“Exactly,” Xu Manjin chimed in. “Don’t think you can bully us just because we’re new to Hong Kong. Let me tell you something—my family is rooted in the hutongs of Beijing, you know? I don’t believe you’ll never set foot in the mainland. If you ever dare treat Shen Hua badly, the moment you step into Beijing, I’ll make sure you get beaten so badly your own mother won’t recognize you.”
“And also—”
“Shen Hua’s family is from Suzhou. You’d better not go there either. In fact, not just Suzhou—the entire province of Jiangsu will pick up weapons and fight you.”
Both of them were young, fresh-faced and fearless, fueled by that youthful audacity and the confidence of protecting and being protected. They hurled wild threats without thinking.
Shen Hua was amused by Xu Manjin’s protective stance and played along. “Yeah, right. I have plenty of relatives who are martial artists—some even know their way around guns and sticks. If it came to a real fight, you might not come out ahead.”
“Right, right!” Xu Manjin slapped her thigh in agreement, and the two of them bickered back and forth until they burst out laughing.
Zhou Yunting watched the two women, who were threatening him while laughing, and a faint smile crept into his eyes. His tone carried a hint of teasing. “So it turns out both young ladies have powerful backing. I really can’t afford to mess with you.”
Hearing Zhou Yunting humble himself, Xu Manjin grew even bolder. “Now you know to be scared, don’t you? Come clean quickly. Do you think you can waste my Shen Hua’s youth?”
Zhou Yunting smiled. “What do you two consider ‘long-term’ to be?”
“Shen Hua?” Xu Manjin rolled her eyes.
“Hmm?”
“Isn’t that classic jerk talk? Should we get out of the car?”
Zhou Yunting’s face darkened a little. Before Shen Hua could speak, he said, “I’ve always believed in fate, and I also believe that feelings between people need to develop slowly.”
“Let me be blunt: I can’t give you a lifelong guarantee. If someday, you or I suddenly feel it’s not working, are we supposed to force ourselves to stay together just because we once promised it would be forever?”
“That would only waste each other’s time.”
He looked at Shen Hua. “How far we go depends entirely on what happens between us. What do you think?”
“So you don’t want to take responsibility?” Xu Manjin followed up.
Zhou Yunting sometimes really felt that women were a troublesome species, always having to dig down to the root. Because if you’ve ever cut an onion, you’d know it has no heart.
He had to weigh again whether this initial attraction based on looks should be nipped in the bud.
Thinking this, his gaze fell on Shen Hua beside him.
Her long hair hung loosely, the ends brushing lightly over her shoulders. Her profile was hidden in the thin light filtering through the car window, her jawline soft as jade soaked in water, her nose delicate, her lips pursed with a hint of stubbornness.
Even sitting quietly, she was like a painting under a spell—every line of her drew the eye.
Zhou Yunting knew in his heart that he was attracted.
And not just a little.
In the past, his life had been a calculated game of chess, every move precise, without the absurdity of “giving up and then picking back up.”
But this time, he wanted to make an exception—to carve a small crack in his orderly days and take a gamble.
To leave the future to fate.
He pulled himself together, and when he spoke, his tone was calmer.
“If we’re just trying to get along, why tie it down with responsibility? I think, aside from that accident at the movie theater—”
He paused, his Adam’s apple moving slightly as he swallowed the word “loss of control,” replacing it with honesty. “That was me overstepping. Other than that, I don’t think I’ve done anything that would make you misunderstand, have I?”
“So,” Zhou Yunting smiled and asked, “When you talk about responsibility, are you referring to that kiss?”
His casual remark brought Shen Hua back to what happened in the movie theater, and she blushed for a moment.
She was thin-skinned about such things and couldn’t find the words.
Xu Manjin, knowing her well, took over with a sarcastic laugh. “Mr. Zhou, are you twisting the concept?”
“What kind of responsibility are you talking about?”
“I mean…” Xu Manjin started but stopped, unable to bring herself to say something so implicit.
She stiffened for a moment before stubbornly forcing out, “Anyway, if you want to take things further, you have to take responsibility.”
Earlier, Zhou Yunting had been hesitant because his status didn’t allow for mistakes, so he had always been cautious. Now that everything was laid out on the table, he actually felt better.
He had always been restrained about romantic matters, never impulsive, and would never force anyone into something they didn’t want.
Besides, after spending this time together, his interest in Shen Hua only grew.
Thinking of this, a faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth. “If we really get to that point, I won’t shirk the responsibility that’s mine to bear.”
Satisfied with the answer, Xu Manjin happily glanced back at Shen Hua. But the latter had a neutral expression, as if detached from the whole thing. She couldn’t help calling her name.
Shen Hua snapped back to reality, exchanged a look with Xu Manjin, thought for a moment, and then said to Zhou Yunting, “You don’t have to force yourself. I’m not the type to cling on, and it’s not like I can’t live without you. If things get boring, I’ll leave more cleanly than you.”
“Awe-some,” Xu Manjin thought to herself.
Zhou Yunting was a bit surprised that Shen Hua would say something like that to him, but it also felt expected, and it earned his admiration.
Stripped of his status and wealth, he was just an ordinary man.
He never denied that a man’s attraction to a woman was often mixed with primal desire, and he was no exception. But at this moment, for the first time, he took his relationship with Shen Hua seriously.
In his experience.
Did women love men purely?
The women he had met before didn’t hide admiration in their eyes—it was his family background, his power, or the benefits they could get from him.
Until Shen Hua appeared.
He suddenly realized clearly that he had never had a girl like this in his life.
Someone willing to spend time with him just for who he was.
The car came to a steady stop at the west gate of HKU. Shen Hua was about to get out with Xu Manjin when Zhou Yunting stopped her.
Xu Manjin got out first but didn’t go far. She crouched under a streetlamp inside the school gate, clutching her phone.
If Shen Hua sent her a message, she’d rush back immediately.
The car was quiet again for a moment.
Zhou Yunting turned his head to look at Shen Hua, his tone unreadable. “Why haven’t you messaged me all this time?”
Shen Hua was stunned. She hadn’t expected his first words to be a counterattack.
But to be fair, she hadn’t initiated contact either.
Unsure whether he was serious, she used his own excuse. “I’ve been busy too.”
Zhou Yunting let out a low laugh, didn’t press further, and instead asked, “Where do you want to go tomorrow?”
Shen Hua looked up at him. The man was still in the same position, his elbow resting on the center console, fingertips lightly tapping the leather, watching her calmly.
The streetlamp outside was just behind him, its warm glow outlining his handsome features.
Only his eyes were deep and unfathomable, hiding emotions she couldn’t read.
Shen Hua steadied herself and spoke seriously. “Right now, I’m the one considering whether to continue with you. I don’t like being left hanging for over two weeks without a single message.”
Zhou Yunting nodded, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “My fault.”
He paused, then changed the subject. “Maybe we can start by getting to know each other. What do you think?”
With that, he glanced outside the window.
Under the streetlamp, Xu Manjin was crouched by the road, kicking small stones with her toes.
He couldn’t help but curve his lips slightly. “Have your friend go back first. We still have some time. Let’s spend a little more time together.”
“It’s late. Some other time.”
Zhou Yunting didn’t mind her refusal and asked again, “You’re from Suzhou?”
Shen Hua just felt he was fishing for conversation.
Without turning back, she opened the door and got out, leaving behind only a single sentence: “I’m going now. Goodbye.”