Who wants to manage his money anyway?
Sheng Xia: "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Zhang Shu: "Hmm, it's a bit noisy."
How could anyone sleep in this situation?
People say three women make a drama, but in Zhang Shu's opinion, three men can set up quite the stage too.
A group video call was ongoing on his phone.
Hou Junqi was live-streaming himself making barbecue, truly planning to be self-sufficient in Canada; Han Xiao had gone home for the holiday and was devouring spicy crayfish from Lianli; Qi Xiulei was curled up in bed reading a novel, occasionally exclaiming "holy shit"; Liu Huian was gaming at an internet cafe, with the clatter of keyboards and curses rising and falling; Wu Pengcheng lay shirtless in bed, the pristine pillow clearly indicating a hotel—and of course, he wasn't alone, with a girl occasionally popping into frame to plant kisses on him.
"Ugh, disgusting," Yang Linyu cursed.
Wu Pengcheng's girlfriend pouted, "Your friend just insulted me!"
"No, no," Wu Pengcheng was smooth with girls, his voice so sickeningly sweet that Hou Junqi jabbed the screen with a skewer. Wu Pengcheng only laughed louder, raising his voice, "He's just jealous. Some people have no game—going on a trip with their girlfriend but ending up sharing a bed with their bro."
His girlfriend giggled in agreement.
Han Xiao, mouth greasy, burst into laughter. "Hahaha, insulting two people at once, impressive!"
Yang Linyu: "..."
Zhang Shu: "..."
Wu Pengcheng's screen went dark as he and his girlfriend resumed their makeout session, the wet smacking sounds growing even louder.
Liu Huian was busy commanding his teammates in-game: "Go go go, stop being a coward, take them out! First blood first blood first blood—nice!"
"..."
"Can't listen to this, kick them both out of the group?"
"Alright, alright, we'll stop torturing you..." Wu Pengcheng reappeared on screen. "Bunch of virgins."
"The hell?"
"Enough already!"
Zhang Shu exited the group call and left the room.
Behind him, Yang Linyu's phone transmitted Hou Junqi's voice: "Where's A-Shu? Why'd he leave? My lamb skewers are ready—come take a whiff!"
Qi Xiulei snapped out of his novel. "He's triggered. Probably off to kiss his girlfriend. Who wants your lamb skewers?"
Wu Pengcheng yelled, "Then why can't we watch? Turn it back on, quick!"
Zhang Shu slammed the door shut.
Hah. As if these shallow people deserved to see the jasmine flower at night?
Originally, he'd just planned to use the bathroom and go back to sleep, but now his mind was wandering.
...
Sheng Xia replied: "Go to sleep. If you can't wake up tomorrow, Xiao He will be furious."
Leaning against the doorframe, Zhang Shu smirked and typed: "Can't sleep. Help me drift off?"
Sheng Xia: "Shared link: #Meditation Space 01#"
Zhang Shu: "..."
Zhang Shu: "That won't work on me."
Sheng Xia: "?"
Zhang Shu: "If you're still up, come downstairs."
Sheng Xia glanced around, tiptoed off the bed, and slipped out of the room.
Peering down from the railing, she saw Zhang Shu standing tall in the living room—so tall it seemed he could touch the second-floor ceiling with a stretch. He tilted his head, signaling for her to come down.
Sheng Xia hesitated for a few seconds.
She was in her pajamas, with nothing underneath.
He wore a loose black T-shirt and knee-length gray shorts.
Both looked comfortably casual.
Going back to change might wake her roommate, so she glanced down at herself. If she hunched slightly, nothing would be noticeable.
With only a floor lamp illuminating the room, he probably couldn't see much anyway.So she tiptoed down the stairs again. The split-level staircase was extremely steep, and she focused on her footing, not noticing that Zhang Shu had already come to the bottom of the stairs waiting for her. With two steps still left, she felt her waist being grabbed as she was lifted into the air, spun around, and then trapped between the wall and his chest, followed by a flurry of kisses.
The wall behind her was cold, while the body in front of her was scorching. Suspended between them with her feet off the ground, Sheng Xia felt like a restless trapped animal, instinctively pushing against his chest, nearly letting out a soft whimper before catching herself.
People were sleeping both upstairs and downstairs, yet here they were, kissing in secret.
His hand around her waist remained firm, his kisses unrelenting. As his tongue probed, his other hand caught her restless one, gently stroking before interlacing their fingers and pressing them against his chest.
Beneath her palm was the steady beat of his heart, and Sheng Xia’s agitation was soothed, gradually losing herself in the deep kiss.
Soon, he grew unsatisfied with just their lips and tongues. His warmth shifted left, his hot breath fanning over her ear. When he nipped at her earlobe, Sheng Xia shivered.
Her movement caused his grip to falter, and she suddenly slipped downward. The overwhelming sense of insecurity made her instinctively wrap her arms around his neck and hook her legs around his waist, clinging to him entirely.
The kiss stopped.
Both of them froze for a moment.
Sheng Xia’s eyes widened in the darkness.
What… what was she doing?!
And… what was that thing her thigh just touched?!
And that smirk on his face—what did that mean?!
Embarrassment, shock, panic…
All these emotions tangled together, painting her expression in vivid shades.
She desperately wished the wall behind her would swallow her whole, sparing her from his inscrutable gaze.
Zhang Shu’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he cleared his throat, voice hoarse. “Scared?”
Mindful of the sleeping people nearby, he spoke right by her ear. The magnetic whisper sent another shiver through Sheng Xia, making her instinctively hitch herself higher.
Sheng Xia: “…”
Now she looked way too eager. Help.
Zhang Shu indeed let out a short chuckle. “Or are you just tired?”
As he spoke, he hooked his arm under her legs and pulled her flush against him, carrying her to the couch in a few strides before sitting down with her in his arms.
At least he wasn’t cupping her butt—otherwise, she might’ve died of embarrassment.
Still dazed, she only realized her position when she found herself straddling his lap.
This…?
Wasn’t this worse than being against the wall? How was she supposed to sit up straight now?
She clung tightly to his neck, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder like an ostrich hiding in the sand.
Zhang Shu glanced at the ceiling and sighed. “Be good, sit up a little. If you keep pressing like this, something big’s going to happen.”
The moment he’d grabbed her, he’d already regretted it. The sensation of her against him was too pleasurable, and his body’s reaction had been too swift to control. He could only distract her with fervent kisses.
Who knew she’d end up clinging to him like this?
This was downright lethal.
Who would’ve thought someone so innocent could be so naturally skilled?
Sheng Xia’s entire body burned, especially the ear he’d whispered into—it felt like it might melt off.
Slowly, she loosened her grip and straightened up, putting some distance between them.
But as her upper body moved away, her thighs slid inward instead, brushing against something that made her instinctively look down—
Even through his loose pants, she could vaguely make out the outline.
Sheng Xia leaped off him in a flash, nearly knocking into the coffee table.Zhang Shu swiftly reached out to steady her, his tone exasperated, "Slow down, I'm not going to eat you!"
Unexpectedly, Sheng Xia reacted even more dramatically. Barefoot, she bolted, fumbling at the staircase for what felt like ages before finally grabbing her shoes and dashing upstairs with them in hand.
Watching this series of antics, Zhang Shu leaned back on the sofa, rubbing his forehead with a mix of amusement and helplessness.
All his efforts—wasted.
Once upstairs, Sheng Xia couldn’t resist peeking over the railing, only to meet his resigned yet intrigued gaze. She quickly averted her eyes and fled into her room like a startled rabbit.
The room was pitch black. Pressed against the door, she panted heavily.
Her mind replayed his earlier image: long legs casually stretched out, his entire body relaxed against the sofa, one hand resting on his forehead as he watched her with a faint smile.
Sexy. A lazy, effortless kind of sexy.
For the first time, Sheng Xia felt the word had become tangible.
What had he said?
Eat her?
What kind of outrageous talk was that!
And how could he—how could that thing of his—be like that?
Cheating!
Carefully, Sheng Xia grabbed two tissues to wipe her feet, slipped her shoes back on, and fanned her flushed face. Only when she’d calmed down did she tiptoe under the covers, her entire body burning up.
Beside her, Xin Xiaohe turned over. Sheng Xia glanced sideways—was Xiaohe smiling?
Weird.
Huff—
Sleep! Just sleep! Whether he slept or not was none of her business!
...
For the rest of the trip, everyone noticed Sheng Xia sticking close to Tao Zhizhi and Xin Xiaohe. She rode the cable car with Zhizhi, shared a boat with Xiaohe—basically avoiding Zhang Shu altogether.
It wasn’t outright coldness, just a lack of closeness. Gone were the days when their hands stayed intertwined from morning till night.
Yang Linyu even worried they’d had a fight, but Xin Xiaohe only smiled knowingly. Even Tao Zhizhi seemed to understand. Yang Linyu felt like the odd one out.
Still, they enjoyed every activity and sampled all the local delicacies, making their riverside getaway a delightful experience for everyone.
On the final evening, the group decided to cook a farewell dinner at the homestay, each preparing a dish.
At the supermarket, Sheng Xia clung tightly to Xin Xiaohe and Tao Zhizhi as the three girls browsed ahead, while the two guys pushed the cart behind them.
But supermarkets have a way of scattering people.
Sheng Xia crouched in the beverage aisle, agonizing: Pepsi or Coca-Cola?
Suddenly, a tall shadow loomed over her, and someone knelt beside her.
Zhang Shu studied the shelves, his slender fingers tapping between the two cola options as he chanted, "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, catch a tiger by the toe, if he hollers, let him go..."
On the word "go," his finger landed on Pepsi. He raised a brow at her, triumphant. "This one."
He tossed a bottle into the cart.
Sheng Xia was still processing his odd little rhyme when he crouched down again, tapping between her and the cola. "Eeny, meeny, home we go, pick a dish, don’t be slow, if you stay, you’re a..."
Just one word left, but his finger landed on Sheng Xia. The next tap returned to the cola. Dragging out the syllable, he changed the ending: "Baby."
"Ba" touched the cola, "by" landed as his finger booped her nose. His lips curved, dark eyes reflecting her stunned expression.
Sheng Xia’s heart pounded wildly, nearly boiling over.After all this time, she still gets easily flustered by his few words.
Sheng Xia was nervously twisting her fingers, trying to think of something to regain her composure, when suddenly the finger that had just tapped her nose lifted her chin. He leaned in and planted a light kiss, then naturally took her hand to pull her up. "Come with me? You've been chosen."
Whoever follows him is a little sweetheart.
Lit-tle sweet-heart.
Sheng Xia froze.
Had he planned this all along?
Thus, when the two "physically apart but spiritually connected" individuals reappeared hand-in-hand at the checkout counter after days of tension, everyone was momentarily stunned.
What happened? Did a supermarket trip really smooth things over?
Yang Linyu: "As expected of my Shu-ge."
Xin Xiaohe: "Hmph, surely he couldn't fail to handle his girl after her family left—how embarrassing would that be?"
The entire shopping cart was packed full, filling two extra-large shopping bags.
A glance at the bill showed nearly six hundred yuan.
This wasn't really cheaper than eating out, was it?
Zhang Shu instinctively reached for his phone, already on the payment page, when he noticed the person beside him frown. Understanding, he handed her his phone. "Then you pay."
Sheng Xia was speechless.
Wasn't this still him paying?
She was about to look for her own phone when Xin Xiaohe's phone appeared instead.
As the guest from afar, Sheng Xia couldn't possibly let Xin Xiaohe pay. She quickly used Zhang Shu's phone to complete the payment. With a "beep," the payment succeeded, and the page returned to the home screen. A glance revealed the account balance.
She froze, then looked again to confirm she hadn't misread the decimal point.
Six figures?
While Sheng Xia was still stunned, Xin Xiaohe politely chimed in: "Aiya, we can't keep making Shu-ge spend like this. Shu-ge, you must accept the red packet we'll send later, okay?"
Zhang Shu pocketed his phone, picked up the shopping bags, and instinctively reached back with his other hand to grasp Sheng Xia's, his eyes fixed on Xin Xiaohe. "No need."
Xin Xiaohe: "No, no, we insist."
Zhang Shu: "Next time we visit your place, you treat us."
Xin Xiaohe immediately shifted focus: "Our university town is plenty trendy, okay? What do you mean 'visit your place'? Say that again?"
Yang Linyu, however, nodded: "Sounds good! We'd be getting the better deal—countryside prices are great!"
Xin Xiaohe protested: "No, we can't take advantage of Shu-ge."
Yang Linyu: "Hey, your Shu-ge has money! Why worry about him?"
"Eh? How much money?"
"Definitely more than you... oh, and more than me. More than both of us combined."
"Wow!"
Back at the rental house, while stewing chicken wings, Sheng Xia kept pondering this.
When he topped the national exams, many companies had wanted to give him money, but he refused. In the end, he only accepted the government's 100,000 yuan reward and the school's 50,000 yuan. He donated part of it to charity—she didn't know exactly how much, but it must have been significant, given the commendation banners the charities sent him.
Plus, there were considerable expenses at the start of the semester, and he even bought an expensive bicycle. How could he still have so much left? And he didn't seem like the type to put all his eggs in one basket—there must be more elsewhere.
He was richer than her?
The consequence of her distraction was that Sheng Xia's cola chicken wings burned.
Apart from Zhang Shu, who kept eating them, no one else took a second bite.
The others' dishes weren't much better.
Xin Xiaohe's sweet and sour pork ribs had lost all its sourness, leaving only cloying sweetness; Yang Linyu's scrambled eggs with tomatoes was mostly tomato juice; Tao Zhizhi's dish fared better—a pot of luosifen (river snail rice noodles), which was hard to mess up no matter how badly prepared.Only Zhang Shu's stir-fried chicken with Sichuan peppercorns was perfectly cooked, with an enticing aroma and flavor, even better than the braised chicken sold on the streets.
Yang Linyu couldn't figure it out: "Shu, when did you learn to cook?"
Zhang Shu replied, "Learned it from watching Hou Junqi's livestreams."
"HAHAHAHA!!"
Hou Junqi had gone to Canada but hadn't mastered anything academic yet—instead, he'd been obsessively experimenting with cooking. Every time he attempted a big dish, he'd video call some poor friend to show off.
At the slightest sign of failure, he'd abruptly end the call.
But if it turned out even slightly successful, he'd flood Weibo, QQ Space, and WeChat Moments with bragging posts.
Tao Zhizhi, who had a high tolerance for spicy food, devoured most of the chicken plate. Munching on a drumstick, she mumbled, "Brother Shu, do you have any single brothers who can cook as well as you?"
Zhang Shu answered, "Hou Junqi. Tall, rich, and handsome."
"HAHAHA I think that works!" Yang Linyu chimed in.
Sheng Xia facepalmed. Tall, rich, and handsome?
Well, she supposed that description fit—Hou Junqi wasn’t bad-looking.
But could cook? Was he sure?
Xin Xiaohe muttered, "Old Hou is 195 cm tall. How tall is Peach? 165 cm?"
Tao Zhizhi stammered, "163 cm."
Yang Linyu said, "Isn’t the height difference trend cute?"
Zhang Shu remarked, "It’s fine, doesn’t affect—"
He cut himself off mid-sentence, as if suddenly remembering something, and glanced at Sheng Xia.
Sheng Xia immediately lowered her head, focusing on her meal.
An inexplicable guilt crept over her.
Her mind flashed back to the image of him lifting her clean off the ground with one arm.
Why did she have a feeling he was about to say—kissing?
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