Chapter 108

Chapter 108

Remove the 'Ge' from Gouf, and what's left is Fu.

Zhu Zhizhi wished for the first time that she wasn't so smart, staring blankly at Tian Ruan.

Tian Ruan: "..."

Yu Jingmo said, "I believe Zhu can keep this secret, right?"

Zhu Zhizhi looked up to meet Yu Jingmo's incomparably handsome face. Because he was so tall, she had to tilt her head back, and the pressure felt like an iceberg descending upon her. "...Of course, I'm very tight-lipped."

Tian Ruan had zero trust in Zhu Zhizhi's ability to keep a secret and couldn't help but regret his words.

Yu Jingmo naturally took Tian Ruan's hand, "It's fine, Zhu will keep our secret; otherwise, her family would go bankrupt."

Tian Ruan: "..."

Zhu Zhizhi: "I swear on my honor, I won't reveal your relationship."

Tian Ruan: "I don't believe in your honor. Swear on all your BL resources. If you say anything, you'll never be able to read BL novels, comics, or anime, or listen to dramas or audiobooks again."

Zhu Zhizhi trembled, like a leaf in the wind, then stood firm after a moment: "I promise!"

Strike where it hurts. Tian Ruan must have been a snake catcher in a past life, perfectly exploiting others' weaknesses.

As students of a prestigious school, they naturally only flew first class. In the VIP lounge, the literature club fell into an eerie silence. Huang Dou asked the others, "Would anyone like coffee?"

Zhu Zhizhi cleared her throat, "I'll just have a caramel macchiato."

"Here, we only have American lattes and cappuccinos."

"Cappuccino. Tian Ruan also drinks this."

Just as Tian Ruan was about to get up to pour his own, Mr. Yu pressed him back down and said calmly, "He won't drink it; he needs to rest on the plane later."

No one dared to argue.

Assistant Xu, who had checked in their luggage, came in and thoughtfully bought two drinks, "Mr. Yu, Young Master Tian, here's your coffee."

Mr. Yu took the two cups of coffee and sipped them slowly.

Tian Ruan: "..."

Assistant Xu: "Shall I buy another cup?"

Mr. Yu: "Buy a box of warmed milk."

Assistant Xu went off again, leaving Tian Ruan feeling a bit embarrassed. Three minutes later, Assistant Xu returned with the warm milk. Of course, he didn't neglect himself and bought a hot taro bubble milk tea for himself.

Tian Ruan: "..." He wanted to drink the milk tea too.

But under Mr. Yu's stern gaze, he could only obediently drink the milk.

Zhu Zhizhi looked at the real couple across from her, sipping her coffee while nosebleeding: "Hehehe... milk..."

"Captain!" Huang Dou exclaimed, "You're nosebleeding!"

The blood dripped into the cappuccino, mixing to a reddish-brown color, like clots from the later stages of menstruation. Zhu Zhizhi looked down and said, "Ugh..."

A gentle female voice announced over the intercom: "Respected First Class passengers, Flight SC1036 is about to depart. Please ensure you have all your personal belongings and board the aircraft in advance."

Ground staff rushed in, startled to see Zhu Zhizhi with blood streaming from her nose. "Is this lady unwell?"

Zhu Zhizhi waved her hand, plugging her nostrils with a tissue. "It's nothing, just because of the dry weather."

"Please follow me, then."

First Class not only offered early boarding but also an endless supply of snacks and fruits. Noticing Zhu Zhizhi's nosebleed, the flight attendant thoughtfully provided her with a saline spray.

Tian Ruan sat by the window, while Yu Jingmo blocked him tightly from the outside. To speak to the literary club, he had to crane his neck out.

However, chatting on the plane wasn't ideal, and after a few words, Tian Ruan turned to reading a magazine, eventually dozing off on Yu Jingmo's shoulder.

Yu Jingmo covered him with a light blanket and closed his eyes to rest.

The cabin was deathly quiet, and even the flight attendants pushed their carts with utmost caution.

Zhu Zhizhi could only communicate with the team through gestures and typing on her phone, with the keyboard sound muted.

What should have been a comfortable First Class experience felt more like a prison for the literary club.

An hour later, as they disembarked, each of them stretched their backs and ran faster than rabbits—another moment with the big shots would have suffocated them!

Tian Ruan also stretched, a lazy yawn escaping him as he breathed in the crisp winter air. "A good nap, really refreshing."

Yu Jingmo: "Mm-hmm."

Zhu Zhizhi looked pained; it turned out that fangirling up close wasn't as enjoyable as she imagined, exhausting her to death.

Tian Ruan was puzzled: "Why did Classmate Huangdou run away?"

Zhu Zhizhi said something profoundly philosophical: "Because distance creates beauty."

Then she made a motion as if revving up a motorcycle and ran off with a quick "See you at the library!"

Tian Ruan: "Not going... together?" But she was already out of sight.

Yu Jingmo said, "I'll take you."

Tian Ruan nodded, "Okay."

They walked out of the terminal and waited for Assistant Xu. The car was already prepared—a low-key black Rolls-Royce, fitting Yu Jingmo's style.

After Assistant Xu pushed out the luggage and loaded it into the trunk, he sat in a more understated Volkswagen behind.

In the car, Yu Jingmo took a call, hummed a few times, and said, "Proceed as usual."

After hanging up, he said, "The provincial capital's branch mainly deals with real estate. A nearby housing project has just been completed, and they're holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony tonight. Do you want to go?"

"Ribbon-cutting at night?" Tian Ruan was confused.

"Ribbon-cuttings are usually held during the day. They're rushing this one to avoid my questioning."

"Questioning?"

"The price and quality of the building materials don't match. Someone has embezzled a large sum of development funds. Making the ribbon-cutting ceremony look good also helps save face for him and gives me an explanation."

Tian Ruan didn't fully understand, but there would be a show to watch and drama to enjoy, so he had to be there.

The book club event was held at the provincial capital's library, which closed to the public at noon and reopened at one in the afternoon. The activity took place from half past one to half past four.

Tian Ruan arrived just after one o'clock, finding the parking lot in front of the library already full. He got out of his car and said, "Come back to pick me up at half past four."

Yu Jingmo: "Hold your phone tightly, don't get lost."

Tian Ruan pointed to the sandalwood beads and sports watch on his wrist, "I have the location always on for you, I won't get lost."

Seeing the bodyguard's car also arrive, Yu Jingmo felt reassured and went off to handle official business.

"Madam!!" Dazhuang shouted as he got out of the car.

Two women who had come together for the book club were startled. Seeing a large, burly man in black running towards them, they screamed "pervert" and threw their handbags at Dazhuang's face.

Tian Ruan happened to be standing next to them, watching in amazement as the formidable Dazhuang was knocked unconscious by a woman's handbag.

Mao Qi walked over unhurriedly, kicked Dazhuang into the flower bed, and apologized to the two women, "Sorry to have frightened you. He's not a bad person, just a bit simple-minded."

The two women forgave him generously, "Oh, so he's simple-minded. I thought so too. How could such a rude person mix with all the well-educated people here at the book club?"

Tian Ruan took out a notebook from his bag, tore out a page, wrote something on it, and placed it next to Dazhuang: "Not dead, do not disturb."

"..."

Tian Ruan opened his phone and started a video call with Lu Qiuyan.

He noticed that Lu Qiuyan seemed to be at the Yu family residence, specifically in the annex where Yu Shang lived—rows of antique vases lined the room, including a few blue-and-white porcelains that Tian Ruan had secretly used for flower arrangements.

"What is it?" Lu Qiuyan asked casually, "Aren't you at the book club?"

Tian Ruan's eyes lit up: "Are you in Yu Shang's room?"

Lu Qiuyan: "...In the living room."

"Go to his room then."

"Why would I go to his room? Are you crazy?" Lu Qiuyan hung up the video call.

"..." Tian Ruan wasn't angry; this feisty temper of the main character was truly rare.

The receptionist asked for an invitation letter.

Zhu Zhizhi was waiting at the foot of the stairs and ran down upon seeing the situation: "He came with me, he's a great talent from the De Yin Literature Club, have you heard of Tian Ruan?"

The receptionist smiled and nodded, "Of course, the essay 'I Am a Tree' is widely read among college students."

Tian Ruan laughed awkwardly, "What talent, don't exaggerate, I'm just here for fun today."

Suddenly, a tall figure passed by, and Tian Ruan immediately pointed and said, "Hai Chao! Hai Chao is the real talent!"

The tall teenager glanced over with cold eyes, his slightly raised phoenix eyes just like Yu Ti and Yu Jingmo. It's not uncommon for a nephew to resemble his uncle.

Tian Ruan was momentarily dazed, almost blurting out, "Big... Big..."

Zhu Zhizhi: "Big?"

"Great talent!" Tian Ruan forcibly pulled his wandering thoughts back, nearly calling him big nephew.

Hai Chao ignored him and coolly went upstairs, then to the third floor.

Zhu Zhizhi laughed like a bud about to bloom, "Our De Yin is saved. It’s still Principal Li who is wise, to have recruited such a great talent from the affiliated high school."

Tian Ruan nodded, "So you should go and pester him."

Zhu Zhizhi spoke with righteous indignation: "Am I the kind of person who forgets kindness? You represent the Literature Club, Hai Chao represents De Yin. In my heart, the Literature Club is more important than De Yin."

Tian Ruan: "...I wonder what Principal Li would think if he heard that."

The reading club had invited renowned professors from prestigious universities to impart knowledge, along with leaders from the provincial education bureau, giving ample face to these college students and literature enthusiasts.

The third floor was the main venue, where long railings lined the rows of bookshelves, and early arrivals were already engrossed in their books on the ground.

It seemed as though it was still that weekend when the library was packed, filled with ordinary people who loved reading.

Zhu Zhizhi, with her keen eyes, managed to spot a yaoi book among the serious literary works and shared her discovery with Tian Ruan, delighted.

...Well, Tian Ruan admitted he liked these too, as long as they weren’t too cliché. That’s why he remembered the world of this book so clearly.

It wasn’t suitable for video calls here, so Tian Ruan started reading the book. However, he soon lost interest and became fascinated by a row of colorful art albums on the shelf.

He returned the book and began browsing through the albums.

The albums depicted the cosmos and starry skies, with vibrant colors that captivated the eye. The descriptions were hazy and dreamlike, as if whispered from the distant reaches of space.

At half past one, the organizer suddenly emerged from the crowd, microphone in hand, saying, "How gratifying! Everyone here loves reading! We’ve gathered today to discuss the essence and boundaries of literature—do boundaries exist? Of course, they do, and that boundary is the end of human civilization!"

Grand and majestic music played, instantly stirring everyone’s emotions. This was the charm of words and music to humanity.

Tian Ruan's thoughts drifted elsewhere, wandering aimlessly, until the organizer approached with enthusiasm: "Next, we have Tian Ruan, the talented student from Class 1, Grade 2 of De Yin High School, to give a speech!"

The microphone was handed to Tian Ruan's mouth.

Tian Ruan inhaled through his nose, catching a whiff of the bad breath on the microphone, "So foul..."

So foul...

Foul...

Foul...

The echo lingered, refusing to fade away.

Organizer: "…………"

Audience: "…………"