No matter what it is, once you add the words “for the first time,” everything suddenly feels more meaningful.
000’s words echoed in Tang Zhen’s ears.
She was the first girl to see the male lead sleeping.
Unable to resist, she leaned closer to study Ren Yanjing. Seen up close, his looks were still unfairly good—long lashes, pale skin, and even in sleep he was quiet and composed.
On the surface, he seemed calm and unruffled, all light clouds and gentle breezes. But deep down, he probably still carried a young man’s boldness and fire. The boldness was given to the sports car; the passion, perhaps, was meant for the female lead.
With that thought, Tang Zhen lost interest in staring at him. The car was very quiet, the air fresh, with only the soft sound of breathing flowing gently through the enclosed space.
Before she realized it, sleepiness crept over her. She sent a message to her roommates, telling them she might not be back tonight. After giving them a heads-up, she rested her head down and fell asleep as well.
When Tang Zhen woke up again, several hours had already passed. As she groggily opened her eyes, she saw an enlarged handsome face right in front of her. Seeing her awake, Ren Yanjing took a small step back.
“Awake?”
Tang Zhen hummed softly. Just waking up, her voice sounded like a kitten’s—soft, drowsy, and naturally coquettish.
She didn’t think about why he’d been so close earlier. Rubbing her eyes, she asked, “What time is it?”
Without even checking his phone, Ren Yanjing answered precisely, “Three thirty in the morning.”
She’d slept for that long?
Sleeping bent over had left her waist and neck sore—it really wasn’t comfortable. She glanced at Ren Yanjing and asked softly, “How long have you been awake?”
“Not long.”
In truth, he’d woken up half an hour ago—and spent that entire half hour watching her. He’d never imagined there would come a day when he’d waste time just looking at someone. To his past self, that would’ve been utterly inconceivable.
Half an hour was enough for him to accomplish many things.
Yet today, time seemed to pass unusually fast.
In the blink of an eye, thirty minutes were gone.
After that nap, he felt refreshed, the fatigue completely swept away.
He handed Tang Zhen a bottle of mineral water. “Drink some water.”
Tang Zhen took it. Still feeling lazy from sleep, she simply handed it back to him and said languidly, “Open it for me.”
Ren Yanjing froze slightly, clearly not having considered that. “Sorry.” This time, after twisting the cap open, he passed it back to her.
Drinking mineral water that cost several dozen yuan a bottle, Tang Zhen let out a quiet sigh. This really was planting trees for the future. Next time, the male lead definitely wouldn’t make such a rookie mistake again.
After she finished drinking, Ren Yanjing started the sports car. The orange-red car cut through the nighttime city. Tang Zhen still held the bottle, squeezing it lightly as she asked, “Where are we going now?”
“To watch the sunrise.”
The car soon left the city and drove onto a winding mountain road. Tang Zhen was no longer sleepy. Sometimes she watched the road, sometimes the steering wheel, and sometimes she glanced at the male lead’s profile.
He looked incredibly handsome when he drove.
At five o’clock, the sports car stopped at the mountaintop. At the moment when day and night intersected, the only things on the summit—besides her and the male lead—were the endless howling winds.
After getting out of the car, Tang Zhen stretched luxuriously. She moved closer to him, her eyes sparkling in the darkness. “How did you find such a great place?”
It was secluded, yet a perfect spot to watch the sunrise.
“I found it by accident.”
000 chuckled. 【The male lead has only ever come here alone. He’s never brought anyone—never even his buddies.】
Oh?
Another first.
Tang Zhen’s mindset instantly calmed.
So what if she was the one planting trees? At least she got to taste a bit of what being in love felt like. A little was enough. She and Ren Yanjing were bound to break up sooner or later—there was no need to get addicted.
When the time came, they’d part on good terms, each with a bright future ahead.
While they waited for the sunrise, two off-road vehicles drove up the mountain.
From the two cars, seven or eight people got out.
They were clearly young people too, coming together to watch the sunrise. Seeing that someone had already arrived ahead of them, they paused in surprise. One of them laughed and said, “I thought this secret base was known only to me.”
His companion immediately shot him down. “As if you’re the only one who knows about it.”
The group joked and laughed noisily, full of energy.
Tang Zhen paid them no mind. Ren Yanjing stayed by her side the entire time and didn’t exchange a single look or word with them.
Instead, 000 suddenly went, 【Oh ho.】
“What is it?”
【The female lead’s best friend is here.】
City B wasn’t particularly big or small. Running into the female lead early wouldn’t be strange—much less just her best friend.
Curiosity got the better of Tang Zhen. She tilted her head slightly and looked toward the group of eight young people. “Which one?”
There were five men and three women. All three women wore skirts with jackets thrown over them, dressed in similar styles.
“The one with ice-blue hair.”
She hadn’t expected the female lead to be a top student while her best friend was her complete opposite. That girl looked bold and flamboyant.
【Xiao Zhenzhen, your guess was right. The female lead’s closest best friend is, just like you, an art student.】
In her previous life, Tang Zhen had studied accounting. In this life, she studied painting—she was an art student. Painting happened to be something she truly liked, something she’d never had the chance to learn in her previous life. So this time, she planned to devote herself to it properly.
She felt little academic pressure. Her daily schedule was light—completely different from the male lead. His academic burden was heavy, making it hard for him and the female supporting character to resonate on a spiritual level. After all, she truly couldn’t understand his world.
While Tang Zhen was observing the female lead’s best friend, the group was also eyeing her and Ren Yanjing. The moment they saw her face, a few of the guys couldn’t help but whistle.
“So pretty—what a beauty.”
“Seriously gorgeous!”
Ren Yanjing frowned slightly and turned to warn them, “Show some respect to my girlfriend.”
The young man who’d spoken first immediately raised both hands. “Hey, bro, we were just giving a compliment. No bad intentions.” It wasn’t that he backed down quickly—it was that Ren Yanjing didn’t look like someone to mess with. That sports car alone probably cost several million.
And his aura didn’t seem ordinary either.
Ren Yanjing felt irritated.
He didn’t even know what he was irritated about.
Maybe it was the fact that a perfectly good moment meant for just the two of them had been disturbed by a group of strangers.
Originally, it was supposed to be just him and Tang Zhen watching the sunrise. Now, with eight extra people, the mountaintop had suddenly become lively and noisy.
A strong urge rose in him to drive everyone away.
But this was a public place, not his private property. He couldn’t just chase people off.
As Ren Yanjing tugged at his collar, his brows drawn tight and his irritation mounting, Tang Zhen’s sweet voice suddenly reached his ears:
“Ah Jing, look—the sun’s coming up!”