Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After that day, Xiang Liangzhi and I chatted back and forth on WeChat quite often, but we didn’t meet up again for a while.

It wasn’t until a Friday about ten days later that he took the initiative to ask if I wanted to go hiking with him and a few of his friends.

I agreed immediately, of course, and even borrowed a sharp, sporty outfit from An Xuan.

Before I headed out, An Xuan sprayed me with ten layers of setting spray, solemnly promising that my makeup wouldn’t budge even if I hiked three laps around the mountain.

Xiang Liangzhi’s friends were all easy to get along with. When they met me, they either gave me polite smiles or teased me warmly.

My physical stamina isn’t great, so I hiked slower than the rest of them. Xiang Liangzhi dropped back to the end of the line, staying by my side and accompanying me slowly upward.

The people ahead of us were gathered around a rock, chattering away. Someone named Chen Zong said something that triggered a burst of laughter from the group.

“Nonsense! Just looking at it, those aren’t the right characters!”

“How useless is that study-abroad degree of yours? Your dad was the one who got scammed into buying it, and now you’re trying to fool us too.”

Xiang Liangzhi and I caught up to them.

I took a look and chimed in, “Those two characters are ‘Cloud Belt,’ written in seal script. We’re halfway up the mountain where the mist lingers; it’s as if the mountain is wearing a belt made of clouds.”

A chorus of sudden realizations rose from the group.

From that moment on, I went from being the straggler at the back to the center of their circle. Whenever they saw a stone tablet, a plaque, or an inscription, they would turn to ask me about it.

Fortunately, this was all basic knowledge for me. Not only could I recognize the characters, but I could also explain the origin of each one.

Stars of admiration were practically shining in Chen Zong’s eyes.

Jiang Rui, who had been teasing earlier, twisted open a bottle of water and handed it to me.

“Please, have some water.”

“A hike with Miss Xiao Zou is a real hike. Before this, I was basically just taking a stroll,” another added.

Jiang Rui added snarkily, “Yeah, like an old man at the park.”

While they were buzzing around me, Xiang Liangzhi stood to the side, watching me with a smile.

It lasted until Chen Zong leaned in to ask if I could analyze the meaning of his name.

Xiang Liangzhi finally spoke up.

He stepped in, took hold of my wrist, and pulled me out of the circle.

“Alright, you lot. I brought Chuchu out to have fun, not to act as your tour guide.”

Amidst a wave of playful jeers, Xiang Liangzhi whispered in my ear, “You’re not allowed to analyze their names.”

It was the first time he had shown a childish side in front of me.

For the rest of the trek, they were tactful enough not to come over, leaving the space to Xiang Liangzhi and me.

Xiang Liangzhi maintained a gentlemanly distance, but the occasional breeze carried a faint scent of his cologne, making my heart flutter more and more.

I chatted with him about this and that, but in reality, I was completely distracted.

Then, we ran into a few girls coming from the opposite direction.

One of them let her gaze linger on the gap between us for a moment before stepping forward.

“Excuse me, could I get your contact information?”

She was addressing Xiang Liangzhi.

My heart sank, and I immediately looked at him nervously.

At the same time, I cursed myself for being a coward and letting someone else beat me to the punch.

To my surprise, Xiang Liangzhi also looked at me.

Our eyes met.

I looked away awkwardly.

Xiang Liangzhi’s warm, gentle voice drifted over: “I’m sorry, it’s not very convenient.”

This small episode left my heart in even more of a mess. By the time we reached the foot of the mountain, I finally plucked up my courage.

“Mr. Xiang… do you have a girlfriend?”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt a pang of regret.

Xiang Liangzhi’s brief silence made my heart race with anxiety, until I heard him let out a sigh.

“It’s my fault. I should have been the one to speak first.”

I looked at him in astonishment.

His large hand came to rest gently on the back of my head. With a soft tug, my ponytail came loose.

I don’t know where he produced a new hair tie from, but his long fingers moved skillfully through my hair, tying it into a low, half-up style.

“Today caught me a bit off guard, so I didn’t prepare a proper gift for a confession.”

“This is just something I happened to see the other day and thought would suit you. Consider it a small gift. As for the rest, I’ll make it up to you later, okay?”

He lowered his head, his eyes full of warmth and laughter.

“So now, Miss Chuchu, are you willing to be with me?”

I hadn’t expected our relationship to progress so quickly; for a moment, I was lightheaded with joy.

Seeing my dazed expression, his smile deepened.

Then, he took my hand and slipped my old hair tie onto his own wrist.

“This way, you won’t be snatched away by anyone else.”

His wrist was warm, and his heartbeat seemed to intertwine with mine.