting to breathe. She took a couple of deep breaths and turned her head away with difficulty, refusing to look at him. “Maybe you should go back to keeping a straight face. That smile is too much for me to handle.”

Xi Junjie subconsciously touched his face. For the first time since he could remember, he didn’t think looking good was such a bad thing—at least it could draw her gaze. He turned to look at Zhenzhen’s profile. Her fair skin was tinged with a healthy blush, just like her personality—always lively and energetic, throwing herself fully into everything she did. It made people want to follow in her footsteps without even realizing it.

Zhenzhen was looking out the window and humming a tune, while Xi Junjie leaned back in his seat, watching her with a slight smile. “You’re very straightforward.”

“Huh?” Zhenzhen turned her head to look at him, her clear eyes reflecting Xi Junjie’s figure.

“I mean, you just outright said I’m good-looking…” Xi Junjie seemed a little uneasy as he turned his head, not daring to look at her. “Aren’t you embarrassed saying things like that?”

Seeing his face flushed red, Zhenzhen’s eyes curved into a smile. “But you’re the one who’s embarrassed, not me.” Xi Junjie turned back to look at her and couldn’t help but smile along with her.

The tram made a turn, and the Capital Bookstore was just ahead. Zhenzhen stood up and smiled at Xi Junjie. “I’m going to pick up a couple of books.”

Xi Junjie stood up as well. “What a coincidence, I was planning to stop by too. Let’s go together.”

When the tram came to a complete stop, the two of them got off one after the other. It was midday in summer, and the sun was blazing. Zhenzhen shielded her forehead with her hand and quickly walked into the bookstore.

The Capital Bookstore was enormous, spanning four stories, each with its own category. Seeing the shelves packed with books, Zhenzhen hurried over in excitement.

Because of the Movement, people hadn’t had access to books for nearly a decade. As soon as the bookstore opened, crowds flooded in, making it packed to the brim.

Since it was summer break, most of the readers were students. With youthful faces and earnest expressions, they were completely absorbed in their books. The first floor mainly housed literary works. During the Movement, Zhenzhen had rescued many books from being burned and stored them in her personal space. Over the years, she made it a point to read at least two hours every day, accumulating over a thousand books read.

This time, she came to the bookstore both to find books she hadn’t read and to look for professional or academic texts. She scanned shelf after shelf, quickly passing by since most of the books she already had in her space. Xi Junjie silently followed her—when she moved, he moved; when she stopped, he patiently waited.

After several rows, Zhenzhen finally noticed he’d been with her the whole time. She offered him a slightly apologetic smile. “The books I’m looking for might be a little hard to find. You don’t have to follow me—don’t want to hold you up.”

“No worries,” Xi Junjie replied casually, looking at her. “My family already has a lot of these books too. I’m also just looking for ones I haven’t read.”

Zhenzhen looked at him in surprise. Any household that had preserved large numbers of books during the Movement was definitely not ordinary. But since she and Xi Junjie were just classmates, there was no need to pry. She gave him a polite smile and went back to browsing the shelves.

They wandered the bookstore for about half an hour before they finally found a few newly released works. Both of them paused at the same shelf and, by coincidence, reached out for the same book at the same time.

Zhenzhen was a little slower and accidentally placed her hand on top of Xi Junjie’s. His heart skipped a beat. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to pull his hand back or just leave it there.

Back in her previous life, Zhenzhen’s classmates casually touched each other all the time—hands, shoulders, laughing and joking—it was nothing to fuss over. So she calmly withdrew her hand and said, “Looks like this one just came out.”

As the warmth on the back of his hand faded, Xi Junjie felt a strange sense of loss. Zhenzhen, completely unaware of his emotional reaction, quickly picked up another book and began flipping through it. Xi Junjie opened the book they’d both reached for but found himself unable to focus on the contents. He couldn’t resist glancing up again at the poised young woman standing before him.

Zhenzhen was half a step ahead of him, wearing the pale yellow dress Xie Yanan had brought her that morning. The fresh, bright color set off her fair skin beautifully. Her two braids hung naturally over her chest. Standing so close to her, Xi Junjie could clearly feel her youthful vitality and even catch the faint floral scent she carried.

Though Zhenzhen had straightforwardly said he was good-looking, Xi Junjie could tell from her eyes that she admired him in a simple, genuine way, not with romantic affection. Xi Junjie had actually noticed her a long time ago. Just like Zhenzhen thought he looked handsome, the moment he first saw her, he had been captivated by her large, clear eyes—he had never seen such clean and pure eyes before. It felt like anyone under her gaze would be stripped of all darkness and filth.

There was no denying it—he had first been drawn to her appearance. But the more he got to know her, the more time he spent around her, the more he found himself liking who she was as a person. Xi Junjie was aware that many students were already dating, but after careful thought, he decided to keep his feelings to himself for now. They had only just started their first year of university, and everything about the future was still uncertain. He believed that making a commitment to a girl without being financially independent was irresponsible.

He had thought that simply watching her from afar would be enough to make him happy. But what he didn’t expect was to hear his name spoken by her under the moonlight. Even though it was a kind of comment he’d always hated growing up, when Li Mingzhen said he was good-looking, not only did he not feel any aversion, he actually felt a burst of joy and excitement deep in his heart.

I must really be under her spell, he thought.

Xi Junjie looked at Zhenzhen, a soft smile playing at his lips.

Zhenzhen flipped through a few books and picked two she liked. When she turned around, she saw Xi Junjie smiling at her.

“Have you picked one?” she asked, glancing at the book in his hand. It was a new release by a famous British author, and it was the only display copy. The rest were still shrink-wrapped. Zhenzhen really wanted to know what it was about. She looked at Xi Junjie and asked a little shyly, “How is it? I’d like to take a look too.”

“It’s alright,” Xi Junjie replied, handing the book to her naturally while taking the two she had selected.

Zhenzhen was so absorbed in the book she didn’t notice anything unusual.

She had planned to just skim a few pages, but the more she read, the more she got drawn in, completely forgetting her surroundings. Xi Junjie stood tall at her side, quietly watching her peaceful face.

The two of them stood there quietly—one reading, the other watching—completely disconnected from the bustling world around them.

Suddenly, a student sitting on the floor nearby used the bookshelf to push himself up. No one knew how long he’d been sitting cross-legged, but when he stood up, his legs were so numb they didn’t obey him. He tried stomping his foot to get the feeling back, but the sudden pins-and-needles pain caused him to stumble—and he fell right toward Zhenzhen.

Xi Junjie took a quick step forward, swiftly pulling Zhen Zhen into his arms and shielding her behind him. Zhen Zhen was startled. Just as she looked up to ask what was going on, she saw the student crash heavily into Xi Junjie’s back.

Zhen Zhen heard Xi Junjie let out a muffled grunt, and his handsome brows furrowed slightly. She looked at him with concern. “Are you alright?”

“Sorry, bro, my leg went numb,” the student behind them finally steadied himself and quickly apologized.

“It’s fine,” Xi Junjie nodded to him, then turned back to Zhen Zhen, his expression softer than usual. “I’m okay. You were so engrossed in your book just now—I was afraid he might bump into you, so…” It was only then that he realized he was still holding her arm. He quickly let go, his eyes full of apology. “I was a bit abrupt.”

Xi Junjie quietly pressed his fingertips together. He could still feel the cool, delicate sensation of Zhen Zhen’s skin, and it left him a little dazed. Zhen Zhen didn’t mind; she shook her head and smiled sincerely at him. “I should be thanking you.” She noticed she had already read through most of the book, glanced at her watch, and said, “I didn’t realize I’d been reading for so long—it’s almost past lunchtime.” She set the sample book down, pulled out an unopened copy from the shelf behind her, and hugged it to her chest. Looking up at Xi Junjie, she asked, “You haven’t eaten either, have you? To thank you for what you did just now, how about I treat you to lunch?”

Xi Junjie gave her a helpless smile. “When does a guy let a girl treat him? Let me treat you instead.”

“How not? Just let me do it this time,” Zhen Zhen grinned and took the two books she had picked earlier from his hands, heading to the cashier. Xi Junjie glanced at the book she had been reading and grabbed a copy of the same one for himself.

They paid for their books and tucked them into their bags, walking out of the bookstore one after the other. In recent years, the capital had developed rapidly, and state-run restaurants lined the streets—some served stir-fried dishes and rice, some sold buns and meat pies, while others specialized in traditional snacks like stir-fried liver and soy milk.

Zhen Zhen looked around at the storefronts on both sides. “What do you feel like eating?” she asked.

Xi Junjie gave her a slightly exasperated look. “Can I treat you this time?”

“Nope,” Zhen Zhen replied flatly. “How about some stir-fried dishes?”

Seeing how insistent she was, Xi Junjie didn’t press the matter and simply nodded. Then he added, “Next time, I’m treating.”

“Sure.” Zhen Zhen didn’t take the polite phrase to heart. She pushed open the restaurant door, glanced at the ceiling fan spinning above, and found a cool spot to sit.

Since it was already past lunchtime, the restaurant was empty except for them. Zhen Zhen looked at the large menu on the wall and asked earnestly, “What do you like to eat? Don’t say ‘whatever’ or ‘anything.’ Since I’m treating today, you get to choose.”

Xi Junjie looked at her serious expression and felt a sudden warmth in his heart. His tone softened, a trace of tenderness he hadn’t noticed himself. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

After calling over the waiter, Xi Junjie ordered shredded chicken with golden mushrooms and a cold dish—both light and refreshing, perfect for summer. Then he glanced at the list of staple foods on the side of the menu and asked, “What would you like for your main dish?”

Zhen Zhen had grown up in the northern province, where the summers weren’t so humid. If it got hot, she’d just retreat into the mountains, so this kind of muggy weather was new to her. Fanning herself with her hand, she glanced at the menu. “It’s too hot. I’ll have zhajiang noodles.”

Xi Junjie nodded to the waiter. “Comrade, two bowls of zhajiang noodles, please.”

He poured her a cup of cool boiled water from his thermos and handed it to her. Seeing her flushed cheeks, he quickly took a folding fan from his bag and offered it. “You’re really sensitive to heat—go ahead and use this.”

Zhen Zhen didn’t stand on ceremony. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and took the fan, but before she even started using it, the design on the fan caught her eye.

She stared at the painting on the fan in surprise, then looked at the signature, her eyes brightening. “This is pretty fancy. You’re using a Tang Bohu fan made with golden paper to cool off—you’re not worried about ruining it?”

Xi Junjie looked at her with some surprise. “You’re into art? Or collecting?”

“Both.” Zhen Zhen no longer felt hot as she studied the painting. “I actually took some courses on historical artifact appraisal through my classical literature major. Professor Xu really looks out for me and lent me a bunch of books.”

Xi Junjie smiled at her. “I know. You’re very popular with your professors.”

Zhen Zhen bashfully raised the fan to cover her face. “I just shamelessly ask them lots of questions.”

Xi Junjie laughed, teasing, “So you do know you’re shameless.”

Zhen Zhen touched her face proudly. “Actually, being shameless isn’t always a bad thing—it makes you braver and more open in going after what you want. I think it’s a good thing.”

“You’re right,” Xi Junjie looked at her with a thoughtful smile. “I should learn from you—become a little more shameless myself.”

Zhen Zhen blinked at him. “Was that a compliment?”

Xi Junjie laughed again. “Of course it was.”

“Food’s here!” The waiter placed the shredded chicken and cold dish on the table, followed by two bowls of noodles. Zhen Zhen quickly returned the fan to Xi Junjie with a smile. “That fan is too valuable. I can’t bear to use it—you’d better put it away.”

After stowing the fan, Xi Junjie grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the holder and handed a set to Zhen Zhen before taking one for himself.

The zhajiang noodles here came in generous portions. Zhen Zhen mixed hers up in a few quick strokes, then eagerly took a bite, her eyes narrowing in contentment. The restaurant’s chef supposedly came from a family of imperial cooks, and the skills had been passed down for generations. The noodles were chewy, the sauce rich and savory—after the first bite, she was hooked and went straight for a second.

It was Xi Junjie’s first time seeing Zhen Zhen eat. Her cheeks puffed out like a little squirrel nibbling on a nut, chewing nonstop. A bit of meat sauce clung to the corner of her mouth, but instead of looking messy, she just seemed adorably greedy. Xi Junjie couldn’t help but laugh.

Zhen Zhen looked up at him, puzzled, swallowed her noodles, and asked, “Why are you staring at me instead of eating?”

Xi Junjie pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and passed it to her, smiling warmly. “You got some sauce on your mouth.”

Zhen Zhen waved him off and reached for her own handkerchief, but after rummaging around twice and coming up empty, she remembered she’d changed clothes earlier and left it in her other outfit.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she looked at Xi Junjie. “Um, I forgot to bring mine.”

Xi Junjie chuckled and handed her his handkerchief. She took it, wiped her mouth, and a smear of sauce immediately stained the pristine white cloth.

After cleaning up, Zhen Zhen tucked the handkerchief away. “I’ll wash it and return it to you.”

“Alright,” Xi Junjie said softly. “Eat up, or the noodles will get soggy.”

After they finished eating, Zhen Zhen went to pay the bill. When she turned around, Xi Junjie was nowhere to be seen. Even though they hadn’t known each other long, from her past interactions with him, she could tell that Xi Junjie was a true gentleman—he wouldn’t just leave without a word.

Zhenzhen had just packed her wallet into her backpack and was about to head out when she saw Xi Junjie come in, holding a popsicle in one hand and a drink in the other. “You seemed bothered by the heat,” he said, “so I got you a popsicle.”

Noticing it was her favorite milk pop, Zhenzhen’s eyes curved into a smile. She eagerly unwrapped the outer packaging and took a bite—the rich, creamy flavor filled her mouth, cool and refreshing, instantly washing away half the summer heat.

She had originally planned to continue browsing at the Imperial Capital Bookstore, but with the popsicle in hand, she decided to sit down and finish it first. After another bite, she noticed Xi Junjie had nothing in his hands and asked, “Aren’t you having one too?”

Xi Junjie smiled and shook his head. “I’m not a kid.”

Zhenzhen glanced at the drink on the table and looked at him with mild defiance. “But you bought a drink. I think drinking sugary drinks is more childish.”

That made Xi Junjie laugh even more. “That’s for you too. I only drink plain water and hot tea.”

“You sound like an old scholar.” Zhenzhen wrinkled her nose at him and took another bite.

Although Zhenzhen loved cold treats, she remembered what Mr. Zhang had told her, so she let the popsicle warm slightly in her mouth before swallowing. After slowly finishing the whole thing, she washed her hands and mouth at the sink, pulled out Xi Junjie’s handkerchief to wipe her mouth, and asked, “I’m heading to the bookstore. What about you?”

“Me too.” Xi Junjie smiled. “I’m looking for a couple of French novels—though I’m not sure if they have any.”

Hearing him mention French, Zhenzhen finally voiced a question that had long puzzled her. “With your level of French, I don’t think you even need to major in it. When you applied, were you just trying to slack off?”

Xi Junjie couldn’t help but chuckle. “Why would you think that? Actually, I’m also studying International Relations.” Seeing Zhenzhen’s slightly confused expression, he explained, “My father studied in France, and I lived there for a few years when I was little, so I speak French fluently. But my French is more conversational, so I want to learn more formal language in school—it’ll help with my future career.”

“Future career?” Zhenzhen looked at him. “What do you want to do after graduation?”

For the first time, Xi Junjie shared his career dream. “I want to be a diplomat. That’s why I’m studying French and taking International Relations as well.”

“A diplomat?” Zhenzhen looked at him with admiration. “Your career planning is so clear. That’s really impressive.”

Hearing her straightforward praise, Xi Junjie looked a little shy and adjusted his collar. “Actually, my father was a diplomat too. But his career was cut short because of political movements back home.” He lowered his head, looking at his trousers. “I used to really admire him. Back then, all I wanted was to become a diplomat like him.”

Glancing at Zhenzhen, he continued, “Most of the students at our school already have their futures planned. I heard that everyone in your major has already been reserved by national-level media. It’s the same for our Western Languages department—other than those staying on to teach, most of us will end up in the Foreign Ministry.”

Zhenzhen had never really paid attention to such things, probably because she already had a clear vision for her future. Whether she became a journalist or did something else, it would all just be part of her life.

She looked at Xi Junjie and sincerely wished him well. “I hope your dream comes true.”

Meanwhile, in a siheyuan by Houyang Lake, a middle-aged woman was watering flowers on the windowsill while glancing at the wall clock. She mumbled in confusion, “I told Junjie to deliver a fan to his grandfather’s house this morning. It’s been hours and he still hasn’t come back. Where could he have gone?”

At the same time, an old man squatted at the gate of his courtyard, hugging a teapot and craning his neck to look outside. “Don’t tell me Junjie ran off with my fan!”