Be Passionately In Love

The crimson sun dipped behind the green mountains, its afterglow scattering dazzling hues through the sparse forest. Oblivious to the heavy hearts of the youths below, it radiated its inherent brilliance with tranquil ease.

Chen Luzhou didn’t think he particularly liked her, but she was the first girl in years who had stirred something in him—a feeling hard to define. It was like the crisp chill of a watermelon ice slice on a summer day, or the slow simmer of a winter broth. Nice to have, but not essential. At eighteen or nineteen, curiosity about the opposite sex was natural, and novelty played its part.

Chen Luzhou sent Zhu Yangqi a WeChat message.

Cr: I’m taking her to dinner. Figure out your own meal.

Zhu Yangqi replied with lightning speed, sending a voice message within seconds. Chen Luzhou couldn’t be bothered to listen and pocketed his phone. Leaning against the fish tank where Xu Zhi was teasing the fish, he asked, “What do you want to eat?”

Xu Zhi tapped the glass, her mind wandering to the entrepreneurial possibilities of selling tropical fish by the roadside. Hearing his question, she looked up. “What about you? Anything you’re craving?”

“Nah,” Chen Luzhou walked out. “Boss Fu doesn’t make what I want.”

Xu Zhi followed. “Tell me. Maybe I can ask Uncle Fu to prepare something.”

“No need,” Chen Luzhou waved her off. “I’m craving junk food. Boss Fu’s got too much class. Let’s not drag him down.”

Outside, the tangerine sun still hung bright over the mountain, making Chen Luzhou check his watch instinctively. Sure enough, it was only four—the resort’s restaurant probably wasn’t open yet.

Xu Zhi noticed too. The sunset painted her face a glowing red, but she still looked fresh, her breeze-tousled fringe dancing. “A bit early, isn’t it?”

My brain short-circuited, and yours did too.

But sometimes, plans change. Dinner hadn’t been on his agenda, but now that they’d committed, not going through with it would leave a sour taste.

“Hungry? If not, let’s grab a drink,” Chen Luzhou nodded toward the bar next door, where wind chimes tinkled. “The bar’s open.”

“Okay.”

They settled in, and Chen Luzhou handed her the menu. While she browsed, he leaned back and finally played Zhu Yangqi’s voice message—converting it to text, just in case the idiot said something stupid.

Zhu Yangqi: I underestimated your damn charm.

Ignoring it, he flipped his phone face-down on the table and turned Xu Zhi’s menu around. “Stick to drinks. We’re watching meteors tonight. Alcohol might blur your vision.”

Xu Zhi stubbornly flipped it back. “I can hold my liquor. Won’t get drunk.”

“…Suit yourself.”

Drunkard. Not my problem. Chen Luzhou grabbed another menu from the next table and, after some deliberation, ordered lemon water.Xu Zhi thought he was very disciplined, and it made sense that he was so handsome—no drinking, no smoking, and ordering lemon water both times he came to the bar. It seemed that lady had raised him well. Ms. Lin Qiudie also loved lemon water and had to have a glass every morning when she woke up.

“I’ll have lemon water too,” Xu Zhi said, closing the menu.

Copycat. Chen Luzhou grabbed the menu and tossed it aside, then found himself unsure where to look. After slowly scanning the bar, his gaze eventually returned to Xu Zhi, only to find her staring right at him. His heart felt like it had been lightly squeezed—not too tight, not too loose. He responded bluntly, “Why are you looking at me? Is there a menu on my face?”

“Do you usually have any bad habits?” Xu Zhi asked sincerely.

Chen Luzhou answered just as sincerely, “If watching movies doesn’t count, then no. Why?”

“How long are you planning to live?” Xu Zhi said. “So disciplined.”

“Are you mocking me?” Chen Luzhou chuckled, his lips quirking up, though his eyes were helpless. “Am I ruining the mood by not drinking?”

As he spoke, he made a move to grab the discarded menu.

Xu Zhi quickly covered it with her hand. Their fingertips brushed fleetingly, though she didn’t seem to notice. “No, I’m just curious. Not drinking is good. I just think you must live a pretty happy life—or maybe, you don’t have any worries?”

Chen Luzhou felt something soft and warm at his fingertips and instinctively glanced down, only to realize it was her hand. He immediately pulled back, shoving his hand into his pocket for good measure, then cleared his throat with exaggerated dignity.

Can’t you talk without touching me? Always taking advantage.

“Even kids have worries. How could I not? Look at Chen Xingqi—his daily worries are how to skip art class and how to argue with me. You’re the one who seems worry-free, happily playing Landlords every day,” he said.

“That’s just because I have no choice. My grandma wants to play, and if I don’t play with her, she’ll spend money on in-game purchases. My dad’s the type who loves to act like a big spender—he’ll pay for anything we want without any planning,” she said.

Chen Luzhou looked at her. “So you want to earn money early?”

Xu Zhi mused, “Yeah. I was just thinking about setting up a stall by the roadside to sell fish—those little tropical fish like the ones in the lobby. I think they’d sell better than goldfish.”

Chen Luzhou: “…”

The server brought them each a glass of lemon water. Chen Luzhou plucked the lemon slice from the rim and set it aside. “Any other entrepreneurial plans? Let’s hear them.”

Xu Zhi grew wary, her gaze sharp and direct. “Are you trying to steal my ideas?”

Chen Luzhou: “…”

Forget it. Chen Luzhou decided not to invite trouble and changed the subject. Leaning back in his chair with his hand still theatrically tucked in his pocket, he took a sip of water, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. After a pause, he said, “Cai Yingying said you did pretty well on your exams? Which university are you planning to go to?”

“I want to stay in the city—Qing University’s architecture program.”

“Architecture?”

Chen Luzhou had been about to say that while Qing University was a good school, its architecture program wasn’t particularly outstanding.

But Xu Zhi preempted him, “What, girls can’t study architecture?”“That’s not what I meant,” he said. “I was just saying Qing University’s architecture program is average. Cai Yingying mentioned your scores are really high—have you considered places like Beijing or Shanghai?”

“Oh, sorry for misunderstanding,” Xu Zhi sighed, realizing she’d been overly sensitive lately. “It’s just that some relatives have been pushing me to consider other majors, saying few girls study architecture. I thought you felt the same way.”

“Actually, I think women are more suited for architecture than men.”

Xu Zhi suddenly looked at him with shining eyes. She pushed her glass farther away, as if doing so would let her hear him more clearly and not miss any expression on his face. She wanted to know if he truly believed that or was just comforting her. “Really?”

Chen Luzhou also slid his glass aside and met her gaze. “Yeah. When you strip away structural logic and spatial reasoning, architectural works are somewhat like other artistic creations—design requires emotional and artistic infusion. Not that women are necessarily more sensitive or artistic, but they do tend to be more meticulous in design. At least, that’s my personal opinion. I really love our city’s landmark design, which I believe was done by a female architect.”

Qingyi City’s landmark was a sculpture of a mother with open arms. Every time he passed it after landing at the airport, he felt a sense of security. When he brought friends from out of town, they’d often remark how warm the city seemed because of it.

“Of course,” Chen Luzhou added, “you don’t seem like most girls. What I just said might not even apply to you. But I think you’d excel at anything you choose to do.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Xu Zhi sighed.

Chen Luzhou smiled but didn’t deny it. “Of course it’s a compliment.”

As he spoke, the bar lights dimmed slightly. His face, previously clear in the light, momentarily faded into shadow. His amused “Of course it’s a compliment” suddenly carried an ambiguous warmth, like whispered sweet nothings between lovers in the quiet of night.

Chen Luzhou thought, Okay, that’s enough.

Lost in her own thoughts, Xu Zhi finished the last of her lemonade through the straw and countered, “What about you? Aren’t you studying fine arts? What do you plan to do in the future? You seem like you have a lot of options.”

“Me?” Chen Luzhou cleared his throat, his gaze steady. “Who told you I study fine arts?”

“Huh,” Xu Zhi was surprised. “You and Zhu Yangqi are so close—I assumed you were both art students.”

“I’m not an art student. Just a regular exam-taker.”

“Did you not do well on the college entrance exam?” Xu Zhi clarified, “I overheard your mom say something like that outside the door the other day.”

Chen Luzhou didn’t want to explain too much—it would lead to a tangled mess of topics he wasn’t ready to discuss. “Yeah, there was a minor hiccup. Finished your drink? Let’s head back and pack up. I need to grab my equipment.”

Xu Zhi lingered, unmoving for a while, before finally saying, “You go ahead first. I’ll stay a bit longer. Don’t forget the ointment.” She gestured to the green herbal balm on the table.

Chen Luzhou saw right through her. “You’re planning to sneak some alcohol, aren’t you?”

Xu Zhi: “…”

This guy can read minds, she thought.

“I know what major you should study,” she suddenly declared, raising her hand excitedly.Chen Luzhou leaned back casually, finally taking his hands out of his pockets. They now dangled loosely between his spread legs as he listened attentively. "Hmm, what are you studying?"

Xu Zhi: "Police work? Criminal investigation?"

He chuckled. "My dad always said I wasn’t cut out to be a cop."

"Why?"

"Too handsome. I’d stand out in a crowd. If I were undercover, I’d be the first one to get shot."

Xu Zhi realized he was a lot like her—able to say the most dismissive and punchable things with an utterly earnest expression. Even though she knew it was a joke, she couldn’t help but remark, "You really are so full of yourself."

Chen Luzhou didn’t take the bait. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, watching her calmly before asking leisurely, "Happy now? If you’re happy, let’s go. I really can’t drink with you."

"Alcohol allergy?" Xu Zhi asked.

"Not exactly. Just a lightweight," Chen Luzhou sighed, shifting his gaze as he picked up the menu and skimmed through a couple more pages. "And when I’m drunk, I tend to talk people’s ears off. Back in elementary school, Zhu Yangqi’s dad tricked me into drinking a shot of baijiu. I ended up talking to my grandma all night. Her shoulder got so sore from listening that she had to stay in bed for a week."

......

Cai Yingying collapsed onto the bed laughing. "Chen Luzhou is such a gem."

Xu Zhi found it hilarious too. As she crouched on the floor searching for her hiking shoes, she said, "Next time, let’s get him drunk and see what he talks about for hours."

"Great idea," Cai Yingying rolled onto her stomach, swinging her feet. "But I’m really curious—what kind of girl would a guy like Chen Luzhou even like? The first time I saw him, I thought he was just some arrogant jerk who’d be impossible to get along with. Honestly, I had some prejudice against him at first, thinking he was just another good-looking guy who kept his distance from girls. But the more I see him, the more I think he must’ve been pampered by his parents growing up. Probably never faced any real hardship—just pure, optimistic, though sometimes his mouth is a bit too much."

"That’s high praise, Cai Yingying," Xu Zhi said without looking up. "See? Doesn’t getting out make you feel better? Isn’t Chen Luzhou way more interesting than Zhai Xiao?"

Cai Yingying replied, "No way. I still think Zhai Xiao is more interesting. My life goal now is to make him regret everything and realize how stupid he was! But it’s weird—the four of us have each other’s WeChat, but in pairs."

It did feel odd. They all knew each other, after all.

Xu Zhi packed away her shoes and suggested, "How about this—I’ll share his WeChat with you, and you share Zhu Yangqi’s with me? I think the four of us can at least be considered friends, right?"

......

Chen Luzhou had just closed his laptop and was fishing out a new drone battery from his box when Zhu Yangqi, slurping instant noodles, suddenly swallowed hard and said, "Why is Xu Zhi adding me on WeChat? My mom’s been dead for years. If she wants to meet my mom, that’s not happening."

Chen Luzhou: "..."

The next second, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Xu Zhi: [Can Cai Yingying add you on WeChat?] Zhu Yangqi heard the noise and came over. At a glance, he immediately understood everything. "Well, Chen Luzhou, you're in a love triangle now. This time, it's definitely Cai Yingying who wants to pursue you. Xu Zhi is really generous—she actually pushed you toward her best friend."

Chen Luzhou: "..."