In late autumn, Zhongjiang still carried a trace of chill at night.
Under the dim yellow streetlights, a man and a woman walked slowly along the lakeside path.
“I already said we should take a taxi back to campus. Why are you insisting on walking?”
Chen Zhuo rubbed his cheeks and quickened his pace slightly.
“I already owe you 65 yuan. If I owe you more, I won’t be able to pay it back.”
Jiang Qiuli spoke with an innocent expression.
“You treated me to a meal, so I treat you to a taxi ride back. Isn’t that perfect?”
Sometimes, Chen Zhuo truly couldn’t understand this kind of stubbornness from the female lead.
“Not perfect.”
Jiang Qiuli shook her head and continued, “Walking back is good exercise. I… I always walk like this. Besides, taking a taxi costs more than 10 yuan. To earn that much, I’d have to watch a lot of ads.”
Chen Zhuo’s steps slowed, then stopped for a moment as he looked at Jiang Qiuli in disbelief.
He hadn’t expected such an answer.
Was it because of her mother’s words earlier? Or was it because there were only the two of them on this quiet road?
Was that why she had become more talkative, daring to speak her true thoughts?
“How much can you earn from watching ads?” Chen Zhuo asked casually, though he had originally planned to force a taxi.
But noticing her change, he decided otherwise.
The dim lights, the quiet path, just the two of them walking side by side… it didn’t seem so bad.
“N-not much. At first, watching a few ads could earn a few cents. Now it’s only 0.01 yuan, and you can’t keep watching endlessly,” Jiang Qiuli answered seriously.
“Then if you keep accumulating, you should be able to save quite a bit.”
“You can’t withdraw it. You have to reach 20 yuan before they let you withdraw 10 yuan,” she explained earnestly.
“Still, I’ve downloaded a lot of platforms. Altogether, I can earn about 1.3 yuan a day. A few days ago, I bought more than ten eggs, and I was planning to use the rest today to buy a thermos for Mom.”
She paused, then added with a hint of excitement, “And… I’m about to reach 20 yuan soon. I’ll finally be able to withdraw 10 yuan!”
At that moment, her voice brightened, and for the first time, a faint sparkle appeared in her eyes.
It was obvious she had been looking forward to that 10 yuan for a long time.
Chen Zhuo felt a pang of heartache.
He reached out and caught her small hand as it swung lightly by her side.
“Your hands are freezing. Here, put them in my pocket. It’s warm inside.”
“Ah!”
Jiang Qiuli froze, startled, and quickly pulled her hand back.
“N-no need. Thank you… I’m not cold.”
“Not cold? Your hands are ice-cold. Be good, put them in. If you don’t, I’ll tell your mom. And don’t forget—she told us to get along well.” This chapter was taken from novelping.com without permission.
As he spoke, Chen Zhuo grabbed her right hand again, which she had clenched into a fist.
“And you already agreed at the hospital.”
“I—”
Jiang Qiuli gritted her teeth, a faint grinding sound escaping.
But this time, she didn’t pull her hand away.
“That’s better. Open your hand. Interlock your fingers with mine—it’ll keep you warmer.”
“No.”
“Then next time I visit the hospital, I’ll tell Aunt.”
Feeling her hand relax in his pocket, Chen Zhuo smugly intertwined his fingers with hers.
The night was dark, and he couldn’t see if her face had turned red.
But he could see her head lowered, as if she wanted to bury it into her chest.
After walking for more than ten minutes, the trembling of her hand inside his pocket gradually calmed.
“Alright, switch to the other hand.”
At this point, Jiang Qiuli was like a small cat being toyed with—flustered, wanting to escape…
but unable to.
After they switched, she glanced cautiously to both sides.
Only after confirming no one was around did she speak softly, “Um… didn’t you promise not to say nonsense to my mom?”
“I didn’t mention you breaking something or not having money to compensate. I only said I’m your boyfriend. The nurse already said it too. Aunt would definitely be happy knowing you have such a handsome boyfriend. I’m doing it for her health.”
Chen Zhuo’s shameless confidence remained steady.
And technically, he wasn’t wrong.
Jiang Qiuli’s mother really had become happier.
Besides, he had essentially saved her life… Jiang Qiuli just didn’t know it yet.
“O-okay.”
Jiang Qiuli nodded slightly.
After walking for another ten minutes, the two of them entered Zhongjiang University.
It was a little past 9 PM.
If it were summer, there would still be people along the campus roads, and the playground would be lively with students chatting and strolling.
But now, with the cold wind of autumn sweeping through the night, even university students couldn’t endure it.
Most stayed in their dorms playing games. Occasionally, a few students walked by, coming from the library or exam prep rooms. The source of this chapter is g.com.
The campus felt quiet.
Jiang Qiuli had already pulled her hand away at the school gate.
This time, no matter how Chen Zhuo used her mother as leverage, she refused.
He knew that if he pushed further, she might start crying again, so he let it go.
“If you won’t let me warm your hands, at least let me walk you to your dorm building,” Chen Zhuo said as they walked.
Jiang Qiuli kept her hands stuffed firmly in her coat pockets, afraid he might grab them again.
She really wanted to say…
Were you warming my hands just now? That felt more like you were playing with walnuts!
Chen Zhuo stopped walking and glanced at Jiang Qiuli, who had unconsciously moved farther and farther away from him.
“At this distance, anyone who sees us would think we’re strangers. Can you come closer? Otherwise… I’ll hold your hand again.”
Frightened, Jiang Qiuli moved about 1 meter closer and nodded lightly.
Chen Zhuo frowned. “What does that mean? Are you agreeing to let me hold your hand, or agreeing to let me walk you to your dorm?”
“I—I mean… to the dorm,” she replied softly, her pretty face nearly buried in her clothes.
“Let’s go.”
Eight minutes later, Jiang Qiuli dashed into the dorm building as if escaping.
Chen Zhuo looked up at the number on the building’s outer wall and murmured in his heart:
“Meiyuan Building No. 31… got it.”
Turning around, he took out his phone.
He hadn’t checked it for a while, and there were quite a few messages—though most were unimportant group notifications.
After skimming through them, he found nothing noteworthy.
Replaying the events of the day in his mind, he suddenly remembered Ye Fei, who was still receiving treatment at Zhongjiang First People’s Hospital, along with the shop assistant taking care of him.
“Sorry… I got too caught up interacting with the female lead and forgot about you.”
He opened the shop assistant’s contact and sent a message:
“Take good care of Ye Fei at the hospital. Follow the doctor’s instructions strictly. If he tries to move around, don’t let him act recklessly. Also, let him stay a bit longer—he should only be discharged after fully recovering. If the insurance company doesn’t cover it, I’ll pay the difference.”
After sending the message, Chen Zhuo let out a light sigh.
“For a villain… I’m ridiculously outstanding as a person.”
Just as he was about to put his phone away, a message from the class group caught his attention.
“Classmates, due to the heavy workload of the counselor—and to set a good example for underclassmen—the first and second-year classes are now recruiting a batch of class assistants from third-year students. The monthly allowance is 400 yuan. Anyone interested, message me privately!”