Chapter 056: Years of Tranquility

Not long after, Hu Rongqiang, who exuded the aura of a true underworld boss, strode briskly from the hall back into the corridor and invited Lin Yu to stay at his place, sharing a room with Hu Bin.

Lin Yu, needing to keep an eye on Wang Yan, politely declined, which seemed to displease Hu Rongqiang, who felt Lin Yu was being too distant.

Soon, the Passat B5 sped away, and Lin Yu suddenly remembered the girl he’d met the previous night at the Plaid Boutique—Lin Ran. Taking a risk, he returned alone to warn Zhang Hongkai before leaving once more.

Upon returning to the Seven Days Holiday Hotel, he set his phone to vibrate and collapsed onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep not long after.

After all, he was no superman—so much had happened in one day. He was tired, utterly exhausted.

The next morning, before eight, Lin Yu’s phone buzzed, shattering his sweet dreams. Answering groggily, he found it was Qi Yue. He responded half-heartedly and soon fell back into a doze.

But not long after, a gentle knock at the door broke the silence again. Wang Yan was still sleeping like a log, occasionally snoring.

Lin Yu, a light sleeper, could only rub his bloodshot eyes and get up to open the door.

It was Qi Yue—or more precisely, Qi Yue carrying breakfast: soy milk, fried dough sticks, and some pan-fried buns.

The frustration from having his sleep disturbed was quickly replaced by a subtle warmth in Lin Yu’s heart.

By comparison, Qi Yue wasn’t as striking as Yang Zhilin, not the kind of woman you’d remember all your life for her beauty. But she had a lively charm akin to Huang Xiaoxian from “Love Is Not Blind.” Her voice was crisp and pleasant, something Lin Yu liked very much.

Without even brushing his teeth or washing his face, Lin Yu was made to eat fried dough sticks and buns, then drink half a cup of soy milk he didn’t particularly enjoy. Afterward, Qi Yue, with an air of mystery, pulled him into the bathroom.

“Kiss me,” she said firmly in the cramped bathroom, leaving no room for refusal.

“What?” Lin Yu, still half asleep, was perplexed. He thought, “Affectionate so early in the morning? I’m not feeling it! I was too tired yesterday!”

“Hurry up!”

“Oh!” Lin Yu replied, briefly touching her lips with his, as lightly as a dragonfly skimming the water.

“Touch me,” Qi Yue said, pointing to her chest, her large, clear eyes gazing at him without a trace of guile.

“Wang Yan is still outside. If he wakes up and sees something, won’t it be awkward…” Lin Yu said awkwardly, wondering what had gotten into the girl—was she ill?

“Come on, just do it!”

“Alright.” Lin Yu, still confused, gently touched her.

“There, that’s better. Don’t say I never gave you a chance. This is your last chance to kiss me and touch me before you get into university!” Qi Yue said with a mischievous grin.

“What’s going on?” Lin Yu asked, bewildered.

“Oh, nothing. Last night when I talked with Zhilin, I learned a lot and understood a lot too.” Qi Yue gave Lin Yu, who looked helpless, a mysterious smile and continued, “Want to hear what I learned?”

“Oh? What did you learn?” Lin Yu was curious, especially since Yang Zhilin, as meticulous in planning as Ma Donghan, the famed Tsinghua prodigy of 2012, was involved.

“Well, a woman must have ten qualities—naturalness, sincerity, reserve, being pleasing to the eye, and so on—to be forever cherished and loved by men,” Qi Yue said with a touch of pride.

“And what else?” Lin Yu, recalling his own words to Yang Zhilin, felt thunderstruck.

“Of course, there’s more. If a girl wants to be a princess, she must be dignified and untouchable—only then will boys see her as truly noble.” Qi Yue, full of fervor, added, “So from now on, you’re not allowed to touch me. Even holding hands requires prior application!”

“If I can’t touch you at all, is this even a relationship?” Lin Yu joked, realizing he was now doomed to a Platonic romance.

Thinking back to his conversations with Yang Zhilin, Lin Yu finally understood the saying: ‘Heavenly misfortune can be avoided, but self-made misfortune cannot.’

“I’m telling you, Lin Yu, what’s done is done. Before the entrance exams, our rule is no physical contact. I hope you respect that!” Qi Yue said sternly, her brows knitting.

Seeing Lin Yu’s stunned look, Qi Yue continued, “Besides, Zhilin and I both agree you’re not studying hard enough. Your mind isn’t on your work. That’s not good! You might not even get into university!”

Qi Yue’s words wiped away Lin Yu’s lingering ease, and his expression grew grave.

She was right. Compared to those top students who felt even breathing wasted time, he was much too careless.

Even with a cheat-like search system, Lin Yu had yet to conquer math, nor had he mastered English or Chinese. His early pride now felt like a heavy blow.

“Alright! Once I’ve handled the things at hand, I’ll work hard and give my all for the college entrance exams, okay?” Lin Yu said with a smile, having reflected on himself in just one minute.

“Good, good? What’s good! Starting tomorrow, you must buckle down and study in earnest. I’ve already found you a tutor!” Qi Yue said, her tone one of exasperation.

“A tutor? Who? Don’t tell me it’s Zhilin… She still has to take the college entrance exams herself! Isn’t that unfair?” Lin Yu protested, though inwardly he thought having someone as pretty as Yang Zhilin tutoring him would be quite nice.

“Zhilin? In your dreams! You wish! Even if you’re willing, she doesn’t have the time. You have no idea how valuable her time is.”

“Uh, so who is it?” Lin Yu, realizing he’d been presumptuous, asked sheepishly.

“Hehe, you’ve met her! It’s Lin Ran, the girl we met last night at the Plaid Boutique. She called me early this morning to say Zhang Hongkai apologized to her. We kept chatting, and eventually she offered to tutor you for free.”

“She’s a top student at Bincheng University. Her time is precious, and we shouldn’t trouble her. Please decline,” Lin Yu said. Although Lin Ran wasn’t the type to offer help without motive, she seemed to be a girl with many secrets, which didn’t appeal to him.

“Hmph! Whether you agree or not, it’s settled. We’ve already made the arrangements!” Qi Yue said with a hint of temper.

“Alright, alright, you win! So when does tutoring start?” Lin Yu relented, seeing Qi Yue’s face darken in anger.

“We’ll have to work out the schedule. Now, hurry up and get dressed. I’m taking you somewhere.”

“Where?”

“You’ll see when we get there.” Qi Yue, who had been smiling, suddenly fell silent after these words, a faint sadness flickering in her eyes.

Time flows peacefully, beauty remains. Why the sorrow?

Lin Yu saw it, and a tender pity rose in his heart.