Chapter 60 Mutual Appointments

Five morning self-study periods had passed.

Yuan Wenliang packed his books early and stood quietly by the stairwell that Ye Hongshu was bound to take after class.

A few minutes later, Ye Hongshu appeared at the third-to-fourth-floor stair landing with her schoolbag on her back. She looked somewhat surprised to see him waiting for her.

"Why do you have time to wait for me today?"

"Would you like to have lunch together?"

"Huh?"

Ye Hongshu walked right up to Yuan Wenliang, eyeing him with a scrutinizing gaze.

He doesn't look sick. He's taking the initiative to invite me to lunch? There's definitely something fishy going on.

In their relationship so far, Ye Hongshu had always been the active one, while Yuan Wenliang was completely passive. If the girl didn't move, he wouldn't budge either, making him look completely uninvested.

"Did you do something you feel guilty about?"

"Not at all!"

Fearing she might misunderstand, Yuan Wenliang quickly explained, "I have a gift I'd like to give you."

"Is it because of Christmas? I already said you didn't need to mind that..."

"This has nothing to do with Christmas."

Yuan Wenliang interrupted, looking directly into her eyes with earnest seriousness.

"It's because I want to do this."

Ye Hongshu turned around, the corners of her mouth curling upward uncontrollably.

The wooden block has finally figured it out!

"Keep up, lead the way!"

...

Outside the Class 2 classroom.

Shao Ling held a red gift box, leaning against the concrete railing, flanked by his two loyal sidekicks.

The left sidekick spoke up, "Brother Shao, I heard from some guys in Class 18 that Ye Hongshu didn't even look at the thing you sent her—she threw it straight into the trash can."

"Yeah, I know."

Shao Ling didn't take it too to heart, saying casually, "It was just a piece of bait cast out at random. If she takes the hook, I'll bring her back to the fishpond to raise; if she doesn't, it's no big deal, my fishpond isn't short of one fish. As long as I can reel in the big catch that is Tang Wan, nothing else matters."

The right sidekick beside him nodded in deep agreement.

"Indeed, Tang Wan is not only gorgeous, but her grades are also first in the grade, and she doesn't put on a cold face all day like Ye Hongshu."

"Alright."

Seeing Tang Wan stand up from her seat inside the classroom, Shao Ling raised a hand to signal them to stop talking.

"She's coming out. Watch how I win her over and take notes."

He then flashed a smile he believed to be extremely charming.

"Tang Wan, hello. I am—"

However, before he could even finish his sentence, he was cut off by Tang Wan.

"Hello, thank you, not needed, goodbye."

With that, she didn't spare Shao Ling another glance, walking straight away with Xu Nian and Li Yu by her side.

Tang Wan had rejected too many people today; it had practically become a conditioned reflex.

Shao Ling's smile froze on his face, leaving him standing alone and disheveled in the wind. The two sidekicks didn't dare to step forward and speak, terrified of becoming his outlets for frustration.

After a long while, he took a deep breath, suppressing the awkwardness in his heart, and plastered a nonchalant expression back onto his face.

"No matter. It's just a tiny setback; it cannot cool my passion for her."

The left sidekick tactfully provided him with a way out.

"Right, Brother Shao. As the saying goes, persistent longing always brings an echo. As long as you keep at it, she's bound to be moved by you."

"That's right, I believe in you, Brother Shao. You're so outstanding, you'll definitely have no problem."

Shao Ling soaked in their flattery, feeling quite comfortable, and simply waved a grand hand.

"Let's go! To commemorate this little setback today, I'm treating you two to a good meal! Let's go for Haidilao!"

The sidekicks chorused, "Thank you, Brother Shao!"

...

On the path from the teaching building to the cafeteria.

Xu Nian linked her arm through Tang Wan's and asked, "Wanwan, do you have any plans for later?"

"What plans could I possibly have?"

Tang Wan looked at her in confusion.

"We still have self-study classes, where else would I go?"

"Aish, that's not what I mean! Isn't today Christmas? Aren't you going to spend it with him?"

Tang Wan gave her a light smack on the head and said righteously, "I'm Chinese, do you understand?"

Xu Nian didn't believe a single letter of it. Yesterday, without seeing Lu You, she had looked like a lost soul; today, she was putting on this prim and proper act again. Anyone would have to be a fool to believe nothing was going on between them.

"Did you guys... have a fight?"

"No, really not!"

Tang Wan was getting annoyed by her questioning.

"I already snuck away once yesterday, so today we decided to focus properly on studying. Besides, he's picking me up for dinner this afternoon, so stop overthinking it."

Xu Nian scrutinized her expression closely, and satisfied that there genuinely was no problem, she decided to let her off the hook.

"Fine then! Just do me a favor and cover for the two of us this afternoon."

"You guys are going out again? Have you finished your homework?"

"Wanwan, building model kits is something you can't feel at ease leaving half-done. And if you aren't at ease, you can't focus on studying, and without focus, how could you possibly write good homework? Don't you agree?"

"Suit yourself."

Tang Wan couldn't be bothered to argue with her. Say one sentence to her, and she'd fire back with ten. Xu Nian was the absolute master of sophistry.

...

Inside a residential building in a certain housing complex.

Apartment 1301.

Lu You held a gift box in his hands and pushed open the front door. A cool, serene atmosphere greeted him.

This apartment spanned over a hundred square meters, featuring three bedrooms, two living rooms, two bathrooms, and two balconies. Less than five hundred meters away were an obstetrics and gynecology hospital, a shopping mall, bus stops, and a subway station, and it wasn't far from Lu Jiayan's company either. The location was prime, and the infrastructure was fully developed.

It was a place Lu Jiayan had deliberately purchased for temporary residence while Shen Yuyin was pregnant with Lu Jingshu. Although the villa area had a better environment, it wasn't close enough to the hospital.

Having been uninhabited for several months, all the furniture was covered in a thin layer of dust.

Lu You walked into the apartment, followed by five middle-aged women he had hired from a housekeeping agency.

"Later on, you ladies handle the cleaning of the living room, dining room, kitchen, one bathroom, and the two balconies. You can leave the bedrooms alone."

Cleaner Auntie A said with a beaming smile, "Understood, young man, leave it to us."

"Make sure it's cleaned thoroughly, alright?"

"Aiya, are you doubting our professionalism? We are professional cleaners, you know."

Thinking about it, Lu You realized she had a point. Doubting their ability to clean properly was like someone doubting his rigor as a mathematics professor conducting research.

"Then you can get started. I'm going out to buy some things."

"Alright, young man, watch your step."

Lu You switched on the main circuit breaker, placed the gift box inside the refrigerator, and then left for the nearby shopping mall to buy ingredients for dinner.

Originally, he had only planned to take Tang Wan out for some spicy hot pot (malatang), but Shen Yuyin's words had enlightened him. When you're in a relationship, you shouldn't be too rational, treating it like a math problem with distinct steps.

He wanted to hold Tang Wan's hand, he wanted to be lovey-dovey, so he decided not to suppress it anymore. Finding a private place where they could cuddle to their heart's content—wasn't that wonderful? Who cares about malatang?

And this apartment was the absolute perfect destination. A private venue, undisturbed by anyone else, with plenty of spacious room and a kitchen where he could showcase his culinary skills.

Inside the mall, Lu You pushed a small cart as he strolled through the grocery section. He planned to buy table salt, peanut oil, soy sauce, and other condiments, along with some daily necessities.

This apartment was a place he and Tang Wan would frequent in the future, serving as the primary location for their dates now that they were officially together.

An hour or so later, Lu You returned to Apartment 1301 with a fully loaded shopping cart. Fortunately, the apartment was already fully equipped with kitchenware, otherwise he would have had to make another trip.

Seeing that he had bought so many items and was a resident of the complex, the mall staff thoughtfully allowed him to take the shopping cart along, on the condition that it be returned within two days.

By this time, the indoor cleaning was already seventy to eighty percent finished. After Lu Jiayan and his wife had moved out, they had already hired people to deep-clean the place. All Lu You needed to do this time was clear away the dust.

Cleaner Auntie A, who was working on the finishing touches nearby, saw him bring back so many things and asked kindly, "Young man, do you need any help?"

Lu You didn't refuse, replying politely, "I'll have to trouble you."

"It's nothing!"

In no time at all, everything from the shopping cart had been properly put away.

Lu You pushed the shopping cart aside, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared to process the ingredients for the evening.

Auntie A looked at his appearance, then glanced at the pork stomach, chicken meat, and medicinal herbs laid out on the countertop.

"Young man, are you planning to make pig stomach and chicken soup?"

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"No, go ahead with what you're doing."

Lu You gave her a strange look. She started a sentence and then stopped, making things feel rather odd.

A flash of light crossed Auntie A's eyes, and her mind seemed to work like an abacus, calculating rapidly.

Looks: full marks; height: slightly lacking; temperament: no major flaws so far. As for family background, no one who could live in this housing complex was poor. Most importantly, he knew how to cook. Given that he was still wearing a school uniform, his height had promising potential for the future. Overall star rating: nine and a half stars.

"Young man, what grade are you in this year?"

"First year of high school. Why do you ask?"

Lu You turned on the faucet to wash his hands and instantly sucked in a cold breath.

Damn it! That water is freezing!

"First year of high school? First year is great! Just two more years and you can date. That's not too big of an age gap."

"Huh?"

Lu You turned his head, staring at Auntie A with a bewildered expression, completely failing to understand why she suddenly brought this up.

"Young man, are you interested in meeting some college girls?"

WTF? What does that even mean? Is she asking me to be their tutor?

Lu You scratched his head and said somewhat awkwardly, "College students? Wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate?"

My graduate school entrance exam scores haven't even been released yet, and you want me to talk about this?

Seeing his reaction, Auntie A assumed he was just being shy and continued, "It's fine, young man. As the saying goes, an older woman holds golden bricks. I have a daughter who is a freshman in college this year, and she's quite decent-looking. Would you like to get to know her?"

Lu You was left instantly speechless, alternating between laughter and tears. So that was what she meant. Hearing "college students" earlier, he had instinctively projected his identity as a professor and hadn't considered this angle at all.

"Forget it, Auntie. I'm still a high school student, and my studies come first. I'm not considering this for now."

Toward elders, as long as they weren't the type who fancied themselves as all-knowing veterans giving high-and-mighty orders, Lu You remained quite respectful.

"I understand. High school students, college entrance exams come first."

The fact that she understood made Lu You genuinely happy.

"But it wouldn't hurt to get to know each other."

Alright, she hadn't understood at all.

Lu You had no choice but to fabricate an excuse to dispel her idea. He lowered his gaze, his lips curving into an ambiguous arc as an inexplicable sorrow emanated from his entire being.

"Auntie, to be honest with you, my family situation is rather complicated. They... have arranged a commercial marriage for me. My romantic life is not something I can decide for myself."

"Ah? Is that how it is?"

Auntie A, an avid viewer of domestic TV dramas, didn't hesitate for a second and swallowed the story hook, line, and sinker.

She looked at Lu You with pity, patted him on the shoulder, and let out a long sigh. "Sigh, I suppose you and my daughter just weren't meant to be."

What does "not meant to be" even mean? I haven't even laid eyes on her!

"You go ahead and get busy, Auntie is going back to cleaning."

Lu You breathed a sigh of relief. Although he couldn't fathom why she would believe such a ridiculous excuse, it had gotten him past the hurdle anyway. No matter how absurd an excuse was, as long as it worked, it was a good excuse.

Another hour passed.

Lu You placed the blanched chicken carcasses (stripped down to just bones) and the prepped whole pig stomach into a boiling clay pot, then added appropriate amounts of radix glehniae, Chinese yam, codonopsis pilosula, solomon's seal, ginger slices, cooking wine, and white pepper powder.

He adjusted the temperature and timer on the ceramic stove; once the time was up, this pot of soup would be complete.

At that moment, Auntie A walked over.

"Young man, we've finished cleaning. Would you like to inspect it?"

Lu You nodded. He took a tour around the various rooms and found no fault; every single corner had been cleaned to a pristine state.

"The cleaning is very well done. If I need it next time, I'll look for you guys again."

"Having your word is enough. Goodbye, young man."

"Goodbye."

After seeing the cleaners off, Lu You checked the time on his phone; it was not yet 3:30 PM. He planned to go pick up Tang Wan after the second class of the afternoon. If he really waited until the third period, he wouldn't even have time to be sweet with her—they'd have to rush back to school right after eating.

As for who it was last night that spoke so righteously about how there was no need to skip class just for some alone time? Lu You claimed he didn't know the guy at all.

Returning to the kitchen, he poured an appropriate amount of salt, fish sauce, cornstarch, and peanut oil into the chopped chicken meat, mixing and marinating it thoroughly. He turned on the water heater and the floor heating.

Ensuring everything was prepared, Lu You grabbed his phone and keys, and set off to pick up his leading lady.