Chapter 168: Eating
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Upon carefully considering Wen Nian’s earlier explanation, Shen Jun gleaned that she did not have any romantic feelings towards Bai Zheng. However, in order to find true peace of mind, he felt the need to confirm it explicitly.
The two of them cuddled for a while. Wen Nian found it difficult to believe that the tense situation had dissipated so swiftly.
Just as Shen Jun was preparing to do something else, Wen Nian suddenly stood up and took hold of his hand. “I didn’t get a chance to study or work on my practice test papers during the holiday yesterday. Come on, let’s make up for it tonight!”
Shen Jun let out a resigned sigh but complied with Wen Nian’s request. He walked into the room, ready to serve as a tutoring tool to help her catch up on her studies.
Before retiring for the night, Wen Nian sent a heartfelt thank-you message to her female colleague who had offered advice earlier. The response from her colleague made it apparent that she was well-versed in matters of love and relationships.
Jiangyan: “Well, it’s not necessarily unbelievable, you know? Relationships between men and women can be complex, and there are certain things that can’t always be explained rationally. Sometimes, as long as it’s not a matter of principle, using emotional tactics can be effective. Being too reasonable might not always work. It’s about finding a balance and understanding each other’s emotional needs. Building a comfortable and harmonious relationship often requires this gradual process of learning and adapting to one another.”
As Wen Nian smiled and humbly sought advice, she was interrupted by a sudden message notification from Weng Ling.
Weng Ling: Wen Nian, are you free tomorrow? 1 want to treat you to a meal.
Wen Nian could tell that Weng Ling was a somewhat serious-minded girl, and if she didn’t treat her to a meal, she would likely reach out again in a few days. Wen Nian: I’m not free tomorrow. Can we do it the night after tomorrow?
Weng Ling: I’m just an idle person. I’m free anytime. You can set the time and address.
Wen Nian: How about 8 p.m. tonight? I’m not familiar with the capital, but anywhere near Qingyang Normal School would be fine.
Despite having lived in the capital for only 10 years, Weng Ling had explored many places thanks to Zhang Lin’s company. As a result, she was quite familiar with the city and its surroundings. She swiftly selected a nearby restaurant for their meeting.
The two of them set a time and place and chatted for a while before saying goodnight to each other.
As the filming neared its conclusion, Wen Nian’s scenes became less frequent, leaving her with more spare time on her hands. Naturally, she dedicated this free time to receiving tutoring from Shen Jun.
On the day of her date with Weng Ling, Wen Nian decided not to mention the incident of her confronting a pervert with a stick to avoid causing worry to Shen Jun. Instead, she found an excuse to explain that she had a meal with a colleague. Shen Jun reluctantly returned home after their tutoring session.
Spring River Fish Restaurant.
Wen Nian arrived early and found a seat by the window.
Not long after, Wen Nian caught sight of a handsome bespectacled boy arriving at the entrance of the fish restaurant, carrying Weng Ling on a bicycle. They exchanged gestures, and the boy rode away on his bicycle.
As soon as Weng Ling entered the restaurant, she quickly approached Wen Nian and began apologizing in sign language for her tardiness.
Wen Nian smiled and shook her head. “No need to apologize, I arrived early myself. 1 was worried about not being able to find you since I’m not familiar with the area, so I came out early. By the way, was that your boyfriend?”
Weng Ling quickly shook her head and gestured. “He’s a very talented painter friend of mine.”
Weng Ling was very familiar with the fish restaurant. She ordered a few signature dishes and wanted to continue ordering.
Wen Nian had seen how generous the northerners were and quickly stopped her. “Miss Weng, there’s only the two of us. Let’s order this much first. It’ll be a waste if we don’t finish it.”
Observing Weng Ling’s response, Wen Nian sensed her reluctance to continue the topic. Weng Ling smiled and made a gesture, indicating, “No need to be so formal. You can just call me by my name instead of Miss Weng, if you don’t mind.”
Wen Nian knew that Weng Ling was 24 years old, so she was too embarrassed to call her by her name. “You’re older than me. I’ll call you Sister Ling.”
Weng Ling nodded and said casually, “Judging from your accent, you’re a southerner. Are you here to travel or study?”
Wen Nian replied, “I’m here to film.”
Weng Ling was a little surprised, so she started talking about this topic.
The meal continued for a duration of two hours. Initially, the two of them were not acquainted, but as they engaged in conversation, they quickly discovered a natural rapport. They realized that they could converse effortlessly.
As they bid farewell, Weng Ling expressed her regret through gestures. “I hope you can visit the capital soon. There are so many exciting things to do here. My cousin owns a hot spring resort that would be perfect for a day like this. It has a collection of rare animals as well. Unfortunately, you’re busy. Otherwise, I would have taken you to visit my orchid shop!”
Wen Nian chuckled and playfully remarked, “Your cousin may not have been physically present tonight, but his presence seemed to permeate our entire conversation. Even though he wasn’t mentioned explicitly 100 times, it certainly felt like he was brought up at least 80 times!”
Weng Ling blushed slightly and hastily gestured to clarify her point. “It’s just that the topic I happened to bring up happened to be related to him. I didn’t intentionally mention him so many times. Let’s stay on topic. We were talking about the orchid shop, remember?”
Wen Nian didn’t think too much about it. She just felt that the two of them had a better relationship than ordinary siblings..