That soft “Ah Jing” was far too sweet—so sweet that Ren Yanjing actually froze for a moment. Almost instinctively, he asked, “What did you call me?”
Tang Zhen blinked, looking innocent. “Ah Jing.” Then she quickly realized something and curled her lips into a smile. “You’re not used to me calling you that? My boyfriend.”
Ren Yanjing’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He really wasn’t used to it.
His friends had plenty of ways to address him—Yan-ge, Ren-shen, Jing-shen…
But Ah Jing? She was the first.
Tang Zhen leaned closer, and a wave of fragrance drifted toward him—a faint blend of coconut and orange, sweet and gentle.
“I’ll just call you a few more times and you’ll get used to it. Ah Jing. Ah Jing. Ah Jing!”
“Mm.”
“Ah Jing!”
“I’m here.”
After indulging in that childish game for a bit, Tang Zhen finally focused on enjoying the sunrise. The viewing spot was perfect, giving a clear, uninterrupted view of the sun slowly rising from the horizon.
Unable to resist, she took out her phone and recorded the moment, cheerfully adding her own narration, “Today is my first time watching the sunrise with Ah Jing. It’s worth remembering.”
As soon as she finished, a second voice entered the frame.
“There will be a second time. A third time.”
It was Ren Yanjing.
Tang Zhen smiled but didn’t say anything.
Maybe there wouldn’t be a second or third sunrise with him. All the more reason to treasure the present.
After watching the sunrise, it was already six-thirty in the morning.
Tang Zhen got into Ren Yanjing’s sports car, and the two of them left together. Only after they were gone did the eight young people start loudly discussing them.
“Holy crap, handsome guy and beautiful girl—those two were such a perfect match!”
“The guy looked like a rich second-gen. Definitely loaded.”
“Are looks really this competitive these days?”
While everyone was praising them nonstop, a disdainful female voice cut in, “They’ll break up sooner or later.”
It was the female lead’s best friend. She clearly didn’t think much of Ren Yanjing and Tang Zhen as a couple.
The others didn’t bother arguing. Instead, they laughed it off.
“Why care so much about the ending? As long as they’re happy now, that’s enough.”
“Breaking up is totally normal these days. Not breaking up would be the weird part.”
“Still, I kind of think they might not break up.”
“Eh, whatever. Just strangers we happened to meet.”
“Let’s go.”
Amid laughter and chatter, the group got back into their off-road vehicles.
Before returning to campus, Ren Yanjing took Tang Zhen to a private club for breakfast. After they entered the private room, he stepped out to take a phone call. With nothing else to do, Tang Zhen wandered around nearby.
There were quite a few people having breakfast there that morning. What she didn’t expect was to run into Zhou Xusi and Zhou Wan.
What rotten luck.
The moment Zhou Wan saw her, she spoke coldly, “What are you doing here?”
The way she said it made it sound as if Tang Zhen didn’t deserve to eat breakfast here. As if this club were some untouchable holy ground.
Tang Zhen pressed her lips together, clearly not wanting to respond.
Zhou Wan snorted. “This place isn’t cheap. Don’t forget—every cent you’re spending now comes from our Zhou family’s money.”
In other words: You’re living off our family, and you think you’re worthy of coming here?
The words were sharp and hurtful, treating her like a complete outsider.
Zhou Xusi calmly warned, “Wanwan.”
Zhou Wan pouted, aggrieved. “Big Brother, was I wrong?”
Strictly speaking, she was wrong. Ever since Tang Zhen transmigrated into this body, she hadn’t spent a single cent of the Zhou family’s money. She earned a little through tutoring—barely enough for daily expenses.
But it was true that the original Tang Zhen had spent their money, and even now, her tuition was still covered by the Zhou family. She couldn’t deny it. She couldn’t argue.
All she could do was say quietly, “I’ll pay you back in the future.”
“No need,” Zhou Xusi replied lightly. Then he looked at her and added, “Would you like to join us for breakfast?”
Tang Zhen shook her head.
Zhou Wan scoffed. “Hey, you still haven’t said why you’re here!”
Tang Zhen didn’t want to reveal Ren Yanjing’s presence. Zhou Wan had secretly liked Ren Yanjing for years—if she found out about their relationship, it would never end.
Besides, she and Ren Yanjing were bound to break up eventually. Once that happened, she’d probably be mocked by Zhou Wan for the rest of her life.
She could’ve made up any number of excuses, but she didn’t want to lie. After apologizing softly to Zhou Xusi, she turned and ran.
Zhou Wan stomped her foot in anger. “Big Brother, look at her!”
Zhou Xusi glanced in the direction Tang Zhen had run, suppressing the urge to go after her. His tone was calm. “Enough. Why are you arguing with her?”
Zhou Wan stared at him in disbelief. “How was I arguing? I just asked why she was here! She’s the one who ignored me!”
“That’s enough,” Zhou Xusi said, unwilling to hear more complaints. Tang Zhen hadn’t done anything at all—it was Zhou Wan who’d been targeting her from the start.
His younger sister had been spoiled for far too long. Without looking sideways, he walked ahead. “Let it not happen again.”
Zhou Wan: “???”
Was her brother… siding with Tang Zhen, an outsider?!
Tang Zhen ran fast, her mind completely blank. She just wanted to leave the club in one go.
But before she could get far, she collided straight into a broad, warm chest.
“What happened?”
A familiar voice sounded by her ear.
“Why aren’t you staying in the private room?” Ren Yanjing asked again.
She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. “It’s nothing, I just…” She didn’t want to mention Zhou Xusi or Zhou Wan to him.
Their mother had passed away six years ago. Her own mother had met Zhou’s father last year and married into the Zhou family only this year.
But Zhou Wan had always viewed her mother as a homewrecker.
And that hostility naturally extended to her.
Tang Zhen knew Zhou Wan didn’t welcome her and her mother. She could understand it—but she couldn’t accept it.
She didn’t want Ren Yanjing to know about these messy, unpleasant things. During this brief relationship, she wanted them to keep their beautiful impressions of each other. Heavy, harsh realities didn’t need to be brought up.
After all, it was just dating. They weren’t going to get married. Why burden him with these unhappy things?
With that thought, Tang Zhen smiled sweetly. Her eyes curved into crescent moons, as if stars were sparkling inside them.
“I missed you,” she said softly. “So I came to find you myself.”
Ren Yanjing: !!!
000: !!!