Chapter 11: 011

Chapter 11

Zhen Bao came out of the bathroom and heard the message alert sound. She went to the bedside table and picked up her phone.

Fu Ming Shi: Grandpa thought you had a cold.

Zhen Bao felt even more embarrassed. She sat on the bed and replied: Thank you.

Fu Ming Shi texted back right away: Come down for breakfast.

Zhen Bao immediately got up again, made the bed, got dressed and went downstairs. When she got to the living room, she saw Fu Ming Shi sitting at the coffee table, head lowered as he peeled an apple for Grandpa Fu. He had neatly trimmed short hair, and a crisp spring-like coolness about him. His side profile was focused and handsome.

Zhen Bao deliberately walked around the back of the sofa and sat down on Grandpa Fu's other side.

"You have a fever?" Grandpa Fu turned his head, looking at her flushed cheeks, and asked in surprise.

It was fine until he asked. Now Zhen Bao's face turned even redder. She lowered her head and mumbled, "A little."

"Remember to take medicine after the meal." Grandpa Fu said with a smile, full of care.

Zhen Bao nodded gently. Just then, a fruit platter with slices of apple neatly arranged in a circle was handed over. The hand holding the platter was slender and fair. Zhen Bao didn't dare look at the attentive Mr. Fu. She said thanks, then picked up a slice with a bamboo skewer, leaned back to stay in Grandpa Fu's shadow, and quietly ate it.

"Hasn't Ming Shi been busy with a new project recently? He flew over specially to see me?" Grandpa Fu slowly ate a slice of apple and casually asked his grandson.

Fu Ming Shi moved the fruit platter back in front of Zhen Bao on the coffee table, and glanced at her in passing. "The exam results come out tomorrow. I'm here to pick up Zhen Bao."

"Didn't you say you'll check for me?" Zhen Bao forgot her earlier embarrassment upstairs. She tilted her head and asked in puzzlement. She hadn't stayed in this villa long enough yet. With the kind and amiable Grandpa Fu here, and a few new pet friends she made at the park, Zhen Bao wanted to stay a few more days.

It was obvious she didn't want to go back. Grandpa Fu leaned back on the sofa at leisure and watched the two youngsters beside him.

Fu Ming Shi stared at Zhen Bao and gently reminded her, "After checking the results you still need to choose your major. You have to be there in person."

Zhen Bao finally remembered she had to choose a major. She nodded obediently.

Fu Ming Shi continued, "We'll leave after dinner."

Zhen Bao had no objections.

Seeing no sparks, Grandpa Fu cut in and asked Zhen Bao, "Have you decided what to major in?"

Zhen Bao didn't know anything about university majors. She had asked Fu Ming Shi once before, and he told her to think about it after getting her results. Remembering that girl from her village who studied computer science and now made over 10,000 yuan a month, Zhen Bao softly asked Grandpa Fu's opinion, "Study computer science?"

Grandpa Fu was quite surprised. "Why do you want to study this?"

Zhen Bao smiled shyly, "Someone from our village studied computer science. The pay is pretty good."

The child was so simple. Grandpa Fu could hardly hold in his smile. He coughed and said, "What you major in should depend on your interest, not future employment. Don't rush, Zhen Bao. Take your time to think about what you like. Don't just think about making money and live a tiring life."

That made sense too. Zhen Bao looked out the window, thoughts drifting back to choosing a major.

At breakfast, Hei Dan had long settled by his owner's side waiting to be fed. Grandpa Fu played with Hei Dan, then said to Fu Ming Shi, "Go take Zhen Bao to walk the dog later. I have something to do and won't go out today." He wanted to give the young couple more alone time.

That night, Zhen Bao went back home with Fu Ming Shi.

The first thing they did after getting off the plane was to check her exam results.

Zhen Bao scored 626 points, almost matching her optimistic estimation while checking answers.

She grinned foolishly at the computer screen. Fu Ming Shi stood behind her with hands in pockets, saw her results, and praised her, "Looks like you performed exceptionally well."

Zhen Bao hurriedly acted modest. "The questions were easier this year."

"What gift do you want?" Fu Ming Shi sat on the desk, his long legs casually resting on the floor. He looked down at her.

Zhen Bao blinked blankly. "Why give me a gift?" Fu Ming Shi had already given her many gifts.

Fu Ming Shi smiled. "A consolation prize for flunking, a reward for doing well."

Zhen Bao didn't need rewards. Looking at her score report, she worriedly asked, "Do you know which majors are better? I still haven't decided what to study." Which university and what major to choose were what concerned Zhen Bao the most right now.

Fu Ming Shi had also agonized over choosing a major after graduating so many years ago. Now, looking at Zhen Bao worrying over choosing a major as the CEO of the group, he could only feel she was being childishly cute. But he still answered seriously, "Tell me a gift you want. I'll send you a list of possible majors tonight."

Zhen Bao habitually pouted.

Fu Ming Shi patiently waited, looking at her pink lips.

Zhen Bao wasn't skilled enough at using the internet yet. She had tried looking up relevant information herself, but could never find what she needed most. The more she read, the more confused she got. So she really needed Fu Ming Shi's help.

"I want a bicycle." After thinking hard, Zhen Bao finally thought of something she needed. She heard that university campuses were large and you had to ride a bike from the dorms to the classroom buildings.

Hearing her reason for wanting a bicycle, Fu Ming Shi's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. "You want to live in the dorms?"

Zhen Bao looked as if it should be so.

Fu Ming Shi actually hoped Zhen Bao could keep living at his place, or he could buy a house near campus. In short, he wanted to live together with Zhen Bao. So he first told Zhen Bao about the problems with dorms, "Dorms are crowded with many people of different living habits and personalities. It's easy to have conflicts, especially in the girls' dorms which have the most problems."

When Zhen Bao was in high school, she had lived in the dorms for half a year. There were six girls in a dorm and they all got along very well, helping each other cook meals and carry thermoses of hot water. So she used her own experience to refute Fu Ming Shi, "You're talking about special cases. I probably won't be so unlucky, right?" It would be four years of university. She couldn't keep living at the Fu family's just because she worried about getting terrible roommates.

Fu Ming Shi pressed his lips. He stared at her gloomily.

Seeing his disapproval, Zhen Bao turned back to the screen and pleaded in a low voice, "I don't want special treatment."

If her classmates knew of her relationship with Fu Ming Shi, they would definitely gossip. The college entrance exam had just ended. When Fu Ming Shi followed her Weibo, she gained over 100,000 followers overnight. All sorts of comments appeared. It scared her into secretly re-registering a small account without telling Fu Ming Shi. She didn't plan on using that big account ever again.

Zhen Bao had it all planned out. Once in university, she would try her best to keep it secret, just an ordinary student.

She stubbornly pressed her lips. Fu Ming Shi suddenly remembered those days back in the village. He had known when Zhen Bao bit him while herding geese that this girl looked delicate but had strong opinions about important matters. If Grandpa hadn't cried so sadly at his grave, softening Zhen Bao's heart, she might still be living in that remote village now.

"Living in the dorms is fine, but you have to live here on weekends and during winter and summer breaks." Fu Ming Shi compromised while adding conditions.

Zhen Bao hadn't experienced university life yet. She tentatively agreed.